Table of Content
For example, large plants with expansive root systems require more frequent water than young plants. But remember, they also breathe through their roots! So, water your wine barrels often enough so the soil doesn’t fully dry out between watering, but also doesn’t stay sopping wet all the time. When in doubt, do a “finger check” and explore several inches below the soil surface to assess moisture. Before filling your wine barrels with soil, use a drill and large drill bit to add at least 6 large drainage holes spread evenly across the bottom of the barrel. We’ve added ¾” holes in the past, which is a great size but drains the drill battery fast.
Or, try this all-in-one organic all purpose fertilizer. Here is another great option specifically for fruit trees. I would love to see your system for connecting the wine barrels to your drip irrigation system.
Aging Whiskey, Wine, and Spirits
Plan to amend your wine barrel planters at least annually, maybe more depending on the plant’s needs. For instance, one round of fertilizer in the spring before planting short-lived annual veggie crops would be sufficient. However, trees or other perennials growing in wine barrels may benefit from fertilizer 2 or 3 times per year. Like any other potted plant, wine barrels will have slightly higher fertilizer needs than in-ground gardens or larger raised beds. That is because there is more runoff and less overall soil volume to store nutrients. Hi Stephanie, we took photos of how we irrigated the 6 wine barrels we have at the one end of our garden space and hope to have a new post about it in the coming weeks.
Big box garden centers often carry them too, especially to kick off the spring garden season. Here are some wine barrels currently available from Home Depot. They don’t ship to home, but might be able to transfer to your local store. You can also usually find faux wine barrels like these stylish ones made from fir (though they likely won’t last as long as the real ones). It’s easy to make wine barrel planters mobile on hard surfaces. This is especially useful in small spaces where you may want to rearrange things based on the sun exposure, entertaining, or other needs.
Stay in Connected & Learn
Then of course there is good old-fashioned hand watering with a garden hose or watering can. Gardening in wine barrels creates a controlled environment which you can tailor to a specific plant’s needs. For example, fill the wine barrel with acidic soil or use acidic fertilizers to grow blueberries or potatoes. Wine barrels are also ideal for growing and confining invasive plants like mint. Wine barrels are used in the winemaking industry (no kidding, huh?). They’re very durable, usually made of thick oak wood planks with metal rings around them for stability.
Full-size wine barrels aren’t used as often since they’re exceptionally tall and require a lot of soil to fill them! You may also be able to find quarter or three-quarter wine barrels in some places too. I’m trying to see if I can get away with just tapping into our main header off of neighboring bed. Our beds were pre-installed with water lines built underground. We’ve since revamped the beds and built them up and added the barrels to the outside, but I am not sure how far down the main supply line goes underground .
Garden Bed Hoops
The bourbon industry in America produces more than 2 million (!) barrels of whiskey a year; and each of those barrels can only be used once for the production of bourbon. I got carried away and crowded the winter squash in the barrel on the back left . A wine barrel display at our local nursery, with standard half wine barrels, full barrels, and even baby quarter barrels – ideal for herbs, succulents, annual flowers or other petite plants. Wine barrels are awesome for growing food, flowers, herbs, or even trees in small spaces like patio gardens.
Truth be told, trees will always be happiest in the ground though, so if you have the choice, stick with that. If you live in wine country like we do, you’re in luck! Wine barrels are generally pretty easy to find at local nurseries, Tractor Supply, and on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace.
It’s a tad confusing without photos but that is at least the gist of it, let us know if you have any other questions. Drip emitter rings in our newest wine barrel planters, which is connected to our main raised bed drip irrigation system. Clay ollas can greatly reduce the amount and frequency you need to hand water!
Before setting up automated drip irrigation to our newest wine barrels, we’d often stick a medium GrowOya inside the barrel and plant around it. Discount code “deannacat” will save you 5% at GrowOya. You’d be surprised at how many plants you can fit in a wine barrel planter! The surface area is just over 4 square feet, much larger than your average pot. However, it’s still important to maintain proper spacing between plants – just like you would in any other garden bed.
They are sourced from a variety of American distilleries and may have a variety of original brand markings on them. Barrels that are available closer to you will cost less to ship. If you’re looking for an authentic, large-sized, barrel then you’ll likely need to ship it from Kentucky; fine if you live nearby but shipping should be considered if you live across the country. If you plan on using the barrel to age your own wine or whiskey you are going to want a better quality barrel.
Aging in freshly emptied barrels increases the potential flavor profile of your own whiskey, beer, or wine as the bourbon compounds release and enhance the aging process. One of the most popular reasons for looking for whiskey barrels for sale is to age whiskey, wine, and spirits at home. I'm all about simple living, real food, and everything plants. Hi Joanna, maybe we will make a video as it can be kind of difficult to explain. If you are trying to do it by yourself, you need to stand on the side of the hand truck so you can reach the barrel as well as the hand truck.
This barrel is produced specifically to age spirits at home. They offer a range of sizes; from 0.25 gallons to 5 gallons. Replica barrels are less expensive than authentic barrels; but they may not necessarily be of lesser quality. A small scale barrel made for home-use is still a good quality barrel, complete with interior charring; but it may not be considered authentic. This consideration points back to the ‘intended use’ and should be thought of when considering what to pay. Sprinkling in some slow-release organic fertilizers before planting a new round of turmeric.
We have 2 side by side 4X8 raised beds that have whiskey barrels at the 4 most outer corners about a foot away from each. Fill wine barrel planters with potting soil or other soil that is specifically made for containers or raised garden beds. It should be fluffy and well-draining and moderately rich in organic matter. We typically use quality bagged potting soil mixed with some well-aged compost, but the compost makes up no more than 30% of the total volume. Irrigation needs vary drastically depending on your climate and what you’re growing.
No comments:
Post a Comment