Wading Pool Garden Preparation

1. Take a 6' child's wading pool and carefully drill 3/4" to 1" holes every 12-18" around the circumference of the pool, 2" up from the base of the pool. This will create a reservoir below the holes, where excess water can accumulate to be utilized by the plants as the soil mass dries. (With a 6' pool, you will need to drill 4 - 5 holes). If you are using recycled wading pools that have split bottoms, you can place a sheet of plastic inside the pool before filling it with the soil mix.

2. Wading pools should be set so they are level. Locate the pool in its ultimate location, since once filled, this pool, weighing approximately 350 pounds, is relatively immobile.

ABOUT WIND: Plants need air movement; air movement reduces disease and insect problems but too much wind can desiccate (dry) plants or even cause breakage. Avoid extremes especially in an urban environment where the wind can get intensified by buildings or in entirely unprotected areas such as rooftops.

3. Check for sun, shadow patterns caused by obstructions, water accessibility (if there's a gutter down spout nearby, place a 5 gallon bucket under it to collect rainwater) and paths for foot traffic.

ABOUT LIGHT: Generally, most plants enjoy sunshine, but too much of it can scald plants and too little will cause thin weak growth. If possible, position your plants where they will receive morning and noon-time sun. If your area has excessive sun, consider a lath awning built of sticks or draped cheesecloth to avoid the burning, late-afternoon sun.

4. Fill the pool almost to overflowing with your growing medium. Different parts of the world have different resources, so creativity and a little experimentation will be the best guide for what will work in a specific situation. Your goal is soil that is firm, moisture retentive and nutrient rich. Try to use (or replicate) equal parts topsoil, compost and peat moss. The following mix will provide a good soil structure and allow for air movement and water infiltration. A good recipe for a container growing soil mix is one part compost or well-rotted manure; one part topsoil; one part leaf mold, or peat moss*, or like fillers such as: coconut fibers; ground-up newspapers (only vegetable based inks); alfalfa; or leaf mold. *(Peat moss will make the soil lighter and will afford moisture retention qualities. But there are many who consider this use to be detrimental to the environment and consider peat moss a non-renewable resource. While suitable for container gardening, it is suggested that when other types of more locally available materials are available, they should be substituted for the peat).

ABOUT COMPOST: Compost is in every gardener's vocabulary: it is the anchor of highly productive gardens. You can make a composter out of a 20 gallon plastic garbage can with 1/2" air holes drilled in it. Add chopped up green material such as green kitchen waste, grass clippings, leaves, dead plant material, soil and water (for dampening only, do not saturate) and soon you'll have a nutrient-rich, soil-amending compost that also recycles your garden waste.

5. Water the soil thoroughly. Test wetness by feeling deep in the soil, all the way to the bottom. Soil can be deceptive -- while the surface can seem wet, the water may not have filtered all the way down. Be very careful not to flood the pool. A good barometer for proper soil wetness is to take a fist-full of wetted soil in the hand, and squeeze it. If the soil is muddy, with water dripping out, then you have over-watered. If the soil is moist, but holds its shape, then the amount of water is good.

ABOUT WATER: The key to growing plants is never let the root mass dry out nor let it sit in standing water. A deep, thorough watering every few days is better than a sprinkling every day. Also, try to use water that is not too hot or cold Extremes shock plants and cause adverse reactions and predisposition to disease and insect invasions. Use some sort of "breaker" on the end of your hose to avoid soil erosion and plant damage.

6. Now you can sow your seeds or plant your transplants directly into the pool. Press your seeds gently into the wetted soil. Beets and chard seeds like to be pressed about an inch into the soil, while lettuces prefer to sit closer to the surface. You can scatter a light dusting of mulch over the seeds, to prevent the soil from drying out. When planting transplants, dig the roots deep into the pool, press the soil around the roots and cover the area with a good mulch. This will prevent the need for excessive watering, and the plants can survive drought conditions.

ABOUT TEMPERATURE: If growing from seed: grow the roots warms and the leaves cool. Once established and growing: grow the roots cool and the leaves warm. If the soil heats up too quickly plants will go into dormancy and stop growing. This is why you want as much soil depth as possible and to water deeply If you are growing in containers on concrete or a similar base that radiates heat, isolate the container by playing Styrofoam blueboard, lumber under the container to dissipate some of the heat. Shipping palettes work well for wading pool gardens.

7. Vine crops such as cucumbers, melons, zucchinis, winter squashes will need a trellis or support device. Wire mesh, bamboo stakes, branches, a small fence, mattress springs, formed into a ring around the outside of the wading pool all make a great garden trellis.

ABOUT FERTILIZER: Fertilizer can be purchased or made from scratch. Synthetic (store-bought) fertilizer has complete nutrition which is carried by mineral salts. Organic fertilizer (compost) is nutritionally adequate requires preparation time and frequent applications. When making compost, avoid noxious weeds or toxic plants such as oak or walnut leaves. When using manure, make sure it is well-rotted. Fresh manure will burn plants.

8. Remember, for inter-cropping, plant your tall crops together in the center, or nearest the wall (if so placed).

ABOUT DISEASES AND INSECTS: A healthy strong-growing plant will naturally fight off disease and insects. The best way to control problems is to inspect the plants as often as possible. Worms (not the precious and beneficial earth worm!) and caterpillars can be manually removed (with gloves). Moldy, slimy or questionable plants should also be removed. The key to healthy plants is hygiene and periodic inspection. If you catch a disease or infestation early, you have a much better chance of saving your plant and your crop. When a lea dies, remove it and add it to your compost heap If you see your leaves changing, especially a single plant, look closely for signs of disease and reference it through some plant disease books at your local library. A safe, environmentally friendly insecticide-fungicide can be made from 5 Tablespoons of any vegetable oil, 1 TBS. of baking soda, 4 TBS. of liquid dish soap mixed in 1 gallon of water and sprayed on the plant. Remove noxious weeds to lessen nutrient competition to your crop.

9. When used on rooftops, remember that some roofs, especially older wood- framed roofs, might not accommodate the 350+ pounds that each pool might reach. Before you establish a rooftop garden, be sure to check with the building engineer regarding structural strength of the roof.

10. Enjoy your garden! Share the abundant produce with your community and those in need. Sell the produce to local restaurants and re-invest the income with your community. Teach children skills as they experience the rewards of Mother Nature and a connection to the earth.