Vegetables Gardening - Growing Organic Vegetables

Well, we're going to try this for our small fall garden... It was a lot of work and hundreds of drilled holes & 4 broken teeny tiny drill bits.. but it looks like it's going to be great! Lots less water waste, less hoeing, and after working sand and east Texas topsoil into our very tight soil....hopefully we'll be able to grow onions, turnips, beets & carrots this fall... Check out our photos in the Amaw & Pa's Garden album...Wish me luck!

Cathy & Group:

I've drilled MANY thousands of holes in PVC pipe with the #57 drill bits, so I know what you're talking about. Let me give everyone a bit of advice on how to do it with the least problems.

Place the tiny drill bit as far as it will go into the drill, and if it will not tighten so as to hold the bit, just wrap the bit with duct or electrical tape until it IS thick enough to be secure.

Seat yourself comfortably, then take the pipe across your lap and press it with one hand against your legs. With the drill against your body, position the bit next to the pipe, then move the pipe into position (where you've made your marks) and gently push forward on the drill to make the hole. Hold everything still while drilling and removing the drill, then move the pipe slightly, to bring the next mark to the drill bit's position, then repeat.

If everything is stable and secure, and you do not move when drilling and removing the bit, you won't break the bit, even doing many hundreds of holes. Do it slowly at first, and only increase your speed as you get comfortable and competent. You should be able to drill 25 or 30 holes per minute once you get the feel of it.

Should you break the bit, just pull it out of the drill far enough to expose a short section, and continue drilling.

Jim Kennard

• New Members 14
• New Photos 3