USA - Grow vegetables in the city with urban farming
Bill McNeese, a loyal and innovative Waterboxx® plant cocoon user, has carried out many vegetables projects in his garden in Hemet, California. His projects differ from trying to set a new Guinness Book Record for the 'Most tomatoes from a single plant', getting over 15 different saladspecies from a single Waterboxx® at the same time, producing over 4,300 tomatoes from a single plant, growing tomatoes during the winter and much more!
Do you want to start growing food in a water saving and sustainable way too? Visit our online store and purchase one of our boxes!
A new Guinness World Record for "Most tomatoes from a single plant"?
Encouraged by the success of his Juliet of last year, Bill McNeese applied to be in the run to set a new Guinness World Record for 'Most tomatoes from a single plant'. He planted a new Juliet in his garden in March of this year. Bill will try to achieve even better results which will have a great chance of being the new Guinness World Record holder. Below you can read his journey so far. Do you think he can do it?
Over 4,300 tomatoes from one plant, supported by the Waterboxx®
Updates January and February 2018
January 22
We still can’t believe it, but Juliet is still going strong. With a total of 4,301 fruits, and a total weight of 140.8 lbs. (63.9 kg). In January, Bill harvested 9.38 lbs. (4.3 kg). The fruit, overall, with winter, gets smaller, but still produces many in the 15 to 20 gram range.
Grow tomatoes in December! The Waterboxx® makes it possible
Updates December 2017
December 12
As unbelievable as it sounds, at this moment is Juliet still producing! Total count:
- Fruits: 3,547 fruits
- Weight: 121.47 lbs. (55 kg)
3,000 tomatoes from one plant? It is possible!
Updates November 2017
November 6
As of today, Juliet gave 2,819 fruits with a total weight of 100.12 lbs. (45.4 kg). It's hard to believe, but small fruited plants can produce more pounds than large fruited varieties. Bill thinks it's because, in general, they tolerate the heat better. Juliet, now way past its prime, doesn't give up, still sets lots of fruits. If frost doesn't hit until after the first week of December, Bill expect another 5 to 8 lbs. (2.3 to 3.6 kg) of production.
Which tomato varieties do you need to plant to get a high yield?
Updates October 2017
October 3rd
How did the tomato plants produce during the summer of 2017? Well, with no rain and a summer that seemed hotter than ever, the production was good! Big Beef was growing in a Waterboxx® plant cocoon with four wicks (the answer to the heat and rain problem).
Over 36 kilo's of tomatoes from one plant! And still counting..
Updates September 2017
September 2nd
Regardless of almost 7 weeks where Big Beef was not able to set new fruits (high temperatures = blossom drop), Bill has now harvested over 70 lbs. (32 kg) of tomatoes. In the last six days, he has picked about a pound a day. Still waiting on another 15 to 20 fruits to ripen. The ones that pollinated in mid-July but had a delayed development due to the heat.
Get a higher yield, even during the heat of the summer!
Updates July 2017
July
Since 2014, Bill is doing trials with the Waterboxx® plant cocoon and various vegetable and fruit species. His latest updates have been about tomatoes, which were mostly a big success!
Grow healthy tomatoes in the Waterboxx® plant cocoon
August, 2016/March, 2017
The extreme temperatures he experienced during the month of June this year were of big concern. Temperatures reached triple digits (Fahrenheit) almost every day. He has never seen anything like it - temperatures rose to 110˚F (43,5˚C). It has been hard for the plants, even with the protection that the Waterboxx® plant cocoon offers.
Planting tomatoes with high temperatures with the Waterboxx®
Late 2015
The main tomato harvest of 2015 is over, but Bill McNeese has planted some fall tomatoes in the Waterboxx® plant cocoon, hoping that the Waterboxx® plant cocoon will protect the plants against the winter. During the growth, Bill didn’t add extra water. The 3 tomato plants were still alive after the winter and produce very modesty.
Growing watermelons in a water saving way
April 1st, 2015
The tap water in the city of Hemet, California, is extracted from local wells. Therefore, the water is very hard and full of minerals. Not very suited for urban farming. From his experience, Bill McNeese knows that this causes a thick white crust in for example water hose attachments, which results in quickly clogged holes and pores. Therefore, he wasn’t surprised when the wicks in the Waterboxx® plant cocoons completely stopped working in about 90 days.
Growing organic peppers with urban farming
April 1st, 2015
Bill has grown multiple fruits and vegetables with the Waterboxx® plant cocoon in his garden. He shows you that you can, with some creativity, grow a lot of healthy fruits and vegetables in a water saving and ecological way. He has started growing biological peppers in Hemet, California. On the image below you can see multiple Waterboxx® plant cocoons beside each other with different vegetable varieties.
Growing lettuce with efficient water use in your garden
February, 2015
Bill McNeese – user of the Waterboxx® plant cocoon – created a planting place for salads. He uses a wooden box, but you can also do this in the soil of your garden. With the Groasis Waterboxx® plant cocoon Bill produces organic salads in healthy soil instead of producing hydroponic. Look at his amazing results of organic food without using pesticides while using only half a gallon of water each day.
Growing tomatoes in summer and winter
August 24, 2014/January 2015
Bill McNeese started with the planting of two young tomato plants in the Waterboxx® plant cocoon on 24 August 2014. The Waterboxx® plant cocoon with the young tomato plants were located in his yard in Hemet, California (United States). In order to stimulate the soil and the growth of the tomato plants, Myccorhizae fungi was added to the soil.
