Here's an idea that might help us get through the winter. Extra cheer for the greenhouse or kitchen window.
http://www.GardenGateTips.com/etips/041221.html
Hanging PVC planter
Thanks Yuska! Thats almost like the PVC strawberry planter that I want to make this coming spring. I want to make 3 or 4 long PVC strawberry planters (horizontally) One one top of the other (like steps ) somehow, probably 4 to 5 foot long , I'm thinking I can just rest them on top of cheap cement block in stair step fashion and cover the whole thing in mesh to keep the birds from pecking at the strawberries. What do you think? Thanks, Jill
I'm not sure I'm visualizing your idea correctly. Are you planning to water the planters from the inside? We'll need to remember that planters of this type will need frequent attention to watering needs since the amount of soil per plant is restricted. Will you fasten the planters in any fashion to prevent movement by wind? Mesh protection is definitely a good idea. Wish I could see a sketch of the layout...should be quite artistic. Yuska
Yuska , I really have no idea exactly how I'll do it, my 1st thought was to make holes all over the pvc pipe and then plug each end of the pvc pipe and fill each pvc tube with dirt and then add the strawberry plugs in each hole. I'm not sure how to stack them............1st I thought I could simply hang them by strong rope in sucession, then I thought I could lay them between cheap cement block in stair step fashion, to keep them from rolling........that's a whole other problem, maybe I could have wood blocks with a cresent shape carved out of them to hold each tube in place.? If I hang them with chain or rope it would have to hang on something strong, maybe two tall wood posts that have been anchored in the ground with cement.?
My yard has 'limited' sun space, so I have to be inventive with my fruit and vegetable plantings.
My sun space is along our drive on the north side of the house, 1/2 of that space are the perennial flowers, the other 1/2 I've reserved for fruit and/or vegetables. I know I want to have some strawberries some how though. As far as watering is concerned I may invest in a plastic rain barrel this spring to do a majority of the vegetable watering.
The pic is the perennial flower side, the other side hold's large container box's for vegetables, there's just enough room for a strawberry bed and/or strawberry planters of some sort.
This message was edited Dec 24, 2004 6:57 PM
Here's the other 'vegetable' side, maybe it would just be easier to contain the strawberries in a raised bed (maybe cheaper too). I'm just trying to think of ways to 'maximize' what little sun space that I have left. The privacy fence is the neighbors so I wont invade it with my own personal planters hanging on it.
Nice pictures and great gardening results! My question about watering from the inside is about getting adequate amounts of water to the roots before the water pools and runs out the hole you're trying to get it into. I once tried to grow strawberries in those terra cotta jars designed for the purpose and found that when watering from the top, even when pouring slowly, the water didn't go deep enough to reach the lower pockets but just ran out the side of one of the upper openings. Finally I started over and dumped out the soil. I made a cylinder of window screening about 2" in diameter and braced it in position down the center of the pot and filled it with pebbles, refilled around that with soil and planted again. Then the water could flow quickly down through the pebbles and soak outward to the roots of all the plants in the jar. That same principle is the reason for the smaller PVC piece in the hanging planter instructions. I'd suggest that you first experiment with a short piece of the 4" PVC ( the home-improvement places sometimes have scraps left over from custom jobs) and test whether or not moisture will spread from the plant openings along the root systems. I just don't know how the water distribution would work for a horizontal design...maybe better, maybe not. Yuska
Merry Christmas Yuska!
Great idea on the strawberry planter, I'll definetly have to do some experimenting, or if I cant figure it out there is also a Strawberry Picking Farm just minutes away - LOL! It would be better grown by my own hands though.
Have a nice Holiday Yuska. Jill
momof2d --- Have you considered an earthbox as seen in this forum ?
Tplant , I would love an earth box, however .... I think it's a bit above what I can afford. I saw how wonderfull the strawberries looked in the earth box. I am determind to have strawberries though so I'll think of something! ;)
I tried the PVCpipe idea
it worked very well
Thanks Yuska
Ash
looks good ash, I'll try it this spring myself, I think I'll scratch the 'horizontal idea though.
momof2d
now i've made a few upright planters .your horizontal idea has got me thimking
Watch this space
I hope it not too late in our growing season for me to fill it up with petunias.verbena and lobellia
Ash
Tplant
I'd love to see an earthbox.
Could you please post a picture?
Could it be home made?
Ash
Great job you did, Ash! I'm glad it has worked so well for you. Several years ago I visited New Zealand and was completely entranced by that wonderful place - those roses in the Auckland park were so breathtakngly beautiful. All the plants were so luxuriantly fresh and green.
As for making an earthbox, several people are working on designs now. There are a couple of rather lengthy threads - one on the Tomato forum where we thought we were going to place a bulk order (didn't work out) - if you scroll down a bit you'll find several suggestions. There will be more developments on the idea, I'm sure.
Oh, and there's a thread on this forum, too, where berrygirl gives us pictures of a planter designed for a single tomato plant.
This message was edited Jan 24, 2005 9:02 AM
aschignell---- As per your request I'll show you a couple but for more detailed go to Tomatoe forum and "My New Garden"
Hope this is better.
Tplant
that looks great------Thanks
I've got alot of good ideas now
Yuska e-mailed me great site
I hope i've got time this season. The great thing about gardening is that there is always next season(and the ideas are better cos they've percolated 4 several months)
I've just been blown away looking at GordonHawk's roof garden. The garden's wonderful but the location!!!!!
Ash
Ash did he give you www.earthbox.com
Hi all! Posting you from sunny Florida today! I'm VERY interested in any responses to ashchignell's query re: 'earthbox-like' container gardening? I'm a GREAT fan of do-it-yourself (nice word for 'knock-off) representations. Earthbox technology is wonderful BUT can't we invent something similar but at Wal Mart prices??? LOL
Optimistic in Bradenton...
Only problem mikieg is we need sturdy sides to hold the soil and prevent the sides from bowing and allowing the soil to settle in the bottom. Some soil is OK but not so that it fills the resevoir. One individual used fiberglass live bait tanks off an old boat and it worked quite well.
Tplant, I wonder if it is the type of soil used to fill the box that causes the problem with the sides bowing? We use a standard GH soiless mix and haven't had the problem (yet)
Perhaps ! Potting soil is much heavier and absorbs more water....
I've only tried strawberry planters the last couple of years, and I haven't been able to get the plants to do as well in planters (like strawberry jars) as I think they would if they were in a regular bed. I've seen those circular tiered strawberry beds, and I think that making a tiered raised bed would let you fit a lot of strawberries into a small space. I'm planting my strawberries elsewhere this spring and using my strawbery jars for thyme plants and maybe also for alpine strawberries (which did great in containers for me).
Critter, those strawberry jars also work great for sedums and hens & chicks.
:) Donna