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Super-Sized Upside-Down Planter

intro
 

introSuper-Sized Upside-Down Planter

Everybody's seen the Topsy-Turvey Tomato planter on TV or at Wal-Mart but why buy when you can build. I along with a lot of you have seen upside-down planters made from 2-liter bottles but they have a couple of flaws. First of all they aren't very sturdy, in windy conditions they can blow around or the plastic itself can break or tear under the weight of the plant. Secondly, they are kind of small, which isn't a big deal if you're growing small tomatoes, chiles or something else that doesn't grow massive. But what if you want massive, In a smaller container you'll get root-lock early on and the plants growth will be stunted. What if you want to grow giant Beefsteak tomatoes or bushels of cucumbers. That's where this planter comes in. I've utilized a 5 gallon water dispenser jug and 12 feet of old plastic coated clothesline for the construction. I got this jug from a friends office, it had a crack in it. Once these bottles have cracks in them they are worthless as water dispensers and some places will just throw them away. You can probably find some at small offices or even if you ask you local water distributer (culligan, etc.). The clothesline I just had lying around because it's just one of those things that are just handy to keep around.
Super-Sized Upside-Down Planter
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step 1Section the bottle

I used 3/4" masking tape to mark off a cut-line along the last clear section. This leaves a lip for the "lid" to grab hold of. Many of the planters I've seen people make …


step 2Two parts

You should now have 2 parts a lid and a planter. Make sure you sand the edges that you cut so there aren't any burrs.


step 3Fit the lid

Test fit the lid to make sure it fits over the base. It should fit snugly without needing to be forced. If it does have to be forced cut a little more off of the edge of …


step 4Drill, Baby, Drill

Now drill 8 holes, 4 into the base and a corresponding hole that lines up just below the rib in the planter.


step 5Tie it up

Now use the clothesline (or whatever you've decided to use, just make sure it can withstand the weight of the plant and the wet soil, so, medium duty nylon rope would work …


step 6Plant your...uh...plant

This is the tricky part, trying to get the plant through the hole without damaging it. First of all make sure the plant is dry. Wet leaves will stick to the plastic. Next…


step 7Just hanging around

Hang your plant in a suitable spot and make sure what your hanging it to can support the weight. Now water your plant. It might take a couple of waterings to completely s…


1 comment
Jul 3, 2009. 6:01 PMchrisandamanda says:
That is cool. I made the same one with pop bottles and they worked awsome.

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