How to Grow Food Off the Ground in Pipes, (especially Hanging Plants)

by kingofeye

10K24310

Intro: How to Grow Food Off the Ground in Pipes, (especially Hanging Plants)

Hi here is my instructable on how to grow vegetables off the ground to avoid pests , decrease water use, organically fertilise and save you bending over to pick up the vegetables so no more back pain. Also a very good idea when you can grow off the ground where there is snow because your veg can be covered with a gloche or glass jar and the rising heat from the ground will keep it warm

STEP 1: Find or Buy a Pipe

So go out and get a pipe about 10cm-15cm wide and cut to desired height taking into consideration about 30cm off the bottom that will be buried

STEP 2: Dig a Hole

So make a whole a put in the pipe about 30 cm deep and cover with soil

STEP 3: Step on It

Dance around the pipe to make the foundation strong

STEP 4: Fiill It With Compost Material

Go and get your juciest compostable leftovers and half fill the pipe. Don't forget to push it all in with a stick to really get it compact.MIx in some soil every 5cm. You could also put some worms in there

STEP 5: Add More Soil

Just add more soil and tap every now and then to keep it all moving downwards and compacting

STEP 6: Add Plants and Guide

Add you seedlings and water . This method will reduce slags and pests, save water and help your plants grow using organic decomposing power juice in their own pipe. Did i mention no back breaking bending over to pick fruit. In this example i grew tomatoes and used the peg to guide then downwards to avoid the risk of snapping later. You can grow anything at any height in any space and even have climbers like sweet peas climbing up the sides if its not a tumbling plant like strawberry or tomato . I have also grown flowers on the ground . Another good thing is that in the winter ,even with snow the veg is kept off the ground and with a gloche or glass jars you can protect the veg and the rising temperature from the compost will keep it warm. Enjoy

STEP 7: Take It to the Next Level

You can get creative with pipe sizes and height as well as configurations. You can grow anything this way. Also great for frosty or snowy areas where the food is kept off the ground and rising heat from the compost keeps it nice and warm. A cover would be a great protection for the seedlings too.
In the last picture i added some drip irrigation system too

STEP 8: UPDATE

here are some pictures if the pipes two months later and three months later

10 Comments

TimothyL12 8 years ago

Very cool !! I have the hardest time growing Tomatoes , and will try this soon . Thanks !!

k24tea 8 years ago

If the tubes are tall enough (2 meters) the veg might be safe from marauding rabbits AND deer! I'd still need to stake up my tomato vines, and a ladder to reach them. LOL -- but I like your idea.

itsmescotty 8 years ago

I like this!!

But I'm actually building raised garden beds using Portland cement and sand. I've poured a VERY dry mortar mix into a 1m x 2m x 25mm form (plastic sheet on bottom) and compacted as much as possible. Made the sides and ends using the same method. Placed the bottom on supports in place and cemented it all together. It's waist high so no bending over. Filled it with some of the 20 cu.m of horse manure I've been composting and added LOTS of worms.

The sand was free and a bag of Portland is $9 and change. One bag makes about 1.8 beds. Come on spring!!

speda1 8 years ago

Great idea. The groundhogs here are ferocious on gardens, I will adopt a similar strategy next year. A cheaper and less invasive solution than either a greenhouse or fencing.

sallydaw 8 years ago

The best part of this is you have a place for all your compost to go

kingofeye 8 years ago

Yep its is pest proof and unless those rabbit can climb you can grow some great big lettuces and they cant touch it

ironsmiter 8 years ago

rabbit proof vegatable garidening.

brilliant