Vertical Gardening With Tetra Paks P2. Growing Stuff

Intro: Vertical Gardening With Tetra Paks P2. Growing Stuff

This instructable, as name suggests, is a second part and if you curious of what the first part was about, go and visit it first (in general, I'm showing how you can make the baskets out of tetra-pak wine/juice cartons):

VERTICAL GARDENING WITH TETRA PAKS P1. MAKING BASKETS

Now, I'm going to show how to use these baskets for growing stuff.

STEP 1:

As I said, I have covered the process of making the baskets in the part one. But in a nutshell the process looks like this.

STEP 2:

So, there's two...

- Regorilla approves!

- Oh no, it's you again.

- Regorilla approves!

- Listen, I thought, we've agreed that it would be one time thing.

- Regorilla approves!

- Oh yes. Ofcourse you do.

STEP 3:

Anyway, there's two ways you can support the baskets: you can just hang them with a rope, or you can use a pole.

For the pole I used pine wood, since it resists weather conditions pretty well. It's beem 35x35mm in crossection. I've sharpened one end for being divven into soil and rounded the corners on the other for convenience of putting baskets on.

STEP 4:

I treated it with fungicide, two layers of boiled sunflower oil and a coat of parafin wax... because I'm that kind of guy.

STEP 5:

Aditional planks were added to the beam for support and the pole was installed into that metall barrel (some potatoe grows in it despite me not putting it there; I suppose it came there with compost).

STEP 6:

When the pole is installed, prepare your baskets and some used vegetable mesh bags (you can also use weed cloth istead of them).

STEP 7:

Take one basket and pull it on the pole.

STEP 8:

Take one mesh bag and make a hole on the bottom. Then pull it onto the pole.

Pull the bag into the basket. It'll be keaping the earth from falling out.

STEP 9:

Now take some good soil and fill the basket with it. I'd recommend to mix in some vermiculite, moss or peat into the soil to it'll help to keep the moisture, since the volume of substrate is not very great and it can dry really quick.

Fold the remaining lenght of the bag inside the basket.

STEP 10:

Add new basket. Slide it down the pole untill it meats the previous one. Fold the tabs on the top of the first basket isnide the openings of the next one as shown on the photos.

Add the bag, fill with soil, add another basket...

STEP 11:

When all baskets are installed use piece of string to secure free tabs ontop.

STEP 12:

You can grow a bunch of stuff in these baskets: from strawberrys to onions. I chose tomatoes. These are balcony sort, meant to be grown in pots, so they don't require too much space for the roots.

As I learned from my GROWING TOMATOES IN SHINY STUFF project it's much more convenient to propagate seedlings first and then putting them into baskets.

To plant the seedling, cut open the mesh bag at the hole in the basket to clear the opening. Push the soil inside to create a cavity and place the plant root inside. Keep a lump of initial soil on the root if posible. It's benefitial if the soil within the baskets is moist, so water it beforehand if needed.

Put all seedlings into baske...

STEP 13:

- Regorilla approves!

- No.

- Regorilla approves!

- Stop!

- Regorilla approves!

- Why don't you just go back to your jungle!

STEP 14:

- I have no jungle

Comments

[mr.incredible]

I was wondering what a tetra pak was but now I see. When I first saw this I was thinking Tyvek house wrap. Now that I see your project, (brilliant by the way) something similar could be made with Tyvek house wrap. There is usually quite a bit left over from construction jobs. Fold it into strips and use your weaving tech. Lots of possibilities.

[Waldemar Sha]

Tetra Pak is official naming for this type of packaging. I decided to use it this way, since the reflective surface will help to reduce the soil from overheating (from Sun), and water resistant coating helps to keep it from drying. I'm not familiar with Tyvek house wraps, so I can't tell what's the best way to make use of it's material qualities.

[RayPower]

Ha ha! I also used the tetra briks for my planter. But seeing how you can flip your loops inside-out yours is much cooler. I was a silent admirer of your inner tube bicycle carrier too. I was thinking of how to put that looping pattern to use. If I ever get something going I'll be sure to put you in the credits. Good work!

[Waldemar Sha]

Thanks!

[Gadisha]

Nice, I like the way you put this waste material to good use!

[Waldemar Sha]

Thanks. Where I live these cartons are not recycled, and although the technology exist, as far as I know it's not widely implemented in other countries either.

[jprussack]

Excellent eye for materials! I want to follow this project!! --shame these bags aren't as common in the states...not that there isn't plenty of material for creative reuse :)

[Waldemar Sha]

Thank you.