Oil Container Planters for Vegetables

When I saw Steamy Kitchen planting her veggies in Earth Boxes I thought that was a brilliant idea. I racked my brain as to what I could use. Then I thought of the 20L oil containers which we have been using to cart water to the trough for our cows. At the moment we no longer have any use for them.

For the past few years except for tomatoes and zuchinni, I have just about given up trying to grow my own veggies. It was too much hard work battling the snails, worms, creepy crawlies and the fickle weather. And most of the plants bolts as soon as the weather heats up. With this container, I can move it to the cooler section of the house.

So far I have a box each for peas (the ones planted on the ground are all a dead lost...all eaten by snails), pak choy, carrot, choy sum (sawi), lettuce, silverbeet, choy fa, spinach and sweet pea.

I am keeping my finger crossed that I have more success with veggies using this method. So far nothing resembling seedlings have popped up yet!

Waiting waiting.....

Redneck cut open a side using his jigsaw. Using a sharp secateur cut a hole at the bottom for water to drain. Then place a layer of bar spacer (we have heaps of those lying around) or you can use styrofoam, for drainage and also so I can use less soil. It makes it lightweight, easier to relocate the container.

A thick layer of newspaper is laid on top of the plastic spacers. Stab some holes in it for drainage.

Compost with heaps of worms is mixed with the soil.

Seeds are sown and a layer of mulch to give some seed protection from possible frost.