Giant Strawberry planter Brainstorming needed !

[Mell]

I've been gifted a broken water butt from Freecycle, and i plan to make a giant strawberry planted from it. I'd like some thoughts please !

I'm assuming that straberries won't need the whole diameter for their root system, so was planning to put a field drain pipe down the centre to act as a water resevoir. I plan one gravel then a mix oc compost & cow muck to fill it. Before I fill I want to drill holes for the plants around the sides. Any thoughts on spacing & size of holes ?

Anything else I need to consider ?

[chris]

How are you going to get the water near the top, if relying on atmosphereic pressure? Just interested, not picking faults! (assuming you'll be planting all the way up - to near enough the top?)

[Mell]

A field drain has holes all the way along, my hope is I can fill the drain up (it will be vertical) and the water seeps out as the soil drys, sort of the reverse of the normal way ! But it is just a theory Never tried it before, I'll still have acess to the top so if it looks dry I'll water the soil on the top.

[Mell]

Well I did the hole making today next to find land drain....

[chrisguk]

Sounds pretty much like my commercial strawberry planter

[Mell]

As in one you bought ? Does it have a resevoir ?

[chrisguk]

Yeah i did, no reservoirs im afraid, its not that fancy! Im actually using it as a herb planter at the moment, and plan on planting more herbs in it this spring.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Yeah i did, no reservoirs im afraid, its not that fancy! Im actually using it as a herb planter at the moment, and plan on planting more herbs in it this spring.

Me too. I didn't have much success with strawberries in it. Brilliant for herbs though.