DIY mdf hardboard conti planters

[Potstubsdustbins]

Just a thought do you know a plumber? If so ask them if they have any old plastic cold water storage tanks. They usually come from house's where combination boilers have been fitted. In various sizes from the smallest at 18" long x 12" x 12" upto 50 gallon jobs that you could even grow spuds in. They only go to the tip so should be free. I love free.

Colin

[The Large One]

go for WBP ply (Weather and Boil proof)
if weight an issue you can get in 9,12 & 18mm from places like wickes

will take light weather for a while but to prolong you can treat it and unlike OSB it has a nice finish side

[veggiechicken]

I'm guessing that you dislike the look of plastic planters and want to use wood for its appearance. What about planting into plastic planters of the cheap and cheerful Wilko type but putting an outer wooden framework in front of them - on the part you would see. You could attach something like willow or hazel screening to this. It would be light to carry and on the balcony and shouldn't be too expensive either.

[salome2001]

I agree with veggiechicken on this. Deck boards would also make a very nice surround for your bags if you wanted something more solid looking.

wanted to add that if you are going to make a 4 mile trek to Tooting, order online for collection instore, that way they'll have everything you want in one trip!!! the website says items should be ready for collection in 4 days.

[salome2001]

Just a thought do you know a plumber? If so ask them if they have any old plastic cold water storage tanks.

are all cold water storage tanks plastic, and would they make good water butts? There might be one bright side to having to replace our knackered old boiler...

[Two_Sheds]

If you're handy with a wrecking bar, how about making some pallet planters?

[jdlondon]

Cheap is great, free is even better - I actually have a plumbers near me so I'll ask them.

I have no idea where my nearest Wickes is but I'll check out my B&Q for the WBP. Also, I'm pretty sure I came across a Travis Perkins while I was walking around here recently, so I can pop in there too. Looked like a small branch though.

I like diy, and love making things from wood too, but my opting for wood over growbag isn't about the look, it's actually because my space available is limited, and even losing that little space between growbags seems like a loss. Also, I was going to make the planter in such a way that it's a long L-shape with unbroken soil connection. If you know what I mean! Which, I thought, would be better for water retention than individual growbags.

Also, as it's going to be about 50cm deep, I didn't like - again - the thought of wasted space ie the deep soil unused, so enabling gaps on the side for vertical planting, like you do with those strawberry planters, is a really tempting thought. And the easiest way for that, seems to be with the small planks of cladding. The decking, I don't actually know what the pieces are like since I've never decked! - but I'll check that out too at the shop tomorrow.

I'm using one pallet already, but like most people on that thread, the nails are such a pain! I just opted for sawing through the wood instead and cutting it in half. I was going to get more but then I came across all these people saying you had to be careful as some pallets were chemically treated and could poison your soil and I got scared off. Mine looked perfectly fresh and clean, but even so, I shield with plastic.

Another thought for material was this corrugated plastic I saw on the Homebase website, but it might be too flimsy.

[Potstubsdustbins]

are all cold water storage tanks plastic, and would they make good water butts? There might be one bright side to having to replace our knackered old boiler...

The very old ones were galvanised and useless but most of these have been replaced over the years.

For the last forty years plastic has been the material of choice. If you have a standard open vented system you will have two plastic tanks a small ten gallon one to feed the heating system and a larger one to feed your hot water cylinder. These vary in size from 35 upto 60 gallons.

Colin

[salome2001]

is that imperial or US gallons? (I have no idea what a gallon is, need to know the unit to plus into my metric convertor

I can only hope ours has been fitted in the last 40 years but I suspect it could be even older than that. The fire in the living room is vintage 1970s.

[Two_Sheds]

I have no idea what a gallon is

Roughly 4.5 to 5 litres. Google it for accurate conversion rate

[Potstubsdustbins]

10 gallons= 45.5 Ltrs. 35 gallons= 159.25ltrs 60 gallons= 273Ltrs.

Colin

[veggiechicken]

Thank you Colin - now I have some idea how many gallons of diesel I put in my car!

[singleseeder]

Colin, in a previous life, I used to have an old tank for dipping the watering can into. It was just outside the greenhouse door and I filled it with the hose.

Quicker than filling cans from the gap and more economical on water than waving the hose around.