Potato container - ideal height?

[Eyren]

In a stroke of luck today, I scrounged a damaged water butt that a guy at the tip was going to throw away, and now I'm wondering what best to do with it! It's basically sound apart from a short horizontal tear near the bottom, and is a standard barrel shape, so probably about a metre/yard tall and 60cm/2ft across.

I was going to grow potatoes in containers this year, so that was my first thought. Would it be high enough to make two containers if we sawed it in half horizontally? The potato planters in catalogues seem to be about half a metre tall, but is that ideal or would taller be better? And if so, what to do with the leftover bit...?

Any ideas or suggestions gratefully received!

[zazen999]

I'd cut it in half and grow spuds in both - or carrots in one and spuds in the other. The half with no bottom can be used just like a big raised bed.

i love 'obtaining' stuff like this.

[Eyren]

I'd cut it in half and grow spuds in both - or carrots in one and spuds in the other. The half with no bottom can be used just like a big raised bed.

That's just what I was thinking - the container just makes the whole earthing-up process so much easier!

i love 'obtaining' stuff like this.

Yeah - I couldn't believe it when he backed his trailer up right next to our car, and there it was amongst the plasterboard and old underlay. It took me about a minute to pluck up the courage and ask the guy, but I'm very glad I did!

[zazen999]

I followed a bloke around Derby last summer as I saw loads of wood hanging out the back of his van...he went right to the tip - I ran up and asked if I could have it and we put the lot into my car.

About 60 2m lengths of fencing. AKA my new raised bed sides.

He had already chucked out the other half but at least I got the second lot.

[Eyren]

We didn't need to scrounge any fencing - ours blew down the winter before this one just gone

The wood has been very useful on the lottie, though, so clouds and silver linings and all that...

[Maf]

I was at the tip today (forgot to put the bin out!)

It's so scary how many folks were there. It was busier than the sooper market.

Not so long ago the people who picked over tips were 'traveller types' (no disrespect intended) Now it's illegal but most of us want to recycle.

I know there are health and safety issues but I could have gone home with a car full of wood for my fire no problem, rather than it being transported miles to be reprocessed.

Don't get me started on the huge number of dyson hoovers there were there !

[webby23]

the staff at our tip get really shirty if they see you try to take anything away that someone has brought in. They should be glad it's being recycled but get really fierce, like it's the rules you can bring anything in but nothing back out again. Pity they don't run it as a swap site, I always see loads of stuff I could put to good use if only the guards weren't looking.

[Storming Norman]

I was lucky enough to scrounge a wooden packing crate from work last week - about half the width of a wooden compost bin but the same length, height etc. It is solidly built - as it was for something really heavy - and I think I will be putting potatoes in it. The OH was just strengthening the base of it for me today so it will last a year or two [or perhaps longer].

The bets bit of it is it fits a spare space well and actually looks good there. However he wants me to paint it to look really pretty.

Useful free stuff from work always brings a smile to my face. I had the biggest ball of strong twine I have ever seen last year. That is going to last a number of years.

Ann