Growing a Cardboard Box Garden!

[veggiechicken]

Another nutty idea

You know how some people start beans in toilet rolls or in peat pots and plant them out without disturbing the roots. I'm going to use something bigger - cardboard boxes.
Here are some I prepared earlier:-



The small box in the centre is a 6 bottle wine carrier, to give an idea of size.
I've cut the sides down and pushed them into the boxes to stiffen the sides. The offcuts are in the base.



I filled the boxes with soil from the garden



Covered the boxes with lids to warm the soil a bit.
In a few days time, I'll sown some seeds in the boxes, let them grow on until the weather improves, then plant out the box and contents into the garden, where I dug the soil out.

I'm hoping to give the plants a head start, that the roots will grow through the cardboard and the seedlings will be safe from pests until big enough to fend for themselves.

Watch this space

[Penellype]

Sounds like an interesting idea! I hoard cardboard boxes so this could be a good use for some of them!

[burnie]

With heavy soil in them the bottom might fall out when you lift them, be careful VC.

[veggiechicken]

I'm a box hoarder too though the larger ones usually end up as sheet mulch!
The smaller boxes will be better than the larger one as, when filled, it felt a bit weak. I may cut it in half and slide one half inside the other to give it more strength.
Years ago I planted potatoes in boxes then set them out in the ground the weather warmed up. It did work

[burnie]

Problem is when you add water the cardboard turn to mush, you may need to slide something under them when you move them outside for planting.

[veggiechicken]

With heavy soil in them the bottom might fall out when you lift them, be careful VC.

I have a cunning plan for moving them, Burnie
Sliding a flexible plastic chopping board beneath the box so that the bottom can't collapse, then sliding the box off the board to plant it. That's the theory anyway

[Baldy]

Seem tidy, like.
What plants are you planning on subjecting to this?
Spacing requirements would be one determinant I would hazard?

[Bigmallly]

I suppose you could use different sizes for different crops. i.e deep ones for Leeks, Parsnips, Carrots etc. Shallower ones for Onions, Beetroot, Radish. Larger ones for Lettuce...............you get the idea........

[Snadger]

It will be like wrestling a jelly!

[veggiechicken]

You must have been to some funny tea parties, Snadger

It'll be OK as I won't be watering them much. The soil is damp now and I'll sow directly into it. The boxes are on a tray and they can be carried on that if they get a bit floppy!

[Baldy]

I had to look that phrase up:

Urban Dictionary: jelly wrestling

It's (apparently not so) grim oop North - i mean, I haven't seen 'owt like that on my allotment site!

[veggiechicken]

Now we know what Snadger gets up to on his plot

[Snadger]

Similar to mud wrestling then, but more see through!

[veggiechicken]

.......and wibbly wobbly

[KevinM67]

I love the idea VC - however, regarding the durability of the cardboard, would it not be better starting the experiment a little later ?

(I mean a month or so from now rather than 9-10 o'clock this evening).