making containers

I'm looking for ideas for recycling things to create containers for veg growing please?

One idea I thought was stacking old car tyres maybe 4 tyres, but how could I stabilise them so they can't topple over?

Any other ideas? My main grows are carrots, courgettes, green beans. I have pots for the green beans though I might revert back to a bag for them as my crop last year was poor from pots. I need something for carrots. Looking to try other easy veg. Any container making advice? Cheap or free if possible

 

Old casseroles maybe? Used footwear?



Found here: http://www.shelterness.com/35-ideas-to-use-old-shoes-as-planters/

 

Hah!! those wellies are awesome!

 

You could use an old tool box or kettle:



Old buckets or watering cans or even re-use an old chest of drawers.
As long as you aaply lots of coats of paint to the wood, it should last quite long.
Just don't forget to use non-toxic, low VOC paint.



Or get some clay or cement pots available cheaply from many garden centers in horrible colours but it does not matter as you could get creative and cement on some mosaics or break up different tiles and make patterns.
You could probably get the tiles free from old broken stock laying about at practically any tile place.
Tiling (and grouting) pots and the like is pretty easy and fun.

 

A word of caution:
Please never, ever use wood from packing/transporting palettes to make containers to grow fruit or vegetables in.
The wood used to make these palettes often contains nasty pesticides and other noxious chemicals used to preserve the wood.

 

Thanks! I've been on pintrest too for ideas. Tyres seem very popular indeed but how could I secure them one on top of the other? make a hole and nut/bolt them together?

 

Glad you said that Dave as I saw a lot using pallettes

 

People are using palettes for all sorts of things.
Most of them are really bad ideas and in fact I wouldn't even use them as "furniture" in the house as many of the chemicals used are volatile organic compounds.

To secure the tyres together, you could use nuts and bolts yes, but also use large washers on both sides.

 

If you want extra support for the tyres, use 3 or 4 poles and drive them into the ground around the inside of the stacked tyres.

 

Ahhhhh awesome, thank you!


Sent from my SM-T210 using Tapatalk

 

You're welcome.

You may also want to look at the link below on painting tyres.
http://naturalearning.org/content/painting-tire-planters

 

These totally cool rubbish bins are made from recycled tyres. Why can't we do the same sort of thing here?
They would make fantastic planters without the lid.

 

Technically, it's made from the inner tube (of bus and truck tyres) but still a fantastic idea and looks really nice plus less waste destined for the landfill.

 

You have inspired me Madahhlia, over the weekend I think I will pay a visit to one or two tyre places and ask them if they have any old tyre tubes laying about and try my hand at making one of those.

As for the stand, one could scrounge around for old bicycle parts and use the wheel rims (with spokes removed) and some mud guards.

 

Thanks Dave, I didn't realise it would be so technical to use the tyres. I just want something to upcycle in order to reduce costs rather than buying what I've bought in the past - plastic planter tubs from B&Q, etc.

I've seen a few ideas on pintrest for using food cans - I'm thinking of trying it out for herbs - can I grow herbs indoors, on the kitchen windowsill and keep them indoors whilst I use them?