What to do with broken water butts?

I've got a couple of water butts that have split along the bottom seam due to the frost I think.

I've a few thoughts for re-using:

• Compost tumbler.
• Growing Potatoes.
• Growing Carrots (carrot fly cant fly that high apparently!)

Any other ideas?

 

Jwk.. Thanks

I'm going off the idea of using it as a planter I must admit, certainly for potatoes. Mainly because of how heavy the thing will be. I can't imagine being able to lift it when it's full!

Maybe cut down to half size it'll be more manageable.

 

Cut it right down to about 18 or less inches and use it as a herb planter.

 

or mend the splits with fiberglass and use as a water butt

 

drill lotsa holes in the sides with a holesaw and use it for strawberries, lettuce or herbs.

 

wormery?

i do love Hex's idea of using it for strawberries its impossible, simply impossible to grow too many strawberries

 

three 90L plastic dustbins produce a lot of fruit for little floor space.

 

i think i'll have to do something similar myself. do you just plant them in the top or through holes in the sides Hex?

 

I had a similar problem - a 50 gall (225 litre ) butt - Just cut the bottom off and used it as a compost bin - makes excellent compost in spite of the slighly smaller volume than recommended for compost bins.

a-a

 

Cut into 300mm high slices (jigsaw works a treat for doing this) and use as wind breaks around pumpkin/marrow/etc. plants after planting out - remember those winds around squash planting time last summer that shredded the plants? Or use buried as root barriers to prevent mint spreading.

 

Both I used a 45mm (1-3/4") holesaw and ran the drill in reverse to get super clean holes. If you run the drill forwards it`ll dig in, grab and make a right mess.
Stagger the planting holes and drill drainage holes in the bottom. I have a 4" diameter core of pea-gravel running right down the middle to provide drainage and aeration.
Just been out to count the holes, you can get 3 rows of 8 in a standard dustbin (total 24 sites plus the top area). The bottom row of holes needs to be located high enough up to provide a bit of root room for the bottom plants.

 

that sounds like a nice project for meself later in the season

 

Get rid of it, and buy a new one

 

I hate to think of something like that going into landfill though. It seems such a waste.