Comments

Episode-2404- Container Gardens for Food Production — 5 Comments

  1. Hey Jack,

     

    I was glad to hear your suggestion for using tires for container gardening. I’ve got two beds that I’m starting for the first time this spring in old rear tractor tires. We cut the sidewalls off one side like you suggested, and it actually adds quite a bit of planting area! We got the tires for free because they were just laying around my dad’s farm. We built a third bed out of old wood from tearing down some dilapidated sheds.

    Love the show! I’m trying to find something good to reach out for a listener call show.

  2. I used to race dirt late model stock cars so have plenty of old tires around, some of which I’ve used in the garden.  The late model and sprint car tires are nice and big but also light enough that they are easy to cut up for other uses.  Rear drag slicks would also be a good option.  Make friends with local racers and you’ll have all you need since they’re hard to get rid of and they wear out quickly.

    I’ve cut one side out and used them for planters, but they are also very useful when buried – they make a great rhizome barrier.  I have several buried (with about 2″ sticking up) and planted with raspberries.  The tires keep the plants where they’re supposed to be and I can easily run a string trimmer around them to keep things tidy.

  3. Stacking tires to grow potatoes in works well. Plant your starts in the first tire and continue to add soil to cover the green tops until you get about 3 tires tall. Harvesting is as easy as removing a tire. Be sure to put a piece of wire mesh under the first tire if you live in gopher country.

  4. Indeed but like I said if you want your life to be easy cut out the side walls. It is way easier to do then most would think. A razor knife cuts most side walls like butter. For hard ones a sawzall does the trick, just put something in the tires to reduce vibration when cutting.

    Also if you grow comfrey, wrap each seed potato in a leaf or two when planting.

  5. Yes I always cut one side wall out. I use the sidewall rounds to hold down tarps and cardboard flattened down for weed control.