Alternatives to planting baskets

[Bellfamily]

Well, I have taken the plunge and ordered my plants (waiting for them to be delivered) and will have a hunt through my drawers for some old tights (although won’t admit publicly to owning pop socks LOL!). As I only have a small pond, if it doesn't work well then it won’t be too much of an issue to lift it out!

[Tursiops2]

Originally Posted by Dragonyka

Okay, so I had a go with the tights yesterday (although I used pop socks not tights) I thought I would find it difficult to get the compost (aqua soil) in, so I cut the base out of an old plant pot and used that to hold the sock open in the one on the left. It made it easy to get everything in, but it wasn't easy to get the pot out afterwards.

The one on the right I just stuffed in handfuls of compost in. This was actually easier in the long run, although a bit more fiddly to get the compost in. I think this one worked better in the end.

In both cases I folded the top of the sock back over the compost rather than cutting it off and tried to use the gravel to keep the sides away from the plants - although that wasn't too effective.

They're pretty easy to shape to whatever contour you need on the base, so I think they'd work quite well for narrow shelves. It'll be interesting to see how long they last.

Luckily the other allotment holders who saw me doing it already think I'm mad for wanting to put a pond/wildlife area on my allotment so I didn't get any comments from them about what I was doing

Nicola

That's interesting - but rather different to what I had in mind . I was envisaging a sort of "sausage" stuffed with compost and tied off at the open end, then laid out lengthwise with slits cut into the upper side for plants... does that make sense?

Originally Posted by Dragonyka

so I cut the base out of an old plant pot and used that to hold the sock open in the one on the left. It made it easy to get everything in, but it wasn't easy to get the pot out afterwards.

It might be easier if you either: a) inverted the pot, wider end down; or b) put the sock inside the pot, folding the top down over the rim.
T2

[NYBraby]

Originally Posted by Tursiops2

That's interesting - but rather different to what I had in mind . I was envisaging a sort of "sausage" stuffed with compost and tied off at the open end, then laid out lengthwise with slits cut into the upper side for plants... does that make sense?

It might be easier if you either: a) inverted the pot, wider end down; or b) put the sock inside the pot, folding the top down over the rim.
T2

Actually thats how i've seen it done, you fill one leg with soil and tie off the top, you then cut holes into the the tights and plant into them. The sausage can then be molded into whatever shape you need for your shelf. works really well especially if you want to plant the plants into a row.

[Dragonyka]

Knowing how easily tights run, I was concerned that if I cut them, I'd end up with nothing to work with at all. But as you say you've seen it done the other way, I'll have to keep it in mind for next time I'm planting.

It might be easier if you either: a) inverted the pot, wider end down; or b) put the sock inside the pot, folding the top down over the rim.

You're probably right, but I didn't think of that at the time

I live and learn. (and as I frequently tell the kids at school, "you learn from your mistakes" normally coupled with "if you didn't make any mistakes, you wouldn't need to be here" which counts for me being here too )

[Cowgirl]

Shows how differently people think

I was envisaging just using the top part of the tights, the 'bum' bit so that it gave wide area for stability.

& no comments thank you about wide loads!!!

[Red Robin]

Originally Posted by Cowgirl

I was envisaging just using the top part of the tights, the 'bum' bit so that it gave wide area for stability.

& no comments thank you about wide loads!!!

....How about: "Does my ass look too fat in this?"

I once saw this sticker in the back window of a very fast BMW M3 driven by a hot looking lady. I was following her for several miles.

[Jez]

Going off thread slightly here - another tip for using old tights and stockings is when cut into thin strips they make extremely good garden ties as there's some stretch for plant growth!


Very well done Dragonyka.

[Dragonyka]

Originally Posted by Jez

Going off thread slightly here - another tip for using old tights and stockings is when cut into thin strips they make extremely good garden ties as there's some stretch for plant growth!


Very well done Dragonyka.

I knew I'd left some spares in my shed for something

[Bellfamily]

Well here is my effort!
Putting the top over a plant pot was a good idea.



My homemade planting sock!


Planted up in the pond


The tights seemed to work really well and easily moulded to my narrow edges. I just hope that once the plants grow they will cover the edges.

[Dragonyka]

They look great! Mine pond plants are getting bigger already, I can't wait for a couple of months to pass until they get really big.

I just need to do some planting around the outside of the pond now.