Soda cans/bottles is a great one. If your like me and don't drink soda very much ask friends and family.

Another one is packing peanuts. Milk jugs..

I was out of things and desperate for a filler as I was filling flower tubs, and had a ton of flower packs and flats, so I turned one upside down and used it.

Good luck! I did my potatoes in tubs bc I read it was easy. I will let you know how they turn out. So far they are doing wonderfully!

momofsteel, thanks. I don't have soda containers often either, but I bet I could get some beer cans from my son.

These containers are more of less an experiment but I think they will do fine when I learn how to use them.

LOL- beer cans would work just fine! I don't even think there is much of a learning curve to using containers. I think as long as you have drilled holes in the bottoms for proper drainage, and you use a good soil just about anything would grow in them.

This isn't saying much because mint grows wonderfully, but I put mine in a hollowed out rock with some holes in the bottom and its doing just fine. So really, I think plants do well anywhere with just the right amount of TLC!

I've used all kinds of things to displace soil volume in huge containers (I'd avoid using glass just because of the mess if it breaks: I use bleach bottles, milk jugs, soda cans, laundry detergent jugs,empty water bottles, juice containers, etc.) and I usually just pile them in the bottom and place some kind of plastic (trash sack, empty mulch bag) over them so the soil doesn't all sift through to the bottom. I still drill drainage holes in the bottom of the container, and excess water runs down the sides of the container, around the plastic bags and through the drain holes.

However, I think it would depend on what you are growing in the containers as to whether you want to displace any soil at all. For example, if you are growing a tomato plant, you might need quite a lot of root room, so need the soil to be fairly deep. If you are just growing annuals or ornamentals, you might not need so much depth. I've got cannas and herbs and hibiscus and palm trees growing in pots that are about 24-36 inches tall. I've filled up about half that volume with something to displace soil so the pots are not as heavy or expensive to fill (usually bleach bottles, as we use several a week to chlorinate our pool and I always have them on hand in the recycle bin).

I have containers that have had the same milk jugs in them since I first planted a garden in 1998. I've occasionally refreshed the potting soil in the top, but left the bottom alone. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Larry, If this is a self watering container, how will you get the water in? I usually see a hole drilled in the false floor with a piece of PVC in it that is longer than the soil depth. Also, be sure your soil is damp before you put it into the container, so it will continue to wick moisture.

Carol, I did not have the fill tube installed at the time. I had planned on having compost/potting soil mixture for the wick area but I did not like the way the mixture was falling through the grate, so I replaced the mixture with shavings. If the tub works I will build wooden boxes around them.

Here is a picture of the tub, the planter box wont come till I see if it will work.

Larry

I have several things growing in the same kind of container you show in the picture. I read on a blog somewhere about combining hugelkulture and container gardening by filling part of the container with small logs. I figured it couldn't hurt and planted a round zucchini plant in one. It was growing so good and had flowers and fruit on it before the hail storm. I am gonna do it again with more things.

I also had potatoes growing in containers without any filler and they were growing good but got beat to heck by the hail too. I had tomatoes, peppers and tomatillos in 5 gallon buckets as well.

Since I was new to gardening this year, I figured I would try as many things as I could. I did raised beds and containers, but what grew the best for me was the straw bales I planted with melons and squashes. They were huge and flowering before the storm. I have heard that containers and straw bales aren't the best in the heat here, but I don't mind watering more if required.

I hope the containers work out for you Larry.

Jen

Ah-ha, now I see. Should work.

That is awesome I can not wait to see how it works out!