[Trikidiki]

An alternative I considered was to cut the bottoms off the milk bottles then staple them to a fence post, one above the other, leaving just enough room to plant into the upward facing base of each one. Leave the caps on the bottles.

During wet weather loosen the cap just enough for any surplus water to leak away, in dry weather screw the cap on tight to retain water within the bottle.

Once the bottle is full of roots you could probably dispense with the caps altogether in wet weather as the roots should stop the water from washing the soil out. Alternatively drill holes in the caps for constant drainage.

[Livinhope]

A Stanley knife to cut the bottles, used with extreme care.

[Cheshire Phill]

Haven't done it myself, but a chap at work here told me he uses the water cooler bottles, the big, many litre ones (which you can "find" sometimes with in large companies).

Over two years, he said he has perfected growing strawbs in them, he plants in one upside with plants coming out of the sides with holes cut, drainage holes in the base, and secured to a post a few feet off the ground.

Slugs can't get 'em, birds either (they can't hover and eat) and squirrels are kept off too, apparently.

No pics I'm afraid, but sounded good - apparently the first year, he put them too close to the ground, and saw birds springing up and getting them, so he's gone a little higher.

So if you can get old water coooler bottles, might be worth a go next time...

Phill 

[aelf]

Simple question - how did you cut the bottle (with what) and what size milk carton have you used?

I cut mine with a sharp penknife (also did some with a good pair of scissors) and the size shown is 4 pint containers.

[Zippy]

Great idea and I'm going to plant some up today. i don't understand why it says to cut the handle through and flatten and staple one side. Perhaps I'll find out as I go.

any idea?

[agingchick]

It's to do with the watering.   I have ordered 30 strawberry plants and have already collected all the cartons I need as I work in a care home and they go through at least 8 a day

[aelf]

Great idea and I'm going to plant some up today. i don't understand why it says to cut the handle through and flatten and staple one side. Perhaps I'll find out as I go.

any idea?

It's so that the water easily goes into the space at the back of the planter (the reservoir).

[Zippy]

Hi. It was far too hot this afternoon after painting my allotment shed this morning so I sat in the back garden at home and made my strawberry planters.  Excellent project; really enjoyed it.

I found a few things as i went along:

I stapled the backs and fronts of the inverted part of the bottle to the bottom part because I found the inverted part could slip forward once the plant was potted in.

Also, i tried cutting the screw neck off the top (as instructions) before inverting it, but found I preferred the screw neck to stay on so the compost is not sitting too deep in the reservoir. Strawberry roots will find their way out the bottom and sit in the reservoir anyway, I think.

I understand the reason for stapling the handle now, but I didn't bother as I think the water will find its way through the potting medium into the reservoir anyway. The handle makes a great way to water the pot without disturbing the surface compost.

I will defintely do this for next year's strawbs.

[Livinhope]

I wonder if the local councils are noticing any reduction in the amount of plastic in the recycling bins.

[Livinhope]

Aelf,  I'm still on this container kick with the strawberries.  How long would you leave the plants in the containers, would it be the 3 to 4 years  (obviously with feeding) or would you change the compost after a year?

[aelf]

It's a bit of a learning curve for me too, this is my second season with strawbs in these pots. I havent changed the soil in last year's plants - I just regularly feed them with dilute comphrey liquid. So far, so good. I am thinking a general fertiliser feed (like growmore) might be a good idea in the spring tho. I have runners developing on some of my plants and these are also going in milk containers nailed to the board next to the main plant.

Soon I will take over the world with my strawberry plants mwahahahaha 

[Livinhope]

Roll on that day

So it's trial and error but, if they have produced as expected for two years it looks as though three years should be perfectly alright.  I've just ordered some plants which will go straight into the bottles.   

'I love it when a plan comes together'

[chrisjsmith]

Excellent idea.  Definitely going to do that next year!

[Spana]

I've been making some of these  ready for  planting time and was wondering about feeding.   I know it said feed with comfrey but is there any other feed that would do that wouldn't effect the taste.  
Whats everyone going to use?

aelf, did you design these yourself?

[Zippy]

I tried this and found the plants drown if the bottle planter gets a lot of rain - nowhere for the water to drain away.

I think a better way for me will be a 16" hanging basket with a tub buried across the drainage hole to keep water in and planted up with four strawberry plants. This is for a home patio project.

My main crop are in a broken water butt filled with compost with about six plants in it; enough for Mrs Zippy and myself across the season.