Queries by no means all gardeners can fit on the standard six hundredths. But the principle works for the majority: the more land, the more you want, and here it’s really hard to pacify your gastronomic needs, because the land is now expensive. It was for such gardeners that the modern "crazy hands" came up with how to combine needs with capabilities, namely, vertical beds were created.
Among the many varieties of them, the most popular was the bed of plastic bottles.
The advantages of vertical beds
- An indisputable advantage is the compactness of such structures, which allows you to place it not only on the garden plot, but also on the city balcony.
- It is also worth noting the variety of materials that gardeners have managed to adapt to vertical beds. They are made of plastic pipes, pots, pockets of various materials, machine tires, and even old wooden chests of drawers with drawers are used for such beds. Well, a bed of plastic bottles can be built by everyone, since such containers can be found in every home.
- The unpretentious care of such beds helps gardeners a lot of time. Due to the high location of seedlings, and subsequently the harvest, a person does not have to bend into three dooms to find a berry or pick a lettuce bush.
- Again, the high location of the root system protects plants from small pests. And the pyramidal or cylindrical shape of the structure will not allow the birds to sit on the beds and spoil the crop.
The disadvantages of beds with a vertical arrangement
The main drawback that most gardeners complain about is that vertical beds of plastic bottles or other materials require frequent watering.
The lack of moisture in the containers leads to the fact that the plant in it dies faster than a similar variety growing in open ground. But this problem, in general, can be solved with a relatively small financial outlay.
The first assistant in solving this problem may be a hydrogel, which is freely available at any garden or flower shop. It should be brought into the earth and dug it. This is done before boarding. The gel is characterized by the accumulation of water, which the plant can use if necessary.
The second way to cope with a lack of moisture is to equip drip irrigation. This method is more expensive, but its effectiveness is higher. You can make it yourself.
The compactness of the garden creates one of its drawbacks: small containers are suitable only for low-growing plants, which, nevertheless, will still need to be fed with nutrients.
Useful tips for arranging beds
Before you make a bed of plastic bottles or another vertical bed, you should consider a few points and take into account a couple of nuances:
- The place where the bed is going to rise should be chosen wisely, since it will be problematic to transport or move assembled and sown structures.
- The substrate for filling the tanks must be prepared in advance. For example, beds for strawberries from plastic bottles should be filled with sandy loam mixed with peat, fertilizers (rotted humus) and hydrogel.
- Vertical beds are best placed closer to the water, as they will have to be watered often.
- Consideration should also be given in advance to methods of sheltering the beds for the winter (whether they will be hidden in the house or covered with lapnik or other options).
New life of an old plastic bottle
A bed of plastic bottles can be mounted on anything. For example, a vertical bed can be used to green the wall of a house, a garage or any other auxiliary building, a metal mesh can also be a good help for plastic bottles. Some gardeners construct separate frames of metal and wood for such vertical beds.
Creative gardeners paint bottles with plants in various colors, making the garden itself more aesthetic. In a word, vertical beds from plastic bottles offer a wide field for the manifestation of imagination, creativity and own skill.
One way to create a vertical bed from a plastic bottle
The bed of plastic bottles is a modular type design. So, the height and width of these beds can be varied as desired. For one of the ways to create a structure, you will need plastic bottles (2 liter displacement), a coil of wire, wire cutters, a well-sharpened knife, a frame for attaching containers, paint and a brush for decoration (if necessary).
The first thing to do is wash and remove the label from the plastic bottle. The bottle is cut in half. Turn the upper part with the lid tightly closed and insert it into the lower part. We fill the container with nutritious soil, plant a plant in it and water it. Excess moisture will pass through the upper part, through a loose screw cap, and collect in the lower part. When you see that the moisture evaporates, it is time to water the plant. The container created in this way can be fixed on the wire frame.
Another version of the vertical beds
For the second way to create such a bed you will need all the same bottles, washers, a knife, an awl, a strong rope. The stage of preparation of containers is the same as in the first case. Then, with a sharp knife, a small rectangular hole is cut from the side of the bottle. On the opposite side, which will play the role of the bottom, drainage holes are made. Through the neck of the bottle and from the bottom side, through holes are made through which a rope or wire is threaded. Under that hole, which is located below, a knot is tied or a washer is put on, which will fix the bottle and prevent it from falling onto the lower tier.
Warm bed of plastic bottles
Plastic bottles can be used not only as containers for growing plants in order to save space, but also as a material for creating a warm bed. We will tell you how to make a bed of plastic bottles warm. The simplicity of the design will surprise any gardener.
Warm beds from plastic bottles are as easy to create as vertical ones. For their construction, it is necessary to dig a trench 4 meters long and a meter wide, the size can be changed depending on the wishes. Two and a half liter empty plastic bottles with closed caps are laid at the bottom. They serve to restrain the cold from below. The side walls can be insulated with cardboard from old boxes or sheets of packaging foam.
Warm beds from plastic bottles should also be properly filled. The bottom layer of the dug up soil is first poured onto the bottles. The next layer is laid organics. To do this, small branches, leaves, weeds previously torn out are suitable. EM preparations will help to process processed organic matter faster. The decomposition of organics will provide plants with heat and carbon dioxide, which will well affect their growth. On top of organics, we fill the earth from the top layer. If you water the top layer with EM preparations, then the dug up earth will recover faster.
Further warm beds from plastic bottles take cover. If the action takes place in the spring, then the shelter should be film so that the earth warms up faster. If the garden bed is created in the fall, then it should be covered with a thick layer of mulch.
What gives a warm bed
Seedlings planted in warm beds develop much faster. Her diseases affect much less. Plants in warm beds grow strong and healthy. Weeds in such beds practically do not grow, fertilizers applied to the soil remain in place. After using the beds at the disposal of gardeners also comes humus. In a word, a solid advantage.
Do-it-yourself beds made of plastic bottles are an opportunity to get an excellent, diverse, environmentally friendly crop with minimal territorial costs.