There’s no denying that the initial cost of gardening could easily become expensive. I myself felt discouraged with the cost of planters and pots. As a frugal gardener, I decided to find other options to cut the cost. Using non-gardening items is a great idea to grow food on a budget.

I found a dishpan from Walmart that measured 7 inches tall, which is deep enough to grow for most vegetables. About 5 gallon. The minimum of soil that most plants, leafy greens especially, is 6 inches. If you can find a container that could hold that much soil, it’s a good candidate as a planter

Must consider:

• At least 6 inches deep
• Should be food grade. 1, 2, 4 and 5
• Make some drainage holes

What I like about dishpan planters?

1. They’re inexpensive.
2. They’re easy to move around.
3. They’re like a squarefoot garden.
4. They’re easy to store.
5. They’re look nice.

What can you grow in a dishpan planter?

In choosing what vegetable to grow in these, you have to think about how the roots of the plants spread. Shallow rooting plants, which are mostly leafy vegetables, can be planted in the a dishplan planter. You can think of it as a square foot garden and space your plants out according to it’s maturity size.

The plants that develops top root like most of the fruiting and flowering plants, will not do well in shallow planters like this. Shallow rooting plants that spreads outward will be ideal for dishpan planters such as:

1. Ginger
2. Spinach
3. Lettuce
4. Kale
5. Collard

If you want to harvest the vegetables mentioned above in full(er) size you should try to follow the recommended spacing guideline. However, if you are a big fan of baby greens, you may plant them densely plant.

You can head on over to Walmart.com and pickup your dishpan or order these red dishpans.

Dishpan Planter for Winter Gardening

Dishpan is a great container for growing cold hardy plants in the winter. You can create a miniature greenhouse using the a clear storage tote. It will serve as protection from the harsh winter elements and will certain help the plants thrive even in the cold. All you have to remember is to add drainage holes so that it doesn’t clog the container with water whenever it rains.

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