Can i do DIY wooden pots?

kodak91

kodak91

Active Member
Hi guys

I've been using 11L/3Gallon pots for my autos and i was thinking of upgrading to 20L next grow to get the full potential of the strains.

Im trying to spend as little money as possible, and 20L/5Gallon pots can be quiet expensive, especially if i want to buy a bunch of them.

Since i have free access to wood and tools, my question is, can i do DIY wooden pots for my autos ? And if yes, what kind of modification should i do? Holes in the bottom but also on the sides (?) , and what color should i paint them, black or white?

Thanks
 
smokinrav

smokinrav

Well-Known Member
Of course that would work. Leave some distance between slat's and use a plastic liner inside. Fill with soil, poke some holes in the places between slats for drainage. Paint color is irrelevant.
Can I suggest an alternative? $5 or so will get you 7 gallon plastic milk crates. Use the same plastic liner, fill and poke holes for drainage, and off you go.

Here's 6 for $30

www.milkcratesdirect.com

Set of 6 square milk crates – heavy duty crates at the best prices

Milk crates built to last, manufactured with superior quality materials, featuring reinforced corners & handles. Save big - shop now
www.milkcratesdirect.com www.milkcratesdirect.com
 
kodak91

kodak91

Active Member
thanks for the reply.

I appreciate the suggestion, but i'm still inclined to make them from wood since it would be all free. The plastic liner was a good tip, i hadn't thought about that.

I forgot to mention that it was indoor. The question of color was more about what would be more appropriate , white to reflect the light or black to
absorb the light.
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
kodak91 said:
Hi guys

I've been using 11L/3Gallon pots for my autos and i was thinking of upgrading to 20L next grow to get the full potential of the strains.

Im trying to spend as little money as possible, and 20L/5Gallon pots can be quiet expensive, especially if i want to buy a bunch of them.

Since i have free access to wood and tools, my question is, can i do DIY wooden pots for my autos ? And if yes, what kind of modification should i do? Holes in the bottom but also on the sides (?) , and what color should i paint them, black or white?

Thanks
Click to expand...
They’ll grow in any container. The keys are adequate drainage and watering properly. If you can’t pick up your container to judge dryness by weight you’ll have to be very cautious to not overwater. Otherwise go for it. Use what you have. Recycle and reuse.
 
TrippleDip

TrippleDip

Well-Known Member
kodak91 said:
Im trying to spend as little money as possible, and 20L/5Gallon pots can be quiet expensive, especially if i want to buy a bunch of them.
Click to expand...
Idk what universe you live in where plastic is cheaper than wood but, 1) nurseries have plastic grow bags, not the "expensive" breathable felt bags but simple solid plastic bags, black on the inside and white on the outside fro growing for pennies each. These are the bags you see trees sold in for example. 2) If you wait until spring you can probably walk around nice areas and scoop up all the nursery pots left by landscapers for free.

If you do go wood, a wooden container with no liner will last you two to three seasons, no need to paint. Cedar or hemlock will last you five years or so if you can get those. The benefit of making your own is that you can do things like add water reservoirs, raise them up or put wheels on to help your back out, and make custom shapes/sizes. I would recommend checking out the sub-irrigated planter thread - it's a wealth of ideas.


woodenplanter.jpg

Eg this wooden planter is at waist height, and has 2L of reservoirs in each of the 4 200L 2x4 planters and can be collapsed flat for storage.
 
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green_machine_two9er

green_machine_two9er

Well-Known Member
TrippleDip said:
Idk what universe you live in where plastic is cheaper than wood but, 1) nurseries have plastic grow bags, not the "expensive" breathable felt bags but simple solid plastic bags, black on the inside and white on the outside fro growing for pennies each. These are the bags you see trees sold in for example. 2) If you wait until spring you can probably walk around nice areas and scoop up all the nursery pots left by landscapers for free.

If you do go wood, a wooden container with no liner will last you two to three seasons, no need to paint. Cedar or hemlock will last you five years or so if you can get those. The benefit of making your own is that you can do things like add water reservoirs, raise them up or put wheels on to help your back out, and make custom shapes/sizes. I would recommend checking out the sub-irrigated planter thread - it's a wealth of ideas.


View attachment 4827066

Eg this wooden planter is at waist height, and has 2L of reservoirs in each of the 4 200L 2x4 planters and can be collapsed flat for storage.
Click to expand...
Nice beds ! I’m jealous. Your set to go! Are those blumat or some kind of irrigation?
 
kodak91

kodak91

Active Member
TrippleDip said:
Idk what universe you live in where plastic is cheaper than wood but, 1) nurseries have plastic grow bags, not the "expensive" breathable felt bags but simple solid plastic bags, black on the inside and white on the outside fro growing for pennies each. These are the bags you see trees sold in for example. 2) If you wait until spring you can probably walk around nice areas and scoop up all the nursery pots left by landscapers for free.

If you do go wood, a wooden container with no liner will last you two to three seasons, no need to paint. Cedar or hemlock will last you five years or so if you can get those. The benefit of making your own is that you can do things like add water reservoirs, raise them up or put wheels on to help your back out, and make custom shapes/sizes. I would recommend checking out the sub-irrigated planter thread - it's a wealth of ideas.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input. Like i said in my first post, i have access to free wood unlike plastic... Also i dont live in the US and we dont have nursery pots left by landscapers for free here. But i appreciate the suggestions.

I ended up experimenting with this pot model. Its about 20L (5gl), has lots of drainage holes and i'll staple some plastic inside it. I've only done 2, need to make 4 more. Not sure if this is worth the effort, but hey at least was fun to build and it saves me like $40 for now. Also they look nice for the crappy plywood that i used.
 

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TrippleDip

TrippleDip

Well-Known Member
First, what he said ^ pot's look great and most importantly, functional. Maybe wrap them once or twice with tape for added strength. Are you gonna paint them or anything?

kodak91 said:
we dont have nursery pots left by landscapers for free here.
Click to expand...
lol, I don't have them in my area either. I have to take a walk where the homes are 5 mil and up. Edit: after re-reading, I never expected *access* to the expensive areas could be a problem, or is it that nurseries simply aren't a thing there?


green_machine_two9er said:
Are those blumat or some kind of irrigation?
Click to expand...
Just bottles with holes to release the water slowly. You can also add some manure to the bottles to fertilize instead of digging it in.
 
green_machine_two9er

green_machine_two9er

Well-Known Member
TrippleDip said:
First, what he said ^ pot's look great and most importantly, functional. Maybe wrap them once or twice with tape for added strength. Are you gonna paint them or anything?


lol, I don't have them in my area either. I have to take a walk where the homes are 5 mil and up. Edit: after re-reading, I never expected *access* to the expensive areas could be a problem, or is it that nurseries simply aren't a thing there?



Just bottles with holes to release the water slowly. You can also add some manure to the bottles to fertilize instead of digging it in.
Click to expand...
Nice. I find getting beds to proper moisture can be difficult. I like the slow release idea
 
ilovereggae

ilovereggae

Well-Known Member
kodak91 said:
Thanks for the input. Like i said in my first post, i have access to free wood unlike plastic... Also i dont live in the US and we dont have nursery pots left by landscapers for free here. But i appreciate the suggestions.

I ended up experimenting with this pot model. Its about 20L (5gl), has lots of drainage holes and i'll staple some plastic inside it. I've only done 2, need to make 4 more. Not sure if this is worth the effort, but hey at least was fun to build and it saves me like $40 for now. Also they look nice for the crappy plywood that i used.
Click to expand...
I love the creativity and DIY approach. My wood working skills are no where near as good but I try my best. I will say that plywood has always turned out to be a problem when I used it for grow related stuff. It warps really easy when wet or just from humidity. I cant imagine those lasting too long once they are filled with soil. I would definitely line them with plastic bags if you can. I would try to use solid wood if possible for the others. The milk crates idea is a good one too.

another idea if you dont have access to plastic, can you get burlap or any other type of fabric like felt or something that you could hand sew your own fabric pots from? are there any 2nd hand clothing stores or somewhere u could get fabric scraps? I've even seen ppl make them from old pairs of jeans. you might need to make it 2 layers thick but it should work fine.
 
kodak91

kodak91

Active Member
ilovereggae said:
another idea if you dont have access to plastic, can you get burlap or any other type of fabric like felt or something that you could hand sew your own fabric pots from? are there any 2nd hand clothing stores or somewhere u could get fabric scraps? I've even seen ppl make them from old pairs of jeans. you might need to make it 2 layers thick but it should work fine.
Click to expand...
Oh DIY fabric pots, thats a really nice idea! And yes i have a ton of old cloths i could use for it, maybe I will try that next grow. For this one, the wooden pots will do.. So far so good. The only problem is that they are a bit heavy so the "lift the pot" method becomes a bit harder..
 
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