SENIOR LADY: STACK PLANTER TRYOUT!

I have been experimenting with gardening 

for several years. I became alarmed after

our local grocery stores had a lettuce recall.

So I tried growing lettuce in 2000.  I read an

online article about growing lettuce in dish

 pans. The Black Simpson lettuce was plentiful

 in my dollar store dish pans.

The following year I experimented with

 growing veggies in totes and grow bags.

 I had a very good yield. I harvested veggies

 until the first frost arrived.

This year I moved to new city. There was 

only enough space for a small garden.

 

I watched several videos about gardening 

in small spaces. I settled on stack garden

planters. Some of these planters were too

expensive for my budget. I was shopping

at a dollar store and saw stack planters.

They were stackable 3- tier planters 

available in terra cotta, blue, and beige

 colors. The planters were a nice size.

I figured I could grow herbs and mini

sized veggies in them.

My stackable planters contain:

Swiss chard, oregano, thyme, green romaine

and purple romaine lettuces, flat leaf & curly leaf 

Parsley, and sweet basil

Advice from online stackable users suggested using 

quality potting soil. The planters are small so soil 

with nutrients and good soil mixture are essential.

The soil should provide air flow and moisture 

retention.  I reviewed videos that showed stack

 planters on rolling plant stands.  The garden center 

I shopped at,  sold clear vinyl and black metal 

rolling plant stands.  The vinyl plant stands

were less than $20, so I bought the last two 

on the shelf. The plant stand rollers are a

 convenient way to move planters to another

 location. Some videos also showed stackable 

 planters loaded on metal and PVC poles. Holes

 were made in the middle of the planters, so the each

 3 tier planter could be stacked on the poles.  The more

expensive stackable planters  already come with a

plant stand and holes in the bottom and the middle.

I saved money by using a wood burning pen to make the

 holes in bottom  of my planters.

  The poles prevented the planters from toppling over

 during windy or stormy weather. I saved money on my 

poles. My local dollar store sold metal dust mop

 handles. So, I bought three to mount some of my

 planters on.  

There were unused bricks available, so I placed two on

 the middle section of my top  planters.  I'll remove

 them when the wind gusts have subsided.

I'm enjoying my 3-tier stackable planters. I placed

two holes and coffee filters in the bottoms of them.

I was hoping that these tricks would keep the soil moist 

longer. I guess it helped a little. I water my plants every

 two days.  My every three week fertilizer application

 seems to be working.  The planters look healthy.