Do you want your garden or patio to look beautiful? Consider galvanized stock tanks. They are easy to make and take care. You can use them for both indoor and outdoor gardening for vegetables and flowers.
How to make galvanized trough planters
There are many reasons why you need galvanized troughs; the soil in your garden may contain lead. If you also keep horses, they like drinking from metal containers. Here are steps of making a galvanized trough.
Choosing the appropriate tank
When selecting a stock tank, ensure you understand the space in your garden and the type of plants you want to grow may it be fruits or vegetables. The depth also matters depths range from two to three feet for evergreen screening plants and one foot for edible plants. Other key factors:
Shapes and sizes: most tanks are sold in food stores and online vendors as feeding and water troughs for livestock. The containers are usually round or rectangular. Smallest tanks measure two feet long and 1 foot tall while largest ones measure 10 feet long and three feet tall. Circular tanks also have different sizes.
Cost: The tanks cost differently in different stores, some will cost you as low as $30 for smaller models and $350 for large models.
- About the project
- Materials
- Ability to hold water
- Should have a locking switch
- Should be galvanized
- Gather your things and get to work.
- Drainage
To achieve this project, you need specific skills such as carpentry skills. The project will also entail a lot of moving, drilling and screwing. Since you will deal with metal, and other sharp objects, have safety glasses and gloves. Eat planter will cost you about five hours.
The primary material used is a feeding or watering trough. You can obtain it from Amazon.co.uk, and it only takes a week to arrive. You will be required to have wheels. What to look for when selecting wheels:
You are also required to buy bolts, pressure-treated wood, screwdriver, a sharp drill, landscape fabric, tape measure, tape and socket set.
You have purchased all the materials required to run the project, put them together, and drop them at your designated working area. Cut the pressure treated wood into two 18″ lengths. Place the wood towards the outside edge with the corners positioned in line with the planter’s edges to make the planter stable.
Measure the woods an inch from the corners to determine where you will mount the wheels and mark the area with a pencil. Position the wheels so that you can start drilling. Once you have drilled a hole, drop a bolt. Keep doing this until you finished fastening the wheel before moving to the next.
Flip the trough and take boards off leaving bolts. Place them to various sides of the planter. Carefully orient them towards the same direction they were on the planters so that they can line up. Stack a couple of boards to raise while leaving space underneath to enable bolting. Put two bolts in each side from inside and cover them with a strip of tape so that they stick in place.
Turn over the troughs and nut each bolt by hand until tight. Repeat the same process for all the troughs. Wheels will ensure the trough moves easily. Ensure you galvanize the wheels since they will get exposed to water which might make them rust if not galvanized or stainless steel.
Turn the planter, using ¼” driller, drill about ten holes at the bottom of the planter, ensuring they are evenly distributed. Spray the holes with a galvanized compound to protect them from rust. You can cover the holes with a wire mesh to protect soil from leaking through them.
How to plant on the galvanized troughs
- Position the planters
- Fill it with soil
- Plant seedlings
- Water
Assuming you have already identified areas in your garden where to place the planters. You can place bricks below the planters to facilitate enough drainage.
To avoid clogging, arrange shady pottery over drainage holes. Fill the container with fresh soil, decomposed compost, and other organic soil amendments. Ensure the soil and compost are well mixed to achieve equal distribution of nutrients.
You can sow seeds directly to the planters or plant seedlings from the nursery. Arrange plants by height and maturity in different planters so that taller plants don’t kill smaller ones as they grow.
You can do watering through irrigation or hand watering using yeehao 5L plastic watering cans. Ensure the soil is continuously moist while plants are young depending on plant needs. For raised troughs, use irrigation systems since they drain water faster thus leaving them drained.
Advantages of using galvanized troughs for planting
- Weigh less than wood or ceramic containers making them easy to move.
- They hold moisture better, making them ideal options for most plants.
- They are cheaper than wood and ceramic containers.
- Have different shapes and sizes
- They are durable and long-lasting
- Easy to drill drainage holes
- They are portable
- They have a good look, easy to clean
- Easily available for repurposing.
Disadvantages of galvanized troughs
The metal component can affect soil ecology thus the need for galvanization
Sometimes they are not suitable to hold moisture more so when working with drought-resistant plants such as succulents.
Long-term care for galvanized trough planters
Sophisticated galvanised trough planter are durable, easy to clean, and water-resistant. You should protect the tanks from scratches and if they get some, ensure you protect them using zinc coating. For older rusts, remove them using a ball of steel wool, dry the surface and treat it with a galvanized compound.
Conclusion
Have you used a galvanized trough for planters? They make the best planters, and you should consider them in your garden or patio. They can work in small spaces and create a beautiful outlook.