Plant Bucket

Alrighty! ROUND THREE!!! This is the easiest design for Growing Food in Space, your Backyard or even in your Closet!!! Anyone can get these materials! Anyone can grow plants this way no matter how much space they have! My first two tutorials where geared towards nutrients yield and using the least amount of material possible. This Instructable throws that out the window, but can still be used in space! Or in your bathtub!

Or if you're like me (stuck on Earth) you can STACK THIS GARDEN AS HIGH AS YOU WANT. My goal is stacking it all the way to space!

Bucket or 12 Inch Concrete Form Tube (tube is better)

Plastic wrap (saran wrap)

Metal screen

DIRT AND WATER

(OPTIONAL)

Hair dryer

Full Spectrum LEDs

Motor/Rotating Plate

Nails

String or rope

Straw

NASA

They would take a Acrylic Tube and bore holes into it at the places and measurements given. The little arm that goes off to the side would have LEDs attached all along it. At the bottom (you will see later) the little cylinder is actually a motor that turns the table occasionally, making the plants follow the light and grow AROUND the cylinder. Allowing astronauts to eat Vining Fruit like Tomatoes, Squash, Peas, Beans, or even Strawberries. The little holes that are drilled into the sides every 90 degrees are going to be for injecting water and nutrients (fertilizer) into the closed system, because this route, we are going to use soil.

LOOK AT PICTURE FOR EXTRA DETAILS

So for the regular everyday person this is going to be a new vertical gardening idea for you. It will be done with a waterproofed Concrete Tube Form or a simple Bucket filled with soil and holes drilled strategically where plants will grow from.

Concrete Tube Form Route

1. Take your Concrete Tube Form and wrap it (from the outside in) all around the perimeter so that every single inch is covered in Saran Wrap.
2. With your (now waterproof) container get a large piece of Metal Screen (outside door screen works very well) and cover the bottom of the tube and staple it VERY securely so it looks like a bucket.
3. Depending on the plants you want to grow, cut out holes in the sides of the tube about 3 inches in diameter. (Cutting in a spiral pattern is good if you want to grow Vines)(Cutting stripes is good for Leafing Plants)
4. Take your leftover screen and staples these covers on the INSIDE of the holes
5. (OPTIONAL) Now punch a few nails or wooden stakes into the sides of the tube that make a dot to dot trail upwards.
6. (OPTIONAL) Ties strings to the outwards facing pillars so it makes vertical "Ziplines" (this provides structure for vines to grow up)
7. If you already have Plant Sprouts, punch a Small hole in the Screen on the sides and slide the Sprouts through the screen
8. Fill your "bucket" with soil that is a mix of potting, topsoil, and peat moss. (nice combination of nutrients, light and airy for root growth, and not as heavy)
9. If you didn't already have Sprouts make a small hole in the screen on the sides of your "bucket" and use a Straw to plant your seed about an inch or two into the soil.
10. Water regularly either from the opening at the top, from extra holes you might have made, or use a Straw/Funnel to water them directly.

Bucket Route

1. Take your Bucket and use a Nail to punch small holes into the bottom of your bucket, punch each hole at least 3-5 inches apart. (not too many, but enough to allow water drainage)
2. Depending on the plants you want to grow, cut out holes in the sides of the tube about 3 inches in diameter. (Cutting in a spiral pattern is good if you want to grow Vines)(Cutting stripes is good for Leafing Plants)
3. Take some Screen and staple these covers on the INSIDE of the holes
4. (OPTIONAL) You can punch a few nails or wooden stakes into the sides of the Bucket that make a dot to dot trail upwards.
5. (OPTIONAL) Ties strings to the outwards facing pillars so it makes vertical "Ziplines" (This provides structure for vines to grow up)
6. If you already have Plant Sprouts, punch a Small hole in the screen on the sides and slide the Sprouts through the screen
7. Fill your Bucket with soil that is a mix of potting, topsoil, and peat moss. (nice combination of nutrients, light and airy for root growth, and not as heavy)
8. If you didn't already have Sprouts make a small hole in the screen on the sides of your Bucket and use a Straw to plant your seed about an inch or two into the soil.
9. Water regularly either from the opening at the top, from extra holes you might have made, or use a Straw/Funnel to water them directly.

So this is really easy right? All you need is a bucket, some screen, nails and string for some plants.

This can be stacked as high as you want, and if you want to grow indoors all you need is some Full Spectrum Lights overhead and they will grow just the same.

It is so compact, you can make some handles for it and hang it if you want, although most buckets come with a handle.

When growing Vining Plants the strings come in handy cause the vines will grow up them, but you will have to introduce the plants to those strings (wrap the plant around the vine to begin)

Again, I hope as many people as possible incorporate this into their lives, cause every single plant help save our planet. When I have more than an hour free time I will make both of these iterations and make another Instructable that is a bit more in depth.