The Strawberry Swinger
- or -
Me and My Thrifty Ways
by si hawk
For most of my life I have enjoyed the hobby of vegetable gardening. However, after moving into an older home several years ago I found my potential gardening bed to be spectacularly lacking. The ground is made up of significant clay and the well-established root system from the many area trees make the ground less than desirable for gardening.
The obvious solution seemed to be pots and planters. Unfortunately, there is only so much you can do with your typical flower pot. Buying larger pots helped, but really didn't resolve my problem. I never had enough on hand when planting time arrived.
Notice in the title I described myself as thrifty. That's very true (much to my wife's disdain). If I perceive a potential use for an item (even though the use is not immediately at hand) I hold on to things. Such is the case for those buckets which package so many of the pet products we buy. They hold cat food, dog biscuits and kitty litter (to name a few). If you have pets you probably know exactly which buckets I'm describing.
While the buckets make so-so pots, with a little minor craftsmanship you can create all kinds of other valuable commodities. Such is the Strawberry Swinger (which is also known as the Tomato Swinger, Cantaloupe Swinger and Squash Swinger). You get the idea.
Early in my years of gardening I noticed plants whose vines would climb up the garden fence and bear fruit downward produced unusually large fruit. I grew cantaloupes the size of small watermelons. So it made sense that modifying the buckets to allow the plants to grow from the sides, instead of the typical upward vertical fashion, would allow the plants to grow downward. The net result is plump and juicy fruit and vegetables.
The project then commenced. This year I would try growing strawberries, tomatoes, squash and cantaloupes from hanging pots. The only supplies needed are small plants or seedlings, potting soil, gardener's fabric, cutting tools, hooks for hanging (or other hanging accommodations) and a good supply of plastic buckets.
My wife, who's a lot tidier than I am, said the only way I'm going to hang a kitty litter bucket up outside the house will be if I paint it. I said okay and she bought the paint. If you're into decorating things up more than me you could also stencil flowers or some other cute design on the painted buckets. Me, I'm more utilitarian and my goal is simply to make things work. Here's what the bucket looks like after being painted:
If you've purchased well, you'll have bought bucket with adhesive labels. In that case a little time with a hair dryer on the side will have those labels peeling off in nothing flat. My buckets required painting to make them acceptable. A good enamel for plastics is a great choice.
After painting, decide what size hole you will need for your plant. For my purposes I decided on the standard size of a vegetable can. Since I had an old plastic lid for those size cans I just traced around the can with a Sharpie, then used my Dremel to cut the holes. I decided to use the broader sides of the bucket since the bucket's handle might damage young plants on the narrow sides. I found a position several inches from the bottom of the bucket to make the hole and placed it relatively close on the opposite side.Next I got the gardener's fabric and cut a piece to go from the top of one side (over the hole) to the top of the other side. I used duct tape to secure the fabric on both ends. After straightening the fabric I put several inches of potting soil in the bottom. Miracle Grow sells a marvelous potting soil that my plants seem to love.
I took a sharp knife and cut openings in the fabric in the middle of the hole leaving just enough room for the plant's stems and leaves to exit comfortably. It's important the hole not be too large or too small. If it's too large you'll lose precious soil. If it's too small you will damage the plant as you push it through the hole.
Now, I cleared space in the potting soil under the holes on each side of the bucket to allow me to rest the strawberry plant with its roots and soil horizontally. Then I gently worked the stems and leaves through the fabric and through the hole to the outside. Once that was completed for both plants on opposite sides of the bucket I filled up the rest of the bucket with more potting soil.
Some nice household and gardening hooks will allow you to suspend the bucket under the eaves of your house. A couple of passes of duct tape around the handle creates a firm no-slide surface so swingers will hang straight. Trees and other outdoor hangers also work well. I water my Swingers usually every other day as conditions require giving them from a quart to a half gallon of water at a time. Please be aware that during hot Summer months your Swinger can act as a cooker with the lid down. On hot days I typically use a small stick to prop open the lid for good airflow.
One of the best things about the Swingers is when the weather is bad or the temperature drops (or if you move) you can bring them indoors for a day or two and continue to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables. They also make marvelous gifts that are easy to care for and just keep giving.
I have found the Strawberry Swingers to be quite economical and functional and I am enjoying the fruits of my (and the strawberry plant's) labor.
(Strawberry Swinger, Tomato Swinger, Squash Swinger, Cantaloupe Swinger - Copyright 2008 - Si Hawk - Hawk Productions Company)