Would you like to be a backyard gardener, even if you don’t have a backyard? No problem! Growing vegetables in a container is the perfect solution. And if you’re short on cash, you can use cheap or worn-out laundry baskets as your containers.
These baskets will work for a variety of fruits and veggies that include:
• Potatoes
• Peas
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Herbs
• Beans
• Miniature cucumbers
But one of the most popular gardening uses for laundry baskets is for growing strawberries. So, even if you’re short on space, you can look forward to having strawberries for smoothies, fruit salads, or simply dipping them in fresh cream or chocolate. Here’s how to do it:
1. Cut a small hole in the bottom of the laundry basket. This will allow the soil to drain properly. That is especially important for strawberries.
2. Line your basket with burlap (available at a local nursery). Place it in the basket like you would a garbage bag, with the flaps hanging over the top.
3. Fill the laundry basket with potting soil, and then cut off the flaps so the burlap is even with the top of the basket.
4. Place your strawberry plants into the openings on the side of the basket. You’ll need to cut through the burlap wherever you choose to have a plant.
6. Keep them watered. All sides of the laundry basket are exposed to the air, so the water will evaporate more quickly than in the ground.
7. Optional: Plant flowers in the top of your basket. Since you didn’t put strawberry plants in the top holes, your flowers can hang over the side a bit.