Tutorial: Tin can plant pots

Today I was gardening in the rain and I remembered that I took some pictures of the tin can potting method last time I was gardening in the rain. I would rather not garden in the rain but there were some things that needed doing.

Upside Down Tin Can Pots Tutorial

I have been growing most of my seedlings in tin cans, something which I hadn’t tried before, but it is working! I was worried that they might rust but that hasn’t happened.

This is my tutorial on the method of using ring-pull tin cans. It is important that it is a ring-pull type, this won’t work with the kind that you have had to use a tin opener. For the other kind of can you could punch holes in the bottom.

1. Rinse and keep all your cans over winter.

2. Take a can, in this case the classic Heinz can.

3. Turn it upside down and open the other end of the can.

4. Keeping it upside down, drop the piece you just cut into the can.

5. It will be caught by the rim of what was the top of the can. This rim stops it falling out but enables excess water to flow out.

6.Fill with soil. Write what it is on the label. I use a CD pen.

7. Get some seeds.

8. Water, and ta da! A plant.

The advantage is that to get the plant out of the can you can simply push up the bottom and this pushes out the soil and plant. I quite like the ‘look’ too, lots of colourful tins rather than those boring plastic pots.

So it:

• reuses what would be rubbish
• saves you money
• and looks nicer

Can’t say better than that! I hope the tutorial is clear.