3 HOMESTEAD HELPERS
It doesn’t matter whether you have a three-acre spread on the outskirts of town or just a postage stamp backyard in the middle of the city—it’s always nice to make the most of your property and everything you’re trying to grow there.
This chapter is all about wonderfully creative practicality and getting things done. These creations are specifically designed to help you grow and nurture plants and take care of animals—both farm and domestic. There are few things more rewarding.
PVC is especially handy when it comes to serving the needs of homestead and barnyard animals, such as chickens. The material doesn’t leach toxins, is durable and easy to clean, and generally looks neat and trim even when left unpainted. Those same qualities make the plastic ideal for many, many gardening uses. It can form the skeleton of a Hoop Frame Greenhouse that will allow you to garden year-round or grow things that don’t normally grow in your zone. A Strawberry Tower is a reusable specialized container for those delectable summer gems that often don’t thrive when planted in the ground.
You’ll be amazed that even a something as basic as Edging (shown here) can become not only incredibly useful but also stylish and even fun when crafted out of PVC used in a creative way.
Cold Frame Cover
Trellis
Edging
CHICKEN FEEDER
The key to maintaining homestead livestock is to make caring for them as easy as possible. When you don’t feel overwhelmed with chores, you’re likely to take better care of your animals, and you may even find the work more enjoyable. That’s the idea behind this “set it and forget it” chicken feeder. Fill the feeder once a week and let gravity do the work.
This feeder should serve one or two chickens quite well. If you have more feathered charges, consider making multiples of the feeder, one for every two adult chickens. To avoid any chance of contaminating the chicken feed, make sure there are no loose burrs on cut pipe ends. For the same reason, be careful not to spread PVC primer or cement on exposed, interior surfaces of the pipes or fittings.
If you prefer not to attach the feeder to a wall with straps, create a base to make the feeder freestanding, as shown. You’ll also find instructions for making a handy spill lip to help prevent chickens from flicking feed out of the feeder.
Lastly, although this is designed for chickens, it can easily be adapted as a goat or larger animal feeder by increasing the size of pipe and fittings used: 6-inch pipe and fittings would do the trick.
HOW YOU MAKE IT
1 With a tape measure and saw, measure and cut the pipe segments to match the cut list. Use a utility knife or coarse sandpaper to smooth the cut ends of the top and bottom pipe sections.
2 Cement the top (longer) pipe section into the straight end of the Y fitting opposite the mouth of the Y. Be very careful not to spread any PVC primer or cement onto the inner surfaces of the pipe or the fitting.
3 Cement the lower, shorter pipe section into the opposite end of the Y fitting. Cement the other end of the short section into a slip cap. Position the finished chicken feeder against a wall or other flat surface with the longer pipe section at the top. Use a level to check that the feeder is plumb. Measure, mark, and drill pilot holes, then mount it to the surface with pipe straps and wood screws. Fill with feed and cap the top end with the test cap.
Optional: You can make this feeder freestanding and portable by adding a sturdy base rather than strapping it to a wall. Cut a 1' square piece of 1" plywood from scrap (or screw together several 2× scraps to a create the square base). Follow the instructions above, but don’t cement the slip cap in place on the bottom of the feeder. Instead, screw it upside down to the center of the base, using three 1" stainless steel wood screws in a triangular pattern. Then, when the rest of the feeder has been assembled, cement the bottom end into the cap. Fill and top as described above, placing it anywhere that is convenient.
Optional: Feeders such as this can be messy. To make them less so, provide a spill lip for the feeder opening. Drill two access holes in a slip cap top, and then cut out half of the top (a half moon) with a jigsaw. Cement the cap in place over the feeder opening in the Y with the opening on top.
CHICKEN WATERER
Chickens, like humans, have to stay hydrated. But given the hardscrabble, dusty conditions in most chicken coops, drinking water sources often quickly get dirty or polluted with feces and germs. Add to this the fact that chickens simply aren’t neat drinkers, and the coop floor around a waterer tends to become a mud pit. All that makes for a whole lot of continual work for anyone charged with tending the hens and keeping them as healthy as possible.
The waterer here can be the answer to any coop owner’s hydration dilemma. It keeps water contained, releasing only the small amount each chicken needs for a healthy drink. Feathers, pebbles, soil, and worse are kept out of the water supply.
This creation is also a handy relief for homesteaders who are overwhelmed with garden and barnyard chores. The water tube reservoir holds plenty of water, so it won’t need refilling every day as other sources might. The waterer also features end caps and a cleanout that allow you to flush the system whenever the water has become stale, or if dirt or grime somehow make it into the structure.
This unit is meant for two to three chickens and can serve up to four. If you have more, build one or more extra waterers. You can gang the parts of the construction to make short work of the process.
HOW YOU MAKE IT
1 With a tape measure and saw, measure and cut the pipe segments to match the cut list, paying particular attention to the 1/2" feeder pipe sections. Given how many chickens you have or their relative sizes, you may want to increase the length of the longer feeder pipe sections. You can also increase the length of the 2" vertical post reservoir to hold more water (for more options to increase capacity, see the box shown here). With a utility knife or sandpaper, trim or sand all the cut edges smooth.
2 Cement one end of the 2" vertical post reservoir into one inlet on the 2" cross. Be careful not to coat any PVC primer or cement on an unmated surface where water will contact it.
3 Lay out all the pieces for the waterer on a flat, level work surface, to ensure you cement the correct fixtures into the 2" cross in the correct relationships, and that the feeder lines are assembled in the right order. The cleanout assembly should be opposite the vertical post reservoir, and the bushing reducers for the feeder lines should be opposite one another on either side of the cross. Each feeder line should be formed by a 5" section of pipe, then a drinking cup-and-tee fitting, repeat, and then terminated in a 3" section capped with a threaded coupling and cap.
4 Cement all the fittings into the cross, again being careful not to spread primer or cement on any surface that will contact the water moving through the waterer.
5 Dry fit the two feeder lines together. Ensure that the drinking cups are all perfectly aligned, so that they will be level when the waterer is upright (the best way to ensure this is to hold the waterer upright with the dry-fit feeder lines in place in the bushings). When you’re certain that all the drinking cups are positioned correctly, use a marker to make key marks at all the joints, including at the bushings.
6 Cement the feeder lines together, and then cement each into its bushing in the 2" cross. As before, be careful not to spread primer or cement on any surfaces that will come in contact with the water.
7 Using a drill, fasten the waterer in place, plumb, with the saddle straps holding the reservoir tube to a side of the chicken coop, a wall stud, or a freestanding support such as the one shown here. The cups should sit about 5" above ground level. Fill the waterer and test that the drinking cups are each working as they should. Place the 2" cap on the top of the reservoir tube to ensure that no dirt gets inside.
HOOP FRAME GREENHOUSE
Simple as this greenhouse might be, it is, like all greenhouses, a backyard luxury and a homesteader’s necessity. That’s because any greenhouse expands your garden far beyond its size. You can use a greenhouse such as this to get an early start on your crops or keep them growing long after the season has ended. Start seedlings, nurture fussy plants, and tend to sick ones. Use the structure to grow species and cultivars that normally wouldn’t grow in your part of the country or in your particular zone.
The greenhouse in this project has intentionally been designed with a small footprint that makes it ideal for just about any yard or garden, small to large. It’s easy to scale up the design by lengthening the sides and adding hoops (they are spaced 15 inches on center), and you can even make the hoops themselves longer to give yourself more headroom inside. A little extra arc allows for taller plants and affords the gardener space to move around and perhaps even have a table for seedlings or potting.
Regardless of how you use it, the key in any greenhouse is ventilation. The front and back flaps on this greenhouse allow for quick and easy venting with front-to-back airflow. Be sure to seal the flaps tightly at night so that nocturnal critters don’t use your greenhouse as a late-night supermarket.
1 With a tape measure and saw, measure and cut the pipe segments to match the cut list. With a utility knife or sandpaper, trim or sand all the cut edges smooth.
2 Working on a large, flat, level work surface, lay out the pieces for the base. Each side assembly is formed of eight 6 1/8" × 3/4" sides. The two outside segments on each end are joined with tees, and the inner segments are joined with alternating reducing tees and tees perpendicular to each other. The outside tee on either end—a standard tee—faces down (or the opposite direction from the other tees as the side lies flat).
3 Connect the dry-fit sides with ends comprised of a 45 1/2" × 3/4" end fit with reducing three-way elbows on either end. The elbows are connected to each end of the side, to form the rectangular frame. (For this stage, turn the end, standard tees out to the side so that the frame can sit perfectly flat.) Measure the diagonals to ensure the base is square, and adjust as necessary.
4 With a speed square, check that all tee inlets are facing directly upward (you’ll position and cement the staking tees pointing downward after you’ve completed the rest of the base). With a grease pencil, mark each base connection with key marks. Rotate the stake tees (the outside tees on each side) so that they’re facing directly opposite the other tees, and make key marks on their connections. Disassemble, and cement the base pieces together, section by section. Cement the stake tees in place last, ensuring that they are perfectly parallel to, and pointing in the opposite direction of, the pole tees.
5 Cut one end of each 8" stake at a sharp angle to create a point. Position the base on the final site for the greenhouse. Mark the location of each stake, remove the base, and pound the stakes into the ground with a wooden or polyurethane mallet, until only 1" projects aboveground. (Moisten the ground thoroughly to make it easier to pound the stakes into place.)
6 Position the base on top of the stakes to ensure the stake tees line up with the stakes. Cement the top of the stakes into the upside-down tee inlets.
7 Starting at one end with one 10' × 1/2" hoop, slide a saddle tee onto the center of the hoop, put one end of the pipe into one elbow, and slowly bend the free end over until you can push it down into the opposite elbow. (This will be easier to do if you enlist the aid of a helper to hold the first side down while you bend the other end down into the opposite elbow.)
8 After you’ve confirmed the fit side to side, cement both ends of the hoop in place, holding both sides down until the cement has set and cured. Repeat with the rest of the hoops, slipping two saddle tees onto each of the three middle hoops, and one on the opposite end hoop, before cementing them into place.
9 Starting at one end, position the saddle tee centered at the top of the hoop, facing in. Move one of the tees on the next inside hoop to the top center, with the inlet facing the end hoop tee. Connect the tees with a 13 1/2" × 1/2" ridgepole, dry fitting the outer into the tees.
10 Finish assembling the ridgepole segment by segment. Check that the hoops are equidistant apart and that the hoops are plumb. When you are satisfied with the alignment, cement each ridgepole section into the tee inlets on both sides.
11 Depending on the plastic sheeting you’ve purchased, you’ll wrap the greenhouse from end to end, or in side-to-side panels overlapped. In either case, leave enough sheeting to tuck under the base on each side by several inches. Cut the plastic to size as necessary.
12 Once you’re happy with the placement of the plastic sheeting panels, secure them in place with snap clamps used every few feet on the hoops and base sides. The panels should create overlapping door openings at the back and front of the greenhouse. Use heavy binder clips or similar to close the door panels and keep the flaps from flying open.
QUICK 3
A garden, or even a small farm, can really take full advantage of the properties inherent in PVC pipe. The material is unattractive to pests such as bugs, who will leave it alone. Time, the elements, shifting ground, and physical abuse won’t have much effect on PVC pipe, because it’s formulated to resist everything but extreme heat and excessive internal pressure. The material is also easily modified to suit many different garden uses and a full range of plants. The look is even well suited to the garden; it tends to blend in over time, even as it gets dirty (although it’s easy to clean). All that spells success for yard and garden additions such as the projects that follow. If you prefer, it’s easy to paint these to provide small splashes of delightful color outside. But no matter what, all of these are specifically designed to use up odds and ends left over from other PVC pipe projects, and any one is easily modified to suit your own needs and garden. Don’t be afraid to experiment and play around with the designs.
1 COLD FRAME COVER
The easiest—and often cheapest—way to make a cold frame for a garden bed is to cover it with hoops. Hoops provide for a range of growing heights and are easy to maneuver around. To create a simple and quick hoop cold frame, bend 1/2" pipe in an arc over a garden bed. Repeat with a hoop every 1' or so. If the bed is raised with wooden sides, attach each end of each pipe to the wood sides with a 1/2" pipe strap. If the bed doesn’t have sides, cut the ends of each hoop 45° to create stake points. Then drive each end down into moistened dirt on either side of the bed. In either case, the length of the hoops determines how high the center of the arc will be and how tall your plants can grow. Overlap layers of plastic, creating flaps at each end. To control the temperature, open or close the flaps at each end to either increase or decrease cooling airflow.
2 TRELLIS
The best PVC pipe for forming trellises is 3/4", although 1/2" will also work. You can create the trellis in whatever shape makes the most sense for what you’re growing. Regardless, there are two ways to effectively bind crossbraces and supports together: screws or zip ties. To screw the pieces together, work on a hard, flat, level work surface. Create a small pilot hole in one pipe, and then drive a drywall or self-tapping screw down into both pipes. It’s sometimes easier to use zip ties, which create a structure every bit as sturdy and durable. Simply create an “X” across each of the joints where pipes cross, and pull the zip ties tight. To stand a trellis in a garden bed or pot, cut one end of each support to a 45° angle to create a stake point, then drive the supports down into the soil.
3 EDGING
Garden edging is a wonderful way to put short PVC pipe scraps of all sizes to beneficial use. You can combine small and large pipe diameters in a single run of edging for great visual effect. Or use scraps that are all the same size, for a more uniform look. In any case, dig a trench so that the pipe segments will be buried to within one-third of their total lengths (different length pipes can be a cool look as well). You can attach the pipes in the edging side to side by driving 1" self-tapping screws down at an angle through the top end of a pipe into the pipe next to it. Or leave them loose, standing them one at a time on end in the trench. Large-diameter pipes can be filled with soil and small plants such as moss or pansies. Smaller diameter pieces can just be filled with soil or gravel to help keep them upright and in place.
PET WASH
Whether you’re homesteading mini pigs and goats or you own a couple of dogs, you’ll eventually want to clean those animals up. You can grab a hose, bucket, and soap and hope the target of your cleaning efforts doesn’t wiggle free, or you can choose the easier solution: a pet wash. It’s like a car wash, but for your four-legged friends.
It’s no accident that this simple-but-effective contraption uses the same idea as a drive-through car wash. Connect a hose to the washer, and then lead the animal into the center of the frame. Turn on the water to make it spray from above and below. That leaves your hands free to suds up your pet and, more importantly, keep the animal from going on the lam.
Drilling the spray bar holes will take some time; the work will go much more quickly if you have access to a drill press. The rest of the frame, though, is simple and easy to construct. The project is also adaptable to the size of your animal. You can make it taller or shorter, wider or narrower, without much fuss.
As built, the frame is freestanding and portable. This works best for most people who will want to store it out of the way when not in use. It can easily be hoisted up into the rafters in a garage or hung on wall hooks anywhere. But there’s something to be said for anchoring the frame so that the animal doesn’t move it around as it fidgets or tries to cut bath time a little short. You’ll find an option for grounding the frame in the box here.
1 With a tape measure and saw, measure and cut the pipe segments to match the cut list. Sand all the cut ends and be careful that no burrs find their way inside any of the sections, or they could block the spray openings.
2 Secure a 38" spray bar in a vise with padded jaws. Use a straightedge to mark a straight line from one end to the other. Then measure and mark hole locations every 2 1/2".
3 Brace the pipe, with the hole marks facing up, in a drill press (or leave the marked spray bar in the vise if using a power drill). Drill 1/16" holes at the marks, being careful not to drill through the other side of the pipe. Repeat the marking and drilling process with all the spray bars.
4 Lay out the legs. Connect a three-way elbow to one end of a 30 1/2" leg, connecting the other end to one side of a tee. A 3" leg bottom is connected to the tee and finished with a cap to complete the leg. Repeat to construct two other legs. The fourth leg is constructed with the hose connection. The top 22 1/4" section is connected to a three-way elbow at one end and to the 3/4" hose fitting on the other. The 7" section is connected on the other side of the hose fitting, with a tee on its opposite end and then a leg bottom as used in the other three legs. Check that all legs are the same length and that, lying flat on a level surface, the tees and one inlet of the elbows point in the same direction.
5 Connect each pair of legs with a 38" spray bar. Angle the spray holes in the top bars downward and slightly upward in the bottom bars (use your judgment for these angles; they should suit the animals you’ll be washing most frequently). When you’re happy with the side assemblies, make key marks at all the connections, disassemble the sides, and cement all the parts together.
6 Dry fit the top together. Two 10" end braces are connected with a tee, with three-way elbows at the ends. The tee and elbows are connected to the top 38" spray bars (the assembly creates an “H”). Dry fit the assembly carefully onto the leg assemblies. The center top spray bar holes should be pointing directly down. Measure the diagonals to ensure the frame is square. Make key marks at the top connection points, disassemble, and cement the top pieces together.
7 Connect a garden hose to the leg hose fitting and turn the water on full pressure. Check that the spray bars all spray efficiently.
BIRDHOUSE
Birds rarely visit a backyard by accident. They come for food, water, housing, or all three. You’ll have to decide if your garden is set up to supply the first two; the simple project outlined here takes care of the third.
The design of this birdhouse is both uncomplicated and well thought out. Keep that in mind if you decide to modify or customize the design. This one is meant for small songbirds. The trick to a birdhouse like this is to create a home that is sized correctly for the particular species you’re looking to attract, with access they will find convenient, while also ensuring the house protects the residents against larger predatory birds, such as bluejays.
This design includes a removable bottom courtesy of a PVC waste cleanout assembly. The center of the fitting can simply be unscrewed when the birds move on to warmer climes, giving you the opportunity to clean the house each year. That will limit any potential for disease transmission or insect infestation and will ensure the house remains comfortable and inviting to potential occupants.
Although this version is meant to be hung by a chain or a cable (both of which are difficult for cats or squirrels to use as a means of access), you can also post-mount the house. Replace the cleanout assembly with a reducer bushing cemented to a 2-or 3-inch nipple, and then cement the nipple to a post made of PVC pipe cut to the desired length. The pipe can be secured in the ground or in a 5-gallon bucket filled with gravel.
This version is also painted. Although this takes a bit more time and effort, it’s usually energy well spent, because basic white Schedule 40 PVC pipe can be a stark look in a yard or garden.
1 With a tape measure and saw, measure and cut the pipe segments to match the cut list. Remove any large burrs on the cut piece of pipe with a utility knife or coarse sandpaper. Ensure the cap fits easily on one end and the waste cleanout assembly on the other. With a grease pencil, mark the inset (how far the fixtures slide onto the pipe) on each end.
2 Measure and mark 2" down from the cap-end inset mark. This will be the top of the birdhouse hole. Clamp the PVC pipe to a level and stable work surface, and drill the bird hole with a 1 1/4" hole saw. Or, if you have a drill press, secure the pipe in a homemade V-block and drill it as shown.
3 Cement the cap on the top end, closest to the hole. Cement the waste cleanout assembly on the bottom. Once the cement has cured, thoroughly sand the house all over with 80-grit sandpaper. Paint the birdhouse your desired color scheme. (Birds will be attracted to a clean, safe, spacious house no matter what color it is, so choose according to your preference.)
4 Drill a pilot hole in the center of the top cap for the screw eye. Screw in the screw eye until it is firmly fixed in the cap. Hang the birdhouse from a tree branch or other support using fine chain, cable, or twine. It should be at least 10 yards from the house.
HANGING HERB GARDEN
Herbs are ideal container plants. They flourish in controlled environments, their growth habits are naturally well suited to confined spaces, and they don’t mind being moved around.
As containers go, the vertical style in this project is a wise choice for anyone who has limited space or just wants to make the most of his or her garden. Not only do the planters take up a very modest footprint, but the top planter also filters water down into those below it.
Like so many projects in this book, these planters are entirely customizable. Change the length of each planter to suit available space, and use fewer or more planters as your need requires. Of course, you can also use them for growing some vegetables or flowers, if you prefer those plants. Just be clear that the planters as designed are fairly substantial. Full of moist soil and plants, they’ll be heavy, and they’ll need proper support to hang safely and securely.
1 With a tape measure and saw, measure and cut the planter tubes to 4' from a 10' or longer section. (Buying uncut pipe will be much less expensive, especially with the larger diameter pipe used here.) With a utility knife or sandpaper, trim or sand all the cut edges smooth.
2 Measure and cut a planter-opening template from a large piece of stiff but thin cardboard. The template should be 5" × 38". Clamp the ends of one planter tube to a level, stable work surface, and center the template on top of the tube, running its length. Tape the template in place. Use a grease pencil or marker to trace a cutline around the template.
3 Remove the template and drill 1/2" holes at the corners of the template trace lines. Use these holes as access for a jigsaw, and cut out the template shape from the top of the pipe.
4 With a utility knife or sandpaper, trim or sand all the cut edges smooth. Turn the planter upside down and drill a random pattern of 1/32" holes along the bottom.
5 Cement a cap onto either end of the tube. Drill pilot holes, and screw a 1/4" screw eye into the top and bottom of each cap’s outer face. Repeat the process to construct the second planter, but the second planter should have screw eyes only at the top of the cap face.
6 If you’re using drip irrigation, you can drill an access hole through the cap at this time (although the drip line can be run down the hanging chain and into the cavity after you’ve assembled and hung the planter). Fill the planter with soil and lightly water the soil. Plant the herbs.
7 Hang a chain from a strong overhead support (using the specified screw eye hooks or beefier sizes, keeping in mind the weight of three planters full of wet soil is significant), and use S hooks to connect the chain between the support screw eye hooks and the top screw eye hooks in the first planter. Then cut a length of chain to hang the next planter from the lower screw eye in each cap, connecting it with another S hook.
Optional: If you don’t have a strong overhead support from which to hang these planters, you can attach them to a fence. Use heavy-gauge wire to fasten each planter to a cyclone or other mesh fence, or use heavy-duty pipe straps to attach the planters to a wood or solid fence. If using the pipe straps, drill holes and use bolts rather than screws.
FIREWOOD RACK
You know that big stack of firewood you have drying out alongside the side of your house? That’s not just a stack of firewood. It’s an insect high-rise. Creepy-crawlies, including some rather nasty characters, such as black widow spiders and all kinds of snakes, love the dark, tight quarters of stacked cord wood. The way to dissuade these tenants from ever taking up occupancy in your wood stack is airflow. When sunlight and air penetrate stacked wood, insects feel less comfortable and safe. That’s one of the great advantages of a firewood rack such as this one.
PVC pipe is a perfect material for a firewood rack. The plastic is also incredibly durable, which means the rough treatment of coarse wood being placed and removed from the structure isn’t going to phase the PVC one bit.
You can easily scale the rack up to accommodate more wood, but if you intend to appreciably increase the size, you should also increase the diameter of the pipe and fittings you use, from 1 1/4 inches to possibly 2 inches.
HOW YOU MAKE IT
1 With a tape measure and saw, measure and cut the pipe segments to match the cut list. With a utility knife or sandpaper, trim or sand all the cut edges smooth.
2 Construct the base upside down on a flat, level surface. Each side is constructed with a 4 7/8" side end on either end, connected to 8" side middles through tees. Those tees are connected to either end of a 14 1/4" side center. The sides themselves are connected by 8 1/4" crossbraces through three-way elbows at either end and at the two center tees. As constructed, the two other tees in the frame sides should point up (use a speed square to check that they are perpendicular to the other tees).
3 Cement the 5" legs into the upturned tees. Cement a cap onto each leg. Carefully flip the dry-fit frame over. Measure the diagonals to ensure the base frame is square, and use a level to ensure it is sitting flat and isn’t twisted. Using a grease pencil, mark all the connections with key marks, and disassemble the base. Reassemble it joint by joint, cementing the pieces as you go.
4 Dry fit elbows onto each of the 45 3/8" posts, and connect the posts in pairs, with 8 1/4" handles slipped into the open elbow inlets. Measure and compare the handle assemblies side by side to ensure that they are exactly the same dimensions. Insert the posts in the elbows, and stand the posts in the base’s three-way elbows. When you’re satisfied that they are correct, make key marks at all the connections, disassemble the handles and posts, and cement them back together. Finally, cement them into the base.
Optional: To keep smaller pieces of wood from falling through the bottom of the rack, lay a bed of expanded sheet 11" × 46" along the base of the rack. You can screw the sheet down to the base sides, but it will likely be heavy enough to not require any fastening.
STRAWBERRY TOWER
The beautiful strawberry is the gem of summer fruits. Unfortunately, gardeners aren’t the only ones who think this little treasure is delectable. Strawberries are a favorite target of slugs and snails, not to mention larger critters such as raccoons and deer. That’s why many gardeners choose to grow their crop vertically, in a small, sunny spot where they can protect and guard berries as they mature.
This tower provides maximum access to your plants, so that you can detect any damage or pests right away, heading off trouble before it gets worse. The pockets are just holes drilled into the pipe, and the addition of a watering tube makes this garden stunner low-maintenance. The plastic won’t degrade under the elements, and no pests are going to eat their way through the material.
This type of tower allows you to completely control the growing culture of your strawberry crop. You’ll be using potting mix (potting soil is less nutritious and it clumps, making it less efficient for the tower design), and you’ll only have to refill the watering tube every so often to keep your plants hydrated and healthy.
1 With a tape measure and saw, measure and cut the pipe segments to match the cut list. Clamp the large pipe to a work surface. Measure and mark for holes every 4" to 5" along the length of the pipe (stopping 10" from one end, which will be the bottom).
2 Use a drill fit with a 2" hole saw to drill holes on the marks. Rotate the pipe, and mark another column of holes staggered with the first. Drill those holes and repeat the process with a third set of holes.
3 With a utility knife or sandpaper, trim or sand all the cut edges smooth. The edges do not need to be perfectly smooth.
4 Clamp the 1/2" water tube pipe to the work surface, on top of a scrap piece or pieces of 2× lumber. Drill a random pattern of 1/16" holes, spaced about 1" apart, all along the length of the pipe. Drill all the way through the pipe, into the wood, to make sure the pipe has holes all the way around its circumference.
5 Cement a cap onto the bottom (undrilled end) of the strawberry tower. Be careful that no primer or cement are applied to the inside surface of the pipe. Wrap the drilled water tube in landscape fabric, and tape the fabric in place.
6 Stand the strawberry tower in the center of the 5-gallon bucket, or whatever container you’re using to hold the strawberry tower. Pour gravel around the base of the tower, up to the first set of holes in the tower. This will hold the tower upright.
7 Carefully position the watering tube standing in the center of the strawberry tower. Start troweling potting mix in around the watering tube, up to the first holes (this will be much easier if you use an assistant to hold the watering tube).
8 When the soil is up to the first set of holes, plant strawberry starts in the holes, firming them in place. Add more soil on top of the plants and use a long scrap piece of 1× or similar tool to tamp down the potting mix around the newly planted starts. Continue adding potting mix and planting the starts until you reach the top of the strawberry tube. Fill the watering tube with water, and slip a 1/2" cap onto the top of the watering tube. Position the tower where it will receive about 6 hours of direct sun a day.