goals

I'm going to try to improve on these efforts this year.
Yes, it's made of plastic. I wish this unit had a donut hole for compost, like the really expensive ones. It's self-watering, sort of. I lined it with newspaper and paper shreddings under the soil. Maybe this year it will become a tower of self-contained semi-invasive, prolific nutrition. The not-raised bed below did allow radicchio to self-sow a few plants ... but it has been cold. I may move them to the tower of power.

https://youtube.com/shorts/8B9AfLcBAQ8?feature=share

The tower does allow a lot of plants in a small footprint - handy for next to the kitchen door, although that might compromise the light too much? You'd need to plant more shade loving plants on the side facing the house.

Personally I'd have tried to put a little more growing media in the buckets. A larger volume would give more room for the roots to spread into, so the plants would be likely healthier. Also the soil itself holds some moisture, so more soil - more moisture.


source (with instructions)

I've seen similar things done with terracotta pots - stacked inside each other to make a tower with concentric rings, I'll see if I can find a picture edit - found one (above). I suspect that the plastic will help to stop the plants roots drying out in the wind though.