Hanging Tomato/Cucumber/Pepper Planters

Ok, so foodie friends, I DO apologize that this is not a "FOOD" based post...well...it IS related to food and heck, who doesn't think that a home grown tomato is the bee's knee's :) Now if you are a penny pinching princess and you don't want to pay big $$ for a hanging tomato planter at the store why not make your own? It's a lot easier than you think and you only need a few items.

So to start out, get yourself a 3 gallon bucket. I found mine at WinCo for $2.89. Next you will need a hand drill and a hole saw drill bit. Now the size is going to depend on the size of the plant you want to plant. You will need to thread the plant leaves through the hole, so use your best judgement. I used a 2" hole saw for my little cuke plant.

I want to thank my dear sweet hubby for being my little photographer AND for drillng the holes for me. It was quite the day today and just plumb ran out of time. My poor plants really needed to be planted. In fact, I barely was able to get my tomato plants through the 2" hole because there were baby maters growing all over it lol!

So with your hole saw drill a nice little hole on the bottom. Didn't the hubby do a good job? What a great "how to shot" ;)

You now have a hole in the bucket...."there's a hole in the bucket dear Liza, dear Liza....there's a hole in the bucket dear Liza....a hole". Oh dear...I am going to be singing that song all night now hahaha!

Now out of some thick material folded in half, cut a basic circle (no reason to have a perfectly measured circle...just a basic round shape'll work. You'll want the circle to be about 6-8 inches wide. This will keep the plant from slipping through the hole. Now cut a slit in the fabric and make two little notches which will give your little mater plant some wiggle room.

Now place your little plant in the center of the material.

Next overlap the seam. Not too tight, but snug enough to keep your little plant from falling through.

Now with a needle and thread do a simple slip stitch from the edge of the circle to the base of the plant. Just be sure to not stitch up the seam too tight. Your plant will be growing still and need some room to grow.

Next, carefully thread your little plant through the hole.

Now fill up your bucket with potting soil, give your little plant a drink, and hang your little greenie up. That's it!