With the recent downturn in the economy we are all looking for ways to stretch the dollar as far as we can. Every dollar we spend at the store seems to buy less and less. The reality is that we have forgotten our roots. No matter what you do, there is an easy way that you can start to grow your own vegetables in an “Earthtainer” with minimal effort.

Okay so not everyone has the land, time, and resources to be a farmer. I only have a small patio and can’t grow an entire crop. The beautiful thing about this system is that you don’t have to have much space or even be there to water it all the time! The “Earthtainer” is a system that uses soil resting on a shelf above water that wicks up water whenever the plants need it. All you have to do is top it up with water every few days and watch it grow. We all have local stores selling fresh produce that we can buy whenever we want, but if you ask me nothing beats home grown tomatoes.

I love tomatoes but sometimes even the ones you buy at the store just don’t taste like home. There is nothing better to me than the taste and satisfaction of fresh home grown tomatoes. What if you could grow great tomatoes on the deck of your apartment? What if you could leave them a week and not worry about it and come back to great tomatoes?

The “EarthTainer:” is the answer for you. It is cheap to build, requires minimal watering and will ensure that you get those delicious tomatoes you crave in whatever conditions. Plans can be found here: http://earthtainer.tomatofest.com/ there is a .PDF with instructions to build one and even videos showing you how to get started.

If you have an old plastic barrel sitting around, you can even make one out of it! Here are the instructions: http://www.instructables.com/id/Earth-Box-from-a-Plastic-Barrel/

If you like the idea but don’t have a barrel, there are even tutorials on how to make cool little hydroponic gardens from old soda bottles:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Solar_Thermally_Pumped_Hydroponic_System/

Recycle something into a sustainable garden and grow yourself something green.

You don’t just have to grow tomatoes, grow whatever you love and tell us about it! If you liked this post subscribe to my RSS feed now at the top of the page.