Lettuce In Pipes

GuitarTown

I know its early to be thinking of veg planting, but I'm just starting a bit of planning and change ups from last year. I've come across people planting lettuce in piping or in hanging plastic bottles like in the photos before. I'm just wondering if anyone has ever tried this and found it to be successful? It would free up a fair bit of space on my small enough plot to plant my lettuce like this. Thanks

TheBody

What an excellent idea!! I love it.

Lumen

I like the pipe idea. You can presumably just water in the top (feed off downpipes?).

I think I have stuff growing in my gutters but it's not edible.

Hocus Focus

Would work very well in a polytunnel also.

Lumen

I don't really understand how irrigation would work with the piping.

Presumably you'd need a bit of gravel under the soil/compost, but just the right amount so that there is balance between flow and absorption all the way down.

Or else use drip hose.

GuitarTown

Lumen wrote: »

I don't really understand how irrigation would work with the piping.

Presumably you'd need a bit of gravel under the soil/compost, but just the right amount so that there is balance between flow and absorption all the way down.

Or else use drip hose.

I wonder would just putting some small holes in the bottom sort that out maybe?

Hocus Focus

GuitarTown wrote: »

I wonder would just putting some small holes in the bottom sort that out maybe?

I think that if the pipes were all installed with a slight fall, as waste pipes normally are, and a layer of gravel is added below the compost, a gentle flow of water added at the top from time to time should flow right down through the system and irrigate all the levels.
On the other hand, google "hydroponics".

rolion

The top one is "hydroponics", as Hocus corectly identified.
Is using a special feeding liquids and not soil and water and sun !
There are many online opinions ,not sure whih one to trust.

I'm doing natural grown of strawberres and lettuce in 6" pipes bought from local DIY store.
Make the top holes big enough to accomodate the plant and to allow to water and to check the soil / add fertilisers and few holes at the bottom to drain excess water.
The lettuce grew lovley and healthy inside the greenhose but end up "compromised" by slugs.
Is a great ideea if not enough space to get lots of plants.

The below photo is few days old as i was cleaning the old dead branches off the plants.