How to make a strawberry and herb growing barrel

This is a great way for you to grow strawberries and herbs in a small space. You can even plant some of the smaller vegetables in these barrels. Most of the time, these barrels can be found free of charge. Even if you have to pay for them, they usually are not more than €5, which is around 7 dollars. By using these barrels, there is a lot of space saved, as you can grow your plants vertically.

When preparing your plastic barrels, it is always a good idea to have all the necessary tools and materials at hand.

The things you will need are:

• One wheelbarrow load of top soil
• Two bags of organic compost
• A power drill
• An electric jig saw
• Herbs or strawberry's
• One plastic container / barrel

Before you start working on your barrel make sure you secure it by placing wooden blocks on either side. This will strop the barrel from moving.

To start, mark out the holes with a marker pen. Place them ten to twenty cm apart, spacing them evenly around most of the barrel. You can leave out the north facing side of the barrel, as in any case this will not get enough sunlight for your plants to grow. Then make the holes using a drill. The drill bit has to be wider than your jigsaw blade. Next place the jigsaw blade inside your holes and cut a 8cm circular hole for strawberries. Make it 10cm across if you want to plant herbs. Use your power tools with caution though, as they can be quite dangerous.

Next place the barrel on its top and drill drainage holes in the bottom. The holes need to be big enough so they don't clog up, but small enough not to let the growing medium fall out.

Once all the holes are made, mix your top soil with your compost and place it into your barrel. The top soil will sink over time, so it is important to top it up over the next month or two. Winter is a great time to start. Once the soil mix stops subsiding, you can add your plants. For more info you can take a look at the video as well.