What is the greatest invention of all time? Is it the television? Is it the telephone? Is it the internal combustion engine? For gardeners, the greatest invention of all time could be PVC pipes. They can be used for so many things concerning gardening from an elaborate irrigation system to a simple corn and bean planter. And you would be surprised how easy it is to construct a contraption with the pipes.
PVC Planter
For example, let’s take a PVC Planter. It may take a little bit of time to actually construct the tool, but it will certainly save you from the back-breaking chore of planting bean and corn seed.
Items you will need to construct the PVC planter include:
· 48-inch long ½” PVC pipe
· 2 Inline-T fittings
· Glue
· 6” long PVC Pipe
· Cap
· 5-1/2” PVC pipe
· Elbow
· Tapered wooden plug (piece of an old broom handle)
· Drill
· Handsaw
· Bolt
· Washer
· Nut
· Duct tape
· Small tin can
The 48-inch long 1/2” PVC pipe is the central portion of the device. It is through this pipe that you drop the seed. The length of the pipe can be shorter or longer depending on how tall you are.
One of the inline-T fittings serves as the base for the 5-1/2” long tube that holds the wooden plug that is used to poke holes into the soil in which the seeds are dropped.
Drop down about 8-inches from the top of the 48-inch long tube, cut it and then glue on the inline-T fitting. Glue the 8” long tube into the T to form a handle and glue the cap to the end of the handle.
Now measure 6-inches from the bottom of the main tube, glue on the second-in-line T fitting, and then glue the elbow onto the end of the tube.
Insert the wood plug in the bottom of the 6” long tube so that it sticks out about 1-1/4”. This plug will poke the hole in the soil that will host the bean or corn seed.
To hold the plug in place, drill a 3/16th hole through the tube and the plug. Take the bolt and cut the head off so that it is a small piece of all-thread. Put the all-thread through the hole and place a washer and nut on each side and snug them to the tube. Leave about an inch of the all-thread sticking out on each side. The all-thread is a depth gauge so that you know how deep to push the hole poker into the ground.
Glue the 6” long tube of this assembly to the elbow on the main tube.
Duct tape the tin can near the top of the main or planting tube.
The planter is now ready to be used. Use the hole poker to make a planting hole, move the planter so that the planting tube is over the hole and then drop a seed into the planting tube. Repeat the process until you have planted a row of seeds.
(Photos courtesy of: Sensible Survival)
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