Transform ordinary plastic gutters into an attractive and innovative growing space for a tasty, nutritious crop of salad shoots—a fun way to use vertical space for growing vegetables.
TIME IT RIGHT Sow dried peas and beans from spring through to fall. Protect emerging shoots from frost and freezing weather. If conditions are right, you can expect to be harvesting shoots in 4-6 weeks.
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Measure the gutters to your desired lengths, mark with a pencil, then carefully cut to size using a hacksaw or handsaw.
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To provide some drainage, drill small holes in the base of each length of gutter, roughly 29%in (75cm) apart, using an electric drill and relatively thin drill bit.
чЛ—Project Steps
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Loti of plants ha/e tasty young leaves. Try chard, beets, nasturtiums, sunffowers, lettuce, parsnips, onions, spinach, kohlrabi, and herbs such as basil. Sow seeds at twice weekly interi/als for a succession of tasty shoots.
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Mark the location of the brackets on the wall so that they are carefully aligned. Keep in mind ease of access for watering and harvesting, and make sure the shoots have space to grow up to at least 8in (20cm). Screw the brackets to the wall, attach the end pieces, and then click into place.
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6 Sow the presoaked peas and beans in separate planting blocks. Since you are only growing them for shoots, you can sow them much closer together than for mature plants.
Care Advice
‘Where to site Preferably in a sheltered location, the shoots will need some sunlight but will be happy in a semishade location.
‘Watering Water frequently or daily, depending on conditions, once shoots start to appear. Never let the soil mix dry out, which can easily happen with a shallow container. Feeding is not required.
Vertically Mounted
