Herbs in a tin can

[SpringBreeze]

Hey! Today I was at the supermarket and saw this cool new thing: a ring-pull tin can herb pot. The outside looks like a soup can with a top that you pull off with the attached ring. According to the directions, once you take the top off, all you have to do is water it regularly. And voila, soon you'll have an herb plant. You don't have to buy a new pot. The herb remains and grows in the tin can.

I only bought one. It was so interesting looking, I couldn't pass it up. I think it's new too because I've never seen it before.

Have any of you seen and/or tried it? Is it any good? Any tips?

 

[Jessi]

I haven't seen them before. I've seen similar pre-made pots with seeds, though. They seem to work just fine. Don't over-water it and put it near the light if it's something that requires a lot of light.

I'm curious.... how much did it cost you? And what kind did you get?

 

[ChanellG]

I have never seen this before, but I have been thinking about growing plants this way. Does it have drainage holes in the bottom? How big is it? I have seen discussions online with people talking about reusing food cans to grow stuff like cabbage, but I would imagine those would have to be fairly big to accommodate a growing plant.

 

[Jed]

I've never seen such a thing.
I guess if the bottom of the can had small rocks with soil on top, there would be some kinda of drainage without the need for holes. Almost like hydroponics.

 

[SpringBreeze]

I haven't seen them before. I've seen similar pre-made pots with seeds, though. They seem to work just fine. Don't over-water it and put it near the light if it's something that requires a lot of light.

I'm curious.... how much did it cost you? And what kind did you get?

It was really cheap, like a $1.00. I don't remember the exact price.

I'm looking at the can now and it's called "Herbs in a Can" with the words: "Grow Your Own" on top of the name. I'm thinking "grow your own" is not part of the title.

And according to the pictures I'm seeing on the front, it's supposed to have Basil, Mint and Parsley seeds. I haven't opened it yet.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[SpringBreeze]

I have never seen this before, but I have been thinking about growing plants this way. Does it have drainage holes in the bottom? How big is it? I have seen discussions online with people talking about reusing food cans to grow stuff like cabbage, but I would imagine those would have to be fairly big to accommodate a growing plant.

It was my first time too. That's why I had to pick one up. I still haven't opened it. So, I don't know everything about it yet. I tried goggling it but I couldn't find anything on it. Odd.

I did find other companies doing the same thing. It could also be the same company but different look. Here's a pic of one that looks like mine in shape and size:


It's actually pretty common to grow stuff in tin cans. You of course have to choose the right plant for it. People tend to go with herbs because they don't need much room to grow. I've seen herbs and peppers grow in miniature pots that are 1/2 the size of tin cans. My aunt grows peppers this way and then transfers them to a bigger pot later. She says that certain plants grow better that way.

Anyway, tin cans and miniature pots are perfect for indoor growing because of their size. They can fit on your windowsill or table easily. The one problem i've heard about growing plants in tin cans has something to do with chemicals in some can linings. I haven't done my research on it. So, I can't say much else. Sorry

 

[ChanellG]

It was my first time too. That's why I had to pick one up. I still haven't opened it. So, I don't know everything about it yet. I tried goggling it but I couldn't find anything on it. Odd.

I did find other companies doing the same thing. It could also be the same company but different look. Here's a pic of one that looks like mine in shape and size:


It's actually pretty common to grow stuff in tin cans. You of course have to choose the right plant for it. People tend to go with herbs because they don't need much room to grow. I've seen herbs and peppers grow in miniature pots that are 1/2 the size of tin cans. My aunt grows peppers this way and then transfers them to a bigger pot later. She says that certain plants grow better that way.

Anyway, tin cans and miniature pots are perfect for indoor growing because of their size. They can fit on your windowsill or table easily. The one problem i've heard about growing plants in tin cans has something to do with chemicals in some can linings. I haven't done my research on it. So, I can't say much else. Sorry

I have an empty drink can I was thinking of trying out and some cans that used to hold almonds. I didn't think the almond cans would be big enough, but maybe for something like cilantro which needs a lot of moisture anyway... hmmmm! I guess I will just have to be careful not to over water.

Basil seems to grow in anything! I have also been saving those soft cartons that you can get soup in to reuse. I have three hibiscus plants from cuttings in some now, but I can't tell if they are thriving,

I've never seen such a thing.
I guess if the bottom of the can had small rocks with soil on top, there would be some kinda of drainage without the need for holes. Almost like hydroponics.

Now there's an idea! It would be kind of like a terrarium, only not in any kind of enclosure.

 

[loopyloo]

I was thinking about making an herb garden in my kitchen window of food grade cans. I just wonder if they will hold up to the water over time, or if they will rust and cause problems over time.

My plan was to drill holes in the tops of the cans to hang from the ceiling. I envisioned cascading greenery from these hanging plants to provide fresh herbs all year round. I need to do somemore research but there have been some very cute things done online with cans.

Has anyone had better luck with one type of can over another?

 

[Jessi]

It was really cheap, like a $1.00. I don't remember the exact price.

I'm looking at the can now and it's called "Herbs in a Can" with the words: "Grow Your Own" on top of the name. I'm thinking "grow your own" is not part of the title.

And according to the pictures I'm seeing on the front, it's supposed to have Basil, Mint and Parsley seeds. I haven't opened it yet.

Thanks for the tips!

Wait....

So it's all three in the same can?

Or you got three separate cans for each set of seeds?

It would be weird for them all to be in the same one because then you couldn't use each one separately. Or maybe it's just going to be one of the three and it'll be a surprise?

 

[SpringBreeze]

Wait....

So it's all three in the same can?

Or you got three separate cans for each set of seeds?

It would be weird for them all to be in the same one because then you couldn't use each one separately. Or maybe it's just going to be one of the three and it'll be a surprise?

hahaha, that's a good question! I was asking myself the same thing. It's one can. And on that one can I have pictures of 3 herbs with their names written underneath. It's really confusing which is why I was trying to research them online. Maybe they expect 3 stalks to grow out of it. I'm starting to wonder if they were genetically engineered to grow in a can together.

 

[SpringBreeze]

I was thinking about making an herb garden in my kitchen window of food grade cans. I just wonder if they will hold up to the water over time, or if they will rust and cause problems over time.

My plan was to drill holes in the tops of the cans to hang from the ceiling. I envisioned cascading greenery from these hanging plants to provide fresh herbs all year round. I need to do somemore research but there have been some very cute things done online with cans.

Has anyone had better luck with one type of can over another?

That's a good question. I never thought of that. I just see people doing and raving about it, and i'm like: "cool". So you have a point. Maybe that's why I keep seeing painted cans. The paint can act as a barrier. So I guess you'd have to buy non-toxic paint for metals. Soup cans would probably hold up to water well because they have a special lining on the inside that protects the metal from the soup. But it's that lining that I've heard is toxic. And then there's my can. I'm assuming the manufacturer has found a way to prevent rust. I wonder what they came up with...

If you ever do your hanging-herb-can-garden idea, please post pictures. I'd really love to see it.

 

[Shirleyc Cox]

These cans are really awesome. Do they grow well in this can? Do they have draining systems? I have been growing few herbs in a pot but I don't have enough space to keep them on windowsill. This cans are awesome and I feel it wont be a problem to grow herbs like this. I would love to try this.

 

[Jed]

"My aunt grows peppers this way and then transfers them to a bigger pot later. She says that certain plants grow better that way."


So true. There's a tenancy for people to plant seeds in large pots. Depending on the plant or herb they tend to prefer to be crowded in a small pot. After they have grown into seedlings then it's time to re-pot individually into a larger pot.Tomatoes for instance.

 

[Jessi]

So true. There's a tenancy for people to plant seeds in large pots. Depending on the plant or herb they tend to prefer to be crowded in a small pot. After they have grown into seedlings then it's time to re-pot individually into a larger pot.Tomatoes for instance.

This is especially good for in cooler climates. That way, you can start growing them before the last frost hits and can get them planted on time. Otherwise, you have to wait another month or two and by then, it's too late to plant some produce.

 

[SpringBreeze]

These cans are really awesome. Do they grow well in this can? Do they have draining systems? I have been growing few herbs in a pot but I don't have enough space to keep them on windowsill. This cans are awesome and I feel it wont be a problem to grow herbs like this. I would love to try this.

Hi Shirley! I haven't tried this brand. But if you click on the picture it will direct you to a blog of someone who did.

Cans are really great for windowsills. And mine is as small as a typical soda can. Now is it as good as a pot, I don't know. I'm going to have to see...

If you don't have access to these cans, you can also use recycled soup or milk cans. The only problem, as mentioned above, is we don't know how toxic it is. If you find any interesting info on this gardening method, please let me know.