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How to Turn a Stock Tank Into a Planter for Edibles and More
Give your container garden a fresh look by converting a galvanized-metal trough into a large planter
Galvanized-metal livestock tanks offer an attractive, versatile solution for growing veggies, herbs, flowers and evergreens in a tight footprint. Easier than raised beds — no building required — stock tanks are deep enough to grow larger vegetables, like tomatoes and artichokes, and screening plants, but they don’t take up too much square footage. Plus, the smooth, zinc-coated metal is rust-resistant and gives a modern edge to a garden.
Here’s what to know about purchasing a stock tank and a step-by-step guide to converting it into a garden planter.
Here’s what to know about purchasing a stock tank and a step-by-step guide to converting it into a garden planter.
How to Turn a Stock Tank Into a Planter
1. Drill drainage holes. Flip over the stock tank and, using a quarter- or half-inch metal drill bit, drill plenty of drainage holes in the bottom. Plan to drill about two holes for every square foot of the bottom of the container. Spray the holes with a galvanizing compound to protect them from rust. You may also want to cover the holes with a fine wire mesh to keep soil from leaking out and clogging the holes.
2. Position the stock tank. Move the tank into place and then boost it up on bricks, cinder blocks or four-by-fours to facilitate drainage. If you’re boosting the stock tank, make sure you have enough support under the trough so that it doesn’t buckle from the weight.
1. Drill drainage holes. Flip over the stock tank and, using a quarter- or half-inch metal drill bit, drill plenty of drainage holes in the bottom. Plan to drill about two holes for every square foot of the bottom of the container. Spray the holes with a galvanizing compound to protect them from rust. You may also want to cover the holes with a fine wire mesh to keep soil from leaking out and clogging the holes.
2. Position the stock tank. Move the tank into place and then boost it up on bricks, cinder blocks or four-by-fours to facilitate drainage. If you’re boosting the stock tank, make sure you have enough support under the trough so that it doesn’t buckle from the weight.
3. Fill it with soil. If you did not cover the drainage holes with wire mesh, arrange some pottery shards over the holes to help prevent clogging. Next, fill the container with a mix of fresh potting soil, decomposed compost and any other organic soil amendments you’d like. Mix well to distribute the nutrients.
4. Plant. Plant seedlings or directly sow seeds in the soil of the trough. Arrange plants by mature size and height to keep taller plants from shading the smaller ones as they grow in.
5. Water. Whether you set up irrigation or make a schedule for hand watering, plan on keeping the soil consistently moist in the trough while plants are young and then watering according to plant needs. As with raised beds, plants in stock tanks dry out more quickly than those in the ground, so setting up a drip irrigation system or a soaker hose can help plants get adequate moisture.
4. Plant. Plant seedlings or directly sow seeds in the soil of the trough. Arrange plants by mature size and height to keep taller plants from shading the smaller ones as they grow in.
5. Water. Whether you set up irrigation or make a schedule for hand watering, plan on keeping the soil consistently moist in the trough while plants are young and then watering according to plant needs. As with raised beds, plants in stock tanks dry out more quickly than those in the ground, so setting up a drip irrigation system or a soaker hose can help plants get adequate moisture.
Optional Steps
- Install wheels. Once filled with damp soil, large stock tanks can easily weigh 300 pounds. To make moving a filled tank possible, you may want to add wheels when you’re drilling the drainage holes. Given that the wheels will be exposed to water, choose a pack of four that are either stainless steel or galvanized.
- Add extra insulation. If you live in a hot summer climate and intend to place the stock tank in full sun, you can add a layer of insulation, such as an old carpet or cardboard, along the interior walls of the stock tank before filling it with soil to keep roots from touching the metal sides.
- Lighten the load. Depending on what you’d like to plant, you may not need the entire planting depth of the stock tank or want to use that much potting soil. Instead, use a filler material, like empty soda bottles or upside-down nursery containers, at the bottom of the trough and layer potting soil on top.
Pros and Cons
Pros. Stock tanks are one of the easiest options for a raised bed. They require no assembly and can be easily moved (when empty) if you move or change the layout of your garden. The galvanized metal is durable, easy to clean and well-suited to outdoor use.
Stock tanks are often deeper and narrower than standard raised-bed sizes, making them useful in small, urban settings for edible gardens or screening plants. Compared with the price of building a raised bed, using a stock tank can also be more cost-effective.
Cons. In hot summer climates, the metal sides of stock tanks placed in full sun can get hot enough to potentially cause plant roots that touch them to burn. If you live in a hot summer climate, you can still plant in a stock tank, but make sure that it’s not in a position where it will receive baking sun for hours, and avoid setting it on asphalt.
Pros. Stock tanks are one of the easiest options for a raised bed. They require no assembly and can be easily moved (when empty) if you move or change the layout of your garden. The galvanized metal is durable, easy to clean and well-suited to outdoor use.
Stock tanks are often deeper and narrower than standard raised-bed sizes, making them useful in small, urban settings for edible gardens or screening plants. Compared with the price of building a raised bed, using a stock tank can also be more cost-effective.
Cons. In hot summer climates, the metal sides of stock tanks placed in full sun can get hot enough to potentially cause plant roots that touch them to burn. If you live in a hot summer climate, you can still plant in a stock tank, but make sure that it’s not in a position where it will receive baking sun for hours, and avoid setting it on asphalt.
Long-Term Care
Galvanized metal is durable, water-resistant and easy to clean. If the sides get dirty, you can wipe or hose them down.
One thing to watch out for: If the stock tank gets dings or scratches that go through the protective zinc coating, the base metal can rust. You can protect a new scratch from rusting by spraying the nick with a galvanizing compound. For an older scratch that’s already rusting, you can try using steel wool to remove the rust, completely dry the surface and then treat with a galvanizing compound.
Galvanized metal is durable, water-resistant and easy to clean. If the sides get dirty, you can wipe or hose them down.
One thing to watch out for: If the stock tank gets dings or scratches that go through the protective zinc coating, the base metal can rust. You can protect a new scratch from rusting by spraying the nick with a galvanizing compound. For an older scratch that’s already rusting, you can try using steel wool to remove the rust, completely dry the surface and then treat with a galvanizing compound.
Share: Have you used a stock tank as a planter? Tell us in the Comments.
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See other ways to use stock tanks outdoors
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Select a stock tank based on the space available in your garden or on your patio and the types of plants you’d like to grow. If you’d like to maximize growing space for evergreen screening plants, a dwarf fruit tree or larger-scale veggies like tomatoes, artichokes and rhubarb, choose a stock tank with a soil depth of 2 to 3 feet. You can grow many other edible plants, herbs and flowers in 1-foot-deep stock tanks.
Shapes and sizes. Livestock tanks are sold by feed stores, some hardware stores and online vendors as water and feed troughs for livestock. The tanks are typically round or rectangular with rounded ends. They come in sizes ranging from small, shallow tanks that are about 2 feet long and 1 foot tall and wide to large tanks that are about 3 to 10 feet long and 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Round stock tanks range in diameter from 2 to 8 feet or more.
Cost. Stock tanks can run anywhere from $30 for a small, shallow one to $300 and up for a large model.