A clever gardener shared how she created a budget planter using just a few items.
They built their own “poor man's grow boxes” to harvest edible lettuce.
Reddit user Kofi_kat showed off his tiny, DIY garden in a post on the gardening subreddit.
They explained that they started the project by sourcing lettuce from a local food pantry.
Attached was a photo of fresh lettuce sitting on a kitchen counter.
The roots were still attached so I had the opportunity to replant it.
Kofi then got creative and built a makeshift planter out of a cardboard box, which they jokingly called a “poor man's box.”
The four walls of the box were lined with coconut fiber carpeting.
“The coconut fibre prevents water from soaking into the cardboard and there are holes in the bottom in case you can't put a tarp over it before it rains,” they explained.
Kofi shared a photo of the flowers neatly arranged in a cardboard container filled with soil.
“What's your goal here? To get the lettuce to flower,” one commenter asked.
“Yup! Just harvest the leaves until they're ready to flower,” the original poster replied.
“If I harvest the leaves will they grow back?” asked another.
“Yes you can! It's called 'cut and go'. Just harvest the outermost leaves as needed and let it continue to grow without harvesting the whole thing, and you should be able to get several harvests,” someone else replied.
In her comments, Coffey clarified that the focus was on reused boxes, not produce.
Another photo shows a close-up of the DIY garden, complete with a small goddess figurine.
Some Reddit users pointed out that the lettuce will continue to grow inside the box.
“They'll get bigger. You'll get two to three times the yield before the buttery taste starts to fade,” one said.
“Such beautiful lettuce! Is it ready to eat yet?” one fan asked.
Coffey said they are “already eating it.”
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Other Reddit users agreed that her bountiful harvest looked delicious.
“My doctor has recommended intermittent fasting. It's almost 3pm and I haven't eaten anything today. I just wanted to say that butter lettuce looks amazing,” one person said.
Easy gardening tips to save money, maximize space and repel pests
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- Banana peels, vinegar, and coffee grounds are often recommended as natural fertilizers.
- Dollar Tree sells a four-pack of seeds for $1.25.
- To make better use of a small space, try a vertical planter like the Mr. Stacky 5 Tier Stackable Planter ($35) from Amazon.
- To keep vegetable-eating bugs away, use netting like Amazon's Garden Netting Pest Barrier ($8).
- Try sacrificial planting to reduce pesticide use and keep pests out of your garden. Intentionally growing certain plants to attract agricultural pests can help keep them away from the plants you want to protect. Examples include marigolds, lavender, catnip, and chives.
- For those pesky weeds in your yard, Amazon's Grampa's Weeder – The Original Stand-Up Weed Puller Tool with Long Handles ($45) is a convenient tool you can use without bending over.