Prepare the gutter
In order to be able to plant a rain gutter, it must be prepared accordingly so that rain and irrigation water can run off properly and the plants and soil cannot slip out on the sides. To do this, proceed as follows:
- First, cut your gutter (s) to the length you want. Depending on the material of the gutter, tin snips, a flex or a are suitable for this saw.
- Then drill one to two centimeter holes in the underside at intervals of about 10 cm. This acts as a drainage.
- Then close the sides of the gutter e.g. B. with construction foam, piles of stones or tape them up with plastic film or the like so that no earth can slip away to the side.
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Plant the gutter
Now it's time to fill and plant:
- Cover the drainage holes with potsherds or flat, curved stones to keep them from clogging.
- Put a layer of gravel a few centimeters high in the gutter as a drainage layer.
- Then fill them up to a good two thirds with good garden soil.
- Place your plants in the rain gutter and fill the gutter with soil to about two centimeters below the edge.
What to plant the gutter with?
There are two things to keep in mind when designing the gutter: The plants should Be small and they should be the location you intended for your planted gutter have, like. Then there are no limits to your imagination.
Rock garden in the gutter
Plant you rock garden plants in your gutter like Blue pillows, Sedum plant, Stonecrop or Saxifrage and cover the spaces with pebbles. This variant is easy to care for and has a Mediterranean look.
Hanging plants for the gutter
If you would like to create a green, blooming curtain, you can hang several rain gutters on top of each other and plant them with hanging plants such as B. Hanging petunias, Mühlenbeckia, Hanginggeranium or Mandevilla.
Edible from the gutter
The rain gutter is not only suitable for planting ornamental plants. You can also plant small vegetables or fruits without any problems. For this are z. B. Cress, lettuce, spinach or even strawberries!