How to Build a Cardboard Grow Column

Put on your work gloves and roll out a sheet of chicken wire. Measure the wire and begin cutting down the width of the wire at the 5-foot mark.

Stand the wire up and wrap the 5-foot length around itself to form a cylinder. Create a 1-foot overlap with the wire. Wrap thin wire around the layers every few inches down the width of the column to secure.

Line the inside of the column with a single layer of corrugated cardboard. Recycled cardboard boxes cut down on costs and allow you to reuse old materials. If boxes aren't available, sheets of cardboard can be purchased from your local craft or office supply store. You will need 4 feet of cardboard.

Place the cylinder onto a saucer. Insert a 3-foot-long piece of 4-inch-wide PVC into the center of the column, and hold it in place. Fill the center of the pipe with sand and gravel in even layers, alternating between the two materials.

Fill the space between the pipe and the cardboard layer with gardening soil. Pack the soil lightly, but don't make it too tight. Fill the cylinder all the way to the top, and slowly remove the PVC pipe. Level off the top of the pipe.

Cut a 2-inch slit into the cardboard with the utility knife, beginning at the top of the column. Make another equal slit about 3 inches down and 2 inches to the right. Continue making slits in this spiral manner until you reach the bottom of the column.

Insert seedlings into each slit. Water the gravel and sand core with water. Pour the water slowly, and allow the water to sink before adding more. Fill the top with extra sand and gravel when it sinks. Water the column every few days.