DIY urban farming projects have never been so popular: more and more people want to grow edible plants at home!
But to be successful in urban farming, you need to have the right equipment and some knowledge about how to grow plants. Here are some DIY projects that will help you discover the green thumb in you!
You will see Tom’s superb greenhouse or even Marie-Claude’s creative outdoor sofa, which she built with an urban planter add-on. These structures may be different, but they have one thing in common: they were built with tinktube’s pipe and connector!
1. Tom’s greenhouse
Tom is an influencer who thrives on green projects. He recently used tinktube products to design the roof of his greenhouse. He used white pipes to build the roof support structure and connectors to tie it to the base of the greenhouse, which was made of adobe bricks and wood.
To complete his DIY urban farming project, Tom needed 92-inch white tubes, HJ-1, HJ-15, HJ-4, HJ-6 connectors, metal structural anchors, and Shims. He cut the pipes with a tube cutter, to the exact length he needed to follow the plan he’d previously drafted. Once the structure was in place, he covered it with plastic greenhouse sheets.
His greenhouse now looks great and is ready to welcome its first plants!
If Tom’s project inspire you, you can find more details about the building process here.
2. Marie-Claude’s outdoor sofa and DIY urban planter
You don’t need to own a large yard to bring innovative urban farming projects to life. Take Marie-Claude, for example. With the help of her father and children, she built an incredible custom structure for her condo’s small balcony, which includes:
- A comfortable sofa
- An urban planter designed to fit above the sofa
- A low table on wheels that also serves as a bench.
Now she can enjoy her outdoor space with her children while growing her herbs and tomatoes. The entire family will enjoy this awesome patio set up!
To build her project, Marie-Claude needed 92-inch black tubes, HJ-1, HJ-2, HJ-7, HJ-7A, HJ-17, HJ-90 connectors. She finally covered the couch with store-bought outdoor cushions. Nice work, Marie-Claude!
3. An outdoor vertical greenhouse
This greenhouse is perfect for people who have a small garden. Because of its verticality, you can grow a large number of edible plants without taking up too much space in your backyard. The structure is built with tinktube tubes and connectors, while the walls can be covered in plastic or even glass. It’s up to you!
Interested in building this greenhouse? Here is the free plan.
4. Remi’s urban agriculture displays
If you live in the Québec City area, you may have already seen Rémi’s -better known as the Urban Farmer– terrific displays. These structures are used to grow herbs and allow customers of local grocery stores to bring home fresh plants, all-year-round! Since Rémi started using tinktube products, he’s been able to adjust the vertical farming structure to make them more productive. His production capacity has increased by 25%… Quite a significant jump!
Rémi’s displays are very well built, and include an irrigation system and integrated lights.
5. A vertical urban farming structure
You don’t have to be a professional urban farmer to grow edible plants all-year-round. All you have to do is build this vertical urban farming structure and use it to grow a wide variety of herbs and vegetables, even if you live in a small space. You can even add an integrated lighting system and an irrigation system to make it more autonomous, as well as wheels to move it around easily.
Interested in building this structure? Here is the free plan.
6. A DIY garden trellis
Healthy vegetables start with a healthy garden! This very economical trellis will help your tomato plants reach full maturity. To complete this project, you’ll need to obtain the necessary material from our online store:
There is a detailed plan on our site to help you complete this DIY project. We invite you to redesign the structure by adapting it to the dimensions of your garden. Let the fun begin!
7. A DIY plant stand
This structure is built with tinktube parts and can house an impressive number of plants or shoots. You just have to adapt the stand’s size and height to fit your space. You can even add casters so that you can move it outside, onto your balcony, for example.
This custom-made urban garden project takes less than two hours to complete. Follow this plan while having fun!
8. A custom herb ladder
It’s nice to have all your herbs close at hand when cooking! You can use this custom ladder to hang your pots of basil, parsley, and cilantro in both summer and winter. You can also hang pretty plants on it—just for your viewing pleasure!
In addition to being easy to make, this decorative project is inexpensive. All the necessary components can be found on our online store. You can also choose to paint our steel tubes the color of your choice.
9. A DIY grow light
For just a few dollars (and a little imagination), you can grow a generous vegetable garden. Why not give your seeds a boost with this special lighting? You will need the following material to complete this project:
10. A tomato cage
Once tomato plants reach full maturity, they’ll need more than a trellis to support them. If you have grand ambitions, you’ll need a cage for your tomato plants.
To complete this project, you can follow the instructions found here, while keeping in mind that you can adapt it to suit your garden’s dimensions.
11. A DIY mini-greenhouse for herbs
This mini greenhouse is the perfect solution for those with a small balcony or limited outdoor space. Start your seedlings using this custom greenhouse made with tubes and connectors.
12. A rolling planter
Creating a personalized garden space has never been so enjoyable! This planter on wheels can be moved according to the sun’s position. Keep this planter close to your home so that you have easy access to your herbs. You can get some inspiration from this plan to help you complete this project.
13. DIY plant shelf
For a fraction of the price, this shelf can house your most beautiful plants, whether indoors or out. You can use tinktube tools and components to design this simple and useful DIY project. And with some paint and the touch of a brush, you can give this shelf an entirely different look.
14. A custom-made fold-down greenhouse
Mother Nature’s whims can cause headaches for the avid gardener in you. With this fold-down greenhouse, your vegetable garden will be sheltered from the wind and the cold. This little greenhouse is easy to use, will protect your crops, and is very inexpensive.
15. A DIY urban garden
Is there a gardener inside you? Thanks to this horizontal structure, everyone can boast about having a green thumb. Growing organic fruits and vegetables takes a little patience, love and, of course, the right tools.
Whether small or large, this urban garden can be tailored to suit your backyard needs. You can use connectors and steel tubes and succeed in becoming the amazing gardener you’ve always dreamed of being.
16. A tube hydroponic system
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a nutrient-rich, water-based solution. Those in the know already understand that this method enables plants to grow faster than when they are simply planted in the ground.
Using tinktube tubes and connectors, you can build a system that meets your needs. Every gardener has their own hydroponic system!
17. A custom garden fence
Whether you live in the city or in the country, a flourishing garden might attract a few curious critters. This fence will prevent small animals from getting in to eat the crops you have carefully planted, watered and maintained.
To complete this custom project, you’ll need tubes and connectors that you can purchase on our online store. You’ll also need metal fasteners and wire mesh, which you can find at any hardware store.
18. Vertical shelving for sprouts
In addition to being rich in nutrients, pea, alfalfa or radish sprouts add flavour and texture to salads and sandwiches. You don’t have to be a sprout pro to grow your sprouts at home.
With a little patience, your harvests will be bountiful. You can build vertical shelving with tinktube tubes and connectors.
19. A three-tier flower box
You can use this inexpensive flower box to plant different varieties of annuals or perennials. This structure is ideal for city balconies and is constructed with tubes and connectors. Thanks to its small size, you can move it around according to the sun’s cycle to make sure your flowers get all the light they need.
20. A DIY greenhouse for raised gardens
In addition to being very pretty, raised gardens are very useful for those who don’t have much garden space. You can build a custom greenhouse to protect the seeds in your garden from the elements.
To ensure that the structure is solid, you’ll need to secure the tubes using double mount pipe clamps on the planter’s walls.
21. A garden hose cart
It’s well known that plants need water and light to grow. This cart, made with tubes and tinktube connectors, will facilitate the watering work. You’ll find removable casters on our online store so you can move your cart everywhere with you during watering.
22. A tube bird feeder
Dear nature lovers – your garden wouldn’t be the same without birdsong. So build a bird feeder with your scraps of steel tubing. With us, nothing is lost and everything is transformed!
You can use plastic pipe end caps and a pipe-cutter to carry out this meticulous project. Hang the feeder on a hook at the desired location.
23. A rack for gardening tools
Every great gardener has plenty of yard maintenance tools. This custom rack can be used to store shovels and rakes. All the material to complete this simple project can be found on our online store.
24. A DIY flower arch
This magnificent arch, worthy of a fairy tale, infuses magic into any garden. Climbing plants will grab onto it, creating an impressive green tunnel. This arch can also be used as a trellis for tomato or bean plants.
For a more romantic look, you can even hang flowerpots on the steel structure.
25. A planter made from recycled materials
You can grow your vegetable plants in recycled plastic bottles. To do this, you must first build a frame using T-connectors. Then, you must attach the ends of the plastic bottles into the connectors, which will be attached to the tube frame.
26. A portable children’s sandbox
While you garden, keep the kids busy with an outdoor activity! Because of its small size, this sandbox can be moved from one end of the garden to the other. It’s also suitable for urban families who don’t have access to a backyard. When the children have grown up, the sandbox can be converted into a planter.
27. A DIY privacy wall
To inspire you, we thought we would share this ingenious idea with you. With tinktube tubes and connectors, you can build a custom wall panel to stay out of sight.
Urban gardeners will be happy to learn that this wall panel can double as a vertical garden. Add flowers or climbing plants to create a warm and intimate green space!
28. A plant stand
Use our steel tubes and connectors to create pretty stands for your succulents. You will find the necessary components to complete this project on our online store:
Remember, you can give your stand the look you want by painting the tubes and connectors in the colour of your choice.
29. A hanging planter
Rather than hanging flowerpots over the patio, hang them on the wall! This planter maximizes your available space in addition to adding vibrant colours and floral scents. To complete this project, you’ll need this material:
30. Rick’s NFT hydroponic system
Rick is using tinktube’s building material to create a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) system at home, wherein water is pumped to the trays, flows through them, and then returns to the bottom bin. NFT systems share a common principle of continuously pouring a shallow nutrient solution through tubing to allow plants’ bare roots to absorb nutrients upon contact with water. This active system involves moving parts that offer more precise control and customization for plant growth, making it a popular option among hydroponic enthusiasts.
Ready to create your urban farming project?
Whether you’re just starting in urban farming or not, we hope you liked these featured projects! By the way, if you too want to try urban farming at home, don’t hesitate to contact us. We will be pleased to welcome you into the tubetinkers community!
And if you’d like to check out more projects, here is a new post on a similar subject:
Hydroponic Vertical Farming: 10 DIY Ideas
Adapt this project with the tinkpad!
Draw your project with this free printable tool which includes an isometric grid and our best tips to get started.
