Stock Tank Style: The Garden and Patio Edition
Galvanized-metal water troughs bring hardworking style to patios, plantings, fountains and ponds
Victoria Villeneuve
8 March 2018
Houzz contributor. Remodeling veteran, copy editor and reporter who enjoys writing about home and garden, especially when they intersect with travel, history, health, literature or the arts. Previously at Sunset magazine and the San Jose Mercury News
Houzz contributor. Remodeling veteran, copy editor and reporter who enjoys writing... More
As farmhouse style moseys into town, galvanized-metal stock tanks — and the zinc-plated material in general — are following suit. These water and feed troughs for livestock find surprising uses in all kinds of landscapes, as shown below, and even inside the house.
Related: Stock Tank Style: How to Use Galvanized Tubs and Tanks Indoors
Related: Stock Tank Style: How to Use Galvanized Tubs and Tanks Indoors
Photo by Jeff Zaruba
Flower planter. With a barn-red galvanized-metal roof and board-and-batten siding, this one-bedroom cottage is designed to blend into a cluster of farm buildings on a pastoral property in California’s Marin County. Short round-end stock tanks planted with colorful flowers further the agricultural look.
To use stock tanks as planters, it’s important to drill holes in the bottom for drainage. After drilling, spray the holes with galvanizing compound to protect them from rust. Then the tanks should last for many years.
Linen White siding paint: Benjamin Moore; decking: Trex
Flower planter. With a barn-red galvanized-metal roof and board-and-batten siding, this one-bedroom cottage is designed to blend into a cluster of farm buildings on a pastoral property in California’s Marin County. Short round-end stock tanks planted with colorful flowers further the agricultural look.
To use stock tanks as planters, it’s important to drill holes in the bottom for drainage. After drilling, spray the holes with galvanizing compound to protect them from rust. Then the tanks should last for many years.
Linen White siding paint: Benjamin Moore; decking: Trex
Round-end stock tanks are typically 3 to 10 feet long and 2 or 3 feet wide, and round tanks usually have diameters of 3 to 10 feet. Tanks for cattle and horses are 2 feet high, while those for sheep are just 1 foot. Be aware that the labeled sizes can be approximate, since some companies nest tanks together for shipping.
Raising the stock tanks on frames with legs, as shown here, can improve drainage and makes it easier to tend to the tanks without straining your back.
Raising the stock tanks on frames with legs, as shown here, can improve drainage and makes it easier to tend to the tanks without straining your back.
Photo by Michael Lockman
Screening planter. These stock tanks are called into action to contain sometimes-too-vigorous upright bamboo, which is being used to conceal a neighboring apartment building. Keep in mind that container-grown bamboo tends to reach only half to three-quarters of its maximum height. When planting it in a trough, use an old carpet or other lining to act as a barrier and an insulator for the roots.
Screening planter. These stock tanks are called into action to contain sometimes-too-vigorous upright bamboo, which is being used to conceal a neighboring apartment building. Keep in mind that container-grown bamboo tends to reach only half to three-quarters of its maximum height. When planting it in a trough, use an old carpet or other lining to act as a barrier and an insulator for the roots.
Photo by Michael Hunter
This remodel of a 1980s ranch reclaims a side yard as a shaded multipurpose space with a refined industrial aesthetic. Galvanized-metal troughs keep aggressive horsetail reed in check as it greens and partially screens a fence that was resurfaced with a corrugated-metal facade. Hooks attached to the top of the fence’s black-stained wood frame are ready to exhibit the homeowner’s artwork.
This remodel of a 1980s ranch reclaims a side yard as a shaded multipurpose space with a refined industrial aesthetic. Galvanized-metal troughs keep aggressive horsetail reed in check as it greens and partially screens a fence that was resurfaced with a corrugated-metal facade. Hooks attached to the top of the fence’s black-stained wood frame are ready to exhibit the homeowner’s artwork.
Raised vegetable bed. Stock tanks are as at home on the roof of the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles as they are in country settings. The Farmscape team planted the tanks in the 200-square-foot space with edibles including herbs, greens, beets, broccolini, carrots, cauliflower and tomatoes.
Farmscape CEO Dan Allen is pleased with the results. “We’ve had good experiences growing with stock tanks in a range of sizes, from 2 by 4 feet to 3 by 8 feet,” he says. “I generally recommend the 2-foot depth so that you can get sufficient soil depth for mixed vegetables.”
Farmscape drills the tank bottom with half-inch drainage holes spaced about 6 inches apart. Then a 3-inch layer of drainage rock goes in the tank, followed by woven landscape fabric and a blend of potting soil and compost. Drip irrigation is installed through the existing drainage hole or a custom-drilled one.
“The tanks do warm up in the direct sun,” Allen says, “but we haven’t noted a marked difference in irrigation needs or overall productivity between them and redwood raised beds.”
Depending on climate and soil conditions, metals like the zinc used in the galvanizing process eventually can leach into the soil. However, zinc is an essential micronutrient, doesn’t travel easily through soil and isn’t readily taken up by plant roots. Researchers quoted in a Rodale’s Organic Life article think there is little chance of ingesting too much zinc from edibles grown near galvanized metal.
Browse more stories about urban gardens
Farmscape CEO Dan Allen is pleased with the results. “We’ve had good experiences growing with stock tanks in a range of sizes, from 2 by 4 feet to 3 by 8 feet,” he says. “I generally recommend the 2-foot depth so that you can get sufficient soil depth for mixed vegetables.”
Farmscape drills the tank bottom with half-inch drainage holes spaced about 6 inches apart. Then a 3-inch layer of drainage rock goes in the tank, followed by woven landscape fabric and a blend of potting soil and compost. Drip irrigation is installed through the existing drainage hole or a custom-drilled one.
“The tanks do warm up in the direct sun,” Allen says, “but we haven’t noted a marked difference in irrigation needs or overall productivity between them and redwood raised beds.”
Depending on climate and soil conditions, metals like the zinc used in the galvanizing process eventually can leach into the soil. However, zinc is an essential micronutrient, doesn’t travel easily through soil and isn’t readily taken up by plant roots. Researchers quoted in a Rodale’s Organic Life article think there is little chance of ingesting too much zinc from edibles grown near galvanized metal.
Browse more stories about urban gardens
Photo by Jenn Gers
Window box. A stand made of cinder blocks and redwood raises a trio of troughs so the plants they contain can be seen from inside the house. The black lava rock in the foreground makes a nice contrast.
Window box. A stand made of cinder blocks and redwood raises a trio of troughs so the plants they contain can be seen from inside the house. The black lava rock in the foreground makes a nice contrast.
Timber Press
Photo from “Potted” by Annette Goliti Gutierrez and Mary Gray with Sydney Michael and Amanda Brooks
Water garden. Since stock tanks are designed to hold water, they lend themselves to being used as water features in the landscape. Here, cinder blocks at the bottom of the tank support potted plants like dwarf papyrus, water canna and taro, while water hyacinth and water lettuce float on top.
The tank gets its two-tone style from a band of coppery paint.
Find out how to make this DIY water garden
Water garden. Since stock tanks are designed to hold water, they lend themselves to being used as water features in the landscape. Here, cinder blocks at the bottom of the tank support potted plants like dwarf papyrus, water canna and taro, while water hyacinth and water lettuce float on top.
The tank gets its two-tone style from a band of coppery paint.
Find out how to make this DIY water garden
Photo by Buell Steelman
Fishpond. Waterlilies floating in a round stock tank draw attention from both the house and the garden in this landscape. Oxygenating plants help keep the water clear and provide food and hiding places for the fish inside. They’re available at many pond supply stores.
The silvery metal of the tank and the fence in the background brightens Oregon winters. Layered, thick plantings soften the strong geometry of the circle within a circle.
Fishpond. Waterlilies floating in a round stock tank draw attention from both the house and the garden in this landscape. Oxygenating plants help keep the water clear and provide food and hiding places for the fish inside. They’re available at many pond supply stores.
The silvery metal of the tank and the fence in the background brightens Oregon winters. Layered, thick plantings soften the strong geometry of the circle within a circle.
Photo by Ryann Ford
Fountain. A round stock tank transformed into a simple bubbler fountain muffles the noise from the busy street nearby. It’s also an inviting oasis for birds and butterflies.
Fountain. A round stock tank transformed into a simple bubbler fountain muffles the noise from the busy street nearby. It’s also an inviting oasis for birds and butterflies.
Photo by Jeffrey Edward Tryon
A more elaborate spout-and-trough fountain also makes use of a stock tank. The tank is wrapped in ipe wood and set into a sunken courtyard, which provides egress and an elegant view from a basement that was renovated into extensive living quarters.
A more elaborate spout-and-trough fountain also makes use of a stock tank. The tank is wrapped in ipe wood and set into a sunken courtyard, which provides egress and an elegant view from a basement that was renovated into extensive living quarters.
Photo from Hey Wanderer
Pool. After noting an increased interest in large stock tanks and fielding many questions about converting them into pools — including how to keep them clean — supplier Tractor Supply Co. included a DIY guide on its website.
Hey Wanderer bloggers Casey Freeman and Savannah McNeill dove head-first into the trend, setting up this stock-tank pool in their backyard and then building a bench around it.
You also could dig out soil to create an in-ground version.
Read about the Hey Wanderer team’s bohemian live-work home in Tennessee
Pool. After noting an increased interest in large stock tanks and fielding many questions about converting them into pools — including how to keep them clean — supplier Tractor Supply Co. included a DIY guide on its website.
Hey Wanderer bloggers Casey Freeman and Savannah McNeill dove head-first into the trend, setting up this stock-tank pool in their backyard and then building a bench around it.
You also could dig out soil to create an in-ground version.
Read about the Hey Wanderer team’s bohemian live-work home in Tennessee
Photo by Foster Huntington
Hot tub. Taking the pool idea a step further, Foster Huntington converted a 390-gallon stock tank into a hot tub with the help of two wood-burning Chofu stoves. He includes details and plans in The Cinder Cone, his book about building his awe-inspiring treehouse home.
Hot tub. Taking the pool idea a step further, Foster Huntington converted a 390-gallon stock tank into a hot tub with the help of two wood-burning Chofu stoves. He includes details and plans in The Cinder Cone, his book about building his awe-inspiring treehouse home.
Photo from Our Humble Abode
Fire pit. This ground-hugging fire pit is made from a stock tank that’s 6 feet long, 2 feet wide and 1 foot high. It’s drilled on the side for a gas line and in the bottom for drainage. For the burner, you can buy a kit or do what the couple at Our Humble Abode did and make it yourself. The burner adjusts from a low flame for ambiance to a higher one for warmth and is set on crushed river rock.
Fire pit. This ground-hugging fire pit is made from a stock tank that’s 6 feet long, 2 feet wide and 1 foot high. It’s drilled on the side for a gas line and in the bottom for drainage. For the burner, you can buy a kit or do what the couple at Our Humble Abode did and make it yourself. The burner adjusts from a low flame for ambiance to a higher one for warmth and is set on crushed river rock.
Metal cafe chairs and a stock-tank fire pit filled with lava rock make a good match for this commercial patio’s garage-style doors and industrial-looking siding.
Browse similar chairs
Browse similar chairs
Photo by Missy Palacol for The Meaningful Details
Beverage cooler. A small stock tank or a big galvanized tub filled with ice brings farmhouse appeal to wedding receptions and other parties as it chills drinks.
Your turn: How do you use stock tanks or galvanized-metal tubs outdoors — for rainwater collection, perhaps, or as a coop or brooder for chickens? Please share your ideas and photos in the Comments.
More
Get ideas for using galvanized tubs and tanks indoors
Discover imaginative ways to use industrial rebar in the landscape
See how corrugated metal lends modern style to the garden
Beverage cooler. A small stock tank or a big galvanized tub filled with ice brings farmhouse appeal to wedding receptions and other parties as it chills drinks.
Your turn: How do you use stock tanks or galvanized-metal tubs outdoors — for rainwater collection, perhaps, or as a coop or brooder for chickens? Please share your ideas and photos in the Comments.
More
Get ideas for using galvanized tubs and tanks indoors
Discover imaginative ways to use industrial rebar in the landscape
See how corrugated metal lends modern style to the garden
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Steven Stivers: I bought three tanks from Behlen. I tried removing one decal by using many of the methods mentioned by celestina89. It was very difficult, and the adhesive still isn't entirely gone. When I contacted Behlen for advice, I was told that the decals aren't meant to come off. I'm reluctant to try this again on the other two tanks for fear of harming the galvanized coating.
@Victoria Velleneuve: short of punching a hole into the tank, it ain't easy to simply remove the zinc coating. Of course, if you have a grinder - have at it. Or use sandpaper - lots of it. A welder or any hot torch will remove the coating and while it does will emit toxic gasses. You can use vinegar (acidic acid) or muriatic acid but you'll have to soak the entire label in a vat of vinegar for a long time. You can scrape it with a metal object which will scrape the zinc and open up possible rust to set in, too.
But yeah, you do have to work a bit to remove those glued labels regardless if on a dog bowl, plastic item, vehicle or stock tank!
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