Stacking Planter Pods #2, vertical garden, 6-gang per level

thingiverse

More than two years in development, this marks the second iteration of my original design concept for a stacking, nesting modular herb-garden planter! Inspired by the intricate structure of a pinecone, this version surpasses my initial design with its advanced helical structure that draws the pods towards the center, eliminating the need for tongue and groove to hold the device together. The key advantage here is twofold: unsightly shapes used to hold the parts together are nonexistent, and individual pods can be easily removed and replaced without having to disassemble the entire structure. This design also closely mimics the natural structure of a pinecone. I envision people creating mini herb or flower gardens in their kitchen windows, mounting these on lazy-susans that let them rotate the whole garden and choose which herbs receive the most sunlight, or even take advantage of the center-hole to mount them on a pole or hang them from the ceiling. These nesting planter pods allow for the growth of multiple garden herbs, flowers, or succulents, and can be mixed and matched as desired. The individual pods measure approximately 4 inches in any direction and should be printable by most 3D printers. The height is only limited by how many you want to print, but very tall versions may require a stick or wire-rope down the center to prevent toppling over. With integrated water-holes, excess water can drain into the center of the planter and down to the bottom nicely, even if a large rod is placed down the middle. The footer sections feature tongue-and-groove sections used to hold the pods together, with about 0.010 inches of extra space for printers that struggle with tight tolerances. The center-hole is larger than in the previous design, allowing for the possibility of running a drip system through the middle and up through the drainage-hole if desired. As always, my designs are completely open-source, public-domain dedicated, and can be altered or commercialized as needed. I'm excited to see these planter pods become a staple in home gardens everywhere – perhaps even on store shelves by year's end! Some additional notes: * The wall-thickness modeled is 0.100 inches. * The walls must be water-tight; consider using a secondary process like hot-wax or pitch to achieve this if your print fails to produce a water-tight product. * In the images of the assembly, one pod has been colored blue to illustrate how an individual pod contributes to the larger whole. * The footer parts and top parts were created from the same stacking-pod model as the pods themselves, modified for their respective positions. They are not optional components – they're required to hold the pods together. * It's possible to create a hanging-planter by passing a wire or string through the center of a piece of wood dowel and securing it with a knot. * When using indoors, it's advisable to place a dish under the bottom to catch excess water.