Raised Bed Gardens

Is there a forum or thread on raised bed gardening? If so, can you direct me there.
Thanks.
Rose

roserairie these folks are great..Some have raised bed of sorts.Also the folks on container gardening have them..ASK AWAY..They will help or direct..I'm learning everyday just reading..

Tubby


WARNING they will get you hooked on stack able planters..Or EBoxes...LOL

This message was edited Mar 20, 2009 6:02 PM

Hi roserairie, I first started with a raised bed and I love it BUT now that I've learned so much from all these gardeners I am enjoying a lot of different methods that make it easier and better to grow what you like to eat.
In addition to my raised bed I have Earth Boxes and home made earth boxes. I have stackable planters and grow bags. I use coir for most things and potting mix for some things and it is so good for the plants. Look around the forum. You will learn a lot. Devota

Tubby -- thank you thank you. I didn't want to post in the wrong forum. I am trying to get my garden to be productive, organized and easier to handle. I'm in Chicago so I don't have a lot of room but I want to make the most of my space and I thought of the squarefoot gardening concept.

I checked out several websites for boxes. One site had boxes 11" in height. Squarefoot gardening I think is 6" high. Do I use my own soil or a misx such as the awarefoot gardening recommends. Any thoughts/recommendations will be greatly appreciated.

Devota, I was going to get some bags or trash containers to grow potatoes this year. The stackables do sound like fun. I've heard people mention Earthboxes - I'll check that out too.
Thanks

Roseairie, check out the DG Marketplace for some supplies for container-growing. Our own BocaBob has some good grow-bags, as well as other supplies.


http://davesgarden.com/products/market/view/5393/

roserairie remember I warned you..LOL
With limited space you will benefit immensely from these folks.
Main thing to remember..No such thing as a stupid question
Have fun

I feel better about my decision now that's for sure!

This is the place to hang out if you are limited in space. Welcome.

Thanks 2busygardening. I ordered one squaregardening bed this week and have started getting the area ready. I had to move some concrete things that were used by the orignal owner as garden beds. I got 3 of them dug out and man they weighed a ton! Have 5 more to go!

My soil is decent and I was wondering if I can use existing soil or should I use something else.?

I think that planting in a raised bed or self-contained box is such a great opportunity to use a really good planting mix-- especially since the plants are somewhat contained and have to rely on what you put in. If you have good soil, I'd mix in some organic materials like compost, or coir, and possibly organic ferts to your existing soil in the raised beds. The self-contained boxes, etc., should have a soiless mix.

JMHO. I'm sure other, more expert gardeners than I will have recommendations, too.

I'm no expert but I agree with CapeCodGardener wholeheartedly and out of experience. Your plants will be healthier in a mix, spread out their little roots and grow BIG.
The bed will drain easier too. I have purchased garden soil for my raised bed, [because the clay here makes good bricks but not happy plants.]
Even though that purchased soil is fine and rich I mixed organic stuff into it to make it light and drain easily. I can plunge my hand strait down 6 inches or more.
The soil was expensive but it is a one time buy, though I may have to add to it over time, and amend it with compost.
I once tried to grow flowers in a pot filled with garden soil and it was a dissappointment because even good soil in a container gets compacted.
I'm looking forward to your future posts here to see how you do. D in TN

I think you're right, I was recalling a time when I used garden soil for my window boxes and it was terrible. I ended having to tear everything out and put in a container mix. I think I'm going to try Mel's mix, vermiculite, compost and peat moss.

The mix sounds good. Well since I am a bit south of you I have been able to plant onions and spinach in my RB. It feels great to get some stuff out there. I have tomatoes and peppers outside too, but they are under a makeshift greenhouse on my deck. We have mid 50 to 65 degree days now with mid twenties to mid thirty nights. They do fine under the plastic since they are near a kitchen wall and I put gallon jugs of hot water out with them for comfort. Here is my 4 x 6 footer.

Gardeners' Supply has come up with a self contained self watering raised bed and I was looking at that little baby. It's a square 9 ft of gardening and has a 8 gallon reservoir and holds 230 qts of growing medium. It also has casters on it so it can be on the move also. It's quite pricey though at $169

In the same section they have these Terraza Square Planters that are also self watering and I had thought seriously bout buying some of those next Spring/Summer for some minature dwarf trees, I am now wanting to get a dwarf lemon, dwarf lime, dwarf pomegrante, dwarf banana an either a dwarf tangerine or dwarf quamquat trees. I figure I could put each one into a Terraza Square Planter which are 16 1/2" L x 16 1/2" wide x 18 1/2" H and holds 50 qts of medium and 1 3/4 gallons of water. Would that be big enough for dwarf trees? They have castors on them too, that way, if necessary I could wheel them right into the greenhouse or the house if necessary? They are rather pricey too though at $79.95 each; and I would need at least 5 of them.

I'm rather disappoined with the HEBs and prefer the EBs over them of course, and was wondering if the HEBs might work for the dwarf trees though also, they are made from 18 gallon totes.

joy

The weather reporters are telling us not to put the snowblowers away just yet GRRRR.

Can I plant potatoes in raised beds. I did see one bed that was 12" along with a 6" attached. I was looking at the potato bags on Gardners supply website. I priced garbage cans but they were $20 a piece and I need about 4 and they're not that pretty. If I plant potatoes, can I plant them along tomatoes?

Roserarie: I am planning on planting potatoes also; but, I'm going to buy a bin from Gardeners Supply I think next Spring, they sell for a reasonable $12 each and they harvest 13 lbs of potatoes. That should be plenty?
joy

Joy, I think I'm going to do that do. I keep looking at them and they can be reused next year.
Rose

Roserairie: Yeah, I'm more a potato person than a rice person myself, and love my potatoes. I like the real ones too, not the flakes that come in a box or the frozen french fries, I love my own baked real potatoes too and my own augratins and scalloped. LOL
joy

Nothing like homemade mashed potatoes. I have yukon, idaho and reds that I'm planting. Ordered the potato grow bags this a.m from Gardners supply.

Rosarie: Let me know how well they do ok? I'm thinking about them; but, have already ordered my limit for now.
joy

Joy, this is my first time growing potatoes. Sounds easy but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I've never grown them either and they are very unusual to grow I hear that is why the bin would be good to grow them in, or that is what they say. Of course, I've never grown anything before and look at this granny go. LOL
joy