I really like raised bed gardening

[longwinters]

Another raised bed went in today.  That makes 6.  I think that will be enough as the dog is having to look around to find a "personal spot" to do his duty.


Long

[cjclemens]

Raised beds are starting to pique my interest as well.  I just got done making some containers out of old crates.  They're about 3' x 3' and I cut them down, so they're only about 2' deep, and I lined them with that weed barrier fabric, so they'll drain through the spaces between slats, without losing soil.  After that, I filled em up with a blend of bagged top soil, compost, and generic potting mix.  I don't have any experience with raised beds or container gardening, but I have a feeling that these are gonna work out well.

This whole project was prompted by boredom.  Its been raining on and off for the past month.  Just about the time the soil here gets workable, we get another 2" of rain.  It's getting pretty frustrating.  However, with my handy little containers, I managed to plant some onion sets and carrot seeds.  I have a little room left, so I'm gonna plant some tomatoes and peppers in them, just for kicks and grins - and to see how they fare.

At this point, it looks like it'll be the first tomatoes I get planted by a long shot - more rain in the forecast for the end of the week!  I apologize for the rant, but all I need is one week of dry weather!  Is that too much to ask for?

[Drilling Man]

  I really like them too, that's why i hill up my "back" garden so high,
 

 
  It works perfectly!
 
  DM

[mechanic]

Even my raised beds aren't looking too great.  Far too cool at nights here in the Southland for these Southern vegetables to flourish.  My squash IS blooming though. 
 
I bring home 60 gallon blue plastic drums from the shop and cut them in half...perfect planter.
 
Ben

[Oldshooter]

We do some tomatoes in pots around the back porch, helps with bugs and is real close to the kitchen. Everything else is conventional garden.  Question about raised beds; Do you have a problem with watering if you have drought? Like does it drain out and dry up quick?

[streak]

Even my raised beds aren't looking too great.  Far too cool at nights here in the Southland for these Southern vegetables to flourish.  My squash IS blooming though. 
 
I bring home 60 gallon blue plastic drums from the shop and cut them in half...perfect planter.
 
Ben

Mechanic,
 Do you put the halved barrels on a raised rack or platform of some design?

[mechanic]

I rolled some angle iron and made three cradles, then legs.  About knee high for the top of the barrel, then the 'maters will be just the right height....although you could do'er any way you wished.
Others I cut half way like a whiskey keg, painted them and the wife planted in them that way.  These had steam cleaner soap in them to begin with and are perfect for this.  This is my preferred method, as all I have to do is run a circular saw around it, then paint it to cover the blue.
I run them down the fence line, and I can tie the 'maters to the fence, beans as well.
 
Ben
 

[Ranger99]

most of mine is raised beds
or large pots. they don't dry out
any faster than the ground. (here anyway)


am i the only one that uses pearlite?


d.m. what is that? a kubota? or branson?
pic is too small for my squinty eyes.

[Drilling Man]

d.m. what is that? a kubota? or branson? pic is too small for my squinty eyes.

  It's an "Agco", one of the last two AMERICAN owned farm equipment companys left, selling farm tractors here,
 

 
  DM

[Oldshooter]

tie the 'maters to the fence, beans as well.

That makes sense! caging or staking and tieing is our usual, but i might try that. last year i drove tpost on each end and in the middle and wove twine in and out down the line. It worked ok but I'm always looking for a better widjet. 

[Ranger99]

neighbors in the country use
two parallel cattle panels,
spaced roughly 18-20" apart.
maters grow upwards between
the panels. easy as pie to reach
in and harvest.


thanks d.m.
be looking for a larger unit myself
next year or so. always good to
get opinions.

[reliquary]

I used some scavenged lumber and made several boxes averaging about 3' x 3' and am very happy with the results.  I've got squash growing in them and they're bearing already,  and  my neighbor's are just starting to bloom.  I will definitely expand on that idea for the next season.
 
This is the first year I've used containers for tomatoes, as well, and they are coming along nicely...except for one problem:  In the hot afternoons, the plants wilt until the sun begins to go down, which probably means that the soil temp in the posts is a little too high.  I'm going to mulch around the pots and see what happens.  I'm using plastic pots, W-M special, ~5-gallon, filled with generic potting soil.

[longwinters]

When I've tried to grow tomatoes in containers they have not done nearly as well as in my raised beds.  My rectangular beds are basically 4ft wide and 15-16ft long.  Made of 2x12's.  I have 16" between them with those 16" square paving stones laid down on weed guard.  I till them with my Mantis tiller. 


Of course it just snowed again this last weekend but hopefully it will stay warm enough now to plant by the end of May.


Long