Growing a garden.

[Forrest747]

Daughter wants to grow a garden. I dont want to cause i know i will be the one ending up taking care of it or at least weeding and such and i cant get up and down onto the ground, let alone on my knees. So i was thinking maybe an elevated box garden. i havent looked at google much to see if this is possible. something small that we can grow a couple of things what do you think

[TPMcGinty]

Daughter wants to grow a garden. I dont want to cause i know i will be the one ending up taking care of it or at least weeding and such and i cant get up and down onto the ground, let alone on my knees. So i was thinking maybe an elevated box garden. i havent looked at google much to see if this is possible. something small that we can grow a couple of things what do you think

There is a book called Square Foot Gardening that helps you maximize the produce you can get out of a small plot like a raised bed garden like you are thinking about.

http://www.amazon.com/Square-Foot-Gardening-Second-Edition/dp/1591865484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372096457&sr=8-1&keywords=square+foot+gardening

The way they lay out the garden makes it easy to weed and keep up. Check it out at the library and if you like it then buy a copy. It might give you some ideas.

[jstrubberg]

Square foot gardening is great. We used that book fifteen years ago when we set up my parents garden.

I've gone one step further and have all of my vegetables in five gallon buckets on the back deck of the house. I bought a fifteen dollar water timer and ten dollars worth of irrigation hose. Now all I do is walk out and pick tomatoes! We are growing green peppers and tomatoes this year. Next year I plan to add green beans. No weeding, no work at all.

There are a few crops that won't work this way, but you can grow a lot without any trouble at all.

http://containergardening.about.com/od/ ... Veggie.htm

[TPMcGinty]

Square foot gardening is great. We used that book fifteen years ago when we set up my parents garden.

I've gone one step further and have all of my vegetables in five gallon buckets on the back deck of the house. I bought a fifteen dollar water timer and ten dollars worth of irrigation hose. Now all I do is walk out and pick tomatoes! We are growing green peppers and tomatoes this year. Next year I plan to add green beans. No weeding, no work at all.

There are a few crops that won't work this way, but you can grow a lot without any trouble at all.

http://containergardening.about.com/od/ ... Veggie.htm

Container gardening works very well but you have to either make sure you water everyday or have an automatic watering system so when your gone your garden doesn't dry up and die.

[jstrubberg]

Yep, but auto watering has gotten so cheap it's kind of silly not to do it.

I've set up all our flower beds, our container garden and my wife hanging pots now on automatic water.

At the moment I'm using this for a timer;

http://www.walmart.com/ip/16332345?wmls ... la&veh=sem

This for pipe;

http://www.lowes.com/pd_16285-1029-MLT- ... facetInfo=

And these for sprinkler heads;

http://www.lowes.com/pd_88014-1029-MLD- ... facetInfo=

You can set the whole thing up in half an hour with no tools other than a sharp knife. Then set your timer (I have mine set to water twice a day for two minutes in full sun) and harvest when your crop is ready. The only real requirement is that you have an outside water faucet you can get to.

[TPMcGinty]

That would work great but I was thinking about a kit like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Raindrip-R559DP-Automatic-Drip-Watering/dp/B0006VOR1G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372104260&sr=8-2&keywords=automatic+drip+watering+system

All you need in one box with instructions.

[jstrubberg]

That looks like it ought to do the job. Probably a bit cheaper than my setup, too.

[pmowers]

There is a book called Square Foot Gardening that helps you maximize the produce you can get out of a small plot like a raised bed garden like you are thinking about.

http://www.amazon.com/Square-Foot-Gardening-Second-Edition/dp/1591865484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372096457&sr=8-1&keywords=square+foot+gardening

The way they lay out the garden makes it easy to weed and keep up. Check it out at the library and if you like it then buy a copy. It might give you some ideas.

Thanks for the link to the book, I just ordered it. I have gone into raised bed gardening over the last couple of years. I got a great deal on a raised bed system from Sam's Club and then built another 4 ft square next to it.

You also might want to check out instructables, http://www.instructables.com they have a variety of different container methods ranging from hydroponic to systems that you can hang on the wall.

[Oldragbaggers]

I have a great book on raised bed gardens. It is called All New Square Foot Gardening. He doesn't build his beds very high off the ground, but you can make your raised beds as high as you want them. I think my neighbors raised beds are made out of 2x12's. You can even put a cap on the top of the structure to form a "seat" around the edge of the bed so you can sit while you garden. You would be amazed how much you can grow in a 4'x8' garden (he even has plans for a 4'x4' garden and gives great ideas for what to plant in each square foot of it). With either of these sizes you only have to reach 2 feet from either side to tend the garden. With this method you are actually planting something different in each square foot of it.

Just google raised bed gardens and you will get a ton of information. Particularly, visit the Mother Earth News website and do a search.

Good luck, and I hope you get a bountiful harvest.

(**Oops, I should have read the whole thread before I posted. I just noticed a couple of people already mentioned the book.....)

[working on it]

While I was researching parts to improve my windowshaker A/C system in the trailer, the search engine kept taking me to sites about "grow rooms", ways to eliminate their odors, and humidity, and stimulate the plant growth. I got the feeling that they were not talking about carrots or beans....

[Todah Tear]

Forrest747,

You might consider one of these above ground planters sold by Home Depot.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Root-Pouch-150-Gal-Planter-Breathable-Fabric-Planting-Containers-and-Pots-1-Pack-RR800-150/203426361#.UckVcJzRmRM

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Raised Garden bed made of breathable fabric, easy to set up, just fill with potting soil mix and plant your garden. Great for veggies or flowers in your yard or on your deck or patio. No tools needed to install.
22"H x 45" Diameter

Fabric allows roots to breathe
Keeps plants warmer in winter and cooler in the summer
Prevents roots from circling
Made from recycled plastic water bottles
Fabric pots offer better drainage
MFG Model # : RR800-150
MFG Part # : RR800-150

Todah




Todah

[mezmo]

This method seems very intriguing, it may serve your purposes.
The Square Foot Method is good to, but these carry that a step or so further.

Straw Bale Based Raised Beds:
http://strawbalegardens.com/
http://strawbalegardens.com/blog/
http://www.amazon.com/Straw-Bale-Garden ... and+garden

Stand Up and Garden:
A variation on the above, same idea basically, no bending over is a main goal.
http://www.amazon.com/Stand-Garden-no-d ... pd_sim_b_1

It's too late for us this year - seasons to far along and too many other commitments.
Maybe next year I can get to try it. Stand Up gardening combined with compost based
gardening plus small scale irrigation sounds very promising.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[webbaldo]

Container gardening sounds a good way to go, In American terms, my garden is probably considered quite small (about 30ftx35ft) but with having a pond and large Hedge it can be quite time consuming to keep on top of. (probs about 2-3 hours a week in summer).

Container/raised gardens can look great if they match the surroundings. Everyone here goes railway-sleeper mad

Heres a typical example

[TPMcGinty]

Container gardening sounds a good way to go, In American terms, my garden is probably considered quite small (about 30ftx35ft) but with having a pond and large Hedge it can be quite time consuming to keep on top of. (probs about 2-3 hours a week in summer).

Container/raised gardens can look great if they match the surroundings. Everyone here goes railway-sleeper mad

Heres a typical example

That looks like a raised bed garden. Container gardens are planted in pots and other containers.

[webbaldo]

Container gardening sounds a good way to go, In American terms, my garden is probably considered quite small (about 30ftx35ft) but with having a pond and large Hedge it can be quite time consuming to keep on top of. (probs about 2-3 hours a week in summer).

Container/raised gardens can look great if they match the surroundings. Everyone here goes railway-sleeper mad

Heres a typical example

That looks like a raised bed garden. Container gardens are planted in pots and other containers.

yes your right, I meant raised garden