Raised Garden Beds?

[GotGarlic]

hmmm interesting idea, that's some precise carpenter work there. All that weight, resting on the ridges of the buckets. I see no supports under those raised 5 gallon buckets filled with soil and I assume stones on the bottoms to assist draining.
gonna be mighty heavy.

I just lost a long post describing why "stones on the bottom to assist drainage" is a myth, and I don't want to rewrite it, so here ya go lol

Does Gravel in Pots and Containers Increase Drainage?

 

[dragnlaw]

LOL, GG, been there, done that, too many times! I feel your frustration!

Not having read your link (yet) I've often wondered. Originally one was supposed to put broken shards of clay pots over the hole. Curved side up to make a gap of air so water could drain and not have the soil clog the hole. That seemed to make sense.
But then people started saying pebbles, gravel, etc., could be used, my first thought was, water soaked soil is still going to clog around that stuff and still plug the hole.
Knowing now how easy it is for me to have water flow out and over the tray... I don't think either really matters. That water is going to get out even if/when you don't want it to.
right?

 

[GotGarlic]

Knowing now how easy it is for me to have water flow out and over the tray... I don't think either really matters. That water is going to get out even if/when you don't want it to.
right?

When the soil becomes over-saturated, yes, *excess* water will run out of the bottom. But that doesn't mean that *all* the water runs out. Gravity isn't the only force working on the water. Having stuff in the bottom of the pot raises the height of the saturation zone, meaning the roots will be sitting in saturated soil. The article explains it more thoroughly, and has diagrams

It's not uncommon for things that seem to make sense intuitively turn out to be incorrect when they're examined more closely.

 

[Chef Munky]

You guys have some fantastic creative ideas. Thank you.

Loved the Tulip couch. Nice touch. Could be used in HOA Communities as an incentive for the rule breakers to comply with the rules.Or this eye sore gets parked in your driveway with an added $25.00 fine. Have a nice day.
The up cycling idea was a goodie. When the frost melts I'm going out to do some measuring.
The last owners left an old timey (sp) extremely tall fold out ladder.
I wouldn't trust my lightweight body to climb it safely. But with some carpenter screws the hinges shouldn't be a problem.
Set some boards across for pot support and it could possibly be a great vine climber.
They also left behind an old rot iron fence gate. Hmm. If I can lift it maybe it would be a nice to use as cherry tomato planter.
Thinking of all the ideas and advice you guys gave me has been keeping me up plotting.
Laughing at the idea that the heavy antique dresser I was stuck with could be used as a container with the added bonuses of the drawers as seed starters/planters. Trust me my SIL's would flip out. It's funny to watch when they do that. .
They had their chance to come and get it many years ago.
The frost has melted. Time to go out with my best buddy and get some measuring done.

Munky.

 

[dragnlaw]

GG, Started to read the article, 'fraid got bogged down (no pun intended). From what I gathered that is not my interpretation I took on "helping it drain" when I first heard it in the early '60s. As I said in my post, I believed it was purely to help stop soil from clogging of the drain hole.

I get that overflow for two reasons. One, I honestly did forget I had just watered them the other day. Two, (most common for me) is the soil is completely dried out and the water doesn't even touch it, much less saturate it, it just by-passes all straight down the sides and out the dish.

I've also never used 2 different type of soil to pot. Shards, soil, plant. That's all.

I'm know, I'm a true gardener's nightmare.

 

[Aunt Bea]

You guys have some fantastic creative ideas. Thank you.

Loved the Tulip couch. Nice touch. Could be used in HOA Communities as an incentive for the rule breakers to comply with the rules.Or this eye sore gets parked in your driveway with an added $25.00 fine. Have a nice day.
The up cycling idea was a goodie. When the frost melts I'm going out to do some measuring.
The last owners left an old timey (sp) extremely tall fold out ladder.
I wouldn't trust my lightweight body to climb it safely. But with some carpenter screws the hinges shouldn't be a problem.
Set some boards across for pot support and it could possibly be a great vine climber.
They also left behind an old rot iron fence gate. Hmm. If I can lift it maybe it would be a nice to use as cherry tomato planter.
Thinking of all the ideas and advice you guys gave me has been keeping me up plotting.
Laughing at the idea that the heavy antique dresser I was stuck with could be used as a container with the added bonuses of the drawers as seed starters/planters. Trust me my SIL's would flip out. It's funny to watch when they do that. .
They had their chance to come and get it many years ago.
The frost has melted. Time to go out with my best buddy and get some measuring done.

Munky.

I like the idea of putting the old dresser to work!

How To Turn Old Dressers Into Amazing Planters - Top Dreamer

Old dressers can be turned into amazing planters for all types of flowers and succulents. Repaint it in some vibrant color for a more eye-catching look.

topdreamer.com

 

[GotGarlic]

GG, Started to read the article, 'fraid got bogged down (no pun intended). From what I gathered that is not my interpretation I took on "helping it drain" when I first heard it in the early '60s. As I said in my post, I believed it was purely to help stop soil from clogging of the drain hole.

Ask yourself this: If the water can run through the soil to run out the bottom, why would soil over the hole prevent water from running out?

I've also never used 2 different type of soil to pot. Shards, soil, plant. That's all.

Using shards instead of more soil just means less soil available to nourish the plants.

 

[dragnlaw]

1.Ask yourself this: If the water can run through the soil to run out the bottom, why would soil over the hole prevent water from running out?


2. Using shards instead of more soil just means less soil available to nourish the plants.

1. In my case the water is not running through the soil, more like down the inside of the pot because the soil is so dry it cannot absorb it, water just runs around it.... told you, I'm a gardiner's nightmare. But... in my defense, until I actually moved here, my plants and I got along very very well.

2. According to the article they were talking about 2 different soils.

3. (back to #1) When the soil is loose, fresh, soft (not powder keg dry) the fine dust will be carried to the bottom and could potentially and eventually get thick/hard enough to clog the hole.
Kitchen drains have strainers but if the pieces of debris are big enough the drain will slow down. If that debris is left there it will eventually clog.

 

[Chef Munky]

I like the idea of putting the old dresser to work!
View attachment 63448

How To Turn Old Dressers Into Amazing Planters - Top Dreamer

Old dressers can be turned into amazing planters for all types of flowers and succulents. Repaint it in some vibrant color for a more eye-catching look.

topdreamer.com

Aunt Bea,
Book marked that site. How creative.
The house faces East. The back West. It gets full sun.
When ppl say it gets hot here they aren't messing around.

That monster of a dresser is Maple.It also has a mirror that attaches to it. That was fine until I lost the the mounting brackets. Now it's sitting wrapped up in the garage. I'm ok with that!
The measurements of it are.
L- 6'x6"
W-1'x7"
H-2'x6"
9 drawers.3 on each side. 2 in the middle that are deep set for bulky sweaters. With 2 doors to close them in. It weighs well over 200 Lbs.
Took 3 of the movers to get it in the house. They were sweating.

How would Maple hold up to the heat?
My son says he's getting rid of his dresser. Good for me.
It's mine now. He just doesn't know it yet.

Nice Mom,
Munky.

 

[cookiecrafter]

Maple wood attracts Bats. Have you considered giving that old dresser a Tom Sawyer paint job?

 

[Chef Munky]

Maple wood attracts Bats. Have you considered giving that old dresser a Tom Sawyer paint job?

Not really. An Axe job, oh most definitely.

Lizzy Borden took an axe, gave her mother 40 whacks.
When she saw what she had done, gave her father 41.
And beat the wrap! )

 

[JessicaMarshall]

It's awesome that you're looking to start raised garden beds. They're a game-changer, especially if digging is out of the question.
To find the best long-lasting beds, you gotta consider the materials. Plastic, metal, and wood are popular choices.

 

[SelioDarvin]

As for material options, plastic, metal, and wood are common choices. If you go for wood, make sure it's naturally rot-resistant or treated to withstand moisture. Cedar is often a popular choice due to its durability and resistance to decay.
You definitely want something sturdy that won't end up in a landfill after a few months, right? Size-wise, think about how much space you have and what you wanna grow. Home Depot and Amazon have plenty of options to choose from, so take your time and compare styles. And with water restrictions, you might wanna look into self-watering or drip irrigation systems to conserve water. Salsa and herb gardens sound delicious!

 

[GotGarlic]

If you have issues with heat and drought, I would not recommend using metal containers. Containers dry out faster than the ground; the metal will heat up quickly in the sun and require more frequent watering.