Container Gardening Questions

[patchesnposies]

I have a question or two for all of you master gardeners out there.

I want to put in a garden this year but due to having rheumatoid arthritis I have found that keeping up with a traditional garden is too much for me....my knees/ankles/feet joints just can't take the bending and stooping required.

I have found that our local sanitation dept. has available (for free) the bottom half of many sizes of trash cans and even dumpster sizes (3 ft around) that I believe will make perfect containers for making a raised bed garden. We have picked up 20 of them (only 7 of the 3 ft ones so far) and plan to get more. We have six kids so I want a good sized garden. They make great horse waterers too.

I am thinking that I will put a good layer of rocks (we have LOTS of these here in southern NM) for drainage. Do I need to put a layer of wood on top of the rocks to support the soil? Or just put soil on top of the rocks? Should I put drainage holes in the bottom of the containers?

It gets hot here in the summer and I worry about containers drying out too fast.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Deb

 

[2dream]

Good topic - I don't have many answers. Drainage holes are a must for my area. Summers are hot and dry which means I have to water. But spring plantings in containers will drown with all our wet spring weather. I don't use rocks or wood. I just plant in the containers. But.....I guess if you don't have drainage holes you would need to do something.

Just rambling here I guess.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

I wonder if you can do huglebeet beds in the containers?
Do you have access to old firewood and brush?
I would make large drainage holes in the bottoms and the along the bottom edge of plastic containers that big. Add a layer of rock, then a layer of old firewood and brush.
Hot fresh manure ( will balance out the old woods need for nitrogen right away) after that and a sprinkling of wood ash.
Then a nice layer of good soil.

 

[TanksHill]

Great topic!!

I am no expert but I am not sure the rocks are necessary. Especially if you ever want to move them again.

Wouldn't a few drilled drainage holes work?

g

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Great topic!!

I am no expert but I am not sure the rocks are necessary. Especially if you ever want to move them again.

Wouldn't a few drilled drainage holes work?

g

The holes can get plugged up, and then you end up with soup at the bottom.
Plus, with tall containers, wind is an issue...

 

[patchesnposies]

Good topic - I don't have many answers. Drainage holes are a must for my area. Summers are hot and dry which means I have to water. But spring plantings in containers will drown with all our wet spring weather. I don't use rocks or wood. I just plant in the containers. But.....I guess if you don't have drainage holes you would need to do something.

Just rambling here I guess.

We are essentially high desert here, and watering will probably be a daily thing. With drainage holes I'll bet I'll have to. Then again, I don't want to inadvertently rot plants at the root.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Good topic - I don't have many answers. Drainage holes are a must for my area. Summers are hot and dry which means I have to water. But spring plantings in containers will drown with all our wet spring weather. I don't use rocks or wood. I just plant in the containers. But.....I guess if you don't have drainage holes you would need to do something.

Just rambling here I guess.

We are essentially high desert here, and watering will probably be a daily thing. With drainage holes I'll bet I'll have to. Then again, I don't want to inadvertently rot plants at the root.

I would really look at adding old wood near the bottom then. They retain water very well, so would make watering an easier task for you.
Google Hugelbeet for more info.

 

[patchesnposies]

Great topic!!

I am no expert but I am not sure the rocks are necessary. Especially if you ever want to move them again.

Wouldn't a few drilled drainage holes work?

g

With houseplants, when you put them into a pot that is too large they spend a lot of time working on roots and not the plant itself.....it is silly, but I guess I worried about that....but it doesn't work that way when you plant a garden into the ground, does it! lol

The containers certainly won't go anywhere full of dirt.

 

[patchesnposies]

Good topic - I don't have many answers. Drainage holes are a must for my area. Summers are hot and dry which means I have to water. But spring plantings in containers will drown with all our wet spring weather. I don't use rocks or wood. I just plant in the containers. But.....I guess if you don't have drainage holes you would need to do something.

Just rambling here I guess.

We are essentially high desert here, and watering will probably be a daily thing. With drainage holes I'll bet I'll have to. Then again, I don't want to inadvertently rot plants at the root.

I would really look at adding old wood near the bottom then. They retain water very well, so would make watering an easier task for you.
Google Hugelbeet for more info.

Yes, I plan to. I wasn't sure what it meant....I think I have an idea now (went and looked at your blog), but it is intriguing and I will be investigating! lol

They aren't too terribly tall, just about the top of my thighs, so bending at the waist will be how I weed, etc...

Good point about the drainage holes getting plugged. So, the wood will hold moisture? That will be a plus here in our very dry neck of the woods.

 

[patandchickens]

No, no rocks. You just need something to keep the worst of the dirt from going out the drainage holes -- a couple thicknesses of folded or crumpled burlap or windowscreen works fine, as do lots of other options. It is not a big deal, even if you lose *some* soil thru the drainage holes it will still be ok, you absolutely DO need those drainage holes though.

You might consider converting at least some of the containers to self-watering, especially for plants that are very thirsty and do not deal well with *ever* drying out.

You may well have to water non-self-watering containers several times a day unless you put in an auto system (capillary or drip or whatever), just something to be aware of.

In a hot climate it is often worth building some sort of 'surround' for the containers that will protect the outsides of the containers from direct sunlight, otherwise a lot of plants can have trouble with their roots getting too hot. A mulch atop the soil is also a good idea, for this reason and also to limit water loss.

Certainly you can grow a LOT in an extensive container garden though, for sure go for it

Good luck, have fun,

Pat