Another Urban Raised Guarden

Discussion in 'The Green Patch' started by slug36, Jun 5, 2012.


  1. slug36

    slug36 mil surplus junkie

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    Well, I have had these 20 or so concrete foundation blocks laying around the house for over a year for free. My wife has been bugging me for over a year about planting a guarden. My complaint was weeding & mowing around a guarden.

    So, this weekend while she was @ work on saturday, I decided to move the blocks into position and see what she thought about my idea for the planters.

    the bed is roughly 4'x4'x1'. 16 cubic feet.

    first after laying the blocks, I removed the sod with a heavy duty floor scraper that I sharpened the blade on. and tilled/busted up the packed top soil down to around 8". then layed the weed controll fabric "made out of recycled soda bottles" I picked up @ the local home improvement center for around $9 for a 4'x50' roll.
    then I filled with 14 bags of topsoil @ $.98 ea, and a some organic fertalizer.

    the blocks on the corners are just to hold down the weed fabric till I get around to trimming the excess.


    I think this weekend I will be building another with about 3' of walking space between them.
     
    Motomom34 likes this.
  2. kckndrgn

    kckndrgn Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Nice job.

    Don't forget to use the holes in the cinder blocks as well. They work great for putting herbs and ornamentals.
     
    tulianr and Gafarmboy like this.
  3. slug36

    slug36 mil surplus junkie


    good idea. I was going to use some of the holes to run some PVC bows for some clear plastic sheeting when we have our 3 cold winter days down here in South East Texas.
     
  4. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    This is a super idea. It's like Legos, you can make it how big, small, tall or shallow as you want. I have to container garden and I wanted to grow some potatoes, this is perfect. Someone had written about using old stacked tires to grow potatoes in but then I learned that could be real toxic. This cinder block idea will work.
     
  5. slug36

    slug36 mil surplus junkie


    I added another 5 blocks to the guarden this weekend. doubleing the size.
    I still need to do some work on it. but, it is lookig better.
     
  6. slug36

    slug36 mil surplus junkie

    I learned alot about gardening in South East Texas over the last year. the sun down here is brutal. I have also noticed over the years. when I have seen a Trampoline in some ones yard. that the grass under the trampoline seems healthier and greener than the surrounding grass. I had a trampoline in my yard before. and I would always move the trampoline to cut the grass, and as noticed before, the grass was always taller and greener underneath.

    my idea is to build a sun screen out of the same type of material, to let enough sun light get to the plants without getting burned..

    and it has gotten a bit bigger

    gardenqv.

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    chelloveck likes this.
  7. natshare

    natshare Monkey+++

    I've heard that cheesecloth works well for a semi-sun shade. Allows enough light through to keep the plants healthy, but keeps that direct searing sunlight from frying the plants.

    Of course, if you have the type of summer we had a couple years ago, it won't much matter what you put up, unless it includes air conditioning! ;)
     
  8. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    It does exactly that, as witness shade tobacco fields. Note that it gets a LOT hotter under the tents. Also, cheesecloth won't last too long in weather. There are some other similar materials (polyprop, par ex. that will last a few seasons.)
     
  9. DMGoddess

    DMGoddess Monkey+++

    Three whole days? Texas must be getting colder! :D A cousin told me once that it cooled off in time for spring, which was about 1 week long. :p
     
  10. slug36

    slug36 mil surplus junkie

    lately it has been a cooler than usual spring, like the rest of the country. yesterday our low was 47 degrees, then after the rain subsided, and sun came out. it was a nice 63 degrees.

    and yes, usually spring only lasts about a week here.
     
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