Planter box project

shelby27604

shelby27604

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Location
Efland NC
I think I am going to be building a planter box for the mrs. Any advice would be appreciated, specifically....
1. Treated or cedar for the frame?
2. Above ground on posts, or on the ground?
3. If on the ground, do you back fill with crushed stone or steel crate to keep critters from below?
4. What and when is good to plant for the most likely successful first outing?
 
I've been thinking the same.

April Wilkinson channel on youtube just did a set of prefab sort of boxes in the shop, that had back posts attached for fence. IIRC, bottoms where tin roofing sheets. Looked really nice, but lotsa $$$.

Seen one recently, that used precast concrete slabs for the sides. Just a couple of inches thick. No rot, and probably about as cheap.

edit: check this:

 
Are y'all talking raised beds or fully isolated with a full bottom?
I did raised beds. Mistake one was building to large for isolated plants and too small for several.
I learned an apropriate bed for a specific plant was better then a catch all.
Also to big and your constantly reaching or stepping up.
Would like to hear feedback on this full bottom?
I don't like the idea of a raised bed and full bottom with air gap due to extra air flow and drying out the beds. Unless your gonna dedicate a lot to watering like a green house would.
I did a contractor cloth, backfill and a 12 inch side. Planted and got great returns until,larger mature plants over grew stuff. Like squash.
I'm contemplating a aquaponic rig off our koi pond. However without an enclosure (greenhouse/shade) water use will be intensified just from evap.

Short term is going to be narrower long raised beds. This will mimic traditional row garden space that can be mowed between and reach across.
A retired friend actually switched years ago to a tiller width row planting with a stripe of grass btween each. You don't weed the dead space, you mow. And he loves never tromping in wet soil to do anything. He takes his little cart and lawn chair. Sits down and picks beans drinking sweet tea.
 
With the greenhouse cover you can have the bottom edges of the greenhouse at the edge of the raised bed and the evaporated moisture catches and runs back into the bed. Recycling ftw
 
I built a wicking bed for my wife's garden. Nearly maintenance free, also collect rain water to feed it in the dry summer months.

Wicking Beds
 
If you are wanting to do something similar, you can build a self wicking tub/pot. Pretty easy to build. Very similar to what Jeff posted, just in a smaller scale.

 
Just made one for the wife as a vegetable bed. She wanted it up on the deck to keep the deer from messing with it. I obliged in case I get to shoot a deer on the deck from my couch.

Built the bottom like a pallet to keep it up off the deck, make it easier to move later on and lined the bottom with heavy painters plastic dropcloths stapled in place. This still allows for water to drain out and hopefully not rot out the roots as well as keeps the soil in place 2'x6'x14" tall allowed me to make the whole thing out of 2x4's (non treated because cheap) with minimal waste. Took 11 2x4's to make it.
 
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