Really Above Ground Gardens

by Richard

I am no longer physically able to work on an in-ground or just above the ground garden, so I am interested in a garden that can be built and put on something like sawhorses.

I can build the boxes of any various sizes and also the sawhorses, but I am not sure as to:

1.) what to use for the bottom;
2.) take care of drainage;
3.) how to take care of the soil on a 'really above ground' garden?

Of the past planting seasons I had, I used to till the garden; bring in 'real' manure and re-till the garden and let set fallow for one season. Hence the question #3. How to do this for an up and off the ground garden.


Thanks,
Richard


ANSWER:


1. You could use boards for the bottom of the boxes, and leave about a quarter to a half-inch space between each board to allow for drainage. You could cover the inside bottom of the garden box with landscape fabric, or a fine mesh screen so that the soil doesn't wash out through the cracks.

I will leave the size of the boards to you, because it depends on how big the boxes will be, how deep, and therefore how much weight the boards will be supporting.

2. I think the drainage question is answered above.

3. You can add some fresh compost, and/or well-aged manure to the soil each year. You can mix some granular fertilizer into the soil each year. You can make a "manure tea" to fertilize with occasionally.

Hope this helps...
Send pictures!