OT - Gardening - Planters

[pdonk]

Last time I used tamarack, was rebuilding a pig barn as a teen. It was very resistant to pig poop. I like the idea of building beds, but there is more work to be done in my yard fo a pre-built solution is preferred.

A neighbour grows an insane amount of eggplants in 5 gallon pails.

My wife wants something that is easy to install and looks relatively nice, hence the question.

[thekenoshakid]

Gardener’s Supply will also sell you a kit for a cedar raised bed that will take you all of 20 minutes to assemble.

https://www.gardeners.com/buy/deep-r...t/8609752.html

Avoids leaching concerns and looks pretty nice too. A fair bit more than building beds but a whole lot faster if you’re time crunched.

You’ve prob heard this already but if you go with raised beds instead of a container, would suggest laying untreated (no waxy surface) cardboard on the ground underneath to help smother and prevent grass or weeds from coming up into your soil. (Some bike and wheel boxes work well for this.) Cardboard breaks down eventually but gives you a fighting chance.

[deluz]

I use these concrete blocks for the corners and then redwood boards for the walls.
Very quick and easy to build.
They cheap and you get them at Home Fepot, Lowe’s, etc.

[pdxharth]

Lots of positives about the metal water troughs being used as planter boxes, but I want to give a different take.

I used two of them for a year, in my normal tomato spot. The plants thrived at first, in the spring, but once summer hit, they all dried out quickly, so I had to water far more frequently. By August, one of them roasted the plants and dried the soil completely. I sold the metal tubs that fall.

Now I just plant in the soil and barely water them once they are mature.

[glepore]

Yeah, any container gardening is dependent on regular watering, which is why I advocate timers and drip. Wouldn't do it any other way, otherwise you're in plant jail and can't go away.