I just discovered a great way to make a victory garden today..

[kentuck]

First, I got some concrete blocks with the large holes in them, about the size of half-gallon jars. Then I tied them all together in a space about 4 feet by 12 feet.

With the large holes in the blocks, I can plant up to 40 different pots of plants - cucumbers, tomatoes, zuchini, Kentucky runners stick beans, or whatever. I will still have the 4 by 12 foot area to plant what I want, a lettuce bed and whatever I might want to plant.

Normally, this might take up a 12' x 36' space. This will be easy to maintain and I will be able to control the environment. It is a space saver and I believe it will create a very good garden. I did have a one-time expense of about $21 for 10 bags of topsoil at ACE for 1.99 per bag.

Just in case anyone is thinking of starting a garden soon.

[wryter2000]

1. Sounds great

I use Earthboxes, but your idea is cheaper. www.earthbox.com

Homegrown vegetables are the best, most delicious food in the whole world.

[kentuck]

2. I should be able to get a lot of food out of a very small space..

and it will be a more controlled environment. I love to garden.

[MineralMan]

3. Let us know how your garden grows over time.

It should be interesting.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Let's see some pictures too, OK?

I'd have an easier time if you could do that...

GREAT idea!

Good luck!

:hi:

[nenagh]

5. Great idea..

and photos later in the season would be appreciated.. :)

[Trailrider1951]

6. That sounds really cool, somewhat along the lines that I am doing

When I bought my house several years ago, I found a rather peculiar fenced-in area in the backyard that measures 12.5 X 11.5 feet. Neighbors tell me that the former owner of the house kept a miniature horse in that little pen. So, with our nice black clay soil and some already deposited and composted manure present, I figured that it would be a primo place for a small garden. So, I've got snow peas, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, bell peppers, and even a couple of potatoes out there. The fence keeps out the neighborhood critters and varmints. I'll come back and post some pictures that I'll take when I go out to turn off the sprinkler. It's been mighty dry here in central Texas.

And, if you are an apartment dweller, I came across an idea today that can allow some gardening for people who have only a patio or balcony, and would like to raise a few veggies: pallet gardening. That's right, it uses a pallet or two for those who have more vertical space than horizontal space. Check it out:

http://lifeonthebalcony.com/how-to-turn-a-pallet-into-a-garden/

[niyad]

12. thank you for that link. I had seen similar plans in a gardening magazine several months ago--good

reminder.

[crickets]

17. That is brilliant. Thanks for the link. -nt

[nc4bo]

7. Sounds wonderful!! Mention "garden" and I'm all up in it LOL

Happy planting!

[bear425]

8. Sounds great! I wanna see pics.

I live in So. Florida, so I will have some time to work on it. Can't plant again until, like, October.

[Tx4obama]

9. I have 12 concrete blocks (24 holes) arranged in a square - all holes filled with basil

I have photos from years past, but unfortunately not on the computer ;(

[csziggy]

10. One of the cool ideas for low effort gardening is straw bale gardening

The idea is that you get bales of straw, put them unbound side up, let them start to compost, make pockets in between the "flakes" of straw and plant your vegetables in those pockets. As the straw continues to decompose, it provides nutrients for your vegetables. The bales make raised "beds" and at the end of the growing season, you just cut the strings or wires holding them together and spread out the compost to enrich your soil.

This time a year is a good time to start in more northern areas. Here in Florida, it is a little late since the bales should have been composting since January and planted last month. One site, which touts a book and seminars on the subject says now is the time to start, but they are in Minnesota. You should stick to straw and not hay - hays are grasses and can grow from the seeds and stolons in the bales. Straws are made from the stalks of grains - oats, rye, wheat, barley - and while missed grains might sprout, they will not become the garden nuisance grass can be.

IF you want larger raised beds, bales can be used for the sides and then fill in with soil, but personally, the ~16" width of a bales is just right to be able to reach across for weeding and planting so I would not go wider than two bales wide. Straw bales generally are about ~16" square and about 30" long.

Here is some more information: http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/straw-bale-gardening.html

[niyad]

11. at my ace, last saturday--the soil was 77 cents a bag!!

[lucca18]

13. Thanks for the information!

I want to plant a garden this year so this really helps.
Enjoy your garden!

[Elwood P Dowd]

14. Plant at least one row of Kentucky Wonder or Rattlesnake pole beans. They will make until frost in

October or November. Keep em watered every few days and once every few weeks feed 'em a little fertilizer. Just one 12-foot row will make a surprising amount of delicious green beans from July until the first frost. That gives you way more bang for your buck than something like lettuce that makes one and is done. Tomatoes will also make until frost. Just 3 plants will make two people far more than they can eat from June-July until frost. If you have limited space, use it for something that keeps producing.

Edit to add: Don't forget, if you have some room in late August, plant some turnip greens. They will make until the really bad cold weather hits - usually in December but some years in January.

[kentuck]

15. Thanks!

Good advice!

I plant Kentucky Wonder pole beans just about every year. They taste better than bush beans, in my opinion.

[Elwood P Dowd]

16. UR right about that.

I use to plant a 100 foot row and everybody wanted some of those pole beans. Also, planted several rows of peas, limas, and other goodies. Garden is tiny now because of back problems and other aches and pains. 30 minutes a day is all I can stand.

[crickets]

18. Great idea!

Please let us know about your progress and post some pictures later if you can. :thumbsup:

[intheflow]

19. I tried a variation on this a few years ago.

Here in Colorado, the end result was "concrete oven"-baked roots. :(

But hopefully it will work for you in a moister climate.

[eppur_se_muova]

20. Can also use flue tiles ... available in a variety of sizes and shapes.

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf66135146.tip.html

You might want to stack up the ones in the middle, so you can reach them without bending over so far.