What do you grow your garden in?

[ReggieDeere]

There are many ways to grow a garden. You have hydroponics, strawbale gardening, regular old plant it in the dirt gardening, and much more. What method do you use to grow your garden?

 

[mystreba]

Last year I started a 10x20 bed. I went overboard with the variety, but made out pretty well with cukes, tomatoes and herbs. I started with regular yard soil (mostly clay) and tilled-in mulched oak leaves, lime and peat. Overall, it was not a success. I planted right into the ground, but the plants were not doing well, so I switched tactics - I dug up all the plants and re-planted them by digging a much bigger hole and filling with composted topsoil. The plants seemed to do better, but I think my problem was that I used landscaping fabric. My thinking is that it "baked" the roots systems, but I'm no expert. I didn't replant this year because of MAJOR excavation in my yard (new septic), but next year I plan to rip out all the landscape fabric and plant in similar fashion - dig a large hole and fill with composted topsoil.

 

[monica123]

We plant right in the ground. We have composted horse and sheep manure we have been working through the soil. This is year three and I think we will get a decent yield again this year.

 

[BlueGrass]

We planted in top soil and then fertilized it. It seems to be doing ok for now but I'm not very optimistic. I guess you would call me a beginner at gardening.

 

[Rip]

This year we went with container gardening and have had great luck. We had access to modular shipping containers that broke down into modules that were approx. 4' square x 8" deep. These modules were made to stack and interlock if we needed a little more depth for something like potatoes.

We lined the bottom of these containers with landscape fabric and used a couple of bags of topsoil, a bag of composted manure and some peat moss from Lowes. Since I got the containers for free I think I have about $5.00 invested in each container.

The results have been great. Our cold weather crops are now dying out and we're replanting squash, cukes and etc.

Bugs and critters are much easier to control and the way we lined up the containers we have been able to keep a mesh cover over them all the time. The containers are used to support trellises for peas and other climbers. I use a lot less fertilizer because I can put it where it needs to be, instead of broadcasting it over an entire garden.

Weeding is a thing of the past and I can use the string trimmer to "tidy up" around the containers.

This winter I'll just fill in these containers with fallen leaves and they should be ready for early Spring planting.

The wife and I love gardening, but we knew it was time to down-size and we think we have found the perfect situation for us.

One of the best parts is I don't have to wrestle that tiller anymore.:biggrin:

Rip

 

[monica123]

The container gardening certainly sounds like that way to go. The worst part for me is the weeding and hoeing, I enjoy the planting, the growing but hate the more tedious things.

 

[SallyA]

We grew our garden in 4 foot by 10 or 20 foot beds planted directly into the ground. I think I'd like to try modular shipping containers next year. Where can I get some?

 

[Muhammad]

Another vote for container gardening. Doesn't matter where you live, you're going to get great produce.

 

[stanley]

I have mine in the ground. So far I'm just mixing in topsoil, but next year I'll try horse or steer manure and see what that does. It can't be any worse than topsoil, right?