Gardens

[*wildcats forever*]

(06-20-2016, 05:51 PM)Benton Wrote: I tried tilling it years ago. The soil is so rocky it wasn't very effective. The pots are probably the way to go, or raised beds.


I've thought about that. My dad has a backhoe and a dozer, I've thought about getting rid of a foot or so of the clay and filling it back in with something that's not like concrete. Seems like a lot of work just to grow some tomatoes and some cauliflower, maybe some watermelons.

Another consideration is a raised bed (or several beds) using concrete block, two layers with a 2" cap block to finish off the top for a total height of 18". A couple of layers of large gravel (2 to 3 inch variety) on the bottom for drainage, then clean top soil with some potting soil mixed in and on top. Might sound like a lot of work, but maybe not if you're looking at heavy equipment to deal with existing conditions. Plus harvesting is a bit easier with raised beds, and it can look really nice, depending on your creativity in arrangement and planting. I've had good success with this approach for variety of raspberry bushes, asparagus, tomatoes, bush beans, lettuces, and herbs. I learned some of this from a book called "Square Foot Gardening" from 'back in the day'.

I've also grown potatoes in 3 stacked tires. You just knock the tires over at harvest time instead of digging.