Houzz TV: How to Make and Plant a Veggie Box
When you plant a few veggies in a container for your balcony or patio, fresh flavours for your next meal are only a few steps away. And when you put your box on stilts, it’s easier to plant and harvest your crops, and its portability allows you to put your garden where the sun is, creating prime growing conditions throughout the year. Evan Marks, founder and executive director of The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, California, shows how to start your garden with seeds or seedlings and make a tall container that’s fun to grow them in.
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I love this idea, just one question though, shouldn't there be drain holes for the water?
Great! I will make some. I love the elevated idea and the ease of construction.
Hi Anna, great question. Because the bottom slats are fitted very loosely there is plenty of space and ability for drainage. From experience, water will generally find it's way through wood even if butted together. For these veggie boxes, you can leave as large as a 1" gap between slats - whatever works best for the materials you have on hand.
I would like to make one or two!! Is it safe to use pressure treated lumber that I can buy at Home Depot ? thank you!!
Thank you for a little glimpse of home , I miss Capistrano - XOXO
Hi Evan,
I made 3 similar veggie boxes last year, each one about 3' x 4'. I left 1/2" between the bottom boards for drainage and lined them with garden cloth (black, porous). Then I filled them with a nice mix of dirt and compost and planted my seeds/seedlings. The boxes got plenty of sunlight and I watered them regularly. The result was disappointing. Most of the plants suffered from mold and their yield was tiny in comparison to what I've achieved with raised beds that sit directly on the ground. Was it a drainage problem? My neighbor thought so. He recommended that this summer I add lots of vermiculite to the mixture. I live in the Northeast. What would you advise?
Katina
If you don't screw in the bottom slats, then when they start to rot you can just pull them out easily and replace them. The sides and legs should last a couple of seasons longer than the bottoms!
Using (coated-for-exterior-use) pocket screws adds to structural integrity as well as aesthetics. Sure, it may add a few minutes more of labor, but it's worth it in terms of having a stronger box with hidden screws. -Derrick
what about lining it with plastic and putting drainage holes through the wood and plastic at the same location?
I was also wondering about drainage. How about,,.... leaving some space between the boards.. .like 1/4 inch... and landscape fabric or....the plastic and punch holes in the plastic?
Thank you Evan =)
Happy this is been addressed.
On the West Coast, we use Redwood specifically because it lasts for years, is a very renewable resource, easy to work with and beautiful. Cedar might be a better alternative on the East Coast.
With the right wood selection, there's no need to line the beds with plastic or landscape fabric. Plastic becomes a maintenance issue as well as potentially unwanted habitat for pests. Not to mention it may heat up in direct sun.
Landscape fabric really wouldn't protect the wood, if that was the idea.
My recommendation is to keep it simple and elegant. Enjoy!
We built 2 veggie/flower boxes that were lined with metal, possibly mesh on the bottom. They have lasted 10 years and the metal keeps the wood from rotting. We left the big one at our old house when we moved, but took the 6 foot one with us to our new place. The metal solves the rot issues, the height solves back issues.
So, I clicked on this article because of veggie part, not the box part. I have a handle on that (and in fact, would add handles to the sides to help with carrying). It is the veggie part I struggle with. I have never had any luck growing anything. Would this be big enough for one kind of vegetable only or could I try to mix a few different things? Is there an article to go with this one about what to do with the box after you have built it?
i wish i had a chop saw!
cozarth - You can grow a mixture of leafy greens, onions and herbs. You can also grow a vegetable, like tomato or cucumber, and would have to add a trellis. Success in growing your own organic food depends on a few factors. Here is a link to one of our articles about planning your organic food growing adventure: How to Design An Organic Vegetable Garden
nice
cozarth, in addition to the great tips from The Ecology Center, here's a related story from the Gardening section on Houzz that should help: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/60845108/list/seeds-or-seedlings-how-to-get-your-garden-started
You can also add wheels to the bottom of the legs so it can roll around easily... catch the sun....
Also... if you don't have a chop saw try asking someone at the store where you buy the wood if they could cut it for you. they just might.
My husband was recently inspired to make a planter box for me. I haven't decided what to put in it yet because I realized that at only 6" deep I'd have to only put shallow rooted plants in it. I talked to my master gardener grandmother & so far all I can come up with is lettuce, onions, and peppers (I have lots of herbs in pots already).
Now we're thinking about adding another 6" so it will be 12" deep. Maybe that will broaden my planting options?
"The EPA is mainly concerned with the levels of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) in pressure-treated lumber, as the arsenate in CCA is a type of arsenic, which is a carcinogenic. The arsenic levels in the wood have been shown to have a negative health effect on people in extended contact with the wood, or for example, when children touch the wood in play areas and then put their hands into their mouths. The industry withdrew CCA from almost all residential uses in 2003. By 2004, the CCA pressure-treated wood was phased out, and is no longer available to general consumers. Several alternative coatings were developed to replace CCA, including some using a copper base. Although CCA has been banned for residential use, it is still in use for some industrial and agricultural purposes."
Boy, I miss the word vegetable.
Made this for my elderly mother. Great little herb garden at chair height. About to make one for her sister.
Thanks for the video!