Gardeners (OT, obvs)

stoneycakes

I really want to grow some veggies this summer.  We have a very sunny yard, but it's also very wet.  Like to point of standing puddles when it rains hard.  There is a sloping part that drains better, but I'm sure it's still pretty wet since everything else is.  Am I going to be able to grow a garden under these conditions?  Also, if all goes well, this will be our last summer in this house.  Is it worth it to dig everything up and prep for a garden if I'm only going to do it for one season? Should I just do a container garden?

JEPES1348

What kind of soil do you have?

stoneycakes

I'm a total newb, so I have no idea.  How do I find out?

jcwinsto

Breaking new ground is a pain in the ass and you will be fighting weeds for the first couple years.  Secondly, wet ground means a lot more fungus issues with veggies.  Honestly, if you are planning on moving I would just container garden this year.

stoneycakes

jcwinsto said:

Breaking new ground is a pain in the ass and you will be fighting weeds for the first couple years.  Secondly, wet ground means a lot more fungus issues with veggies.  Honestly, if you are planning on moving I would just container garden this year.

Okay, that makes sense.  Is there a good place to get cheap soil for a bunch of containers?  It's so expensive to buy it by the bag.

stoneycakes

Maybe I should just sign up for a CSA, lol.

jcwinsto

Sorry, I don't stalk you like some people do so I have no clue were you live but if it is near some farm country you might be able to get someone to just come let you dig some topsoil if it's only for a few containers.  If not then try the local green house or construction/landscaping places.  They might do bulk.  It will all depend if that is actually cheaper than bags or not.

nanabanana06

How about raised beds? Those are easily put it and taken out. Plus it would fix some of the wet issues.

nanabanana06

Also, you could totally do container gardens. We used to do that. Tomatoes, herbs, strawberries, peppers all in containers.

stoneycakes

Nana_Osaki06 said:

How about raised beds? Those are easily put it and taken out. Plus it would fix some of the wet issues.

I was thinking of this, too.  Do I basically just build a frame on the ground and fill it with dirt?  Or do you dig up the soil underneath, too?

nanabanana06

I've seen it as just putting the frame on top and filling with good dirt and stuff. I'm making mine extra tall since I can't squat down or get on my knees too much.

jcwinsto

If you do raised bed just make sure to stake them so that the sides don't bow.  You can put the stakes on the inside so it still looks pretty though.  We used those composite boards one time so they wouldn't rot and they are flexible enough that even staking every 2 feet they still bowed out.

Roxie5739

Nana_Osaki06 said:

How about raised beds? Those are easily put it and taken out. Plus it would fix some of the wet issues.

Yes an no, remember damp rises. I would do pots for tomatoes, herbs, lettuce and wait until I moved.

freezorburn

What @Mapleme said. 

We built some raised planters using SFG concepts two houses ago, when the sunniest part of our yard was fully paved. They were 4' x 4' and I think I made them about 18" high so that I could easily pull up a stool and garden from a seated position. I also considered putting them on casters so we could roll them around easily, but I got lazy.

sumati

I bought this smart pot big bag to make a raised garden until I built a nice one out of wood. https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Pots-Big-Fabric-Raised/dp/B007BVKDZI I also have 3 of the 10 gallon bags for tomatoes and potatoes. 

I got soil from Lowes.  I mixed 1/2 top soil (usually $1-2 a bag) with 1/2 potting soil (usually $3-4 a bag).. I just got the cheapest brand Lowes had.  I added organic vegetable fertalizer to the soil and mixed it in really well.  I can't remember how many bags of soil it too to fill that thing up though.  

This is the second year using my smart pots, and they've held up well.  I like them a lot.

N_Koz

We rent so I am doing containers. If you are near a hyvee they have these containers with all the soil, water saving bead things and plant food already in them for like $16 they are a good size and with me its more likely to get done if its ready to go and I have lettuce and spinach sprouting as we speak.   

KLXVI

I'm a soil scientist, but I work on trees and don't know much about gardening. If you want to look up your soil (the preferred term to dirt) you can use this website: https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx. Enter your address and highlight the area around your property with the AOI button.  Then go to Soil Data Explorer and Soil Properties and Qualities.  There is more information there than you need to know, but it's pretty interesting.

While your soil might not be good for a garden as is, you could use a raised bed with your own soil and supplement it with compost and other additives that help with aeration.  But, I would probably just use containers for one season before moving.

Mandmeesh

Stoney!!! Order a raised bed or two from homedepot. They ship free. They have lots of options and prices from about $80-$400. I bought two Greenes dovetail-jointed gardens.

stoneycakes

Mandmeesh said:

Stoney!!! Order a raised bed or two from homedepot. They ship free. They have lots of options and prices from about $80-$400. I bought two Greenes dovetail-jointed gardens.

Thanks! I'm totally going to look into that!

Mandmeesh

stoneycakes said:

Mandmeesh said:

Stoney!!! Order a raised bed or two from homedepot. They ship free. They have lots of options and prices from about $80-$400. I bought two Greenes dovetail-jointed gardens.

Thanks! I'm totally going to look into that!
You can line the bottom of the beds with gravel to help with drainage. And then mushroom mulch is super organic and cheap (unlike topsoil and some other types). Don't make it more difficult than it is. You can do it