Which garden bed is best?

There are hundreds of channels on homesteading and farming on youtube and each one has their own recommendations. If you foolishly make the mistake of asking on any social media forum, you’ll not only get a hundred different answers, but you’ll get fights breaking out as well.

In my experience, you need to create garden beds that you have thoroughly researched and can financially afford. If you are physically limited, you need to look into the different options out there on the market that will allow you to be able to garden and be comfortable.

If you choose to create a garden that rests solely on your main ground level, then I would suggest you find a good source of brown non-glossy cardboard. There are numerous stores in your community that you can contact and simply inquire if they would save junk boxes for you to pick up on your next trip into town. Once you’ve acquired the cardboard boxes, flatten them and place them not only under your garden border but with enough room to create a walkway around the bed.

There are some garden planters that have legs and stand generally around 28″-32″ and most of these will have a self-watering feature. If you choose these as your future garden planters, you will need to modify them to ensure that they are free flowing, and no roots will clog the drainage system. Some states may not have the deluge of water that we have but here in Florida we have to modify planters, or the plants inside will rot from too much water.

I have used landscaping timbers, cinder blocks, vertical planters, tomato planters and even extra-large cardboard boxes to do experimental planting in. You will need to make a list of what vegetables you would like to start with, what soil depth will be needed to properly grow the plant to full height, their sun requirements and how frequently they need watering.

I will warn you off using two materials for your garden beds, not because I want to sell you something else but because they truly show signs of being unsafe for planting near food plants. Avoid using old tires due to the chemicals known to leach out when exposed to UV rays. The other material is something called railroad ties and they contain a toxin known as creosote. Recently due to all the train derailments I discovered that many of those railroad tankers are carrying some of the most lethal substances and are prone to leaking. All railroad ties are contaminated with something, so keep them out your yard and your garden.

If you don’t have the income to fill up your garden beds completely with garden soil, try throwing a couple bags of cypress mulch in the bottom or if you have dried oak leaves around your yard, rake them up and toss those in. There are numerous varieties of soil, be sure to read the fine print when you purchase you prebagged mixes.

If you decide to get compost from a nearby farm, inquire if there is any animal manure in it and if so, you need to find out if the animals were fed hay or any other grains that might have been contaminated with a chemical known as Grazon. Many are finding that it’s so strong, it can survive the digestive capabilities of farm animals and still come out as a dangerous toxin in their fecal matter. According to my research, any soil contaminated with Grazon, should be removed to the farthest edge of the property for at least 3 years while it off gases.

If you need me for consultation, come find me on FB and I’ll gladly guide you in your endeavors. Happy homesteading!