Raised bed and container gardening are easy ways to get started
You can use just about anything that will hold enough soil
Even though I live on a couple of acres, I prefer using raised beds as my primary form of gardening. The soil isn’t great at our house, and we till much less often than we’d need to with in-ground planting. I do eventually want to put a pumpkin patch in the old garden spot, but it’s gotten shaded out by massive pine trees, that we haven’t fully decided what to do with yet. More on that later.
I currently have six 8’x4’x10” beds that grow most of what we need. It’s just the two of us, so we don’t need much, but I am hoping to add a couple of beds this or next year. I think I convinced my husband that I need two more, because we have to have a permanent bed or two for herbs and strawberries (right?). I have big shoes to fill, and I’m going to need more space if I plan to take on bigger projects.
Dad used to grow hundreds (this is not an exaggeration) of tomato plants exclusively in raised beds and tubs, but has slowed down the last five years. He’s 74 and hopes to fall over dead while he’s doing something he enjoys, but he can’t physically do as much as he used to. I fully intend to pick up the tomato dynasty, to a smaller degree. I may not be quite as prolific as he has been the last several decades, but I would like to work toward a bartering size garden. Right now what we have feeds us pretty well in the summer, but I want to be able to trade my neighbors for other things that I can’t or don’t want to grow.
You don’t need much room to grow a few vegetables. A tomato plant will grow in a 5 gallon bucket on your balcony or patio as long as it has ample light, water, and good soil. I exclusively grew tomatoes and peppers in “lick tubs” for the first two years we lived in this house. A smattering of micro greens, or wheatgrass will do just fine in a window box. A large, brand new unused litter box will work for microgreens as well, and is a cheap alternative.
More on the lick tubs…
If you are near any cattle farmers, you may be able to take these tubs off of their hands for free or cheap. These tubs contain mineral or other supplements for livestock and are a pain to dispose of if there’s no recycling nearby. They are durable and incredibly useful for more than just planting. I use them as potting soil storage, and small stock tanks for my live aquarium food project. They can also be used to collect water under the eaves of your house for your garden or potted plants. They do need to be watered more frequently, but I find them an easy alternative for in ground gardening and raised beds if you’re short on space.
Some manufacturers have different sizes, so you may be able to find the smaller ones too.
Literally ANY container that will hold enough soil to provide ample moisture and nutrients for plant growth AND drainage to prevent root rot AND doesn’t leach dangerous compounds into the soil will work. I have a “junque” herb garden that consists of a tub from an old wringer washer, a dryer drum, several wash tubs, and a rusted out enamel corn pot that my chives have been living in for the last three years. I also repurposed an old container (not really sure what it was before) with a rusted out bottom and put a discarded disc blade in it to replace the bottom. The disc blade has a built in hole for drainage, and will probably still be around long after the tub itself gives up the ghost. This arrangement grew a happy pile of sedum for several years. I need to refill it and replant the sedum, but it’s still intact enough to use for decorative purposes for the next several years.
Whatever container you decide to use, soil will probably be your biggest expense unless you have access to community compost center or you’re able to make your own.
I wouldn’t recommend tires or treated wood for food crops unless you can line them with something that will prevent leaching into the soil. They are perfectly fine for ornamentals.
A summary of items I’ve used as containers:
Washing machine tub
Corn pot and other ruined cooking pots
Dryer drum
Wash tubs
5-gallon buckets
Lick tubs
CLEAN, BRAND NEW, UNUSED litter box (for microgreens, seed starting)
Plastic culvert pipe sections (see below)
Felled trees as raised bed walls
Bricks, sandstone, landscaping/retaining wall block to make raised beds
Plastic barrels sawed off to about 18” tall (the blue thing in the background of the pic below)
Using junk to garden isn’t always pretty or “aesthetic” but it will get the job done. If you’re embarking on your container gardening journey this year for the first time, I’d love to hear about it and see some pictures!
Until next time…
Jennifer
I use old galvanized buckets I find at the transfer station. They used to be easy to find, not so much now. They are even better when the bottoms rust out. Be sure to make holes if the bottoms are still good. I think they look great in groups, kind of rusty organic look.
Such a good place to start if people are unsure or overwhelmed!