If raised beds are outside of your budget, just skip them. They help with bending over to weed/plant and some other small benefits but don’t feel like you need them. I had 6 raised beds in my last house and I’m going to forgo them in my next because I feel like the cost and effort isn’t worth it.
The soil where I’m at is very rocky. So bad i had trouble putting tomato cages in the ground. And the bending over part would be amazing! I hadn’t even considered that. You are right though, they are pricey. But I have all year to save up. Thanks!
Another thing I’ve considered is cinder blocks. They’ll never rust out and are pretty cheap. Especially if you just do one or two layers. You can also fill in the gaps with dirt and plant in there for a cool little look.
The major downside is they aren’t super decorative.
Another benefit to me is being able to add a layer of mesh as protection against mice before filling it up with soil.
Also less pressure from surrounding grasses into the bed and less slugs, in my experience.
Still, it might not be worth the effort and money, depending on the local Situation.
For low budget raised beds, I reuse wooden palettes. Those need to be rebuild every couple of years though, which is not necessarily bad, considering soil depletion.
I have also used shoppingtrolleys and IBC tanks before, if i was able to get my hands on them. Really depends on where you are based and what is available :)
Another option is buckets. 5 gallons/19 L is a good size for peppers and determinate tomatoes. Sometimes you can collect them for free from restaurants and larger grocery stores that have food prep areas because they just end up throwing them away. Just poke a couple holes in the bottom to let excess water out. Or look up double bucket self watering planters if you want to get really fancy.
Yeah, it’s 17 inches deep. Should be plenty for tomatoes and jalapeños.
Thanks! Last question, where would one find metal like that? Ive thought about building one out of lumber but lumber is crazy expensive.
Edit: Just saw your other post.
If raised beds are outside of your budget, just skip them. They help with bending over to weed/plant and some other small benefits but don’t feel like you need them. I had 6 raised beds in my last house and I’m going to forgo them in my next because I feel like the cost and effort isn’t worth it.
The soil where I’m at is very rocky. So bad i had trouble putting tomato cages in the ground. And the bending over part would be amazing! I hadn’t even considered that. You are right though, they are pricey. But I have all year to save up. Thanks!
Another thing I’ve considered is cinder blocks. They’ll never rust out and are pretty cheap. Especially if you just do one or two layers. You can also fill in the gaps with dirt and plant in there for a cool little look.
The major downside is they aren’t super decorative.
Another benefit to me is being able to add a layer of mesh as protection against mice before filling it up with soil. Also less pressure from surrounding grasses into the bed and less slugs, in my experience.
Still, it might not be worth the effort and money, depending on the local Situation.
For low budget raised beds, I reuse wooden palettes. Those need to be rebuild every couple of years though, which is not necessarily bad, considering soil depletion. I have also used shoppingtrolleys and IBC tanks before, if i was able to get my hands on them. Really depends on where you are based and what is available :)
That is a great idea. Never even crossed my mind. I could put things like mint in the gaps! Thanks!
Edit: Spelling
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Another option is buckets. 5 gallons/19 L is a good size for peppers and determinate tomatoes. Sometimes you can collect them for free from restaurants and larger grocery stores that have food prep areas because they just end up throwing them away. Just poke a couple holes in the bottom to let excess water out. Or look up double bucket self watering planters if you want to get really fancy.