Bonus Blog: (Financial) Victory Garden

DEBATE EXISTS OVER the correct classification of raised garden beds. Raised beds can either be placed over existing soil (grass or tilled), or- with a little extra care and black plastic- over a concrete or brick patio.

So do raised beds qualify as container gardens? I think they do. You can construct them cheaply and easily, they can be set up on top of manmade surfaces, and offer an easily maintained, highly productive growing area free of weeds and digging in minimal space.

Most container gardeners, of course, limit themselves to containers because they are apartment dwellers with extremely limited outdoor space. If you've turned to containers because the thought of tilling your hideous backyard soil is too repulsive, or you do have a small green or paved area to call your own, or you even know someone (perhaps a parent or very patient friend) with a large yard who might be willing to lend you a little well-lit space, a homemade raised bed could be the perfect halfway-house between container and free range gardening.

I've thought a great deal lately about the economics of container gardening. More to the point, I've been crunching numbers on how to actually save money from growing your own vegetables, Great Depression-style. Too many gardeners add up the numbers at the end of the season to find they've shelled out $65 per Heirloom Brandywine. However beautiful their gardens might be, it's fairly easy to coax untold bushels of produce out of the ground if you've got plenty of money and space.

Tomatoes are the most ubiquitous of home-grown vegetables. They taste amazing when you grow them yourself or buy them locally, and like complete crap when you buy them at the supermarket. I decided to use tomatoes as my financial bellwether. Was it possible to grow your own for less than supermarket prices, while getting Farmer's Market flavor? Tomatoes at the supermarket cost about $1 per pound; at the Memphis Farmer's Market, about $3 per pound. Was it possible to construct- and to provide instructions on how to construct- a fully-functional container vegetable garden that provided at least 200 pounds of tomatoes for under $150?

Let's find out. Although I based my calculations on the Tomato Financial Index (TFI), this method will yield not only 324 pounds of tomatoes, but could instead be used to grow 100 pounds of melons, 108 eggplants, 200 peppers, or 106 pounds of potatoes per 3' x 6' raised bed.

For our Financial Victory Garden, we'll have neither money nor space in great supply. You will need a screwdriver and plenty of gumption, however.

For inspiration, visit the Gardener's Supply Company Raised Bed Planner.

1. FIND A SPACE

We'll be constructing a raised bed on either grass (the easy way) or on top of a preexisting surface (the slightly-less-easy way). The layout of that space is not important. Is it six feet long and eight inches wide? No problem. Two feet by two feet? Not an issue. All it truly needs to have is:

• Plenty of sunlight (at least six hours a day of unobstructed light: no shade, no dappling through leaves, no exceptions)
• A flatish, ground-level surface. This can be actual ground or a concrete/brick/paving stone manmade surface. A slight grade is fine, but don't try to build this on a steep hillside. The sunny patio where you keep your container garden is ideal.

2. CALCULATE THE SIZE OF YOUR BEDS

The raised bed will be constructed out of four wooden two-by-fours held together at each corner with a metal corner connector. The corner connectors can be fancy and made for this purpose specifically by a gardening supply house, or generic and purchased at Home Depot for half the price.

Get out your trusty measuring tape and measure the length and width of your space. The following instructions assume you're going to build one bed that's 6 feet long and 3 feet wide. If you only have space for a 3' x 3' bed, that's a great starting point; just halve the quantities listed here. If you need to break it up into two 3' x 3' beds, that will work just as well.

3. PURCHASE YOUR MATERIALS

For each bed, you'll need to go to Home Depot and get:

Wood Slats:

• 2 lengths of two-by-fours, cut for the long ends of the bed (they'll make the cuts for you for about $1 per cut); about $10 total, depending on length
• 2 lengths of two-by-fours, cut for the short ends of the bed; about $10, depending on length

TOTAL = about $20

Corner Connectors

• If you're placing the bed in grass or dirt, get four rigid tie connectors for $4.49 each. TOTAL = $17.96
• If you are placing the beds on a manmade surface, get four standard angles for $1.09 and a supply of plastic sheeting as wide (plus eight inches) and long (plus eight inches) as your bed, about $30. TOTAL = $34.36
• If you feel flush with money, get your connectors from Gardener's Supply Company, in your choice of depth (10" is a good starting point). $16.95 for two; you'll need four. TOTAL = $33.90

TOTAL = about $30

Screws: At least 16 screws to fit the holes of the angles you've purchased; about $.50

TOTAL = $.50

Soil: Enough garden soil, compost, growing mix, and fertilizer to fill your bed.

• Garden Soil: $7.47 per bag; one bag per 2 cubic feet
• Compost: $7.99 per bag ('Nature's Blend' at local garden center, Stringers); one bag per 2 cubic feet
• Soil-less Growing Mix: $12.47 per bag; one bag per 2.5 cubic feet
• Vegetable Food or Fertilizer: $8.98 per 5-pound box

For a 3' x 6' raised bed that's 10" deep, you'll need 

• 12 cubic feet of garden soil (that's six 2-cubic-feet bags) = $44.82
• 6 cubic feet of compost (that's three 2-cubic-feet bags) = $23.97
• 2 cubic feet of soil-less growing mix like ProMix (that's one 2.5-cubic-feet bag) = $12.47
• 5 pounds of vegetable fertilizer (one 5-pound box) = $8.98

TOTAL = $90.24

To calculate the soil needs of a 3' x 6' x 10" bed:
3 feet long x 6 feet wide x .83 feet deep x 1.33 = about 20 cubic feet of total soil

To calculate your soil needs:
length in feet of bed  x  width in feet of bed  x  depth in feet of bed x 1.33 = ___________ cubic feet of total soil needed

Or use the Soil Calculator at Gardener's Supply Company (cheater).

4. CONSTRUCT THE RAISED BEDS

If you've purchased your corner connectors from Gardner's Supply, they came with an easy-to-follow set of instructions. If you've purchased them at Home Depot:

• Grab one of your long wooden slats and one of your short wooden slats. Using a screwdriver or drill, attach them to the corner connector so that they form an 'L'. Make sure you get these corners as square as possible; a right-angle or T-square measure would be very useful here.
  
• Repeat with the remaining two sides
• Screw the two 'L's to one another using the remaining two connectors, so that they form a rectangle.
• OPTIONAL: If you're placing the bed on a manmade surface (concrete, bricks, etc.) or uneven natural surface, place your bed where you want it and unroll your black sheeting. Fit the black sheeting into the bottom of the bed and then staple it to the wood along the top (or top lip) of the bed, making sure you fold the sheeting in the corners so that soil doesn't trickle out. Grab a pair of scissors and trim the excess black plastic from the top of the bed. Then, using the scissors, snip small (half an inch long) holes in the bottom of the sheeting for drainage. Try to be methodical; a grid pattern of a snip every two to three inches ought to do it. All this will keep your soil from washing out of the bottom of the bed when you water, and will help keep the bed moist but well-drained.
• Congratulations, you're done!

5. FILL THE BEDS

Empty your garden soil, compost, grow mix, and fertilizer into your beautiful raised bed. Mix until you're thoroughly exhausted and contents are evenly distributed. Smooth the top with a rake or your hands. Stand back, admire your handiwork, and drink at least two beers.

You've done it! Your bed is ready and you may now fill it up with any plant species that takes your fancy.

6. CHOOSE YOUR PLANTS

As a general rule, put in one vegetable plant per square foot. If you have a 3' x 6' bed, that's three rows and 6 columns for a total of 18 spaces (3 x 6 = 18). If you have a 3' x 3' bed, that's a total of 9 space (3 x 3 = 9). 

You can purchase your new plants at Home Depot, but don't forget to check out your local garden center for more exotic varieties. Farmer's markets- here in Memphis, that includes the Memphis Farmer's Market and the Botanic Garden Farmer's Market- will also have an excellent selection with a much greater-than-Home-Depot chance of survival in your area. Good heirloom plants will cost about $4 each.

TOTAL (18 plants) = $72

Don't forget: choose vegetables you actually want to eat.

7. LAYOUT IDEAS

Don't be afraid to experiment, however. For example, if you're hell for Italian cooking, create your own

Italian Chef's Garden:

- 5 squares of tomatoes
- 4 squares of eggplants
- 2 squares of basil (2 plants per square)
- 2 squares of garlic (4 plants per square)
- 2 squares of parsley (2 plants per square)
- 1 square of rosemary
- 2 squares of yellow squash

Do you want to harvest nothing but tomatoes? Fine. Your visions of canning your own tomato pickles or creating the World's Finest Homemade Ketchup, of perfecting your grilled tomato kebab recipe can be a reality. Knock yourself out. It's your garden, your hard work, and completely up to you.

Ultimately, though, I promised that the point of your Financial Victory Garden is to feed yourself for less than you would have paid at the store. We have to be hard-nosed realists: have we managed to do that?

Wood: $20
Connectors: $30
Screws: $.50
Soil: $90.24
Plants: $72

RAISED BED GRAND TOTAL: $212.74 for a potential yield of 324 pounds of tomatoes
Store price: $324 for 324 pounds of tomatoes
Farmer's Market price: $972 for 324 pounds of tomatoes

Cheap, functional, and one of the funnest ways to spend time outside in the Spring: hopefully nothing will stop you from creating your own raised bed container garden.

The Care & Feeding of New Plants

CHANCES ARE GOOD that with your seedlings and young plants now in the ground, you're itching for something more to do with your container garden. Enthusiasm can outstrip common sense when the weather turns nice for the first time in the year, and with a smaller-than-usual focal point for your energy (assuming your container garden isn't exceptionally large), young plants can actually suffer from a surfeit of care.

Be particularly cautious about that most loving of plant homicides: overfertilization. Remember, you've just planted these containers. You probably used new potting soil, practically every variety of which comes with its own time-release fertilizer. That initial supply won't be used up for months, I promise. In addition, that Osmacote (or other plant fertilizer) mixed with the potting soil has provided your plants with all the immediate nutrients they need. You may be tempted to add liquid MiracleGro to your watering can or sprinkle just a little more Osmacote under the mulch, but be strong. You'll just end up giving your plants chemical burns, not turning them into phytogenetic versions of the Incredible Hulk.

With cooler evening temperatures and the absence of summer's scorching sun, you won't even need to water as religiously now as you will starting in June. Once a day should be plenty for even the thirstiest of succulents. Be sure you're saving your watering for the evening or very early morning: droplets that make their way onto plant leaves in sunny weather act as tiny magnifying glasses for the sun, and watering in the daytime may leave you with multiple round, mysterious burn spots on plant leaves.

Leave your plants alone. Water them once a day, talk to them if you're so inclined, and try not to get out the ruler to see how much they've grown today.

If you're really itching to get it on in the garden- and with the weather so perfect right now, how can you resist?- I recommend the following useful distractions:

• Buy more plants and pots. Adding to your collection can only hedge your future garden bets, and it'll give you enough time with dirt under your nails to feel like you've really gardened. Try plants you wouldn't normally have chosen for these one-off plantings. They may surprise you by succeeding where all else fails.
  
• Decorate your garden area. Buy or build a comfortable seating area; raid Hancock's Fabrics for good floor- and throw-pillow fabrics, and get out your sewing machine; shop the sales at Target for a good outdoor rug or firepit (this last will extend the life of your container garden area into cool spring and fall weather to such an extent that it's practically indespensible for those who have the space for one).
  
• Head to the library for a stack of gardening books for your area.

Adding on to your garden is the most useful activity you can achieve now, besides admiring your handiwork. Some of your plants will not make it into the summer- some, indeed, are not designed to do so- and you'll be glad you have a few extra transplants ready to fill the gaps when the ineviatble occurs.

Bonus Blog: Double-Barreled Trouble-Shooter

PROBLEMS THAT ARISE with container gardens generally have different solutions than those employed by large-scale, in-ground gardeners with their beds and rows and endless space (those smug bastards). As your new container garden begins to take hold, problems inevitably arise. But you have chosen to invest yourself in the adventure of container gardening, not the easy delights of planting a rolling meadow. The challenges are greater, but the rewards infinitely more satisfying! Still, there is one problem that comes up so often that it's worth taking on all by itself:

Even a month or more after transplant, my plants still look so small. How can I encourage them to grow larger and bushier, and produce more flowers/vegetables?

Perhaps the greatest challenge of container gardening is to encourage the hearty growth and development of plants which are growing in non-ideal conditions. But that doesn't mean you need to throw in the towel or give up on lush vegetation. More than likely, you're coming up against one of these problems:

Container Size
Problem: You have planted those tiny seedlings in pots or baskets that truly are too small to contain the type of root system that this particular plant needs. Frequently, squeezed plants will start to die from the tips of their leaves inward.

Solution 1: Replant the specimen in a larger container or replace it with a plant that has a smaller or more condensed root system.

Solution 2: The bigger the plant, the larger root system it needs. If you're putting a already-large ("well-established") tomato plant, for example, in a smaller basket, don't hesitate to lop off longer or low-hanging branches when you pot it in the first place. You may be able to salvage an already-potted plant by ruthless pruning. A good rule of thumb is to take off about a third of the plant when pruning, and to take off longer, scraggly, or dusty/wilted branches first.

Chances are, of course, you have no idea what kind of root system this plant has or what plant would be better for this container. A large part of your potting experience will consist of pulling up plants, I'm sorry to say, but though it's a heartbreaking process you can learn a great deal from uprooting a dead specimen. Try to put your emotions aside as you pull out the failed plant, roots and all. Look at the root ball: is it spread out and shallow? Does it consist of one large, thick taproot surrounded by a few wispy roots? Are the roots bunched together or spread? Do they lie near the surface or burrow deeply? Remind yourself several times of the name of the plant, and try to impress upon your memory what the roots look like: "Okay, self, this is what Rosemary roots look like. They're deep and bunched together, so I probably shouldn't have planted it in that super-cute wide and shallow container."

I find it very difficult to throw away plants that are even marginally alive, and I always want to know what I did to nearly kill them. If I suspect a plant of being very much constricted by its pot, I sneak out in the dead of night and secretly plant the remains in the flowerbed of my apartment complex. It gets the same amount of sun, shade, and water as my porch; the only difference is the amount of space the root system now has. If the plant dies anyway, I assume that space was not the deciding factor and store that in my memory for that type of plant. If, however, it rockets to previously unimaginable heights and lushness, as two minute, near-death zucchini and squash plants did, I accept that container size was probably the issue. The illicit squashes, by the way, grew to a height of three feet in two weeks and were completely covered in blooms when they were discovered by the landscaping crew who- not realizing their tasty potential- uprooted them as weeds and tossed them aside to croak in the sun.

Light
Problem: The average container garden is created in a less-than-ideal space. This frequently means that the area you have chosen- or more likely, had thrust upon you- only gets two to four hours of direct sunlight a day. You can ignore this or hope for the best and plant whatever you want anyway, but limited light will always come back to haunt you. Those suggestions for full sun on the back of seed packets are there for a reason: four hours of almost-direct sunlight does not equal eight hours of full sun, no matter how much you may wish it would.

Solution 1: Get used to stunted plants. You can grow full-sun plants in part shade, if you so desire, but they will not be bushy or thrifty. If you love a certain type of pansy, go ahead and try it. The worst that will happen is that it won't flower as well as it might. Or it may croak. But you'll be glad you tried.

Solution 2: Maximize your light. Look around your space at different times of the day to see if there is any one location that gets more light than the rest of the area. Install very light or reflective material in the darkest corners of your space (that ugly mirrored mosaic your aunt brought you back from Cabo will find new life and use in the high, dark corner of your porch). Replace your usual mulch around the base of the plants with white rocks to reflect light right back at the plants. If you can, repaint the interior of a dark porch in a light color. Repaint or scrub down already painted walls to reflect the maximum amount of sunlight. Cover a dark wood or painted concrete floor with a light-colored outdoor rug. Heck, make your own ugly mirrored mosaic, perfectly sized, to hang in a dark area.

Solution 3: Yield to the inevitable. If you get at most four hours of direct sunlight a day, the world of shade plants is open to you. Ferns, mosses, hostas, and plants found in densely shaded woodlands in your area are your best bet. Here in Memphis, the default state of the landscape is wooded hillsides, and a huge number of shade plants are native to the area. Check out what grows in your own forested areas to find surefire shade plants that will give you the bushy, lush look you want. And don't think of this as the cop-out version of your container garden: when you really get into them, ferns provide endless variations on the color green, as well as myriad textures and shapes. There are multiple varieties of flowering hostas, too, should you find yourself unable to part with the idea of a flowering garden.

Again, feel free to take what remains of a dying plant and quietly plant it in a nearby area with full sun. If the new location does the trick, you have your answer: your container area isn't bright enough to grow this.

Soil
Problem: You bought the big bag of fancy soil at Stringer's (or your own local garden center), added some Osmacote, and planted your seedlings. Now, though, the leaves are yellow or brown, or they're falling off. The plant seems to be all stem and no leaves, or else it's so short it still looks like a seedling after two months.

Solution 1: You used too much fertilizer. Some plants, like Rosemary, do better with very poor soil; that is, soil with almost no nutrients at all. Generally, plants that like poor soil come from very dry areas (think non-irrigated California weather, or the South of France), but you can look up your plant and find out whether it likes rich or poor soil. If the plant likes rich soil, though, more is not always better. Too much fertilizer can cause chemical burns on your plants. Yellow leaves that drop off can indicate fertilizer overload (or that you're watering too often). Leggy plants- that is, plants that have long, scraggly stems and relatively few leaves- are another indication of over-fertilization. Take out the seedlings, toss out the potting soil in your container, and fill it back up with potting soil without adding any Osmacote or additional fertilizer. You can always fertilize the plants later by adding water-soluble fertilizer to a gallon of water.

Solution 2: You didn't use enough fertilizer. Plants look stunted and short even several weeks after transplanting. Be warned, though, that this is more likely a result of not enough sun; with the rich potting soil mixes used today, you're far more likely to end up with an over-fertilized plant than an under-fertilized one. Unless you dug up a wheelbarrow of dirt from a construction site, you probably are not underfertilizing.

At all times, remember: if a plant isn't working, replace it. Try something new and different in that space, or move your containers around within the space you already have. One of the great bonuses of the container garden is the ease and speed at which you can change out one type of plant for another. Don't let your entire spring and summer go by while you stare at spindly, unthrifty plants which clearly aren't working in your space. Embrace your opportunity to change out plants quickly and easily.