I live in the Okanogan where it gets very hot and dry in the summer. I want to put a raised garden bed on my aggregate patio. I was told to put old plastic pop bottles as a base and then cover it with fabric before placing the soil in the box. Is this a good idea?
Is the purpose to take up room in the bottom so you don't have to fill the whole box with soil? If so, I would not use the fabric because it would stop the roots. If it is to protect the patio, that would work but you need to have enough soil for the roots of whatever you are growing. Here are raised bed ideas for patios:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/accessible/building-table-gardens.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/spaces/small-raised-bed.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/xeriscape/using-raised-beds-for-hot-regions.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/urban/gardens-in-small-spaces.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/raised-bed-soil-depth.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/best-soil-raised-garden-beds.htm
Hi there, I have 6 lorry tyres with wheels still attacted. I live in West Coast of Scotland, Glencoe. Trees, shrubs, flowers anything. I'd appreciate any advice as I'm all self taught but can't seem to find what I'm looking for online. I don't want to spend a chunk on a lovely maple for it to get stuck and I can't get it out! But if I'm the first so be it aha. Thank you for your time, Hayley Bobz
If you cannot remove the rims, then you will want to treat this as a very shallow pot. There are many things that you can grow in there. Small plants and herbs, like dill or thyme, are good candidates. There are plenty of ornamentals, too. These articles will offer more insight to what will grow happily.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/fgen/tiny-flowering-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/containers/fragrant-container-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/vegetables-in-small-spaces.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/urban/gardens-in-small-spaces.htm
I have brought a raised bed 120x90x30cm. I intend to grow strawberries and want to know the best way of filling it. My thoughts are to shred dead plants including lilac and lavender as a base. I would add home made compost, manure and garden soil as well as shop brought top soil. Do you think that would be ok? Also do you have any other ideas, particularly inexpensive ones?
Soil from a garden plot will be too thick, especially with adding compost. The article included goes over it in more detail. You want as loose of a soil as you can get. If you go with garden soil instead of compost, make sure you loosen it up with extra perlite or vermiculite. It'll need to be mixed very thouroughly.
Now if this is premixed garden soil, and not from your garden plot, then you will want to leave out potting soil. Usually, pre-bagged mixed will have been mixed correctly.
One more thing. I looked back and saw where you had mentioned topsoil. Again, I would either leave it out, or if it is very loose, then replace half the compost with it. You really just don't want to compact the soil in a raised bed. It leads to problems later when it compacts at the bottom of the bed.
I think that you could get away without the garden soil, and mix what you have, except for the shredded plants. You may want to compost those separately if it is green material. Strawberries are very forgiving, and many types are considered invasive in my area. Actually, I can't control them, and they have traveled all around my house in very poor soil.
Here are some articles that will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/strawberry
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/raised-vegetable-gardens.htm
Thanks although I'm not sure what you mean about not adding garden soil. the majority of the fill will necessarily be garden soil.