Water trough trial

[sugarapsa]

I am new to the site and wanted to share a project I started in November 2023. Here are four metal water troughs measuring 3'x3'x8' on railroad tie platform. I started by drilling several holes at the bottom of each trough, adding a layer of gravel, lining the gravel with the best weed barrier I could find, added a mixture of soil and 8 month old compost consisting of leaf litter, chicken, rabbit, and goat manure, coffee grounds from the local coffee shop, and top dressed with worm castings from my worm bin. It's the smallest metal trough with a wooden lid.

I planted cool season vegetables during the last week of December in the 3 troughs with the make shift cold frames. I included a couple of photos of the inside; garlic, onions, peas, spinach, and 3 varieties of lettuce. So far so good.

Today I planted Albion strawberries in the lone trough without a cold frame.

I live in zone 7 and so far our winter has been relatively mild. I plan to construct cold frames sometime within the near future for each trough in hopes of gardening year round.

It has been quite an endeavor although I am enjoying the challenge and look forward to the rest of the year.

 

[cpp gardener]

Where you are, you might have to shade the South or West side during the Summer. Watch the plants on those sides for signs of extra heat stress.

 

[Meadowlark]

I am new to the site and wanted to share a project I started in November 2023.

Excellent! When you complete the cold frames, please post up some pictures.

Hard to tell for sure but #66 looks a little bit crowded and you may need to thin some to get optimum growth...well done.

 

[sugarapsa]

Where you are, you might have to shade the South or West side during the Summer. Watch the plants on those sides for signs of extra heat stress.

Thanks for your comment.

One of my chores in the coming weeks deals with exactly what you are alluding to. Galvanized steel will certainly generate more heat than I would like. To counter act this I will attach cedar planks around the perimeter of each planter to act as a shield. This was another reason for using railroad ties for the base. This will make easy work from which to attach these planks.

 

[sugarapsa]

Excellent! When you complete the cold frames, please post up some pictures.

Hard to tell for sure but #66 looks a little bit crowded and you may need to thin some to get optimum growth...well done.

Thanks Meadowlark & will do on the photos.

You are certainly right with respect to thinning. Believe it or not I have already thinned once. I plan on continuing this a couple more times. This allows me to select the healthiest plants. This plus I plan to harvest the lettuce quite heavily.

 

[Tetters]

This looks like a very well organised project, you have done a cracking job @sugarapsa
I shall look forward to watching your progress.
Welcome to the forums ..... are you going to plant asparagus as your name implies?

 

[sugarapsa]

Thank you Tetters.
Nailed it... 15 planted in the fall and another 15 due in today. Jersey Supreme & Jersey Giant.

 

[cntrlwagdnr]

I am new to the site and wanted to share a project I started in November 2023. Here are four metal water troughs measuring 3'x3'x8' on railroad tie platform. I started by drilling several holes at the bottom of each trough, adding a layer of gravel, lining the gravel with the best weed barrier I could find, added a mixture of soil and 8 month old compost consisting of leaf litter, chicken, rabbit, and goat manure, coffee grounds from the local coffee shop, and top dressed with worm castings from my worm bin. It's the smallest metal trough with a wooden lid.

I planted cool season vegetables during the last week of December in the 3 troughs with the make shift cold frames. I included a couple of photos of the inside; garlic, onions, peas, spinach, and 3 varieties of lettuce. So far so good.

Today I planted Albion strawberries in the lone trough without a cold frame.

I live in zone 7 and so far our winter has been relatively mild. I plan to construct cold frames sometime within the near future for each trough in hopes of gardening year round.

It has been quite an endeavor although I am enjoying the challenge and look forward to the rest of the year.

You can buy ready made bottomless ones for raised beds.

 

[Veggiegirl87]

Thanks for sharing this @sugarapsa I've been looking into building raised beds out of wood this year around our rear patio, but I like the way this looks. I just did a quick local search, and it seems to be more pricey this way, but they also have ones without a bottom on them that are a little cheaper.

 

[sugarapsa]

Thank you cntrlwagdnr & Veggiegirl87.

 

[sugarapsa]

Here's what the veggies are looking like 20 days later.
I also thinned my Romain Blend lettuce and added those throughout the garden, including in the 3rd raised bed.
So far so good although I think I'm giving my snap peas a little too much water.

I do not have a photo of the veggies inside the fourth bed. Some birds had a field day with my new sprouts in that bed. Can't blame them. It's the only salad bar in my neck of the woods. Everything else is dirt brown. I planted it a second time a few days ago so they should be up and running in a few days.

Which brings me to the last thing i did in the garden today; placed a nylon mesh bird barrier throughout the garden.

 

[sugarapsa]

Begun installing old weathered cedar planks on the face of the galvanized planters. These should work fine to shield them from our HOT summers. I think they will also complement the wine oak planters that I will use for summer vegetables.

Will also be making our first harvest on Tuesday...Romaine Trio Blend.

 

[Meadowlark]

Might also discourage some pests. I love those old cedar planks.

 

[sugarapsa]

Thanks Meadowlark.

Now that two planters are complete (installing planks) something else comes to mind; I have watched a few videos regarding "ladybug homes". I will post a couple of photos once all the planks have been installed and what you'll notice is that there are many nooks and crannies. I am hopeful these too will entice ladybugs to take up residence.

 

[sugarapsa]

First harvest of 2024 (this morning). Romaine Trio Blend, spinach, and radishes. Photos of planters taken just before harvest.