Cheap Raised Garden Beds – Under $20

At Upcycle, we’ve been ecstatic with the #UrbanGardening movement. The idea that you have be in possession of large swaths of land in order to grow your own food is as antiquated as harvesting by hand. The biggest issue most people run into when trying to do a little urban gardening is that the soil, simply from being in an urban environment with all the pollution that entails, is such poor quality. Run off from storms, commercial flights and dense urban traffic all conspire to reduce the nutrient density in urban soil. The easiest way to get around this pollution issue is using cheap raised garden beds.

By getting the garden beds up and into their own defined space, a soil amendment like Native Soil can do wonders to heal the polluted urban soil. We’ve looked at cheap raised garden beds before on this blog, but I wanted to spend some time looking at how to build them for under $20.

Inexpensive Raised Bed Garden

Nothing like a little garden project to make any mother-in-law happy. This cheap raised garden bed contains roughly one cubic yard of space that can be used with potting soil or any soil that’s combined with Native Soil fertilizer.

$2.00 Raised Garden Bed?

Depending on how much you want to upcycle and reuse, a cheap raised garden bed can be had for the paltry sum of $2.00. Now, it may not look as nice as brand new treated lumber, but it will get the job done. If you’re working on a true urban guerilla grow, this may be the approach you want to take.

By using such a cheap garden bed you can live to fight another day if the garden is removed from the poached land.

Cheap Raised Garden Beds – Platic Crates

Here’s a project I absolutely love. This raised garden bed uses recycled plastic crates in lieu of lumber. By using crates, this project all but eliminates the need for tools. Depending on where you find these crates, this may be the cheapest project yet. Including the $2.00 guerilla grow.

Cinder Block Cheap Raised Garden Bed

If you can’t find crates, you can almost certainly find cinder blocks in an urban environment. The best thing about this project, aside from the cost, is that it will last. Cheap wooden raised garden beds have a tendency of being beat into submission by the elements. Not so with cinder blocks. Plenty of these beds are still around for years and years after they were first built.

Don’t get hung up on the materials you use when building your beds. Something can always be repurposed for the right job and the right environment.

Guaranteed Tips For the Novice Gardener

A novice gardener needs to remember that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Gather some ideas for planning your garden, whether it will be for home or back yard use. You can determine all the things that you need so that you don’t waste any money on equipment that isn’t needed, or the wrong seeds for your type of environment.

Choosing the Right Plants for the Right Spaces

A great tip for the novice gardener is to plan on covering mistakes.  Long plants that run up or around a fence or wall are often useful for masking ugliness. climbing vines photo These types of plants can climb anything, which makes them perfect for covering up a wall or fence that needs to be hidden. You may also be interested in training them over an arbor or trellis. You can also grow them among existing landscape trees and plants. There are those that have to be fixed to a support, but others will find a surface to cling to all on their own through twining stems or tendrils. Some climbers that have proven to be reliable are honeysuckle, jasmine, wisteria, clematis, and climbing roses.

Make sure your soil is healthy enough before you start planting anything. A novice gardener should pay a small fee to have your soil analyzed, and you’ll be glad that you did when you understand what nutrients your soil is lacking. There are numerous places to find this service, such as your local Cooperative Extension office. A product like Native Soil can help to balance out poor soil and get the right nutrients into the garden. The cost is well worth it to avoid a potentially ruined crop.

Plant to the Right Season Accordingly

Plant cool-weather edibles in the fall. Don’t thow out your jack-o-lanterns from this week. Try using a pumpkin as a natural plant pot. You can plant fall vegetables such as lettuce in an empty pumpkin shell. After cutting an opening and removing the meat and seeds from inside the pumpkin, use Wilt-Pruf, sprayed throughout the inside and cut edges, and prevent rot from occurring. Once this is done, you are ready to plant!An emptied pumpkin is a great pot for a novice gardener to look sophisticated

Give your vegetables at least six hours of direct sunlight. Many veggies require this amount to properly grow at a faster pace. Some flowers have the same requirement for growth.

Plant with the colors of autumn in mind. That doesn’t have to be it though. When it comes to vivid foliage, autumn offers the best opportunity to view it. Maple, beech, and dogwood display colors ranging from dark crimson to light yellow. When selecting shrubs that will be colorful during the fall, consider hydrangea, barberry, or cotoneaster.

Don’t Use too Much Water Novice Gardener

Efficiently water your garden. Soaker hoses save time by watering all of your plants at once, rather than individually with a standard hose or watering can. Keep the soaker’s water pressure at a low level, so that your tender plants will not be harmed. You can take care of other tasks or just relax while your plants are automatically watered for an hour or so.

An English garden mixes plants of various kinds and sizes close together, which helps to give it a more multi-dimensional feel. If you use plants that are all the same size your garden will look flat.

It just requires some effort and a bit of learning on your part, and of course, a whole lot of patience. The work will pay off, once you see how you can make something grow.

Photo by Fred Ortlip

Newbie Gardener Tips

A huge variety of wonderful gardening resources exist. You could spend an entire day online looking for the gardening information you need. This article will give you all of the advice you need in order to get started even if you’re a newbie gardener. Continue reading in order to get this advice.

Know thy Soil

Digging in clay soil with a shovel can be very difficult. The clay isn’t easy to work with and will adhere to the shovel, which only makes the problem worse. Coat the shovel with floor or car wax, and buff it with a clean rag to make the job a lot easier. The clay easily slides off the surface while keeping the end from getting rusty.

backyard garden photo
Photo by chrislee-cm

A garden needs the right type of soil to grow properly. Consider getting a soil analysis and working on enrichment techniques for giving your garden a vibrant and healthy environment. It can avoid ruined vegetables and flowers, so check with places, such as a cooperative extension department to see where you can obtain the analysis. Products like Native Soil help balance out bad soil chemistry and are a great starting tool for newbie gardeners.

CO2 is essential for growth. A major portion of plants grow their best in an environment with a saturated level of CO2. Growing plants in a greenhouse is the best way to contain CO2 for use by your plants. If you have a greenhouse, keep CO2 levels high.

Easy Garden Hacks

Turn the handles of your garden tools into measuring rulers. You can use larger tools, like rakes, as measuring sticks. Place the handles on the floor, then set a measuring tape alongside them. Label the distances on the handle with a marker pen that will not smear or fade away. Now when you go garden the next time, you’ll have a giant ruler at your command.

Don’t Let Your Hard Work Get Eaten

Using pesticides when natural solutions are available is the hallmark of a newbie gardener. Try to plan a variety of perennials that are slug-proof. Slugs and snails are voracious eaters that can destroy a plant literally overnight. These pests are especially attracted to tender sprouts and to delicate, soft leaves.newbie gardener mistake letting snails eat before they do Some perennials are not preferred meals for snails and slugs, especially if their foliage is hairy and tough, or tastes bad. These varieties include achillea, helleborus, heuchera, euphorbia, and campanula.

 

Use bulbs to ensure continuous flowers throughout the spring and summer. Most people have no trouble successfully growing bulbs, and their flowers will return each and every year. Different bulbs will bloom during different time periods. Therefore, if you select your bulbs correctly, you could have blooms in your garden for all of spring and summer.

Don’t make the newbie gardener mistake of planting too densely. Make sure air can circulate around your plants, and keep leaves moisture-free. Excess moisture creates an appealing environment for disease and parasites. A fungus is one of the most important and debilitating parasites for plants. Fungi can be controlled with fungicide sprays, but it is important to treat your area with the spray, before you see any problems.

Gardening is a popular hobby which many people find rewarding. As you learn more, you will become a better gardener. Always remember to listen to great advice. Start by applying the tips laid out here, and you will have the most beautiful garden you’ve ever seen.

Prime Your Soil Chemistry For Optimal Garden Growth

When I first got into gardening I thought it was as simple as put some seeds in some dirt, add some water and wait a few months for a salad. I had no idea that you need to make sure your soil chemistry is top notch to ensure top notch results. Here are some basic tips to get you started on your soil health journey.

Start with the Right Soil for the Right Occassion

Put sod down the right way. You want to prepare the soil before you lay down the sod. Pull all the weeds and loosen the soil so the new roots can take easily. When the soil is clean, pack it tightly and create a flat surface. Moisten the soil thoroughly. You should lay your sod staggered, and have the joints offset. You want the sod to end up as a flat and even surface. If there are any gaps in between the sod pieces, then you can fill these in with some soil. Sod has to be watered daily for two weeks, and then it can be rooted.
Clay is difficult to dig through with a shovel, as it is sticky and compact. Rubbing wax on the shovel prior to digging can kick this challenge to the curb. The clay will no longer stick to the shovel, and this also helps to prevent other problems like rusting.

Pests Play a Huge Part in Soil Chemistry

The first thing you can do to avoid pests is to start with healthy soil in your garden. Healthier plants are greater in strength and resistance to illness and insects. For healthy plants, start with healthy soil that is properly amended and free of chemicals in order to avoid salt accumulation. A product like Native Soil is great for balancing out poor soil.

Make sure to pre-soak seeds, preferably in a dark location. Place a small amount of seeds in a little container, while filling it to the brim with water. The seeds will get the hydration they need to start growing. This gives the seeds a better chance of flourishing.

Where’s the Sun?

Whenever you are planting a veggie garden, it is vital that you place them in a location where sun shines down on them for six or more hours per day. This allows the vegetables to grow quickly and healthily. Some flowers have the same requirement for growth.

onions can control slugs which helps soil chemistry
Onions are a natural slug deterrent.

Use natural pest control when possible. Onions and marigolds can help to deter slugs. Mulch around the bottom of trees and shrub seedlings with wood ash to reduce unwanted infestation of pests. By utilizing these methods, you will not have to apply chemical pesticides on your vegetation.

Healthy Gardeners Make Healthy Gardens

Protect yourself from sun overexposure while gardening by wearing the proper clothing. Pair sunglasses with wide-brimmed hats and a dab of sunblock. When you protect yourself against the sun’s rays, you are more likely to avoid both skin cancer and sunburn.

The warmth of the day can make vegetables soft, making them more prone to damage as you pick them. See to it that you cut their connection to the vine as opposed to twisting them, because twisting could hurt the plant.

Now you should be ready to get gardening with some basic healthy soil chemistry. You though you had mad skills before? Now you have insane skills! The tips in the article should have set you on the right path to having a great garden and growing like the professionals.

Photo by Internet Archive Book Images

Creative Ideas and Practical Gardening Advice

Gardening is an activity you can pursue if you want to have tasty fruits and veggies sprouting to maturity just outside your house. There’s nothing quite like going outside and grabbing some toppings for your salad, or better yet the whole salad. This article can give you practical gardening advice that can help you get more out of your garden.

Be Mindful of the Seasons

Your plants will respond better to gradual changes of environment. When I first started out I just wanted to grow what I wanted whenever I wanted. Big mistake. I burned up quite a few tomato plants in the summer in direct sunlight.

The first day you transfer your plants, you should only allow them to sit in direct sunlight for a few hours. Over the course of a week, slowly increase the amount of time that you leave them outside. After a few more days, your plants will be more resistant and ready to stay outside all the time.

Plant annuals and biennials to make your flower beds brighter. Biennials and annuals that grow quickly can add color to a flower bed, plus they permit you to modify the way the flower bed looks each season and each year. In an area that is sunny, they make good plants to place in the gaps found between shrubs and perennials. Notable collections include sunflower, marigold, hollyhock, rudbeckia, cosmos, and petunia.

Keep your plants dry and aerated daily. Plant moisture is a big attraction to both parasites and plant diseases. One parasite you have to watch out for in particular is fungi. It is possible to get rid of fungi after it appears with anti-fungal sprays, but it’s better to spray at-risk areas before fungi appear.

A Little Visual Flair Never Hurt Anyone

When deciding on which plants to include in your landscaping projects, consider evergreens which produce colorful berries. They will provide a splash of color in the drab and dreary winter months when a lot of other plants have lost their colors. Other plants that boast of winter berries include: Holly, Snowberry and Winterberry.

strawberries photo
Photo by bravediggs

Consider planting strawberries, especially ones that are everbearing, for your garden if you have small children. Kids delight in the idea of growing things and seeing how things change over time. Explain every step to your child and he or she will hang on to your every word.

Get Creative with Protection for Practical Gardening Advice

Aspirin water has disease-prevention properties that can protect plants. To add the aspirin to the plant, dissolve about one tablet and a half into approximately two gallons of fresh water. Next, coat the plant with the aspirin mixture by spraying it on the leaves. Use this method every three weeks.

Another piece of practical gardening advice is to ensure your soil chemistry is up to snuff by balancing your home soil with products like Native Soil and the like. They restore old soil’s chemistry to make it heartier and give plants more nutritional value to extract.

Keep your garden tools close at hand to make the most of your gardening time. You can make use of a bucket, or wear pants that have plenty of pockets. Have gloves, shears, a trowel and anything else you need handy for quick use.

garden trowel photo
Photo by Benson Kua

As mentioned earlier, the art of gardening means that your dining table can have fresh and tasty vegetables and fruits, that you grow in your own garden. Being able to make a meal from homegrown ingredients will leave you with a sense of satisfaction. Follow these tips to garden efficiently and enjoy it.

Join us on Facebook or Twitter to share what you’re doing with your home garden creations!

 

Enjoy Your Own Healthful Produce with These Tips

One good way to have a steady supply of healthful, fresh vegetable is to develop a backyard (or anywhere) garden. It does take some time and effort, though. You also have a wide variety of seeds that you can select from. Enjoying your own healthful produce grown from the seed is extremely rewarding. The following article will provide you with advice that will help you create your dream home garden.

Start with the Soil Basics

Clay soil can be a real pain to work with as it often sticks to the end of the shovel. Coat and buff the digging end of the shovel with automobile wax to make digging easier. This will keep the soil from sticking, and prevent rusting of the tool.

Adequate salt levels are important to grow healthful produce
Photo by simonturkas

In San Diego, you’re likely going to be dealing with riverbed soil, which is a great start, or decomposed granite, which is an enormous pain. Decomposed granite has awful starting soil chemistry, so boosting that with potting soil, fertilizer like Native Soil, or other soil additives is going to be essential.

Starting a garden with the best soil is a great defense mechanism against pests. The healthier the plants you grow, the more resistant they’ll be to illness, fungus, or bugs. You want to cultivate quality soil with adequate salt levels, which leads to healthy plants.

Choose the Right Plants for the Right Spaces

Use climbers if you want to cover any fences or walls. Climbing plants can cover a wall after one growing season only. They also work to cover up old, and possibly dead, vegetation. There are natural climbers, which use tendrils or stems to wrap around any given surface, while others must be tied with a string or rope. Excellent varieties include honeysuckle, wisteria, jasmine, climbing roses and clematis.

You can alleviate this problem by planting grasses that your cat will naturally gravitate towards. Offensive smells also work to repel cats and other pesky animals from eating your plants. Try putting mothballs, citrus peels, garlic and other pungent items on the topsoil.

Getting the soil chemistry right is key for growing healthful produce at home
Photo by Tatiana12

Knee pads are absolute miracle accessories if you work in a garden with plenty of low-growing plants. When you spend a lot of time kneeling while gardening, your knees can be very achy by the end of the day A pair of good gardening knee pads can cushion your knees for more comfort.

Do you enjoy your mint leaves, but can’t stand how they dominate your garden? Stunt their growth a little by planting your mint into a garden container or large pot instead. The container can be planted in the ground, and it will still prevent the plant from dominating the garden.

Right Plants, Right Seasons for Healthful Produce at Home

If you are planning on growing peas, start them indoors before putting them outdoors in your garden. If you give them a chance to grow indoors where they are protected, they will germinate better. Give the seeds enough time to get stronger: growing indoors will make it easier for your plants to resist diseases and the pesky bugs. Once they are strong enough, you can transplant them outside.

Don’t count the fall season out. That doesn’t have to be, however. When it comes to brightly colored foliage, fall is an amazing time of year. There are a number of trees that provide exuberant displays of color, such as Dogwood, Beech and Maple. When you choose shrubbery, try hydrangea, barberry, or cotoneaster. Even in the winter you can enjoy healthful produce grown at home. Try some super foods like kale or hearty squash.

Starting an organic garden helps make your diet better, and understanding the different options for your garden can help you be even more successful. Using the information that has been provided is a great way to start an organic garden of your own.

Four Tips for Preparing your Garden for Winter

Do you feel that chill in the air? Finally? When you analyze all of the individual components of gardening, it can be somewhat complex. If you want to try your hand at backyard gardening, then be prepared to learn about concepts like pH balance. However, growing healthful food can be difficult for those who have not done it before. Use the tips below to grow like a pro and make sure you’re preparing your garden for winter the easy way.

Keep an Eye on Your Soil Chemistry

winter garden photoSometimes the soil you want to use for your garden has a high alkaline or salt content. Outside of using Native Soil, combine coffee grounds with the soil to reduce this. Basically, the grounds resupply the soil with acid. This is one of the most inexpensive ways to achieve this result. When you can eliminate excess alkaline from the soil, it makes what you are growing much healthier. This means your veggies will taste better, and your flowers will be more vibrant than ever.

If you would love to have access to fresh and healthy mint leaves from your own back yard, but dread the way the plant spreads so quickly, worry not. Try to keep your mint in a container in your garden to stop their rampage. You can plant the container into the soil if you want to, but the container will restrict the roots, and make sure that the plant doesn’t run rampant in your garden.

New Pests, No Problems

Natural materials or some other plants can be used in your garden for keeping away pests. A border of onions or marigolds around a vegetable garden can repel slug. You can also mulch around trees and shrubs with wood ash, which drives away insects. These methods prevent use of harsh chemicals.

Read instructions on new gardening chemicals and tools before you use them. Some of the chemicals in these products can cause skin irritation, or worse, if you fail to take this simple precaution. Protect your plants and yourself by knowing how to correctly use all of your gardening implements.

Be Sure to Watch Your Health

Put money into a quality wheelbarrow and kneeling stool if you plan to do garden work often. Using a large portion of your time near or on the ground working on your garden puts a huge strain on your knees; therefore, having a portable, lightweight garden stool will greatly assist you in making gardening easier on them. It is also normal to move heavy objects and dirt around the garden, so a wheelbarrow is something you should have. Especially when the soil is getting harder and the air colder, it is important to make sure you ready yourself and your garden for winter.

Get Creative in the Kitchen

Keep your garden for winter ready
Photo by libraryrachel

An easy, inexpensive way to give them nutrients is to pour the leftover water from your steamed vegetables into the soil. Some plants, such as gardenias, azaleas and rhododendrons need acidic soil for proper growth. Increase the acidity of your soil by adding coffee grounds and unused tea bags. Chamomile tea is a good remedy against fungus.

Now, you shouldn’t get your hopes up and believe that a few tips are going to turn you into an instant professional gardener. However, these tips are a great starting point if you do plan to grow organically. As you implement these tips and hone your skills, you’ll be a professional green-thumb-holder in no time.