Ragtag Garden, Part 1
As an offshoot of another project, I find myself with a garden this year.
I had salvaged a number of five gallon buckets that had fallen into disuse and it seemed a natural progression to take advantage of the situation to see if they were capable of producing again. Here's the key to what's where. This should make it easier to follow along as the plants grow. So far, I've used no amendments - just dirt and water.
As a baseline to compare to, these pictures were taken between May 31st and June 2nd.
Zucchini
Tomato
Sweet Banana Pepper
Pole Beans - Rightmost Bucket
Pole Beans - Middle Bucket
Pole Beans - Leftmost Bucket
The peas were a fun mini-project when it became necessary to expand the trellis system.
Cabbages
Brussels Sprouts
Ragtag seemed a fitting name considering most everything has been salvaged for re-use or re-purposed as a money saving measure. The only items I've had to purchase are the landscape fabric (~$23), 120 pins for fabric (~$20), 15 bags of mulch (~$38), and the plants/seeds themselves (~$30). I'll be needing a few more bags of mulch to finish things up, but that will be under $15. I expect my return on monetary investment will be break-even or maybe better, but that's not the main goal. (It IS a nice perk, tho.)
The point of reviving the garden is because it's just fun to watch things grow that YOU planted. There's a certain satisfaction to picking a tomato or zucchini to use in that day's meal.
Welcome to the Ragtag Garden!
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THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
I just found you on here. I love to garden...both vegetable and flower. I have to say I'm a big fan of repurpose, reuse, and recycle. I think potatoes would be an excellent candidate for buckets.
Hi! Pleased to meet you!
This is my first attempt after a few years off dealing with health issues. Finally feeling feisty enough to tackle it.
I've tried potatoes in the past, but tried to use a straw bale method. Not so good results. Maybe I'll try them next year if I'm adventurous. A new friend, @amberyooper, is growing them in his garden. He's also got a greenhouse that I'm jealous of.
Fingers crossed...
I'm doing the trash bag method in my garden. I took regular black kitchen bags, cut a bunch of holes in the bottom. I rolled the sides down...kinda like when you put a sock on. Filled with a few inches of compost and peat then put 3 pieces of seed potato in and covered them with a few inches.
Your supposed to keep covering the plant as it grows with more soup mix and roll up the side of the bag.
I have six white and six red potatoes.
That's the method that seemed most doable after my previous debacle. If I get the firepit area completed soon, I may have time to try it yet this year. Potatoes are my absolute favorite veggie. It's very tempting!
Thanks for the mention, aunty! :-)
One method that I've seen for growing potatoes in a small space is using a tote with drainage holes in the bottom, starting with about 3-4 inches of dirt in the botom, and adding dirt as the potatoes grow to cover the main stem as it grows.
You could also build a series of 2 foot by 2 foot box sides, like a raised bed, and stack them as the potatoes grow, to hold the dirt that you add as the plants grow. You don't want to plant too many seed potato chunks in a small space, you don't want them to crowd each other out. I would say 4 in a 2X2 space or 2-3 in an average size tote, like an 18 gallon. Try to get heavy duty totes, they're more expensive, but they won't split with the weight of a load of wet dirt.
That would take care of the grub and slug problem I had last time I attempted them. I'm thinking the trashbag method (contractor heavy-duty, maybe doubled) would be a good test run. If that works, then the bins would be a good second, more permanent, solution.
So many options! I'd forgotten how much fun this can be!
You make it look so easy!
Thanks!
Great job. Love the great variety.
My only suggestion, now that it's too late, of course, would be to put more dirt in the buckets until they're almost full, that way you get more root space.
I was wondering if I could add a little more, even now. I've uncovered a couple more bags of dirt. I've noticed the dirt level in all the buckets have gone down some - due to settling I'm sure. If I'm going to do it, now is the time, while I can get in there...
I'll take another look tomorrow & see...
It's never to late:)
What a beautiful job dear friend @ aunt-deb, how cute is your garden
Thank you very much for sharing.
have a nice week
Thank you! You have a nice week, also.
Those greens are ohhh-sssooo-ccuuuttee!!! Super Love!!
They're getting there! Hoping cute turns into tasty. ;~D
I love that you are growing out of buckets!!! So awesome!!!
looks like a great space to grow! yum
It is now. It's taken me a month to reclaim this area from overgrown weeds and rose vines. It's so nice to have it productive again! Stay tuned... it's just getting started!
Hi Aunt deb. Interesting technique you have. Let me know how it works out. I have all raised beds. Checkout my posts if you're interested. I'm following you. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! Raised beds are awesome. (Mine have collapsed from neglect.) The plants generally love those conditions best. If I survive this project, maybe I'll look at those for a future revamp.
The container garden evolved when my hubby was a painter. We had access to as many five gallon buckets as we wanted. Free is good! It also made weeding a breeze. So, when I rescued the buckets from the overgrowth, I just couldn't leave them un-used. I'm not expecting a bumper crop and will be thrilled with anything thing that ripens. That's part of the fun!
Very interesting ideas... Gonna try cabbage in the bucket trick.
Thumbs up, all the bets with you garden :)