Several neighbors have asked about our garden boxes. So I’m sharing how we did this and some tips for growing tomatoes. I don’t think it’s too late to plant –if you purchase the plants. There’s nothing like having home-grown tomatoes! With some ambition, you can create a place for them.
An Option for Making Garden boxes
The first thing we wanted to do in our new backyard is create long-lasting garden boxes. Thankfully brother Richard Anderson at Home Depot became our master gardener expert. He guided us with the following steps.
1. Cut your 2x8x? boards to the shape you want. Ours boxes are 4 x 8 feet.
2. Coat the boards on both sides so they don't rot over time. Br. Richard Anderson suggested applying Henry 107.
It might look like this after you coat the boards.
3. Put them together. I used steel board connectors. Note: Your boards will be black with the coating.
4. (optional) Nail or staple cedar boards to the outside of the boxes- for better looking boxes.
5. Put good soil into them. We ordered from a local soil company. No weeds!
7. I put stakes around the sides so I could run pvc tube over the boxes and place plastic over our plants. Water drenching from our NW weather can mold your seeds (even potato seeds) and cause them not to grow.
Note the light circle of slug powder around my basil plants
8. Plant and fertilize.
9. Cover with plastic in early Spring or Late fall to extend your growing season and protect from too much rain (and blight for tomato plants).
Sources:
eHow - Build a Raised Garden Box
