Accessible gardening

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by dice

Milk crate garden:
http://www.improvisedlife.com/wp-con...ate-farm-2.jpg

(Being on top of a building makes vehicle-accessible paths between
rows built-in, big advantage if you are gardening from a wheelchair
or similar.)

Stock tank garden:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mchc7h0lRE...0/_DSC2720.JPG

Another: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A_mjNdnMD_...nk+gardens.jpg

Love that stock tank idea!

[ScottinAtlanta]

You have to water twice a day for the Earthboxes? That really changes my view of those things - I thought they required less watering, not more.

[bughunter99]

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

You have to water twice a day for the Earthboxes? That really changes my view of those things - I thought they required less watering, not more.

It is completely dependent on the size of the reservoir. My homemade ones are in 37 gallon tubs (big enough for two large or three small tomato plants). My reservoir is large enough that I have no problem leaving town for 10 days and yes summers are very hot and very windy here.

[Rockporter]

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

You have to water twice a day for the Earthboxes? That really changes my view of those things - I thought they required less watering, not more.

I never watered twice per day except when it got really hot, humid and windy at the same time. I only did it about three times in total two summers ago. I usually only need to water once per day and it is not usually more than 1 gallon or two. Depends on the heat of the day.

[baileyj]

I agree with Rockporter, I have only watered twice/day about 3 times.

I then used the Automatic watering system last year for my tomatoes...no worries it worked great. I also found if I shaded the boxes during the brutal afternoon sun they used less water.

My other boxes were all watered once/day or every other day depending on what was growing.

Judi

[dice]

For anyone considering the milk crate method, they can be bought
new from Uline: http://www.uline.com/BL_313/Milk-Crates
(I wonder if UV will affect their longevity.)

Stock tanks one can probably find at a variety of farm supply vendors.

[LDx4]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

Love that stock tank idea!

Tracy,

A friend of ours has three of them. He put them on an existing slab of concrete in his yard. He placed them so that he has plenty of room to maneuver around them. He's not in a wheel chair, but he does have mobility issues. They are great and easy to work in. He can fit two large tomato plants in each one (they come in various sizes and he has the smaller ones). He just replaces about 1/3 of the potting mix each year and adds new compost. Plus, I think they look nice in his yard. I don't know where he got them though. Not too many farm supply places around here.

Lyn

[dice]

Barn World stock tanks (for example):
http://www.barnworld.com/livestock-s...-0BDAF04EA7C4/

They have bottomless ones, too, but ones with bottoms might be
a better idea if you are in root-knot nematode country.

Originally Posted by dice

Barn World stock tanks (for example):
http://www.barnworld.com/livestock-s...-0BDAF04EA7C4/

They have bottomless ones, too, but ones with bottoms might be
a better idea if you are in root-knot nematode country.

The stock tank as a container is a good idea. I have a black, plastic one I used as a saw horse while building my chicken coop. I imagine it is about 150 gallons in size. It should make a great container. I'll give it a try.

Ted

[Vespertino]

I've been reading this thread with great interest since I broke my knee in a fall a couple of days ago. Sadly I think I might have to give up on my gardening prospects this year. While SIPs and raised beds make the garden easier to access, those structures need to be built and my yard needs a lot of modifications in order to accommodate such, and that doesn't include work needed to modify the water irrigation systems. All of that requires physical labor, all of which I was looking forward to do myself, until my knee ripped in half...

[luigiwu]

I am a huge huge fan of Larry Hal''s rain gutter grow system. Once you set it up - there is virtually no maintenance! And people have built it so it sits higher as desk height if that helps you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyOIRVjatdg