Recycled raised garden

[HunkieDorie23]

OK, I am thinking about putting in a raised bed garden next year and maybe starting this fall with my garlic. I have been seriously down sized at work and next year will only be working 15 hours a week so extra money is non-existant. I was trying to think how I could do it without $100's invested. I am a cook at our local school district and I have access to lots of cans (ie from fruit, sauces, veggies...) which we throw away everyday. I was thinking about saving them, staking out my beds, set the cans for the perimeter, then wire the cans attaching the wires to the corner stakes. I thought that the cans would last (no rotting wood to replace) and would also heat the soil so I could plant earily also.

Can anyone see flaws in this concept or suggestions to maybe make it better. I spent hours trying to think of something I could use but I don't want to get invested (just time) with this project to find that it is not going to work.

 

[berry_Bob]

The cans will rust , you could use old tires and just cut the sidewall out with a sawsall , you can also paint them to make them look nicer , another idea is get some plastic 55 gal drums , cut the ends off then cut in half , or just cut in half and drill holes around the sides at the bottoms http://bluebarrelgarden.weebly.com/ good luck and keep us updated

 

[berry_Bob]

one more for you to check out http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=375202

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I thought about rust but aren't they stainless steel? I also thought about tires but I would need a ton of them. My garden site is a traditional style and is about 3500 sq ft. To turn that size garden area into raised gardens beds is a really big expense.

 

[berry_Bob]

I just looked it up , they are made of steel or tin which is basically the same thing so yes they will rust

 

[lesa]

There is absolutely no need to surround your garden. I know it is fashionable- but a mound of dirt will work perfectly... I have several raised beds like this- and I prefer them to the boxed ones, I have. If you are determined to box around it- keep your eye on craigslist ( and the side of the road)- you can use scrap wood. Good luck!

 

[HunkieDorie23]

There is absolutely no need to surround your garden. I know it is fashionable- but a mound of dirt will work perfectly... I have several raised beds like this- and I prefer them to the boxed ones, I have. If you are determined to box around it- keep your eye on craigslist ( and the side of the road)- you can use scrap wood. Good luck!

Really? That would be awesome, do you have a problem with soil erosion when it rains? What are you growing in your mounded beds?

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I just looked it up , they are made of steel or tin which is basically the same thing so yes they will rust

Well thanks for your input. It has saved me a lot of work. I may try Lesa suggestion of unbound raised beds. I can afford that easily.

 

[lesa]

A bit of erosion does occur- but after that, the dirt kind of settles in and doesn't move much. I have peas, almost all my flowers, basil, etc. in mounded beds. The thing I like best about them, is they don't have to be square...you can choose any design you want. If you saw my pics of the tiny tea garden- you will see that is just a mound of dirt, with herbs planted in it...

 

[ninnymary]

Even if the cans rust, won't they at least last a season? If you fill them with dirt, they may be heavy enough where you won't have to tie them. Just ideas.

Mary