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Darn, wish I could post pictures. My son-in-law who is so talented built a raised garden bed
(Handyman how to build a raised garden bed.) 84 x 36 x 28) It is beautiful but they lead very busy lives so the garden was neglected. I ask about putting a large container in their yard. Daughter said please use ours. Oh! Boy! Says my heart and brain, the body not so much. Been researching a drip irrigation system and it is doable. Question, does anyone have experience with this idea. Don’t want to start something I can’t

https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/ ... rden-beds/

Shirl, if you want to email a couple pictures, I'll add them to the thread.

Hi Shirl.

I have used a drip irrigation system in the past for a vegetable garden, I am in process of designing a new system for my current garden.

If you are just using a drip system in a small raised bed, it should be fairly simple, and fairly inexpensive - although there are a lot of choices involved.

Let me know if you would like more "in depth" info.

Anne

Thanks Beth, I just edited my post. Was able to post the site that son-in-law used.

Anne, was interested in learning any negative sides or problems to drip irrigation system. It sounds pretty easy to install. If I take this on I do not want problems I can’t handle that would fall to busy children. They would be willing but I am not.

Another thought:

I briefly glanced that the link you provided; the instructions for the raised bed said to use treated lumber. For a raised bed of flowers, this might be ok. . . but I definitely WOULD NOT use treated lumber for the growing of kind of food item.

Lumber is treated with arsenic compounds to prevent the wood from rotting (treated lumber will rot over time anyway, the arsenic just slows the process down) and these compounds can be taken up by the plants grown in this kind of container.

You might want to check what your daughter's raised bed was built out of before you decide to use it.

Anne

Shirlv wrote:Thanks Beth, I just edited my post. Was able to post the site that son-in-law used.

Anne, was interested in learning any negative sides or problems to drip irrigation system. It sounds pretty easy to install. If I take this on I do not want problems I can’t handle that would fall to busy children. They would be willing but I am not.

Ok, Shirl, first question I will ask: Are the dimensions of the raised bed you gave in feet or in inches?

Anne, dimensions are inches. I don’t know what wood sil used. The garden bed is lined so soil doesn’t come in contact with wood. I want to use a water timer since I live half an hour away. This very senior citizen wants to get her hands dirty, watch plants grow and feel a sense of accomplishment. Don’t want my enthusiasm to dismiss potential problems.

Shirl, I have always used drip systems in my garden. For what you want, it would be super simple. I put in a whole yard drip system on 3 different valves just before the fire...............dang it. I finally got my whole yard drip system replaced and it went up in flames..........just not fair ha ha I dont have much of a yard to landscape right now but hope over time I can get it to where I have enough to putter in it. I do have a small area for planting some tomatoes and peppers and onions this year. The rest of the yard is ROCK.....ugh. But will get it spiffed up for sure over time.

Shirlv wrote:Anne, was interested in learning any negative sides or problems to drip irrigation system. It sounds pretty easy to install. If I take this on I do not want problems I can’t handle that would fall to busy children. They would be willing but I am not.

Shirl, I cant really think of too many negatives. For a space that small you won't need much

Anne

The use of copper arsenate (contained arsenic) stopped by law in US in 2004, so unless using very old lumber, there is no arsenic in treated lumber. It is a copper compound but not arsenic these days.
I built several drip systems but it's been a few years so products probably got better. Used to be challenging to pop he parts together but is easy and works well.
Velda

Another great idea if you need a temporary garden


https://www.icoonoo.com/products/new-ye ... anting-bed

Tina, so glad to see you are on the mend!! Retrieving the pups must make your heart glad!!

It is about 75 degrees in the backyard at the moment. . . still February. Probably going to be an early spring, followed by a hot summer. Not looking forward to the heat.

Had my first lettuce harvest from my plastic tubs yesterday!

After only about 3 weeks, the lettuce leaves are big enough to start randomly picking!


Rinsing the lettuce leaves


YUM!!


Anne

Anne, I had salad for dinner with store bought lettuce. Yours looks scrumptious and I bet it tasted it too.

Shirlv wrote:Anne, I had salad for dinner with store bought lettuce. Yours looks scrumptious and I bet it tasted it too.

It was very yummy, thanks! And I had never tried to grow lettuce before.

Anne

Anne, if you like sweet salty, you need fresh spinach salad with strawberries, walnuts, feta cheese. What the heck some crispy bacon. A dressing made with strawberry preserve. Now I can’t wait, I had lettuce last year will try spinach too starting next month.

2 1/2 T lemon juice
2 T olive oil
2 T strawberry preserves
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 C sliced strawberries5 C spinach
1/2 C walnuts
1/3 C feta cheese crumbled