AboutJim Kennard Expertise I can answer questions on vegetable gardening - Raised Beds, Container, Soil-Beds, "Poor Man's Hydroponics", Organic, etc.
Experience Gardened using The Mittleider Method for 30 years. Conducted seminars, college-level training programs, produced 80 video lectures, written hundreds of gardening articles, answered thousands of gardening questions, created a gardening website www.foodforeveryone.org with free ebook, free greenhouse plans, FAQ section with 355 gardening articles.
Organizations Food For Everyone Foundation - President - Mission is "Teaching the world to grow food one family at a time."
Publications Numerous website publications
Education/Credentials Taught personally for 20 years by Dr. Jacob R. Mittleider, "The Garden Doctor", assisted him in creating and conducting major gardening training projects in America and Russia.
Awards and Honors Master Mittleider Gardening Instructor
Question QUESTION: We are just building a greenhouse (14x20). I would like to use raised or elevated beds since the knees can no longer take the kneeling. What would I use for the best drainage and is plastic/rubber out of the question? I'm thinking chicken wire with cloth barrier for the bottom of a wood box. What would I use for support of my bed?
ANSWER: I do not recommend plastic or rubber on the bottom of your containers.
Usually the best bottom is no bottom at all, unless you have pests in the ground.
To avoid problems with gophers, etc., use chicken wire under the containers, but without the cloth. I'm not sure how cloth would help anyway, as diseases can go through it, it will soon rot away and anything can go through it.
How tall are you thinking to make your beds? Eight inches is sufficient for growing vegetables, especially if the plant roots can go into the soil beneath the container. You can make them taller to make it easier on your knees and back, but consider a small stool instead.
The containers can be made from 1" X 8" wood, so long as it has been painted. 2" X 8" is sturdier, but costs more initially.
Support for the sides should be with wooden or metal stakes driven into the ground every 3'.
Success to you! With a little heat in the cold weather you can enjoy a harvest for 1-2 months longer than outside in both Spring and Fall.
Jim Kennard
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QUESTION: The beds will be supported by a table or saw horse or something, I haven't decided yet. The height I want is about 25 to 30 inches plus the 8 inch depth for the soil allowance. I guess I wanted to know what would be best, wood or metal supports, and the bed construction material which I understand should be wood. I want to have a year round produce if possible.
Thanks for the information.
Answer A good height for working would be 32" for the top of the beds.
You could therefore build tables 24" tall on which to place your Grow-Boxes (containers).
Whether you use wood or metal you will need to make sure the bottoms of the containers or the tops of the tables have drainage. This needs to be about 3/16" wide every 4" across the width of the container.
Failure to provide good drainage will doom your plants to death by suffocation.
