Small urban garden

[Mr_Yan]

So my home garden is tiny by almost any standard. The majority of it is a 4x7 raised bed built over a concrete pad. I built up the soil in that bed by composting in place and mixing one bale of peat into it.

I found that, in my small yard, gardens need to be well defined and raised otherwise the dog and two toddlers destroy them.

This is a shot from this morning looking west (the sun off the neighbor's house saturated the camera)

This year the bulk of the main bed is greens (kale and chard) and broccoli with cantaloupe growing up a trellis along the north wall. There is a row of younger beets in there where the garlic has already been pulled.

This is a new idea that I just installed and it seems to be working well. These are two pallets placed over the ground and filled with soil. The open areas are then planted. These have held water in rather wall as the slats act as mulch. Currently planted are kale, turnips, spinach, mustard, and kohl-rabi that were direct sown almost two weeks ago.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Kudos, Mr. Yan!!!

 

[Rolex]

That's a simple yet brilliant idea for keeping the weeds down. THANKS for that!

 

[Mr_Yan]

Thanks guys. Can't claim the pallets as my idea though. I'm starting to think that the pallet slats will inhibit working in compost year after year. With this I am also thinking about using some 1-by-6 or similar planking (non-treated fence planks maybe) between rows in my raised beds. I've always hated walking in a garden bed, remember I use raised beds, but the pallets can support a step if you're careful where you step.

 

[Mike]

I've seen a few pictures of people using pallets, but the only thing that scares me about using them is the chemicals that not only can be found used on them to protect them but also the chemicals that they might have been carrying during their lifetime before being put to use as a flowering or vegetable garden bed.

I do like your raised garden by the way!

 

[Mr_Yan]

These two were cheap pallets that flooring was delivered to a big box store on. Neither of them were either heat treated (at least stamped as HT) or made of treated lumber. Thinking about it these weren't even hardwood like most of the pallets I see are.

The main fear I have in my garden is heavy metals and lead specifically. There are now two spots in the yard where I have in-ground beds - these pallets and across the path from them where I have a peach tree against the house with squash under it. There is little enough food coming from that area I have not had it tested but this house is 80+ years old with wood lapp siding so I know it was painted with lead paint. If I were to get more serious about my food garden there I would test it but we're talking about moving out of here next year so why bother.

 

[Mr_Yan]

I do like your raised garden by the way!

Thanks. Missed that line when I just posted.

This bed is 4' x 7' and about 18" deep placed over a concrete pad. I decided it was too much work to break up the pad so I just built over it. The frame work is scrap 2x4 with pocket screws fastening it. The center panels are cut from one sheet of T1-11. I then stained the outside and coated all sides with a few coats of boiled linseed oil. The inside of the walls are also lined with blue tarp. It may be overboard but it is in the fourth season of use and I haven't found any weak spots.

 

[MB3]

that is a very handsome garden and patio area. I really like it.
you may also consider more large pots. This could open up possibilities of peppers and tomatoes (especially dwarf tomato varieties), just try to keep them away from the brassicas (greens) as much as you can. You may want to alternate what goes in the raised beds and what goes in pots year to year, to reduce blight a bit. I know first hand about growing in small areas, so some of this is easier said than done, I know.
I see you already utilize the space quite well, so nice job.

 

[Mr_Yan]

that is a very handsome garden and patio area. I really like it.
you may also consider more large pots. This could open up possibilities of peppers and tomatoes (especially dwarf tomato varieties), just try to keep them away from the brassicas (greens) as much as you can. You may want to alternate what goes in the raised beds and what goes in pots year to year, to reduce blight a bit. I know first hand about growing in small areas, so some of this is easier said than done, I know.
I see you already utilize the space quite well, so nice job.

Thanks MB3. I had 7 tomato plants and about the same number of peppers tucked around I just can't get far enough away to get many photos of the yard. The camera's CCD saturated so you can't really see the trellis along the top of the fence where I had Cherokee purples and sugar baby watermelons. These were in small boxes (16" deep, 16" wide, ~30" long)

Last year's tomaotes were:
Roma (1)
Cherokee Purple (3)
unknown grape type (1)
Brandywine red (2)

I had about five bell peppers around the back yard and two 24" diameter pots of Havasu peppers out front.

This year I am still working on my map and quantities. I have a thread going some where I need to get back to for my 2014 garden.