Well, now, that’s obviously not what’s supposed to go there!
Soon I’ll be getting this big larch wood planter box out onto the lawn and I’ll be looking to fill it with soil. I’d love advice on the best way to do that. Buy some? And can you get it in loads, or just bags at a store? Dig it up myself? Experienced box-gardeners, educate this gal!
(Yup, I know, I could just ask my mom, and I will, but I’d also love to hear from all of you, and, your answers won’t just educate me, they’ll also educate other people new to gardening! Thanks Internet, for being awesome.)
Have a great Friday!
Hi Leah! The Farmer’s Co-op is a great place for you to buy soil to put in your planter. They have great expert advise and I always spend way too much time in there looking around. A mixture of peat moss and compost is a great way to start a planter like this. you can get peat moss there in big packs for a really good price. If you use soil that you’ve dug up yourself you have the possibility of weed contamination right from the get-go and also the possibility of pathogen contamination.
Yesterday I hosted a Workshop on Vermicomposting. This is an excellent way of getting the small amount of compost that you need for your planter and it’s sooooo cool! Vermiculture is the art of raising worms, and vermicomposting is harvesting the worm castings to use as a beautiful, stable compost for your garden. It’s easy to do, you can keep your composter right in your kitchen and feed your table scraps to the worms! My worms have become a part of my daily routine. I just loe those little guys.
Happy Planting!
Jessica
Oh man, that would be awesome to have some worms! I’ll look into that. And thanks for the advice on the Farmer’s Co-Op and the soil ideas. Thanks, you rock!!
I keep red wrigglers. They are the best at processing food waste. I have enough that I am able to divide my colony. If you decide that you would like to start your own vermi-composter let me know and I will bring some for you on my next trip to Cape Breton. 🙂
Are you going to put in flowers, only, or edibles? That makes a difference to me. I’d put the planter on the ground where it will drain freely and not rot your deck.
Yes, it will definitely be going on the ground!! It’s on the deck for now because it’s too heavy to lift to where I want it to go, by myself. I’m waiting on Adam’s help. And it will be edibles going into the box.
I agree with Jessica above about using something other than soil you already have in your garden because of the weed factor. At least with a potting mix you can start without weeds, although since it is open at the bottom, eventually there might be something creeping in. The soil might depend on what you are going to plant too. If you have a nice garden shop that also has bagged soils you might ask them or ask whomever you get your plants or seeds from. You probably only need a bag or two for that size. Make sure you have extra soil to add when it settles after a few waterings. Have fun with it! I look forward to seeing what you end up planting!
Thanks Rhonda!! 🙂
Beautiful planter! I would probably just buy soil in bags at the home improvement store, but I’m sure there are local areas that you could buy dirt from or even get for free!
Hello Leah,
Since it is going onto the ground I would suggest you put a layer of gravel at the bottom. Next a layer of rockweed (seaweed) about 6 inches deep compacted. I don’t know if you are near enough to the shore for that, but if you are it is a fantastic base.Then finish up with soil from a garden centre.
Enjoy!
I really like it when people come together and share opinions.
Great blog, keep it up!