Cheap plastic 2x3 boxes

Thanks everyone! The colors have certainly grown on me (if you can't beat 'em - join 'em!) and I'm thinking I need a peach colored one next!

So my husband implemented my design concept for me (what a guy!). I wanted them built from 1x3's but he came home with 2x4's. Then he also added the extra bracing on the bottom which I thought was ugly (and as I suspected would happen, my youngest climbs up on them constantly). Now that the beds are filled and the MM is fully saturated, I'm thankful hubby went with the beefier construction. I can no longer lift up one side by myself, as I did earlier to level the turquoise bed.

So as-is, the beds certainly are wheelchair accessible. If I end up laying some fence boards across those bottom rails so I can put some seedling flats down, they wouldn't be. The heights are 38", 33" and 28". The pink color is by Glidden and it's called Watermelon something - unfortunately the rest of the color name did not print on the label. The next word starts with 'Sm'... Sorry about that.

Hidey-hole! Ha! I only just learned that term when my mom got a dog a couple of years ago and I keep hearing it again now. Too funny. Yeah, they could hang out under there so long as I haven't just watered!

Kay, your cinderblock beds grow things just as well, as you well know! And far less maintenance - I'm already dreading what these are going to look like by next year.

So my husband thinks that letting things vine down the side, the weight of the plant when it's bearing will cause the vine to pull itself out of that friable MM. Any opinions on that? Guess we'll see. Same with how well those giant tomato cages will work.

Lookin good!

gwennifer wrote:Well I finally have my cement tub tabletop SFG garden.  I let my girls pick their favorite colors to paint them.  Oh my!  Too much fun.
I did the different heights just for fun, but it's turning out kind of handy too - putting taller growing things in the lowest table for instance, and in the tallest one I planted cucumbers and mini pumpkins that I will let vine over the edge.  

It wasn't my intention for these to be on the patio when I cooked up the idea, but now that they are there I like it!  Patio was too small to use for anything else anyway and I've enjoyed just stepping out my back door to pop in some seeds or to spy for sprouts.

Are you sure it was for your three girls Gwinnifer ? It looks more like table tops for the three bears to me

plantoid wrote:Are you sure it was for your three girls Gwinnifer ? It looks more like table tops for the three bears to me

Good one Dave!  That's actually extra funny to me because I often refer to myself as Goldilocks since I moved from Alaska (too cold) to Arizona (too hot) to Washington (just right).

Gwennifer - could you post a pic of the underside of one of the stands?  I just need to see the bracing for under the plastic tray so I can steal see the design!

GG

Very nice! family-projects. Everything you do is just kewl!

sanderson, the color of this pink table is Watermelon Smoothie by Glidden.  I sent you a PM if you'd like for me to send you the color swatch from Home Depot.

Here is the best I could do to get a shot of the underside.  Wish I'd thought to take a picture before the bins went in.  I can actually see from the picture that the bins are bending between each 2x4 with the weight of the MM.  We thought going across the ribs of the bin would be the best, but perhaps not.  Saturated MM is extremely heavy!
  

At the very least I'd recommend four supports instead of three.  Not because the table as-is can't handle the weight, but because I don't believe the bins are as sturdy as they are made out to be.

Thanks for the pic. That is exactly what I needed to see! The bins I am going to use are not terribly sturdy either, so I will definitely do 4 ribs.

GG

boffer wrote:My wife has been wondering when I'd get around to putting a SFG on wheels.  The tubs made it happen.








One tub has a soil heater cable in it;  both tubs are planted with the same seeds.  It should make a good side-by-side comparison.

The cart is a little overkill, but it's odds and ends that I had around.

Whoa, this is uncomfortable.  I think I just developed a man-crush.

Yeah, those are pretty nice, eh?  

Marc Iverson wrote:Whoa, this is uncomfortable.  I think I just developed a man-crush.

 

If that's the case, then I bet you'd be head-over-heels in love if you saw my motorized compost sifter!  

boffer wrote:

Marc Iverson wrote:Whoa, this is uncomfortable.  I think I just developed a man-crush.

 

If that's the case, then I bet you'd be head-over-heels in love if you saw my motorized compost sifter!  

Or your Mel's mix mixer!  

Hi all;

This is a great thread.  Boffer's rig is awesome! Show me the mixer!

I have posted a possible container elswhere on the forum. Can't post a link yet, but it is the HDX 27 gal tough tote by Homz, only $10 at HD.  I am inquiring about a smaller 15 gal box, and the type of plastic used, hopefully, not PVC.  Looks/feels like HDPE.

From what I can tell it is cheaper, deeper, more sturdy (Rated at 700 lbs compression), than the cement tubs or other containers on this thread, but can be used in similar ways as it has a lip around the edges.  It also comes with a lid that can be used as a drip tray, or cut into areation grid  for the bottom, a la "Earthbox".  Doing this will leave a remaining lip to secure a sheet over the box for sprouting or winter veggies.  Assembed as shown below, it can be dragged around a patio with no damage.  It has a grid built into the box bottom and cover that seems ideal for drainage.  Both box and cover have six holes, spaced at 1 foot, that will accept 1 x 2 stakes to make a trellis support, without needing to push the stakes in the ground. 

  I Like the mobile tub trolley Boffer .. all you need is a tow eye or  tow ball at either end and you can run up & down the road  on your ride on lawnmower  towing around them to get the best sun position an all sides  ( don't for get brakes and lighting ) 

aerodyne wrote:Hi all;

This is a great thread.  Boffer's rig is awesome! Show me the mixer!

I have posted a possible container elswhere on the forum. Can't post a link yet, but it is the HDX 27 gal tough tote by Homz, only $10 at HD.  I am inquiring about a smaller 15 gal box, and the type of plastic used, hopefully, not PVC.  Looks/feels like HDPE.

From what I can tell it is cheaper, deeper, more sturdy (Rated at 700 lbs compression), than the cement tubs or other containers on this thread, but can be used in similar ways as it has a lip around the edges.  It also comes with a lid that can be used as a drip tray, or cut into areation grid  for the bottom, a la "Earthbox".  Doing this will leave a remaining lip to secure a sheet over the box for sprouting or winter veggies.  Assembed as shown below, it can be dragged around a patio with no damage.  It has a grid built into the box bottom and cover that seems ideal for drainage.  Both box and cover have six holes, spaced at 1 foot, that will accept 1 x 2 stakes to make a trellis support, without needing to push the stakes in the ground. 

 See if you can find someone who has those boxes &has  had had them out in the sun all summer.

 If they are they type of plastic box I had,  they will dry out quick , age harden and break during the next seasons use.

Plantoid - good point on the friability of the plastic tub.  700 lb. should be fairly thick material??  I will be going to HD this weekend and will check them out.

I know the more rubbery, cement skreet pans last a long time in the sun.  Opps, does that mean that the skreet pans have more plasticizers in them?  Can't win for losing.  I still like the skreet pans for mixing ingredients, potting up plants, etc.  I have two as one of them always ends up as a catch-all.

Short story:  The health department tests each domestic well before putting it on line.  One mountain well contained phthalate.  What the heck is a mountain well doing with plastic in it?  They pulled the sanitary seal and pump and found a waded up curtain shower in the casing that had fallen down into the water!  After the curtain was removed, pump re-installed, and the well flushed, the water was phthalate free.  Theory was that someone stuffed the curtain in the top of the casing to keep stuff out while waiting for the pump to be installed.

There was a post on some blog that said these boxes lasted several years in direct AZ sun.  I plan to keep the sides covered in with the border od the existing SFG and with mulch.

Like I said, for $10, worth a try.

aerodyne

Partially buried, they could function as huge cutworm collars, and help direct watering to the base of the plants easily.

I forgot about that - the forth reason a gave up my 400 sq ft raised bed!

bad soil
tree roots
Gophers
And cut worms!

I have "Planted" conatiners before and noted reduced cutworms - perhaps I should make the holes 1/4" or smaller?