garden vs trays question

Dromeno 4/1/2012, 9:12 am

Hi forum,

I have a question about the construction of a table top SFG: Is the smallest SFG a 2x2 or is a single tray of 10"x12"x8" also sufficient for, say, two lettuce crops?

Where I live (Netherlands) plastic, reusable transparent 10"x12"x8" trays are relatively cheaply obtainable. These are about half the size of a single (1x1) SFG. So I figured that a large 4x4 SFG can be made with 4x8 of such trays.

This would make a tabletop SFG extremely portable, the garden is broken up in individual blocks. But then of course the roots of all the plants need to stay in their own block. So I guess this wil work for some vegetables but not others. Is there anybody who has tried this already and willing to share the conclusions?

**walshevak** 4/1/2012, 9:36 am

My chairtop garden this year. Lettuce in front and sugar snap peas in back.

garden vs trays question Dscn0426

May 2 last year

garden vs trays question Imgp1410

These are about 18"x30" but still very portable and the 8" deep works very well.

Kay

Unmutual 4/1/2012, 9:37 am

I'd suspect that since they are transparent plastic, that they probably don't have any UV stabilization. Without that, they will rot quickly from the sun. Besides, plastic is notorious for leaching chemicals if it isn't microwave safe and gets hot(which it will do in the summer, even in Holland since I assume global warming puts your summers at more than 24 degrees Celsius these days), unless it is BPA(bisphenol A) free. At least that's the only chemical that I know that leaches from plastic...

Other than that, volumetrically, 10"x12"x8" is larger than 12"x12"x6", so I don't see why 1 tray wouldn't suffice for 1 square other than for those crops that are 16 to a square (carrots, onions, radishes,etc.) which you may want to do at 9 per square.

Don't forget your drainage holes! Personally, though, I wouldn't use plastic for garden beds.

**walshevak** 4/1/2012, 9:52 am

Unmutual may have a point. Mine were leftover commercially rated food storage trays approved for use in resturants.

Kay

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