Raise plywood bottom box?

jadye09 4/19/2010, 9:47 pm

I have two 2X4 boxes and a 4X4 box with a 3/4" plywood bottom. I had them on the ground but would it be better if I raised them up with a brick at each corner and maybe one in the center?

**mckr3441** 4/19/2010, 10:24 pm

Do they all have plywood bottoms? Did you drill drainage holes in the bottoms as Mel suggests? Have you lined the boxes with landscape cloth?

If you have good drainage under the boxes and they have enough drainage holes, keeping them on the ground would be ok I think. Normally when you want to put the box directly on the ground most people don't put a floor in it. Instead they just use landscape cloth and in many cases, hardware cloth.

If you put the boxes up on bricks you may want to use the landscape cloth to keep the dirt from falling through the drainage holes in the bottom. I have one box with a floor. It's up on wheels. Another box is on the ground with just landscape cloth and cardboard under it.

Other folks will give you more input, I'm sure. They may have more experience with TX gardens.

Keep us posted and post pictures when you can. We all love pictures!

Claire Raise plywood bottom box? Icon_flower

jadye09 4/19/2010, 11:21 pm

I have bottoms on all of my boxes. I put bottoms on my boxes because my lease is up in august so I could just load them up and bring them to my new house. I drilled 1/4" holes every square foot so they should drain well. I think the holes are small enough that I won't loose any mix if I have them on the bricks.

**mckr3441** 4/20/2010, 10:32 am

Good planning, Jadye! I think your boxes will do fine propped up on bricks and that is what I would do if they were in my garden. I think the bottoms will last a lot longer that way.

Claire Raise plywood bottom box? Icon_flower

jadye09 4/20/2010, 9:42 pm

I had them on bricks but I liked them raised so much I raised them up on cinder blocks. Here's some pics...
Raise plywood bottom box? Stuff_15

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