I wonder if I could grow veggies in this?

[CathyA]

I have been wanting raised beds forever.........But I don't mean 1' tall. I mean like waist level. I tried filling 35-50 gallon plastic tubs before, but it didn't work out too well. I saw this at the local Tractor Supply store. Its very strong and is just the right height. I'm thinking I could plant lots of spinach, and lettuces in it. The tub is made out of recycled plastic. I wonder if it would be safe for food stuffs?
I know I could build something cheaper out of lots of cement blocks, but those things are heavy and I'd need alot of them to be waist high. Then I'd have to buy more tubs again.
Any ideas about this "horse feeding trough"? It only says "recycled plastic".........which makes me a little nervous, but isn't that probably what alot of tubs like Rubbermaid are made out of?
Thanks.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/galvanized-horse-bunk-feeder-5-ft-l-2181226

[Gardenarian]

I couldn't find where it said how deep the trough is. It looks pretty shallow. I think it would be fine for growing lettuce, spinach, herbs, other greens that don't need a lot of root space, but not tomatoes, sqash, melons, root vegetables.

i think the plastic would be okay if horses drink out of it??

[Rosemary]

Looks too shallow to me --- means you would have to water very often.

I grew veggies in tree-sized plastic pots when I was a grad student. Got the pots from a nursery. If you know anyone who is planting trees this spring, you could ask for the pots.

[CathyA]

I think its about 8" deep. I would drill holes in the bottom of it. It would be placed under the big swingset frame I use for cucumbers, so it would get some shade. It would be pretty easy for me to water.
I thought the same thing about horses eating and drinking out of it.......but you never know. I think its unfortunately made in china, but its pretty darned hard to find things that aren't. :(
I think I would still be ahead of the game, since we don't use chemicals, but alot of the time we don't buy organic produce. Now if I could just keep the coons and the squirrels and opposums out of it. We put up a beautiful fence last year that keeps the bunnies out.......but not all the climbing animals.

I was mostly afraid of the chemicals that might be in the trough. But like I said.......its probably not much different than the tubs I used to use.
And I would only use it for small plants........like spinach and lettuces.

Thanks for your inputs!

[decemberlov]

I found these and thought they were great! They're expensive but I think you could make your own much cheaper. http://gardenaccess.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=16&=SID

[MamaM]

Look..you are hip!!!!

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/found-bathtub-with-stand/?pkey=cvintage-garden&

[decemberlov]

I'd love to have a claw foot tub in my yard with flowers in it!!! My neighbors my think I was a little crazy but so what :)

[CathyA]

decemberlov........I like that, but I wonder if its lined? Seems like it might rot fairly quickly if not.

MamaM.........that's cute, but I can't imagine that dinky little stand holding a washtub plus all the soil necessary for the plants!
The stand for the feeding trough from Tractor Supply is tubular steel. Its tubular man! (that's sort of like "radical, man", if you didn't know). :)

[decemberlov]

decemberlov........I like that, but I wonder if its lined? Seems like it might rot fairly quickly if not.



Good thought...maybe you could seal the wood and line it with something?

[catherine]

Here's an idea from Inhabitat:

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/734494_10151201461127056_1370774967_n.jpg

[MamaM]

OHHHH..I like that Catherine. : )

[CathyA]

I was already a couple years ago to use a couple of my cracked 100 gallon Rubbermaid stocktanks for raised beds.........but man, that would take a TON of soil!

[MamaM]

If you didn't plan on moving it, fill it up with rock/gravel. I do that in my smaller pots. Save on dirt.

[puglogic]

CathyA, we're planning to look for old beaten-up galvanized horse watering troughs this year to grow blueberries. They are usually nice and high: http://www.tractorsupply.com/oval-galvanized-stock-tank-2-ft-w-x-4-ft-l-x-2-ft-h-100-gal-capacity-2177201 We'll drill lots of holes in the bottom -- which may be pretty grody already -- and grow the berries in a peat/compost/soil mix (we have alkaline soil, so need lots more acid for the berries) Absolutely don't plan to move it once it's planted!!

[CathyA]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Pug.....good luck with your blueberries. Yum!

[puglogic]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Pug.....good luck with your blueberries. Yum!

I love blueberries, but this is a challenging place to try to grow them ---- but I'm game to give it a try!

[CathyA]

We have so many animals/birds here that would probably beat us to the berries of any kind we might grow. I've seen "fruit cages" online, that you can build, to protect all your fruit plants.......like raspberries, blueberries, etc. The fruit cage is something I would love to have, but have never gotten around to it.

Don't I remember you saying that you had horribly hard ground there? That must be a challenge. We had a neighbor who built a house about 1/3 mile from us, next to a big creek (like we are). He's since moved, but one of his biggest disappointments was that his ground was almost too hard to work with. I guess we're lucky because ours has always been pretty good. I think land that was previously farmed can be pretty darned hardpan. But your problem is with rock, right?