A safe plastic container for growing veggies?

[CathyA]

I have a big garden, but like to have some things right in the back yard. This year I'd like to grow radishes, lettuces, kale and spinach in the back yard in shallower containers. I've used Rubbermaid containers in the past, but they are too deep.
I've recently become more aware of some of the toxins in plastic buckets/tubs, so I'm trying to pick out containers that don't leach.
I thought I had found the perfect raised thing to use for this (the tall horse bunk feeder from Tractor supply), but it isn't marked, has alot of recycled plastics in it, and probably comes from China. (what doesn't??)
I think plastic's 1 and 2 are the best (2 being the safest).
Just curious if any of you have researched this and the conclusion you came to.
I'm going to set these on bales of straw. I just can't lean over much anymore without my stomach ended up in my throat......so that's why I'm not putting the stuff right in the ground.
If I could grow these things up a trellis, I would! I grow just about everything in my bigger garden up trellises.
Thanks.

[Float On]

Why not grow directly in the bales of straw? I've seen that done a lot lately. http://www.google.com/search?q=growing+in+straw+bales&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&rlz=1I7GZHZ_en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=032CUeixBqqGyQHw94CoAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CFEQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=985


http://containergardening.about.com/od/vegetablesandherbs/ss/Straw_Bale_Gardening_3.htm

[razz]

Those links were neat to see, Float on. Thanks.

[CathyA]

How interesting Float On!

I have 2 bales of straw out by the garden that I never got around to putting on the garden last fall.......so they are probably already starting to decompose.
My only concern is that these aren't from organic wheat. I talked to our Ag extension agent and he said not to worry.........but that's usually what non-organic people say!
But I guess I can't worry about everything. (haha......wanna bet? hahaha)
BUT.......this is a GREAT idea! In all my searching, I never came across this idea. This is exciting! And then in the Fall, its recyclable (in the best sense of the word!)........it goes right back into the earth.
Wow.......thanks Float On!!

[Float On]

One guy I was reading about the other day, he found some big burlap bags and wrapped the bottoms of the straw bales in the burlap and got 2-3 years out of each bale before composting them directly into his other garden.
I think it would be pretty easy to mow around as well (maybe easier than my raised beds).

I really liked the one photo with several put close together and a small wood frame on top with garden soil in the frame. And the cold-frames are cool too.
I really like looking things up by google images because you can click the photos several times to find the article.

[Float On]

http://www.resilientcommunities.com/extreme-urban-gardening-straw-bale-gardens/ This one gives some good step-by-step prep info.

[Tradd]

If you have a restaurant supply store near you, perhaps they have some BPA-free food buckets. Or look online.

[CathyA]

I'm so excited about this! The winter squash I usually plant in my garden has gotten so full of squash bugs that they've moved to other plants. I was trying to think of where on my property I could plant them, but preparing the soil was going to be a challenge. Now I'm thinking I could put several of these bales together and plant the seeds in them, and not worry about preparing the weedy ground. I'm so excited!!
I think I love you Float On. hahahaha

[Rosemary]

The straw I purchased last summer was *full* of mold. I'd rather grow in plastic. The safest plastic as far as I know also happens to be what most planters are made from - #5, polypropylene. You could also look for untreated redwood or cedar planters, though they would be heavier and more expensive.

[CathyA]

Hmmm.....that means it sat in the rain for awhile, before you got it. Where I get mine are stored in a building and have never had mold.

I'm wondering what keeps mold from forming in the ones used for growing veggies? Maybe its the fertilizer that is used? Seems like that would be addressed in all the articles about straw bale growing. I still have to do some intensive reading on it. I've decided to get new bales for this, since the 2 sitting in my garden all winter have mold and mushrooms growing out of them. But then again, the earth has lots of funky things in it too, and we do okay growing the veggies in dirt.
I'm still going to try the bales......although I think its good to not push them all too close together, so they get more air circulation.

[Amaranth]

5 gallon food bucks such as soy sauce or tofu.

Earthbox
http://www.earthbox.com

Salad Table, but make a deeper version with more bracing and a bottom shelf.
http://www.hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/hg601.pdf
http://www.marthastewart.com/267317/salad-table

Hydroponic Salad Table
https://sites.google.com/site/saladtableshootout/home

[Birdie]

There is a book called Straw bale gardening and the author was featured on a local gardening radio show. My Master gardener vegetable group decided to try it this spring and we just finished conditioning 2 bales. The book calls for the bales being placed cut side up so you can get the fertilizer down between the straw. It took 18 days of conditioning because we used organic fertilizers. We watered daily for those 18 days and the bales stinks and are settling now. We tied 2 bales together for stability and they are now a little shrunken and slightly leaning. So, we need to stake them to prevent them from leaning too far.

We will plant some seedlings which are in soil inside the bale; separate the straw enough to add a 4 inch pot of soil and seedlings. We're also going to grow a couple of pumpkins from seed also. The bale has gotten very warm from the decomposition of the straw. It registered 115 about 10 days ago while the soil in our raised beds was 60 degrees. The author has pictures of many types of vegetables planted in straw bales. He has trellises around some of the bales too, beans strung up, etc. I don;t think we can use the straw for mulch after planting in it, I think it will only be good for the compost pile.

I'll try and remember to report back after we are done growing in them. It certainly is a conversation piece so far. The public was very curious about it when we had our last workshop.

[CathyA]

Thanks for sharing your first-hand experience with this Birdie! I'd like to ask you what organic fertilizer you used? If it takes 3 weeks to condition, I'd better get started.
Interesting how it heats up so much. I wonder if it ever spontaneously combusts? ;)
Please do keep us posted! Finding different ways to garden is always interesting! I'm picking up some bales next week.
I wonder if I could place the bale for growing on top of another bale, just to make it more waist-level? I'm sure I'd need to stake it, but that's not a problem. Didn't know if the stuff running down partially to the bottom bale would cause problems?

[Birdie]

The organic fertilizers that we used are: feather meal, blood meal, bone meal (for phosphorus) and kelp meal (for potassium). We used a mixture of what we had. You could use only one if you prefer and then on day 10 use the specific phosphorus and potassium fertilizers or others. I don't have the book so I can't tell you what others were listed.

Here is the 18 day schedule.
Day 1 - warm water to saturate, then sprinkle 3 cups of organic fertilizer. It took a LOT of water until the water ran from the bottom of the bale and we just watered from the hose. It was not really warm but that was all we had. After saturating the first day, we filled 3 buckets of water and left them in the sun to warm. Each day we watered with the warmed water and refilled buckets. We had 2 bales so the recipe is per bale.
Day 2 - warm water to saturate
Day 3 - 3 cups fertilizer and water it in well
Day 4 - water
Day 5 - 3 cups fertilizer, water
Day 6 - water
Day 7 - 1 1/2 cups fertilizer, water
Day 8 - 1 1/2 cups fertilizer, water
Day 9 - 1 1/2 cups fertilizer, water
Day 10 - 3 cups of equal parts of phosphorus and potassium (we used bone meal and kelp meal), water
Day 11 through 17 water only.
Day 18 plant

Be sure to place bale with cut side up so you can try and force the fertilizer into the straw. We evenly spread it to the edges which was sort of dumb because it ran off when watering. And you don't plant near the edges, so focus on putting the fertilizer in the middle and a few inches away from the edges. You can direct seed or separate the straw and put some potting soil into the straw. We have some sunflowers in 4 inch pots and will separate the straw and put the whole dirt and seedlings into the straw. We're just direct seeding the pumpkins.

You might search online for the book or pictures of how and what people have planted in them. Good luck. We're planting ours today.

[CathyA]

Thanks Birdie!
I was wondering...........what if it rains alot? Are we supposed to cover it up so all the fertilizer doesn't flow away?

[Birdie]

I wouldn't think you would cover the bales. You wouldn't cover your garden beds would you? I live in California where we do not get any rain between April or May and November, so I've never run into that. I would treat the bales as you would any vegetable planting area.

[CathyA]

Sometimes here in the midwest, we get tons of rain (although last summer was a bad drought!). I wondered if the fertilizer would end up in the ground and not where the roots could benefit from it.
I'll just have to experiment!
I should be able to plant in my "real" garden in a couple weeks. Can't wait for the good eatin's!
I was going to do lettuces/spinach/kale, etc. in the bales.

[Birdie]

Well, as with any garden the plants will show you if they are deficient in nutrients. If you see some yellowing at some point in the growing season, you could always give them a shot of fish emulsion or whatever you use for a supplement mid season. But if the plants look green and lush, I would assume that there are enough nutrients for them.

Our counties farm adviser told us to only supplemental feed vegetables during the growing season if the plants shows signs that they needed some help. We used to always feed monthly during the summer until he told us that. Now, we supplement the soil with our normal dried pelleted chicken manure before planting and fish emulsion our containers monthly. The vegetables in raised beds don't seem to need any more than that.

We grow lettuces, spinach and kale in the winter; it's too hot here for them in the spring/summer.

[CathyA]

Thanks Birdie!