CAUTION>>>>if you live in a zone where u have termites DO NOT USE the carboard method or any cardboard around the garden...the humidity and the "smell" of cardboard will attract them like bees to the nectar...Sadly I tried in my garden (Texas) and ended up with a huge problem with termites and since i do not want to spray my soil with chemicals had to get ride of cardboard. I also by me not knowing...helped the population of mini centipedes to explode, and oh boy huge, and I mean huge, explosion of those critters which started to eat the roots of my vegetables... This year still battling them with soap and orange oil, they are hard to kill I am telling you just in case. I do not mind to have some of them around but when numbers are large then it is a problem to the plants...(after a rain, the walls of the house, fences, pots were covered entirely with the mini centepides...kind of horror movie LOLOL). so watch out with the use of cardboard...in some areas will work pretty good to hold moisture, but in others is a nightmare.
@@OldSchoolPrepper Yes, please. At one time i though that cardboard will save me space, retain water and be beneficial for the worms...oh boy I was for a huge ugly surprise.
I have a new backyard and the ideal grow spot is overrun with English ivy. While I tackle that, my first garden in this space will be mostly the smaller moving boxes. Since this is just for this growing season, I’m fine with that and will compost the boxes at the end of the season. I placed flattened cardboard boxes in the other garden bed in September as my weed barrier layer under wood chips and it’s still holding strong. It’s all trial and error, what’s important is what you learn. On my condo balcony, I used cheap Dollar-twenty five Tree collapsible fabric bins as grow containers for lettuce and it worked. Just needed lots of watering as they tend to dry out.
that is awesome! you will show people that gardening can be done in innovative ways, experiment.. I love it~ do what you can, when you can. Have fun with that Ivy...you will have super strong arms when you are finished that stuff is strong!
It is fun to experiment with containers. I have used canvas bags as wicking bags. I placed them in a trough of water. Right now I am experimenting with using disposable plastic bags by adding a liner and then adding bottles and cans to make a bottle wicking bag. Larry Hall had a lot of wicking bag videos and lemon has a lot of wicking container videos . I also started using #10 cans and adding a plastic bag.
my cardboard is about a month old and still doing pretty good. I think it might make a whole season with daily watering! we'll see....just goes to show one doesn't need fancy pots.
How did the cardboard box hold up for the season? I am moving and have to start my garden from scratch in an apartment (with small yard) and wondering if this would work.
hi Mom2two, it works really well. If you don't move it much. I would find a place and fill the box onsite in the place you want it to stay. If the bottom of the box isn't saturated with water you can still move a medium-small box. Another idea for you is planting directly into the soil bag (the plastic ones. just lay flat and but the bag open ... remove some of the plastic and viola! you can also use pots, kiddie pools, totes, fabric bags, or any container that holds dirt. Frankly you can also just put some dirt on the ground (make a hill) and plant in that. I've done ALL of the above and they work equally as well. Good luck and I think you are awesome to have kids, move AND growing in one season...you go girl!
I really want to hear you!! Love the,idea. I want to hear you and your suggestions too please. The volume is super low. I have my phone turned up all the way
hi, I'm an organic gardener and rarely if ever use chemicals in my yard so I am overly cautious about any bad stuff in my yard, frankly I never considered the dye in the color bags. I do know that most of the cardboard is dyed with food grade ink so that should just decompose and not be an issue. This is a topic i'll have to look into more. The bag only lasted one year so I'm also not concerned about reusing that bag because it's destroyed and the dirt didn't discolor...but I do need to research this a bit. Thanks for the great question
hi Carolyn, I live in a rural country area...anyone who wants to garden here can grow a garden in their yards. We are lucky, my neighborhood is 2 acres minimum in yard size. It's an agricultural area and ranching, my nearest neighbor is an organic dairy. That said I'm a supporter of the community garden and food bank, that is an hour from my house (the nearest low income city) I share seeds and food with them but unfortunetly I don't have the ability to do much teaching although I do remotely. Great idea Carolyn, is this something you've been able to do? set up a community garden I mean.
@@OldSchoolPrepper I am at this moment trying to I live in Cleveland Ohio I procured a piece of land in a low income piece of the city and I am trying to teach but what I am finding is it's hard to wear the many hats of different positions that it takes to get this going im also notice that people what "cheap" food but unwilling to do something about it ... I dont know if it's something that they don't have time for because of working a job or just don't want to put in the time and energy ... just feeling defeated right now ... fortitude is a good thing can't keep me down for long. Community needs to work together
@@bananashowtime i hear you Carolyn, so many people want something without having to do anything to get it. Maybe they think it's too hard or they don't have time or don't think they'll have support. At least you are trying something and not just complaining. I know that in Britian they have 'allotments" which are what we refer to as community gardens and there are huge waiting lists. My sister live in a different part of my state they have a neighborhood community garden and the wait list is long there too. No one person can do everything but maybe if you help even a single person that will kick things into gear? what could also be holding people back is the demographic. If you are white and the people you are trying to help are black there is distrust...or if you are black and they are white there is distrust. starting up a program for people that are different than you are may not work, you might need to find someone of the same type of people you are helping to help you. Especially if this is the first time gardening or small scale farming has been introduced to this community...such as if it's a food desert. Once they have a fresh veg will they know what to do with it? how to cook it? or is McDonalds just easier and less time intensive. I am sending you great vibes and wishing you well. I hope you can make a difference even to one single person. Maybe that will need to be in a different way if you aren't getting community garden traction perhaps it will be a small school garden or a church garden? You'll find your way, I have confidence.
hi Helen is sure did work. If you don't plan on moving the box once planted you can do either plastic lined or not lined. If you plan on moving the box (even once) you'll want to line the box. I did both. The box I didn't line had the bottom of the box rip out as soon as I picked it up. Luckily it was at the end of the growing season so I was just cleaning up. The box I lined in plastic (from toilet paper covering) I was able to lift and move several times as long as the bottom wasn't soaking wet I was able to move. So YES! this works.
My wife made some cloth planter bags this year while she was Sheltering-In-Place in CA. I'll shot some video of them when I make my next trip back there in a couple of weeks.
i think they might be a great alternative for people. I know Uncle Alan using the felt type black bags...tho i'm not sure how long any of them will last.
CAUTION>>>>if you live in a zone where u have termites DO NOT USE the carboard method or any cardboard around the garden...the humidity and the "smell" of cardboard will attract them like bees to the nectar...Sadly I tried in my garden (Texas) and ended up with a huge problem with termites and since i do not want to spray my soil with chemicals had to get ride of cardboard. I also by me not knowing...helped the population of mini centipedes to explode, and oh boy huge, and I mean huge, explosion of those critters which started to eat the roots of my vegetables... This year still battling them with soap and orange oil, they are hard to kill I am telling you just in case. I do not mind to have some of them around but when numbers are large then it is a problem to the plants...(after a rain, the walls of the house, fences, pots were covered entirely with the mini centepides...kind of horror movie LOLOL). so watch out with the use of cardboard...in some areas will work pretty good to hold moisture, but in others is a nightmare.
I had no idea about the termintes...I've pinned your comment so others can learn from your information.
@@OldSchoolPrepper Yes, please. At one time i though that cardboard will save me space, retain water and be beneficial for the worms...oh boy I was for a huge ugly surprise.
That's a good idea, thanks for sharing, stay safe, God bless !
Thanks 👍
I have a new backyard and the ideal grow spot is overrun with English ivy. While I tackle that, my first garden in this space will be mostly the smaller moving boxes. Since this is just for this growing season, I’m fine with that and will compost the boxes at the end of the season. I placed flattened cardboard boxes in the other garden bed in September as my weed barrier layer under wood chips and it’s still holding strong. It’s all trial and error, what’s important is what you learn.
On my condo balcony, I used cheap Dollar-twenty five Tree collapsible fabric bins as grow containers for lettuce and it worked. Just needed lots of watering as they tend to dry out.
that is awesome! you will show people that gardening can be done in innovative ways, experiment.. I love it~ do what you can, when you can. Have fun with that Ivy...you will have super strong arms when you are finished that stuff is strong!
I'm learning about bagasse there's so much to learn about this
Lots to learn but fun to learn...just try and you will succeed
It is fun to experiment with containers. I have used canvas bags as wicking bags. I placed them in a trough of water. Right now I am experimenting with using disposable plastic bags by adding a liner and then adding bottles and cans to make a bottle wicking bag. Larry Hall had a lot of wicking bag videos and lemon has a lot of wicking container videos . I also started using #10 cans and adding a plastic bag.
i definitely have to pop over and watch some of your experimental vids...i love seeing what works and what doesn't
My Dad always said "if you want to you can and if you don't want to then you can't!" Where there is a will there's a way!
amen!
Much better to see an amazon box loaded with future food instead of consumerism nonsense!
Ha ha, surprisingly working...
Ive had success with canvas. Cardboard doesn't seem to make it on dirt contact. The worms kill it in a matter of days
my cardboard is about a month old and still doing pretty good. I think it might make a whole season with daily watering! we'll see....just goes to show one doesn't need fancy pots.
How did the cardboard box hold up for the season? I am moving and have to start my garden from scratch in an apartment (with small yard) and wondering if this would work.
hi Mom2two, it works really well. If you don't move it much. I would find a place and fill the box onsite in the place you want it to stay. If the bottom of the box isn't saturated with water you can still move a medium-small box. Another idea for you is planting directly into the soil bag (the plastic ones. just lay flat and but the bag open ... remove some of the plastic and viola! you can also use pots, kiddie pools, totes, fabric bags, or any container that holds dirt. Frankly you can also just put some dirt on the ground (make a hill) and plant in that. I've done ALL of the above and they work equally as well. Good luck and I think you are awesome to have kids, move AND growing in one season...you go girl!
I really want to hear you!! Love the,idea. I want to hear you and your suggestions too please. The volume is super low. I have my phone turned up all the way
i'll check the volume and edit ...thanks!
I had the same problem.
Are. You concerned about the dyes from the colored bags
hi, I'm an organic gardener and rarely if ever use chemicals in my yard so I am overly cautious about any bad stuff in my yard, frankly I never considered the dye in the color bags. I do know that most of the cardboard is dyed with food grade ink so that should just decompose and not be an issue. This is a topic i'll have to look into more. The bag only lasted one year so I'm also not concerned about reusing that bag because it's destroyed and the dirt didn't discolor...but I do need to research this a bit. Thanks for the great question
Have you ever thought about creating a community garden in your neighborhood or city
hi Carolyn, I live in a rural country area...anyone who wants to garden here can grow a garden in their yards. We are lucky, my neighborhood is 2 acres minimum in yard size. It's an agricultural area and ranching, my nearest neighbor is an organic dairy. That said I'm a supporter of the community garden and food bank, that is an hour from my house (the nearest low income city) I share seeds and food with them but unfortunetly I don't have the ability to do much teaching although I do remotely. Great idea Carolyn, is this something you've been able to do? set up a community garden I mean.
@@OldSchoolPrepper I am at this moment trying to I live in Cleveland Ohio I procured a piece of land in a low income piece of the city and I am trying to teach but what I am finding is it's hard to wear the many hats of different positions that it takes to get this going im also notice that people what "cheap" food but unwilling to do something about it ... I dont know if it's something that they don't have time for because of working a job or just don't want to put in the time and energy ... just feeling defeated right now ... fortitude is a good thing can't keep me down for long. Community needs to work together
@@bananashowtime i hear you Carolyn, so many people want something without having to do anything to get it. Maybe they think it's too hard or they don't have time or don't think they'll have support. At least you are trying something and not just complaining. I know that in Britian they have 'allotments" which are what we refer to as community gardens and there are huge waiting lists. My sister live in a different part of my state they have a neighborhood community garden and the wait list is long there too. No one person can do everything but maybe if you help even a single person that will kick things into gear? what could also be holding people back is the demographic. If you are white and the people you are trying to help are black there is distrust...or if you are black and they are white there is distrust. starting up a program for people that are different than you are may not work, you might need to find someone of the same type of people you are helping to help you. Especially if this is the first time gardening or small scale farming has been introduced to this community...such as if it's a food desert. Once they have a fresh veg will they know what to do with it? how to cook it? or is McDonalds just easier and less time intensive. I am sending you great vibes and wishing you well. I hope you can make a difference even to one single person. Maybe that will need to be in a different way if you aren't getting community garden traction perhaps it will be a small school garden or a church garden? You'll find your way, I have confidence.
so im planning on doing this now, did it work? what is better? plastic of cardboard?
hi Helen is sure did work. If you don't plan on moving the box once planted you can do either plastic lined or not lined. If you plan on moving the box (even once) you'll want to line the box. I did both. The box I didn't line had the bottom of the box rip out as soon as I picked it up. Luckily it was at the end of the growing season so I was just cleaning up. The box I lined in plastic (from toilet paper covering) I was able to lift and move several times as long as the bottom wasn't soaking wet I was able to move. So YES! this works.
Can't hear your audio. Volume all the way up on the video and on my speakers/headphones.
I did have some issues with this one video, sorry for the inconvenience
My wife made some cloth planter bags this year while she was Sheltering-In-Place in CA. I'll shot some video of them when I make my next trip back there in a couple of weeks.
i think they might be a great alternative for people. I know Uncle Alan using the felt type black bags...tho i'm not sure how long any of them will last.
Interesting. Cardboard tends to rot
yes it does, but can i get a season out of a cardboard 'planter' box before it does?
@@OldSchoolPrepper Yup. That is the question. Certainly greener than plastic pots or buckets
Next time make your video louder can't hear you
you are right, I turned down the volume for some reason....if you watch the video's I did after that (50 or so) the sound levels are much higher.