Often the owners of small gardens or balconies give up growing vegetables, yet vegetables can be successfully grown in crates!A vegetable garden in crateswill be a great solution for your own organic vegetable cultivation. Seehow to set up a vegetable garden in crates , what vegetables to choose for such cultivation andhow to cultivate vegetables in crates !
Vegetable garden in crates
Growing vegetables in cratesallows for a wide variety of species even in a very small area, and it also looks very interesting.Importantly, by growing vegetables in crates, we can provide a different type of substrate in each crate, with different nutrient abundance, and cultivate plants according to their individual needs.The vegetable garden in cratesalso provides more crops from a small area. This is because the vegetables are planted a bit more densely than in field cultivation.
Crate for growing vegetables
The crate for growing vegetablescan be made by yourself or you can buy a ready-made container. It is important to cover the inside of the box with black foil, which will protect the wood from rotting, and to attach polystyrene to protect the vegetables from freezing.
The foil is attached with staples or nails, and on the bottom of the box we pour expanded clay, gravel or other aggregate to prevent rotting of the vegetable roots. Sprinkle a suitable substrate for growing vegetables on the drainage layer, additionally apply organic fertilizers, e.g. manure or compost.
In the bottom of the box, before filling it with soil, you need to cut holes through which excess water will drain. Thisbox will be perfect for growing vegetables on the balcony or terrace .
In the case of garden cultivation,the vegetable crate does not even have to have a wooden bottom , only the sides are enough. At the bottom, we arrange the geotextile separating the soil in the box from the garden soil, and we also arrange a fine-meshed metal mesh to prevent rodents from digging up.
If we want ourvegetable garden in the box to survive for many years, you can also choose ready-made flower beds made of powder-coated galvanized steel sheet. This will prevent us from having to impregnate the wood every year.
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What vegetables can be grown in crates?
Beforeplanning the cultivation of vegetables in crates , we should consider what plants we want to grow and whether they will work in container cultivation. It is worth remembering that vegetables grow best in sunny places.
A vegetable garden in cratescan be cultivated with many types of vegetables, both those with a short growing season and longer ones.Ideally suited: butter lettuce, arugula, chives, radish, dill, parsley, cherry tomatoes of the 'Masotka', 'Coral' variety and the low, not requiring staking, 'Balkoni Red' or 'Ola Polka' varieties.
You can also sow dwarf varieties of string beans, e.g. 'Mascotte'. Vegetables with a short growing season, such as lettuce, radishes and arugula, can be harvested several times a year.For growing in crates, look for mini vegetables , such as: white cabbage 'Piccolir', red cabbage 'Redball' or Savoy cabbage of the 'Fiona' variety. Vegetables that are less demanding in terms of thermal conditions can be sown directly into the boxes at the same dates as those grown in the field.
The height of the vegetable boxdepends on the depth of the root system of a given vegetable species. The lowest permitted crates for growing vegetables should be at least 20 cm high. Deep-root vegetables should be planted in deeper boxes.We plant gourds in large and definitely wide boxes. Similarly, tomatoes and peppers - they require larger containers (over 10 liters).
Potatoes can also be grown in boxes ! The sprouted tubers are placed on a 10-15 cm layer of a very permeable substrate and covered with another layer of soil. As the above-ground part develops, soil is poured on until the box is full. Stolons will grow out of the stalks covered with soil, and tubers will grow on them. As soon as the above-ground part starts to die down, excavation can be started. Just remember not to grow potatoes right next to tomatoes, due to the easy spread of potato blight.
Caring for the vegetable garden in crates
It is very important to regularlywater the vegetable garden in cratesThe soil in the crates is elevated above ground level and dries faster.Thereforevegetables in crates should be watered a little morethan those growing directly in the ground. In the period when frost may occur, water the crates in the morning, as evening watering may cause the root ball of vegetables to freeze over. Spring temperature drops should not harm the seedlings of carrots, lettuces or radishes.
In the cultivation ofvegetable garden inboxes, it is worth using a hydrogel that allows you to reduce the frequency of watering the box, and also provides relatively constant access of moisture for plant roots and additionally improves the physical properties of the soil. The hydrogel must be mixed with the soil in the boxes before planting the vegetables.
If, duringplanting vegetables in crates , we did not use any fertilizer, but only fertile soil for vegetables, it is worth watering the plants with liquid organic fertilizer, such as veggie, which will nourish and provide our vegetables with the necessary nutrients .
