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BamaProud

BamaProud

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Apr 3, 2011
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Shelby County, TN
The wife got Spring fever again this year and wanted to grow something. Our yard isn't laid out very well to put in a garden...but where there is a will there is a way. Right?
Off to Lowes 150 cinder blocks including 50 smaller 4 inch wide blocks for the back of the garden.
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Here is where I decided to put it in...between the columns its about 40 feet long and 5 feet deep.
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Tilled, tilling helped a lot when leveling the cinder blocks.
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The first rung of Blocks and the rear blocks against the fence in place. These were a pain to get level:
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2nd tier in place...much easier than the bottom
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Its 40X 5ft or 200 square feet of actual planting space.
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Still have to stake and backfill the cinder blocks then get more dirt, but we should be planting veggies by Monday.

I also plan to finish the face of the blocks with something to make it look better...I am leaning toward a wood finish but open to suggestions. Not a fan of stucco.
 
You might want to narrow to 4 feet or maybe even 3. You don't want to be stepping in your beds and 5 feet is too far to reach. I would also think about tilling the ground up before you fill in your bed. Depending on your soil, you could end up with a bath tub effect, which may delay your planting in the spring.
 
Had a little help moving dirt this afternoon. We moved 2 cubic yards into the garden. ...probably need 1.5 or 2 more.

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Greets fm CO
The comment on narrowing is spot on. Maybe too late. It would not be so bad if you had access to both sides but your fence looks like it precludes that. Also, be sure to fill in the holes in your blocks. There is a lot of potential in what can be grown in them. Do you have the book "Cinder Block Gardening" by Gillespie? Last time I ck'd it was out of print and very expensive. This book was written by a CO woman on the West Slope. She also operates a nursery as a livelehood.
Thanks Ray
 
Yea I thought about planting in the blocks. I do plan on filling them with dirt, so I will read up on Cinder Block Gardening.

The depth is what it is, the I knew it was too wide when I started it, but the design of the fence makes it practical to build it 5ft wide. I don't mind stepping in the beds. If I get tired of it, I'll make the kids do it ;)
 
It looks pretty stinkin' cool to me.

We just did our first raised bed this year, but it was only 4 x 8. I was worried that we'd be overwhelmed with a bunch of stuff all at once, and I'm not a very practiced gardener.

That "nook" that your fence makes seems like a great place to have the garden, and the proximity to the fence might help you plant some stuff that's not as sun tolerant on the corner or side.

I hope those kids like vegetables! :)
 
I think they like the idea of growing stuff more than they like eating it(especially veggies). We plan on putting a blueberry bush on each end, maybe a row of sunflowers along the back where we can't really reach anyway, some watermelons(a small variety) and then some maters, squash and peppers. Thinking strawberries might do well in the Cinder block holes...maybe every 3rd hole.

...I don't have a lot of experience at gardening, so recommendations are appreciated.
 
What is the distance between the stacks in the block.
may be on 2 levels high but downhill creep has a lot of force.
 
The weather delayed us a bit, but we're getting close to planting. Blocks are backfilled and painted. I don't really know why I painted them, but I had it on hand. 3 cubic yards of garden mix down, about 2 to go.

We're going to finish the blocks with Ceder fence boards to make it look nicer.

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I don't think the paint will make much difference. The dirt is black. Doesn't matter anyway since I am planning to cover the cinder blocks with Cedar boards. The paint really wasn't necessary.
 
Get you some square stepping stones . Use them to divide the garden into smaller 4 or 5 foot sections.If you can find some compost or composted manure it will help keep the soil loose and give the plants better root growth.If there is a stock yard around you will have a good source of manure. You might want to consider a compost pile or bin.Some trellis's along the fence will be good for beans or cucumbers to grow on. You might consider landscape fabric to keep the weeds down. All in All one of the best 1st gardens I have ever seen. It should be very successful and provide alot of fun and produce for the family.Lots of things you can plant in the blocks. Lettuce, bush beans,or cucumbers. Just about any Dwarf plant will work.
 
WestTn Huntin'man said:
Get you some square stepping stones . Use them to divide the garden into smaller 4 or 5 foot sections.If you can find some compost or composted manure it will help keep the soil loose and give the plants better root growth.If there is a stock yard around you will have a good source of manure. You might want to consider a compost pile or bin.Some trellis's along the fence will be good for beans or cucumbers to grow on. You might consider landscape fabric to keep the weeds down. All in All one of the best 1st gardens I have ever seen. It should be very successful and provide alot of fun and produce for the family.Lots of things you can plant in the blocks. Lettuce, bush beans,or cucumbers. Just about any Dwarf plant will work.
Click to expand...

The soil I filled it with is a "Garden mix" Do you still think I need to mix in some manure/compost? ...thanks for the advise, I was planning to start some kind of 50 gal barrel compost bin.
 
Build is done...on to the planting

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We plan on planting few things for the kids like Sugar Baby watermelon and blueberries(I love blueberries). Probably some better boy and Roma tomatoes, for Slasa and tomato sauce. Big boy tomatoes for sammiches. Green and Red Bell Peppers, jalapenos, squash and one of my favorites lost of Okra. Cucumbers. And we're thinking about putting various herbs in the cinderblocks along the front of the garden.
 
I am pretty new to gardening. I've grown some tomatoes, peppers and a few other things(nothing on this scale) But most of my planting has been on deer hunting plots. Any tips, suggestions, do's/dont's would be appreciated.
 
Get the book Square Foot Gardening. Use an excel spread sheet to plan your plantings.

If you bought a prepared garden mix, you probably don't need any compost/manure for your initial plantings. Starting a compost bin is a good idea. You can replenish your bed with a trowel full of compost every time you replant (one trowel for each new plant or square foot planted).
 
WoW it just keeps looking Better. Looks like you will have a very sucessfull 1st go at a serious garden. Sorry I missed your question earlier.Your Garden mix looks like a very good mix.You should be OK the year. Staggering is good. It prolongs your season well into early or even late Fall . Be prepared to battle bugs. Insecticidal soap will handle most early season young bugs or soft bodied insects. You can easily make your own.
http://www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-m ... or-plants/
It won't work on hard body insects if they are eating leaves Sevin dust works well.Sails or Slugs might decide the Blocks are a good home. Diatomaceous Earth works good for most soft bodied crawling pests.
The gardening web forum might help answer some questions as you go a long.
 
Some straw , News paper,or some type of mulch will help hold the moisture in when we get to the dog days of summer. I usally put newspaper down wet it then put straw on top of it.When your mulch rots just work it into the soil. Chopped up leaves this fall also will help.Make sure they are chopped up with the mower and avoid walnut leaves.
 
He He He My Garden made it into my forecast discussion this Evening:

000
FXUS64 KMEG 160220
AFDMEG

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
920 PM CDT WED MAY 15 2013

.UPDATE...EVENING UPDATE
RAIN SHOWERS ARE ALREADY SHOWING UP ON RADAR ACROSS THE
MIDSOUTH...EVEN EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. HOWEVER IT WILL
TAKE SEVERAL HOURS FOR THE MOISTURE LEVELS IN THE LOW LEVELS OF
THE ATMOSPHERE TO INCREASE ENOUGH FOR WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION TO
REACH THE GROUND. COOLING TEMPERATURES THIS EVENING SHOULD HELP TO
SPEED UP THE PROCESS. WE SHOULD SEE TEMPERATURES AROUND 60 DEGREES
AROUND MIDNIGHT...WITH DEW POINTS GENERALLY 55-57 WE WILL LIKELY
SEE RAIN REACHING THE GROUND SHORTLY THEREAFTER. NEITHER RAINFALL
TOTALS OR THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG/SEVERE STORMS LOOKS IMPRESSIVE
TOMORROW...JUST SHOWERS RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS...ALMOST
PERFECT FOR MY NEWLY PLANTED GARDEN.

30
&&
.....truncated for brevity.
 
blueberry isn't doing good. Something is eating the leaves. Any suggestions? I started the home made insecticide soap WestTn Huntin'man about a week ago.

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Roma maters look thin and poor. Started the same insecticide soap a week ago.
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Oh yea I started an 8% nitrogen vegetable food liquid mix made by Bonnie plant a week ago too.
 
Garden update. Things are looking good except for the blueberries. I put pine needles around them. Guess I need some ammonia phosphate.

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