How to Create An Above Ground Organic Vegetable Garden

Whether you have a yard or live in an apartment, this is an affordable and easy way to have an above ground vegetable garden. By having it above ground, it deters pests and make maintenance and harvesting easy. Now anyone anywhere can grow their own delicious healthy veggies.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• •storage containers or empty discarded large tree containers •organic potting soil •small rocks or broken pottery •mulch •cages (for tomatoes, squash, eggplant or other vine growing produce)

1. Sample of smaller tub Buy large storage containers or go to your local nursery for pots formerly used for large trees, most nurseries give away or sell the empties for a couple dollars. Turn container over and drill or punch holes in the bottom with a hammer and screwdriver. Make sure there are enough holes for adequate drainage or your soil will become waterlogged. Number of holes depends on size of container.
2. Japanese Eggplant Use small rocks or broken pottery to line the bottom about 1-1 1/2" deep and fill the rest of the bin with organic potting soil. Do not add fertilizers until your plants are established. Some gardeners prefer Miracle Grow but bear in mind it is not organic.
3. Tomatoes Ripening On Vine You can purchase vegetable plants or use seeds that have been started indoors and transplant them to the bins when the seedlings are big enough for outdoor planting. Another option...squeeze seeds out of your favorite organic tomatoes onto a paper towel and let them dry, then bury the paper towel just below the surface of the soil in early Spring...masses of tomatoes! Be sure to mulch around your plants to retain moisture in hotter climates, but don't over do it, just a light layer. Most vegetable do best with regular watering. I recommend a drip system, but if you hand water, try to be consistent in the amount and times, best in early morning. I reside in the hot desert and grow tomatoes, Japanese eggplants, beets, carrots, onions, all kinds of peppers, squash, and herbs...mostly in Spring, although beets and carrots grow year-round as well as rosemary and Italian Parsley.

Tips & Warnings

• •If you live in a hot area with strong mid-day and afternoon sun, you may want take some garden shade fabric and create a screen or lay over the top of your plants to avoid sun scorch. Protect your plants from winds as well. •Tomatoes love fish emulsion as a fertilizer. •To deter aphids from tomatoes, put powdered milk in a cheese shaker and lightly dust the leaves on both sides. If you do get them, a mixture of 1 tsp liquid dish soap, garlic and water sprayed on the leaves in the early morning before sun heats up and burns the leaves will kill the aphids. Sometimes just a good strong blast of water will work as well. •Try to avoid getting water on your tomatoes as it makes the skins tough, just water at the base of the plants. •Tomatoes are prone to large green worms or caterpillars that often show up in early a.m. hours. These can be removed by hand (wear gloves) and destroyed before they eat your plants. One caterpillar can eat a large tomato plant within a few days or stunt its growth, so check regularly.
• •Never spray household pesticides on the ground where your bins are located, it will absorb upward into the soil.