| Dear Expert Gardener, I was wondering which idea would be more productive, easier to maintain, and less expensive. I live on a 3/4 acre lot with a garage (separate from the house) very little shade and its constantly sunny (really hot afternoons). I want to grow vegetables and some flowers for my grandmother who lives with me. But this year (1st year) when I planted we had a later than usual chill and real extreme heat. Not to metion grass (not Weeds) constantly growing in my garden. So I started using Miracle Grow with Moisture Lock in pots but that started to get expensive. The pots, several bags of Miracle Grow, new plants and the more plants i wanted to grow the more pots i bought but they did grow well. Some just a little crowded. So next year when i have more money I wanted either to have a garden or a raised bed. Sorry it took so long to get to the subject I just thought it might help. So my questions are how large could a raised bed be, would it be easier to just have a garden ,without having to constantly degrass it, and be moist enough for hot and dry days. I know this is long but i hope you will be able to understand the just of it. And Thank You again Expert Gardener |
| Ricky, I am sorry for this delayed reply to your gardening question. The spring rush has brought a deluge of questions and we are working hard to catch up! You can go either way with the garden. I think a few raised beds would be easier to care for. You can even have grass between the beds if you like and mow that area. The raised beds should be about 4 feet apart so you can reach the center of them from either side. If there is bermudagrass in the area kill it first with a product containing glyphosate as it will crawl into any type of garden you build. Remember that larger is not the goal when gardening. A more productive small area that is well tended is much easier to care for and weeds don't tend to get ahead of you. Thanks for the question. Best wishes for a wonderful gardening season. Please stop in again soon! |
