Two women and a little boy attended a mini-workshop to learn the benefits of fruit box containers in low-maintenance gardening.
They learned that containers will allow them to move their plants around easily, providing the flexibility to rearrange their garden layout as needed.
They also learned that container gardening can help minimize weed growth, as the physical barrier of the container prevents weed seeds from reaching the soil.
Containers offer better control over watering, allowing them to provide optimal moisture levels for each plant.
Paul Carter, the chief architect of The Lazy Gardener Formula led them through the process of choosing a plastic box with dimensions of 22 inches long, 15 inches wide, and 13 inches deep. Then they lined the box with landscape fabric This step will prevent soil from leaking out of the box.
They then cut 2 pieces of 1-inch internal diameter PVC pipe and attached them inside the 2 corners of the box with zip-ties. This makes it easy to insert poles to support climbing plants like tomatoes or pole beans. Finally, they added soil mix and a clay pot automatic water delivery head.
In the second half of the workshop, they focused on how to create an optimal soil mix. They added some disease-free logs to the bottom of the container. This will provide future organic materials, lighten the box, and reduce the amount of soil needed. Then they filled the box with the soil mix of one-third worm castings, one-third coco fiber, and one-third vermiculite around the automatic water delivery head leaving enough room at the top for a 2-inch layer of mulch.
In another workshop, Paul expects to turn to the creation of a 5-gallon bucket reservoir to keep the clay pot water delivery head full, and the fruit box soil at just the right moisture to keep thirsty plants satisfied.
Through the mini-workshop the group learned one of the key elements of The Lazy Gardener Formula, – setting up a well-designed fruit box grow bed. By embracing this approach, gardeners can reduce drudgery, while delighting in the benefits of container gardening, including portability, accessibility, weed and pest control, and water conservation.
If you would like to explore self-maintaining gardening systems Paul is producing a guidebook series to guide you through the process.
For more information as it becomes available, subscribe to our newsletter here, and get a free checklist of the overview of the process.