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This is for a 4' x 8' bed. ... I am assuming she would be able to plant 6 to 8 plants.
Depending on what you're growing, you can get a LOT more out of a 4x8 bed, if you want to. Look into 'square foot gardening.' Even if you don't go full-on high density like that, there's a lot of related info you'll come across about getting more production out of the same space which could be applied either way.
I get my soil from a yard compost er. The use garden waste bake it turn it until it’s beautiful,soil. I have filled q/2 acre of raised bed. It’s sold by the truck load. Check around your area for yard and garden soils.
Depending on what you're growing, you can get a LOT more out of a 4x8 bed, if you want to. Look into 'square foot gardening.' Even if you don't go full-on high density like that, there's a lot of related info you'll come across about getting more production out of the same space which could be applied either way.
I just got this book on the recommendation of a friend and am amazed at how much you can get into one 4x4 bed. I got a 2-pack of the raised beds. Unfortunately I can’t make the soil that is recommended for the first bed (the book recommends starting one in spring and one in summer) because I just started my compost in the fall and it hasn’t broken down yet. I still have a couple of months though since I’m in IL and the growing season won’t really start for 2 months.
I checked with a local nursery and they want $90/cy for garden soil plus a $65 delivery fee. I also had a brain storm about what to use as containers. After moving every two years due to my job I have a lot of rubbermaid containers that are about 2' tall by 2' long by 1'6" wide in my attic. I am retired now and I just move to hopefully our last home. I would drill holes in them and place them on some bricks that I had left over from the house being built.
I checked with a local nursery and they want $90/cy for garden soil plus a $65 delivery fee. I also had a brain storm about what to use as containers. After moving every two years due to my job I have a lot of rubbermaid containers that are about 2' tall by 2' long by 1'6" wide in my attic. I am retired now and I just move to hopefully our last home. I would drill holes in them and place them on some bricks that I had left over from the house being built.
Do what I posted using straw bale and just a bit of soil/ compost on top and watch your tomatoes grow.
First I built two raised beds, filled one up with straws (hay will work), then put some soil on top
Then I added drip irrigation
The next pic shows some soil on top. I planted this zucchini by direct sow the seed into the soil.
You can't see the soil (trust me it's there) but see how well the tomatoes grew
Enjoy the fruits of your labor at the end of season
The plants roots actually enjoy extending into the straws and the fact that there are no soil underneath did not bother them at all.
You'll have to replenish the straw (or hay) at the end of season because by that time they composted into rich black soil. I get plenty of worms coming up to eat the straws (carbon material).
First I built two raised beds, filled one up with straws (hay will work), then put some soil on top
Then I added drip irrigation
The next pic shows some soil on top. I planted this zucchini by direct sow the seed into the soil.
You can't see the soil (trust me it's there) but see how well the tomatoes grew
Enjoy the fruits of your labor at the end of season
The plants roots actually enjoy extending into the straws and the fact that there are no soil underneath did not bother them at all.
You'll have to replenish the straw (or hay) at the end of season because by that time they composted into rich black soil. I get plenty of worms coming up to eat the straws (carbon material).
Another thing, check with your local feed store to see if they sell Alfalfa pellets for horse feed. I used them as a source of fertilizer. They are rich in Nitrogen plus many helpful vitamins and minerals. I did not have a big enough lawn to compost the grass so this is a good alternate way to get organic fertilizer into vegetable garden.
Give it a try for a season then report back on how it goes.
It will be far cheaper than paying for soil for sure.
I don't want PT lumber next to my food. Chromated copper arsenate.
The compounds currently being used in PT wood are alkaline copper quat (ACQ) and copper azole (CA-B). Both contain copper and a fungicide but no arsenic.
Untreated wood will rot really fast. Purists or organic gardeners may worry about the copper leaching into the soil. For me it isn't a concern, I threw caution to the wind and built mine with modern PT wood.
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