Garden Beds

[7651]

Good afternoon! I had my first successful vegetable garden, however, it was at a friends house who had a huge garden, as she moved elsewhere. This year I don’t have that opportunity so my husband is building me a bunch of garden beds and I’m making use of my small backyard. I have a large livestock watering trough (metal) that I was wondering if I could use as one of my vegetable garden beds. I don’t wish to drill holes in it for draining, would that be a problem? Is there a way around doing so?

 

[so lucky]

I think it would be a problem. Whether you get a lot of rain, or just a little, that water trough is probably not going to be right.
One thing you could do is fill it about 1/3 with filler of some kind, like rocks or Styrofoam or aluminum cans, then set big pots (with holes in the bottom) onto that. You could use the pots for pepper or tomato plants, maybe cukes or squash.

 

[YourRabbitGirl]

Good afternoon! I had my first successful vegetable garden, however, it was at a friends house who had a huge garden, as she moved elsewhere. This year I don’t have that opportunity so my husband is building me a bunch of garden beds and I’m making use of my small backyard. I have a large livestock watering trough (metal) that I was wondering if I could use as one of my vegetable garden beds. I don’t wish to drill holes in it for draining, would that be a problem? Is there a way around doing so?

Im very excited aswell when my plants on my 1st garden bloomed, It feels like I'm connected to nature, Its quite easy your issue is. but I know that you can figure this out.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

I think it would be a problem. Whether you get a lot of rain, or just a little, that water trough is probably not going to be right.
One thing you could do is fill it about 1/3 with filler of some kind, like rocks or Styrofoam or aluminum cans, then set big pots (with holes in the bottom) onto that. You could use the pots for pepper or tomato plants, maybe cukes or squash.

Agreed. If you don't drill holes the plants will likely get root rot / drown. Also, I know people use troughs, but I always think they'd just overheat the soil in strong sun.

Good luck!!

 

[flowerbug]

set up a space at the bottom where water can collect, put a piece of pipe down through your planting soil that you can use to siphon extra water out if it gets too soggy. tip the planter slightly towards the end you have that pipe in.

there are very small aquarium pumps which can be used to empty and they don't even cost all that much either. just plug it in for a few minutes once in a while to empty out extra water. you might need to cover the intake with a sponge or cloth to keep gunk out of the pump or the tube, etc.

 

[baymule]

I don't see that working out with no drain holes. Does it have a plug and drain? I have a 300 gallon tank that does. If so, take out the drain plug and tilt the tank so that water would run out the drain easily. The metal would be another factor, heating up in the sun.

 

[thistlebloom]

I grow flowers in a stock tank against the south wall of a shed. It does have drilled holes in the bottom. The soil doesn't seem to heat up, but the flowers do get some heat stress from the reflected heat of the shed wall. But this is not Texas and our nights cool to the 50's.

 

[baymule]

I grow flowers in a stock tank against the south wall of a shed. It does have drilled holes in the bottom. The soil doesn't seem to heat up, but the flowers do get some heat stress from the reflected heat of the shed wall. But this is not Texas and our nights cool to the 50's.

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Dang right it ain't Texas.....50*F at night in the summer? That would be WINTER here! @Mnmnikki where are you? Can you put your general location in your avatar?

 

[thistlebloom]

We call it refreshing!

 

[baymule]

We call it refreshing!

We call it freaking COLD!