height is proportional to WHAT is being planted. a foot of soil is fine for lettuce,
18" for tomatoes. I have NO "extra" drainage in my round containers, but I did drill
larger holes in the bottom and if any show a tendency for standing water I drill a
hole into the side.
loam mixed with manure is the best soil for containers. it retains moisture and
doesnt either dry out too fast or become "unwetable" like fake soil.
I sure wouldnt "raise" the beds, they are likely to warp as well as overheat too
fast. Ingrid

"Gideon" wrote:
Some suggestions to consider:
- Have beds taller than normal. Look at suggestions for pot
sizes for potted gardening. Some plants raised in pots
have 18" or more of potting soil in which to grow.
- Create beds with more designed drainage than with typical raised
beds. Obvious. The beds are sitting on concrete.
- Slightly elevate the beds for better drainage.
- Use superior soil for proper drainage, water retention, and
plant development.
- Consider artificial soil. Avoid almost any so-called "topsoil"
sold in stores. Almost anything can be dried, pulverized and
mixed with a bit of organic material to look and smell a bit
like good soil.
Eg: Clay, river silt, and the black muck from river dredging can
all look pretty but are horrible for gardening. In your situation,
I'd create my own artificial soil and augment it each year with
compost.
- Starting compost piles immediately for the future. Ask
neighbors for yard waste and create as much free compost
as possible.
- Try to design beds whose heights can be easily raised in the
future if you decide that it is needed.
- Design beds which can be fenced easily, for protection from
critters.
- Create a decent irrigation system. Gardening is more fun
when you reduce some of the labor. Besides, those raised
beds sitting on concrete will need more frequent watering.
Never make the mistake of substituting poor drainage for good
irrigation.
- Never walk on the beds. Keep them narrow enough that
you never need to set foot on the soil.
- Consider possible "raised beds within raised beds." The ends
of your beds could be taller than the rest. Or you could have
open-bottomed, soil-filled containers in the middle of your beds.
That way a bed could support both shallow rooted and deeper
rooted plants. The movable, open-bottomed containers would
give you flexibility to rearrange your garden from season to season.
- Depending upon your climate, you may want to consider designing
some beds so that they can function as cold frames.
- Seek free stuff. Some of my free stuff:
Compost materials from neighbors.
"Soil" from discarded potted annuals at the end of the season.
Discarded plastic containers from large nursery stock (obtained
from a landscaper friend who plants shrubs, trees, etc.)
- Start small. Experiment. Have fun.
- At the end of your first growing season, let us know how it works out
for you. We are a curious lot.

Good luck,
Gideon




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