In article , Todd
wrote:

Hi All,

I am thinking about a raised redwood box to plant a small
garden in on the side of my house.

So far I have decided to make it redwood because 1) it takes
a very long time to rot, and 2) no chemicals to screw up my
organic gardening. Does this sound right?
Yes , if redwood is heart wood. This is rarer than hens teeth.

And, I would like it twenty feet long and three feet wide.
Three feet so I can reach over and weed the thing with out a lot of
stretching and stooping. Does this also sound right?

If you can reach from both sides, 4'.

Questions:

1) what goes on the bottom? Nothing so water can drain out?
Do I put a floor on the underside of the box? The dirt (ha ha)
it will be sitting on is "decomposed sandstone" (like decomposed
granite, only way, way uglier.) There is no nutritional value
in it -- everything has to be replaced, amending does not work.
Doesn't matter

2) how tall should the box be? Obviously, the taller, the
less stooping but the greater expense in filling it. Root
need some root to grow.
Two, to 3 ft.

3) screws or nails? As redwood dries out, nails tend to fall
out
Nails are good for at least a decade.

4) what do I fill it with? Straight compost? or a mixture of
both? What ratio? (The compose place sells both.)
Twenty eight point seven per cent sand, 38.7% silt, 27.7% clay, 5%
organic material

Anything I missed?
Add 2.6 - 5.2 lbs of chicken manure/ 10 sq. ft., and mulch on top.

Many thanks,
-T

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Welcome to the New America.
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