in ground or above ground veg garden?
I am thinking of starting a vegetable garden and want to know if in ground or above ground container is better.
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wingdesigner
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How's your back? And your knees? If you are still a young whippersnapper with good joints; by all means stake out a plot in-ground and go to town! However, if you're like some of us with back or knee problems, a raised bed will be much easier to handle (after the initial construction). That's the old curmudgeon's 2p. BTW, welcome to HG from a Michigan troll.
Hi, and welcome! 
Like wingdesigner, and for many of the same reasons, I garden above ground. One thing you might want to consider when making your decision, aside from the types of veggies you want to grow, is the quality of your soil. I have a friend who lives in another city in Oregon who loved to garden, but no longer can put his plants in the ground because the soil in his yard has been poisoned. I can't remember whether it was caused by an underground leak from a gas station, or from a dry cleaning establishment (either business would have been many blocks from his home), but the soil is totally ruined.
He gardens above ground now.
Like wingdesigner, and for many of the same reasons, I garden above ground. One thing you might want to consider when making your decision, aside from the types of veggies you want to grow, is the quality of your soil. I have a friend who lives in another city in Oregon who loved to garden, but no longer can put his plants in the ground because the soil in his yard has been poisoned. I can't remember whether it was caused by an underground leak from a gas station, or from a dry cleaning establishment (either business would have been many blocks from his home), but the soil is totally ruined.
He gardens above ground now.-
wingdesigner
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I agree with Kisal about the soil. My ornamentals go in ground, but to be on the safe side I put the food crops in containers. The prior owners smoked like chimneys; we live on a major road and are subject to cigarette butts, salt, and other detritus from the road constantly. I have to put up a salt barrier before the first snow falls so the junipers don't get burned.
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hendi_alex
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I've never been an either/or kind of guy. In all things moderation (well to an extent). Why limit onself by such a decision. I have an in ground arrangement of approximate 4 x5 foot planting beds, also have several raised beds that sit on barriers rather than directly on the ground. Have some of the raised beds in all day sun and others in half day sun, to take advantage of the micro climate differences there. Also have at least 100 plants growing in various containers, many are decorative, while others are pottery or nursury pots. We use quite a few 20-35 gallon nursery pots that will even accomodate things likel tomatoes and cucumber vines. Over the past couple of years, the garden has expanded to include 200-300 feet of traditional rows.
So my suggestion is start out with whatever method gives a bigger comfort level, and then expand into other methods as the interest and/or the comfort level increase.
So my suggestion is start out with whatever method gives a bigger comfort level, and then expand into other methods as the interest and/or the comfort level increase.
one word: weeds
my in-ground container has so many, its ridiculous. but the two above ground are doing wonderfully.
in grounds are more work, just to get um there... a days worth of tearing out the old ground, making sure there is good soil, weed roots are out, and watch out for water lines!! ( I speak from experience!!), then the work you would need to do either way: building the edges, filling, planting, arrogation.
my in-ground container has so many, its ridiculous. but the two above ground are doing wonderfully.
in grounds are more work, just to get um there... a days worth of tearing out the old ground, making sure there is good soil, weed roots are out, and watch out for water lines!! ( I speak from experience!!), then the work you would need to do either way: building the edges, filling, planting, arrogation.
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hendi_alex
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- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
"one word: weeds
my in-ground container has so many, its ridiculous."
I can certainly relate to that sentiment. Gave up gardening for several years because of very poor dry soil, but mostly WEEDS. I eventually built a concrete pad with 4 x 5 rectangular planting beds. They are "in ground" but have concrete walking paths both around and between that act as a very effective barrier against the worst invader, wire grass. Later the garden was expanded to include raised beds and also some container grown plants. Now I've found a strategy to go back to a limited planting of in ground row crops. Those rows are mostly used for crops that are growing vigorously in May and June and which are spent with harvest completed by late June or very early July. So the bed gets plowed and planted. May get plowed once again, between the rows. As the grass takes over, harvest is complete and the space gets tilled a final time or two before being planted in some kind of cover crop. Corn, sweet peas, snap beans all lend themselves to this [harvest before the weeds get too bad] concept. Also plant some of the sprawling vines in ground, but there we mulch with newspaper covered by straw or other mulch, to keep the grass and weeds in check at least within a couple of feet either side of the row. One thing for sure, I'll not be hoeing and weeding, and trying to keep a beautifully kept traditional row garden. That is just too much work for me.
my in-ground container has so many, its ridiculous."
I can certainly relate to that sentiment. Gave up gardening for several years because of very poor dry soil, but mostly WEEDS. I eventually built a concrete pad with 4 x 5 rectangular planting beds. They are "in ground" but have concrete walking paths both around and between that act as a very effective barrier against the worst invader, wire grass. Later the garden was expanded to include raised beds and also some container grown plants. Now I've found a strategy to go back to a limited planting of in ground row crops. Those rows are mostly used for crops that are growing vigorously in May and June and which are spent with harvest completed by late June or very early July. So the bed gets plowed and planted. May get plowed once again, between the rows. As the grass takes over, harvest is complete and the space gets tilled a final time or two before being planted in some kind of cover crop. Corn, sweet peas, snap beans all lend themselves to this [harvest before the weeds get too bad] concept. Also plant some of the sprawling vines in ground, but there we mulch with newspaper covered by straw or other mulch, to keep the grass and weeds in check at least within a couple of feet either side of the row. One thing for sure, I'll not be hoeing and weeding, and trying to keep a beautifully kept traditional row garden. That is just too much work for me.