WOODEN PLANTER

[BIGLUG]

Hi
Im new to this but I'm starting a vegetable garden in a cedar
planter box and would like to know what type of soil to buy.
so many out there your help would be nice.
Thank you
newbe

[stella1751]

BigLug, I see no one has answered this yet, so I'm going to jump in with a for-what-it's-worth response. How tall will be the sides on your raised beds? Lots of times, once you've loosened the soil and added plenty of compost, you don't need to add any soil.

On my own beds, I occasionally add a bag of Ace Hardware top soil. I don't do it all at once, though, and I mix it in good. Plants recognize different soil levels, according to my Shepherd Ogden book (I think it was his book), and their roots might stop once they hit a new level.

If you buy bagged top soil, buy one bag of, say, three different kinds to see which one you like the best. If you are having your topsoil trucked in, check it before you buy it so you know what you are getting. One of my neighbors bought what he swears was a load of sand last year. I suspect he is wrong. He's a North Dakotan, and they can afford to have higher standards than Wyomingites when it comes to soil

[BIGLUG]

Thanks for the reply Stella
I was not to clear on my planter boxs they are not in the ground
they are 18x18x60. i see there is so many differnt soils/potting soils/
exc. a looking for the right one to start with.
Thanks again
Biglug

[rainbowgardener]

Those are inches? Like 1.5 feet wide and deep and 5' long?

For containers, where the soil isn't sitting on the ground, drainage is most important, so you need something really light and loose. It would be expensive to fill something that big with potting soil. But I would make a mixture of good topsoil with at least half potting soil.

[stella1751]

I have a friend who uses round wooden planters. She lines the inside sides (not the bottom, though) with black plastic to help keep in moisture.