Raised Bed Gardening-Container Gardening with Bushel Baskets.

Bushel Baskets make affordable easy container gardening or raised bed gardens. They can be moved easily particularly if you use half bushel baskets or the little eight quart baskets.

You can pick up used bushel baskets at garage sales, flea markets, auctions or farm stands. They are not even that expensive at basket factories. I pick up baskets for 10 cents to a dollar.

I use compost from my compost bin to fill the basket. (If my crops are heavy feeders  I will put seasoned manure in the bottom of the basket.)

I have grown onions, potatoes, carrots and beets in bushel baskets for years. When it’s harvest time I just dump the basket onto a sheet or piece of plastic and harvest the crop. The soil is returned to the compost bin. I save a lot of time digging up root crops and it’s much easier on the back.

Carrots also benefit from being grown in a bushel basket because there are not rocks in the soil to reshape the carrots. They are super straight and if I get bugs I can easily cover the basket with a thin cloth to protect the crop. It also has stopped those pesky rabbits from sampling and ruining my harvest.

I like putting a couple of baskets right outside the door with a tomato plant, lettuce, radishes, and a few herbs. This saves a trip to the garden and I have a fresh salad by just stepping out the door.

Soil in a bushel basket dries out faster. I have solved this problem by using this technique. I place a plastic soda bottle upside down in the middle of the basket  and place it halfway down into the soil. I use this as a funnel to get the water deep into the soil where it benefits the plant the most. My plants thrive by using this watering method.

I really haven’t found a plant or crop that does poorly in a bushel basket. They look great sitting around the yard and it adds an artistic look to the yard and landscaping. I mix flowers, vegetables and herbs in the baskets to get a colorful great look plus the benefits of combination planting for organic pest control.

Vine crops even do well in the baskets. Just make sure the poles or trellises are secured well.

Bushel baskets only last one year. The soil and water ruin the bottoms. But it’s an easy technique, saves time and adds interest to the yard.