So, you love to have a garden where you can get your own fresh vegetables from, but have very little or no space for traditional gardening? Vegetable planter boxes are exactly the thing you are looking for. Vegetable planter boxes, also known as raised bed gardens, allow you to grow food in small spaces. It enables you to even decrease the number of wild weeds by allowing you to tailor the soil exactly as you need. Vegetable planter boxes let you get plating sooner and frees you from the hassles of dealing with stones and roots.

Here are a few tips for successful vegetable gardening in your vegetable planter boxes.

Regularly fluff the soil of your vegetable planter boxes

The soil in planter boxes tends to get compacted easily making gardening difficult and less intake of oxygen for the plants. To keep the soil from compacting and lighten it in your vegetable planter boxes, simply use a garden fork to poke deep into soil wiggling it back and forth. Repeat with an interval of 8-12 inches properly across the planter box bed.

Plant useful cover crops annually

You should Plant annual cover crops at the end of each growing season to enhance the productivity of our vegetable planter boxes. Annual cover crops like crimson clover, hairy vetch, and ryegrass, provide essential nutrients and reduce erosion to the soil especially when planted during spring.

Enrich your soil with compost annually

The soil in the Vegetable planter boxes tends to settle and deplete over time. To ward this off, regularly fertilize your soil by adding 1 to 2 inches layer of compost or manure annually during spring.

Remember to mulch

After you have planted your vegetable planter boxes, remember to mulch it with grass clippings, leaves, straw or wood chips. This will allow you to control the number of weeds growing in your garden and will keep the soil moist. Cover the bottom of the bed by installing a barrier. You can choose commercial weed barriers for this or simply use an old carpet or ridged cardboard.

Keep weeds and roots away with barriers

Avoid walking on the soil

Remember to build your vegetable planter boxes in a way and keep them in a space that will allow you to access every part of it without having to stand on it. This will protect the perfect light fluffy soil that you love your vegetable planter boxes for. If your planter box gardens compel you to work on it to access parts of it, consider installing patio paver or board strategically placed for you to step on so that you don’t have to step on the soil. 

Protect your soil even when you are not gardening

The soil in your vegetable planter boxes can easily break down and compact. To protect your soil from the harsh weather, always remember that your soil is covered with a layer of mulch or a cover crop even when you won’t be gardening in it. This will replenish the soil’s fertility and keep it soft and fluffy when you come back to plant it.

Irrigate your vegetable planter boxes properly

Your vegetable planter boxes, just like a traditional garden, require proper irrigation to survive and thrive. The two best ways of irrigating your planter boxes are drip irrigation and soaker hose. Save a lot of time and hard work by planning and installing your irrigation system before you start planting.

Conclusion

Last but least extend your growing season well into the fall by planning upfront. Installing low tunnel support or cold frames will save you a lot by protecting your crops from the frost and allowing you to start planting earlier in the season.