F.A.Q.

What are your garden boxes made of?

Our boxes are made from vinyl that is formulated from raw materials including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), UV inhibitors and impact modifiers. Because we use only premium vinyl, you'll get superior performance.

How do I mulch my garden box?

With a whole range of materials! A few things we recommend:

· Carpet squares turned upside down, with holes cut for the plants

· Newspaper with grass clippings or other material on top

· Cedar mulch or other pre-packaged wood mulch from the garden center

· Free wood chips from tree-trimming companies or the city trimmers

· Straw (Hay has seeds! Don't use that!)

· Shredded paper (reuse that junk mail!)

· Compost, half-finished compost, crumbly decomposting shredded leaves

· Red plastic (under tomatoes and strawberries-- increases the harvest!)

· We hear varied reports about the black plastic "weed cloth" stuff. Almost everyone says the thin, cheaper stuff is worthless; some say that the thicker stuff works well, and others say it's not worth the expense.

How should I water a garden box?

Purists recommend a bucket of sun-warmed water and a dipper. You don't shock the plant with cold water this way, you water only your plants and not areas where weeds might want to grow, and you can check on how your plants are doing as you move about the garden watering them.

If hand-watering isn’t for you, then you can rig up soaker hoses or drip systems to water the plants. You can also use empty plastic jugs with holes punched in their bottoms (and the caps removed) to create low-tech drip irrigation systems. (Fill the jugs, set one in each square, and walk away; come back later to pick up the empty jugs!)

What about paths between garden boxes?

The paths between your boxes should be at least two feet wide. If this seems like a lot of wasted space, imagine kneeling down to work on a 1' wide path, or maneuvering your wheelbarrow along skinny paths without damaging your plants. Larger pathways are much more comfortable to work with.

Your budget, your aesthetic preferences, and available materials will determine what you use for the paths between your raised beds. Here are a few ideas:

· Any fancy material typically used for a sidewalk or paved garden path can be used, including flagstone paths, concrete pavers, bricks, etc. set into concrete, sand, gravel, rock screenings, etc. There are multiple sites on the Internet that give detailed descriptions of how to construct these kinds of paths.

· Grass, edged along the beds with a weedeater or square-bladed shovel.

· Paths made from broken-up concrete slabs (free if you're willing to scrounge) set into grass, sand, gravel, or rock screenings.

· Organic materials (hay, wood chips, grass clippings, etc) over dampened cardboard boxes or newspaper. The cardboard/newspaper blocks weeds, and the whole mess gradually breaks down and will need to be replenished every year or so.

How do I stake summer squash or zucchini?

GOOD REASONS TO STAKE: Keeps it up off the ground, keeps the leaves growing on the lower levels, may keep the vine shorter (spending more energy on fruit production), keeps the fruit growing lower on the vine--yet up off the ground, keeps fruit from rotting against wet soil and drawing bugs.

TOOLS TO USE: 4 feet is plenty long for the stake in an 6-inch raised bed. You also need several ties per squash. Use a figure-8 tie with old pantyhose strips or soft stretchy fiber, like narrow green bias tape. (Save, wash with bleach, and reuse.) Trellises work if you have a low enough starting point.

They also do very well in cages, the commercial inverted cone type. Use the large cage. As the plant grows help work it up through the cage. This can give a very interesting look and assists with pest control as the leaves are easier to reach and it holds them up off of the ground. The large wire cones also work for eggplants and peppers, and come fall, for brussels sprouts.

HINT 1: Plant the stake first--firmly (steady, no wiggling). Then put the plant/seed in beside the stake. (No root damage from driving in a stake!)

HINT 2: Check your summer squashes every other day--they want to grow out. You must keep coaxing them up.

HINT 3: You check the plants every two days, right? You will find your squash before it grows into baseball bats.

How do I trellis veggies with garden boxes?

Ever tried to support a tomato with just a cage? You know what happens. Halfway through the season, the tomato (or cucumber or other vining veggie) overgrows its bounds, and bends, uproots or topples its support, creating a mass of vines to hide the precious produce and encourage mildew, nasty bugs and other unmentionables.

Ever tried to grow a cantaloupe or vining squash on the ground without any support? You know what happens there too. The plant takes over at least 100 square feet of space, sprawling all over your garden area just to produce a few veggies or fruits for you. It's a waste of precious garden real estate.

Intensive gardeners like to grow their larger, vining crops vertically. All but the big watermelons and pumpkins can be trained up a support, and some judicious pruning of side shoots keeps them within their bounds and producing abundantly. Crops are easy to pick, mildew is discouraged, and bugs are easier to spot and eliminate.

A classic method involves using a sturdy vertical frame (as high as you can reach), anchored well into the ground. An upside-down U made from electrical conduit or other pipe works well and doesn't break the bank (3/4" copper plumbing pipe used for this purpose is a little more expensive but very nice-looking). To support the individual plants, string is tied horizontally just above ground level and then vertically between the top bar and bottom string. Nylon is recommended to prevent rotting. The picture can give you an idea of how this works.

As the vining crops grow, the new growth is wrapped around the string, and offshoot branches are pruned to keep the plant focused on growing and producing fruit along its main vertical stem.

What do I use to fill my garden beds?

Garden box gardening methods require an especially rich growing medium to support the plants, and raised beds impact water retention. One thing you don't want much of is plain garden or topsoil, especially the bagged stuff available in garden centers or dirt companies.

There are different philosophies on how to fill the beds. Some people prefer (and some locations benefit from) "double-digging" the garden bed and working in amendments when a bed is initially built. Similar but less effective is using a tiller to first till the soil, then till in amendments. Afterward, a thick layer of a soil-less fill mix is applied to the top, possibly putting a fine sprinkle of clean soil where starting fine seeds. However, many gardeners have experimented and found no difference in production between beds that were tilled or double-dug and the no-till methods where the soil-less mix is simply placed in the raised bed over a degradable liner of newspaper or cardboard to suppress the existing grass and weeds below.

We recommend a mixture of approximately equal parts of compost materials, durable "brown" organics for bulk & drainage, and a water retention substance. A good sample mix is equal parts by volume of compost, peat moss, and coarse vermiculite. The more sources of compost the better, to ensure getting a wide variety of nutrients for the plants.

Some people plant in almost pure compost, others use a mix of compost and leaves. Essentially, it is a mixture of organically based materials that has been allowed to rot in a controlled manner. Compost can be made of anything - chicken droppings and sawdust, various manures and straw, household scraps and leaves, or lawn clippings and chipped wood or small branches. A good variety is helpful, but use whatever is available and cheap.

The durable organics used for bulk are primarily shredded (or not) leaves or leaf mold, coir, or sprangham peat. The use of peat is currently debated as to whether it is renewable, but has advantages when making beds of acid lovers (though using leaves of certain trees can accomplish a similar result).

Water retention substances are available in a variety of forms. Cheapest is vermiculite, a naturally occurring mineral deposit. Perlite (perlized mica) is a a mined product that is "popped" to make a water-retaining matrix. It retains the least water and has a tendency to rise to the top of the bed. Expanded shale is also mined then expanded, but has percolation properties not present in perlite and holds up longer than vermiculite. There are new polymers (man-made) that come as granules and form a gel that absorbs and slowly releases water. Some climates and situations will have more need of the water retention component than others. Vermiculite can also be bought from pool supply companies (sold as pool base), specialty packaging supply companies, hydroponic stores, and some nurseries keep the bulk bags in storage so you have to ask for it. The cheapest vermiculite you can find will do, you do not need the fine "horticultural" grade of vermiculite for filling beds, the coarser the better. Contrary to popular rumors, there is not a problem with the mines or asbestos in currently marketed products, though wetting it down before mixing to eliminate dust and prevent it from floating up in the initial watering is strongly recommended.

These last two components are one-time additions to a bed; once a bed is built, adding compost to replace nutrients used by the plants is the only thing the bed needs.

What are recommended plant spacings?

Basil	1/sqft (Note: WAY too small for some of us in warmer climates! Try 1/4 sqft, or plant 1/sqft and trim that sucker like crazy!)
Beans: bush (French)	9/sqft
Beans: pole (Runner)	8/sqft on pole or trellis
Beets	16/sqft
Broccoli	1/sqft
Brussels Sprouts	1/sqft
Cabbage	1/sqft
Carrots	16/sqft
Cauliflower	1/sqft
Celery	4/sqft (6")
Chard(Swiss)	4/sqft
Corn	1/sqft - must plant in blocks of at least 4ft x 4ft to get an attractive kernel set
Cucumbers	2/sqft in a row of 4 sqft (6" apart along middle of trellissed sqft row)
Daffodils	36/sqft
Eggplant	1/sqft (Note: those of us in hot climates find this MUCH too small for eggplant!)
Garlic	4/sqft (6") Some say 9/sqft (4")
Leeks	9/sqft (see special technique in 2/96 OG)
Lettuce	4/sqft
Marjoram	4/sqft (according to sqft reader Kevin M. Wilson)
Muskmelons	1/sqft (grow in row of 4 squares, on trellis)
Okra	1-2/sqft
Onions	16/sqft
Oregano	1-4/sqft
Parsley	4/sqft
Peas	8/sqft some varieties on trellis, some varieties are bush
Peppers	1/sqft
Potatoes	1/sqft
Radishes	16/sqft
Savory	1/sqft
Scallions	36/sqft (2")
Spinach	9/sqft
Squash	Summer: vine-type 3/4sqft (see special grid); bush-type 1/3sqft Winter: 1/2sqft (see special grid)
Thyme	4/sqft
Tomatoes	bush-type: 4/4sqft (see special grid); vine-type 1/sqft (in row of 4 on trellis)
Watermelon	bush-type 1/sqft; vine-type 1/2sqft - both kinds along trellis
Zucchini	1/sqft

What is your Refunds and Returns policy?

No Returns will be accepted without prior written approval.

Returns will only be accepted within 30 days from order delivery.

Each package on a return must have a return authorization number clearly indicated.

All materials are to be returned freight prepaid. All collect shipments will be refused.

No returns will be accepted for custom orders.

All returns become property of The Garden Box Store.

Is vinyl strong?

Vinyl has 5 times the tensile strength and 4 times the flexibility of wood.

Is it heavy?

No. Vinyl weighs only about 1.1 pounds per linear foot, which is much lighter than the typical wood used in home projects. But it's stronger, lasts longer and is easier to work with than wood.

Will it burn?

Vinyl has a high flash point of 900°F, so it doesn't ignite easily. If fire is held to it, it will burn. But as soon as the flame is removed, the vinyl will self-extinguish.

Will it turn yellow?

No. Yellowing in vinyl products is due to the sun's ultraviolet rays. Our products contain an industry leading 10 parts per 100 of titanium dioxide (TiO2), which is an extremely effective UV inhibitor. This amount of TiO2 is more than enough to prevent breakdown from the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Will the boxes crack?

All materials expand and contract with hot and cold temperatures. But impact modifiers act as an added safety measure, adding flexibility to the vinyl so that it'll give instead of crack or splinter like wood. Our products are designed to operate under normal conditions, and will crack only under extreme circumstances.

How can it be cleaned?

Vinyl is designed to be maintenance-free, and usually only requires the occasional rinse with a garden hose. But if more serious cleaning is necessary, a soft bristled brush with detergent or even a mild bleach solution will do the trick. Cleaning products should always be tested on a hidden section of your product before using on exposed areas.

Will it mildew?

Vinyl has a smooth, non-porous surface, which makes it difficult for mildew to grow. But if conditions are humid enough, mildew can appear. If it does, it can be easily removed with water and/or a mild bleach solution.

Can I paint it?

Our products are designed to look like they're always freshly painted, so the only reason to paint them would be to change color. Epoxy-based paint is the only paint that will adhere properly to a vinyl surface, but it also damages the surface, so we don't recommend it.

Is your product environmentally safe? Does it have lead in it?

Our vinyl is safe and non-toxic. It doesn't contain lead or require the heavy metals and dangerous chemicals needed to treat and maintain wood. It's environmentally safe, and because lumber isn't used, trees are left standing. There aren't any chemicals used that might contaminate your yard, and our vinyl doesn't break down when exposed to soil, groundwater or the elements.

Is your product more expensive than wood?

Initially, our product costs more than wood (unless you're buying premium wood, then they're about on par). But you'll never need to invest any more time or money into them because they come with our lifetime warranty. Wood, on the other hand, will need to be maintained for the rest of its life span, whether painting, staining, repairing or replacing. And with wood's cost increasing while its quality decreases (most of it's young growth lumber), vinyl garden boxes have never been a more attractive purchase.

Where are you located?

The Garden Box Store is owned by Salt Creek Supply, which is located in Nephi, UT.