New raised bed planter!

We replaced an old 6x2x3’ tall galvanized stock tank and made a raised planter out of it, to my delight. DH drilled a bunch of slits in the bottom for drainage, set it up on a layer of bricks for drainage, put in about an 8" layer of big river rock, follwed by a 3" layer of coarse gravel, half filled it with old used potting soil, then the rest of the way with bulk potting soil and bat guano. I plan to add a bag or two of deodorized manure (less hot than regular bagged manure). I got three yards of white nylon netting that I plan to anchor down over the top with magnets after I plant seeds and seedlings to keep the birds, wasps, and cats out until things are settled in. We’ll grow some chiles, maybe a tomato, herbs, maybe an eggplant if I can find one that’s not in a sixpack, maybe some marigolds. I’d really like to plant a loofah but except for the first time I tried it, they were epic failures. I figure I can use square foot gardening techniques to increase the yield since it’s new and loose.
Any ideas, words of wisdom, et cetera?
EDIT- worm castings, not bat guano

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How exciting! How will you irrigate? Maybe you could set up drip with that perforated tubing with the built in filters. Netafim?

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Exciting! Would you share a photo?

I miss growing things… but I don’t miss the pandemic, which was the only time (and reason) I actually grew things… (I travel enough usually that I kill my plants in normal times… sigh)

I tried square foot gardening but pests and then a fungus ruined the best located planters. The ones in a different spot did well though.

Tomatoes did much better for me in a separate pot vs. the raised bed. Kale and mustard greens were prolific, though. In the pest-ridden spot I had zucchini, cucumber, green and red peppers, lettuce, more kale and mustard greens – all were doing great till the pestilence took over, and then a fungus.

Chillies are a good idea, but they were also pretty prolific and so a year later there are still a bunch in the freezer :joy: I also germinated green and red pepper seeds from what we ate, and those grew really well - but I think you’re supposed to keep spicy and sweet peppers away from each others. Another time I’d try shishitos.

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Nothing else in the back yard is irrigated, except for the little patch of lawn, so we’ll just run around watering like mad, like we always did!

I had shishitos year before last, none of them ever made it into the house! I may try them again, they were good. We have a couple of jalapenos that wintered over that will go in there. I planted some pepper seeds and am waiting for them to germinate as I type.
Interesting about your square foot experience, I hope we don’t end up with pestilence. The damn birds are bad enough.
Definnitely going to grow Mexican gherkins. And basil.

I don’t like the flavor of jalapeños - so we grew serranos.

The problem with the pestilence was it got to everything because of the square foot method - no separation / saving one plant from another. We had not anticipated how much we would be affected by one neighbor’s unkempt slope, and had just picked the sunniest / optimal spot for those planters. Ugh. Such a waste.

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You might want to try Fresno’s too.

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You just reminded me to go buy a serrano seedling- thanks!

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