What is the best way to build a rasied garden.?

I am moving to San Diego, Ca. I would like to have a garden. Because we are renting and the soil is poor I would like to build a raised garden. I need it to be efficient, easy, and cheap. How big should it be for squash, beans, tomatos and possible cantalope? How deep should the soil be?

What is the best way to build a rasied garden.?
Probably the least expensive RAISED garden would be to use the least expensive container you can find. The least expensive containers I used were boxes; file boxes, fruit boxes, wax impregnated boxes, wooden boxes (the strongest), boxes inside of boxes (for side wall strength), etc. You see the concept here. Large plastic pots that are 24" high x 24" wide are ideal, but pricy. I have finally accquired 18 of those and since then gotten rid of the boxes.





Okay, the box concept. Water proofing is obviously essential. Get the large 30 to 50 gallon size for the box's interior. Place the box on bricks for elevation because the box's bottom will get wet and decintigrate in a short time unless this is a wax impregnated box. Make a drain hole in the box's bottom and push the plastic bag through the hole and down into a space between the bricks. Make a hole in the tip of the portion of the bag that hangs below the box and looks now, like the teat of a cow. The essential thing is to keep the box sides dry. Drape the plastic bag over the outside and down to protect the outside from getting wet. The bricks keep the bottom off the ground and from getting wet when water puddles. The drain must drain below the box bottom.





Fill your box with potting soil leaving at least a 2" free board or soil level 2" below box top. Most, or nearly all garden annual plants do not need more than 8 to 12 inches of root depth. Corn, vines (squash, cantalope) are one plant per box. Maybe two corn per box depending on the box size. One cantalope per box because that cantalope is going to be all over the place like the squash. Bush/pole beans, tomato = one per box. Lettuce, carots, radish, beets and the like can be several per box just like sections of rows in a typical garden plot. When you move, you can take your investment in soil medium and bricks with you.
Reply:yea...hydroponics in a dry area where water is already expensive and a sin to waste. thats the answer. can you believe the morons?
Reply:I would consider hydroponics. It is a more healthy way to grow fruits and vegetables and it doesn't cost a lot to do.





http://www.hydroponics.com/
Reply:select the area where you want your garden, square it off, pound 2x4 or 2x2 wood pegs one in each corner,about 12 inches deep and leave 12 inches sticking above ground. now place and nail or screw 2x10's or 2x12's to these pegs. now you should have a square above ground box,(you decide on the length and width), NEXT ON THE INSIDE OF THE BOX, dig up/loosen your existing bad soil about 4or 5 in. deep,then add some fertilizer and mix well, then some mulch and topsoil to fill to within 1 inch of the top of the box you are ready to plant. you may want to have the bad soil tested to see what type of fertilizer will work best for you., good luck.P.S. with using your old soil loosened up down 4 or 5in. and adding new topsoil 10 or 12 in. on top the depth should be alright for the plants you want, the size is up to you ,but considering all you are planting i would go with about a 10 x 12 ft square area., the wood will probably only cost about 40 bucks