Flower/plant Boxes On Outside Terrace

[tutsiwarrior]

just about finishing up the new outside up floor terrace and thinking about the future arrangement with plants, flowers, vegetables and etc. Am now thinking about permanent planter boxes arranged along the outside edge (wall brick and cement construction)...this should give plenty of space for what I want to do and for Mama-in-law to have her kitchen garden. Drainage is the biggest consideration, of course...

think about a nice open 3m x 10m terrace with excellent eastern exposure and what you would do with it without using big clay pots, etc?...we will have piped water from below on a hose tap for irrigation purposes...the view over the terrace is unobstructed and is suay mak mak and is likely to remain so within my lifetime...

oh yeah...was gonna say that the planter boxes would have a layer of rock on the bottom and planting soil on top to drain over the edge of the roof...any better suggestions?

[chownah]

I've been doing some research on earthworm castings. I'm not convinced that they are cost effective for use in large plots but for container gardening they might be just the thing. Many of the sites I've visited have claimed that using the castings helps to reduce or eliminate some plant diseases and pests. I don't know if this is true or not or if it is true which diseases or pests it would help with but I thought that some of you container gardeners might want to give it a try. Worm castings work great as a major component for potting soil at least everything I have ever read says this though I have no direct experience with it myself. It would be great if some of you tried it and let us know how it went.

Syduan makes and sells wormcastings so you might contact him/her. Syduan's profile page is at the following link:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showuser=35335

Chownah

[sbk]

tutsi, I wouldn't use wood (termites) and I wouldn't use those plastic planters (after a while the plastic degrades and it just breaks into little bits). Maybe build something out of brick or cement block.

The rock at the bottom is a good idea, also consider looking for those gelatin pellets that absorp water and then slow release it (sorry can't remember what it is called or if they even have it in Thailand), it will weigh less than soil and still keep your plants well irrigated.

[tutsiwarrior]

tutsi, I wouldn't use wood (termites) and I wouldn't use those plastic planters (after a while the plastic degrades and it just breaks into little bits). Maybe build something out of brick or cement block.

The rock at the bottom is a good idea, also consider looking for those gelatin pellets that absorp water and then slow release it (sorry can't remember what it is called or if they even have it in Thailand), it will weigh less than soil and still keep your plants well irrigated.

yeah...like I said, I was gonna use those little red bricks usually used for non-loadbearing wall filler with plaster/cement on the outside in a rectangular flower box arrangement. I presently got a good crew onsite and want to use their skills before the serious construction ends...they're presently laying the concrete layer on the pre-cast concrete slabs that replaced the kitchen roof as I type...tough mofos, been working in full morning sun since 0800 hrs...

we'll have plenty of water available on the terrace so's as long as I'm around I'll be in charge of the irrigation. If I go away soon to work Mama-in-law will look after things...she's a real green thumber and if I got some tomatoes and green beans on the go she will make sure that the arrangement is productive...