Reclaiming the Planter Box: Part One

I've always been somewhat ambivalent about planter boxes. When I was growing up, I never saw the point. I always figured you could just dig a hole anywhere in the yard and plant. When I lived down in New Orleans, I tore an older one out of the small yard I had to make space for a fire pit instead. However, as I've delved into the pros and cons, I've come to the conclusion that a planter box would be incredibly beneficial to our homestead, creating a perfect place to grow outdoor vegetables. Therefore, when we uncovered an ancient one in our back yard, I became very excited, but it's going to need a lot of work.

As you can see, it's been neglected for quite some time and is very overgrown. The first step was clearing around the edges with the lawnmower and weed whacker. Then it was time to get down on my knees and get my hands dirty, pulling everything up by the roots. This is what I'm working on now, and it's been very time-consuming. Because we're still getting started, I don't have all the fancy gardening tools yet, like weeding contraptions that pull the roots up like hooks and tillers. I have my hands, a trowel, and a garden shovel. I'll still need to turn the soil and clear out any leftover roots once I've pulled up what I can.

The wood of the box itself is also questionable. A good portion of it is flaking off with age, and other parts are infested with ants, as I discovered when I sat down on one of these areas. The ant problem I plan on treating with either lemon juice or vinegar. I'm not a fan of pesticides, especially near my food. Right now, it's unclear how much of the wood will need to be completely replaced and how much can be refurbished.

Vinegar or lemon juice is going to lower the pH of the soil. I still have yet to test the soil, but I would not be surprised in the least if I found out it was deficient in some nutrients as well. I'll most likely have to mix in some kind of compost, but that's going to have to wait until I have some to use. Some sources say that it would be fine to use rabbit fertilizer without composting it, but I know that the risk of disease is lower if it is composted. I have to wonder if it matters, when there won't be any plants in the box for some time? It's probably safer to just go ahead and compost, though.

I'll keep you updated as the project progresses!