I have always struggled with understand the size of things…. Time to get some chip drops and find people trying to get rid of wood or something! Any ideas on how to fill cheap?!?!

by parenna

41 Comments

  1. RubyRaven907

    Jealous. But gonna need to plan to fill with something half way

  2. I called a couple different tree removal companies and had them drop off branches, I was able to fill 7 of the 3×8 beds half way. Tons of settling happened after the first year, which required a bunch more compost but still cheaper than trying to fill completely with compost.

  3. No-Jicama3012

    Good luck filling them but man I’m a wee bit jealous! Six. That’s awesome.

  4. motherofachimp99

    Do you have an angle grinder? I’d cut those puppies in half and then you’d have 12.

  5. llblwskydrgn

    Fill the bottom with a couple layer of cardboard to take care of weeds.

  6. CrazyMildred

    It would be funny if your cat’s name was Banana 😂

  7. honeybunches2010

    Love those Birdies beds! Mine are about 5 years old and look brand new.

    Gotta ask though… how are you getting it through the door?

  8. LainSki-N-Surf

    The whole neighborhood is gonna be eating!!! Also love the rug and the cat.

  9. PathosEatsLogos

    Can we get something for scale for the cat?

  10. blade_torlock

    In about a month and a half there is going to be a lot of a perfect item on the curb.

    Christmas trees

  11. GingerIsTheBestSpice

    Check your local landfill too – lots of them around here offer free compost or free woodchips (ugly but clean) for the taking to locals. It’s part of the city services, free leaf drop off turns to free compost, and then the city also uses it in their gardens and flowerbeds

  12. deadlyfeetnat

    Did you just throw your cat in to take a photo for scale? He/She looks so confused! Lol

  13. pueblocatchaser

    I mean, cats aren’t the worst idea when it comes to filling a bed, but I would take the advice of others and just use wood.

  14. Jolly_Ad_814

    Um, off topic but were did you get that rug? I love it!!🥰

  15. menwithven76

    I like to use leaves I get out of the yard
    Once they fall down

  16. Jumpingyros

    I’m in the middle of replacing my boxes and I went with 10x3x2 for the new ones. I had taped it out on the ground so I thought I knew what I was getting into but I really did not account for the 2ft depth. It looks like I’m running a pig farm in the back yard 

  17. Learningmayonnaise

    You can put logs (cut to size) at the bottom. 

  18. mrsfreshundressed

    My whole garden are these Vego beds so I have some experience I can share. I start with logs, then branches and any debris from the yard, then free wood chips up to 6 inches from the rim. I literally walk on my wood chip level to help settle everything and remove air gaps and add more chips if needed. (Be careful when you walk on it, branches will snap and you will sink. It helps to have a buddy to hold your hand.) Then I do the cheapest topsoil for about $3 a bag for 3-4 inches. Then I do my high quality garden soil of choice for only the top 2-3 inches. I found out the hard way about walking on everything to compress it and remove gaps. The first bed I did settled almost a foot in a year! So now I really make sure everything is as settled as I can get it before adding soil. I refresh my beds with light layer of black kow twice a year to add back nutrients and keep the soil level up. I know there’s people who say not to use logs or wood chips but my garden is healthy and it saved me hundreds so I’ll vouch for it as a viable option to save money.

  19. Ok_Web_8166

    Never seen these! How tall do they come? Might work as anti-raccoon/‘possum barrier to save my apples & peaches…

  20. Subtle_Innuendo_

    Cat for scale is so much better than a banana .

  21. He is standing for perfect scale documentation. So cat he/she is. Peace be with the catholic cat and all the planting endeavors

  22. BeepBoopNoodles

    Cardboard at the bottom, leaves, chip drop?

  23. Just remember, the instructions clearly say to remove the cat before you fill it with dirt.

  24. Bury a big olla with a PVC pipe at the top to fill it easily.

    ETA: if you can’t find a big olla, two large terracotta pots sealed together with silicone caulk will work. Keep the pipe for filling, too.

  25. oldfarmjoy

    Think about whether you’re going to plant deep rooted plants or shallow.

    Most garden plants will not extend roots much more than a foot down, so don’t waste high nutrient material in the bottom. Maybe a foot of free woodchips, then a foot of hay, then a foot of leaves, and then a foot of soil mixed with leaves, compost, coir for moisture retention and fluffiness. As it compresses, add more soil mixture.

    You could use a couple for fruit trees or something.

  26. CinLeeCim

    Bragger. 😉 This is what I want from 🎅 Santa

  27. CinLeeCim

    Filll it with cardboard, logs leafs, non printed paper, sticks, compost…. You get the picture ✌️😉

  28. deliberatewellbeing

    where do you buy yours? ive never seen then so tall

  29. FalkorDropTrooper

    I’m way too tired to be scrolling. I thought you had six of these cats for sale.

  30. Smarty_Plants0531

    I have similar Vego beds and used wood, branches, leaves, and cardboard, but it will compress when you start watering plants and it gets wet and time passes. The soil will end up uneven because of it. I had to add a lot more soil this year from filling them with all of that last year. There are a lot of videos on YouTube that give ideas on how to fill them. I also got bulk topsoil, cow manure, compost, perlite and pumice to make my own soil mix. It was cheaper than buying bags of raised bed mix from a store. My plants do great in it. If you’re interested in vermicomposting, after you fill the beds to the top you can take a 2 gallon bucket, drill some holes around the top for air exchange and holes about every two inches down the sides that are approximately 1/8 of an inch. Dig a hole in a spot in your garden bed that you can put the bucket in up to the air holes. In my beds that look like yours in the picture, I have the buckets in the corners. In the long one I have the bucket in the middle. Get some red worms and fill the bucket with your veggie and fruit scraps, a little bit of coco coir, and equal amounts of “brown material” such as dried leaves/cardboard/brown packing paper/newspaper, in equal amounts. You can add ground or crumbled egg shells, and a little bit of coffee grounds and enough water that it feels like a wet sponge, not soaked. You don’t want to give them anything acidic, spicy or meat/fat. The worms process it all into worm castings. It’s so much faster than waiting for a compost pile to break down. They’ll leave the bucket and do great things for your soil and plants in addition to creating fertilizer for you. The Walmart close to me sells red worms in the fishing supply area. They multiply like crazy if you give them what they need.

    https://preview.redd.it/nteki5aci32g1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24252413f913839ceda0b03c89df9ac156e7bfda

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