Lawn & Garden
- 4’×8’×10″ (minimum depth) raised garden bed*
- Eight bags potting soil mix (2 cubic feet each)
- Eight bags soil conditioner (fine ground bark mulch; 2 cubic feet each)
- Four bags composted manure OR mushroom compost (2 cubic feet each)
- Three bags coarse-shredded mulch (for soil moisture retention; 2 cubic feet each)
- 3-pound bag gypsum** (for summer garden)
- 3- to 4-pound bag granular fertilizer for vegetable gardens
- Insecticidal soap (for soft-bodied insects)
- Bt dust or spray (organic-sourced insecticide for controlling caterpillars, aka worms)
- Fungicide (Fungal plant diseases can seriously affect plant health.)
- Sturdy tomato cage, twine, or other way to support large or climbing plants
Seeds or transplants for early spring and late summer planting (mature plants cannot tolerate high heat): beets, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, lettuce, mustard greens, radishes, spinach, and turnips
Seeds or transplants for late-spring and summer planting (cannot tolerate frost): cucumber, eggplant, peppers, tomato, and zucchini
Check “The Alabama Vegetable Gardener” at www.aces.edu for a complete list of crops and planting dates.
Helpful tools:
- Hose, nozzle, or watering can to transport water to garden area
- Gardening gloves
- Hand trowel
- Hand cultivator
*Raised beds can be constructed from preassembled kits or various materials you may already have on hand. Limestone may be needed depending on the soil/potting mix you choose. Find more information in publication ANR-1345, “Raised Bed Gardening,” on the Alabama Extension website at www.aces.edu.
**Using the ratio of compost to potting mix should give a balanced pH for vegetable growth. Summer crops will still need soil calcium for sturdy fruit production. A 4-foot by 8-foot bed needs 6 cups, or 3 pounds, of gypsum for each summer garden.
Bethany O’Rear, Regional Extension Agent, Home Grounds, Gardens, and Home Pests, Auburn University
Revised June 2023, Raised Bed Supply List, ANR-2664