Raised beds, on rocky soil?

[ninjajane]

Hi Folks,

I rent and last year I grew toms and chillies in pots, I was very happy with the results but this year we moved and have a garden with what seems like really rocky soil. We are attempting to rake it up but I realise the soil should have been prepared months ago. So to save space and use the area, could we cut the bottoms of pots (mainly those plastic square storage containers and refuse bags you get) fill them with compost to make raised beds and put this on top of the rocky soil?

I just wanted to see the difference with a tom plant and maybe a cucumber plant that could go where it wanted au natural?

Or should we just stick to pots?

[COMPOST CORNER]

Thee are many far more knowledgeable tham me on here, but I would think using the bottomless pots, the soil would if nothing else act as a reservoir to hold water.

[sagegreen]

Why not try a few plants in bottomless pots, as Compost Corner suggests, and a few more in your open soil; the results would at least give you an idea as to the work needed to improve your stony soil

[TonyF]

My potager is on solid rock covered with about 6" of thick and solid clay and surrounded by trees tho they have been cut right back.

I use raised beds - think long or oblong pots - and huge pots, old water butts cut through horizontally, boxes that I make out of decking planks etc etc and grow a very wide range of plants in them.

Go for it - I'd be thinking more of what I'd be growing them in, fwiw I use a mix of well rotted hoss poo, peat free potting compost and soil, works a treat! And where I can I also dig in some of the compost from my compost bins.

But for me on a really rocky clay, pots is the way to go