The types of raised bed boxes, pots, tubs and containers you can grow vegetables in is endless. It is almost more of an aesthetic choice. Go at from that angle. It might help you decide.

I would recommend you water with a hose or watering can. That will bring you into more intimate observational contact and knowing of your plants needs to help you have a successful harvest.

Aesthetically, I like wooden raised beds, which I had at a previous house, placed over grass. They looked great but were a bit expensive to build. They also never produced like they should have, because I think I bought bad dirt and never figured out what nutrient it was missing.

I think you are right that hand watering gets you up close and present with the plants. However, I am going to have three kids under five and work full time and summers where I am are VERY hot. I fear that even a day or two of neglecting to water or going out of town for a weekend would doom the plants. Especially since this bed will be over concrete. I was looking at self-watering systems to place within galvanized troughs, but I'm concerned the troughs plus cement would just be too hot in the summer. But maybe someone has had success who will chime in!

Those wood beds you linked to look very nice. Maybe something like they is our best option. I see that the same company also sells the corners to build them. That may be a good option. I wonder how durable they would be.

I like grow bags and maybe we can try them but I think we would have water issues with them on the cement in the summer because I think they dry out faster than most other options and I’m not sure how we’d get automatic irrigation set up with them.

Get some earth boxes!

It would cost much less to remove the fence of the previous.dog spot and have the curved section of concrete removed and grow in the ground....the cost of redwood(which is the only viable wood for gardening)....building the sizable raised beds needed...then bring in yards of good soil...(probably each year)..add to that grow over concrete...you have a huge labor and material cost....when growing in the ground is easier to maintain and the added space will allow you to grow vegetables that need shade as well as sun...and much nicer to look at..as well as adding a freshness to the air and humidity as well...with the aded pleasure of not having a completely concrete back yard.....then a water spigot with a few soaker hoses on manual timers that you can adjust easily as the weather requires...not a walk in the park but much less effort and much more “natural “ garden...where you can also add lattice along the fence to grow climbing veggies too...

Yes, you are right that it would be easier to grow in the ground. And I’m definitely not a fan of the all-concrete and rock backyard and I am going to pry up the dog AstroTurf (we just had a shed removed near it and they were supposed to take the turf but didn’t). But unfortunately we can’t actually grow behind that fence because all the pool equipment is back there (pumps, etc). Maybe we can look into getting the concrete removed. Any idea of how much that would cost and how difficult it would be to get someone to do the work? I definitely am not a fan of it, although we have a lot on our plate with this house already so it probably would have to wait until next year at least.

Strictly a laborer with a truck job....if you see any gardeners in the neighbor hood...ask if it is something they can do ...or get a referral

Okay, well that sounds easy enough. I wonder if I need to be worried about damage to adjacent concrete.

It seems like that border (now filled with stones ) would be perfect protection from that..removing only that nicely curved section

Removing the concrete is not a job for some laborer dude with a truck. Even if it was, that is not something to be done on a whim for a vegetable garden. It looks to be an integral patio and part of the original pool design and probably an asset to the property. It is the black metal fence butt up against the pool that needs to go. But you having toddlers would mean that is likely not an option. When the kids are bigger, take down the fence and you have a pool side patio space to use.

Unless there is some other compelling reason to remove the concrete, stick with container gardening for your vegetables.

The yard is nearly all rock and concrete right now. It used to also have a broken down shed. You can’t see it in the picture but there is a huge covered patio as well for a sitting area. We actually installed the fence, because, like you said, we have very young kids and it’s unsafe to not have a pool fence. Surprisingly enough, it looks better with the fence (I know that’s probably hard to believe). But really, what I think we need is GREEN wherever we can have it, because it’s all concrete and rock right now.

With that said, I agree with you on potentially keeping the concrete since I don’t know if this is going to be a forever house, which is why I posted my original question in the first place. If I want a garden, and green space, without removing the slab, how do I accomplish it (especially considering the hot summer temps where I live)? Concrete is ugly but poorly irrigated and dying plants sitting in the blistering sun on top of concrete is even uglier. I’m trying to be realistic about my ability to water plants daily in the summer. Don’t tell me to just leave it the way it is. I don’t like that answer. :)

Take some more picture of the backyard space from one location, just pivoting from that one spot to show the whole space. Start another post and ask for suggestion of how to get more GREEN in your concrete back yard.

Do you have access to the dirt and full sun out front? Potager gardens for growing herbs and vegetables can be quite lovely.

As for auto irrigating your containers, there are as many ways to do that as there are different kinds of containers. There is no one pat answer. There is a concept and that is called drip irrigation.

I will try to get some better pictures tomorrow of the backyard. I was trying to do my questions in stages. The front and backyard both need work. I am considering the pool area a different space than the area in the picture I shared because it needs plants that won’t drop into the pool and I also want the garden and higher maintenance plants separated from the pool so that the kids can participate in care without the adult having to be hypervigilant about keeping kids from going into the pool (too many horror stories of kids drowning while a parent is right there). The front yard is small and mostly shaded and also abuts a park, so for a lot of reasons, I don’t want to have a vegetable garden there. This cement slab, which we have no other use for, seems like the only solution if we want to grow vegetables.
I just don’t know how to irritate above ground containers when it’s all concrete. Don’t we need pipes going underground to connect to the drip? I may be overthinking it.

Pipes under the ground to irrigate the containers are not necessary. There are countless ways to auto irritate the containers. It is not a problem to stress over. But there are many reasons I call them IrriTation systems too.

DIY drip irrigation systems for potted plants/container gardens
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JweMFvcFzeQ

Gardener's Supply Company carries a variety of raised beds that work on a patio. Take a look then shop around. You have options.

I built a 4x8’ raised bed directly on my concrete patio using old floor joists from a salvage yard and installed an above-ground drip irrigation system for it. Worked like a charm.

How about making wooden raised beds which fit the grid pattern of the concrete? You could do every other square, like one colour on a chess board. I think it would look more harmonious than random containers and egregious amounts of plastic with no visual connection to their surroundings.

I really like floral's suggestion as it would result in a more intentional design element. Just consider that you'd want as much soil mass as possible to enhance the water-retentive qualities of the planter. We've tried drip irrigation systems too, it didn't last long and we felt it required as much work as tending the plants.

I think ripping up the concrete would be a complete headache, especially if there's no clear way to access the area or dispose of the debris. For sure, there would an overflow of mess into the pool, right?

In addition, you have NO IDEA what lies under the concrete pad and the sheer amount of work that would likely be involved in making the soil appropriate for growing food--who knows what heavy metals are in there? Construction debris? No thanks.

Go with very large containers in an appropriate design for the space.

We tend to get very rainy periods here so I would never consider a container without drainage holes, but if you historically have few days of continuous rain, then maybe you can eliminate drainage holes as another way of ensuring consistent moisture.

Post updates!

I’m wondering if several inches of wood chip “mulch” between containers on the concrete would lessen the heat load at all.

I like all of these ideas. For irrigation, I know someone who has a central hub in the bed and then he just connects drip lines to it and moves them around. It seems to work well for him and he didn’t install it (he’s renting). I just don’t know how to actually connect it to anything without having an unsightly pvc pipe going over the concrete. Maybe I could just hand water most of the year and during the hottest days of the summer, wind a soaker hose through and put it on a timer and just connect it to the closet spigot? To do this, I think it would be easiest to have one large container rather than smaller ones. How tall would you go?

If I did wood, would I need a bottom to the container? I was thinking just sides and maybe go up 2 feet or so and put something at the bottom for drainage. I’ve got a lot of river rock....

One great thing about doing it in concrete as opposed to the last time I tried this, is that I won’t have Bermuda grass coming through!

Socalgal, the mulch is a good idea. I think I also have some ugly black mulch in the front yard I want to get rid of. I wonder if it would pollute my vegetables to use it?

I am also concerned about heavy metals. My house is old, as are the other houses nearby, and there are also fairly close train tracks, which I think can spew out heavy metals that collect in the dirt nearby. I don’t need leaded tomatoes.

One downside to mulch, especially the dyed stuff, is that it might stain the concrete. Not a problem if you never want to see the concrete again.

My concern about setting the bed directly on the concrete is the inevitable, and I do mean inevitable, discoloration of the concrete as a result. That will not go well during resale. I like the idea of an elevated garden box. If you plan to grow root vegetables such as carrots then 12" would be a nice, deep bed.

If it's dry in your area, you may not even need drainage holes. And if you did install drainage holes, would it drain into the pool? So much to consider.

I didn't put a bottom on my wood container. I just let the water seep out the bottom (as you can see from the pic).

That will not go well during resale

Yes: I would not do anything that resulted in modifications or damage to significant existing features (such as the concrete paving) that could turn out to be mistakes later, when trying to sell. Or when simply losing interest in the vegetable growing, while still occupying the property.

Also I would try to make whatever setup is tried for the vegetables to be as visually harmonious as possible with the existing elements that dominate the setting. And avoid installing anything that looks like clutter or junk, as so often happens with vegetable plots.

Yes, maybe we could try a small grow bag in the back where my daughter is standing this year and then think about how we might be able to build something permanent and pretty in the future. I do think our current (but not fully formed) plan of getting a new shorter
enclosure for the pool equipment (behind that big fence), adding two citrus trees, and putting some no-mow clumping grasses will look much better than what is currently here (and *was recently here—-a broken down shed). Maybe there is a way to still do that and have the small garden back there but it’s not a big space. I should take more pictures and draw a scaled diagram and start a new thread. I

What about something like this?

https://www.costco.com/new-england-arbors-keyhole-6'-x-6'-composting-garden-bed.product.100153345.html

or this.

https://www.costco.com/new-england-arbors-white-vinyl-raised-garden-bed%2c-2-pack.product.100153335.html

Wow those are big and a really good price. I didn’t even think to look at Costco.

Elevated garden beds: https://www.gardeners.com/buy/planters-and-raised-beds/elevated-garden-beds/

More ideas: https://www.gardeners.com/buy/planters-and-raised-beds/outdoor-planters/

I like the costco ones too...the shorter one is best as it will will take less soil...and to avoid all the prep..just put where there is no patio..super shortcut as for planting... soonest is better... as to watering just get a soaker or two..lay it in the bed...in rows between planting..hook it to a spigot....and turn it on as needed...you will do best if you choose plantings by how much sun the bed gets in that location...

The raised bed stuff can actually be so raised that there is space between the concrete and the raised bed ignoring the concrete entirely. At that point you may want to tack on sheets of plastic film, to carry the remaining water, since your raised beds will now muddy your concrete by leakage if you use accesible DIY materials to make the raised beds.

Some zealots connect grounding wires to all their detached raised beds. Not for hard practicality rather because they believe its better for the earth to still be connected, since you can break that off with completely raised beds in a box.

Also most importantly. If you don't want your raised beds to cost a fortune, just buy used pallets for pocket change and easy craft them into beds with some hammer work. That would give you 10 times more beds than buying BS gardenstore MDF planters. Unless you are going for the luxury garden look and have the money to blow on it. If you don't want to make the self watering tools yourself, youc can use the saved money to buy fancy prefab self watering trays.

Lots of ways to grow a garden. I have tomatoes growing in earth boxes on my pool deck.

This idea for a large raised bed is nice if you don’t want to do a lot of bending!

And the new trend is to plant vegetables in cloth grow bags!

I've never heard of putting grounding wire on elevated beds- that sounds like a very silly old wives tale. But then some folks still put out orgone neutralizers in their gardening too :)

But still, since this thread is a couple years old it makes me wonder a bit what the OP ended up doing back then, and if they gardening there now.

Earthboxes make growing everything quite easy! The bottom reservoir keeps plants moist and all they need is some fertilizer occasionally! These impatients have been happily growing on pay patio in one for over 10 years! I have never had to transfer them or add to them. The poinsettia in this one were a couple of small ones someone gave me for Christmas a couple years ago. They seem equally happy!

The earth boxes look like a great option for most gardeners…the one thing to be aware of is if you keep the box smaller like this ..it is easier to replace the soil every year for food growing…since you don’t want to grow food in soil that it depleted…if you are a real fanatic you can even move them during the day to get more sun…the only drawback is if you like a large crop for canning and cooking ,etc. the production is limited when grown in these pots …..but with flowers it is enough to use fertilizers and supplements…as needed ..seasonally…

In the right climate you can can have fresh veggies and flowers all year around, when nurtured properly

I’m about to do the same thing! Start raised beds on concrete near Sacramento. I’m in Elk Grove. I would use a Timer that waters on set intervals, attach it to a hose, and have some form of drip irrigation or sprinkler. I will use Concrete blocks intended to connect 2x4 wood to build the bed quickly. I’d probably line the bed with plastic to help protect the wood and limit evaporation.

I do love grow bags as a cheap temporary place to raise plants, but I wonder if the evaporate too quickly. I notice my plants in grow bags dry out faster than those in plastic pots.

BenT Don't use plastic! It will break down!

Check this out. If they can do it over there anyone can do a smaller version

https://fb.watch/dwxp4AylXH/