As we get older it doesn't take long to realize we just can't do the things in the vegetable garden like we used to. After a few hours of bending over and working on your knees, you're sure to have a few aches and pains the next day.We also begin to realize that safety and ergonomics is much more important as we get older.
If you have some physical disabilities or find it difficult to get down and work in the soil like you need to this shouldn't stop you from enjoying a productive and healthy vegetable garden.
Fortunately, there are some things you can do to help make growing your own vegetables a little easier on your body. Here are a few tips you can use to help create a vegetable garden that's easier to maintain without the pains.
Use Chairs and Stools
While working in the vegetable garden you will want to use something to help support your back and knees. The best way to do this is to use some type of chair or stool. Gardening is much easier when you can sit, swivel, and roll.
There are a couple great options that are designed specifically for gardeners.
The Deluxe Tractor Scoot is an ideal solution for working in the vegetable garden. The Tractor Scoot features large tires for easy rolling, and a comfy seat for your tushy.There's also the Deep-Seat Garden Kneeler for those times when you need to get down in the dirt. It's a great item for protecting your knees and reducing the stress on your knee caps. The tall handles on the sides makes getting up and down much easier and gives you the stability to avoid falls.
Elevate Your Garden Beds
When I was younger being bent over for long periods, picking up large bags of potting soil, and hours of shoveling was no sweat, but as the years begin to add on these tasks have become a bit more difficult.
Growing vegetables in a row-style garden means everything is pretty much at ground level and requires quite a bit of bending over, kneeling and working on your knees. This can be very hard on your body over time.
One way to eliminate the stress on your back and knees is to elevate your vegetable garden to a height that is comfortable for standing straight up, or sitting down. Of course, this means you will need to transition your garden from in-ground to raised beds or containers.
Regular raised beds can be anywhere from a few inches tall up to two or three feet in height. Although this does help with bending over, it might not be enough for someone in a wheelchair.
One answer is using a Standing Garden Planter.
Just because you may have a disability or not get around as well as you once did does not much you have to give up vegetable gardening. There's a solution available out there to help you grow the vegetables you enjoy most.
The Standing Garden Planter is 32 inches tall which puts your garden at an ideal height for planting and harvesting vegetables with no bending or kneeling. It also features a 10-1/2" deep planting area, cedar construction for good rot-resistance, and is self-watering.
The Vegtrug Patio Garden is another elevated planter that is very large measuring 70 inches long, 30 inches wide and 31-1/2 inches deep. It has enough room to grow a multitude of great vegetables!
There are many vegetables that can be grown using hanging baskets, or hanging planters. Tomatoes can be grown this way by using the Gardener's Revolution Planter. This planter allows the tomato plant to be grown hanging up upside-down.
This is a great way to not only save space, but eliminate the need for bending over or kneeling, and makes harvesting your delicious tomatoes very easy.
What tips do you use to reduce the stress on your back and knees when working in your vegetable garden?
