How to Plant Where Salt & Lime Are Present

Choose your garden location. Most plants prefer spots with full sunshine all day and ample air circulation. Choose an even surface and set aside the desired amount of space for your new garden bed.

Dig out the borders of your garden to build a footer for the retaining wall. Dig 2-inch-deep trenches, wide enough to hold your railroad ties. Lay the railroad ties in the trenches to build a wall for your raised garden. Lay one layer of railroad ties for small flower and vegetable gardens, and two layers of railroad ties for larger shrubs like blueberries, azaleas and hydrangeas.

Pull weeds and rocks out of the garden to produce an even, weed-free surface, Lay cardboard boxes or landscape fabric over the natural soil to keep new weeds from growing up, and to separate the salty soil from the healthy new foundation.

Mix organic compost and garden loam or commercial garden soil in equal parts for a healthy planting foundation; this mixture gives the plants rich, slightly acidic nutrition, long-term support, moisture retention and a loose growing foundation, and fits most flowers and vegetables.

Fill the garden with your new planting soil up to the top of the railroad ties. Mix 13-13-13 granular fertilizer into the top 4 inches of soil, per manufacturer directions, to give the plants more nutrition. Add starter fertilizer at planting to encourage quick root development.