This sounds like a great idea!

This is a good place to ask about it. However, I believe what you want to do is also kind of similar to container gardening, and there is a container gardening forum on this website also. I'm not sure which place will get you better answers, but maybe you could try reading through a few of the messages over there to see what you think. I've posted a link at the end of this message.

Sometimes the container gardening folks go to very great lengths to make some type of potting mix. You have such a large area to fill, that it might get kind of expensive to do it that way. So you may be better off just using topsoil either from your own property or from a landscape supply place.

It occurs to me that not everyone is going to understand exactly what a hayrack is. I am not totally sure I understand myself! Is it a hay wagon? Is it made of metal or wood or what? Maybe you could take a picture of it to help us understand. In order to answer about drainage, we will need to understand whether the wagon is watertight and whether it has sides or is just flat with no sides. If it is a totally watertight floor with watertight sides (such that it fills up with water when it rains) then drainage will be a big issue.

Best regards,
McKenzie

Here is a link that might be useful: Container Gardening Forum

Ditto on the container forum, but you could also check into the Garden Junk forum (don't know how to send a link) They might have some artistic ideas also!
I have an old wagon, but it was so rickety that all it would hold was an old steamer trunk which looks great filled with flowers!
Instead of filling the wagon with soil, you might want to find different kinds of wooden boxes and containers to make it look like the wagon was ready to deliver them! This would slow down on the rot of the wood (if that's what you're dealing with) and make it look a little more "artistic". You could also incorporate boxes of flowers here and there!
Please send a pic if possible. I'm jealous! Nancy

Thanks, I'll try the container forum. The wagon is a hay rack. The bottom has 1" x 12" boards in good shape, they have 1" spaces between each board. The lumber is 20 year old treated lumber. The wagon has 18" sides built with
the same lumber. We used it to give hayrides. I' m thinking of a 3' x 14' bed on each side with a 2' isle down the center for David to tend the center portions of the beds. I'll send pictures soon. We'll off to the container people.
Thanks.

I wouldn't grow food in treated lumber, especially old lumber which may have been treated with arsenic compounds. It would leach poisons into your food. Stick to ornamentals or containers placed into the hayrack.

You've got the artistic idea. That is number one.

I would make a step to get on the wagon. Then have a 2ft walkway length wise in the center.Now you will have a "U" shaped garden on the wagon. That way you will have UP TO about 80 sqr-ft garden, if fully packed.
Then you pack both sides with rectangular containers, similar to plastic storage boxes. (of course you have to drill holes at the bottom)
This way you can dedicated them to differen things. Diffrent thing require different waterig an fertilizing need. This, IMO, is better than just filling the whole wagon as a single bed/container.

Of course, you will have to spend some extra money on those containers but it will worth it.

This post was edited by seysonn on Tue, Oct 29, 13 at 0:21