apartment gardening!
Posted by tino_bambino on Mar 17, 2009 · Member since Sep 2005 · 844 posts
So, there was a really old thread about this, but I wanted to start an active one again - for people with little to no garden or yard, who still grow edible plants!!!
I haven't grown anything besides a few herbs before, but I have a nice big porch that I'm hoping to cover in pots this spring so I can have fresh veggies and herbs to eat. We could share pictures and tips here if people are interested, helpful books/websites, etc.
And, I'm not an experience veggie grower so any advice would be wonderful :)
Hi tino,
I would look into the square foot gardening concept. It really utilizes every last inch and focuses on growing in small spaces. They sell "kits" like these for using on patios, but you can easily make your own bootleg version out of scrap wood or just buy some rectangular planters and stuff em full of plants. I am going to try to grow potatoes in some old 5 gallon buckets this year. And some squash in a couple of old tires.
gardening kit thing
more raised bed stuff
Good luck!
Hi tino,
I would look into the square foot gardening concept. It really utilizes every last inch and focuses on growing in small spaces. They sell "kits" like these for using on patios, but you can easily make your own bootleg version out of scrap wood or just buy some rectangular planters and stuff em full of plants. I am going to try to grow potatoes in some old 5 gallon buckets this year. And some squash in a couple of old tires.
gardening kit thing
more raised bed stuff
Good luck!
good advice.
Just wanted to add this really cool link. Its lets you drag and drop veggies into your raised bed garden. It then will tell you how to care for them, when to plant, etc...awesome.
garden planner
Vegansapien, that website is great!! I'm going to try to grow some things in my little apartment patio. I'm planning on getting those hanging tomato planters, and growing some herbs. I tend to kill everything by either over or under-watering it, so hopefully this year will be better!!
thanks VS, looks awesome! :)
Vegansapien, that website is great!! I'm going to try to grow some things in my little apartment patio. I'm planning on getting those hanging tomato planters, and growing some herbs. I tend to kill everything by either over or under-watering it, so hopefully this year will be better!!
Tomatoes are WONDERFUL to start with, I grow them most years and as long as they have water and sun, you have a TON of tomatoes. One year I grew some in our back yard and kept having to steak them up and by the time winter finally got here it was well over a foot taller than me, and I'm 5'7"! I think the hanging tomato planters are a great idea because one of the traditional problems with growing tomatoes is you have to move the location every year otherwise the tomato loving bugs will hunt them down and destroy them. There are so many tomato variety to chose from, grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, romas, beefsteak... Yes, I like fresh tomatoes, but the ones in the store have NO flavor because the companies are looking for profit more than anything else.
Basil is another 'brown thumb' proof plant, same as tomatoes. But the cool thing is the more you pick the more it grows! One year by accident I found a royally fool-proof flower... the zinnia! I had a packet of the anniversary zinnias and one of the cut and come again kind, didn't pay attention to the planting instructions and planted them next to a rock wall, in full shade. The wall was only about a foot or so tall so once they grew higher than that they did just fine, even with being totally dried out, or completely drowned a few times when I forgot the sprinkler was on and they were sitting in a 3" deep lake! I originally thought that the flowers seemed boring (preferring roses) and very grandma like flowers, but when the summer went on and I had vases full of colorful flowers I changed my mind really quickly! Both the basil and zinnias should do just fine in container gardens, but make sure to not water the zinnia leaves because they have the tenancy to get sooty mold.
I think this is a really cool topic because my husband and I are going to start college in the fall and will be living in student housing where some of the rooms have patios. I'm rather nervous about it because I've been spoiled with a house with a large back yard and decent front yard. We also can't take our 'kids' (two cats, one's about 15, the other is 2-3 years old) and so having some plants to take care of will be a huge deal to me. My babies will have to stay with their grandmother while we are gone, but I still wish they could come too.
Glad to help. Happy gardening everyone!
I dont have an apartment, but an idea for those that do. Earthboxes! I dont know if any of you have used them before or not, but I love them! They're amazing for growing veggies and herbs, I've gotten HUGE tomato and basil plants in them. I know the creator, hes a really cool guy! They can be a bit pricey new, like 55 dollars, so its a good thing to look out for on craigslist or something.
www.earthbox.com
Here is a nice webpage describing how you can make your own self contained patio bed. I just found it and plan to try it out this year.
I dont have an apartment, but an idea for those that do. Earthboxes! I dont know if any of you have used them before or not, but I love them! They're amazing for growing veggies and herbs, I've gotten HUGE tomato and basil plants in them. I know the creator, hes a really cool guy! They can be a bit pricey new, like 55 dollars, so its a good thing to look out for on craigslist or something.
www.earthbox.com
I'm looking into this too. There's one site I saw that sells them much cheaper than $55.
Hi
I started container gardening 3 years ago, you can see some of my pictures in my profile if you like. Also if you have any questions just ask. I'm not a pro, but I have never had problems, everything I grow is organic and I am not anal about anything, as long as you water them like you should they will be happy. Under my cabinet in the kitchen I have a grow light, you can see it a bit under my Stevia plant picture there in my profile, this is all I use to get my seeds started, also during the cold seasons I bring my herbs back in and keep them under the lights.
Like you I have a deck on the back porch, it's enough room. :)
All my seeds I get from a place called Burpees, or from Mountain Rose Herbs, like my Stevia.
Another thing is since space is limited, think about hanging pots too.
I've learned this year to plan ahead, i'm going to map out sort of a blue print of what i'm going to grow, what I will need and when I should start each seed for this up coming season.
At Burpees you would find that there are a lot of container sized vegetables, even carrots called thumbalina which I grew last year but this year decided to grow strawberries instead, which didn't work out very well as my squirrel friends always took the strawberries before I could - I did get to try two- i need some more barrels since I only have one.
Anyway, think about what you really use a lot and start there.
I'm so jealous of you all! I live in a basement apartment with no patio and a cat that likes to knock plants over, so that makes it difficult to grow things on my window sills. I've thought about taking up sprouting next spring, but I will have to do some research as I have no idea how to go about it. I can't wait until I move so I can have a patio to grow food on!
This past summer my mom gave me the extra veggies from her garden, which was very nice. :flower:
forgot to send the link
http://www.burpee.com/category/seed+starting.do
The grow lights are so expensive here though, I would love them all around my place. Mine is full spectrum grow light set up with 4 bulbs that I bought at this Hardware store and this is much cheaper than the ones you see at Burpee, but the difference of course is with those you can move them around and there are trays and layers anyway then nailed it underneath the cupboard Have had them now for 3 years and never had to change a bulb yet.
Have you been to The Herb Companion Web site? Lots of information . http://www.herbcompanion.com/grow.aspx
I'm so jealous of you all! I live in a basement apartment with no patio and a cat that likes to knock plants over, so that makes it difficult to grow things on my window sills. I've thought about taking up sprouting next spring, but I will have to do some research as I have no idea how to go about it. I can't wait until I move so I can have a patio to grow food on!
This past summer my mom gave me the extra veggies from her garden, which was very nice. :flower:
I'm jealous because you have a cat! no pets allowed here, although I do have two parakeets, and a snake. My landlord won't even allow a ferret, nothing. I really want a cat to cuddle.
You might still be able to grow some plants under grow lights...
I'm so jealous of you all! I live in a basement apartment with no patio and a cat that likes to knock plants over, so that makes it difficult to grow things on my window sills. I've thought about taking up sprouting next spring, but I will have to do some research as I have no idea how to go about it. I can't wait until I move so I can have a patio to grow food on!
This past summer my mom gave me the extra veggies from her garden, which was very nice. :flower:
I'm jealous because you have a cat! no pets allowed here, although I do have two parakeets, and a snake. My landlord won't even allow a ferret, nothing. I really want a cat to cuddle.
You might still be able to grow some plants under grow lights...
Thats a good idea, only problem is we don't have a lot of room so that would take some figuring out.
I love my kitty, i just wish he didn't enjoy knocking over my plants. We're not supposed to have any pets besides him, but we got two red-eared slidders dumped on us when their previous owner did not want them anymore. They are cute until you have to clean them, so gross. BTW, water turtles are AWFUL pets. :turtle:
I want to experiment with grow lights this Winter. Lot's of green, edible herbs and whatever else I can get to grow.
So I've been thinking more about apartment gardening. I'd like to start growing sprouts in a jar, but I've also thought about getting one of these:
http://www.aerogrow.com/
or something like it. Anyone have experience with these? I would probably buy organic seeds to use rather than the ones they sell.
Or maybe rig up something at home with grow lights or something. I'll have to figure out where to put it all as my kitchen is tiny.
Another option for urban gardening, particularly for people who don't have access to a patio or other outdoor space, is to look into a community or victory garden. The main draw backs here are that there is usually a long waiting list, sometimes years, and that it's less convenient to have to walk across town to the garden instead of hanging out your own window. But you also get the chance to meet other people in your area and share tools and resources in the garden.
My house has a third floor roof deck and this summer my roommates planted several tomato plants on it. Unfortunately my neighbors all thought they were marijuana plants ::)
So I've been thinking more about apartment gardening. I'd like to start growing sprouts in a jar, but I've also thought about getting one of these:
http://www.aerogrow.com/
or something like it. Anyone have experience with these? I would probably buy organic seeds to use rather than the ones they sell.
Or maybe rig up something at home with grow lights or something. I'll have to figure out where to put it all as my kitchen is tiny.
I have a 3pod aerogarden and I am absolutely in love with it!! I bought mine on sale at a bed bath and beyond for 45 dollars!!! can you believe that?! Seriously, you gotta get one. If you can afford it definately get the 6 or 7 pod originals. It comes with optional upgrades to grow vining plants likes tomatoes and such! I had to rig something for mine to work. Also: as far as growing your own seeds they sell a kit for that so that you'll get the best chance for them to grow correctly. According to Aerogarden their system is organic. I have a sensitivity to chemicals and I've never had a problem with it. If you have any questions about them ask me, I can try to answer them! Seriously though, I'm in love with my AeroGarden :)>>> :)>>> :)>>> :)>>>
Here are some links:
3pod : http://www.aerogardenstore.com/promotion/index.php?promoName=catalog&pageName=product_aerogardens&viewProduct=3100-0GSD
7 pod original : http://www.aerogardenstore.com/promotion/index.php?promoName=catalog&pageName=product_aerogardens&viewProduct=2100-0GB
Grow your own kits : http://www.aerogardenstore.com/promotion/index.php?promoName=catalog&pageName=product&viewProduct=0011-00Z
ohhh! I forgot to mention lol I don't just have an aerogarden. I also have an "indoor" greenhouse, I dunno if it was ment to be indoor but with less then 20 dollars investment (plust he original 15 for the greenhouse) It was indoor. If you want to see some photos let me know and I can show you both my aerogarden and my other one. But heres some links to what I also have. The only way i "fixed" it was I bought a grow light from walmart, hung it up with 2 medium bungee cords. Set it up to a covered, outdoor grade timer, and plugged it in. The photo is not mine but that IS my indoor graden, without the "upgrades".
http://www.themysticcorner.com/images/alab0027.jpg
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