Creating A Garden On Apartment Patio

[BellaLaDonna]

I am trying to grow lettuce, but I live in a Apartment. Is it possible to grow lettuce inside a flower pot? Any advice on growing veggies from Apartment Patio?

I am new at this?

[sweetgoddess]

Yes! You can grow in any container that you would like, from buckets, planters, cardboard boxes, earth boxes, clay pots, you name it, anything that you can make drainage holes in. And actually, if you are growing in smaller containers like that, you can grow for a longer season, since they are so easy to cover with a little clear plastic for a greenhouse effect. This will let you grow greens for a long period of time each year.

Here is a link to help you.
Its the balcony gardening forum on GardenWeb.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/balcony/
Have fun! :)

[Revvell]

When I lived in an apartment I used "Earthboxes". We are still using the Earthboxes yet have invested in a hydroponic system. If you have a handyman around, I highly recommend them. We've got loads of tomatoes, basil and bell peppers in a little (approx.) 18x36" space. You do need a socket for the timer.

:cool:

[Beanie]

When I lived in an apartment I used "Earthboxes". We are still using the Earthboxes yet have invested in a hydroponic system. If you have a handyman around, I highly recommend them. We've got loads of tomatoes, basil and bell peppers in a little (approx.) 18x36" space. You do need a socket for the timer.

:cool:
Where do you get Earthboxes? I live in an apartment too and have a small garden on my balcony including tomatoes (not doing so well), herbs and wheatgrass. I would like to try to make it bigger!! :rolleyes:

[Revvell]

We received an ad for them yet you can find them here: http://earthbox.com/
Good luck!

Oh! As I was on the second floor and had no balcony, my husband put them on the stairs. About 1 third went on one stair and a support 2 stairs down. Got three of them going down the stairs. Did tomatoes, cukes and strawberries. The cukes take over the whole world so if you plant them make sure you have some place to string them.



Where do you get Earthboxes? I live in an apartment too and have a small garden on my balcony including tomatoes (not doing so well), herbs and wheatgrass. I would like to try to make it bigger!! :rolleyes:

[Beanie]

I guess I'll try to start growing a forest since my animals and I seem to be eating our way to China in veggies, LOL! :D Just wondering if anyone has any tips on tomato plants? I put some lime in the soil to raise the PH, but my plants aren't really producing and look only so-so! :(

Peace! ;)

[rawpriestess]

Well tomatoes are a mediteranian plant, so they like full sun, hot air and little water.

They also like to be pinched or cut back so that they will produce better and larger tomatoes.

[sweetgoddess]

Beanie, be sure your soil has plenty of organic matter. Where do you live?
Tomato plants do not like having water sitting on them at night and as RP said, like it hot with full sun. You can boost tomato plants along by placing a square of foil around them, cutting out a hole for the stem ( make it a good size hole so no foil touches the stem.) This will reflect the heat back up to the plant ( this is also great for helping tomatoes mature faster!) I always pinch the side shhots off of tomato plants. Wherever there is a Vand a shoot begins growing between that v, pinch it off .

Have fun!

[SwishTN]

I was looking at the Earth boxes link...
Do the fruits and vegetables really grow like that? can you grow Papayas? Where can you grow papayas? where can you grow avocados?

Any ideas on where to find a list for what you can grow where, and when?
Next year I want to grow as many herbs/vegetables and even fruits that I can. Just not sure how to plan for it since I have never had a garden, plus, I don't live where I can work the ground....

Thanks!
Lauri

[PixieGreen]

Here's the link to make your own earthboxes for about $10/ each [as opposed to $30 + shipping]:

http://www.newearthdigest.com/food_and_water/gardening/container_garden/mandel/waterbox_1.html

It might be helpful to find the EB instruction sheet for planting, maybe someone can find one on the web.

Christa

[Doe]

Papayas and avocados grow on trees in warm climates. Here is a link: http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/

Teri S

[SwishTN]

So, Teri, does that website mean that you can order those particular tropical varieties to grow in your own backyard, given your temps don't go below a certain amt? I'm confused about that, b/c they say they ship all over the US. What would be the point, if they were just going to die, or worse, not even yield fruit?

Christa,
Have you built your own before???

Thanks : )
Lauri

[Doe]

They will grow in greenhouses, given they are the big enough and the right temp.

Teri S

[PixieGreen]

No I haven't built one. The website belongs to a colleague of mine.

Christa

[shakti17]

do the boxes have to be used outside? i live in a studio apt, do you think growing inside would work? it is very bright.

[Helen Of Tennessee]

I like the earthbox concept!!!! (I'd use my own organic soil/fertilizer).

The website says it's 100% Natural and Earth Friendly. I also read that it's UV protected and will last for years and years under the desert sun. Do you know how it's protected? (I'm wondering about chemicals that might seep into the soil and food).

I think I'll e-mail them and ask them, but maybe someone here already knows, or you might want to check into it before buying it.

I still don't have my garden started. I was going to do the square foot gardening. My DH made four 4'x4' cedar raised boxes for me, but we haven't decided where we want the garden, but these earth boxes look like a soloution. I could put them on the steps of our deck or even on the deck. It will help with decorating and I won't have to try to figure out where to tear up the lawn to put 4 raised beds.

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[Revvell]

As far as light from inside, you can get some which will do the almost the same as sunlight. Had a neighbor who was growing plants in his/her apartment. Can't give you specifics though.

Revvell

[LeanAndHungry]

What about a dark apartment? I live in an apartment that due to orientation, recieves very little sunlight. Even the balcony gets only gets a few hours of sun, mostly shaded at that. I would love to grow things. Are growing lamps an option? If so, anyone know anything about that?

I should check with the city and see if they have any plots available. If that is possible, how does one go about getting good(safe/clean) water for the plants?

[DrPr]

I'm new to Las Vegas and also to gardening. I have a back yard (the back inch, as I call it) that gets plenty of sun. I would like to grow all sorts of sprouts and vegetables, especially lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers garlic, scallions, avocados and herbs. Is January a good time to start growing anything? I am a student with nothing but grocery money right now, so what can I do on the cheap to start the process? Thanks!

-Allison :D

[sport]

"What about a dark apartment? I live in an apartment that due to orientation, recieves very little sunlight. Even the balcony gets only gets a few hours of sun, mostly shaded at that. I would love to grow things. Are growing lamps an option? If so, anyone know anything about that?"
Meteor
I spent a week at The UK Centre for Living Foods and Elaine does all her growing in her basement kitchen which gets very little light. She grows a lot of wheatgrass and sprouts and they realy flourish. The group of 10 people survived on a diet that was mostly made up of ehat she grew in the kitchen.

[greeninlosangeles]

I love cucumbers and tomatoes, and just a balcony, so I guess i will try earth boxes or something similar. How do you get seeds which are suitable for containers, heat resistant(I live in California), and produce fruit for long time versus all at once? Can you give me the names? I would love them to be heirloom variety.

[SamuelWilson]

Very great thread here. I would like for some of you to upload pictures of your gardens. This can be inspirational to others.

[exurb]

How do you get seeds which are suitable for containers, heat resistant(I live in California), and produce fruit for long time versus all at once? Can you give me the names? I would love them to be heirloom variety.

you could try this place which specializes in heirloom seeds for the apartment balcony - I have no experience with them.

www.manhattanfarms.ca

There are also lots of books that specialize in growing food on your balcony, container gardening, etc., maybe look into that.

Also, for a balcony, I think the cherry/small varieties would generally work best. And they're usually great yielders over a long season.

I think one issue for container growing is making sure your pot doesn't heat up to really high temps, so a light color is good, or situate on the balcony so the plant gets the light but the pot is more shaded.

[greeninlosangeles]

It is interseting, but they are in Canada, and the climate there is much different.