Creating A Garden On Apartment Patio

[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

[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.