How do you grow your own veggies if you don't have a back yard?
Question:I don't have any land, but I do have a patio and I was wondering if I could grow some veggies in a large container. If yes, how big of a container should I be looking for? What kind of veggies can I plant in the container? Which veggies need to be grown on land?
Answers:
Patio gardens are great as you can go out in an instant and cut a few greens or tomatos for dinner. Generally they are pest free as well, and being so close, easier to water and stay on top of. I just enjoy watching my tomato grow on the balcony this year, although in a one and a half gal pot it's not very full.
I have one interesting tomato this year in a normal large flower pot, planted upside down. It's doing really well and hangs from a bracket on my railing, although it could hang from anything. It did really well to start, but is slowing down a bit now I think as the earth is getting exhausted and the roots are probably binding. It's already given me a dozen nice cherry tomatoes though, much earlier than others' in the garden.
To plant the upside down tomato just cut a hole in the bottom of the pot large enough to put the root ball through and cover with dirt. I also used a 3 inch square piece of soft but firm foam with a center hole and a cut to one edge which went around the stem of the plant once it was put through the hole in the pot. This foam ensured that the plant or the soil wouldn't fall through the large hole in the bottom. In the top I planted three herbs for appearance, but they've really taken off and have provided a lot of cuttings already, and I assume, taken away from the nutrition of the tomato plant.
In one large but shallow pot on the ground I've got a lettuce plant that's doing quite nicely, and it also serves as a catch for the excess water that drains from my upside down tomato.
In my experience, clay pots 3-5 gal work best for tomatoes. Clay strawberry pots seem to do well, and in the side holes you can plant many different herbs which can make pleasing additions to your kitchen. I think the clay might be a little cooler than the other pots, as it can evaporate and cool the soil. This is important for tomatoes.
My experience has been that above ground plants need a lot more water than those planted in the ground. But if you're willing to water them well and keep an eye on them, they can be surprisingly productive in yields depending upon what kind of sun you get.
Yes, you can use 2 gal containers or even build some simple raised beds to have a small garden.
One method is called "square foot gardening." I am sure you will love it if you google it sometime.
a windo box...
You can grow herbs in small containers. Tomatoes would do best in at least a 5 gallon bucket. Seeds aren't very expensive. You could try a few vegetables that you like to experiment and see what does well.
The people in my apartment building use buckets to grow things in. Last 2 years they grew tomatoes. It looks like one vine for each bucket. They also grew what looked like cucumbers this year.
I'm not an expert on what needs grown on land, but I think you could get carrots, onions, or turnips in a bucket with the right amount of sun/ water. I wouldn't plant more than 2 in each bucket.
There are many veggies that can be grown in containers on patios. tomatoes , bell (or any) peppers,peas,&green beans can be grown in pots,(with trellis type support) any herbs in small pots.
A bit more challenging , but can be done , are zucchini & cucumbers,these need stronger support as they grow.
Another unusual one for A patio is the potato,for this one you will need on of those 55 gallon barrels (plastic is better) punch holes in the bottom for drainage place A layer of good soil about 1 foot deep plant potatoes in that layer then after the plants get to be 6 to 8 inches tall add more dirt to the same level as the top of the plant keep repeating this process untill your dirt level is about 6 inches from the top of the barrel let the plant grow now untill it turns brown ,then get A tarp and start pulling out your dirt and layers of potatoes
good luck with your garden!
Aside from the containers that have already been suggested, check to see if there aren't any shared community gardens in your area. My sister is an apartment dweller, and she and a friend found a place that let them have their own patch of garden for a very small fee. She loves it!
Absolutely!! You can do container gardening or create a window box garden.
I would create a container/window garden using the largest containers possible so that you can get the best out of the soil and watering.
Good luck!
my dad once bought a tomato tree in a flower pot
IF it can hold dirt and is drilled for drainage you can grow anything. Now of course the better the soil, the size of the container will determine the size of the produce. All you need is ,soil, sun and water. I have grown everything from simple herbs to watermelons. Having lived in a communist country you learn to use what you have., you dont need a lot of fuss. You can do it!!
You can grow pretty much anything using hydroponics... as long as there is good light on that patio of yours.
I have a flat roof with a swimming pool up one end... one day I am going to concrete over the entire roof area and make the entire roof a garden bed... it gets great sunlight and I can tinker around in the garden up there and have a swim when I get hot! Plus the garden beds on the roof with provide tremendous thermal insulation for the house below.
The built environment really can be green without to too much extra effort, if people use their imagination.
I grow tommatoes and pea's on my porch, anyhting that doesn't need alot of "width" grows well for me.
One of the best simple and relatively inexpensive containers I've seen to grow veggies or flowers is an ordinary steel animal watering trough. They are usually 2' x 4' feet with rounded ends; you can get them either one or two feet deep. Fill it with topsoil, add some fertilizer, and you have an instant garden, ready to plant. You can get them at most feed stores, and you can get top soil at a nursery.
If you have got a flat roof top growing veggies is not at all a problem. You can very well use open boxes or plastic bags(at least with a few holes at the bottom to drain water). Fill them with potting mixture.and plant vegitables. I have made it for my daily use. Please try.
you can grow tomato and other herbs like basil, parsley, etc. in pots. As long as you have adequate sunlight tomato can be grown in a 8 inch pot if you keeop it watered. I am doing this right now and they are coming out good. Already have some ripe ones
you probably can't grow watermellon or, cantalope or squash, because they spread out and need to be flat, corn is too big, and cabbage is easy to grow if you have space, they get big, you can grow tomatoes, peppers, carrots. leaf lettuice, the main thing is that you have holes in the bottom of the container for the water to come out, if they sit in water they will just rot.
i would make a little box in the front yard and plant some roses.
Use planting pots.
plastic and metal containers can be used but you usually have to drill your own drainage holes. one of my favorites to use are old wooden barrels. just cut in half and make sure the slats are sturdy (dirt/water tight). the wood will allow water to drain out naturally (as it will also drain out the natural cracks between the boards anyway). i'm currently doing cucumbers, jalapenos and tomatoes this way right now and they're doing great!
(pic of some tomatoes/peppers)
http://i10.tinypic.com/4miloc5.jpg...
If you have a "Dollar" type store, there are containers of every shape and size imaginable.from a "Rubber maid" container type to a shoe box type, to everything in between.You can use colorful bowls to grow grass seed, or buy small cactus' and make a flat plant arrangement..you can use plastic or metal pails, the list is endless...Anything that will hold dirt!
You probably have to punch a few holes for drainage, and if you buy "Container" types, they come with the lids, so you have a bottom for your planter to catch any excess water..craft stores, many dollar stores, and Walmart sell "bagged rocks/stones/glass stones" that you can put on the bottom for drainage before adding dirt...you can even use Fish Tank gravel..Yard/Garage sales, if you find glass bowls, you can "layer" rock, dirt, then plants and make Terrariums..You can grow "Cherry Tomatoes" in any standard planter pot..Have Sun?.you can have plants with no back yard!....Happy Gardening!!!
OK, Listen
You cannot grow herbs in a container if u didn't give it enough sunlight and water and soil. And of course u need a large enough container to grow some veggies. I think tomatoes need to be grown on land.
--Bye Urmi
Yes, you can buy clay pots, preferably large ones, and if you want to grow things like tomato's, just put a stake in it to hold it up, there are a lot of garden varieties you can grow in your back yard, go to www.lowes.com
Buy them from your grocery store and say they grew up in the backyard.
Problem Solved.
make a box out of wood about an inch thick by four to five inches, this can be a square or rectangular in shape. under cover should have some hole and leave top open. now put some soil about and then the seeds should be in a seedling box to be transferred to the plant box you constructed. There you can plant your veggies, the length is up to you, it can be 2 ft. in width and 10 ft. length
potted plants in large pots
One suggestion I would add-if there is soil at the edge of the patio (enough to drive a stake in) you can grow vine crops-cucumbers, squash, small melons like cantaloupe-on wire fencing strung between 2x2 stakes. The vine grows up the wire and your crops hang off and are easy to harvest. You could modify this by using an outside wall or fence to attach studs to and staple wire to them (with landlord's permission of course). I have a garden but grow things this way because I started when I had a 4x4 flowerbed for a garden and it works so well!
All the other answers about container gardening are good and I have grown lots of stuff in 5 gallon buckets. Good luck!
u could plant them in pots?
ask sum1 if u can borrow theirs.
Yes! you can grow veggies in pots! Lettice, peppers (get the plants as transplants), tomatoes! Call Burpee's (or someone else's) 800 number and ask them they are paid to help you. :)
if you want a huge garden for veggies, ask a neighbor or someone close by you know to grow them in their yard. or if the garden of veggies is Small, get a large pot, put dirt in it and tada.
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