Low resource (money, time, space) gardening (windowsill, balcony, container, porch)

[w0nderer]

This discussion thread is pinned.

Last edited Sun Jan 31, 2016, 06:49 PM - Edit history (4)

Some resources i've saved up on gardening in a windowsill/balcony low space environment
may sound ridiculous but fresh veggies to me at least isn't just a health booster (and cheap) but also a morale booster
not only the crisp fresh veggie but the feeling of 'i did this'/'i grew this'


http://www.gardenista.com/posts/66-square-feet
-- http://66squarefeet.blogspot.com/

http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/container-favorites/container-vegetables-article10003.html
self watering pot of the sort they mention can be made by putting a pot with few holes in the bottom inside a small bucket or container with rocks in the bottom and then a little water inside the outermost container.

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*hoping the ascii drawing comes through*

http://www.gardeners.com/how-to/urban-gardening-with-vegetables/5491.html

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/vegetable/vegetables/growing-vegetables-in-containers/
nice list to the end about what containers and plants to use together Size wise

http://containergardening.about.com/od/vegetablesandherbs/a/ContainerVeggie.htm
(on this link the video seems to auto start(which annoys me), but the content of the page is decent)

http://www.diyncrafts.com/7137/food/35-easiest-container-pot-friendly-fruits-vegetables-herbs
really cool and with some inventiveness and diy i've modified some ideas to be built cheaply (problem is time, but this would be investment in self)

http://www.diyncrafts.com/4732/repurpose/25-foods-can-re-grow-kitchen-scraps
regrow from kitchen scraps (includes tomatoes, lemongras, lettuce, ginger and onions and hazel nuts)
small hazel trees (less than 6ft can still carry nuts and they are healthy and nutritious and contain oil (unusual in non animal food sources)) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

http://www.davidwolfe.com/stop-trashing-your-scraps-16-produce-items-to-re-grow-at-home/?c=pwf&vp=vgard
growing from left overs at home also HIGHLY recommended


http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/digin/your_space/windowsill.shtml
very simple intro, they say to buy container soil.... it's usually cheaper to mix the soil oneself from components
(if you don't have room to store 3 big sacks (peat moss, vermiculite and so on --see below squarefoot gardening or google)
see if neighbors are willing to get into it with you
go shareiesies with them, you might start a cool trend


http://www.harvesttotable.com/2010/01/windowsill_gardening_growing_v/
-- http://www.harvesttotable.com/2008/12/x/
-- http://www.harvesttotable.com/2008/12/dwarf_and_miniature_vegetables/
good hints on smaller versions (i'd add in try to look for classic (old / heirloom) plants in small plants
because usually you can rescue seeds and thus save on that

http://www.caleyskitchengarden.com/2013/06/9-plants-for-windowsill-vegetable-garden.html
Good small tricks

http://greatist.com/health/best-plants-to-grow-indoors
many sub-links to more information including growing mushrooms in a laundry basket

http://www.goveganic.net/article201.html
http://www.thekitchn.com/composting-without-a-garden-189247
http://lifeonthebalcony.com/composting-on-the-balcony-the-easy-way-to-environmental-virtue/
micro compost suitable for balcony usage or small space outdoors

http://lifeonthebalcony.com/how-to-turn-a-pallet-into-a-garden/
http://lifeonthebalcony.com/more-wildlife-pallet-garden-photos/
Pallet gardening

http://www.urbanorganicgardener.com/2010/06/how-you-can-make-gardening-cheap/
how to get free mulch or compost, containers and other frugal tricks


Price per sq foot of some veggies

http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/most-profitable-plants-in-your/

that list seems fairly accurate

even so i'll keep growing onions, cabbages (a few), spinach, garlic and a few others that are far down on the list
because it feels good to be able to make a soup out of 'all homegrown' every once in a while

from the same source
http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/how-to-start-a-winter-vegetable-garden/
with temperature tolerances (cold) important for those of us of in the north :-p

univ of maine on :: Bulletin #2761, Gardening in Small Spaces
https://umaine.edu/publications/2761e/
---

Square foot gardening (Mel Bartholomew), i can recommend the book (amazon or used book store or library even better)
i've run 2x4 foot containers on a balcony and they covered a large amount of my veggie needs for 8 months of the year (cold winters)
4x4 or even 4x8 is what they recommend per person...one don't really need all the 'dedicated' stuff they recommend

i've used everything from oiled (flaxseed oil) recycled pallet wood (made into boxes) to "curbside rescue" dresser drawers, by way of 4 gallon+ mayo or similar restaurant buckets (ask nicely and usually you can have them cheap or for free and plastic bags (double layered them and filled them with soil), the calculations and system is pretty good

it contains mix lists (can't spell rece..recei..rese...aarrg mixlist!) for soil, and measurements plant-to-container-size

i got my 'square foot container' book from a used book store $2
used book stores and libraries rock

[Tanuki]

1. Sprouts (alfalfa, beans, etc.) are also really easy to grow indoors.

All you need is a jar.

[w0nderer]

2. actually already in one of the posts but yes thanks and it's important!!!

easy to make alfafa beans lentils sprouts
they are crispy, cheap and...sprouting them changes their nutritional profile
ie...lentil soup (green) + lentil sprouts, gives better cover on nutrition than only one or the other

thanks for reminding me Tanuki ..did i wish welcome? welcome!

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

6. We're working toward a vegan+oil free diet

This will help.
Thanks

[ladyVet]

3. I site I used to visit all the time was The Garden Web.

They had lots of posts about square foot gardening, and container gardening that were really helpful. People were always posting their Mel's mix formulas, sharing pics of their gardens and lots of tips.

I need to check in there, haven't been in a while.

I feel like even growing a little bit of produce, or herbs, or whatever, is helpful when the budget is low. One tip I have is if you're looking at plants for next year, try to find ones with more than one seedling in them. I did this a couple of years ago and got several extra plants, and they all did well.

Also, my sister got loads of tomato plants for about 20 cents a six-pack, because they were at the end of the early growing season and some didn't look so great. I think she got cucumbers and squash as well. She ended up with enough plants for her and the boyfriend, and shared the produce with our mother and me.

[w0nderer]

4. Thanks

this one: http://www.gardenweb.com/ ?

even growing a little is helpful to the budget, health and morale, it really helps (at least me) to have some carrots in a soup or something and nod say..yeah, i grew that, even with no money i'd still have some carrots/spinach (what ever else i'm growing)

ridiculous but it's a mental thing i guess

learning to take seedlings, seeds and similar is really an important trick

[w0nderer]

5. Price per sqfoot of some veggies

http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/most-profitable-plants-in-your/

that list seems fairly accurate

even so i'll keep growing onions, cabbages (a few), spinach, garlic and a few others that are far down on the list
because it feels good to be able to make a soup out of 'all homegrown' every once in a while

from the same source
http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/how-to-start-a-winter-vegetable-garden/
with temperature tolerances (cold) important for those of us of in the north :-p

univ of maine on :: Bulletin #2761, Gardening in Small Spaces
https://umaine.edu/publications/2761e/

[Dont call me Shirley]

7. I have a raised bed garden. The onion sets I planted last year are coming up. I'm going to try

Asparagus, just found out I like it raw, not cooked. The mint is also returning.

I compost so we get lots of volunteers. Maybe I'll sprinkle some cucumber seeds out right now. And plant some lettuce bottoms.

[w0nderer]

9. from the list above i can highly recommend

http://www.diyncrafts.com/4732/repurpose/25-foods-can-re-grow-kitchen-scraps
regrow from kitchen scraps (includes tomatoes, lemongras, lettuce, ginger and onions and hazel nuts)
small hazel trees (less than 6ft can still carry nuts and they are healthy and nutritious and contain oil (unusual in non animal food sources)) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

http://www.davidwolfe.com/stop-trashing-your-scraps-16-produce-items-to-re-grow-at-home/?c=pwf&vp=vgard
growing from left overs at home also HIGHLY recommended

saving on seed too

[malokvale77]

8. I have a little tidbit to add...

for those receiving food stamps. You may purchase vegetable starts with your card at grocery stores that sell them.

[w0nderer]

10. That's a good tidbit! n/t