Apartment Gardening

[vnot]

Hi all!

I am really interested in starting to grow a small garden using pots and other containers in my apartment and have checked out some books on the topic but I would love to know if any of you grow your own garden and have any tips on how/when to start!

What are some easy to start herbs/veggies that a girl (with no green thumb) like me can begin with?

[dakota4600]

Vnot- I have a moderate green thumb, but have neglected my gardens woefully over the last couple years due to the birth of my DS. I noticed that my chives, which are in a large pot on my porch are thriving, not only that but some new chive plants have sprung up in my flower bed next to the porch. I usually throw some basil in the pot with the chives and it does pretty well until it gets really cold. I've also had okay luck with chili pepper plants (not bell peppers). If you don't have a lot of pests (rabbits, squirrels ect) leaf lettuce is pretty easy to grow. (My dad actually served lettuce from his garden at Christmas a couple years ago and I live in the midwest). He says if you don't cut it all down it will continue to put out new leafs.

I've never tried tomatoes, but they seem easy.

I definitely recommend buying the seedlings from a nursery (not HD or Lowe's) instead of starting from seed.

[Frugal Nurse]

Are you able to hang planters outside? You will get extra mileage from you garden if you can. there are lots of vegetables that can be grown form those upside-down tomato growing things. A kitchen herb garden in a big terra cotta pot can be a beautiful and fragrant addition to your porch. Lettuces also look pretty if arranged correctly. Pole beans will do well in a pot with a pretty trellis for them to grow up.

[vnot]

dakota4600 - Thanks! I am on the third floor so I can't imagine having many pest problems, except maybe for birds. I think I may start with the basil and some chili peppers. I did in fact buy some seeds from Orchard Supply but maybe you're right in it being better to start from seedlings since I'm a major novice.

frugalnurse - I am able to hang some planters. That would be pretty! I may invest in that tomato thing but wonder if it's more frugal to attempt my own. There are some directions in one of the books on how to do it out of a bucket. Probably won't look as pretty though!

[Gardening Grandma]

do you have a very sunny spot? Tomatoes make excellent container plants (give them a big enough pot). Herbs also do very well in containers. Both need a lot of sun (most veggies do)

[gardenergirl]

vnot - It depends on what part of the country you are in. If you live in a cooler climate area (zones 5 or 6) then mint, cilantro, basil would be good in pots. If you live where it's warmer (zones 7 or 8) then these herbs would be a little more difficult to grow and would need a lot of water because the pots would dry out quicker. Some veges that do well in pots are peppers and tomatoes (the smaller varieties). Gardening is one of my hobbies so I'll be happy to help you

[chicg]

Oh, fun topic, makes me forget it's snowy and 15 degrees outside! I live in a teeny apartment in chicago but I have a decent deck (for city life at least) and I've had a blast experimenting with a garden. My problem is I don't get direct sun for a strong yield. I only grew flowers the first few years then have been experimenting with fruits and veggies the last 3-4. I only have a moderate green thumb, lots of trial and error. Here's my list:

-Cherry Tomatoes - LOVED them, great success last year in a regular hanging basket. Good yield, cute, definitely will do again.
-Regular tomatoes - you need a lot of sun. I tried 1-2 plants in a fairly big pot. One year got 4 tomatoes and squirrels ran off with half of them (however that led me to hand-feeding the squirrels which is incredibly stupid yet cute and fun). I tried the upside thing late in the season last year, got about 6-8 Romas. The hanger was a gift, I'll try it again this year.
-Peppers - Score, I grew habeneros (still have some in freezer), sweet red chili (the big ones), hot red chili (small ones, like jalepeno's) and a small yellow pepper that came in a hanging basket for $5 clearance at Home Depot. They were all great. This summer I'll focus on the smaller hot peppers since the yield is higher instead of the bigger peppers.
-Herbs - Really easy, this is where I make the money back that I spend on all my experimenting. I grew Rosemary, basil, oregano and thyme in a big, oblong basket. Mint had it's own 2 pots as it will take over anything it's planted with. Plant by itself. It's easy to grow, reproduces quickly after you cut off leaves and makes for a mean mojito and great addition to any drink, lemonade or fresh berries. Keep cutting leaves and pop them in ice cube trays to freeze or make simple syrums with them...the more you cut, the more will grow.
-Strawberries - cute plants but I never got enough yield (they need sun) to make it worth it, but home grown strawberries taste amazing and you'll never want them from the store again. If you get sun, you can buy/make a strawberry pot and try a few plants inside it. My best yield was from the $1 plants from the grocery store.
-Lettuce - never had luck with this : (
-Beans -pole beans as mentioned worked well in a pot with a trellis. Fun but I didn't get the best yield, only about enough for side dish for 3-4 dinners. Scarlett runner beans are another variety to try. I think I'm going to try something else in that pot this year.
Have fun. I have never had luck with seeds but my friend in her apt does. If you have a sunny window, look up instructions online. I tend to buy my plants from a local garden center and some fillers/random things from home depot. I know people knock the big box stores for flowers/veggies but I've actually had good luck there.

[vnot]

Thanks everyone! I'm getting lots of helpful tips already (mint in it's own pot--duly noted!).

I live in Northern California (Bay Area). Once I figure out which direction my balcony faces I'll let you know. I was outside this weekend and we had great weather and I was literally burning while out there for twenty minutes so I believe I get a lot of sun on the balcony (cat & dog like to sunbathe there too). Oh, are there certain plants I shouldn't have if I have pets? I think kittycat may probably chew on my plant leaves if I don't monitor.

I definitely will have to start small with herbs and maybe tomatoes.

[dragonfly7]

I have a black thumb when it comes to flowers, but I can successfully raise some veggies in pots. In north Texas, I've had the best luck with cherry tomatoes and lettuce/spinach. All my decks have had partial sun.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Each summer, I grow basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives, dill and parsley on my balcony. I usually start them from small plants. I've also grown tomatoes and the best results I had was with patio tomato plants (supposedly good for pots) and cherry tomatoes. I did try heirloom tomatoes one summer but think I got 3 tomatoes off of the 2 plants - lousy yield, which explains why they're so freaking expensive in stores! I also grow a couple pots of lavender.

My balcony gets the morning sun, but even in KY that's enough to really bake the plants in the summer. I usually wind up having to water several times/week since they dry out so quickly. Basil tends to be the pickiest out of the bunch, it's very susceptible to temperature and watering conditions. The rest grow like the weeds that they are! I usually have a large pot of each.

[vnot]

I just started some basil seeds in an egg carton last night! I followed the directions online so I'm crossing my fingers that they will flourish!

Thanks for the tips so far!

[chicg]

haha, I've tried patio tomatoes twice and both times I think the tag was switched, they grew really tall, not at all bushy like the tag said.
You can find a list of plants that are toxic to pets on ASPCAs website. My cats don't go outside so I don't pay much attention outside. I know onions and garlic are bad but I don't think that's a problem, also lillies are pretty toxic.

[steff]

To make your cat happy and keep it away from teh other plants, you can plant a pot of catnip (catmint). Like other mints, it will take over if it's planted with anything else. Cats can eat it right off the plant or you can cut it and dry it out for them.

[vnot]

It's only been 4 days since I planted my basil seeds and I already see sprouts!!!!! Woohoo! I feel so accomplished!

;D ;D

[Deleted]

Hooray for seedlings!

I saw big bags of mulch for sale at the gas station this week and it is making me excited for gardening season. I've had good luck with herbs in the past, and y'all have made me want to try cherry tomatoes this summer.

I'm limited to what I can hang from the railings because my little dog gets into everything. (I can't imagine I would grow anything that would hurt her, but she would have a grand time digging up all of my efforts, and tracking the dirt inside, I'm sure)