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osukeith161 posted:By large, I didn't mean the weight was the problem, but the size of the tomato plant. In the containers and staked to the fence, those varieties grew 6 feet tall. Even modest gusts of wind would have toppled them over. (And it did, which is why I had to tether the container and cage to the fence) Then, later on, the branches needed staked/tied, and I can't see a reliable way to do that when you plan on moving it a lot. I just envision broken limbs. Oh, I see; that is a good point. It does get really windy around here. I'll have to seek smaller varieties, or figure out hanging structures or something.
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Jan 22, 2011 19:30
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As far as the staircase issue goes, a ship's ladder absolutely sucks for carrying things up and down. Even once you get good at going up and down forwards and backwards, carrying anything heavy throws off your center of gravity.
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Jan 22, 2011 19:59
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Relentlessboredomm posted:Ill be trying to set something up on my little balcony this spring as well. Im in western Germany, anyone know what grows well in a temperate climate similar to Seattle but slightly colder with more snow? PEEEEEEEEEEEEEAS! Not sure if you have the room, though. Also thyme, sage, dill, rhubarb, green beans, lettuces, potatoes.
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Jan 23, 2011 06:55
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kiteless posted:PEEEEEEEEEEEEEAS! Not sure if you have the room, though.
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Jan 23, 2011 07:09
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 Sweet cornucopia, the seeds have arrived! Couple choice things on backorder  but otherwise, wooooooo.
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Jan 23, 2011 08:33
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LeprechaunLass posted:Oh, I see; that is a good point. It does get really windy around here. I'll have to seek smaller varieties, or figure out hanging structures or something. On the plus side, I once had a Roma plant break off from one 4 foot stalk with a small(2") offshoot at the base to just the offshoot and survive. Tomatoes are ridiculously hardy.
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Jan 23, 2011 17:29
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osukeith161 posted:Then, later on, the branches needed staked/tied, and I can't see a reliable way to do that when you plan on moving it a lot. I just envision broken limbs. They'd need structure but an immobile fence isn't necessary at all. Tomato cages and fan trellises work great, and don't need to be affixed anywhere other than deep down into the container. If it's big enough to grow a sizable plant, it's deep enough to sturdily hold the cages. I had 3 large rubbermaids of tomatoes last year that grew so big their vines went up the inside and then had to trail and be tied down over the outside, this is with 60 inch cages. I dragged them around the yard any # of times. Breakage never became an issue. Wind will be more of a problem on rooftops, but mobile staking is far from impossible. Making sure your structure is as deep in the pot as can be is the important part.
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Jan 25, 2011 15:03
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Where are you ordering your seeds from? I'm tempted to order seeds and start my herb garden off early in my basement with some heat lamps. If I understand correctly, rosemary can eventually be a nice hedge, but others (basil, thyme, etc) will be potted plants. I know mint is ridiculously easy to grow, but not so easy to keep from running rampant, but who wouldn't want a yard full of fresh mint?
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Jan 25, 2011 15:12
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Oh no, now you've got me started. Turkey, your pictures of seed packets and sprouts are making me feel like I'm way behind on the gardening thing already! I actually went out in the nasty wet melty snow today to take a few measurements and get a good look at the yard for the first time since fall. Winter is getting me down and I'm ready to start some seeds! This is our first full growing season in a new house in the city (Pittsburgh), so I have loads of plans but also loads of problems. And I'm totally planting my entire hillside in mint now. We have a small corner lot with one street-facing side mostly useless for planting because it's a steepish, tree-root-covered hill. I figure since I wanted to grow mint anyway and it (hopefully) will spread fast and not die easily, I'll kill two birds with one stone and get both pretty ground cover and enough mint that I'll never have to buy mint tea again! Here is my lot, roughly:  Eventually, the whole front yard will be garden (edible landscaping!). There is already lemon balm planted next to the front walk, oregano in the opposite front corner and garlic along half the front edge. The tall veggies (tomatoes, pole beans) are going against the front porch so they don't dwarf the rest of the lot with their tallness, although if I had a really good arbor/trellis set up I'd plant them on the side facing the front porch steps, because that gets the most direct sun. But I don't have an arbor... yet. Also, the front walkway is the only spot that provides level access to the yard (otherwise you have to climb the retaining wall), so I'd need the arch in order to maintain an open path to the rest of the garden. Lot issues include: Crap soil (clay and rocks), space (tiny city yard), shade! The entire back side of the house is full to partial shade due to the garage/trees back there, and the front gets almost full sun but there's a 3-story building across the street that blocks early morning. Perks: I HAVE A YARD. For the first time in years, I don't have to worry about whether my tomato plants will fit in a container! (Never mind the tomato plant that's currently overwintering in our guest room...) Gonna turn the front yard into an edible landscape with some edible flowers, loads of veggies and potentially a dwarf fruit tree. I might hang my upside-down planter this year, since I didn't get a chance to try it last year. What should I put in it? Maybe strawberries! I'm also hoping to volunteer again with an urban ag project here in the neighborhood. They have an entire reclaimed baseball field to play around in, and they grow loads of cool heirloom stuff. Anyone who doesn't have their own gardening space should check out urban ag projects near you. Most big cities have one these days! This year's urban gardening stories are gonna be awesome. I can tell. Faerunner fucked around with this message at 02:15 on Jan 26, 2011 |
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Jan 26, 2011 02:11
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Today I got a little more potting mix, a hacksaw and some pvc (for self-watering mutilation).
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Jan 26, 2011 03:35
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This is a really fun program to mess with (free 30 day trial!) http://www.motherearthnews.com/garden-planner/vegetable-garden-planner.aspx I'm tempted to do a mint lawn in part of our backyard now. Its a bit shady and with our dogs and chickens running around, grass just never keeps, but I want something to grow to keep the erosion down.
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Jan 30, 2011 01:06
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Faerunner posted:I might hang my upside-down planter this year, since I didn't get a chance to try it last year. What should I put in it? Maybe strawberries! I'd just like to throw out there that I did strawberries this past year and they didn't seem to really -thrive- in the hanging condition. Do you use a lot of rosemary? Because I could totally see using a small upside down planter for rosemary to keep it away from other plants and what not.
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Jan 30, 2011 11:07
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Update: These are the cherry tomatoes that I planted a couple of weeks ago. They seem to be doing well. I ended up having to give them their own light. They seem to be a little spindly, so I set up a fan to blow on them. Ideally, the fan will encourage the plants to put on a little girth. I got a few sprouts from the strawberry seeds, but they became waterlogged and died. I gave up on the strawberries yesterday and planted lettuce seeds. I hope that I have better luck with those.  Click here for the full 480x640 image. Only half of the seeds from my AeroGarden sprouted. The basil is doing great; the marjoram and mint less so, but definitely better than the savory and oregano which didn't sprout at all. I got a single sprout from the parsley, but it was lonely in its seed pod and apparently committed suicide by taking a lethal dose of narcotics or something.  Click here for the full 640x480 image. About two weeks ago, when it became obvious that the savory and oregano were DOA, I replaced the seeds with strawberry seeds. They seem to be fairing much better than they did in the PowerPlant.  Click here for the full 640x480 image. About five days ago, I gave up the ghost on the suicidal parsley and replaced the seeds with tomato seeds. They have only just begun to sprout. In summary: Two tomato plants in a PowerPlant are spindly but good. The strawberry seeds in the PowerPlant were a bust and have been replaced with lettuce seeds. In the AeroGarden I have some awesome basil (they should just change the name to BasilGarden), some weak mint and marjoram, two pods with strawberry sprouts, and a tiny tomato sprout.
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Feb 5, 2011 02:30
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Fluffy Bunnies posted:I'd just like to throw out there that I did strawberries this past year and they didn't seem to really -thrive- in the hanging condition. Do you use a lot of rosemary? Because I could totally see using a small upside down planter for rosemary to keep it away from other plants and what not. We do not use that much rosemary, although I could see us using it if we had a plant, rather than having to remember to buy it. I'm thinking maybe I'll find a determinate (bush) tomato variety to grow in the planter, or use it for peppers since I've heard people have done that with some success. I was totally hopeful that strawberries would be awesome in the planter, but I guess I can find room on the ground for them!  I think tomorrow I'm going to take stock of what I have left from last year's seed extravaganza, and attempt to start a few seeds as well as getting my cold frame going. I have an old window that still has glass in one pane; it'll get cut in half for the top of the frame. I need to get hinges, but I have scrap wood that we found in our basement when we moved in and that'll work for the basic frame. I'm totally excited. If it works, I might be able to put out my greens sooner this year! luloo, your seedlings look great! Are you using grow lamps or just regular fluorescent bulbs for the tomato seedlings not in the aerogarden? (Apologies if you stated this and I missed it).
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Feb 23, 2011 05:34
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We have been growing herbs for a few months now. Start off with some parsley, basil, rosemary and strawberries. This has taken off, so now we have parsley, basil, rosemary, garlic chives, chocolate mint, normal mint, coriander, pizza thyme, normal thyme, 4 different kinds of chillis, tomatoes, a lemon tree and a lime tree, potatos (still germinating) onions (still germinating), spring onions (still germinating0 and a couple of types of lettuce. Also got a worm farm to keep them topped up with good soil and juice. Havent had this long enough for it to fill up yet, but its getting there. The juice is so good though. We built our own little sun shade with a scrap of shade cloth and about $10 in lumber. That grew so its now got a section for germinating seeds, inbuilt irrigation, and wont blow over in a stiff breeze. We have got the basics of the set up down which is good, but I still want to tweak it some more so we can have multiple onion and potato trays, so we can always have a fresh supply.
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Feb 23, 2011 06:16
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Faerunner posted:luloo, your seedlings look great! Are you using grow lamps or just regular fluorescent bulbs for the tomato seedlings not in the aerogarden? (Apologies if you stated this and I missed it). I did not mention it. I was using a low watt compact fluorescent in a desk lamp at first, but as the tomato plants grew taller, I had to replace the lamp with a clip-on utility light and a higher watt compact fluorescent. If you go the compact fluorescent route, it needs to be very close to the plant (almost touching it) to work properly. About a week ago, I cut off the top of the tomato plants to encourage them to bush out, but they were about 5 inches taller. They seem much stronger now.  The strawberry plants in the Aerogarden are growing very slowly, but they look healthy. The tomato in the Aerogarden is also looking good; I cut off the top of the plant yesterday morning. The basil is rocking out. I'm trying to keep it short so the other plants can catch up before I need to move the lamp.
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Feb 24, 2011 00:51
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How do you get those plants out of the starter pot in the foreground? Or are they supposed to stay in there forever?
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Feb 24, 2011 03:09
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bombhand posted:How do you get those plants out of the starter pot in the foreground? Or are they supposed to stay in there forever? They're supposed to stay in there. The bottom is full of constantly moving, high-nutrient water. When the plants reach the end of their lives, you can dismantle, clean, and reuse the machine.
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Feb 24, 2011 04:26
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luloo123 posted:I did not mention it. I was using a low watt compact fluorescent in a desk lamp at first, but as the tomato plants grew taller, I had to replace the lamp with a clip-on utility light and a higher watt compact fluorescent. If you go the compact fluorescent route, it needs to be very close to the plant (almost touching it) to work properly. Just curious, did you just buy cherry tomato seeds and toss them in there? I'm interested in one of the Power Plant Minis but I don't give a poo poo about herbs, I want cherry tomatoes.
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Mar 11, 2011 04:00
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VERTiG0 posted:Just curious, did you just buy cherry tomato seeds and toss them in there? I'm interested in one of the Power Plant Minis but I don't give a poo poo about herbs, I want cherry tomatoes. Yup. That's actually one of the advantages of the PowerPlant. It doesn't come with seed cups, so you can grow a greater variety than what you can in the Aerogarden. Unfortunately, the directions pretty much suck and so you have to figure out what works on your own. I am getting a little worried. I still have no buds, so I'm wondering if the nutrient mix has too much nitrogen and not enough phosphorus. I'm nearly out of the nutrients that came with the kit, so I'm thinking about replacing it with an organic fertilizer if I can find one that doesn't smell. I also should have put only one tomato in it. I imagine the roots are getting a little crowded.
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Mar 11, 2011 13:42
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I've been a bit dormant. My last attempt at planting indoors worked out great UNTIL A MOUSE ATE EVERYTHING... except the scallions. So.. this is reboot number three coming up. Third times a charm! I cant wait for things outside to start eating my plants.
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Mar 16, 2011 09:29
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My friend gave me a  96w grow light , It's 4x24w fluorescent grow tubes in a fixture with a reflector. I'm moving to an apartment that doesn't have a gardening space, so was thinking of hanging it above the fridge (roughly 2.5'x2.5' area?) and growing as many edible things as possible. I am a single dude who cooks a lot, and am a CSA member so looking for something to supplement the vegetables I already get.I'm going to do as many herbs as possible, but was wondering what else will work with that amount of light. I have some Tom Thumb mini lettuce and dwarf Micro Tom tomato seeds I used to grow on a windowsill so I'll try those. Would a bushy determinate tomato plant work under 96w? The Micro Toms are cool but not the tastiest. Hot peppers would be rad, can someone recommend a variety that will work in a small container? What else could I try? brad industry fucked around with this message at 06:39 on Mar 19, 2011 |
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Mar 19, 2011 06:37
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luloo123 posted:Yup. That's actually one of the advantages of the PowerPlant. It doesn't come with seed cups, so you can grow a greater variety than what you can in the Aerogarden. Unfortunately, the directions pretty much suck and so you have to figure out what works on your own. Where the heck did you get the PowerPlant? I cannot find it!
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Mar 19, 2011 15:03
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http://www.amazon.com/Prepara-PP01-PM201-Power-Plant-Mini/dp/B0014XMV86
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Mar 19, 2011 15:22
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That's where I bought it. They used to sell them on Thinkgeek.
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Mar 19, 2011 16:17
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That PowerPlant is looking mighty interesting... does it need much care other than staring at the plants? How heavy is it? (Could I theoretically put it on my kitchen counter without my cats knocking it over?) Ohmygod, it was warm enough last week that my garlic sprouted! I planted it last November and was freaking out that it had gone funny before I could get it in the ground or that it was too cold. Apparently, nature likes me. Anyway, I got all excited, put out a cold frame that I built all by myself, and planted lettuce and radishes in it! ...and now it's 22* outside and I don't think the seeds will come up because the frame's not insulated very well and this is a prolonged cold snap. But! I also filled two whole starter flats with seeds last week. Peas (sugar snap and "Little Marvel", which is an heirloom bush pea), nasturtiums (edible flowers, yum!), spearmint and lavender and thyme, broccoli and cauliflower, strawberries (got a little windowsill strawberry growing kit last year and wanted to see if the seeds were even still good), and ornamental peppers (same deal). SO RAMPED UP FOR SPRING! (Pictures of garlic and seed flats soon)
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Mar 25, 2011 14:04
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Faerunner posted:That PowerPlant is looking mighty interesting... does it need much care other than staring at the plants? How heavy is it? (Could I theoretically put it on my kitchen counter without my cats knocking it over?) The setup is minimal then all you need to do is keep the reservoir filled with nutrient water. I think they are heavy enough that they would be hard to knock over, and if it is a concern, they are shaped in such a way that you could put heavy bookends on either side of it. I have heard that they are cat magnets, though. The cats like the sound of the water and love to chew the plants. I'm having a bit of trouble with mine. The tomatoes have finally blossomed, but the salad greens look awful. I suspect that they aren't getting enough light. I'm nearly out of nutrients for them. Does anyone have any suggestions for an organic, non-smelly, hydroponic nutrient?
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Mar 25, 2011 14:45
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They look interesting to me but cost wise I'm guessing they're far more expensive than similar results in a 'real' garden?
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Mar 25, 2011 15:32
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Definitely. Rurutia posted:They look interesting to me but cost wise I'm guessing they're far more expensive than similar results in a 'real' garden? Definitely, but my living conditions are not condusive to such a thing. I live in a third floor studio. I'm working on alternatives.
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Mar 25, 2011 21:15
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Salad greens can do ok in partial shade (or so I have heard). Don't know how many hours of sun they need to do really well, though. I do know that most greens are not very heat tolerant. Is the lamp above them keeping them warm? Also Turkeybone how did a mouse eat everything? You need better mousetraps! D:
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Mar 25, 2011 23:59
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Good news and bad news from the garden this afternoon. The good news is that I have the beginnings of spring salads! After planting things in my hand-built cold frame outside at the beginning of last week, I checked the long-term weather report and freaked out because it was supposed to drop below freezing the next few nights, and I had no illusions about my cold frame's insulating abilities (minimal). I ended up covering the whole setup in clear plastic and crossing my fingers. So, I went out to check on the frame today and upon lifting the plastic found that it must've been 75* in there, and still slightly moist from last week's torrential downpour. The radishes are LOVING it and have sprouted and are looking healthy, and the lettuce is starting to come up! Cold frames are my new favorite thing. The bad news: I have MOLD on my indoor planters. Last year I had mold too. I blamed it on the fact that I was trying to grow things under an ancient fluorescent desk lamp in a basement, but apparently it was the Jiffy-Pot soil pellets (just add water!) that were the problem, because I used the leftovers this year and a few are already showing fine white strands of mold on top and around the seedlings. They retain water -really- well, apparently, and I'm not sure if drying them out will help or not, but I'm going to try putting a fan up there to evaporate some of the surface moisture tonight. Last year all my seedlings died in the trays before I could transplant them. I blame some of that on the fact that I didn't keep up with the watering, but I'm sure the mold didn't help. Is it possible for them to survive with the mold in the pots this year if they get plenty of sun and I keep the pots drier and spray-mist them, or should I buy new soil, new starter flats, and new seeds right now and re-start the plants before I get too invested in the current set?
Faerunner fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Mar 28, 2011 |
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Mar 28, 2011 23:05
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Faerunner posted:I do know that most greens are not very heat tolerant. Is the lamp above them keeping them warm? Not really. It is a compact fluorescent so it doesn't put out much heat to begin with, but it was also quite far away from the plants. I think that might have been the problem. I'm going to eat the partially formed leaves and try again with them on the window sill. Apparently, I bought some floramato from Amazon.com. It is supposed to be a great nutrient for both the Aerogarden and Power Plants. I'll keep everyone posted about the progress. Faerunner, good luck. I hope the fans work. It seems like you are on the right path. I found this article. It might help. http://www.ehow.com/way_5255485_mold-prevention-indoor-plants.html
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Mar 28, 2011 23:41
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started some seeds last night, tomato, eggplant, jalapeno, chives, and cilantro. I'll take some pics when they start to sprout.
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Mar 30, 2011 21:03
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 Well, finally I think I can get some things going. Here are a few various herbs.. and also some wallflowers.
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Apr 5, 2011 16:44
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Ok, my tomato plants germinated! This is my first ever attempt at growing something, I placed them in an old fish tank I had that wasn't being used, and placed them under a light. Let's see what happens in the next month, I hope to plant them in mid May. http://i.imgur.com/iTVrJ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/IItNa.jpg
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Apr 6, 2011 21:27
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Pictures are coming soon, I promise: I am running semi-experimental trials (the first real one I started today) exploring and looking at sub-irrigation set-ups. I've made a few of them last week, all with a variety of errors, but I think I got it down this time: 2 Five Gallon buckets, found for free. One is a sub-irrigated system made from recycled nursery planters and a milk jug. The other is a traditional top-water container (with holes drilled in the bottom). Both have the same potting mix with the same home-made compost on top. Both have early girl tomato seedlings planted in them. I'm pretty sure the sub-irrigation isn't going to work until the plant has grown a bit (the roots are far too compacted/aren't big enough), so both will get top-watering for two or so weeks, and then the real trials start! I just put it all together tonight, and they are spending the nights inside til it gets a little warmer. Woo!
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Apr 9, 2011 08:20
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luloo, thank you for that article! So I yanked all the really super-moldy peat pods out a few days ago, let the rest dry out and drip-watered only for a few days and the mold seems to be on the retreat or at least not spreading any more. The seedlings are still healthy and some more of my slow-germinating nasturtiums finally made an appearance! I should take pictures (I know I promised this last time too but I mean it this time) because my pea seedlings are HUGE. It's alarming. The broccoli and cauliflower are still little though. Starting tomorrow I'm going to put them out in the sun for a few hours to harden them off before I start transferring them to the garden! Peas go first since they're both the largest seedlings and probably the most cold-hardy of what I started so far. Weitz, that sounds interesting and definitely useful for container gardening! Keep us updated with pics! Edit: FINALLY, pictures!  Peas. Also, broccoli and cauliflower. Yum!  The front yard, otherwise known as my urban garden. I am a proud landowner! Bow before me, apartment-dwelling serfs!  Kitchen garden! Salvaged materials for a cold frame, spent $5 on decent hinges. Had L-brackets and short screws already. It's not airtight but it clearly works - those seeds were planted when the temps were still around freezing!  Close-up of the cold frame. Nothing special, but it's got stuff growing in it! Terribly exciting, isn't it? Today (4/20) I planted strawberries in a pot and am going to start my beans and cucumber and tomatoes indoors. Also bought lavender and mint for the garden! Wooo! Faerunner fucked around with this message at 01:45 on Apr 21, 2011 |
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Apr 10, 2011 04:10
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So no luck with the strawberries yet. Any suggestions? I am pissed. The seeds I had from last year didn't even try to germinate, and the plant roots/kit I bought this year are still looking utterly dead even though I have tried to keep them nice and moist and in a sunny location. I want strawberries, drat it! D: My mom visited yesterday and brought me a huge bag of irises that she dug up from her garden and also some monarda (bee balm). I don't know where she got the idea that I wanted flowers or even had room for them but we'll find somewhere. And my kitten ate my catnip seedlings. They didn't germinate very well so I only had 3 of them, and yesterday when I was cleaning up the guest room where my seed flats are the kitten discovered the peat pods with the 'nip. When my back was turned she very gently took one out of the flat, tore it apart on the carpet and ate the entire plant (including the roots), then proceeded to fall asleep in the corner looking terribly smug. I just had to laugh because she looked so pleased with herself. There is really no way to keep cats out of indoor plants, short of hanging them from the ceiling. 
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May 3, 2011 14:57
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Hey guys, it's been two months, how are your gardens coming? My peas didn't do so hot this year (Shriveled up and died at about 2' tall with no warning) but everything else is doing really well. Already had a good salad's worth of lettuce harvested, and everything else is coming along well for the most part. I just wish the dog would stop investigating the corner of the back garden.
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Jul 14, 2011 13:57
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Faerunner posted:Hey guys, it's been two months, how are your gardens coming? My peas didn't do so hot this year (Shriveled up and died at about 2' tall with no warning) but everything else is doing really well. Already had a good salad's worth of lettuce harvested, and everything else is coming along well for the most part. The tomatoes in my PowerPlant got so large that I had to fill the reservoir twice a day. The plants had 11 green cherry tomatoes on them when a friend who lives three hours away asked me to dog-sit. It took a week of unsuccessful attempts, but I rigged an intricate siphon system to fill the reservoir while I was away. When I got back, I heard a horrible noise through my apartment door. The siphon had failed, and the pump in the PowerPlant was sucking dry (that's where the noise was coming from). The tomato plants were dead, but I clipped off the green tomatoes, hoping that they were mature enough to ripen on their own. I ended up with 10 delicious cherry tomatoes from all of my effort. I started another PowerPlant and built my own version of the "Aerogarden" which only uses a fish tank bubbler and no pumps. It is much more forgiving when I have to go out of town, and the plants are doing amazingly well.
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Jul 15, 2011 02:38
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