Thursday, May 13, 2010

Apartment Gardening-Top 10


Don't think that just because you live in a apartment you can't grow your own food. It's entirely possible to provide yourself with your favorite fruit and vegetables using your kitchen window, balcony, patio or rooftop and even hanging off your roof*! You will be surprised to learn that some of your favorites can even be grown inside (so long boring houseplants). First think about what you actually eat day to day and what is included in your favorite recipes. I'm just going to cover ten here but container gardening creates endless possibilities.

Dwarf Banana Plant-Can be grown inside, many different varieties
Cucumber*-Choose varieties with a more compact growth like bush champion or spacemaster, for growing upside down choose a slicing or pickling variety.
Herbs-Basil,Oregano,Rosemary-Probably the easiest to grow and will take up the least amount of space (except for rosemary). Perfect for a windowsill. Many wonderful dwarf varieties available.
Lettuce-Buttercrunch is a great variety that withstands heat as is Jericho. Pick the outside leaves for your salad or sandwich and it will continue to grow.
Dwarf Meyer Lemon Tree- Can be grown inside, near sun of course, the container and pruning keep it small, has a wonderful fragrance and flowers.
Peppers*-Many favorites like Jalapeno and Green Bell. Will need a sunny spot, choose pots a minimum of 12" deep.
Potatoes-These can get big so be prepared, one potato plant can take up a 5 gallon bucket but it can also give you up to 6-10 potatoes that you can harvest individually each night.
Squash-Look for smaller bush varieties.
Strawberries-Great for little to no extra space.
Tomatoes*-Half wine barrels are a good choice for indeterminate varieties, for those with a little less space choose dwarf varieties that are perfect for smaller containers.



No longer will you need to consider where you food came from and if it was sprayed with chemicals.

 For more great tips on apartment gardening visit: Life on the Balcony a great blog I came across.

2 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, the shoe holder turned hanging garden is very inspired! Love it!

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  2. I have a friend who lives in an apartment and I can't wait to show her your blog and this fantastic idea using the shoe holder! I might just try it myself for some fun.

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