Growing your own food...in a small space?

I'm wondering if there's any way to grow your own food if you don't have access to a large garden. I live in an apartment so basically I don't have a lot of room...there's also a small sort of 'porch' outside under an awning. I also have an extra closet I could empty and thought I could grow some mushrooms there. I also saw a 'hanging tomato garden' which doesn't take a lot of space....other than that, I'm at a real loss....any ideas?

reply to post by selinakyle


What part of the world are you in. Some people will rent out small area of their land for gardening. If you have family, they'd probably let you do it for free.

Without some land it would be tough, you'd be forced to grow hydroponic with grow lights indoors. You could get some off your patio, but not enough.

Oh..well, I'm in the Southwest US where not much grows anyway..heh. But my grandma has a large backyard, maybe I could ask her to 'lend it to me'...

well three things spring straight to mind.

A Strawberry Planter.
Tomatoes can grow straight out of growbags.
Cress and Mustard on your windowsill.

I am sure that there are a lot more when you think about it.

reply to post by selinakyle


The southwest is great for growing, it just takes a lot of water. There is a huge amount of agriculture across southwestern Arizona and southeastern California, and Nevada, and New Mexico. El Centro is packed with farms.

You can also grow citrus there. There are dwarf orange, lemon, and tangerine trees that will grow in pots on your porch.

We have some potted here, but we have to bring them in during the winter.

reply to post by selinakyle


Buy a wheat grass kit. Wheat grass grows easily indoors. Mushrooms can also be grown indoors. The same places which sell wheat grass kits also sell mushroom kits.

[edit on 13-6-2008 by eradown]

Not that you would be able to afford one, but, there's the phototron. I knew a guy back in the 80's who worked for some testlab and got one cheap. Back then I think they were around $700.00. Although they were also growing medical plants for research and had a grant.

Apparently, they work well and you can grow your own tomatoes all year long. I suppose you might be able to design your own that works as well. I believe it's system is called hydroponics. Here's a link.

www.phototron.com...

Starting your own garden with good growing soil etc. and maintaining it is work. My brother in law spent probably as much for supplies as he would have paid out for a summers worth of these crops he actually used. Much of which he ended up giving away. That's why people do canning.

I have heard not to grow your garden in or near a septic field.

Supposedly, in the city, peoples yards can be full of lead in the soil from cars that used to use leaded gasoline.

Look into container gardening. I actually have close to 2 acres but I don't have the will or time to have a large garden. I have several tomato and pepper plants in pots on my front porch. I just water then once a day and they seem to do fine. Not only do they provide food for me later in the year, but it's actually enjoyable for the my kids and I to watch them grow.

reply to post by selinakyle


I recommend you check out or buy All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. That book will teach about what soils to buy to insure your garden thrives and how to build containers to fit your limited space. He also has a section on growing vegetables in window boxes.

You can grow veggies in large to med. planters. On the porch, my daughter planted carrots and beans last year, and they did well. This year, we are adding peas. And, we are planing 3-4 pots of carrots (planted a few weeks a part to stager harvest because they get eaten quickly- yummm!). I've not tried tomatos, worried around the animals/birds getting to them first. I guess some chicken wire or netting would help fix that. I wouldn't rely on porch veggies to get you through hard times, but fresh veggies and watching them grow is always a plus. Do you have a window? Can you put together a make-shift greenhouse?

Yeah I have windows, there's also a large screen-door (which no one ever uses) looking out onto the sort-of porch that lets light into the living room...hmm so I guess there are a few possibilities...thanks everyone for all the great ideas, I'[ll definetely look into all of them!

I second Square Foot Gardening. I live in the southwest and if you make your own dirt (compost) the weather is great for gardens, provided you use remay for shade (which we do). Raised Bedsat your Grandmother's place is another idea.

Some interesting reading right here on ATS:

Lessons Learned from a Backyard Garden:
www.abovetopsecret.com...'


The Tomato Triangle Experiment:
www.abovetopsecret.com...'


New Seeds Needed to Resist Climate Change:
www.abovetopsecret.com...'


Tomato Trellis DIY Project for Home Garens:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Note the small garden in the Tomato Trellis thread.
In N/W Arizona @ 3300' altitude.
Its doing quite well.
Further explained in the abov threads.

Quite a few photos, be sure to check out WorldWatchers container garden at the top address listed above.

For several years now I have grown upward of 100 or more plants in roughly 120 square feet off the front porch of my apartment using containers of various sizes from 1 to 10 gallons. I have grown pole beans and cucumbers over garden arches in 10 gallon containers and tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, chinese cabbage and swiss chard in 5 gallon buckets and a large variety of herbs in hanging baskets. I grow lettuce and spinach in windowboxes. The tomatoes by the way grew 8 feet tall.

The trick is to make your own soil using peat moss, vermiculite and composted cow manure then add lime, calsium and fertilizers to it then mulch. The only drawbacks are setting it up can be hard work and you have to water every day but it suppliments my groceries quite nicely.

HYDROPONICS!

That is your answer!

Learn about different hydroponic systems, and choose the best one that suits your situation.

With hydroponics, there is little maintenance, and high yield crops.

There are many purchasable products on the internet, however, if your anything like me, then you would like to build your own system. Find plans online, they are simple and easy to follow.

The best part about the system is you can fit it in tight places.

Good luck!

reply to post by IMAdamnALIEN


I've tried those systems and maybe it just me but I thought the product was rather tasteless and bland as if all the flavor was washed out of it. If I want that I will just go to the local supermarket.

That is because you need to add nutrients to the water supply...

What system did you try?

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
I second Square Foot Gardening. I live in the southwest and if you make your own dirt (compost) the weather is great for gardens, provided you use remay for shade (which we do). Raised Bedsat your Grandmother's place is another idea.

Remay?

I'm going to need some shade not too far in the future, but as I mentioned in a separate post titled "Garden Update" I put up earlier today, I plan to move a car trailer next to the garden on the east side.

The west side of the house starts shading the garden about 3 PM and it's completely shaded in about one hour.

I had planned to buy some of the nursery shade material that lets light and air through, but I fear the high winds in my area may tear it to pieces before the first season is over.


Garden Update here: www.abovetopsecret.com...'


[edit on 14-6-2008 by Desert Dawg]

You can grow supplemental food on a small space but not enough to sustain you. When people did live off their gardens it took 8 acres of garden to feed on person from one season to the next (eating fresh from the garden and preserving from the same garden.)

I live in Arizona. You can grow aloevera out here, and live off of it if you had to a while. Just open the leaves and eat the gel. I have actually done that just to see what it tastes like. It is not bad

I also saw another thread on here somewhere where where they said you could get protein from tumbleweed. Where I live, I am in protein heaven then,lol

Ama