Micro-gardening - Inspiration and help needed

[Grog]

And even though it may not be cost effective at the moment, I whole heartedly agree that learning to grow is a vital skill, whether or not your harvests are ideal. Yes, it may be easier and cheaper to buy organic at the grocery store - but that's not taking into consideration the knowledge you are building or the skills you are developing. Those things are priceless right now and even moreso someday when those organic grocery stores aren't there any more. And if you do one day aspire to your own little place like we have, those skills will come in VERY handy!

I wholeheartedly agree, and it's part of my motivation to get going. Although it's also being so disappointed with the ridiculous vegetables that we get at the grocery store. Of course there's the farmer's market but it can be complicated. I am the inheritor of a long line of farmers and growers - my parents themselves had greenhouses and oh! how much have I weeded tomatoes in my childhood! - but not a whole lot got passed on to me somehow.

I was raised on sandy land and we grew asparagus, which I would spend many a morning, before school, harvesting with the rest of my family. On a hot day, you could sit there and watch it grow before cutting it again at dusk. Oh! The wonderful taste of fresh asparagus. The other day I almost passed out when my mother-in-law served us - in January - asparagus (from Argentina?) with dinner and everyone was ooohing about how wonderful it was. The poor stems looked so sad, and just didn't have much to do with real asparagus. One could say it's being a snob, I think it's just about respecting food and the people that grow it. (Not the companies that export it.)

Anyway I'll quit ranting and go back to writing my dissertation now!! Thanks for the insight everyone!

[sgtiger]

The first year that I decided to grow tomatoes from seed in a container, it only yielded a half dozen of the fruit. But I had so much fun and I was very proud of my spindly plant. I was amazed with myself that I could grow anything at all especially since I consider myself gardening-challenged. So, I say go for it!

There are so many great resources out there, which I wish I would've consulted that first time, that will help with getting you started.

Here's a few more to add to the ones others have already been mentioned:
http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/guide3.shtml
http://www.altgarden.com/site/library/lights.html
http://www.pseewald.com/2009/02/star...er-lights.html
Lasagna Gardening for Small Spaces

And I second the garden web forums. Lot's of information there, but like any forum you have to find the advice that works for you and your style of gardening.

Have fun and best of luck!

~sg "maybe my thumb is not so black after all" tiger

ETA: If you have a closet to spare, you could convert it into a grow room. It seems you do have to be prepared to tell guests that notice the light seeping from the bottom of the door that you are not growing pot in there. Well, unless you are of course!

Here's a better google search link:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&c...earch&aq=o&oq=

[sgtiger]

Uh... Oops! I just took a closer look at the google link I posted. There are a lot of links on that page for growing pot. I guess there is a reason for people making the assumption about grow rooms.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Uh... Oops! I just took a closer look at the google link I posted. There are a lot of links on that page for growing pot.

I'm SHOCKED! Absolutely SHOCKED, I tell you!!!!!!

[badger]

I lost out on a spot on a community garden, so I was determined to have something on my patio last year. So I tried grape and heirloom tomato, and zucchini that I got from Capers.

The grape tomatoes were bountiful, I got 2 heirlooms, and 1 small zucchini. I later found out that zucchinis need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, which I do not get.

So for xmas my boyfriend got me the Bountiful Container and some seeds (brussel sprouts, weird and wonderful peppers, etc).

I was at Lee Valley today and found this book which had tons of useful information on container gardening.

I also bought this propagator while at Lee Valley to get the seeds germinating. Hopefully by the time they are seedlings, I'll know what that self-watering container thing is about!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ok, a few months have passed since this thread started, but I can heartily now recommend something for you Grog-
grow some sprouts! You don't need much light at all, no pots, no soil, no fertilizer!
I've just started growing sprouts in my kitchen in jars, trays, and even in cloth bags...and I'm really delighted with the results:
http://strumelia.blogspot.com/2009/07/sprouts.html
The only important key is to diligently rinse them with fresh water twice a day.
It's so fun to see the miniature 'farm crops' growing!

[Grog]

Thanks Lisa!!

The "garden" is doing well enough. We've had some lettuce, the cherry tomatoes are on the way (we've eaten 4 of the yellow ones and the red ones I started from seed are impressively full of un-ripe ones), we've had three carrots and there is more to come. We're getting some basil but we'll have to be more patient. Some of the initial soil I used was not very good and totally ruined a few beets. I don't know how the others will do...

I LOVE sprouts so I'll follow your advice on that.