I've Started To Garden

[Deleted User]MoonlightSonata (deleted user)
in General

I've kind of been procrastinating when it comes to gardening. I used to grow a lot of vegetables back in the day but I fell out of gardening between moving to a new apartment and such. Now I'm thinking of starting a garden on my apartment's porch area.

I would like to grow some carrots, potatoes, peas, corn, tomatoes, spaghetti squash, cucumber, zucchini, onions, green onions, garlic, succulents, and mushrooms. I would also like to grow some spices and leafy plants like basil and mint. I might try to grow some fruit too but I am more familiar with growing vegetables.

Does anyone else garden?

If you have any tips on growing vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, spices, leafy plants, or succulents, let me know.

Comments

  • cuddlerforu24cuddlerforu24
    edited May 2018

    What you have just described , for an apartment porch , is container gardening .
    I would do climbers , such as ‘ maters, and peas. Check your climate zone , and , you need at least six hours of sunlight . Mushrooms ( the culinary variety) are grown indoors, in darkness.

    Ps ,if you are under governance of an HOa , check, rules

  • [Deleted User]MoonlightSonata (deleted user)

    @cuddlerforu24 Thank you so much for the advice. I will look up information about container gardening and climbing plants.

    I was reading up a bit on growing culinary mushrooms and the process is a bit complicated but I'd still like to give it a shot. :)

    If you have any advice on growing button mushrooms or really any kind of edible mushroom, let me know.

  • [Deleted User]john_cpe (deleted user)

    I have 800 square feet of vegetable garden, and corn isn't even worth the space to me, so I'd completely ignore the prospect for container/patio gardening. Strawberries are easy to grow in containers, and there are few varieties of blueberry and raspberry I think called "bushel and berry" that are bred for containers. Some citrus trees can be grown in containers, but you'll have to haul them indoors over the winter and shove them under grow lights. I'd focus on finding a good, local farmer's market this year and then plan your future garden around "filling in the blanks" of what you can get that is local, tasty, and cheap in your area. Herbs and greens are significantly better fresh off the plant, whereas you can grab a mixed basket of heirloom tomatoes and peppers at a farmer's market that will keep nicely for a week or more. Look for plants that are dwarf or specifically for containers. Otherwise, the cramped roots will result in low yields of deformed and tiny veggies. Look up Scarlet Runner beans - they're decorative, edible, and climbing.

  • [Deleted User]john_cpe (deleted user)

    The gardening subreddit is always helpful, and I've grown some fungus from EverythingMushrooms, their website has plenty of information and guides.

  • [Deleted User]MoonlightSonata (deleted user)

    @john_cpe I will definitely look out for fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and so on that do well when grown in a container/ are dwarf plants. I'll also look into climbing plants.

    I will at the gardening subreddit and I'll look up the mushroom site.

    Thank you so much for all of the great advice! It is very much appreciated.

  • [Deleted User]galowglass (deleted user)

    Shrooms reproduce by spreading a powder-like dusting of spores. The spores come packaged a variety of ways. One method is where a small round wood plug has been "implanted" with the spores. These can be ordered online. Look for a reputable or local source you believe you can trust.
    Different mushrooms thrive on different varieties of wood or substrate. The instructions will typically tell you what wood works best. It's up to you to find a log.
    Different mushrooms require specific (not difficult-to-create) conditions and sequence of conditions for that spore to most-effectively start to grow and reproduce. It's a matter of following the instructions and providing the conditions.

    Spices and Herbs. One thing to know is that some herbs are annual. They die at the end of the season. They may be kept longer by bringing them in, before first freeze. Other herbs are perennial. The keep coming back. They can also be brought indoors but if you leave some in the garden, in most places the perennials will come back in the spring. Plant them somewhere you want them permanently and once they establish themselves you can even sculpt and train some.

  • [Deleted User]EastsideCuddles (deleted user)

    @MoonlightSonata I garden! Feel free to message me if you have questions! Don't wanna turn this into a garden forum lol I could talk about plants for ages!

  • [Deleted User]MoonlightSonata (deleted user)

    @galowglass Thank you so much for all of the great advice! I very much appreciate it. :)

  • [Deleted User]MoonlightSonata (deleted user)

    @EastsideCuddles Yay it is good to meet another gardener. :) I will definitely send you a message. :)

  • [Deleted User]Victoria92 (deleted user)

    I'm going to start gardening soon myself! I'm a newbie though so these tips will help! ^^

  • [Deleted User]MoonlightSonata (deleted user)

    @Victoria92 That's great! Are you going to do container gardening or more traditional gardening with a yard?

  • pmvinespmvines

    On topic of gardening, I once had a rather successful potted veggie garden at my apt. My building was on a lake and surrounded by grass. I had about 15 large pots starting at my front patio and going around side of building with a several types of tomatoes, green, yellow, and red bell peppers, banana peppers, habaneros, cucumber, and snap peas.

  • [Deleted User]MoonlightSonata (deleted user)

    @pmvines That's awesome! Do you have any advice in particular about keeping a container garden? I would appreciate any tips thrown my way. :)

  • pmvinespmvines

    Nah, was mostly my sons mothers doing lol. When she was alive she was always wanting to grow stuff. I on the other hand am a plant murderer. I just watered and did as I was told

  • [Deleted User]MoonlightSonata (deleted user)

    @pmvines I knew someone a few years back who claimed to have a red thumb because everything they tried to garden dried up in seconds. lol

  • pmvinespmvines

    must have cut their thumb in the process too making it red

  • [Deleted User]MoonlightSonata (deleted user)

    @pmvines That too! :P

  • pmvinespmvines

    Better to be a red thumb than a no thumb

  • [Deleted User]MoonlightSonata (deleted user)

    @pmvines Also better than being all thumbs. :P

  • [Deleted User]Victoria92 (deleted user)

    @MoonlightSonata I'm planning on having both! I have an 8x10 area that I have for a garden and the a lot of pots that my SIL left me. I'm so excited to have fresh vegetables and herbs!

  • [Deleted User]MoonlightSonata (deleted user)
    edited May 2018

    @Victoria92 That sounds awesome! I would love to have a regular garden when I own a house. Right now I am living in an apartment so I have to stick to container gardening.

  • [Deleted User]Victoria92 (deleted user)

    I live in my parent's basement apartment so I can do whatever I want! Muahahahaha!!

  • [Deleted User]MoonlightSonata (deleted user)

    @Victoria92 Oooo nice! That sounds like a sweet deal. ;)

  • [Deleted User]chococuddles (deleted user)

    Do Chia Pets count?

    Ch-ch-ch-chia!

  • [Deleted User]MoonlightSonata (deleted user)
    edited May 2018

    @chococuddles Yes they do! XD You can get chia pets that grow herbs. :P

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