Quote:
Originally Posted by Socks
Nice 
I built a planter box for my balcony last year, maybe you can give me some tips for it too. I want to grow some vegetables and herbs this year in it.
It's 6 feet long, and 2 feet wide, 2 feet deep. I built it on legs, so it's aligned with the edge of my balcony.
It's lined with plastic, and has holes in the bottom for drainage, and a water catcher so it catches the overflow.
I intend to use "square foot gardening" for it, so it will give me 12 1 foot blocks to grow in. Depending on what plants I put in there, I'll space them out accordingly to use their 1 foot of space and not overcrowd their neighbours. Certain little plants can do 16 per 1 sqft, and others have to have a whole foot to themselves.
If it works out, I can build 2 more of these on my balcony and have 36 feet of growing space. ;)
One question I have is what month do you generally start your stuff indoors, to be ready for planting outdoors when the time is right? I always miss my window!
<-- pothead. ;) |
You forgot your zone info.
I start plants off indoors or in greenhouses so that they are ready for transplant after last frost or when ground warms. For me that typically means late feb or early march. Though right now you can buy seedlings since you missed you starting from seed window for plants like tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, corn, etc. You can however start lettuce from seed and then reseed every 10 days, same with radish, and carrots. You could do some beets, pea's, and beans from seed (just no successive planting).
With square foot methods if I recall correctly you could still have a hell of a garden. You have 12 square feet.
I think a tomato really needs 3 square feet and you could get away with 2 if its not a bush variety.
I recall 12 beans or peas per foot (trellis)
32 radish, carrots per foot
4-5 lettuce per square foot if you want small heads, or fill and cut like I do so its a carpet.
1 foot also would allow a brocolli, cauliflower, brussel sprout, corn stalk (can add beans or peas to that one), and a few others.
I think peppers need 2-3 feet.
Squash, cucumber, melons, 3-4 feet unless trellised. (I really like vertical gardens)
Real tricks are to rotate and share space. For instance I know my radish will grow faster than say some bibb lettuce or a tomato. So I can grow my radish in same area as those and harvest before the other effects it. Corn is really a giant space waster and should only be planted if you have at least 12 square feet or more to devote entirely to it and remember 1-2 stalks per plant. However the taste can not be beat, plus you can grow beans or peas in same area and have them climb the corn.
Then be ready for new fall plantings. You should be replanting each area as you deplete it. My garden is productive year round. We were just finishing up are hardy greens, celeriac (spelling), brussels, and plants we protected like lettuce, spinach, radishes, and such through the winter months. Protection was just some half circle shaped wire and near clear plastic painters cloth. Oh and on our patio boxes and some others we did bury some heating pads though those are rarely used.
I can safely say a 4'x4' or 32 square feet of space can supply a family of 2 in fresh veggies year round. Be creative and also think of using pots, containers, hanging baskets, and the like. Hell I grow strawberries out of a stocking that is hung with holes slit in it and it filled with soil. That one leg provided space for around 12 plants and took up nearly zero space. A tomato can easily be grown in a gallon pot or even hung like the above mentioned strawberries.
Oh and do not forget to think about adding an indoor or near the kitchen herb garden. Again very little space is required and it saves a bundle.
So do you want more info?