urban gardening: things I want to know
Okay, so this is the plan. As of October, we are city dwellers in a Philadelphia rowhouse. Our outdoor space is a teeny, tiny backyard (but, hey, we have one!) and a front porch. We could probably spill out onto the sidewalk some, but anything there is fair game for stealing or vandalism. Well, basically anything is, but being on the sidewalk would make it all the more vulnerable. There is also the roof of the porch which the front bedroom windows look out onto.
So the plan: green it up!!!
When we moved in, the backyard was waist high in weeds. It was scary. Remember? the boys wouldn't leave the step. I pulled all the weeds in the fall. Now it's space that is plain packed down dirt. And broken glass and debris bits. Right now, I'm trying to turn over the soil, which actually isn't too bad, picking the bits of glass as best I can. I imagine the glass will be a perpetual problem. I want to plant grass seed. The yard is just big enough that some grass would be nice instead of a layer of mulch. The yard is also mostly shade. Part of gets full morning sun.
the front is the only place to get enough sun to seriously support vegetable growing. we do have a good front porch. I'm thinking of doing upside down tomato plants. anyone do this with success? suggestions? I do appreciate comments some of you left on my FB. that was helpful. i'm getting excited about trying this. I think it will also prevent my vines from getting vandalized, too. I'm getting excited about this! The main issue will be watering. Because everything I've read so far says they need to be watered daily.
rainbarrels. We have no hose hookups. I don't want to buy a major rain collection system. But I'm going to need to something both in hte front and the back. How do I keep the standing water from getting yucky? If there's no way to really DIY this, I'm willing to consider buying something. But I'd rather not. We'll just really need to depend on rain collection.
compost. the more I read about compost. the more I'm convinced that if I'm seriously going to compost, then I need to get worms. I'm just a little eww about that. Can I just have a rubbermaid bin in the mudroom? anyone have success with worms? tips? will my indoor compost smell? Still trying to decide if I can do this.
green roof--experiences? We have the porch roof right off of our bedroom window. Great place to take advantage of some full sun growing space. I'd also like plants there to diffuse some of the heat bouncing off the roof into the house. Maybe I'll grow the lettuce there. ha! Could I grow watermelons up there? That would be awesome!! And cukes! Yum!!
It feels good to write it all out. Less bouncing around in my brain. I really would appreciate hearing of anyone's experience with any of this.
Comments
I wish I could offer bits of
I wish I could offer bits of wisdom for you, but our rain barrels are still sitting, unused, in our garage. I haven't personally tried upside-down tomatoes, and we're composting sans worms. Well, not true. Our compost has tons of "cutie-pies" as Liv calls them, but I didn't put them there.
Will you continue blogging about your urban garden adventures? I'd love to read about what you're doing!
We compost without buying
We compost without buying worms. You just need the container to be open on the bottom to the ground and then throw in some coffee grounds and the worms will come to you. You will work all summer on making good compost for next year. This year you'll have to buy some.
That's a thought. I was kind
That's a thought. I was kind of hoping to have an indoor container, due to lack of space. Hmmm. And I'm annoyed to work all summer for next. When we're renting. I mean, we'll most likely be here next summer. I would just hate, hate, hate to end up moving (for some reason) and leaving the compost I worked all this summer on. Ya know. My thought with worms is getting something sooner and something that could be in use year round...
I highly recommend the
I highly recommend the Gardens Alive catalog (gardensalive.com) for resources and supplies. Half the time I look there for ideas, not necessarily to purchase.
Re: tomatoes: Yes, the upside-down tomatoes work, but I prefer picking out my own tomatoes and growing them in containers, which I've done for years. For watering assistance, you can fill a wine bottle with water and turn it upside down, pressing it into the dirt. It will still want water, but it helps with between things and if you're forgetful like me!
Re: Rain Barrels: If they're open on top, make sure to cover them with window screen fastened down somehow, both for safety and to keep things from falling in. Buy a mosquito dunk (environmentally friendly) and float it in. You need to add new ones every so often -- I forget how often. Check package for details.
Re: compost: The worm composters are great. I don't have one myself, but I have an apartment-dwelling friend who does. She keeps it in a small, enclosed back hall. It doesn't usually smell at all, but when you're getting the eco-system set up, it sometimes does while it adjusts -- she recently moved and it was smelling a small bit for a little while afterwards. But I don't find it terribly unpleasant --not like garbage; kind of earthy. I do think you need to keep it out of strong sunlight. Worms will give you quicker compost, but probably not enough for a whole yard. If the soil is stressed, you should probably invest in some mushroom compost and dig it into the first foot or two of soil.
Good luck! I hope you'll be blogging about your garden!
I've moved compost before,
I've moved compost before, LOL. I knew an older woman, too, who did all her gardening in her later years on her front porch. I often end up, too, putting stuff in pots that I ran out of prepared ground for. Nightshades all do well but you can put anything in a pot. http://tinyurl.com/farminginaflowerpot is a book I've used along, especially for how big a pot for what. There was a great article years ago in Organic Gardening all about growing in containers. The main things I took away from it was to make holes about an inch up the container (this for a container without holes) to hold water in the bottom. That would not have worked this fall/winter/spring but most years it's a good idea. The other thing was to put half finished compost in the bottom of the pot to provide nutrients later. I mulch my pots, too, to cut down on moisture loss. Have fun and thanks for the urban homesteading link on fb. I love gardening and the *idea* if not the reality of being self sufficient (animals: been there, done that, too traumatic when they get eaten by something other than myself). My fave book (note that I have the 70's edition): http://www.amazon.com/Vegetables-Berries-Thought-Possible-Imagine/dp/158...
An indoor container would
An indoor container would work - it will just take a bit longer. Putting it in some kind of plastic bin with a lid will help with the smell. That being said, it still would be best to put the plastic bin outside. if you punch holes in the bin, you could speed up the process (exposure to air). I've seen compost containers that look like big lemonade jugs with a spigot on the bottom from which you can extract the "tea" to water your plants.
Try planting herbs in pots to use in your cooking. I have basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, chamomile, and lavendar all started in pots for my herb garden. I'll move them to the deck when the nights warm up a bit. Pepper and eggplant do well in pots. I haven't had the best success with peas in pots - they need a lot more space to plant a lot of plants to make them worthwhile. Strawberries can be fun to grow in those pots that have holes up and down the sides. Lettuce is another one that can be grown in containers - those rectangular containers that look like windowsill planters are good.
Have fun!
You can also do short variety
You can also do short variety carrots in those rectangular pots. Anything that vines can be grown up if you have something to attach the vine to, like a lattice or ladder. I think that cucumbers are very feasible in a rooftop container.
I compost in a trash can with a bunch of holes drilled in the bottom and sides. I actually have two. I rotate which one I am filling and which one I am pulling from each year. It is heavy, but I can roll the container around if I tilt it onto the side a bit and that helps with the decomposition speed. I have worms in my compost, but I didn't put them there. And we've never once had a smell issue.
I can't wait to see what you grow!
Our neighbor did the upside
Our neighbor did the upside down tomato plant thing and they turned out really, really well. I was impressed!
Thanks for your input
Thanks for your input everyone. I think I am going to do "normal" compost outside. And I am not above moving compost. haha! (If I need to...)
And my mom can get me a deal on rain barrels! woohoo! But it's pretty easy to find some DIY tips on YouTube, in case anyone wants to know. Rain barrels are not hard.
Stay tuned....
Have you read/heard of/tried
Have you read/heard of/tried square foot gardening? I just ordered a book on it and am excited to get my boys gardening. It seems rather ideal for small spaces. :)
Add new comment