Let me begin with a simple admission. I don’t know much about gardening. Until a few weeks ago, I had never planted a seed, or maintained houseplants. My thumbs weren’t green, they were red and swollen from playing Xbox. I had never given much thought to the source of the fresh food I consume or its impact, but recently I’ve started to experiment with growing my own.
I live in the city and although I have a small yard, I have to occasionally share it with a family of local raccoons and other creatures. After several attempts at raising outdoor crops which accomplished little more than providing raccoon snacks, I decided to move my efforts indoors.
Two south-facing window spots offered enough sun and so I started experimenting. Within days the various plants were all responding well and so the experiments grew.
Traditional flower pots and planters were soon replaced by big black plastic storage bins from Office Depot which were less expensive and more efficient. I MacGuvered some one-gallon water bottles into hanging topsy turvy-style planters and tried a variety of vines, including tomatoes, pole beans, cucumbers and peppers.
Hanging crops above other plants is a great way to maximize the amount of growing space and conserve water, and it wasn’t long before the notion of “hanging water bottles” was upgraded and replaced by a complete garden row of inverted plants, all in black bins with holes drilled in them, effectively doubling the garden size. (12 ft by 1.5 ft)
Initial harvests have been small as I figure out what crops work, but so far have I’ve enjoyed basil, tomatoes, romaine, yellow and burgundy beans and one tiny potato.
Current crops include more tomatoes, peppers, beans and cukes, plus butter lettuce, onions, sugar snap peas, bok choy, blueberries, strawberries, and a meyer lemon tree.
PART 2) More images and details here.
November 6, 2009 at 7:59 pm
[…] Francisco proprietor Marque Cornblatt of Gomistyle not long ago proposed documenting his indoor civic gardening efforts and he presents a small […]
November 6, 2009 at 8:44 pm
I love the wee potato!! 😀
November 7, 2009 at 2:02 am
I was given this link by a kind person at aussieslivingsimply.com.au
And I was blown away, this is some really awesome indoor gardening!!!! Kudos to you, absolutely brilliant!
Enjoy the Xbox 🙂
November 7, 2009 at 9:26 am
This is great! I’ve wondered if I can grow herbs and other veggies in my dining room window, now I’m inspired to try it. Can’t wait to see your updates.
November 7, 2009 at 9:48 am
This is a great garden – you’ve inspired a bug-hating, water-forgetting, black-thumbed (because everything died) wannabe. Thank you!
November 7, 2009 at 9:58 am
I’m so jealous! I tried peppers and tomatoes indoors but along with great plants a bunch of little flies appeared. I had to get rid of all plants. Do you have that problem?
November 8, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Q–Look what you did! Cool.
November 8, 2009 at 10:32 pm
im curious about the flies/big issues. keep us posted. i just started an indoor garden myself and am totally ‘green’ to doing it…i’ve done plenty of reading, but will keep reading your blog for ‘real’ results. thanks!
November 9, 2009 at 7:57 am
Would love to try this, but instead of fighting off raccoons, I’d end up fighting off our cats.
November 9, 2009 at 9:29 am
Too cool! I want to try that. Like the person above, I’m wondering about bugs — how are you keeping them down? Good luck on your future gardening!
November 9, 2009 at 9:59 am
How wonderful! Best of luck!!!! Please tell more of how to get seeds to sprout downward. Do you plant them toward the bottom and just hope that they know? Sorry if it is a stupid question.
November 9, 2009 at 10:46 pm
For getting rid of the fruit flies that come with the soil (the larvae feed on yeast and bacteria in the soil) put a thin layer of sand down on the top of the pot. That will keep the flies from laying their eggs and stop the cycle.
November 10, 2009 at 2:53 pm
This is amazing and so, so inspiring. I’ll be subscribing, I can’t wait to follow along with this project.
November 23, 2009 at 1:23 pm
adorei suas idéias, aproveitar o espaço é muito inteligente, parabens
November 25, 2009 at 3:12 pm
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January 9, 2010 at 5:29 am
I applaud your ingenuity. Use sub-irrigated planters (SIPs) and you will grow healthier plants producing more vegetables (+30-50%) while saving water & time. You can learn how by starting with upcycled soda (pop) bottle SIPs…best learning tool I know of.
January 10, 2010 at 11:20 am
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