gardening in small spaces Archives

Why You Need Food Storage Even if You have a Garden

This post is by Bernie Carr, apartmentprepper.com Every year I start an apartment garden with the best of intentions. Some seasons I get a great result, but other times, the results are less than stellar. What happened to my garden? The plants have been attacked by these black caterpillars that eat through all the leaves and even soft branches (see title image). They grow big and fat then turn into these ugly moths. Ugggh!! Between the 106 heat and the […]

Growing Vegetables in the Balcony

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This post is by Bernie Carr, apartmentprepper.com To become more self sufficient, a common piece of advice is to grow your own vegetables. Ideally, you would have a nice sized backyard to start your garden, but apartment dwellers have very limited space. So we decided to try growing some vegetables in the balcony. I don’t have a lot of plants: just a few tomatoes, peppers, mint, rosemary, basil, green onions, parsley and cilantro. Here are some ideas to get […]

4 Tips for Small Space Gardening

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Written by Mike Podlesny Just because you lack large amounts of space does not mean that you cannot grow a lot of the fresh fruits vegetables and herbs you consume. As long as you have an area that receives at least 4 hours of sunlight daily, is easy for you to water, you should be good to go. Here are a few tips to help you get great results with small space gardening: GROW UP One of the best tips […]

What To Do If You Cannot Grow A Garden

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This post originally appeared in The Rural Economist I am blessed, because nearly everyday I come in contact with someone who tells me they’re starting their first garden ever. But every now and then, someone tells me that they cannot have a garden because of where they live. They want to have a garden, but do not know how to do it without getting in trouble. So I ask myself,” How would I go about starting a garden with these […]

Hydroponics – A Small Garden with Big Benefits

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(Editor’s note: Today’s post is about a subject that interests me greatly: hydroponics, because it works well in small spaces. The post is written by Chris Wimmer, who writes at Health Smart Living What is Hydroponics? Hydroponics is generally translated from the Latin and Greek languages meaning “working water”. The Greeks and Romans described this farming technique this way because the water was always in motion. A more modern way to explain hydroponics is growing plants without soil. A variety […]

Gardening in the City

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Gardening in the City, Guest Post by Garret Stembridge Living in a city doesn’t mean you have to forgo your love of gardening. Regardless of whether you enjoy growing flowers for decoration or fruits and vegetables for consumption, virtually every home – no matter the size – has space available for gardening. Of course, living in a tiny apartment may require a little creativity, but there are many ways to convert urban living spaces into a gardener’s oasis. Consider Your […]

Apartment Garden

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Tomatoes This post is by Bernie Carr, apartmentprepper.com I mentioned in a previous Monday Musings I started the apartment garden. The day I started the garden our area had a cold front, and temperatures were down in the low 30s (that’s cold for Houston this time of year). I had to keep the plants indoors at night, and took them out for sun during the day. Now that it’s warming up again, I can leave them outside. Oregano and thai […]

Three Herbs Even a Non-Gardener can Grow

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This post is by Bernie Carr, apartmentprepper.com When I look at my apartment complex, I see that only a couple of balconies contain any plants. I would have to conclude the majority of apartment dwellers do not even try to grow anything. If you are a prepper living in an apartment, I would encourage you to try and grow a few herbs that are hardy and low maintenance. If you have kids, it’s a fun activity for them as well. […]

Balcony Garden Struggles

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This post is by Bernie Carr, apartmentprepper.com It’s not even summer yet and the balcony garden is showing signs of difficulty. The above photo shows the cilantro after a day of 95 degree heat. I will need to start watering twice daily instead of once to see if I can save this one. The mint leaves which were lush and healthy just a few days ago seem to have gotten attacked by some kind of pest that is eating the […]

Does the Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter Work?

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Planting season is in full swing in many areas so I thought I’d cover one of the more frequently asked questions I get about balcony gardens. The question is whether those hanging tomato planters such as the widely advertised Topsy Turvy works. As you have seen, I have tried this planter myself. (Please note: I do not have a financial interest in the Topsy Turvy, nor do I endorse the product – it is just something that I experimented) Not […]