Comments on: Growing Your Own Mini-Garden http://www.cleverdude.com/content/growing-your-own-mini-garden/ Family, Marriage, Finances & Life Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:09:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Penny http://www.cleverdude.com/content/growing-your-own-mini-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-22804 Penny Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:16:16 +0000 http://www.cleverdude.com/?p=790#comment-22804 Have you done any reading on growing potatoes in a plastic garbage bin? We do it every year with great success. Have you done any reading on growing potatoes in a plastic garbage bin? We do it every year with great success.

]]> By: donna jean http://www.cleverdude.com/content/growing-your-own-mini-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-22776 donna jean Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:27:23 +0000 http://www.cleverdude.com/?p=790#comment-22776 Yay on the onions - I might have mentioned at the DC happy hour that we're growing the majority of our food - so gardening gets a lot of attention around here. Contrary to the opinion mentioned above, we've used the square foot method quite successfully and highly recommend it for anyone who thinks gardening is too complicated - though I'll admit that we use his older method that still involved digging in the dirt versus all raised beds. Starting small is always a plus and building little confidences is a great way to learn. I might even suggest picking up a tomato plant next month and throwing it in a container, they do surprisingly well that way. We did that last year with a couple plants and it was no work at all and fits nicely on a patio. Plus, if you wait until the middle of next month, you're pretty safe from worrying about frost and such and should be able to plant it and let it be with minimal maintenance. Yay on the onions – I might have mentioned at the DC happy hour that we’re growing the majority of our food – so gardening gets a lot of attention around here. Contrary to the opinion mentioned above, we’ve used the square foot method quite successfully and highly recommend it for anyone who thinks gardening is too complicated – though I’ll admit that we use his older method that still involved digging in the dirt versus all raised beds.

Starting small is always a plus and building little confidences is a great way to learn. I might even suggest picking up a tomato plant next month and throwing it in a container, they do surprisingly well that way. We did that last year with a couple plants and it was no work at all and fits nicely on a patio. Plus, if you wait until the middle of next month, you’re pretty safe from worrying about frost and such and should be able to plant it and let it be with minimal maintenance.

]]> By: budgets are sexy http://www.cleverdude.com/content/growing-your-own-mini-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-22710 budgets are sexy Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:19:57 +0000 http://www.cleverdude.com/?p=790#comment-22710 i'd like to do the same thing w/ tomatoes. the only problem i have is that a) i'm always too busy to start, and b) i am horrible with this kind of stuff. ...i'd start out with your onion idea, but only problem there is that i don't like eat them :) I'll keep watch for the next fruit/veggie you end up doing! i’d like to do the same thing w/ tomatoes. the only problem i have is that a) i’m always too busy to start, and b) i am horrible with this kind of stuff.

…i’d start out with your onion idea, but only problem there is that i don’t like eat them :)

I’ll keep watch for the next fruit/veggie you end up doing!

]]> By: Stu http://www.cleverdude.com/content/growing-your-own-mini-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-22708 Stu Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:59:10 +0000 http://www.cleverdude.com/?p=790#comment-22708 Square foot gardening is a bit of bollocks. Its great for shallowroot stuff but useless for deeper rooted stuff. Most vegies are no good in it. Its more a marketing con. One of his secrets is.. surprise.. good soil! he makes his own mix. wow. good quality potting mix = healthy plants, thats how he gets the "results" he gets. This is 99% of the "win" of his method, its nothing to do with his shallow boxes etc. You really need to double the depth of his boxes at a minimum! Dont get lulled in by all the amazon reviews of the book. I think most folks review before they use the methods for a full season. this is a much better and more solid book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761116230?&camp=212361&linkCode=wsw&tag=cleverdude-20&creative=380793" rel="nofollow">McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers</a> Square foot gardening is a bit of bollocks. Its great for shallowroot stuff but useless for deeper rooted stuff. Most vegies are no good in it.

Its more a marketing con. One of his secrets is.. surprise.. good soil! he makes his own mix. wow. good quality potting mix = healthy plants, thats how he gets the “results” he gets. This is 99% of the “win” of his method, its nothing to do with his shallow boxes etc.

You really need to double the depth of his boxes at a minimum!

Dont get lulled in by all the amazon reviews of the book. I think most folks review before they use the methods for a full season.

this is a much better and more solid book

McGee & Stuckey’s Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers

]]> By: Clever Dude http://www.cleverdude.com/content/growing-your-own-mini-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-22706 Clever Dude Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:40:43 +0000 http://www.cleverdude.com/?p=790#comment-22706 @Lorna, yep, I've heard of it and read up on it. However, for now we have so many projects going on that we didn't have time to build the garden. Perhaps next year. For this year, we're working on retaining walls, landscaping, and maybe extending our driveway (in addition to numerous indoor projects). So we're just dipping our toes in the dirt, er, water. @Lorna, yep, I’ve heard of it and read up on it. However, for now we have so many projects going on that we didn’t have time to build the garden. Perhaps next year. For this year, we’re working on retaining walls, landscaping, and maybe extending our driveway (in addition to numerous indoor projects). So we’re just dipping our toes in the dirt, er, water.

]]> By: Lorna http://www.cleverdude.com/content/growing-your-own-mini-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-22705 Lorna Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:19:12 +0000 http://www.cleverdude.com/?p=790#comment-22705 Have you heard of Square Foot Gardening. Very inovative, space saving and money saving ideas, especially if you build the boxes yourself. http://www.squarefootgardening.com Have you heard of Square Foot Gardening. Very inovative, space saving and money saving ideas, especially if you build the boxes yourself.
http://www.squarefootgardening.com

]]> By: aeko http://www.cleverdude.com/content/growing-your-own-mini-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-22703 aeko Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:47:34 +0000 http://www.cleverdude.com/?p=790#comment-22703 to use your extra onions, chop, dice, and freeze them. Good in stews or soups. to use your extra onions, chop, dice, and freeze them. Good in stews or soups.

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