Gardening as a grad student

[shadowclaw]

I thought I would start a thread for anyone who gardens or is interested in gardening while attending graduate school. I know a lot of us are in urban settings (myself included) who don't have access to lot of space for growing flowers or veggies. So perhaps we could trade some tips and tricks for what works.

My apartment happens to have a small enclosed yard that I can plant in. I have a space that is roughly 3 ft. x 20 ft. I also purchased a small greenhouse from Amazon that I keep inside. It has four shelves and a plastic cover which keeps the heat in (http://www.amazon.com/Gardman-R687-4-Tier-Mini-Greenhouse/dp/B000NCTGQE/), and I have two grow lights in it. Right now, I only have two pepper plants and a tomato plant in my greenhouse, plus several pots with ungerminated plants. I started 8 tomatoes and 8 peppers a while ago in those jiffy peat pellets that swell up when you put them in water. However, my plants outgrew them and they can't go outside until May. So I transplanted them into pots and added a bit of fertilizer, and I successfully killed 6 of each species. I now only have one tomato because my cats managed to get into the greenhouse at ate one. The tomato that's left doesn't look so good. I'm hoping the seeds I just planted will be more successful! I'm not worried about the peppers too much - they fruit fairly quickly so I won't have to wait too long for peppers. It's the tomatoes I'm concerned about.

I also plan to plant corn and zucchini. I'm a little concerned about the corn - I've read that you need a minimum of 4 rows for proper pollination, but I only have space for 3 rows (and even then it's a little tight). I found a few posts on internet message boards where people have planted 3 rows and been successful, so I'm hoping for the best. I'll probably plant the corn next week. I wish I had a little bit wider of a space - I'd like to try planting the zucchini and corn together... the zucchini (or other squashes) are supposed to suppress weed growth by shading. However, I think the corn needs to be a little further apart for that.

[sjoh197]

With only 3 rows of corn, you could hand pollinate. I used to have an entire garden, zucchini, squash, peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, broccoli... You name it, I had it.

Now we only have a balcony and I have had to give up most of my gardening. Now I just have some herbs and my legacy plants (all in pots now).

[Neist]

The apartment complex I'm living in offers small square plots to garden in, and while I've never participated in the past, I think I'd like to this year. The plots are a little bit off-site from the complex, but I don't think that'll bother me too much. It's still within walking distance.

I'm not too sure what I want to plan at this point. Probably simple things that I use often. Green onions, peppers, herbs. Anyone have any other suggestions of low-maintenance yet kitchen staples?

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

That's neat @Neist, a community garden plot is a brilliant idea. I just have a 2'x2' area filled with concrete that they call a patio

[Neist]

18 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

That's neat @Neist, a community garden plot is a brilliant idea. I just have a 2'x2' area filled with concrete that they call a patio

I think it's because a lot of the population of the apartments I live in (which are university-owned) are international students. A lot of the families here, especially the ones from Asia, grow their own vegetables. I always see weird veggies I've never seen before when they walk back from the gardens.  

Must be nice growing something that reminds you of home when your living far from it.

[Cat_Robutt]

• Rosemary! This herb needs little water and little space. Many kinds of herbs are very hardy, like rosemary, oregano, thyme, and apple mint (for mint tea). They do well in small pots near windows and are more likely to take over the pot than to die!
• If you have a bit of space and sunlight, tomatoes can grow well without too much fuss. 
• You can get "decorative peppers" (the really small ones) and grow them in a tiny pot. The resulting peppers are very small, and very, very hot; you only need a tiny amount to spice up your food, so each one goes a long way.
• If you buy a bag of green onions, you can take the white stalks, stick them in a clear jar full of water, and place it near a window. Change the water every few days and new green onions will grow. It's like magic. You can also do this with fennel ends.

[sjoh197]

My go to herbs are rosemary, thyme, peppermint, and lemongrass. All easy to grow and use. 

 

[shadowclaw]

My mom always grew herbs on the porch in small pots next to her flowers. Basil, rosemary, scallions, and parsley. None of them seem to require too much care! I might try growing some basil and scallions in potsl... I also have a slab of concrete called a patio that I can set up some pots on, or I could put them in the greenhouse. I was debating growing some regular onions, too. Like scallions, you can plant the end and a new plant will grow. I have also acquired a banana plant. We'll see how that works out.

@sjoh197 thanks for the tip about hand pollinating. I just added some fertilizer to the soil... I need to get one of those awesome auger things to stir up the soil. I can't wait to plant my corn! It's gotta have it sweet corn from Gurneys. My dad has been planting it for many years and it's seriously the best corn I've ever tasted.  

[sackofcrap]

I would love to start gardening, but I live in an apartment and don't have anything in the way of a yard or anything. I might try finding some indoor plants that I can grow at Walmart or something.

[sjoh197]

45 minutes ago, sackofcrap said:

I would love to start gardening, but I live in an apartment and don't have anything in the way of a yard or anything. I might try finding some indoor plants that I can grow at Walmart or something.

Eww... noooo. If you don't have a legitimate nursery anywhere near you... at least go to lowes or home depot. Anywhere but walmart. And if there is a legit nursery near you, you will find significantly better options for indoor plants. 

Might I suggest some corkscrew rush, or a nice unglittered norfolk pine. An aged jade plant is pretty good too. 

And if you find you really like the indoor plant scene... there are plenty of nice bonsai you can get for the indoors... although they typically take more time, care, and skill. 

[Cat_Robutt]

Also, to assist in our gardening adventures––you can create your own compost mix with food and paper scraps. There are small under-sink composters that don't take up too much space, and if you have a bit of room outside that can help if things get smelly. It will really make your plants take off with the added benefit of helping to reuse your waste!