How do you grow your own veggies if you don't have a back yard?

Question

I don't have any land, but I do have a patio and I was wondering if I could grow some veggies in a large container. If yes, how big of a container should I be looking for? What kind of veggies can I plant in the container? Which veggies need to be grown on land?

Answer 1

Patio gardens are great as you can go out in an instant and cut a few greens or tomatos for dinner. Generally they are pest free as well, and being so close, easier to water and stay on top of. I just enjoy watching my tomato grow on the balcony this year, although in a one and a half gal pot it's not very full.

I have one interesting tomato this year in a normal large flower pot, planted upside down. It's doing really well and hangs from a bracket on my railing, although it could hang from anything. It did really well to start, but is slowing down a bit now I think as the earth is getting exhausted and the roots are probably binding. It's already given me a dozen nice cherry tomatoes though, much earlier than others' in the garden.

To plant the upside down tomato just cut a hole in the bottom of the pot large enough to put the root ball through and cover with dirt. I also used a 3 inch square piece of soft but firm foam with a center hole and a cut to one edge which went around the stem of the plant once it was put through the hole in the pot. This foam ensured that the plant or the soil wouldn't fall through the large hole in the bottom. In the top I planted three herbs for appearance, but they've really taken off and have provided a lot of cuttings already, and I assume, taken away from the nutrition of the tomato plant.

In one large but shallow pot on the ground I've got a lettuce plant that's doing quite nicely, and it also serves as a catch for the excess water that drains from my upside down tomato.

In my experience, clay pots 3-5 gal work best for tomatoes. Clay strawberry pots seem to do well, and in the side holes you can plant many different herbs which can make pleasing additions to your kitchen. I think the clay might be a little cooler than the other pots, as it can evaporate and cool the soil. This is important for tomatoes.

My experience has been that above ground plants need a lot more water than those planted in the ground. But if you're willing to water them well and keep an eye on them, they can be surprisingly productive in yields depending upon what kind of sun you get.

Answer 2

yes, you should start of with those little trays first to experiment which areas and temperature do they prefer growing on. once the veggies or herbs seem to grow well with 3-5 inches tall, you can check up if there's any insects biting on them. You can grow your veggies on the area that has more sun or more shade. Most vegetables start off with some shade, and then later they'll need more sunlight.

Water your plants before sunrise about 8 AM in the morning, and after 6 PM, this would reduce the time of watering more often and wasting water. Fertizler- Home Depot or the fresh ones that has mixed compost. As long the soil is moist at first or if it is dried, water it and fill in the dirt with the fertizler or manure.

Answer 3

There are many veggies that can be grown in containers on patios. tomatoes , bell (or any) peppers,peas,&green beans can be grown in pots,(with trellis type support) any herbs in small pots.
A bit more challenging , but can be done , are zucchini & cucumbers,these need stronger support as they grow.
Another unusual one for A patio is the potato,for this one you will need on of those 55 gallon barrels (plastic is better) punch holes in the bottom for drainage place A layer of good soil about 1 foot deep plant potatoes in that layer then after the plants get to be 6 to 8 inches tall add more dirt to the same level as the top of the plant keep repeating this process untill your dirt level is about 6 inches from the top of the barrel let the plant grow now untill it turns brown ,then get A tarp and start pulling out your dirt and layers of potatoes
good luck with your garden!

Answer 4

I live in CA and we are suffering another drought. I put in several garden beds this past year to grow tastier, healthier veggies as well. It depends on the type of gardening you do. Many home gardeners use a bio intensive approach, which means growing things close together so you likely use less water than conventional farming. You are out in your garden and can tell when it needs more or less water, big farms either use large sprinklers or a flood system and don't fine tune the amount of water each plant gets. So I'm sure you are using far less water than conventional farming.

Answer 5

OK, Listen
You cannot grow herbs in a container if u didn't give it enough sunlight and water and soil. And of course u need a large enough container to grow some veggies. I think tomatoes need to be grown on land.
--Bye Urmi

Answer 6

One suggestion I would add-if there is soil at the edge of the patio (enough to drive a stake in) you can grow vine crops-cucumbers, squash, small melons like cantaloupe-on wire fencing strung between 2x2 stakes. The vine grows up the wire and your crops hang off and are easy to harvest. You could modify this by using an outside wall or fence to attach studs to and staple wire to them (with landlord's permission of course). I have a garden but grow things this way because I started when I had a 4x4 flowerbed for a garden and it works so well!
All the other answers about container gardening are good and I have grown lots of stuff in 5 gallon buckets. Good luck!

Answer 7

You can have a very bountiful harvest from containers. It has become so popular that there are specific varieties just for container growing. Many books on the subject... 'Container Gardening' by Paul Williams and 'The Complete Container Garden' by David Joyce. Both are available through Amazon.com

Answer 8

The only bad part about pot planting is that the rooting system doesn't have the natural cooling effect of the ground and your plants can easily overheat if they have an extensive rooting system.

So for the money it costs, your probably better off buying your produce from the store and not trying to build a makeshift garden.

It's probably the goal of the money hoarding rich that run this country for you to not have a place for a garden. If they had it their way, we would probably all be shoved into a 20x20 box of an apartment surrounded by concrete and tar.

That how capitolism works! We depend on them, therfor we do less for ourselves.

Answer 9

If you have a "Dollar" type store, there are containers of every shape and size imaginable....from a "Rubber maid" container type to a shoe box type, to everything in between....You can use colorful bowls to grow grass seed, or buy small cactus' and make a flat plant arrangement.....you can use plastic or metal pails, the list is endless...Anything that will hold dirt!!!
You probably have to punch a few holes for drainage, and if you buy "Container" types, they come with the lids, so you have a bottom for your planter to catch any excess water.....craft stores, many dollar stores, and Walmart sell "bagged rocks/stones/glass stones" that you can put on the bottom for drainage before adding dirt...you can even use Fish Tank gravel.....Yard/Garage sales, if you find glass bowls, you can "layer" rock, dirt, then plants and make Terrariums.....You can grow "Cherry Tomatoes" in any standard planter pot.....Have Sun?....you can have plants with no back yard!.......Happy Gardening!!!!!

Answer 10

One of the best simple and relatively inexpensive containers I've seen to grow veggies or flowers is an ordinary steel animal watering trough. They are usually 2' x 4' feet with rounded ends; you can get them either one or two feet deep. Fill it with topsoil, add some fertilizer, and you have an instant garden, ready to plant. You can get them at most feed stores, and you can get top soil at a nursery.