I want to start growing, help please!

[Amatullah0]

Ok, so, I just got through my house cleaning crisis(its finally clean!), and would love to start growing!

But, what should I grow, and how should I grow it?

I live in an apartment, 2nd floor. We have a balcony with a door wall, but the only other windows are our bedroom windows. I wish we had a window in the kitchen

I think it would be nice to grow things that we would actually find useful or are aromatic. - lavender, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, ginger, radish, cilantro, mint, others?

But, I'm just getting set in this "taking care of the house" thing. We don't have a lot of money to start a garden either, and we'd have to buy pots and dirt, etc.

I don't really know much about plants though, so I dont know what might be best to plant. I'd like to start with a herb garden, and perhaps some ginger, but I dont really know where to start!

I'd also like to put some tomato plants outside, but when can I do that? its still cold here. I live around ann arbor. can I start tomatoes indoors?

could someone direct me to a good site for beginners?

[WorldsBestMom]

Well I don't have much advice but I can give you a few words of encouragement. Growing your own produce is a really great way lessening your expenses, at least you know where your food is coming from and it is grown by you in a natural way. or a green thumb up.

[AlwaysByMySide]

You can try wintersowing with minimal "equipment" - a couple of 2-liter bottles or milk jugs (I raid the recyling center on a weekly basis for these things, along with newspaper to make newspaper pots). A big bag of potting mix can be had for $3.50 in my area (Tractor Supply is running 2 bags of Miracle Grow for $7)...you don't have to use anything fancy when you are wintersowing, just don't use Hyponex, unless you are planning on 'growing' bricks.

The website for it is wintersown.org, and the whole process is explained there. They'll even send you a bunch of seeds to try it with for the cost of an SASE. (I got freebies of hot pepper seeds and butternut squash in my envelope, along with six different types of tomatoes to try.) I wouldn't put tomatoes out yet even in my area (mine will go out around Valentine's Day), but you can certainly winter sow them in a few weeks. Make sure to choose ones with a short season (low DTM), because I'm guessing that most of Michigan is at least zone 6. You'll probably also want to go with a determinate type, since you're growing on a balcony.

You definitely could start them under lights, but that would require the cost of a light (I bought a shop light at Wal-mart - I believe it was under $10). The ones I'm doing under lights, I use egg cartons to start with, put a hole in the bottom of each "cup", fill with potting mix (I don't start with special seedling mix), and put in one tomato seed per cup. Cover with plastic wrap and get it RIGHT under the lights - like within an inch or two. I do 12 hours on and 12 hours off, and move the lights up as the plants grow, and move to larger 'pots' as they grow as well. You'll probably get lots of different answers for this. You can also sprout your herbs and other stuff the same way.

I don't know that a balcony would get enough full sun (or space) to grow things like blueberries and raspberries, and depending on the size of the balcony, you probably don't have the space to grow grapes. Strawberries can be grown from a hanging basket.

Remember that you don't need expensive pots to grow stuff in! I've got herbs in my window that I never got around to potting in "real" pots, that are perfectly happy in styrofoam cups, plastic SOLO cups, and a couple of old yogurt tubs. And my DIY self-watering containers are buckets that I got for free from the grocery store's bakery department...they get their frosting in 3 and 5 gallon buckets, and I ask whenever I'm there if they have any. They also tell me when they are doing a blitz for a holiday and I leave my number for them to call when they are ready for me to come get them. (I got 10 at once a couple of weeks before Christmas). Just google "self watering container" for more info about that. You can also use the buckets just as pots, and don't have to make them into SWCs.

You might also want to see if there are any community gardens in your area that rent space, so that you can grow bigger things.

[Amatullah0]

Originally Posted by AlwaysByMySide

You definitely could start them under lights, but that would require the cost of a light (I bought a shop light at Wal-mart - I believe it was under $10). The ones I'm doing under lights, I use egg cartons to start with, put a hole in the bottom of each "cup", fill with potting mix (I don't start with special seedling mix), and put in one tomato seed per cup. Cover with plastic wrap and get it RIGHT under the lights - like within an inch or two. I do 12 hours on and 12 hours off, and move the lights up as the plants grow, and move to larger 'pots' as they grow as well. You'll probably get lots of different answers for this. You can also sprout your herbs and other stuff the same way.

can it be any old light bulb? or is there dome sort of special light?

Originally Posted by AlwaysByMySide

I don't know that a balcony would get enough full sun (or space) to grow things like blueberries and raspberries, and depending on the size of the balcony, you probably don't have the space to grow grapes. Strawberries can be grown from a hanging basket.

actually, i don't think our balcony gets much sun at all! in the summer, theres probably only a few hours of direct sunlight

[AlwaysByMySide]

Originally Posted by Amatullah0

can it be any old light bulb? or is there dome sort of special light?

Mine is a generic fluorescent shop light - it's got a metal housing and two fluorescent tubes in it. When they burn out, I've seen it recommended to get one "hot" bulb and one "cool" one, and to be honest, I have no idea what that means, but I'll look for it when the bulbs burn out! It worked great for me last year, and I've got sprouts going under it right now. Looks kind of like this - http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053 - but mine is only 2 feet long. I got mine from Wal-mart, and they are right in the hardware department by the fluorescent bulbs. I'm sure any old fluorescent light will do.

actually, i don't think our balcony gets much sun at all! in the summer, theres probably only a few hours of direct sunlight

Most veggies and fruits need full sun to grow properly. I think your best bet is going to be to find a community garden that rents out plots. (For instance, we have one in our area that I came very close to using last year, but I moved in the middle of the season, that was something like $20 for a 4'x8' plot for an entire year. Obviously, the pricing could be drastically different in your area, but it's something to look around for if you want to grow some of the things you mentioned.)

You could probably do small containers of herbs with just a few hours of full sun, but I wouldn't attempt to grow tomatoes without full sun for most of the day. (And those herbs, just go to any store that sells seeds, get a pack for a dollar or two, and go to town. )

[bluebirdiemama]

I would advise growing lemon balm, because it is really easy, high yeilding, and very useful. you can use it in your cooking, or as medicine. its great for kids with any kind of cold, make into tea and mix 1/2 and 1/2 with applejuice. good for immune system, helps bring fever down, and it's always helped my lo be up and jumping again way fast.

also! it spreads so you can replant the babies and give to ppl you know with kids, trade, sell, etc

easy to clip, dry, save

[Amatullah0]

Originally Posted by bluebirdiemama

I would advise growing lemon balm, because it is really easy, high yeilding, and very useful. you can use it in your cooking, or as medicine. its great for kids with any kind of cold, make into tea and mix 1/2 and 1/2 with applejuice. good for immune system, helps bring fever down, and it's always helped my lo be up and jumping again way fast.

also! it spreads so you can replant the babies and give to ppl you know with kids, trade, sell, etc

easy to clip, dry, save

thanks!

I've been looking into it, and i'm thinking about planting corriander(cilantro?) too. we use it in a LOT of dishes!

any other ideas?