Hi! Im new here!

[urban dreamer]

I found out the barrels were used to store soap for a car wash. My FIL and a buddy got them to build a boat with . Now they are just pilled up in the backyard. I know the halves have been successfully used to grow tomatoes in the past. I have two of them holding cedar chips and poo from the chicken coop. Someone told me not to compost the cedar chips for a garden because of the oils in the wood.

Im kinda scared of the potatos. When I pulled the two with big roots out from under the table, a BIG waterbug came out with them and up my arm. I hate waterbugs with a passion. He's dead now, So I feel better.

 

[Farmfresh]

I am a little late to the party, but welcome to Sufficient Self.

I started out much as you living in townhouses and growing tomatoes in the 4 feet beside the apartment building. Today I still live in the city but pretty much grow all of our fruit, veggies, and poultry that we eat.

I have 14 half barrels that I use in my backyard for growing things. I drilled about 3 or 4 holes a couple of inches up the side of the barrel for drainage (no holes in the bottom), filled them with large gravel to a point just past the holes and then good rich compost. I grow LOTS of different crops in mine. My hubby grew a salsa garden in three of them last year - hot peppers, onions, cilantro and tomatoes. I also grew squash, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce, beans, carrots, celery, and herbs in them.

Gardening in the city is all about keeping it beautiful and being creative. Heck my neighbor even grew sweet corn as an ornamental street planting!

 

[ToLiveToLaugh]

Urban, I just wanted to pipe in: you're not alone! I'm also 21, and also whiling away my college days learning to cook and garden. And I have a long term boyfriend, who would probably be a fiance or even a dh, except that my parents are very "modern" type people Not that I blame them, but my mom worked so hard as part of them women's rights movement that she feels like me getting married young is somehow a failure on her part. Aaaaaaanyway.

For gardening in small spaces, I would encourage you to think vertically! Lots of things can grow on trellises or down from pots, you would be amazed! Also, welcome to SS! What are you studying, out of curiosity?

 

[urban dreamer]

Urban, I just wanted to pipe in: you're not alone! I'm also 21, and also whiling away my college days learning to cook and garden. And I have a long term boyfriend, who would probably be a fiance or even a dh, except that my parents are very "modern" type people Not that I blame them, but my mom worked so hard as part of them women's rights movement that she feels like me getting married young is somehow a failure on her part. Aaaaaaanyway.

For gardening in small spaces, I would encourage you to think vertically! Lots of things can grow on trellises or down from pots, you would be amazed! Also, welcome to SS! What are you studying, out of curiosity?

Im 15-20 something credits away from getting my Asso. in Applied Science in Bussiness Tech. I work at the college I go to so everything (except books) is free . My parents don't care what I do, so after I turned 18 I moved out with and in with Zach. Been together since we were 14 .

I didn't get a chance to rearrange barrels yesterday but I did use the rain water in one of them to water the garden (which isn't doing so well. transplant shock). And I spoiled the chickens with a bag of expensive salad greens that was on discount for 99 cents. Im thinking I gonna have to pull some of the dying and dead plants and try again. This is my first garden. mabey where the squashes died I'll put a couple of banana pepers. Some of the others (mostly tomatoes and cuc's) are doing good.

 

[Farmfresh]

It is definitely NOT for everyone and you MUST be very careful with young love.


That said I have been with my hubby since I was 15! Married at 17, three kids and celebrating our 29th (!!! ) anniversary on the 17 of this month.

 

[urban dreamer]

It is definitely NOT for everyone and you MUST be very careful with young love.


That said I have been with my hubby since I was 15! Married at 17, three kids and celebrating our 29th (!!! ) anniversary on the 17 of this month.

Wow! 29?
My mother had me when she was 15! So I learned early on to be patient with family and marriage. (I need to clarify that me and Zach are not married YET. We have been engaged for a year now, and because we have been together since 14 everyone around us referrs to us as married. (easier that way I guess) We share a bank account, transportation, living quarters, ect. just like if we were married)

Me and Zach still live with his mother becuase neither one of us is ready to fully "fly the coop". We both still have some things to learn and some more growing up to do (and get "offically" married in October). And I wanna wait until we are both out of college. Our SUV will be paid off by May and we are planning on useing the money we would normally use for the car payment to start paying off his student loans. Its wouldn't change our current budget, the money would just be going somewhere eles. If we keep on it, his loans will be paid off by December. I don not want to move out on my own with debt of any kind! Im glad I didn't have to take any loans.

 

[ToLiveToLaugh]

Not having to take school loans has been one of the biggest blessings of my life. Thank goodness for the kindheartedness that motivates people to creates scholarships.

How long has it been since you transplanted? If you don't open up rootballs enough when they're very grown in on themselves, they don't branch out once you plant. Could be a problem. I did that once.... Had to dig them up, open the root ball, then plant again. Most ended up making it though, if I remember right.

 

[urban dreamer]

Not having to take school loans has been one of the biggest blessings of my life. Thank goodness for the kindheartedness that motivates people to creates scholarships.

How long has it been since you transplanted? If you don't open up rootballs enough when they're very grown in on themselves, they don't branch out once you plant. Could be a problem. I did that once.... Had to dig them up, open the root ball, then plant again. Most ended up making it though, if I remember right.

I didn't know you had to open the root ball, I thought that would hurt the plants? Its been a almost a week.

 

[ToLiveToLaugh]

You don't wanna tear the roots, but spread them slightly. A thumb in the bottom usually does the trick. You can see videos online. It's only a problem if they're grown in on themselves. And that only happens if they were left a while.

 

[warthog]

I am a little late to the party, but welcome to Sufficient Self.

I started out much as you living in townhouses and growing tomatoes in the 4 feet beside the apartment building. Today I still live in the city but pretty much grow all of our fruit, veggies, and poultry that we eat.

I have 14 half barrels that I use in my backyard for growing things. I drilled about 3 or 4 holes a couple of inches up the side of the barrel for drainage (no holes in the bottom), filled them with large gravel to a point just past the holes and then good rich compost. I grow LOTS of different crops in mine. My hubby grew a salsa garden in three of them last year - hot peppers, onions, cilantro and tomatoes. I also grew squash, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce, beans, carrots, celery, and herbs in them.
http://www.ubuilderplans.com/img/Gasoline Gardens/BeanNcarrotsa.JPGhttp://www.ubuilderplans.com/img/Gasoline Gardens/containers/saladPota.JPG
Gardening in the city is all about keeping it beautiful and being creative. Heck my neighbor even grew sweet corn as an ornamental street planting!
http://www.ubuilderplans.com/img/Gasoline Gardens/urban corn/urban corna.JPG

Why no holes in the bottom, only the sides?

Just curious, I have always put holes in the bottom, I suppose because when you buy pots that's where they usually are, but if holes in the sides work better, then that's for me.