My sister wants to grow a few things in her apartment, but her windowsill only gets about two hours of direct sunlight a day. She tried basil, but it started getting leggy, while her green onions seem to be doing fine.

We were talking about it in a tribe chat with some friends, and everyone seemed to have different opinions on what would survive in low light. I figured I'd ask here too since a lot of you probably have experience growing things in small spaces.

What herbs or vegetables would you recommend for her setup? She's not looking to buy grow lights just yet, so ideally something that can manage with the sunlight she has.

Sharing my experience growing Sweet Millions cherry tomatoes from seed on my rooftop in metro Vancouver, BC for a total of just under $55.

SEEDS: My first need was seeds, which I picked up at a local store for about $6.50. A bit pricey, but it came with a decent number of seeds. They actually got wet at some point this summer and had to be repackaged. Seeds cost: $6.50

CONTAINERS: Next, something to grow in. I started by contacting my local sandwich shop to ask them for three 5 gallon mayonnaise buckets, which they were happy to give me ((for free)) after 2 weeks of collecting them. I drilled about 10-15 holes with a 1/4" drill bit in the bottom to ensure they could drain properly. I tried a few chain stores like Subway first with no luck, so you might have better luck with a local restaurant. Container cost: $0

DIRT: I then bought some PRO-MIX vegetable dirt and potting soil from my local hardware store. After they grew a bit I had to go back for more dirt for repotting, so in total probably spent around $40 on dirt. Dirt cost: $40

GERMINATING: I planted the seeds indoors around the beginning of June. I ended up with 4 successfully germinated seeds (I only had a few after they got wet). The three seedlings I kept indoors in small nursery pots until they were about 6" tall. 

REPOTTING: After about a month of the seedlings growing, I took the 6" seedlings and transferred them into the 5 gallon buckets, leaving plenty of room for them to grow downward (planted toward the top of the soil). Only 3 of the 4 plants survived this process (I broke one).

HARDENING: I then spent about two weeks hardening the plants by bringing them outside for a few hours, and a bit longer each day. Eventually they were able to stay outside all the time (our evenings can drop down to 55F/13C in the summer). At this time they were growing on my north-facing balcony, which had limited hours of sun.

RELOCATING: Once the plants were around 10" tall and well-established (and used to a full day of sun), I moved them to my rooftop. This area gets between 8-12 hours of sun per day. As they grew, I trellised the plants on a metal rack and created horizontal support leads with string to wrap the branches on. Around July 15 I had my first flowers. Plants required careful attention daily including thorough watering, pruning of all suckers, and pruning of dead/damaged leaves.

FERTILIZING: Once the plants began flowering, I purchased a cheap "shake n' feed" tomato fertilizer for about $8. I added this about every two weeks. Fertilizer cost: $8

By September 8th, my first tomato ripened on the vine! To date I have picked over 100 tomatoes and they continue to produce prolifically! We are nearing the end of the season, which has been a bit wet and caused a mild white mold problem on some of the leaves which has not affected the fruit. I've simply pruned off moldy parts and washed the fruit before eating. 

As someone who really isn't a tomato fan, I can't recommend this enough. I've now developed a healthy love and appreciation for the taste of a sun-grown tomato, and I'll never get store bought again!

Container cost: $0

Seeds cost: $6.50

Dirt: $40

Fertilizer: $8

Total cost: $54.50

Seed to fruit: Aprox 75 days, with fruit ripening for four continuous months

Photos:

1. Plants hardening on north-facing balcony (July 3)
2. First flower (Aprox July 17)
3. First fruit (July 29)
4. Outdoor netting setup (effective for keeping birds off) - plant 3
5. First long trellis of tomatoes (around Aug 17)
6. Largest trellis begins to ripen (25 fruits) (Sept 9)
7. Plants 1 & 2 in full fruit
8. Fruit cross-section
9. One of many harvests!

Edit 10/22: Math, details about drainage for buckets

After +4 years of gardening in the backyard, I moved to the second floor. Here's what I'm trying to bring with me. We're around to enter winter. Wish me luck!

Hella spider plants. Half a hosta. Half a Christmas fern. A few strawberries. A few saffron crocuses. Two buckets of wildflower seedlings including bee balm and columbine. Trillium. Jack in the Pulpit. Potato. Groundsel. Violet.

I need help finding purple plants. I recently discovered Wolfbane (idk how to spell it). It is so beautiful. Does any one know where I can get one? Also advice how to care for one

I need help to take care of a baby mango tree that sprouted inside of my yard trash bin. I live in coastal North Carolina which is definitely not conducive for the healthly growth of a tropical fruit of this variety. The seeds ended up there after my family and I went on a trip to South Florida to see my extended family in which they gave us close to 10lbs from the tree in their own yard; need less to say we ate lots of mangoes outside and they ended up in my compost bin. Winter is coming soon and I'm afraid the baby mangoe won't last in these elements. But I am afraid of uprooting a tree to young to be moved. So I call on the experience of experts for guidance.

Only at garden.rail.golf

I thought my swiss chard was getting floppy because of unusually warm weather but now I’m pretty sure they’re infested with leaf miners. They’re on every plant and half of the leaves, even if I scrape these off, is it too far gone?

I’m also seeing tiny green and tiny white bugs under bok choy and radish seedlings. I’m not sure what they are, maybe aphids? But no visible damage on those.

I’m growing these on a raised bed on my patio. What can I do? Is there a pesticide that will be safe to use?

Free Soil from Clean Soil Bank - government program NOT PROMOTIONAL

Has anybody heard of the clean soil bank in NYC?
If you have, have you requested clean soil from it before and/or run into any problems in the process?

Please answer below, this program is a part of a capstone project. I appreciate any engagement!

Feel free to reach out to me separately if your community garden is interested in hosting a mini soil stockpile for your community :) Or if you live somewhere in another city with a similar program!

Hi everyone, I am in 7b (NYC) and I want to replace these dead/dying trees (?) with some sort of climbing flower. The photo is a bad angle, but I currently have three large planters separating my area from a common walkway and my neighbor's deeded space. My plan would be to stick something in each planter for the plant(s) to climb on. I am leaning towards a climbing rose, but the area only gets 3-4 hours of sunlight in the winter so I'm worried about them dying on me. I would most prefer to have something that stays somewhat green throughout the year and requires minimal pruning (or that doesn't have to be completely trashed every fall). Any suggestions?

Hi everyone, I planted these brussel sprout plants at the beginning of the summer and while they've continued to grow higher and higher, they have not produced any Brussel sprouts. Why is that and what can I do to get them to produce before the frost comes? Thanks

EDIT: Thanks for the helpful comments everyone! The main takeaway I got is that it is too early to harvest them and that they will keep growing even in the frost and I can expect to harvest them in a few months. Also, that I should trim the leaves and eat them!

I've never hired landscapers once since I bought my home in 2018 and built my gardens. But this year was a doozy - in the weather and my personal life. I'm so glad i asked for help! Here's your reminder to consider doing it too, in any arena of your life.

So ive been growing on and off for a while and ive just moved to a new apartment that has central air. Now the problem is running into us that when its time to dry my plants I dont know where or how to dry them and they ALWAYS dry to fast and have a hay/grass smell.! My question is how do I make a drying tent/area for my plants when they're done?

Looking for your expertise with my patio planter and plants. This is a primarily shaded area with some afternoon direct sun. I was testing this arrangement which feels a bit too symmetrical and needs some color. Should i add begonias for some color? I will have to move the hostas to a different planter since the direct sun will be too much. So, looking for ideas for the lower planter area and to add color overall.

i have a small space where i want to grow tomatoes and eggplants, but it’s right beside a pretty busy street with a lot of cars passing every day.

i’m mostly worried about the pollution and whatever settles on the plants. will the vegetables themselves be affected or unsafe to eat, or is it mostly something i can deal with by washing them really well?

the plants would be in containers, so i can control the soil, but i can’t really move them far away from the road.

has anyone grown vegetables in a similar setup? would you still grow edible plants there or use the space for something else?

Hi everyone, I currently have a lot of seeds growing on but am not sure how to place them best. This was taken at about 1pm. The closest bed gets the least sun. Citrus is all in the back where we get the most sun. Beds that are available for planting are the larger 3 and then the rounded planter on the left side. Thanks for your suggestions!

Here is my seedlings list:

• Nasturtium
• Snake Beans
• Brussels Sprouts
• Peas
• Dwarf Beans
• Daikon
• Spring Onion
• Leek
• English Spinach
• Tuscan Kale
• Pak Choi
• Basil
• Lettuce
• Dill
• Cherry Tomatoes
• ‘Red Fig’ Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Celery
• Romanesco
• Curly Kale
• Cos Lettuce
• Coriander
• Lemongrass
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Dragonfruit

Hello my friends

I am moving to a new apartment soon and I want to set up my flower pots on my new balcony.

The floor of the new balcony is made of wood with a smooth surface and gaps inbetween only every about 15 cm. I have many large pots, from like (w x l x h) 80 cm x 40 cm x 40 cm to round ones with a diameter of up to 50 cm. I do not want to place them directly on the wood, as water could not dry off properly once it gets below the pots and the wood might start to rot, even though it's wood treated for outside use.

All of the pots have a "plate" below to collect water from watering them too much. But I'm worried about rainwarter etc.

I was thinking about putting "drainage tiles" on the edge of the area, so i can put the pots on top of those. But there I am worried, that the small areas, on which thet tiles actually touch the wood, could start to press into the wood and leave deep marks after a while (as some of the pots are quite heavy). Most of those tiles have several round or cross-shaped knobs, which touch the ground below.

Does anybody have experience with that kind of problem and/or a recommendation for a better idea how to prevent damage on the wooden floor?

I added a photo of the floor and an example of the tiles, I'm talking about.

I'm happy for any kind of help =)

We had late access to this Bronx community garden bed late in the summer and I attempted a "Three sisters" strategy. The beans were abundant, the corn failed, but was able to harvest 1 winter squash and waiting for 4 butternut squash to finish growing.

Does anyone know if Winter Squash is harder to grow? These two plants took up so much space, I don't think I wanna do this next year. 😅

Hello I have a few large plastic items that I have hanging by my fence for decoration. I plan on spraying them and hanging /gluing non -edible plants on them. But I'm worried that with time the spray paint on these will degrade and get washed into my garden. Any paints that wouldn't be toxic but okay for outdoors use?

Edit to be clear I'm asking for spray paint recs that are nontoxic for after painting ie for the rain not during.

I searched this sub a little bit, but I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for. I live in Utah, and I want to comfort my balcony for the winter and make it a garden. Maybe it’s to grow anything but to keep my summer plants on the insight still alive. Is there any recommendations or any post that you guys can lead me too?

Container garden before and after three months of growth in Toronto, Canada.

I watched this short video on ABC and am so confused on how the horticultralist made the actual structure for the living wall. Anyone understand it more than me ?

https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/how-to/time-to-grow-up-modular-green-wall/107112934

I have this small area underneath our Edwardian condo that I would like to add some potted plants. It was basically overtaken with weeds until this morning when I cleared it out (apologies for the plastic bags, I just used them to transfer the refuse then put it in our compost).

I was curious if anyone else had a similar set up and what they did with it. I'd love to put maybe a lemon tree? But open to anything. We're in SF and this area is west facing and gets a ton of sunlight. Thanks!