Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Since you are a renter, I would consider doing at least some container gardening. There are some things - corn, pole beans, and the tall varieties of peas - which would probably do better in the ground but lettuce, spinach, bush beans, tomatoes, etc. will do fine in containers. It will cut down on the work and possible expense of working up a lot of ground and you will have fewer weeds.
There are some things to remember, though, if you do containers, such as they do dry out quicker than an in-ground garden so you would have to pay closer attention to your watering. A layer of mulch will cut down some on the watering requirements.
And, being a renter, if you want to plant some perennials, such as blueberries, if they are in containers, you can take them with you when or if you move.
Even though I have five acres, most of it is on a hillside and the ground is difficult to work. I am doing some terracing for my fruit trees, etc. and will eventually have a decent garden spot where I can plant in the ground but in the meantime I have been planting a lot in containers.
There is the expense of buying soil for the containers but I save a lot by buying my containers at Goodwill. I get those large storage tubs for around $3.99 (sometimes less, depending on the size), I drill holes in the bottoms and fill. Since I have animals (goats, chickens, and ducks), I can also use the composted material from the goat house and chicken coop as partial fill.
I just got a book from Goodwill called "Small World Vegetable Gardening: Growing Your Own in Limited Spaces." I haven't taken the time yet to take a real close look at it but it looks like it could be specific to someone like you. So, if you come across it, you might want to check it out - you could look for it on-line, most likely finding it used for just a couple of bucks.
The container gardening has my interest - I think that may be a better route for a first time gardener (that's a renter) than having to build my box, etc.
Cinebar - do you by any chance have a picture to show what your containers look like, so I can get an idea?
No, sorry, no pictures. But they're just your basic Rubbermaid-like storage containers, minus the lids usually. They come in a wide variety of colors and sizes; I've also gotten some of the round tubs, which I think a lot of people like to use for kids' toys.
I have a big one in my house right now with chicks in it and I just went and looked at it and it is the Rubbermaid brand, called a "Roughneck." You could probably google it and see what I'm talking about.
If you want them all in one color for uniformity, you might have to buy new but that should still be cheaper than buying containers that are specifically marked for "container gardening." Since I don't care about the colors (I have a rainbow garden!), and cheap works for me, I get all of mine at Goodwill.
Usually, by the time I get them at Goodwill, the lids are missing but that's ok - I don't need the lids.
There are also other generic brand name containers, too, but they all do the same job.
Perfect, thank you! I believe we have both Salvation Army and Goodwill here, so I can check those first for containers.
I have been so busy lately that I haven't even had a chance to continue my research with all these websites, etc... but I will need to get on the ball soon if I want to be prepared when it's time to plant!
If I use containers, do you think it's still important to protect against the bunnies and groundhogs? Or are the tall enough where you don't have to worry?
We don't have groundhogs here, so I'm not sure how tall they can stand. As for the bunnies, it probably wouldn't hurt, if you have a large population of them, to take measures to protect your plants. It's not bunnies that I have to worry about here - it's my own goats.
What I like to do (and I don't know if this would be practical for you) is to set my containers on pallets (picked up for free from my feed store). This ensures good drainage and raises the tubs up a little higher, as well, which might help with the bunny issue. Of course, if you have all your containers on pallets, it would probably be pretty easy to enclose it/them with a simple bunny-proof fence.
Start small this year, a little of this, a little of that. Next year make the garden a little bit bigger. This way you won't become overwhelmed. Gardening is wonderful, but it can get out of hand very quickly. I've seen too many folks go into it gungho, only to get frustrated! Good luck. Try to read up on companion planting.
That's what I'm doing..starting small. I have made a 6x6' raised bed which I will divide into a 2' grid. I'll go for a few basics and see how it goes. Next year I'll put in a second one if I feel I can handle it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
