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1:14 pm
February 19, 2011
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I have just moved from the country to the city. I had to leave my gardens behind(BooHoo). I am now left with a 8X12 deck. Any ideas for the best tomatoes or what containers work well? Any and all advice would be welcomed!!!!!!! 
10:51 pm
April 2, 2012
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I am loving this idea and can't wait to try it myself:
http://lifeonthebalcony.com/how-to-turn-a-pallet-into-a-garden/
I don't see why it wouldn't work for herbs and veggies too. I would probably leave it laying down if I did veggies though.
I also saw this which I thought was neat…but would cost more for supplies than the pallet garden (for me anyway. I don't have any of the materials for the shoe holder one so I would have to buy everything)
http://thankyourbody.com/how-does-your-garden-grow/
I want to try the pallet garden this year since we live in an apartment with a small patio as well, and I'm wanting to grow tomatoes too, but I don't eat them and my hubby is allergic to raw ones so I just want them for pizza/pasta sauce. I'll probably do some kind of small tomato instead of a full size tomato. I don't think the smaller cherry type need as much space as big tomatoes.
I've also been turning every empty medium to large size plastic/metal container I come across into planters so I won't have to buy pots (and I'm reducing our waste!) And you can always paint and decorate them to make them pretty 
11:39 pm
December 14, 2010
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Bin diving for kitty litter pails is a good source for containers. I am seeing three or four every week.
9:01 am
May 6, 2010
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Check with your local bakery. Their frosting comes in 5 gallon pails and they will usually let you have them. I have gotten some from our local Walmart bakery.
11:04 am
October 15, 2011
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jhsweat, when you go looking for tomato plants, be sure to look for "bush" or "patio" tomatoes, so that you know you've got ones meant for containers. They shouldn't grow too big, though you still might need to rig up some sort of trellises for them to support them. And look for "paste" tomatoes if you can; I grow Romas for cooking and they're great for that because they're a very meaty tomato without a lot of excess water.
1:34 pm
April 1, 2009
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Hello STH, I always plant a couple of tomato plants in huge pots right of of our porch, I use cherry tomato plants, I beleive the variety is called Sweet millions, I do use a stake in the center to support, and the pots are large enough to plant some Basil in with one tomato plant and a jalepeno in the other pot with the tomato as well. Half wiskey barrels are a good option.
The location makes it easy to pick and there is also enough for salad and fresh salsa.
7:49 am
September 1, 2008
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Dont know if this applies but i saw a site on line where they took those pallets and planted in between the slats in a small yard. They claimed it was easier and with few if now weeds to contend with.
9:22 am
December 28, 2011
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Yeah, I grew huge tomatoes (bush style) in 5 gallon buckets with a tomato cage over them when I lived in a condo. One year I got enough cherry tomatoes to can! Only 4 jars, but I was impressed with myself!
Basil and lettuces and such will grow in flower boxes (the normal size that hang on the side of a deck). The basil will get *really* tall, but then you can make basil, tomato mozzarella salads and feel like a real farmer eating from your own garden!
I also grew peas in flower boxes, and one year I even grew cucumbers in about a 4 gallon pot, and just let them trail all over the porch. Good luck!
12:07 pm
April 18, 2012
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Awww KSCityGardener, sorry you had to leave the country! I have to tell you some of my fave tomatoes that are just awesome and super duper producers…
Pear tomato- Pear shaped, 4 inch long, red tomato. great for sauces or fresh or cooking. This plant goes crazy nuts. Last year I had tomatoes well into late November here in NC.
Sungold- Small orange colored cherry tomato. Prolific tomatoes, sorta sweet, very pretty. My favorite!
Matt's wild cherry- These are small tomatoes but the plant goes wild. If you like eating them fresh off the stem, these will reward you daily!
I was making fresh tomato tarts every week in the summer with these going. I had them in grow boxes with Sungold and matt's cherry in one box together although they probably would have done better with their own grow boxes. The pear tomato was in its own box and it took it over. It then proceeded to spread out to a 4 foot spread. I was coming up with all sorts of strange staking methods but it was fruiting like crazy! I also did black krim and purple cherokee in a grow box and they did well. Probably had like 40 tomatoes from each plant but nothing like the cherry tomatoes and the pear tomato… I was getting a large bowl full of them a week!
I was in the process of moving last year so I didn't think to retain seeds for planting because I didn't know if I would have access to land or not… so this year I looked on etsy in the plants and garden section and found some seeds for the varieties I mentioned for a good price. I planted them last week and they are all coming up now!
As for other containers other than tomatoes, I like to use those strawberry planters and mix them up with herbs and strawberries. I love using scented geraniums and mints in containers, then drying the plants in the fall once they die. Some coleus is pretty too if you have the right light for it.
12:11 pm
April 18, 2012
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Oh and if you can find any, get some globe basil. It grows well in a pot and gets about 4 ft tall. There is a green variety and a green/white variety. It doesn't go to flower and stop producing leaves like normal basil so it is awesome for basil leaves all the time during the warm months!
Once cold weather sets in I normally (didn't last year though) take small cuttings of anything that is an annual and bring them inside to root. Then once they are rooted, keep them in a small pot by the window. I have done this with coleus, basil and tomatoes. It gives you a head start on summer planting and not having to deal with seeding and such. Plus if you then make cuttings of your potted plants in spring, you can root them and give them to friends!
10:22 pm
March 9, 2010
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I am trying container gardening for the first time this year. I found a great website that gives instructions with 5 gallon buckets – http://www.globalbuckets.org/. I planted my tomatoes about 6 weeks ago, and I have one tomato the size of a large egg, and several marble to golf ball size. I planted one cherry tomato and two big boy tomatoes. I can't wait to have my first tomato! You can see the plants and my version of the bucket system at http://mylifeinpodunk.blogspot.com/2012/04/tomatoes-global-bucket-style.html
Good luck with your container garden!
1:03 pm
September 2, 2008
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It's getting a little too hot down south, but lettuces do very well in pots. Also herbs are better in pots. Try whatever you like, it won't cost much and you never know what will and what won't work for you until you try! Good luck!
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