{"id":14058,"date":"2012-01-05T15:50:01","date_gmt":"2012-01-05T21:50:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sustainablog.org\/?p=14058"},"modified":"2012-01-05T15:50:01","modified_gmt":"2012-01-05T21:50:01","slug":"new-years-resolution-container-gardenin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/new-years-resolution-container-gardenin\/","title":{"rendered":"This Year, I Garden (even if it IS only in a jar)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"container<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year I have a 2012 goal.\u00a0 2012 is the year I stare down my teeny-tiny city suburban apartment, my lawn of pavement and I say “Take that! I WILL garden<\/a> if it’s the last thing I do.”\u00a0 Dramatic, maybe.\u00a0 Realistic, probably.\u00a0 I grew up with a garden.\u00a0 A really, really big garden. A garden my mom lovingly (and probably begrudgingly too, let’s be honest here) tended summer after summer.\u00a0 I raided sugar snap peas like a bandit and ate hot buttered corn like candy.\u00a0 I also just knew that when I grew up, I’d have a garden.<\/p>\n

And then I hit college life, where apartment life was all I could afford.\u00a0 And then I decided I should move south, move big, move to the city.\u00a0 And here, in the midst of suburbia and condominiums and apartment dwellers, real people with real gardens became a distant, fuzzy, nostalgic memory.<\/p>\n

But, just recently, it hit me.\u00a0 I don’t need<\/em> the biggest garden. Heck, I don’t even need a big garden, or even a tiny garden.\u00a0 I can, rather, be growing all kinds of amazing things within the happy confines of my apartment. Herbs!\u00a0 Lettuce!\u00a0 Tomatoes! Etc.! Etc.! Etc.!\u00a0 And, why am I not growing any of these at all, I wondered?\u00a0 I have no idea!\u00a0 But let me tell you what, in 2012, I’m going to grow the heck out of container gardens<\/a>. And, in the thought that maybe I’m not the only one who hasn’t yet explored the depths of indoor gardening, I’m compiling some words of wisdom I’ve tracked down, along with a few of my ideas and sources of inspiration to share with you as well. 2012, apartment-condominium-dwellers, let’s do this!<\/p>\n

Garden Bowls
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I’m a salad adorer.\u00a0 So, of course, “Salad Bowl” gardening is at the top of the list.\u00a0 This idea involves taking a deep bowl\/pot\/etc. and planting together all your favorite salad ingredients. I’m thinking something along the lines of: spinach and lettuces (butter lettuce, endive, romaine), red and green bell peppers, chives, tomatoes, dill and cucumbers. I also want a “Sprout Jar” or four or five.\u00a0 These will have to include alfalfa, bean, lentil, pumpkin, radish, sunflower and wheat.\u00a0 I’d like a Mexican Salsa dish with tomatoes, onions, cilantro and hot green chiles.\u00a0 And, because why not, I’m going to grow myself a pizza garden complete with cherry tomatoes, basil, peppers, oregano, rosemary, green onions and fennel.<\/p>\n

Feeding My Obsession<\/h3>\n

Fruit!\u00a0 I’m obsessed with fruit.\u00a0 And, did you know that citrus fruits including tangerines, lemons and limes thrive in containers?\u00a0 And, what\u2019s even more: fig trees do too!\u00a0 In fact, they prefer being root bound!\u00a0 Figs!\u00a0 My favorite food ever!\u00a0 I’ll be planting some fruit trees asap.\u00a0 (Granted, I live in California, you may need to check your zones on this one…)<\/p>\n

Words of Wisdom from those With Greener Thumbs than I<\/h3>\n

Having just admitted to never having gardened indoors on my own, I don’t expect you to trust me all that much, but here are a few things I’ve taken note of.<\/p>\n

Watering<\/em><\/p>\n

This is what they call “The Test.”\u00a0\u00a0 Stick your thumb into the top layer of your potting soil, approximately 1-2″ deep. If the soil is moist, don’t water. If the soil is dry, water! Pour water into the drip tray, not the top. This allows the roots to pull the water up. Wait an hour, repeat. Try the test the following day. *Side note: if you plan on using tap water, it might be filled with too much chlorine and\/or salt.\u00a0 Using filtered or distilled will be provide healthier, happier plants. If you live in a rainy area, collect rainwater to use.<\/p>\n

Lighting<\/em><\/p>\n

Of course, not all plants are alike, but in general, a good rule of thumb to follow is 14 hours sunlight to 10 hours of darkness. If you notice limp, wilty plants, something in the lighting is probably off, move it around to see where you get the best results.<\/p>\n

Feeding<\/em><\/p>\n

If you notice that your plants are:<\/p>\n