Commandeered: Overcoming obstacles to growing your own vegetables and herbs

These notes are meant to compliment a presentation at the 2011 Boston Skillshare entitled No Space? No Cash? No Problem! Overcoming Obstacles To Growing Your Own Vegetables and Herbs.

When getting started with your first gardening project, think about it like a newspaper story. Be sure to figure out the who, what, when, where, why and how.

Who can help you?
What are you planting?
When will you start?
Where will you plant? Community plot, porch, sunny window, driveway?
Why? (this is an easy one)
How? Will you use grow lights indoors, vertical trellising on the side of your building or hanging containers on your porch?

Hot tips:
- Wash your containers before using or reusing. There could be diseases, bacteria, etc. lingering in there.
- Get your soil tested!!!! (UMASS Amherst)
- Learn about common pests, diseases
- Store seeds in the freezer
- Plants have different needs - know what your plants like best in terms of soil, light, etc. For example lavender like sandier soil and less water than a basil plant so your probably don't want to plant them together.
- Clean your tools. It's good for the tools and for preventing the spread of disease, pests, etc.
- Potted plants need fertilizer, especially perennials. Find out what your plants like best. A little side dressing of compost or worm castings (worm poop) usually goes a long way.
- Mulch is your friend. It helps keep soil moist and prevents weeds. You can use newspaper (no magazines please) or shredded leaves, among other things.
- While not absolutely necessary, planning, labeling plants, and tracking the success of your plantings is highly recommended.

More fun stuff

Acquire this book: The Urban Homestead by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen

Make your own self-watering containers

Landless Gardening: Use a potato sack and put it anywhere! Make it yourself or buy a kit from Landless Gardening with everything you need for $20.

Living Wall
Living walls can be a great way to grow a lot in a small space inside or outside.

The Boston Gardener in Dudley Square carries the pumps, filters, and growing medium you need to build your own irrigated system. See a demo in this video:

Wallypockets are pre-made plant bags that you can mount on the wall and water like you would any potted plants.

Get a head start on the season with winter sowing. This involves making a tiny greenhouse so you can sow seeds outdoors in the late winter. Use milk jugs, takeout containers, and even clear plastic bags. More at WinterSown.org