Need advice on growing FOOD without a yard!

If I had plenty of spending money, I wouldn’t need to ask this question. But since I can’t go out and buy lots of equipment, I thought I’d ask.

I do have a flower garden but I have everything from deer to groundhogs and I have only a 6x6 critter protected area, which is full of tomatoes.

Can anyone recommend ways to get lots of bang from that small area? Or maybe you can link me to a source.

And I’m in zone 5. Can anyone recommend ways to accomplish edibles in the house over the winter? Herbs count. Veggies would be a blessing!

New questions:

It's not so much about the containers (although you've given me some new scavenging ideas!) as it is about the yield. When I got my 6x6x6 critter proofing "cage", I also got some containers to fill it up. I'm just not getting enough FOOD out of the effort! Which brings me to my new questions:

Square foot gardening.
I've watched all 3 of Mel Bartholomew's video tapes about it, and perused some books. There's lots of time spent doing the math, and I totally get the concept. They never discuss DRAINAGE though. It looks like I can just slap together a shallow 4x4 (or 3x3 to fit better inside my cage) frame and plant it. Even when they show them on decks they are only supported by cinder blocks and things like that. So here are a coupla questions:

Won't I rot my deck?
How can I translate this yield process indoors?

Anybody know?

I really doubt you can grow veggies in the house.Lets see what others have to say..
Christine

I have my doubts too, but I've gotten some incouragement from some of the other forums I've posted questions on. I have ONE good South window that's too small to do much good, but I AM going to try spinach and lettuces beginning soon, and herbs, which I know will work. It dawned on me to try to grow things that tend to bolt on me when I grow them outside anyway.

nilly, you could always get grow lights. I bet that might work for you.
Christine

Yeah, I have some daylight balanced compact flourescents to supplement. They are on timers to be on during the day just to be sure every day is a nice light one. Can't really invest in a good indoor system though. It's on my want list so I can convert the basement, but that will require heat as well so I don't forsee getting it done soon!

You can do it, but there is considerable expense to make it work properly. I have one grow light (HPS/MH, 400W) that only covers a 4 x 4 area. The lamp itself was purchased used at $200, and replacement bulbs go for $40 each. It also costs about $40 in electricity per month to keep it going. Then you have the expense of soil/media and nutrients.

There are some self contained units that are shaped like an egg-they say that they can grow herbs, but I'm skeptical. Those are hydroponic and use fluorescent lighting.

If you're looking to have winter edibles on a tight budget, take advantage of local farmer's markets and either freeze or can.

The problem that you are going to run into is not enough light for the veggies to mature unless you want to invest in an Aerogarden system. I have one that I used to grow herbs in and it did wonderful.
I have an extra bedroom so I'm going to open the blinds and put in 2 warm mist humidifers and hope for the best. I am going to try tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and flowers. I hope it works. Tina

phaleo - yeah, expense is the reason I haven't gone there yet!

Tina - GOOD LUCK and let me know what you learn from the experience!

Rule of success............first find someone that is consistantly having a proven good system working for several years. Follow that person's example. Be sure to chart and lay down a solid financial as well as physical arrangements plan.

I have seen a few interesting winter greenhouses that grow things nicely but not within any cost per pound of returns that I would consider worth while for food. Small hobby houses are just that....small hobby houses. They are still costly to keep in operation in the Northcentral and Northeastern zones.

The only veggie I've had success growing during winter is Jalapeno peppers. I fertilize the flowers with a small paintbrush and have harvested peppers from the plants. I have to say that these were plants brought in for the winter and continued to grow indoors. I have a sunroom which receives mostly morning light and some early afternoon sun, but also has radiant floor heat.

I once grew a cuke indoors from a five gallon bucket. That was a joke and the cuke ended up being just so so. I once grew a pumpkin to first male bloom. We put that bloom in a salad and took a picture of it sometime in January. Same deal! Anyone doing stuff like this indoors is a bit nuts in the first place. My hand is in the air for recognition as half nuts.

On the other hand the Meyer Lemon tree does give interesting returns if not financially acceptable returns. They are just fun to watch grow.

Hey doc - you said: "Anyone doing stuff like this indoors is a bit nuts in the first place. My hand is in the air for recognition as half nuts." Me, too! As evidenced by this:

I am having moderate success with some greens in my South window. Oh, not enough to feed myself, but enough to supplement the diet of my house rabbits! I have beet greens, carrot greens, chard, lettuces, parsley, and am waiting for the spinach to sprout. Most of these things bolt on me outside anyway, so I decided to start there. I'm convinced that if I could knock another South window in the wall, I could bet enough to feed all of us. I also dug up a dandelion and 2 clumps of clover and brought them inside for the buns.

These are all flowers and cuttings representating about 80% of what I can get into one pix.
We are pushing a hundred or so in this line up. Soon I will cull out the less than nice plants and then baby sit them untill the 15th. of May 2010. If we do well some will make it to a plant swap. We had candied dalhia root this evening along with a bit of left over ham. That 's as close as I can get to inside plants we eat. There is one pot of Rosemary in the making. I have decorative sweet potato roots enough for one meal beyond our saver stock.

Candied dahlia roots!!!!

DO tell.

Dahlia roots are not all good but they keep easily a month or more just like sweet potato roots or tubers. After a month they tend to get starchy. Something different to amaze any food snob that happens to stop by. LOL

They make interesting chips too! Saussage, red pepper and dahlia root topping for pizza.

The one line kicker is: "Why did you not know they are in so much demand they have to be back yard grown in order to get them"?