Aerial view of the start of garden

I took these pictures off my 2nd floor balcony, just thought I'd show you all how limited my growing space really is. The strip by the concrete wall is a semi-raised bed and will be planted with peppers in the front. We put wire on the wall in order to grow squash, melons, pole beans etc. up the wall. The peppers will be planted in front.

The tiny strip has at least a dozen tomato plants hidden in there. They will probably all be put out in the back where the tomato farm is going to be, all in growbags.

Those stackers are a lifesaver, if everything I plant grows, I'll have enough to feed the whole neighborhood.

I've got a lot more planting.

Another pic.

And the last one.

Pugzley: I think it looks great, nice set up. Are your neighbors honest??? I'd be worried they'd take my vertigo stackers and plants here. LOL
joy

Thank you Joy, yes, the neighbors are honest. I wonder if anyone around here even knows what those are, I haven't seen any anywhere besides mine.

I have a really big German Shepherd who will keep honest anyone eyeballing my stacker pots.

You weren't kidding about the small grow space. Isn't it amazing what you can do with containers of every sort? I wish I had gotten into this earlier instead of beating myself up when I couldn't make the clay/peat/compost grow for me. BUT I wouldn't have been using coir either and though I know there isn't any magic in it, I amconfident that with proper water and fert I am going to have a fine little garden this year.

It sure is amazing. The orange tree is blocking most of my pots and you can't see them. There are 43 growbags and misc. containers behind that tree, including what is visible on the little wall, then there are 90 chives and bunching onions planted in the 2 small stackers at the end there and there are tons of veggies in the large stacker. On the other side are 12 tomatoes and in the backyard there are about 35 more toms. I can't seem to stop planting.

I'm getting a little bit worried about all those tomatoes, though. I may have bitten off more than I can chew as far as staking them up once they start to grow taller. Don't know what I'll do at that point, sure wouldn't want to destroy them, but can't afford to give away all those growbags, cococoir, soil, epsom salts, fertilizer and lime that are in them, either. I hope I don't end up doing the unthinkable and having to zap them when they are so nice and big already. ugh! Next year I won't be so ambitious with tomatoes. 20 plants should do us more than just fine! What was I thinking? All in all I have about 60 tomatoes in bags already.

This message was edited Mar 18, 2009 11:36 PM

Pugsley, don't despair.
Gymgirl has a crafty Idea for a "easel" kind of system that you can fold and put away when season is over. You set it over the plants you want to trail, [like vining things,] or I think you could attach strong twine to the top and let the toms grow up them if the toms are indeterminate ones. We'll ask Gg to post a photo here.

I think everything I have is indeterminant. I grew a couple of patio toms last year and they were not happy. At first they were ok, then as the heat started in they just eventually croaked on me, but maybe they were finished producing anyway, I don't know. I did get quite a few tomatoes off those little guys.

I yanked one of my plants that had been chomped on yesterday (some kind of worm attack, sigh) and wasn't looking too good, I had it in a bag in coir. I could not believe the root system on that thing, it was huge! I guess the plant would have survived from the looks of what was going on below the surface. Oh, well, it's not like I don't have replacements.

I'd love to see Gymgirl's setup.

I am going to have to string wire and let twine hang down from the wire and tie the toms to that when they grow, I don't think anything else is going to work due to space constraints and the topography of the backyard. If only the sun would hit all areas back there I could do a lot more. It's terraced and would make a grand garden if only the trees behind it weren't shading it so much. Makes me want to get out my chainsaw and start yelling "Timber!" hehe

"worms" in Calif? I don't believe that for one moment. LOL I dmailed Gymgirl but she's probably working. It is a neat system that looks like 2 vees with a bar across. I hope it was her that did it. My forgetter is getting better all the time. Could have been someone else.

I call that Sometimers. Sometimes I can remember and Sometimes I can't. LOL!

Whoever thought of that, it sounds pretty good! Might be something I can work with or improvise with to save some space. We bought conduit pipe last week and hubby has a pipe cutter, so we'll see if he has any innovative ideas. You should see the pulley system he put on my grow light. :)

Wish I had thought of a pulley. I have my lights hanging by cords which I tie up as the plants get bigger. Now though, I set them out on my deck to tuffin up.

Pugzley,
Here's the pic of my trellis that Bubba_MoCity built and installed in my little flowerbed. Mind you, it's constructed of 1 x 2s and is designed for lightweight climbers. Not so sure it will hold the weight of all your tomato plants. Send Bubba a dmail, and he can advise you on how to build a stronger, sturdier one. And, yeah, It's hinged at the top so I can fold it closed for the off season!

Hope this helps!

I feel so totally vindicated! I knew it was you Gymgirl.

Oh, that's very cool, Gymgirl.

Hey, looky what I just got outta my pots!

I'm excited, this is the first harvest. LOL!

Pretty, They look good enough to eat.

Thanks! I'm going to save them for hubby, maybe if he gets a bite or 2 out of the garden he'll continue to finance my gardening addiction.

Okay, since you mention finance, I have to admit to a little finagaling here to get what is needed, but don't tell anyone.

I've already hit him up for more potting mix, I should be getting that on Saturday, and more fertilizer... sheesh, I hope that's the end of it for awhile. But I can always find something else I want. I have to stay out of Boca Bob's website, it gets me in trouble every single time.

Those veggies look nice.
joy

Thanks, Joy, I think I could have waited just a little longer before picking them, they're a tad small. I ate one and it was good, though. :)

Pugzley: I think veggies always taste better when we know we grew them ourselves don't they?
joy

Oh,yes! Much better! I have such high hopes for not having to go to the produce aisle at the grocers this spring and summer. hehe

I made burritos for supper and my husband stuck a radish in the end of his burro and ate it them all like that. LOL! He's another Mikey.

Gymgirl: Those beds there? What are using for a medium in them might I ask, I've been contemplating getting an above ground garden but have no idea what to use for a medium.
joy