If you think organic container gardening wouldn’t save you much grocery money (and even if it did, you don’t have the space), think again.
According to a Bankrate article, a tomato plant can save you more than $50. As we recall, it was just a few months ago that a freakishly cold winter in the South destroyed 80% of Florida’s tomato crop. By late February, the price of tomatoes in New York City had doubled. This weekend, vine-ripened tomatoes cost $2.49 per pound in the Big Apple; cherry tomatoes are $3.99 per 12-ounce package, or more than $5 per pound — and they’re not even organic! And that’s just one food item. If you merely dabbled in organic container gardening, with a single tomato plant and a selection of herbs, you could save a small fortune.
It’s easy to grow some of your own food, doesn’t require too much space, and it’s not too late. So, why not get started? For some tips on organic container gardening, start reading the first of Kat’s series of posts on creating a fire escape garden, step-by-step. All you need are garden seeds and potting soil. You probably already have some suitable containers. Organic container gardening is a cheap, productive, eco friendly hobby; it’s a great way to reuse non-recyclable plastic containers.
If you live in an apartment, as we do, and space is an issue — get creative. You’re not limited when it comes to container placement. Organic container gardening actually gives you more options than traditional outdoor gardening. Kat uses every available surface for plant cultivation: windowsills, above the kitchen cabinets, on top of the fridge. Try window boxes. Or put your plants outside on a balcony, porch, or stoop. Once they’re flourishing, you could also transplant them into hanging baskets.
Are you one of those who are lucky enough to have a balcony or deck or patio? Consider the Topsy Turvy Upside Down Tomato Planter or the Topsy Turvy Upside Down Strawberry Planter. Imagine juicy tomatoes in your salads every night and fresh berries in your cereal every morning. Like most as-seen-on-TV junkies, I’ve been coveting these products like crazy, but — alas — we don’t have a suitable place to hang them. We’ll just stick with organic container gardening, for now.
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