Steps for Starting Your Container Garden

Steps for Starting Your Container Garden

As a partner of the The Dinner Garden, I show people how to use their limited space to grow their own food so they can eat healthy foods while avoiding toxic chemicals and not feel limited by their lack of space or experience.

Most people use lack of space as an excuse for not growing their own food. That’s where myself and The Dinner Garden come in. We not only tell you, but show that it’s not true.

I will guarantee that you don’t need a huge yard of some fancy certification to be able to grow your own food. How will I do that. Check out fire escape garden in NYC. That’s where I started in the Spring of 2009 with no prior experience. I’m sure you have more space than that.

The information that I’m providing you comes from my own personal experience. My readers have used them as well, so I know that they work.

Have you ever read a gardening book or other gardening web sites? If you answered yes, then you were likely ridiculously overwhelmed and confused. I know that I still get that way when I check them out.

The information that I provide is straight, to the point and actionable.

If you are going to continue reading this, promise me one thing - you will take action.

If you can’t make that promise, please stop reading.

Here is how you can get you started:

Decide your garden location

You have more space in your apartment than you think. Here are 7 ideas to help get your thinking creatively.

Determining how much sunlight you get

You need to do this so you know what you can properly grow in your space.

If you only get 3 hours of sunlight and attempt to grow cucumbers, you are setting yourself up for failure.

After reading this post, you’ll know how to figure out the amount of sun your space gets.

Questions to ask yourself when deciding what to grow

You know where you are going to grow and how much sunlight. Now refine your choices even further by asking yourself some simple questions that will give you a clearer picture of what to grow.

You are growing your own food, so you can avoid pesticides and eat healthy, so you are going to want to start with seeds from a company that you can trust.

Here is a list of 3 seed companies that value your health and the environment as much as you do.

Those are just the beginning. There is more to come so be sure to connect with me on on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or at Urban Organic Gardener to keep updated.

Now get to growing!

Bio

Mike Lieberman is the publisher of UrbanOrganicGardener.com where he shows people with little to no land how to start growing their own food so they can avoid toxic pesticides, eat healthier and not feel limited by their lack of experience and space.

How I compost

Here is a pic of one of my compost bins. It is an old trashcan. I drilled holes (about 1/2 inch each) in it for air and drainage. It is in my garden, you can see the lid next to it. The lid has compost in it because I was planting. Usually the lid is on the compost bin. The bin is in the garden so when I water it, the runoff called "compost tea" fertilizes my garden.

Below is my secondary compost bin. This is a tube with holes. I have 2 compost bins going at all times because I am too lazy to stir my compost. I fill one up and let it cook in the sun, then I work on filling my second compost bin. This way, I always have compost ready to use. The second bin is in the sun by the shed. It does not have a lid.

You can put your leaves, grass clippings, fruit and veggie peels and even your old newspapers and shredded bills in the compost pile. Just remember no plastic, no meat, no dairy, no dog or cat waste.

Meet The Dinner Garden

www.dinnergarden.org

Grapefruit recipe!

This recipe comes from the Spring 2011 issue of Chop Chop Magazine, the fun cooking magazine for families.

Chop Chop is a non profit magazine that teaches cooking skills and encourages eating healthy foods. Check them out!

BROILED GRAPEFRUIT

Serves 2

EQUIPMENT

Large sharp knife
Small baking pan
Measuring spoon

INGREDIENTS

• 1 grapefruit
• 2 teaspoons honey

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash your hands with soap and water, then gather all your kitchen gear and ingredients and put them on a clean counter.

1. With the help of your adult, turn the oven on and set it to broil.

2. With the help of your adult, cut the grapefruit in half.

3. With the help of your adult, loosen the segments using the grapefruit knife.

4. Put the grapefruit halves, open side up, on a baking pan. Drizzle each half with 1 teaspoon honey.

5. With the help of your adult, put the baking pan in the oven and broil until the tops are bubbling and lightly browned, 3–5 minutes.

6. Set aside to cool a little bit and then enjoy them warm.

   
   

   
   

San Antonio Friends! Come Paint With Us!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Whimsey Tree benefitting The Dinner Garden

7:00pm - 9:00pm

In our ongoing commitment to give back to the community, we are sponsoring this Fundraising class to benefit The Dinner Garden. We will donate 50% of the proceeds from this class to The Dinner Garden. This event is open to the public. For more information about The Dinner Garden visit www.dinnergarden.org

This is a Painting with a Purpose charity event. 8910 Bandera Rd.

instructor Jennifer Snellings

Cost: $35 per seat.

TO REGISTER CLICK HERE

Our New Partnership!

The Dinner Garden is thrilled to announce our partnership with The Arc of San Antonio. There clients have graciously offered to pack up seeds for The Dinner Garden. We are honored that these fine adults have decided to work with us to end hunger in the United States.

If your food budget is $5.

This is from My H.E.B. Texas Life magazine, January 2012, p.11