Ready to start at the apartment.

[bwhite829]

I lucked out. Home Depot had a sale on the storage tubs and I got 4(about 1.5'ishx2 or 2x3 or some obsucure size like that, they are the rubbermade 18 or 20 gal). I've got 2 5 gal buckets for the tomato and pepper plants. I was wondering, since I've got more greens than I can eat @ my grandparents, what I should grow in the tubs. I'll be growing an herb tub and 3 veggie tubs. I'm thinking 1 tub w/ a couple zucchs, 1 tub w/ a couple eggplants, and maybe a tub for salads? Do salad varieties grow well in heat? Any input on this information would be nice!

[rainbowgardener]

See my response to you in the Tomato section. Similar things apply to the zuccs and eggplants, with the added difficulty that since they are vining plants that tend to spread out like crazy, it's more difficult to provide adequate lighting. They could be grown up a trellis, if you could find a way to attach trellis to the tubs, which would help with the spreading out issue. But you would have to have additional light.

Lettuce and greens and some herbs are about your best bet for totally indoor growing (that is what you are talking about, isn't it). No lettuce doesn't love heat, but if you are talking about keeping it indoors, you probably don't let it get to 90 inside your apt., so it will be some protected. You can probably grow some greens and herbs in your sunny window, without additional lighting.

[bwhite829]

I should've been specific. That is my fault. I'm starting the seeds indoors very soon. When it gets warmer I shall be moving them outside on the porch. Does that help any? EDIT: just read through your tomato post. Is there anything that you can recommend for my situation and growing on a patio? It gets a good amount of direct sunlight, but of course both sides probably won't, as was mentioned.

[Avonnow]

You can also grow beans in containers, I grow bush and pole, I put up supports and they grow well. The rattlesnake beans are good for heat here in Florida, I tried others but they seemed to do the best in the hot summer months, I grow others when it is cooler, but the Rattlesnake were the best for summer. I also grew cucmbers on supports in my container they come in bush and climbers, and they did well. I got alot of cucumbers, they do tend to outgrow the container at some point, but I was happy. It is still early and they all need alittle warmer temps, but those are some options. I am in Merritt Island, by Kennedy Space Center. Tonight it is freezing here, and the good thing about containers is I can pull them all inside the garage or house. Good Luck !

[rainbowgardener]

Sorry, I didn't get that from your first posts. It sounded like you were talking about growing just indoors. If you just want to start them indoors and then move them out to your patio, if the patio gets at least 6 hrs of direct sun a day, then that is a whole different story!!! Then you are just talking about container growing (we have a whole section on that, feel free to browse). You can grow almost anything in containers. What I said about size of containers still holds. One 5 gallon bucket size is enough to grow one tomato plant. And if you are buying things that aren't made to be flower pots, just be sure you put plenty of drainage holes in them!

[bwhite829]

Okay, I've got a wire support that I'll use for my pepper and tomato plants if needed, but I was wondering the tubs that i'll be growing the other stuff is about 2x3. Would 1 zucch and 1 eggplant in one tub together be overcrowding if they are trellised? I'm just wondering what kind of spacing I should do. When do garlic, onions, carrots, etc start? I haven't been able to find specific dates on the farmer's almanac website.

[rainbowgardener]

For you in Florida, garlic onions, carrots and other cool weather crops would start NOW!

https://www.thevegetablegarden.info/resources/planting-schedules/zones-9-10-planting-schedule