I moved from a 5 acre garden where I used your gardening tips and now I am in an apartment and here I am watching your earlier videos. I have my apartment along with a 5x7 balcony.
New sub and I can't believe this video is from 2015!! I came on here trying to learn how to grow herbs in a nyc apt with a completely black thumb. Very excited to binge watch your content!!
I've enjoyed this a lot. Been off and on using bins, laundry baskets (lined in plastic), and other things to grow a few plants. Currently i am in a small basement apartment and have some plants and seed startings on the top shelf in my bedroom closet using just the closet light (white walls bouncing the light around) source and doing well.
i have some training in video production so i have a tip for shooting video in stores: call the store beforehand and talk to a manager. be specific about what you are doing and talk as professional as you can. owners/management of locations are much more open to letting you shoot if you let them know you are a producer of a gardening show than they are if you just show up and start shooting. also, do you have an tips for patio gardening in the desert? i recently moved to tucson, arizona.
Great idea with the comforter bag! I've used the shopping bags and they work great! I lived in Bronx NY for a time and I REALLY missed my yard garden. So I planted tomatos, basil (all cooking herbs) and zucchini and they did great. I actually still have my tomato plant (1 year later and still producing). It is possible to garden in the city; even on a fire escape! LOL
I love this and will be trying it myself. I hardly get any light on my porch and therefore will have to look into getting low light things to plant. Thanks for sharing!
Very nice! Many people also use recycled containers to grow food. If you don't get too much sun, it probably is also a good option. I love the look of the bags - can make for a colorful balcony!
Hello. I have a few tips for you if you really want to go frugal. Walmart shopping bags 50 cents per 1 work amazing! Also Home depot and Lowes. It there us any tears (whitch there are tons because people open to see the soil) Sell for half price! I also use milk jugs as containers for smaller plants like cucumbers!
I love how inspiring you are! My first interest was raised beds and then this! Super innovative...would of never thought to use such simple things:) Thanks so much for doing what you do!!
Good ideas. I have a lot of Wal-Mart bags I can grow stuff in. Would the grocery bags be ok for planting potatoes in? Do I need to cut holes in the bottom for drainage or are the bags porous enough?
I love the idea of that comforter bag, I had thrown so many of those away,,errrrr. Def. thumbs up on this idea, don't mind me passing this along to a friend in an apartment I hope.
I'm forever rescuing the potted herbs from supermarkets. When you break them up to replant there are some casualties but our of every pot I usually get four to six plants that will survive and grow on. Obviously theyre planted densely so make sure you give them room zo spread. Basil can be funny about Scotland but the others like rosemary, thyme, sage, coriander, parsley chervil etc all take well to transplanting outsude and I usually keep some for inside in winter. I need a bit of a refresher on which plants to grow where if you want to discourage pests as I only use other insects or planting members of the onion family around certain plants. Luckily we have a lovely wild garlic in the woods that transplants easily so that gets used a lot both in the garden, kitchen and as a cold remedy. I am off to see if you have a section on pest deterrent plants (I'm having more of what another UA-camr hilariously calls 'senior moments' so I definitely need a refresher. Brilliant site btw xx
Some things I had done differently, you can plant directly into the bag as the earth came in and instead used the clear plastic into a mini greenhouse (which would have been perfect for the tomato as it wants a lot of heat) for the plants in the green planting bags. Continue the good work. :)
Deirdre M The setup worked so well that I almost could not believe how inexpensive it was. I made over 40 salads, and had tons of tomatoes, and I never did anything but water it in!
Have you thought about a vertical garden and clear up your floor space? Vertical hanging is the way to go. Get some friends to collect their 2 liter bottles and use them? Get a group together all of you pick different fruits and veggies to grow and trade between you for variety! Great video.
About those bags, are they like the cloth bags you bring to the grocery, or is their weave not as tight? I've been balcony gardening only, using disused smaller-ish garbage cans, but this year I'm looking to grow more food.
Thank you! We appreciate the support more than you can imagine. There will also be many more series on this type of thing. Next season I will have a whole series dedicated to patio gardening, and small space gardening.
Cheap container tip: Firehouse subs sells their 5gallon pickle buckets for $3. They donate that money and you get an inexpensive food grade bucket to plant your garden in!
I've been going nuts trying to figure out what to use for containers. I felt like someone was stabbing me today, as I spent $22 for seeds, small plants (4 for $10 sale), and ONE bag of (32-quart) potting mix with fertilizer (says will feed plants for 9 months). That's with no containers! We were considering milk jugs, but weren't yet sure. A really cool thing I saw tonight right before you are people with container gardens, popping holes in the bottom of a milk jug, setting it in a hole in the middle of the container, filling it with water, then closing the jug back up. It becomes its own self-irrigator, and you simply refill it as it gets low! If you decided to do something similar, you could just use a smaller plastic container, and do it the same way as your plants, with the 'x', etc.
The price of seeds can be outrageous, but you can save on that. For instance, if you have ever bought a store pepper, you can use those seeds. Take the seeds, dry them out for a few days and then use them to grow from. I have grown bell pepper plants on my balcony using seeds from a pepper I had bought from the store. You can do the same with tomatoes and such. Even keep your own seeds from the year before. Take some of your beans and save them for the next year. Also, for containers - you can use totes. They are cheaper and bigger than pots and you can use the lids as drainage trays. They also have handles. They usually go on sale a couple of times a year. Don't forget that when using totes, you need to drill holes in the bottom for drainage.
+saylavee Ve I LOVE your idea about totes, especially if you can find a great deal. I was able to ask Wendy's for a bucket they were throwing out. it meant cleaning out the pickle smell, but I didn't make a big deal of it. So far, I'm having a bad time with way too big an earwig population. I've considered sevin dust near the plants (instead of on them). anyone have experience with it? PS LUKE : I'd love to see your final harvest, and how you set up for the following year!
Great video! Few questions: does the liquid ever leak thru other porch? will organic soil be more costly? the difference between manure and top soil? I am studying how to urban garden but don't' know where to really begin, this vie was great help Thank You!!
Sheras Tarot the water does leak out, so a pan or a catch plate would be nice. Organic soil is a tiny bit more expensive. Manure is poo from animals, and topsoil is the top layer of fertile dirt found on the ground.
Where can i buy plants like this already grown a bit? And how fast do they get big? Do you replant them. If they get to big or just cut them down ? Thank you for video just what i wanted to see. EZ .only thing is i would think it would make a mess to move the comforter pot.n would be heavy ? Do you keep anything under the bags .n comforter pot fir catching water? Bc im thinkin i would need to bri g in house somtimes due to weather.
that's awesome. wow 2013 'S would I be able to do something similar if my porch is always shaded? I want to plant herbs but have no sun bc I am under giant trees
Did you have to put holes in the Meijer bags? I have seen another where they put holes but I think those bags had a plastic coating. If they are breathable then do you not put holes? Thanks
You are very handsome and super creative. I woke up precisely thinking about my garden n how to find more pots for plants. I have been growing all from seeds (huge mistakes it takes forever to grow I will never do that again). Thank you.
for a spur of the moment sir ya done good without a tripod wow some good deals there I hope I can find prices like that when our local garden centers open up provided spring actually shows up :D
Great video. It's something I'll keep in mind if I live in another apartment again with a balcony. P.S. That totally looks like Bluegrass apartments in Mt. Pleasant.....I got a little nostalgic there :) and Meijers!
Love the idea of the bags, but not the comforter bag...I'm thinking chemicals from the plastic especially when heated from the sun and also if it rains, the weight of the water on top could be a problem. I'm going to try the bags this week...super smart.
well I am on a 5th floor apartment with a large balcony. I am hoping I can grow tomatoes cucumbers and lettuce. havent done it before on a balcony but I am going to try.
You know what you could also do: get together with friends, buy some seeds and start them together so you can save a lot of money together. I mean, a pack of seeds costs about as much as a few small plants. You can start seeds in plastic cups and left over cartons. I did the same with my balcony and grow vegetables and flowers in pots (I have a little more money to spend) and it is quite a lot of fun to do :D. I also have the advantage of direct sunlight from midday till sunset.
***** :) Back at the campus where I used to live, some students have started a garden in the park around the buildings. If you look around here at google maps, you can see why this campus is so suitable for gardening. It is an old picture but this is basically where they've started it: www.google.nl/maps/@52.0810203,5.1324875,3a,75y,56.54h,82.76t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s4d3T2-Uo8E_9r4mIxj5_Pg!2e0?hl=nl
You've just inspired my 11 yr old to make this with the shopping bags we have laying around. She's going to make a video too. Thank you!
How darling (:
Seeing a young MI gardener go stir crazy and start an apartment garden is such a mood in the coronapocalypse of 2020
who else is watching this in 2018 and can't wait to start growing?
;)
da1stamericus me!!
Me ! Southern California 🌻
Me @ NorCal! (8/28/2018)
🖐🏼 New Jersey! (10/2018)
Excellent video. I share your interest not only in gardening, but in staying within a budget and reusing materials.
I moved from a 5 acre garden where I used your gardening tips and now I am in an apartment and here I am watching your earlier videos. I have my apartment along with a 5x7 balcony.
Wow, I would never have thought of using a comforter bag! That is genius! Great idea!
New sub and I can't believe this video is from 2015!! I came on here trying to learn how to grow herbs in a nyc apt with a completely black thumb. Very excited to binge watch your content!!
I've enjoyed this a lot. Been off and on using bins, laundry baskets (lined in plastic), and other things to grow a few plants.
Currently i am in a small basement apartment and have some plants and seed startings on the top shelf in my bedroom closet using just the closet light (white walls bouncing the light around) source and doing well.
i have some training in video production so i have a tip for shooting video in stores: call the store beforehand and talk to a manager. be specific about what you are doing and talk as professional as you can. owners/management of locations are much more open to letting you shoot if you let them know you are a producer of a gardening show than they are if you just show up and start shooting.
also, do you have an tips for patio gardening in the desert? i recently moved to tucson, arizona.
Great idea with the comforter bag! I've used the shopping bags and they work great! I lived in Bronx NY for a time and I REALLY missed my yard garden. So I planted tomatos, basil (all cooking herbs) and zucchini and they did great. I actually still have my tomato plant (1 year later and still producing). It is possible to garden in the city; even on a fire escape! LOL
Luke only been following you for a couple of months and watching an old video made me giggled. "Not allowed to film but I will anyway!" 😂😂😂
Have you thought about planting directly into the compost or garden soil bag?
I love this and will be trying it myself. I hardly get any light on my porch and therefore will have to look into getting low light things to plant. Thanks for sharing!
Very nice! Many people also use recycled containers to grow food. If you don't get too much sun, it probably is also a good option. I love the look of the bags - can make for a colorful balcony!
Hello. I have a few tips for you if you really want to go frugal. Walmart shopping bags 50 cents per 1 work amazing! Also Home depot and Lowes. It there us any tears (whitch there are tons because people open to see the soil) Sell for half price! I also use milk jugs as containers for smaller plants like cucumbers!
i love the comforter bag when you used it as a raisedbed
I love how inspiring you are! My first interest was raised beds and then this! Super innovative...would of never thought to use such simple things:) Thanks so much for doing what you do!!
Those blanket bags make great little greenhouses too!
thats awesome Luke I love how you used the store bags and the zippered quilt plastic that is a great idea!
Thanks for watching Brenda!
I love the comforter bag idea! I have a similar balcony and will be trying out your ideas, thanks!
Love this idea!!! Now I am going to go through my house to see what I can find.
Good ideas. I have a lot of Wal-Mart bags I can grow stuff in. Would the grocery bags be ok for planting potatoes in? Do I need to cut holes in the bottom for drainage or are the bags porous enough?
I love the idea of that comforter bag, I had thrown so many of those away,,errrrr. Def. thumbs up on this idea, don't mind me passing this along to a friend in an apartment I hope.
I don't mind at all silly!
Love the detail in this video for real brand new beginners. Much much MUCH appreciated
Awesome video
Why do you want the plastic over the soil though? What if you want to add compost to it? Any follow up video on this garden?
I LOVE the reusable bag idea!!!! I'll be doing this next season!
I was just about to order fabric bags to do this same thing, but now I'm copy you. Thanks for the great idea!
Can you comment on alternate drainage on a balcony where management or tenant below would not be happy about water escaping the porous containers?
I love this bag idea 😊
That is very creative Luke! I do hope you'll keep us updated
See. I always keep those comforter bags. I usually store winter clothes in them. I never even thought to use it for my balcony "garden". Great idea.
That was brilliant and truly inspiring, especially for us city dwellers, you have a new subscriber ^_^
I'm forever rescuing the potted herbs from supermarkets. When you break them up to replant there are some casualties but our of every pot I usually get four to six plants that will survive and grow on. Obviously theyre planted densely so make sure you give them room zo spread. Basil can be funny about Scotland but the others like rosemary, thyme, sage, coriander, parsley chervil etc all take well to transplanting outsude and I usually keep some for inside in winter. I need a bit of a refresher on which plants to grow where if you want to discourage pests as I only use other insects or planting members of the onion family around certain plants. Luckily we have a lovely wild garlic in the woods that transplants easily so that gets used a lot both in the garden, kitchen and as a cold remedy. I am off to see if you have a section on pest deterrent plants (I'm having more of what another UA-camr hilariously calls 'senior moments' so I definitely need a refresher. Brilliant site btw xx
what direction are you facing? Do you get a lot of sunlight?
thank you so many people have apts and love to garden as well! I love this video
LOVE that you upcycled the comforter bag! I think that's genius! How did that work out?
Some things I had done differently, you can plant directly into the bag as the earth came in and instead used the clear plastic into a mini greenhouse (which would have been perfect for the tomato as it wants a lot of heat) for the plants in the green planting bags. Continue the good work. :)
dennis07rock Whatever works for you, do it! :) Thank you fro watching.
What a brilliant idea.. awesome...thank you!!
I love the bag idea.....for grow bags
DriedMarigolds Thank you! I would totally do it again over in a heartbeat. It was super productive!
Very nice. It was very encouraging. I want to try it. It looks great and you had great ideas.
Deirdre M The setup worked so well that I almost could not believe how inexpensive it was. I made over 40 salads, and had tons of tomatoes, and I never did anything but water it in!
Have you thought about a vertical garden and clear up your floor space? Vertical hanging is the way to go. Get some friends to collect their 2 liter bottles and use them? Get a group together all of you pick different fruits and veggies to grow and trade between you for variety! Great video.
sweet guy and great Info . good role model for youngsters
i wonder if the cinder block method could work well for an apartment or condo? great job!
Very nice idea! I didn't even think of using the cloth bags as pots! Great idea again!
-The Organic Boy :)
please film more videos on this topic!
I live in S.E. florida and wonder during these hot months what veggies can I grow? recommendations please.
I have those comforter bags. Those turned out great for the lettuce!
About those bags, are they like the cloth bags you bring to the grocery, or is their weave not as tight? I've been balcony gardening only, using disused smaller-ish garbage cans, but this year I'm looking to grow more food.
great job I will be trying this method real soon thanks soo much for the video
Great video for beginners and those with small gardening space. I shared this on my blog. Look forward to seeing more of your videos!
Thank you! We appreciate the support more than you can imagine. There will also be many more series on this type of thing. Next season I will have a whole series dedicated to patio gardening, and small space gardening.
Luke, great videos. Can I talke my plants directly from my grow lights and put them in the green house, or do I still have to harden them off?
Very nice and creative thank you.
good video i have the same space in wisconsin east facing balcony
This was a really awesome video! It totally relates to me! I don't know why I was MIA for so long but I'm back!
Cheap container tip: Firehouse subs sells their 5gallon pickle buckets for $3. They donate that money and you get an inexpensive food grade bucket to plant your garden in!
I've been going nuts trying to figure out what to use for containers. I felt like someone was stabbing me today, as I spent $22 for seeds, small plants (4 for $10 sale), and ONE bag of (32-quart) potting mix with fertilizer (says will feed plants for 9 months). That's with no containers! We were considering milk jugs, but weren't yet sure.
A really cool thing I saw tonight right before you are people with container gardens, popping holes in the bottom of a milk jug, setting it in a hole in the middle of the container, filling it with water, then closing the jug back up. It becomes its own self-irrigator, and you simply refill it as it gets low! If you decided to do something similar, you could just use a smaller plastic container, and do it the same way as your plants, with the 'x', etc.
The price of seeds can be outrageous, but you can save on that. For instance, if you have ever bought a store pepper, you can use those seeds. Take the seeds, dry them out for a few days and then use them to grow from. I have grown bell pepper plants on my balcony using seeds from a pepper I had bought from the store. You can do the same with tomatoes and such. Even keep your own seeds from the year before. Take some of your beans and save them for the next year.
Also, for containers - you can use totes. They are cheaper and bigger than pots and you can use the lids as drainage trays. They also have handles. They usually go on sale a couple of times a year.
Don't forget that when using totes, you need to drill holes in the bottom for drainage.
+saylavee Ve I LOVE your idea about totes, especially if you can find a great deal. I was able to ask Wendy's for a bucket they were throwing out. it meant cleaning out the pickle smell, but I didn't make a big deal of it.
So far, I'm having a bad time with way too big an earwig population. I've considered sevin dust near the plants (instead of on them). anyone have experience with it?
PS LUKE : I'd love to see your final harvest, and how you set up for the following year!
Jennifer W as for seeds, go to MIgardener.com 99 cents
Great video! Few questions: does the liquid ever leak thru other porch? will organic soil be more costly? the difference between manure and top soil?
I am studying how to urban garden but don't' know where to really begin, this vie was great help Thank You!!
Sheras Tarot the water does leak out, so a pan or a catch plate would be nice. Organic soil is a tiny bit more expensive. Manure is poo from animals, and topsoil is the top layer of fertile dirt found on the ground.
Where can i buy plants like this already grown a bit? And how fast do they get big? Do you replant them. If they get to big or just cut them down ? Thank you for video just what i wanted to see. EZ .only thing is i would think it would make a mess to move the comforter pot.n would be heavy ? Do you keep anything under the bags .n comforter pot fir catching water? Bc im thinkin i would need to bri g in house somtimes due to weather.
Thanks for the video! 😊😊❤️
WI got to do this my daughter got a bag like this I'm on this thank you.
great idea,,love your channel
that's awesome. wow 2013 'S would I be able to do something similar if my porch is always shaded? I want to plant herbs but have no sun bc I am under giant trees
Did you have to put holes in the Meijer bags? I have seen another where they put holes but I think those bags had a plastic coating. If they are breathable then do you not put holes? Thanks
Awesome idea
You are very handsome and super creative. I woke up precisely thinking about my garden n how to find more pots for plants. I have been growing all from seeds (huge mistakes it takes forever to grow I will never do that again). Thank you.
I'm impressed as usual.
great ideas, i am going to try this for myself, on a lower level apartment
+Rochelle Blount Go for it! Let us know how it comes out. :)
@@MIgardener what about when I water? I live upstairs and worry about the water trickling down on my neighbor.
Nice video 👌 Great ideas. 🍀🌷🍃🥀🌿🌹🌱
wow! you have done excellent job. I recommend you to use your eggshells on the bag you plantet tometo. eggshells are good for tometo plants
+Ayesha Noor Yes, egg shells are great for tomato plants.
for a spur of the moment sir ya done good without a tripod wow some good deals there I hope I can find prices like that when our local garden centers open up provided spring actually shows up :D
I always love watching this video!!!
Thank you 🙏🏽
This great for 2020
I love your video, I will try this method....
Samuel Merry thank you samuel! So glad you liked it.
Thanks, keep on making great videos.
Very good ideas!!! Thank u
Thanks for this video. You should have your own tv show!
Wow! Wonder where you live. I'm in upstate NY & prices are a bit higher here for things. Worth it though!
How do you keep the bags from blowing over during storms? Bricks in the bottom?
Your videos are great! So inspiring.
Who's here in 2020?🤔👀😜
Great video. It's something I'll keep in mind if I live in another apartment again with a balcony. P.S. That totally looks like Bluegrass apartments in Mt. Pleasant.....I got a little nostalgic there :) and Meijers!
Very creative
I just found this series and am watching in February 2021
When you water the plants how do you do it with out water dripping down to the neighbor below you
did you sneak in some Trifecta+....just kidding....looking forward to updates
Love the ingenuity! Great idea and great job! Thank you for sharing!
Really ingenious, cool!
Deborah Nickerson Glad you liked it!
Great job.
This is a great idea! I'm in an apartment too so this video comes in handy :-)
Love the idea of the bags, but not the comforter bag...I'm thinking chemicals from the plastic especially when heated from the sun and also if it rains, the weight of the water on top could be a problem. I'm going to try the bags this week...super smart.
I want to see an update on this, did those plants survive?
Great Job!
2019- moved from a house to an apartment temp and I was going to use a big storage bin.
I use seeds.
well I am on a 5th floor apartment with a large balcony. I am hoping I can grow tomatoes cucumbers and lettuce. havent done it before on a balcony but I am going to try.
that's really cool,perfect for me
You know what you could also do: get together with friends, buy some seeds and start them together so you can save a lot of money together. I mean, a pack of seeds costs about as much as a few small plants.
You can start seeds in plastic cups and left over cartons.
I did the same with my balcony and grow vegetables and flowers in pots (I have a little more money to spend) and it is quite a lot of fun to do :D. I also have the advantage of direct sunlight from midday till sunset.
TheRealTMar that is a really great idea too! I normally start all my plants from seed, but these were a good deal, and they were quick.
***** :)
Back at the campus where I used to live, some students have started a garden in the park around the buildings.
If you look around here at google maps, you can see why this campus is so suitable for gardening. It is an old picture but this is basically where they've started it: www.google.nl/maps/@52.0810203,5.1324875,3a,75y,56.54h,82.76t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s4d3T2-Uo8E_9r4mIxj5_Pg!2e0?hl=nl
that flip phone 😭 such a lovely video! i’ll be trying something similar in my ny apartment! :)
Every video I watch I post multiple comments b/c I comment as I go! Haha but the plastic container thing is a great idea!
AH! Comforter bags! I always throw then away! Great idea
Pretty cool idea! Has that blanket cover worked out ok, I mean it hasn't gotten molded or anything? I live downstairs in an apartment complex.
How do you evenly water that bag with it being covered and all?