In this fourth video in our ongoing Series covering gardening in apartments In small spaces we're going to give a Very high level overview of some of the Popular methods that help you understand Your options we're going to cover each Of these in more detail in future videos Showing the exact steps you're going to Need to follow but this video will serve As a great starting point to give you Some ideas for now we want you to survey The ranges of options available even Then we won't be able to cover all of Them but rather we're going to take a Look at some of the most popular and Easiest approaches to implement when Starting out consider this a first look For further contemplation as you really Begin to start your garden so let's Explore the possibilities download our Small space high yield Gardening Guide By clicking on the link in the Description and comment section below Enjoy the video growing methods vertical Gardening a vertical garden is a Vertically suspended system that takes Advantage of back walls Western walls And to some extent cross beams they Range from soil systems like repurposed Hanging shoe racks and bottle systems Filled with soil and dripping into each Other to hydroponic PVC systems grow Towers stack pots and hanging planters The primary considerations are weight
And shading you want your vertical System to allow light for other plants You want to squeeze the last light rays And maximize your growing space this is Why you put these on your Western Wall Or back wall so they don't block light For other plants living green Walls can Thrive for Harvest after harvest and Keep you in an abundance of food Throughout your growing season Hanging Gardens or pots may also shade The plants below for a period of daytime Many plants don't need or want full sun So placing hanging pots above can Protect plants below when done Strategically balcony and deck railings Are also a great use of space but these Can also block light to Growing areas Placing them on the western side will Result in them receiving the early Sunlight that plants need but subdued Light probably after noon when you think About your outdoor Garden think about it Both horizontally and vertically here's A question to ask yourself though can You bring that vertical garden indoors One of your walls might be perfect for a Growing wall looking at a wall of living Green can have a calming effect on a Person all the while providing you with A more pest-free gardening experience And easy to access your food regardless Of the Season many people use indoor Grow towers and hydroponic systems for
This very reason Hydroponics Hydroponics is a technique Of growing plants using a water-based Nutrient solution rather than soil and Can include an aggregate substrate or Growing media such as vermiculate Coconut core or perlite these systems Range from grow Towers to grow walls From small farmers to hobbyists to large Commercial Enterprises this is one of The few options for some Northern Regions because of such a short growing Season the problems with this method are Providing nutrients providing algae or Gnats the system's weight the Electricity needed to circulate the Water and the need to provide supplement Light these systems can range from Windowsill setups to Towers to whole Walls and can be deployed outdoors and Indoors purchasing a ready-made system Can be phenomenally expensive with a bit Of craftiness you can build your own Which we'll do in a later video billing Your own is a route most people take Because the cost is still so high Fortunately the materials are much Cheaper today than in the years past the Prices of PVC may have gone up but the Price of grow lights and growing media Like vermiculate coconut core or Expanded clay have all gone down thanks To the home Growers of cannabis and Tomatoes you'll find many more
Hydroponic stores in your area and Probably a few deals on used equipment On your local Exchange One grow Tower of lettuce and kale Planted over several weeks will provide You with more greens than a person can Possibly eat by themselves keep that in Mind as you plan your setup maybe it's An opportunity to trade or partner with Others when you think of hydroponic Vertical growing in your space consider The range of options available to you to Maximize your space and yield Aquaponics for the slightly more daring There is aquaponics this couple's Aquaculture with Hydroponics you produce Fish for protein which in turn makes Nutrients for the plants automatic Recirculating systems do not require Much monitoring or measuring as a when Functioning properly create a symbiotic Relationship between the plants and fish The fish benefit from the filtered in Oxygenated water the plants benefit from The waste materials of the fish modern Versions of these setups can be deployed Outdoors even in small patio spaces many Viewers send us pictures of their Systems and their garages or backyards Some elaborate and some simple additions Circulated off their fish tanks with Some basic pumps it's not a new science Hager culture was used quite extensively By the Aztecs the Chinese used Loach
Swamp bills carp and pond snails in Their rice paddies aquaponics was Developed everywhere plants were Cultivated alongside bodies of water Teeming with life it's more like we Humans learn what Mother Nature was Naturally doing and try to capture and Contain some little piece of the process Typically the plants grow right on top Of the water your chief concerns with This method are the creatures the water And the weight of the water tilapia Breathe fast just one female will Typically produce between 200 to 1000 Eggs per spawn and she'll spawn every Four to five weeks that's a lot of Population control you have to think About something like koi or other carp Won't breathe as fast but they also Aren't your first choice for consumption Either minnows Guppies or goldfish might Breed and produce quickly if the Conditions are right but if you plan on Eating fish for protein you probably Would have to get pretty creative Feeding those fish and keeping them Healthy can also be a challenge the Amount of water is a challenge as well Some apartment allow tanks up to 25 Gallons While others limit to two Gallons some have no restrictions at all Leaks can do damage in a gallon of water Is eight and one-third pounds so while The method is fantastic and in many ways
Self-sustaining it comes with more than A few considerations Aeroponics aeroponics is a plant Cultivation technique in which the roots Hang suspended in the air while a Nutrient solution is delivered to them In the form of a fine Mist it grows Plants in the air or missed environment Without soil or an aggregate medium These have become very popular for Windowsill and small kitchen counter Setups but the method is also used in Large scale operations and even by NASA In space The basic principle of aeroponic growing Is to grow plant suspended in a closed Or semi-closed environment by spraying The plant's dangling roots and lower Still with an autonomize or spray Nutrient-rich water solution of 5 to 50 Micrometers micro droplets some of the Drawbacks of this method of the constant Mist needed in the electrical Requirements for producing that mist Roots are very sensitive parts of the Plants and do not like air exposure also The human Misty environment can result In an infestation of bugs if the system Isn't carefully closed off from outside Exposure sealing it off two completely Can require the grower to also have to Manage oxygen and CO2 levels in the System there's also a need for Supplemental grow lights because of
These concerns the aeroponic method is Often combined with aspects of Hydroponics and other grow materials That are low in high pressure versions Of this method that range from small to Massive commercial versions if you have A little bit of a scientist and a little Bit of an engineering you this can be Very rewarding I've seen everything from Lettuce potatoes grown in this manner There's much much more to learn with This method Container gardening most of us will take A hard pass on the complicated Science-heavy methods of the techniques I mentioned earlier in favor of good Old-fashioned soil and containers this Will range from potted plants to stack Garden Towers the growing medium is soil Or potting soil if you plan to Garden This way realize that your soil can Quickly be depleted of nutrients you'll Need to supplement the nutrients with Either fertilizer or compost materials You are also susceptible to fungus and Infestations however having an abundance Of direct sunlight reduces a possibility Of these you have to realize that these Containers will have weight you want Containers that are within the bounds of Your area's maximum load containers also Need a drain somewhere will they run off Into a plant sauce or trough as we Demonstrated in our sweet potato video a
Self-wicking system will allow you to Control water levels while also getting Viral nutrients directly to the root System with any container system you're Taking a piece of the earth and Containing it to serve your needs that Brings in with it some challenges but it Also brings plenty of rewards Controlling and coaxing the environment You create to get maximum results can be Rewarding and can provide you with an Abundance of living food Watch the video in the series on soil Before going this route I know a video On soil does it sound very exciting but I promise you that we put in a Tremendous amount of knowledge and Insight into this topic to make it as Concise as possible to give you what you Need to be successful definitely check That out Grow tents If you want total control over the Environment you can use an indoor grow Tin or repurpose a room or closet the Challenges with this method are weight Light temperature regulation and air Circulation plants need air just like we Do so they don't suffocate there's also A lot to control and regulate in this Type of setup the advantage is that You're not confined to the whims of Weather or the shortened sunlight of Some Seasons you can grow year round
With UVA B and C bulbs over your plants What you grow is only known to you so There's less of a chance nosy neighbors Or homeowners association will complain Naturally your electrical requirements Will go up you must move a lot of Equipment and materials in and out of Your house and grow area while these are Great solutions for smaller but Continual yields they require more Attention to detail and a dedicated and Unmovable space Also without adequate Ventilation to the outside your home can Take on a very earthy smell depending Upon your growing materials and plant Choices still this method has been Successful for small space cultivation In apartments and dorm rooms worldwide Bag and straw bill If you're dealing with an outdoor space It's not uncommon for people to plant Directly into a straw bill with dirt Added into the top Center or slits in a Bag of commercial soil or potting soil You must have drainage for both methods To keep your grow medium from turning Into a big rotting mess with the straw Bill method you're counting on some Decomposition of the straw to provide Nutrients to the plant These can be breeding grounds for bugs As well and that's the reason I only Suggest this method for outside small Grow areas I do have a straw belt so I
Will probably do a future video Demonstrating this technique for now Just realize that it is an option many People use the Potato Tower we Demonstrated in earlier videos A Variation that combines both these Methods in a wire frame attention to Drainage is a concern and the weight of The materials is a concern as well it Has to be placed for the optimal sun With any container or vertical system The ability to move or rotate it on its Wills is always beneficial As you consider these different methods In your grow space I would encourage you To consider the light the weight the Water the space the container and let That guide your decisions on what you Should grow when you know what you want To grow consider the size of a Successful mature plant for example if You were to plant a sweet potato in a Small pot you're going to get a Grapevine but any sweet potato that you Actually Harvest it's not going to be Even big enough to make a side dish for A meal if you plant corn a typical corn Plant can be anywhere from 5 to 12 feet Tall and it wants its roots to go an Average of six feet deep do you have Enough height for that or will it block Out all the other plants is there enough Wit to accommodate that root that wants To run so deep can the plants are
Growing be planted tightly together or Do they need significant spacing from Each other you can tweak some of the Requirements by giving plants their own Containers also consider the light and Water requirements of your plants with Any of these various growing methods Different plants may require Supplementation of light the nutrients Or or more or less water than other Plants likely you will want to combine Several methods for your area to Maximize your growing capabilities there Are other methods of growing that I Didn't cover here because of time but I Wanted to give you really a quick Overview of the seven most popular and Common methods we will explore some of Them in far greater Hands-On detail in Future videos as we establish my three Growing areas that we talked about in The introduction video others I'll let You explore further if you have a method We didn't cover here that you think is a Great opportunity for someone that's Starting out that's simple please share It in the comments below as always Please stay safe out there
