One day we found that our basement apartment had grown a little stuffy. After reading that Gerbera daisies are excellent at cleaning the air, we promptly purchased a yellow daisy for the corner of the room... and then a pink daisy... and then a majesty palm... and then some ivy... and so on until we had two rooms full of plants including fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers growing in soil, soilless mixes, hydroponics, and aquaponics.

This is the story of our garden and how it grew in a basement apartment from a single yellow daisy.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Window Plants


All of the plants in our windows being grown under fluorescent tubes and CFL bulbs. Each is grown in traditional potting mix except the AquaFarm. The circular bulbs at the top are ivy growing from a recycled coke bottle up over a paper lanturn frame placed around a CFL bulb. These serve to light this side of the room which is pretty dark when the grow lights go off at night and are thus on a switch.

Majesty palm (lowest maintenance besides aloe). In a self watering planter that maintains moisture level. Stones on top prevent fungus gnats (and bad dogs in search of a place to hide a bone).

AquaFarm betta fish (yet to be properly named). He feeds the plants, the plants filter the water, and we eat the plants.

Yellow pear cherry tomatoes (grown from seed). All clones in hydroponics posts were taken from these just after the first harvest of fruit. Even after having their tops whacked off they continue to produce. They are auto watered by a terra cotta watering spike hooked to a milk cartoon full of water and nutrients.  (The basil stretching in front is jealous of their light) The is also the only window that ever gets enough light to grow anything on its own.

Strawberries just beginning to set their first fruit with an outrageous bloom rate (hard to keep up with pollinating them by hand). Each of these was grown from barefoot plants and the runners they sent out are now in the hydro set up. (Clay spikes for watering and rocks to prevent gnats)

Yellow Gerbera daisy finally decided its happy and has 4 blooms on it in various states (most since bringing it home last year).

Cilantro sprouting in AquaFarm. I also planted basil, chamomile, rosemary, and thyme, but they are harder to see.

No comments:

Post a Comment