Gardening

[Sailor Amour]

I have been thinking about how to start a garden on our sailboat.  Small garden of course.  Now I am wondering how to go about this  Does anyone else have a garden on their boat or on the dock?  I'm looking for creative no spill or minimal spill potting ideas and maybe veggies that are hardy and resiliant as I live in Florida so they need to be HOT wheather veggies etc.. or even a nice spice garden..  Any ideas on easy keep low space gardens?  Pictures please if you have a garden onboard to share.  Ideas on what to plant are welcome!!  I was thinking maybe pepers of some sort and another veggie I just can't decide what is easy to maintain.

[geraldagotts]

I too have lots of questions re: gardening on board.  In particular I,ve had very little luck finding miniature veggies.  An old friend used to tell me about raising miniature strawberries and tiny tomatoes on board along with many other plants.  Sprouts are another thing I want to try.

I plan on living on board soon (probably another year ) so these will be helpful things to know.

Cheers

Jerry

[geraldagotts]

About the veggie/fruit gardening.  I've tried smaller than usual cherry tomatoes "tiny tims" and they are incredible!  I've also tried Tutti frutti strawberries and although they didn't produce tons of berries the ones they did produce were very good.

Before you ask "where did you get them " an old friend gave them to me to try.  He said try Nichols Nursery "online".  I will order more stuff and let  everyone know.

Jerry

[Latitude 26]

yea I'm about reading to give it another go, our last try was destroyed by a good storm we had blow through here, they were doing great until that hit.

[GordMay]

The majority of vegetables sold as miniatures (baby or midget) are immature specimens of varieties which tend to be small in size and soft in colour. They are sweet in flavour and delicate in texture; for instance, baby corns.

There are, however, true dwarf varieties in which the fully mature fruits or edible portion is usually small. These true miniature vegetables include Tom Thumb lettuce with tennis ball-size head; gold nugget carrots about two to three inches long; and the waxy, firm potato referred as yellow-flesh ladyfinger that is about an inch in diameter and four inches long.

BEETS:
Usually harvested at one inch diameter. Varieties include
Burpee's Gold Beet (BP, LM), Gladiator (GU), Spinel (TM), Chioggia (LM)

CARROTS:
Size at harvest varies from marble size to 4" x 3/4". There are several true miniature types including Gold Nugget (GU), Minicor (LM), Round Paris Market (LM), Golden Ball (PA), Lady Finger (FA, PA), Mini Express (VB)

EGGPLANT:
Easter Egg (TW, VB), Little Fingers (HA)

LETTUCE:
Most popular is a miniature (tennis ball-size) heading lettuce,
Tom Thumb (FA, GU, PA, TM, VB).

ONIONS:
Size at harvest is 1" diameter. Varieties include Barletta (ST), Quicksilver (JO), Silver Queen (ST).
 
POTATO:
Most popular is Ladyfinger (GU), a yellow-fleshed variety which grows 4-5" long and 1" in diameter.

PUMPKIN:
Mini-Jack (GU)

SQUASH:
Often sold with flower attached. Summer types include
Benning's Green Tint (GU, JO), Cousa (ST), Hybrid Daytona (GU). A winter acorn harvested immature is Jersey Golden Acorn (LM)

SWEET CORN:
Sized from 1-2" for oriental dishes and salad bars (Baby Asian (LM), to 4-5" " mini-corn on the cob" sold with husk (Golden Midget (FA, GU, JO, PA)

WATERMELON:
Yellow Doll (LM), Golden Midget (FA, GU, TM).

 
Seed Company Code and Addresses:
    (BP) W. Atlee Burpee Company, 35 S. Briggs Road, Santa Paula, CA 93060
    (FA) Farmer Seed & Nursery Company, 818 N.W. 4th St., Fairbault, MN 55021
    (GU) Gurney Seed & Nursery Company, Yankton, SD 57078
    (HA) Harris-Moran Seed Company, Moreton Farm, Rochester, NY 14624
    (JO) Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine 04910
    (LM) LeMarche Seeds, Int., Dixon, CA
    (PA) Park Seed Company, Highway 254 N., Greenwood, SC 29647
    (ST) Stokes Seeds, Ltd., Box 548, Buffalo, NY 14240
    (TM) Thompson & Morgan, P.O. Box 1308, Jackson, NJ 08527
    (TW) Otis S. Twilley Seed Company, P.O. Box 65, Trevose, PA. 19047
    (VB) Vermont Bean Seed Company, Way's Lane, Manchester Center, VT 05255

See also, the Baby/Miniature Vegetable List from the Digital Raingardens Online Seed Catalog:
? http://www.raingardens.com/seedpage/miniveggies.htm

[geraldagotts]

Thanks ,  That list should easily give me a place to start.  I would have thanked you earlier but I have not been here in a while.

All the best !

[Latitude 26]

I've been big into sprouts lately.  They are easy to grow, taste great and very nutritional.  Soak them for 24 hours, drain and rinse twice a day after that and in 2 or 3 days you have fresh sprouts.