I'd love to get feedback on this! Resources, lack of clarity, questions, whatever you've got. Thanks!
HOW CAN I GROW MORE FOOD USING VERTICAL SPACE?
The problem: I rent half a two-family house. My gardening space is limited to: one bed (6' wide) aligned east-west on the south side of the house (25' long), and one bed (6' w) aligned north-south on the east side of the house (12' l). The south side also has a 25' open porch and ~6' x 3' of usable pavement.
Question: Are there ways to go beyond trellised vines and shrub or tree crops, and increase usable soil volume vertically?
Continue to research available material for relevant concepts- Edible Forest Gardens by Dave Jacke
- Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls by Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kingsbury
- Fresh Food from Small Spaces by R.J. Ruppenthal
- Gardening on Pavement, Tables, and Hard Surfaces by George Schenk
- All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
- Espaliers and Vines for the Home Gardener by Harold Perkins
- Edible Buildings - benefits, challenges, limitations by James Petts, PDF
- "Little Homestead in the City" website
- further book, web research
Idea 1: Design "ladder" planter
- does it already exist? or something similar?
- how can I tie it in to other garden functions?
- vermiculture in bottom? (closer to kitchen than current compost bins)
- what materials? considerations: lightweight, durable, recycled, free/cheap
- is pallet wood feasible?
- could we create something similar with a box spring mattress and wire screen?
- how will screen stand up to time and moisture? Is there something else, lightweight?
- what planting material? - sphagnum moss? - and? -ratio sphagnum moss to compost to soil?
- how best to layer planting material?
- control of moisture - placement under roof drip? too much too fast in storms?
- can we make it in sections so easily (seasonally) movable?
- will it go in the "hoop house" on end of porch? will things continue to grow?
- what needs to be tweaked? angle of ladder? width? depth of "step"
Analyze expected niche and choose desired plants
- east side, south side
- depth of soil, root patterns
- edible forest gardens
- one green world
- fedco seeds, trees
Build several ladder planters, place in different locations and record growth, yields
Idea 2: Build a 7'x7' "hoop house" on south-east end of porch.
Learn more about hoop houses - check with Daniel Botkin - what can I expect?
- will ladder planters go in hoop house? necessary?
- water containers (water for temperature maintenance) - durable, recycled, free/cheap
- summertime hoophouse could heat compost
Idea 3: Some trellises, vines on strings, or espaliered small trees along porch.
- decide which and what
Integrate all 3 ideas.
