Gardening in hanging planters?

I am a city condo dweller, and I am itching to grow things. Unfortunately although we have 2 decks, neither gets much sun, nor does the yard (which I doubt the other building residents would be thrilled to have me turn into a food garden anyway). So hanging planters it is - I am thinking of trying a couple different kinds of heirloom cherry tomatoes, and maybe some strawberries. I have 4 14" planters so far, and can acquire more if needed.

Any tips for taking care of the planters or techniques or things that are easier/harder to grow this way? I though of tomatoes and strawberries because they are both so much better homegrown than from the grocery store, and because they are pretty to look at.

The challenge in addition to lack of sunlight, is going to be moisture--the smaller the container, the faster it will dry out. Those hanging tomato bags you see advertised have the same issue-- they dry out quickly and you don't end up with anything. If you do decide to try a tomato plant, go with something hardy like a Patio (cherry) tomato.

Strawberry plants are pretty good in containers, though the lack of sun will likely impact fruit production. I'd focus on herbs and lettuces-- sun less of a factor, easier to keep hydrated, still pretty and they'll actually save you some money since fresh herbs and good lettuce/arugula can be pricey.

Well, the main reason I though of planters is that the reason we have so little sun is that we are on the first floor, so the decks are shaded by the apartment above. But the flowers I planted last year in a hanging planter were quite happy. Herbs have done OK in pots on the deck floor, as long as I put them near the edge where they get at least some sun. And yes, I did have to be careful about keeping everything watered!

Strawberries and tomatoes both require full sun - meaning, bright sunlight for at least 6-7 hours a day, preferably more. In my 50 years of gardening experience, the only fruiting plants with which I have had consistent success in iffy sunlight conditions are chiles, though I have had some success with teardrop-type tomatoes, as the blossom-end rot issues are minimal. Try "Yellow Pear," a variety supposedly developed by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. (It's a space hog, though.)

Flowers are easy. Getting flowers to set fruit and bear it to maturity can be a big problem.

Probably not the solution for you, but I've been using these with great success (at Home Depot and Lowe's).

http://www.emscogroup.com/products/prod ... gory_id=60

It's a cheaper knock-off of the Earthbox. It's self-contained (you pre-fill with fertilizer, soil and dolomite and then wrap Visqueen over the top to limit evaporation) and it rolls around on casters. Maybe this is a compromise for the yard? Tomatoes and herbs grow quicker than those planted directly in soil. I had basil up the wazoo last year.

spinynorman99 wrote:I had basil up the wazoo last year.

Sounds painful.

Weird - somehow the reply notifications were going to my spam filter! Ah well, some developments:

- I think I am going to try the cherry tomatoes in one of the window boxes on the back porch, which has a nice southern exposure (I grew morning glories there last year with great success). I have plastic string leading up to the porch above, and the tomatoes can grow up that if they feel like it.

- Maybe I should hang a couple of baskets back there instead? There isn't room for more than 1 or 2. But I could try the strawberries there, and just plant flowers and/or herbs on the side deck, which has a north exposure.

- The huge tree in our front yard that is the reason for the lack of sun has been causing problems with invasive roots growing into our water main, and we may end up having to have it cut down for that reason. As much as I hate to damage a nice old tree, I don't want it to continue causing structural problems with the building. But that will have to be sorted out with the condo association.