Gardening and herbs on the go.

[eDJ_]

If I were moving back and forth from one southern spot to one northern spot a couple times a year and purchased plants in the area I was to be in, from local sources and planted them in the area that I would inhabit,  I wouldn't be transporting anything across state lines.  The notion of having fruit trees in one of two camps I would live in is appealing.  Thus nothing is transported.   Just saying.   All I'm transporting across state lines is my Van and myself.  

Same way  with garden plants such as tomatoes. These would be purchased at local nurseries or grocery stores/WalMart's which sell plants.

 

[RowanFae]

@DebA
Micro-greens would be great! Quick harvest times and so nutritional. Imagine how green and pretty your van wall would be.

 

[Dingfelder]

I'm growing sprouts now.  Really liking it, as it keeps fresh veggies always at hand if you keep planting a little every day.  If you have plenty of water you can use jars or other typical methods, and if you have little or want to use little, or want big sprouts, you can grow in soil.  I used to do only the former but due to water considerations am experimenting with the latter for now.  

P.S.:  Pea shoots are really delicious!

 

[RowanFae]

I saw a video where this kid used coconut fiber mats instead of soil to grow microgreens.  You do have to soak the fiber mats in water, so maybe not as water efficient as soil but I liked how the fiber mats seemed to work as plates LOL.

I have never grown sprouts or microgreens but it is definitely something I will be getting into soon.  I love sprouts and the idea of growing my own appeals to me.

 

[Dingfelder]

It's really worth investigating, ,IMO.  Sprouts are highly nutritious and don't take up much room, either in the fridge or while growing.  I get a sort of kick out of growing on the cheap what can be very costly in the store, too.  Many sprouts you can't even find in the store, and some are crazy expensive, like pea shoots, but not bad at all grown at home.  You can get seeds in the mail too ... but don't let them sit out in a hot mailbox for long.

If things get too hot -- like a 100 degree van -- then growing may be tough.  

I can suggest a couple of books for you that I've found useful:

The Sprout Garden

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037CFA7G/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and

Year-Round Indoor Salad Gardening:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01315U2A8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The first is solely about planting in soil, which turns out to be easier than I thought it would.  The second is about planting all kinds of different ways, including jars, bags, special containers, etc.  Both have good info, but the first one covers more different types of sprouts and is a much better introduction to the topic.  It's written in a silly style, but is good and has a great chart in the back showing growth requirements of many many seeds.  Excellent for quickly flipping to when you need to look it up.

The second is heavily padded, but by the guy trying to convince you that his method is great rather than trying to sell you extra junk.  And he repeats himself a lot with some rather dull stories.  AND it's quite expensive for this kind of book.  

But ... both are good.  If I had to pick only one, I'd pick the first, but think RV dwellers might find the second one more useful because it may be easier to haul soil around than water, and you need very little rinsing with soil sprouts, because they grow straight and drop their own seed hulls for the most part.  In jars, sprouts tend to grow in all sorts of directions and it can take a ton of water-intensive, and time-intensive, effort to get the hulls out.  Also you can grow soil sprouts in any container, and don't need heavy glass jars or pricey and bulky specialty trays.  I use 3x6 foil trays and tuck them away in the usual cheap, lightweight plastic cabinets that nomads love.  Other reasons too, like not needing to find room to let multiple jars drain their rinse water out.  Soil sprouts need little water, no draining, and little if any rinsing.

Anyway, that should get you started.  I've seen a fair number of sprouting books at the library too, if you want to check that out.

 

[Dingfelder]

Oh P.S.: re coir, it is often processed in a way that leaves it with high concentrations of salt. Careful gardeners don't just give it enough water to inflate itself, but change the rinse water several times over to try to get rid of some of the salt. In general, coir is very easy to use, but the salt thing can be a big deal.

As to coir mats, I have no idea what kind of processing they might have gone through ... but something is triggering an alarm bell in my head about that. I prefer knowing things are "food safe," but YMMV.

Also, microgreens are considerably more time-consuming and difficult to grow than sprouts. They are commonly grown with grow lights, etc. Sprouts you can grow mostly if not entirely in the dark. I would skip it if you are hoping for usable quantities grown in a small space.

 

[Sylvan Secrets]

Truly creepy! <br>

How so?

 

[highdesertranger]

mockturtle hasn't been on the forum for over a year and a half, so I don't think you are going to get an answer from her.

I reread some of the beginning of this thread and found it utterly amazing that some were advocating planting edible plants at various places.

PLEASE DO NOT plant non-native plants anywhere on public land. need I say more. highdesertranger

 

[yugogypsy1963]

<div><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I could see using a car top carrier if they weren't so expensive. The soft ones just won't work for obvious reasons which leaves us with the hard shells as the logical choice. A cursory check online shows used ones running around $300.&nbsp;</span><div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">A more economical route might be sterilite containers. The upside is that everything is contained and you can cover it with a lid while traveling. The downside is that there's no drainage which is critical to plant survival. There's also the added challenge of keeping it alive after travel which isn't easy due to strain it puts on the plant. This doesn't take into account any laws that may prohibit the transportation of certain plants across state lines.&nbsp;</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Unless someone has found a way around all this I don't know if a mobile garden is possible.</div></div>

IF you have Freecycle or something of that nature in your area, you may be able to find a cheap or FREE (which is always great) carrier that you could use. I had a plastic dinghy I used in my garden for a few years and I simply drilled some drain holes in it so it didn't get soggy.

 

[ncdottie]

Sprouts need only pan and some paper towels. It's not that hard.

Many herbs don't need any more than a pot of petunias do. It's the bother of it that puts most people off. And what do you save after buying the pots and the soil and the plant food and the bug spray?

I particularly like fresh basil on tomato and cheese sandwiches. I can get a plant at the grocery for a coupe bucks, stick it in a plastic ice cream container with a hole in the bottom, fill it up with local dirt, and use the plant until it's gone or dead. Then, I get another plant.

This works because I have a weakness for one particlar easily grown item. But trying to grow ones own major herb needs would probably cost more in trouble and money than it's worth. As for berry or food crops, good luck competing with the wildlife and/or controlling pests and diseases if you aren't there all the time to do it. Successful gardens take lots of time and diligence.

 

[ncdottie]

Thanks Guy for the tips on growing onions.  I love it.  I will try it.