Garden/greenhouse on a boat?

[ScottC]

Thanks for this! I wonder if this might be adaptable for growing garlic and onions - 2 staples for us. Might not be necessary since they both store really well and we could just stock up periodically. Green onions, though...

I think it would. But only if you don’t have a cat on board. Munching onion-family greens can be deadly for cats.

 

[Lou_tribal]

I do not know how many you are aboard nor the size of your boat but do you realize the surface you will need to grow enough vegetables just for two to be able to be "self sufficient"?
Except if you are on a lettuce diet you will need different vegetables, with different growing speed and soil etc.
Any experience with an outdoor garden on land that would provide you enough volume to be "self sufficient"?

L

 

[BeeJay]

You might be able to pick up a boat all set up for your needs. https://www.wptv.com/news/state/marijuana-grow-boat-busted-in-southwest-florida

 

[catalinajack]

Basil in an AeroGarden grows quite prolifically. We use a LOT of basil. We never run out, summer or winter, with basil grown in our AeroGarden. However, as one poster pointed out, the lights are VERY bright. They are on for 16 hours per day. So, when used inside, one needs a space that does not annoy when the lights are on. Last winter (Maryland) I started keeping the garden in our forward head in which the temps would go down into the high forties at times. The basil did not like that. I had to bring the garden back into the main cabin. I took to placing a cardboard box over the entire garden. Worked quite well. Anyway, if you choose an AeroGarden, consider the 16-hour light program.

 

[mvweebles]

At home, I've used vertical gardens with success. Lettuce is seed to table in about 6 weeks. Swiss chard and bok choy also grow well. Tomato plants are too big.

Here is an example of a system. Uses recirculated water with fertilizer. I guess could be used on a boat deck or sun deck. I don't care for the grow buckets, but the tower is fine. Would have to be supported

http://www.vertigro.com/Verti-Gro-Single-Tower-Garden-Automatic-p/vg1.htm

 

[Donny Bahama]

I do not know how many you are aboard nor the size of your boat but do you realize the surface you will need to grow enough vegetables just for two to be able to be "self sufficient"?
Except if you are on a lettuce diet you will need different vegetables, with different growing speed and soil etc.
Any experience with an outdoor garden on land that would provide you enough volume to be "self sufficient"?

Hi, Lou! It’ll just be my wife and I (and 2 dogs who will probably also eat some veggies). We don’t have a boat yet but we’re targeting something in the 40-46’ range. Yes, we’ve had gardens in the past and we’ve seen how prolific some plants can be. We’ll probably have to do some canning so that nothing goes to waste in the abundant times. I doubt we’ll produce enough veggies to be truly self-sufficient but every step in that direction is a step toward spending less and having delicious, wholesome food. And, as any gardener knows, food that you grow yourself tastes a lot better.

 

[Lou_tribal]

Hi, Lou! It’ll just be my wife and I (and 2 dogs who will probably also eat some veggies). We don’t have a boat yet but we’re targeting something in the 40-46’ range. Yes, we’ve had gardens in the past and we’ve seen how prolific some plants can be. We’ll probably have to do some canning so that nothing goes to waste in the abundant times. I doubt we’ll produce enough veggies to be truly self-sufficient but every step in that direction is a step toward spending less and having delicious, wholesome food. And, as any gardener knows, food that you grow yourself tastes a lot better.

What kind of vegetables do younthink you would be able to grow aboard a 46' boat?
Do you foresee to be able to grow carrots, zucchini, potatoes, califlower etc?


L

 

[Donny Bahama]

What kind of vegetables do younthink you would be able to grow aboard a 46' boat?
Do you foresee to be able to grow carrots, zucchini, potatoes, califlower etc?

Cherry tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, snap peas. Maybe a small variety of bell peppers. I don’t think root vegetables or vining plants that spread out a lot are going to be feasible. I’ve never tried to grow cruciferous vegetables so I have no idea how they would do in a confined space. As I mentioned, the plan would be to use the v-berth as a garden room, so if it can’t grow well there, I’ll have to grow something else.

 

[Mako]

Donny, growing tubers inside your cabin is such a not-goodly idea for so many reasons. How about focusing instead on herbs and "small" veggies and constructing an aeroponic (or perhaps hydroponic) greenhouse that you can fasten up on deck or your flybridge?

 

[Donny Bahama]

Donny, growing tubers inside your cabin is such a not-goodly idea for so many reasons. How about focusing instead on herbs and "small" veggies and constructing an aeroponic (or perhaps hydroponic) greenhouse that you can fasten up on deck or your flybridge?

I agree that tubers aren’t going to work. (Besides, potatoes and onions store really well in a cool, dry place - dry will be the trick part there.) I am focused on herbs and “small veggies”. A greenhouse on the flybridge is a really interesting idea if the boat we buy has a big, spacious flybridge. But I still may convert the v-berth for growing herbs and small veggies.

 

[Simi 60]

There is a FB page I am on about gardening on boats and sure, people grow veges just fine but after they have had that one salad its a long wait until the next.

 

[Donny Bahama]

There is a FB page I am on about gardening on boats and sure, people grow veges just fine but after they have had that one salad its a long wait until the next.

Thanks for posting that! Would you mind sharing a link to the Facebook page? This is kind of what I was afraid of but I know that flower growers have tricks for making flowers bloom/rebloom with far greater frequency than they otherwise would. I was hoping maybe there were similar tricks for veggies.

 

[Simi 60]

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1142560859117895/

 

[squimmy27]

Herbs definitely. Eventually they get some sort of white fly or bolt and you have to start over. Basil, cilantro (slow bolt from Johnny Seed), parsley (have had more success with curly leaf than Italian). It's been a number of years but we used to sprout lentils for salads which were good and easy.

I would think some varieties of peppers would be compact and durable. Jalapeño, habanero do well. Little goes a long way, especially habanero.

Peter

Not sure if you are looking for the pleasure of growing your own veggies or want the benefit of having them available while on water. Being an avid gardener for years and always having 4-season vegetable garden on land for 30+years, I felt a bit of the loss of the pleasure and benefit. After living on the MC for a year, here's my compromise: I have a 30-gallon marine freezer (which is overkill, I'm going to downside to a smaller unit). I subscribe to a local CSA for weekly pick-ups. What I don't use, I prepare through prepping and then 1-quart quick freeze or make condensed dehydrated powders(these are wonderfully compact, with intense flavors). With all the other work on the MC (bright work, maintenance, upgrades) I don't miss gardening at all! But I have the benefits of organic veggies, it supports local farmers & then I have ingredients at hand. I do keep a small (2'x1') fresh herb box on the flybridge which is a simple guilty pleasure. I agree that is seems a bit silly to force a garden into a v-berth. Where would my cat sleep????

 

[BrianSmith]

Ignore all the naysayers. You're on TrawlerForum, so I assume you have, or will have, a trawler (not a sailboat). Get a Tower Garden, and grow all the food you want.

 

[BrianSmith]

Here's another shot of the Tower Garden, in full splendor. Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, all kinds of herbs, and more peppers than you'll know what to do with.

 

[Lepke]

I don't think that tower could grow all the food I would want. Where do you put the cows and pigs?
You can't grow enough food on the typical boat to make a dent on your food bill. And you probably pay much more for whatever you grow than for an organic food.

 

[franmartini21]

I have had HUGE success with my Tower Garden on our upper deck, and had to overcome a lot of doubts to do it, but it has been wonderful. I did a full write up on Facebook, if you are interested (the link below will take you to FB search results, I think my entry is the second one down, written in 2018.)

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=fran martini tower garden&epa=SEARCH_BOX

Cheers, and happy growing!
Fran

 

[bshillam]

Great idea to grow vertically. If thought out it could really extend the need to provision. However, that's one of the pleasures of cruising. Don't miss the opportunity to explore, see new places and visit with some interesting people. Veggies need fresh water, you'll need fresh water too - big holding tank and water maker if you plan on being out long term.

 

[FF]

Back in the hippy back to nature era ming beans was the second choice , weed 1st choice.

 

[angus99]

My wife rigged up a rail-mounted herb garden that worked well on some of our half-loop. I would not be as amenable to this since we refinished the rails.

 

[mvweebles]

Back in the hippy back to nature era ming beans was the second choice , weed 1st choice.

I assume you bought extra large Zigzag papers for the Mung Beans. Question: how'd you keep them lit?