>>440200>Tell me more about burnt out seedlings.>You're not using straight compost as potting mix in a balcony or courtyard garden.My garden last season was all grown on compost made from manure, yard waste, and kitchen scraps. When properly aged, it becomes very nice soil. I grew a little over 2,800lbs of vegetables from this. (pic related). Sure, it isn't in an apartment, but everything was free or traded for with crops/eggs, as long as 10 years ago (old fencing and solar fence charger, which are not needed in an apartment). All the block and brick were free from a building being torn down (cost of hauling it here was paid in canned jalapenos I grew).
Now that it is full blown winter I'm growing peppers, pineapple, and herbs indoors. The containers I'm using were free from a friend or were old food containers. Normally, I use free 5-gallon food buckets from a local restaurant. I have the option of either using reflectors I made around the window or using lighting (also free from a friend). I prefer to use the reflectors, but even those I don't technically need it seems (friend is burrowing those).
Gardening just doesn't cost anything for me. The hardest part is processing the harvest. Of course, that's no more work than fixing a meal to eat for dinner....unless you are eating microwaved TV dinners to go with your TV time you are getting paid to do...
