My Rise Garden has been a tool that I did not expect would have more than one function. Yes, it grows food that tastes good and is a beautiful statement piece in my home. However, its function is far more than just that, it has given me a sense of peace when it comes to caring for my plants and now an even cooler function for my plants and garden next year.
With summer in full swing this year I wanted to try and see if there was a way to jump-start my patio garden. This being the last summer in my condo, I didn't go crazy with a lot of patio plants. So for this experiment, I did have to use my friend's gardens to see how it worked. At the beginning of the summer, I relocated my tomato plants to the outside and they have done amazing! I also grew two catnip plants for a friend's garden.
I am still in trial and error when it comes to the net cup. I didn't think about this with my tomato plants until the roots were too wild to deal with because it was a larger plant when I transplanted it. It was planted with the net cup and has shown no issue so it is still doable. The baby tomatoes are slowly coming in and I can't wait to taste them! With this second wave, I opted not to use the net cup and found using a toothpick to hold the seed pod in place was a fun trick. The toothpick can be removed or planted since it's just wood. Thus far, these have been holding up as well, and I recently planted them outside.
This experiment has taught me that I can't wait to have an additional garden outside and that your Rise Garden can help grow your outside plants. Next year, I will have a full cleaning of the system, then fill it with seed pods that will be relocated outside for summer — turning it into a full nursery in the late spring and early summer. This will give the little plants a month of growth and good root systems that will make them successful when moved outside. As we head into fall and winter, I will continue to enjoy my indoor garden and keep growing the food I love!