Boat Gardening … Planting an Idea.

Boat Gardening … Planting an Idea.

If you live on a boat, having a garden can be challenging. If you are in a marina and the dock master lets you put pots and containers on the dock by your boat it makes it easier. If not, hanging baskets, window boxes and other container gardens can still be used.

There is no difference in using window boxes and hanging baskets and other containers to have a garden on a patio, on a roof top, or outside of a window then there is on having a garden on your boat. You are limited on the size of what you grow, and you have to consider the amount of light the plants can tolerate.  Watering is also a consideration.

Very little specialized equipment if any is needed at any stage in growing plants in containers. You can start plants from seeds or get plants in small pots ready to transplant from the small containers they come in. Many pre-made, light weight decorative window boxes and flower pots are available at garden centers. You can break up the foam pieces that many things you buy come in and put them in the bottom of your planting containers. These are free, and they can reduce the weight of the planter and reduce the amount of soil needed for the planter. There are many good pre-made potting soil mixes available to choose from. Ones that are light weight, and have something in them that help keep the moisture in the soil are recommended.

You can get creative on where you put your planters on the boat. I liked them hanging just off the gunnel so they hang over the water, in window boxes. They could easily be watered and taken care of, and the mess stayed off the boat.  A hanging basket can be attached to a shroud with a short piece of line using a rolling hitch.  If you live on the boat and it is seldom taken out, you can put plants almost anywhere. If the boat goes out, the planters need to be able to be moved easily. Ours would be put dock side or in the tender.

                       This box can be lifted off the the gun rail and put in the tender below.

       These 2 boxes just hang on the rails over the water...They have small plants in pots in the box.

Flowers, some herbs, radishes, green onions, peppers, cherry tomatoes all can be grown in pots. Flowers and radishes can be grown together. Food plants can grow between flowers and fast growing food plants can be put in with slow growing flowers so that when the food plant is harvested the flowers are well established and the box still looks nice. It is nice to have fresh herbs to cook with right from the garden. You can also eat many flowers. They can make a salad with a visual snap.

Having a garden on your boat is not difficult. You just have to think Flower Box. This blog is to just start you thinking about gardening on board boats. Tips about doing the gardening will come. So think inside the flower box and check for articles to come. 8-)