I live in a stilt house on a small island on the Mississippi River in northeast Missouri, I’ve been here just over a year & have been wanting to start growing my own food as well as flowers to sell for extra cash in town. I finally got a way to do it figured out since I can’t put down raised beds or anything permanent on the ground & even using stock tubs wouldn’t work since trying to move those when they are full when a flood is coming in would be a disaster. My deck is too tiny to really do anything with also.
My mom (thanks neighbor!) helped me get this little greenhouse & pontoon to set it on & it just got delivered last weekend. The river decided to start coming up past flood stage a few days ago & still has about another foot predicted to go. So, we had to scramble to have my dad help secure everything today (greenhouse to pontoon & steel-cabled the pontoon to a couple of the concrete pillars my house is on). Thankfully I have a full set of waders to be able to get to the pontoon even if the flood comes up more than predicted this time or in future worse floods 🙂
One big question I’ve got is, can I use the river water for extra nutrients? Or would that not work? I’ve been keeping a couple house plants alive & watching lots of YouTube & but any tips for a newbie greenhouse gardener would be super appreciated, thanks!
by Glowing_Trash_Panda
16 Comments
What a pioneer! No practical advice to offer necause your situation is so unique but do find a way to check water quality! Container plants are especially susceptible to contaminants.
I’ve never wanted a boat so badly
I’m not sure I’d risk the pollution in the river, I mean, especially during the flood stage when waste water is coming from the streets full of road chemicals and sewage overflow. Just one ship with a leakey fuel tank could cost you your whole harvest.
Wow this is brilliant!
Exciting!!!! So happy for your adventure!
Holy crap this is awesome, yes you can use river water, just install a 2″ pipe and put a float on it to keep it out of the mud and buy a simple pentair 2hp pump at hdp and build a basic manifold
Im sure you have thought about it, but you might want to just tether it from just the front of the boat. If the front and back are tied down, and the river rises, could put some odd forces on it, tip it, etc. However I have no clue what the river is like when it rises.
You could also probably grow crops that thrive in riparian zones and would stabilize the shoreline such as elderberry, paw paw, serviceberry.
Or if you really want to get fancy crops that *like* flooding such as rice or wasabi.
Regardless, cool ass setup! Trailblazing!
The Mississippi is one of the most notoriously polluted rivers in the US , and is brackish in some parts with lots of hard water , wouldn’t risk it unless you developed some sort of hydroponics filtration system, which would be pricey but doable .. DOPE setup
Where there is a Will, there is a way. Wishing you good luck!
No! Please no. 🤢I have literally watched a city pour their untreated human waste directly into the Mississippi River more than once.
Do not put a single drop of Mississippi River water in your garden! The levels of e. Coli, salmonella and other dangerous bacteria in the Mississippi River are way too high to be safe to use on anything that you’re going to eat. There are also a lot of heavy metals and other pollutants in the water in Missouri from the old mining industry.
*Edit a word.
It’s so simple yet such a terrific idea! I’ve never cheered on an internet stranger until now. Brilliant.
That is an AMAZING setup. Love your resourcefulness! Do you have a place you could install rain barrels and collect water from your gutters? I’d think river water could be heavily polluted. Especially after floods.
Reminds me of a chinampa (*sp?)
Asparagus is the most water demanding crop I’m aware of. Maybe plant some in a mound ?
That’s the greatest greenhouse foundation I’ve seen. Kudos!