Resources for Apartment Growers
Every factual claim in Urban Homesteading: Growing Food in Small Apartment Spaces is drawn from university extension publications, peer-reviewed research, or established reference books. The resources below are the core of that research — linked directly to the original source, not a summary of it.
A note on sourcing: this book intentionally avoids crowd-sourced encyclopedic sites. If a claim matters enough to act on, it deserves a traceable primary source. All links below go to extension service publications, peer-reviewed journal articles, or established seed-company pages — and are credited by institution and author, not just URL.
Any brand, product, or supplier listed here is mentioned for identification and sourcing convenience only — not as a paid endorsement or sponsorship.
University Extension Research
Container & Vertical Gardening
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University of Georgia Cooperative Extension — “Gardening in Containers” (Circular C787)
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/C787/C787.htm -
Virginia Cooperative Extension / Virginia Tech — Relf & Olsen, “Vegetable Gardening in Containers” (Publication 426-336)
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-336/426-336.html -
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — Masabni, “Vegetable Gardening in Containers” (E-545)
https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/vegetable/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2010/10/E-545_vegetable_gardening_containers.pdf -
University of Maryland Extension — “Self-Watering Containers”
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/self-watering-containers -
University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension — “Container Gardening”
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/container-gardening/
Hydroponics Research
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Kratky, B.A. (2004) — “A Suspended Pot, Non-Circulating Hydroponic Method.” Acta Horticulturae 648:83–89. University of Hawaii CTAHR.
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/hawaii/downloads/A_Suspended_Pot_Non-circulating_Hydroponic_method.pdf -
Kratky, B.A. (2009) — “Three Non-Circulating Hydroponic Methods for Growing Lettuce.” Acta Horticulturae 843:65–72. University of Hawaii CTAHR.
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/hawaii/downloads/three_non-circulating_hydroponic_methods_for_growing_lettuce.pdf -
Velazquez-Gonzalez et al. (2022) — “A Review on Hydroponics and the Technologies Associated for Medium- and Small-Scale Operations.” Agriculture, 12(5), 646. MDPI.
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050646 -
Dunn, B. & Singh, H. (2016) — “Electrical Conductivity and pH Guide for Hydroponics.” Oklahoma State University Extension.
https://extension.okstate.edu/
Lighting Research
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Kuijpers et al. (2021) — “Lighting Systems and Strategies Compared in an Optimally Controlled Greenhouse.” Biosystems Engineering, 202, 195–216. Wageningen University & Eindhoven University of Technology.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1537511020303366 -
Kansas State University Extension (Johnson County) — “Lighting Options for Starting Seeds”
https://www.johnson.k-state.edu/programs/lawn-garden/agent-articles-fact-sheets-and-more/agent-articles/vegetables/lighting_options_for_Seeds.html
Aquaponics
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University of Maryland Extension — Franchini et al. (2024), “How to Build a Low-Cost, Small-Scale Aquaponic System” (EM-2023-0698)
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/how-build-low-cost-small-scale-aquaponic-system-em-2023-0698 -
Oklahoma State University Extension / Southern Regional Aquaculture Center — Mullins, Nerrie & Sink, “Principles of Small-Scale Aquaponics” (SRAC Publication No. 5007)
https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/principles-of-small-scale-aquaponics -
Yang, T. & Kim, H.-J. (2020) — “Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Aquaponics and Hydroponics in the Midwestern United States.” Journal of Cleaner Production, 262. Purdue University.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652620329334
Composting
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach — “The Do’s and Don’ts of Composting”
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/smallfarms/dos-and-donts-composting
Organic & Non-GMO Seed Companies
The following companies are specifically cited in the book for organic, non-GMO, or heirloom seed. All mentions are for sourcing convenience — not paid endorsements.
| Company | What they offer | Website |
|---|---|---|
| The Living Seed Company | Certified-organic, open-pollinated, non-GMO seed; Safe Seed Pledge signatory | livingseedcompany.com |
| Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds | 1,000+ open-pollinated, non-hybrid, non-GMO, untreated varieties; rare heirlooms | rareseeds.com |
| Southern Exposure Seed Exchange | Worker-owned cooperative; heirloom and certified-organic seed, Mid-Atlantic/Southeast focus | southernexposure.com |
| Seed Savers Exchange | Nonprofit heirloom seed preservation and exchange; large open-pollinated catalog | seedsavers.org |
| High Mowing Organic Seeds | 100% certified-organic seed company (Vermont); clear labeling of heirloom vs. hybrid | highmowingseeds.com |
| Botanical Interests | Non-GMO seed (organic and conventional lines); detailed growing info on every packet | botanicalinterests.com |
| The Grower’s Exchange | Non-GMO live herb plants and starts; useful for slow-germinating perennial herbs | thegrowers-exchange.com |
Extension Service Archives for Further Reading
- eXtension — National cooperative extension publication network
https://extension.org/ - Oregon State University Extension — Searchable hydroponics, vegetable, and small-farm publications
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog - UGA CAES Field Report — Searchable University of Georgia Cooperative Extension publications
https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/
The full citations list in the book includes live links for every referenced study and extension publication — 20+ sources across containers, hydroponics, aquaponics, lighting, and composting.