Can you get your paws on some legitimate vegetables that are old enough to swap them out in your system and make it look like that's all you've got growing? Around here, garden centers still have tons of 12" tall herbs and such. You could probably get away with washing all the dirt off the roots, plopping them in some hydroton, and putting them in your system just before the landlord shows up. The big problem would be what to do with your babies! I'm afraid that taking them out of the system for even a few hours would be too much of a shock. Maybe a BIG rubbermaid tub with some moisture in it to put them in- close it up, put a basket of dirty socks on top of it- and be there- the landlord isn't going to be opening boxes with you standing over him. I'm a landlord myself. I leave my tenant's shit ALONE. What I don't know won't bite me in the ass.