Garden Log
Re: Garden Log
I don't really know.. You can buy some garden or potting soil and that will work. Others may be able to give better/cheaper options.
Re: Garden Log
Great thread! I must say that I envy the space some of you guys have...
I hope my balcony qualifies as a garden for this thread!
Here goes one pic from about 1 month ago (a bit affected by drought - inexperienced farmer here):
And the first results:
I hope my balcony qualifies as a garden for this thread!
Here goes one pic from about 1 month ago (a bit affected by drought - inexperienced farmer here):
And the first results:
Last edited by Jpsilver on Sat Jul 05, 2014 6:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Garden Log
looks good to me....Jpsilver wrote:Great thread! I must say that I envy the space some of you guys have...
I hope my balcony qualifies as a garden for this thread!
Here goes one pic from about 1 month ago (a bit affected by drought - unexperienced farmer here):
And the first results:
Re: Garden Log
@JPSilver: Congrats on your yield!
It looks like you've got some kind of netting rigged up. What is that for?
It looks like you've got some kind of netting rigged up. What is that for?
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@llorona: the owners have put the net to avoid things from falling down through the railing (I live in the 6th floor). It was here already before I came to this house. It's quite useful now though, since it provides great support for the tomato plants!
Re: Garden Log
Does it not get any sunlight at all? Because with as few as only 3 hours per day you could already grow leafy vegetables (lettuce, kale, spinach...)Chad wrote: Unfortunately, the one issue is it doesn't get any direct sunlight do to the positioning of the building and the roof covering the balcony. This is why I really haven't given it a try.
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Re: Garden Log
I like Mike Lieberman's site. It's a nice blend of gardening info and ERE sensibility.tylerrr wrote:I'm looking for advice. I'm starting from scratch. I live in an apartment and i have a back porch i can use with a tiny yard. I can't dig into the yard.
What do you recommend I start with? I want something I can start growing and eating.....
thanks
http://www.urbanorganicgardener.com/how ... gardening/
Jpsilver's photos reminded me of Mike's first fire escape garden (only better looking than Mike's)
http://www.urbanorganicgardener.com/gar ... re-escape/
Re: Garden Log
@tylerrr - some advice if you want to start on a balcony:
1) Get containers. As a rule of thumb, the bigger the better. Naturally, also the cheaper the better. I bought most of mine in 2nd hand stores by 1€ each. I also got a few for free - they were waiting to be picked up by the garbage truck.
2) The rule I try to follow is that your containers define your seeds, not the opposite. It is much more efficient (cheaper) to buy seeds according to what containers you have than getting into your head that you want to grow this and that and then having to spend crazy money on containers which are appropriate. (I see this as analogous to cooking with the ingredients that you have/are on sale and not buy ingredients just for a particular recipe).
3) If you live in an apartment buy some pot plates, to prevent water from falling down on your neighbors' balconies. Well, here you could think of a better solution if you want to save the money - I bought the plates as emergency, because I didn't plan for this in advance and by the time I realized I had my neighbors from the lower floors going berserk at me because of the water!
I'm with C40: Next season I will definitely grow cherry tomatoes I'm growing normal ones now (Money Maker kind) but they grow a bit too slow, and the plants require big pots.
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thanks everyone for the advice....Planting soon.
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It doesn't get much direct sunlight in the summer. The roof overhangs the balcony too far and the sun is directly overhead the majority of the day. I do get a few hours of direct sunlight in the late fall, winter, and early spring when the sun is lower in the sky, but then the weather is the problem.Jpsilver wrote:Does it not get any sunlight at all? Because with as few as only 3 hours per day you could already grow leafy vegetables (lettuce, kale, spinach...)Chad wrote: Unfortunately, the one issue is it doesn't get any direct sunlight do to the positioning of the building and the roof covering the balcony. This is why I really haven't given it a try.
I should probably just try a couple plants to see what happens, but I dislike trying something I know is very likely to fail.
Re: Garden Log
Squash and Cucumbers. These group really fast. Huge leaves on the squash plant.
And these came way quicker than I expected!
Women like flowers. Plant flowers! Gotta start giving these away I guess.
Peppers! Growing already from small plants.
Strawberries. They taste good but they’re really strong! Seem a little sour maybe?
Cherry tomatoes.
Peppers (right), beans (middle, with one big weed), and cantaloupe on the right (I think)
Supposed to be a flower patch. They’ve been slow to come up and grow. There are about 100 of one type of weed in here that I really need to pull.
The 12-15 square feet of lettuce is giving me much more than I like to eat fresh. I’ve started freezing significant amounts for smoothies.
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Our garden mid-June and now mid-July
unexpected morning harvest
1 cucumber plant yielding surprising number of cucumbers; will be making many more to come ..
Our strawberry patch yielded this year, all last month. Very nice.
Raspberry season now.
We will have many tomato's this year yet again...
Wildflowers starting to bloom..
forum does not like the width of my images and I am to lazy to crop all of them .. so a link to photo album:
http://imgur.com/a/uBpkk/embed
Best wishes!
unexpected morning harvest
1 cucumber plant yielding surprising number of cucumbers; will be making many more to come ..
Our strawberry patch yielded this year, all last month. Very nice.
Raspberry season now.
We will have many tomato's this year yet again...
Wildflowers starting to bloom..
forum does not like the width of my images and I am to lazy to crop all of them .. so a link to photo album:
http://imgur.com/a/uBpkk/embed
Best wishes!
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Re: Garden Log
I broke into the "piggybank" this weekend and collected some new potatoes. Glorious golden yukons that were quickly turned into potato salad.
Sugar snap peas are continuing to produce, maybe one more weekend? Looks like blueberries in two weeks, the branches are straining with the load. Rabbits have developed a taste for young green beans... they might let me have some. And the slugs are getting interested in the onions.
Sugar snap peas are continuing to produce, maybe one more weekend? Looks like blueberries in two weeks, the branches are straining with the load. Rabbits have developed a taste for young green beans... they might let me have some. And the slugs are getting interested in the onions.
Re: Garden Log
Sounds like you need to develop a taste for rabbit . . .
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Re: Garden Log
Finally! I also have a few green tomatoes that were knocked off in a storm. The tomatoes are taking a beating in all of the strong storms. Last week's heat finished off the peas. I'm going to turn over that bed soon and plant more for the fall. The bean vines are growing vigorously, but not many beans yet.
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Re: Garden Log
@ffj - What is that corn extractor gadget? I've never seen one of those.
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What do you recommend to grow during winter?
I have some "Giant Winter Spinach" that I bought last year but never got to sow... Anyone has experience with these? Will they grow well in containers?
I have some "Giant Winter Spinach" that I bought last year but never got to sow... Anyone has experience with these? Will they grow well in containers?
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I'm jealous of all these gardens.
I like in a small studio apartment with little access to sunlight. I don't own much stuff so I have a decent amount of floor space. Is it worth the cost to grow an indoor garden with some kind of UV light to use instead? I don't pay electricity so that wouldn't matter. I'd be happy if I could produce a near daily serving of spinach or kale if possible.
I like in a small studio apartment with little access to sunlight. I don't own much stuff so I have a decent amount of floor space. Is it worth the cost to grow an indoor garden with some kind of UV light to use instead? I don't pay electricity so that wouldn't matter. I'd be happy if I could produce a near daily serving of spinach or kale if possible.
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Me too, given my brown thumbs. But they are lovely pictures to look at. Thanks for all who have posted them.