Monday, August 3, 2009

You can grow a balcony garden, 5-12 hours of sun!

If you have full sun, you can grow just about anything you want, in a pot. Do you want a rosebush? You can do it? How about a small tree, or a cucumber? Yes!

Let me tell you about some of the things I've grown in pots. First of all, you need to select a pot. A tomato plant, for instance, would like a 15-20 inch pot. That will be enough for you to get plenty of fruit! Cherry tomatoes, in particular, do very well. I have grown red pear, yellow pear, and Matt's Wild Cerry in pots. They all did VERY well, with more than enough for 2 people! When purchasing your supplies, you will want to get a tomato cage in addition to your pot, mulch, and potting soil. Ideally, (as mentioned in my other article), you can get ahold of some compost too.

I have grown them with drainage in the pot (styrofoam peanuts were my favorite), and without. They did well for me, either way.

What about other plants? Well, I have grown full-sized rosebushes EASILY. Reine de Violettes is a personal favorite. It is a gorgeous purple-flowered rosebush, with very fragrant flowers. Cramosi Superior, Double Delight, Katy Road Pink, and Marie Pavie also did very well! I've grown a few dozen in pots, and I can't really think of one that did badly. Do a little research, find out what does well in your area. Don't be afraid to ask a homeowner "What is that lovely rose?", they will probably be happy to tell you.

Bulbs do FANTASTIC in pots, with the exception (for me, at least) of freesia. I always had good luck with hyacinth and narcissius in particular, my husband loves fragrant flowers. You could even grow sweet peas in a pot, if you wanted. Just make sure you give the tall kinds something to climb (like a tomato cage).

If you are going to use a tomato cage, make sure you put it in when you plant the transplant. Otherwise you could hurt the plant.

Flowers? You betcha. What do you like? You can probably grow it in a pot if you have the right amount of sun and the proper climate. I adore marigolds, and I've grown them in everything - the corner of a tomato plant pot, to their own 4 inch pots (took a lot of watering in Houston, though!).

You can buy your own seeds and start them (you can google "starting seeds" for more info), or buy an already-started plant at the nursery. Either way works and if you're having fun, it's the right decision for you.

I just loved growing my own cucumbers (15 inch pot), tomatoes (15 inch to 20 gallon pot), watermelon (20 gallon pot, and boy was it good eating!), canteloupe, and other "impossibilities".

I had so much fun growing my own plants on a balcony, I can't stand the thought of someone thinking they can't. I even grew an orange tree! It was quite happy in it's pot, and I made sure it was a variety suited to container culture.

I always used plastic pots and they worked well. Clay pots dry out too quickly in Houston. I was able to buy some awesome 20 gallon pots (about 2 feet in diameter) from a local nursery when I asked. The pots were very affordable and have lasted for years.

I only have one rule of thumb I learned from a book. Make sure the pot is about 1/3 the size of the plant's finished size. Say I want to grow a 4 foot rosebush. I would need a 15 inch pot minimum. Say I want to grow some 2-foot high greens (kale or collards), I would want the pot to be about 8 inches. Got it?

Now, go have fun!

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