Hello all.
I would like to use my small amount of outdoor space to make a small edible garden and I'm hoping that the collective wisdom of this forum could help me get started. My dream is that I can tell you what I'm working with and what I'd like to grow and that someone can tell me exactly what I'll need to buy and when to do what. So here goes:
I've got a small 2nd floor fire escape that gets a good amount of sunlight located in Brooklyn, NY. I'd love to grow basil, rosemary and tomatoes and perhaps something else depending what you guys think could survive out there. Last season I had moderate basil and rosemary success and complete tomato failure. The basil and rosemary just never got all that full and the tomatoes never grew above 3 inches seedlings.
I have several small (4"?) plastic pots, a window box like [url=https://urbangardencasual.com/wp-content/uploads/window-box.jpg]this[/url] one and about half a bag of Hampton's Estate Professional Potting Mix (25:10:10) which is what I used last year.
So whaddya think helpful gardeners? Can you make all my dreams come true?
Thanks so much for your reply. "leaves-flowers-roots" is an extremely useful way to understand what those numbers mean. To answer your question, I get 6-8 hours of sun on the fire escape. It faces east and there aren't any tall buildings in that direction so I get direct sun until it passes over the top of the apt.
Marlin, thank you for that tip! I have never heard the leaves/flowers/roots before!
Dan, when I was living in an apartment , I was growing basil, oregano, rosemary, and mint in 10 inch pots. I'd leave them alone until they got to be a considerable size - basil and rosemary about 1 to 1/2 feet tall, oregano and mint when they filled out the pot. When I'd use some for cooking, I'd cut one of the larger low hanging branches and pick the leaves off from the bottom up. When I had enough, I'd trim the stem back to a couple of inches and start a new plant from the cutting. When the weather got to cold, I'd just drag them inside and put them in front of the window. My rosemary, basil, and mint lasted for a couple years this way. I just used regular potting soil with large gravel in the bottom of the pot to help drainage, watered them about 5 times a week (I didn't douse them, just kept giving them some every day, the herbs really like water), and gave them fish emulsion every other weekend and epsom salt once a month. Put the containers as close to the edge of the patio as you can get, maximizing the exposure to sunlight.
As for tomatoes, a 5 gallon paint bucket is what you're after. Drill a few holes in the bottom for drainage and it will work perfectly. I haven't done them this way myself, but have seen it many times.
Dan, when I was living in an apartment , I was growing basil, oregano, rosemary, and mint in 10 inch pots. I'd leave them alone until they got to be a considerable size - basil and rosemary about 1 to 1/2 feet tall, oregano and mint when they filled out the pot. When I'd use some for cooking, I'd cut one of the larger low hanging branches and pick the leaves off from the bottom up. When I had enough, I'd trim the stem back to a couple of inches and start a new plant from the cutting. When the weather got to cold, I'd just drag them inside and put them in front of the window. My rosemary, basil, and mint lasted for a couple years this way. I just used regular potting soil with large gravel in the bottom of the pot to help drainage, watered them about 5 times a week (I didn't douse them, just kept giving them some every day, the herbs really like water), and gave them fish emulsion every other weekend and epsom salt once a month. Put the containers as close to the edge of the patio as you can get, maximizing the exposure to sunlight.
As for tomatoes, a 5 gallon paint bucket is what you're after. Drill a few holes in the bottom for drainage and it will work perfectly. I haven't done them this way myself, but have seen it many times.
Thank you also. I never heard that either. That is going to be a big help.Marlingardener wrote:How much sun does your balcony get? Tomatoes will need at least 6 hours, preferably 8 hours of sunlight. Basil can do with a bit less. Four inch pots are starter pots. A patio/cherry tomato will probably bear more fruit for you than a standard tomato, but either one will need at least a five gallon bucket or its equivalent to grow in. Basil will need a gallon pot, and rosemary, the same or larger.
I prefer potting soil without fertilizer so I can control the amount and kind of fertilizer. The numbers (25-10-10) on your potting soil refer to the amounts of specific content. It's easiest to remember "leaves-flowers-roots" which is what the nitrogen-potassium-phosphorus stimulates. So, for tomatoes you want a higher middle number (flowers=fruit), for basil you want a higher first number since you want the leaves, and for carrots or beets you want a higher last number. Use your current potting soil for basil and rosemary, and even lettuce if you want, and get some without fertilizer for your tomatoes and add something like a 5-10-5 to the soil, following package instructions.
Hope this helps--I'd love to hear that a garden grows in Brooklyn!
I was reading someplace about self watering containers. Would that be wise for a place as hot as a fire escape?starwood wrote: Also, you will need to be very attentive to watering when you grow in pots and the sun gets hot.
Also, I think I'll not begin with seeds this year just to ease my learning curve. Anyone know when I can start growing? Do I just wait until we're past the last freeze of the season? I'm in Brooklyn.
Thanks!
I used to keep them inside by the window until it got about 60 or above. I'd put them outside until the temp started to drop for the night then drag them back in. When it stays above 50 at night, I'd just leave them out. If it was forecasted to go below that, they'd come in for the night. This will help you stretch out the growing season by not having to worry about them being killed by frost. It's more of a pain than just leaving them outside, but it works to your benefit.