The Balcony Garden Has Begun!

avatar

Well, kinda, anyway - it's not on the balcony at this point because it's still too cold here, but I planted seeds yesterday that are now sitting on my kitchen counter! :)

garden 2022 1.jpg

I planted crimson clover, turnip, oregano, two kinds of tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, and three kinds of apple seeds. I've been trying to grow trees from seed and had one elm tree live for about three years but then she got hit with some spider mites. Though I treated for the mites, and after all her leaves fell off she grew some new ones all in the same season, it wasn't enough to keep her going and she didn't come back the next year. :(

I had apple seeds sprout before but the seedlings didn't make it past a couple of months. So this time I mixed three different apple species' seeds in the one pot - gala, red delicious, and fiji - and we'll see who sprouts. If all three species sprout, then I'll grow them together and maybe we can get some cross-pollination going on. I know they say that if you plant fruit trees from seed the fruit won't stay true, but that's okay, I'm more interested in growing the tree itself anyway. And if I get multiple species mixing together, maybe I'll still have some yummy apples eventually. :D

garden 2022 2.jpg

The rule here is not to plant outside until about mid-May, so I've got time for them to sprout before it's time to move outside. I've got pots on the balcony but also a flat in the courtyard to grow in because my building started a community garden last year.

I also want to track down some peppermint seeds, but at least I've got most of them started!

What are y'all growing this year? Have you ever grown trees from seed?

gardening garden palnet archon seeds trees food balcony container hivegarden
0
0
0.000
17 comments
avatar

For now I'm just growing chilies and spinach and a variety of herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary), but I plan on starting bell peppers, pumpkin and tomatoes at the end of this month, and anything other interesting seedling I can find at the store.

Really need to get back into gardening. When we got to work from home for almost a year, it was a peak year for the plants.

!LUV

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I did chiles one year and got this HUGE bushy plant and like, 3 chiles. LOL I guess I need to learn to prune them for more fruit production. In my defense, it did start several flowers and I was trying to manually pollenate with a paintbrush, because the flowers didn't start until November, and it was inside by that point. So it may have also just been a matter of not enough sunlight. 😅

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Yeah, I think not enough sunlight cause the flowers to fall, or maybe too little room for roots depending on the container and the chili variety. I had the same experience with cherry tomatoes. 6 big plants, no more than 30 harvested. Flowers kept falling because of the small containers. !LOL

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Yeah it might be a little bit of both. I had them in a 5-gallon bucket, but the plant was like 4 feet tall!

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

You did know that mint from seed will not be true? For true peppermint you need cuttings from a real peppermint plant.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

No, how so? I've grown it from seed before.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

There's something about peppermint, it just can't be counted on to come true. Perhaps it too easily cross pollinates with other mint types. You'll get a mint, but perhaps not peppermint...

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I grow Phalaenopsis Orchids, Really a beauty.
Have a great day.
!LOLZ
!PIZZA
!PGM

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Thanks for stopping by! I do like orchids too. !BEER

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

These are really some beautiful sight to see.
I love gardening and wished that we have planted more tress here, it will give us enough air to ease the heat.
Its really hot and unbearable for now.
Its a good thing to protect your seedlings from the cold.

I love cucumbers, pumpkin clover and tomatoes and I eat all of these.
Let's hope the apples survive this time around. And am really sorry about your elm tree.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Yeah my block is a whole lot of tall buildings, asphalt, and concrete, and not much trees or green at all. We even get a wind tunnel sometimes in between the tall buildings, when the wind howls! But luckily there are at least some trees in the neighborhood if I go for a walk.
This view is from a couple of months ago; that new building going up is taller now. I don't know how tall it's going to be in the end. But you see what I mean about it being all concrete and such here. So I try to make my inside and the balcony green and nice. :)

image.png

0
0
0.000
Reply