Edible gardening in a flat?

Hi Everyone,

Has anyone had success growing veg in the limited space on a flat balcony? I don't have great light either, which I think might be a problem. I'd love my son to see something grow and understand that food doesn't actually grow in the supermarket.

Tips appreciated!

Best,
Lewis

 

I grow strawberries in window box style planters, not due t olack of room but because it's convenient. You can also grow them in hanging baskets - ditto for tomatoes. There are also salads to consider, especially the 'cut and come again' varieties.

How much (or little) light have you got; is it morning or afternoon?

 

Thanks for the quick reply. Mainly morning although there is a smaller balcony on the other side which has more sun in the afternoon - so that might be an option.

 

I have some self-watering troughs (a little vertical pipe that goes down to a reservoir below the compost) that we grow early cut & come again salad in, which would do well on a balcony.

Carrots will hapilly grow in pots - something about 12" diameter and deep would do. Mix the old compost from your other endeavours about 50:50 with sharp horticultural sand. Once it has grown to a "forest" pull the thinnings to leave the remainder about 1" apart, and I guarantee that your Son will enjoy eating them!

If you can bare having a grow bag on the balcony then you could grow Tomatoes, or pretty much anything else that will grow in them. Cucumbers, Peppers etc., although those would probably do better under cover - they might suffer if it is draughty on our balcony - if you are on the 80'th floor or somesuch !!

 

Hi Luido,

I recently bought a book on window sill gardening, it lists dwarf varieties of stuff to grow indoors. I'll bring it back from my caravan next week. You'll have more room on a balcony but bits of it might come in handy.

If you are high up then you'll have no problems with carrot fly to start with.

My window sills have currently got 7 sweet peppers, a couple of chillis, 10 lemon trees, basil, a small rose bush & a date growing on them. So you should have no problems with a balcony.

If you can get the compost there then you can grow the plants.

Radishes are a good quick crop to keep youngsters interest up ( although some find them a bit peppery)

I remember coming home from school at lunch time when i was about 8 & selecting the biggest radishes & dipping them in salt, smashing.

 

Luckily we are only on the ground floor but this also means we don't have the best light. If you can give me the name of that book I'd appreciate it!

 

Hi Luido,

Sorry, just got back from caravan, daughter #1 has had it away with the book,

Found this link for you though,

http://www.pennygolightly.com/2010/02/kitchen-windowsill-gardening/

Hope that is of some use. BTW half of both my veg plots are shaded for nearly half the day, still living off the food from them though.

 

Hi Luido,
There's lot you could grow on a balcony or windiwcill.
It is November so if you want to start straight away these would be my best suggestions.

Pea shoots.
Plant some peas, shoulder to shoulder, in a windowbox or just a deep pot, in some damp compost..
The pea shoots will soon come up.
You can cut the shoots and eat them raw, or stir fried - they taste like fresh peas.
They will shoot 2 or 3 times.
Or you can leave them to grow on for early peas if you feed and water them.

Garlic planted now (just use supermarket stuff) will quickly appear and give you a crop next June/july.

Red Onion sets planted in pot/container now will soon put shoots up.
You can use them as spring onions.

Shallots planted now will put shoots up and give you a good crop for next year.

There is so much you can grow and that is starting from November.