Any gardeners out there?

[Frumpalicious]

I started my garden a week ago. I have tomatoes, garden beans (I have no idea what they are, but the packet promised they'd only grow to 18'' tall!), jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, garlic, chives, basil, and tarragon. I'm completely new to this, and no amount of googling will ease my anxiety.

 

We don't have "full" sunshine (as in sunlight beating down all day), but we do have bright light that comes in around the edges of the balcony. If that makes any sense at all. Should I buy a full spectrum light, just in case?

 

Is it safe to use regular potting soil on plants I'll be eating? All of my plants are going to be in pots, by the way. We live on the second floor of an apartment building.

 

My friend also told me to not worry about watering the peppers so much. She told me that "stressing" the plant would make the peppers spicier. How dry should I let the soil get between waterings? Can I keep my peppers next to the garlic? What about strawberries? As I was checking out at the Home Depot, the gentleman at the register told me not to plant them next to one another. One website said that the garlic would repel most insects.

 

And what about squirrels? Is there a humane way to keep them away from my plants when they start growing fruit?

 

And one more little thing. Can I grow lettuce in a bucket? The websites I went to said that lettuce doesn't have much by way of roots, so any 6'' deep container would do. I didn't even know lettuce had roots until that moment. I felt really dumb.

[Artemis]

Nothin, but nothing, keeps squirrels away . . . snarl!

[Witsec7]

Mothballs keep squirrels away. It is safe and beneficial to interplant veggies when container gardening. Try putting some green onions or parsley between your lettuce. Potting soil is fine, you may want to get some good organic fertilizer for when your plants are fruiting, be sure to water it though until it drains out. And yes, stress peppers until they are slightly droopy and don't worry about an extra light, it sounds like you are doing fine.

[Artemis]

Nothin, but nothing, keeps squirrels away . . . snarl!

Mem to self: put mothballs on today's shopping list!

Thank you :)

[ilovetchotchkes]

You can TOTALLY grow lettuce on a balcony! good friend of mine does domestic rabbit rescue fostering and she's in a condo and her buns enjoy fresh homegrown greens all summer long!

[Conuly]

I dip bulbs in a bag of cayenne before planting, and I use that on my birdseed (or I would if I intended to give it to the birds in the first place! I like squirrels so much I just call it "squirrelseed" instead!) so maybe that works on some other things? Nothing where it'd wash off in the rain, I should think, though.

Should I buy a full spectrum light, just in case?

For the outside? Sounds pricey! You know what they used to do in Belgium (so I'm told by my Belgian grandmother)? It's always cloudy and rainy there* and in the towns it can be crowded, so people with small gardens used to (or still do?) put mirrors in strategic location to direct more sunlight onto their plants. Cheaper than a full-spectrum light, that's for sure, and if you add a disco ball you can be stylishly retro! Not that the plants care.

* Yes, always, as in those old songs "Tell me why there's no sun up in the sky... must be Belgium!" and "I love Belgium in the summer, when it's raining. I love Belgium in the fall. When it drizzles. I love Belgium in the winter... it's still raining...."

This is how we entertain ourselves in my family. We correct spelling errors, compete to name state capitals, and sing silly parody songs about Belgian weather. That probably explains a lot about something, but damned if I know what!

[ilovetchotchkes]

Oh! make sure you get something for the beans to climb on if you haven't already! otherwise they'll tangle and make a hot mess. Learn from my last year's fail!

[Witsec7]

Oh! make sure you get something for the beans to climb on if you haven't already! otherwise they'll tangle and make a hot mess. Learn from my last year's fail!

In container gardening (and even in other gardens) you can plant the beans with the tomatoes. The beans will fix nitrogen that the tomatoes need.

[ilovetchotchkes]

In container gardening (and even in other gardens) you can plant the beans with the tomatoes. The beans will fix nitrogen that the tomatoes need.

I'm doing something like this: gardeningknowhow.com/children-in-the-garden/childrens-bean-teepee.htm but i have a humongous yard.

I stupidly planted my beans with my cucumbers last year. It didn't go well. The cukes were FINE, beans? not so much.

Oh and OP! if you drink coffee, put your grounds on your tomato plants! They'll LOVE IT~ they like the acid in the grounds. mine did- we don't drink coffee and I was getting a garbage bag full of grounds from Starbucks periodically for mine.

[doggie]

We don't have much soil that's good for much so most things grow in pots. Not much interested in growing veggies but I try fun things. I have three pots of carniverous plants. lot of different plants in each. Venus flytraps one that's black. sundews and pitcher plants in lots of colors and shapes. two sea berry bushes that are supposed to make orange tasty berries some raspberries and a big planter with strawberries. Since we are limited I get high quality plants so I can get exactly what I want. The strawberries we had a choose with lots of varieties and good descriptions of what they were like.

[ilovetchotchkes]

We don't have much soil that's good for much so most things grow in pots. Not much interested in growing veggies but I try fun things. I have three pots of carniverous plants. lot of different plants in each. Venus flytraps one that's black. sundews and pitcher plants in lots of colors and shapes. two sea berry bushes that are supposed to make orange tasty berries some raspberries and a big planter with strawberries. Since we are limited I get high quality plants so I can get exactly what I want. The strawberries we had a choose with lots of varieties and good descriptions of what they were like.

I LOVE carnivorous plants. I'm going to grow some in containers and bring em in at the end of the season to use as house plants. There's just something Evil Genius like awesome about them.

[Witsec7]

Doggie do you have any Darlingtonias?

[doggie]

I LOVE carnivorous plants. I'm going to grow some in containers and bring em in at the end of the season to use as house plants. There's just something Evil Genius like awesome about them.

Depending on what you have the outdoor plants need to stay outdoors. Venus flytraps need to be outside year around. I think they are good down to zone 5 or 6 or less. They require the cold to be healthy. mine are all outside year around. Now I do have tropical ones that are houseplants and they can't take it outside year around. but most of the outdoor plants are hardy and do fine. I did not know that till I started getting into them and found out they like it outside. they want bright very hot sun and cold in the winter. the flytraps you see in the stores the poor things in a terrarium are unhappy plants. they want to be outside and do poorly in the house.

here are my indoor ones. sundews and one called a staghorn that forks some butterworts and the hanging one are pitcher plants.

[doggie]

Doggie do you have any Darlingtonias?

No because I am lazy and they are ugly (G) they take a lot of work to really do well they like to be watered daily or have water running over their roots all the time.

well they are cool looking but too much work and a pot of them is about 50.00

[Deleted03]

oooo I started basil and mint inside.... most of the basil seeds took, only five of the mints :( I have parsley but was waiting to start it outside. Want to have rosemary and lemon balm to scare the mosquitoes away (I'm a living beacon). Last night I took out some of the basil seedlings because I had more than one in most cells. But since two rows of cell did not produce anything I put them in those ones with new soil. They seem to be doing ok... Hopefully I did not kill them.

My last frost date is in may so I'm waiting impatiently to put them outside. Anyone knows how long is takes for the seedlings to produce real leaves?

[Witsec7]

No because I am lazy and they are ugly (G) they take a lot of work to really do well they like to be watered daily or have water running over their roots all the time.

well they are cool looking but too much work and a pot of them is about 50.00

I liberated a few many years ago and planted them creekside at the farm, last time I peeked at them 3 years ago they were doing fine and the colony had grown.

[doggie]

I liberated a few many years ago and planted them creekside at the farm, last time I peeked at them 3 years ago they were doing fine and the colony had grown.

that's what they want. otherwise they take a lot of work.

[Conuly]

Don't worry about how few mint plants took, those that are established will last FOREVER.

[Deleted03]

Don't worry about how few mint plants took, those that are established will last FOREVER.

Yeah I heard that, but they'll be in pots... I can't plant anything in the small patch of grass in front of the patio!

ETA: I might be getting some primrose too... I dunno yet...

[polabear]

If you get enough sun, you can grow just about anything in a container. I've been growing tomatoes in containers because we used to rent. We have a house now, but keep putting off putting in a raised garden. So, I'm sticking with containers. I have a pinterest of what I'm growing this year:

http://pinterest.com/knittergail/in-my-garden-2012/

I'm doing a lot of dwarf tomatoes - usually I do full size. I'm worried my backyard doesn't get enough sun really. I had a horrible year last year, but I planted really late and then it got really hot. So I didn't get much fruit set on my tomatoes. my peppers were happyy, so who knows.

[Frumpalicious]

Nothin, but nothing, keeps squirrels away . . . snarl!

Yeah, from what I can gather, I'd have to seal my entire balcony in chicken wire in order to keep them away - and that's if they don't chew through it.

[Frumpalicious]

Mothballs keep squirrels away. It is safe and beneficial to interplant veggies when container gardening. Try putting some green onions or parsley between your lettuce. Potting soil is fine, you may want to get some good organic fertilizer for when your plants are fruiting, be sure to water it though until it drains out. And yes, stress peppers until they are slightly droopy and don't worry about an extra light, it sounds like you are doing fine.

I'll have to grab a can of them. Now, what do I do with them? Just put them in trays? What about other animals? Will it harm the animals I do want to attract (like butterflies)?

[Frumpalicious]

You can TOTALLY grow lettuce on a balcony! good friend of mine does domestic rabbit rescue fostering and she's in a condo and her buns enjoy fresh homegrown greens all summer long!

That's a wonderful thing your friend is doing, Chotchkes. :) Does your friend use a specific type of container? Or will a 4" plastic box work?

[Frumpalicious]

I dip bulbs in a bag of cayenne before planting, and I use that on my birdseed (or I would if I intended to give it to the birds in the first place! I like squirrels so much I just call it "squirrelseed" instead!) so maybe that works on some other things? Nothing where it'd wash off in the rain, I should think, though.

For the outside? Sounds pricey! You know what they used to do in Belgium (so I'm told by my Belgian grandmother)? It's always cloudy and rainy there* and in the towns it can be crowded, so people with small gardens used to (or still do?) put mirrors in strategic location to direct more sunlight onto their plants. Cheaper than a full-spectrum light, that's for sure, and if you add a disco ball you can be stylishly retro! Not that the plants care.

* Yes, always, as in those old songs "Tell me why there's no sun up in the sky... must be Belgium!" and "I love Belgium in the summer, when it's raining. I love Belgium in the fall. When it drizzles. I love Belgium in the winter... it's still raining...."

This is how we entertain ourselves in my family. We correct spelling errors, compete to name state capitals, and sing silly parody songs about Belgian weather. That probably explains a lot about something, but damned if I know what!

You know, I was actually thinking about doing that. I'm worried I might forget about it in the dead of summer and accidentally fry my peppers. :lol:

[Frumpalicious]

In container gardening (and even in other gardens) you can plant the beans with the tomatoes. The beans will fix nitrogen that the tomatoes need.

Even greenbeans? That's awesome! So I should probably get a very sturdy trellis, then?