i live in a concrete jungle....

[brinny]

....however, i do have a small roof/balcony outside my window....

i've never grown anything in my life (i have the antithesis of a "green thumb")

any chance i might be able to grow tomatoes in that small space (or anything else?)

 

[miss-a]

Definitely! Lettuce and cukes also will grow in pots well. Check some of the info on the thread on this forum called Vege Gardening, great tips on indoor growing, that would work also for a warm outdoor space. I'm not sure where you are, but tomatoes like heat as do cukes. Lettuce prefers cooler temps. If you have any specific questions to get going or once you have started, always feel free to pm me. I don't know everything, but have a good amount of experience and love gardening.
Blessings,
a

 

[keith99]

How much sun does it get?

Tomatoes and Peppers can grow in pots, but if you have a North facing balcony I would bet they produce little to no fruit.

Container gardening can be tricky, or perhaps I should say less forgiving. So easy to over or under water. I strongly suggest making sure the water can drain out and strongly consider a system where you water from the bottom.

Pay attention to the seasons. Summer has ended. A lot of what people think of first are now out of the question. No Tomatoes, no peppers, no beans.

Lettuce, cabbage and peas are the order of the day. Oh and carrots which at least in Southern California work any time.

 

[sk8Joyful]

i live in a concrete jungle....however, i do have a small roof/balcony outside my window....

i've never grown anything in my life (i have the antithesis of a "green thumb")

any chance i might be able to grow tomatoes in that small space (or anything else?)

You bet Brenda - Here, check out this fantastic Forum : Square Foot Gardening full of bountiful info with
detailed pictures by helpful members... HAPPY Gardening...

 

[brinny]

Thank you miss-a and keith.

Thank you Annie for the link. God bless you!

 

[lifesinsane]

Growing tomatoes in containers is not that difficult, you just have to keep them moist. The probably will dry out quickly on a rooftop so you may need to water more than once a day or put some of that moisture retaining material in the dirt to help control the moisture content and not let your plants dry out. Peppers of various types, okra, and certain vines like passion fruit can be grown in containers too.

There are plenty of resources on line for container gardens so if you need more details then google most likely has all the information you would want for nothing more than your time.

Good luck!!!

 

[If Not For Grace]

Herbs are geat in pots and you can combine several varities in one pot. Squash and Eggplant have lovely blooms and will yeild small quanitites in pots allthough you have to "stake" the eggplant same is true w/tomato or bell pepper or else the weight of the yeild will break the plants-If you have a rail you can use ties to hold em up, but like the others say, it's a late season now. Depends on the climate.

 

[sk8Joyful]

You bet Brenda -
Here, check out this fantastic Forum : Square Foot Gardening
full of bountiful info with detailed pictures by helpful members... HAPPY Gardening...

got a Gardening-process UPdate, Brenda ?

 

[brinny]

Oh, i had forgotten about this thread LOL

i haven't started gardening because of the lateness and the winter approaching, but i do plan to, out on my rear "patio" (it's not really a patio, it's a small over hang of the roof over the apt below me) What i gotta consider is how much sun the plants need, etc.

There is, however a small rose bush that somebody planted a year or two ago, in a tree plot, and it's thriving. I love that little rose bush. I pray over it, cuz it's in a hostile environment.

 

[wayfaring man]

Hi brinny,

I've been doing some medium scale container growing (around 50-60 containers) for over a year now and find it very rewarding, health-promoting, and praise + thankfulness inspiring !

I'm a fan of recycling + reusing things, so cost is minimal.

Am eating raw/fresh arugula, green beans and peas as I write, which came from containers on east and south side of dwelling.

There's plenty of info on the internet - suggest going/being as organic as possible.

[See my "Role of Organic Sulphur" thread for link to a very interesting article that ties to the virtue of growing organically...and doesn't it make perfect sense that the natural/God-given substances would generally excel in goodness far beyond this world's competing synthetics and "mass produced manufactured products"?!!

I also see a strong parallel between gardening and Salvation... the fruits thereof are free, though they are also somewhat dependent upon our attendance and devotion, in order to serve as God has intended.

And if one were to give a dollar for a tomato (say), that dollar would not be for the fruit (per se), but in compensation for the care and conveying of said fruit; with the fruit itself being God's gift, (especially if it's a heirloom variety) !

Heirlooms are freely "passed down" from one generation to the next...while some patented hybrids seek to breach the "God-given cycle" for the sake of corporate greed.

And as they heard these things, [Jesus] added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. <-----> Luke 19:11-13


Occupy the godly traditions, which The Lord has instituted for the good of man !!!



wm

 

[brinny]

Hi brinny,

I've been doing some medium scale container growing (around 50-60 containers) for over a year now and find it very rewarding, health-promoting, and praise + thankfulness inspiring !

I'm a fan of recycling + reusing things, so cost is minimal.

Am eating raw/fresh arugula, green beans and peas as I write, which came from containers on east and south side of dwelling.

There's plenty of info on the internet - suggest going/being as organic as possible.

[See my "Role of Organic Sulphur" thread for link to a very interesting article that ties to the virtue of growing organically...and doesn't it make perfect sense that the natural/God-given substances would generally excel in goodness far beyond this world's competing synthetics and "mass produced manufactured products"?!!

I also see a strong parallel between gardening and Salvation... the fruits thereof are free, though they are also somewhat dependent upon our attendance and devotion, in order to serve as God has intended.

And if one were to give a dollar for a tomato (say), that dollar would not be for the fruit (per se), but in compensation for the care and conveying of said fruit; with the fruit itself being God's gift, (especially if it's a heirloom variety) !

Heirlooms are freely "passed down" from one generation to the next...while some patented hybrids seek to breach the "God-given cycle" for the sake of corporate greed.

And as they heard these things, [Jesus] added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. <-----> Luke 19:11-13


Occupy the godly traditions, which The Lord has instituted for the good of man !!!



wm

Thank you William. Your post is a blessing and an edifying message all at once. A great contemplation and meditation...organic gardening and the yielding of the blessings.....

I will be looking at how to start very small as i build my skills and confidence.

God bless you.

 

[wayfaring man]

You're Welcome In The Lord !

Love the way you can keenly appreciate sincere efforts to share things from The Lord & His Word !

wm

 

[RoadWarrior]

I've grown tomatoes simply by laying a sack of cow manure flat, cutting a large "X" in each half of the bag and sticking a tomato plant in the center of each "X". Sticking a bamboo or other stick through the bag and into the ground underneath will not only create a drain hole, but give the growing plant some support. If it's laying on a concrete patio or balcony, then make sure the sack has a couple of drain holes in it and find another method to give the plants support such as using a balcony rail.

 

[brinny]

Thank you William and RoadWarrior. Your responses have been most encouraging and practical. God bless you.

 

[gideon123]

yes ... it's time for you to turn that concrete jungle into a nature-friendly garden. Get a few planter boxes. Try some flowers and vege's. Pick some things that are really easy to grow - talk to your local garden center. Try to arrange that your plants can have some sun and some shade. No big deal. Use a simple object like a chair or table to provide some sun cover when the days are too hot. When it's cool - give them more sun. Water them every day or so - but just in small amounts. Just a sprinkle. Before long ... you will discover what each plant likes

Here's the thing .. just have FUN being in your garden.
It's a break from the world, and a great break from stress.
Once you enjoy it - everything else will fall into place

cheers,
Gideon123

 

[Copperhead]

You can also plant and grow tomatoes UPSIDE DOWN! Yep, there are kits for growing hanging tomatoes. My mom does this, and she gets a serious crop of tomatoes from a couple of plants.

Burpee seeds now had a sweet corn hybrid that is designed for pots. You can plant 9 seeds in a 24" pot and get 2-3 very good yellow and cream ears of sweet corn per stalk.

I would recommend you get a book called "Square Foot Gardening", available at all online bookstores. Great book. It is amazing how much can be grown in a small area. Something like a 2' x 4' box, can be divided into 8 - 1' squares. In that area, you could have up to 36 carrots in a square foot, same for radishes. 4 potato plants, or any number of other items. Even cantalope, watermelon, cucumbers, etc. They can grow vertical out of on of the squares. Just need support fencing for them to grow up on. Same for beans and peas. You can get as much from a small balcony garden as someone with a typical backyard garden depending on space and how you use it. And with this "Square Foot Gardening" plan, you only need 3 equal components..... peat moss, compost, and vermiculite. That last one is a volcanic rock that has been heated and has the same look as popcorn. It retains moisture. It is available thru Lowes and some gardening outlets. Neat thing is, the soil will never compact so you do not have to dig like a fool. You only add more compost to bring up the level of the mix each year. It is light and this whole setup can easily be dismantled if moving.

There are a couple of books in the Square Foot Gardening series. Both are reasonably priced and filled with lots of fantastic information and ideas. Must have for anyone "playing in the dirt' with plants.

 

[gideon123]

agree that you can get started quickly.
suggest you get some large pots or a planter box.
fill with dirt. look around at seeds, or buy small tomato plants from local nursery.
planter boxes are available from your gerdening store i like them better because you can nail trellaces and rails to them.
now is a good time to be thinking about Spring planting ... depending on your local climate and when things warm up.

gideon

 

[keith99]

You can also plant and grow tomatoes UPSIDE DOWN! Yep, there are kits for growing hanging tomatoes. My mom does this, and she gets a serious crop of tomatoes from a couple of plants.

Burpee seeds now had a sweet corn hybrid that is designed for pots. You can plant 9 seeds in a 24" pot and get 2-3 very good yellow and cream ears of sweet corn per stalk.

I would recommend you get a book called "Square Foot Gardening", available at all online bookstores. Great book. It is amazing how much can be grown in a small area. Something like a 2' x 4' box, can be divided into 8 - 1' squares. In that area, you could have up to 36 carrots in a square foot, same for radishes. 4 potato plants, or any number of other items. Even cantalope, watermelon, cucumbers, etc. They can grow vertical out of on of the squares. Just need support fencing for them to grow up on. Same for beans and peas. You can get as much from a small balcony garden as someone with a typical backyard garden depending on space and how you use it. And with this "Square Foot Gardening" plan, you only need 3 equal components..... peat moss, compost, and vermiculite. That last one is a volcanic rock that has been heated and has the same look as popcorn. It retains moisture. It is available thru Lowes and some gardening outlets. Neat thing is, the soil will never compact so you do not have to dig like a fool. You only add more compost to bring up the level of the mix each year. It is light and this whole setup can easily be dismantled if moving.

There are a couple of books in the Square Foot Gardening series. Both are reasonably priced and filled with lots of fantastic information and ideas. Must have for anyone "playing in the dirt' with plants.

I attended a class on Tomatoes a while ago. The presenter pointed out that a lot of people fail with the upside down tomatoes becaseu they select the wrong tomato varieties. The ones that produce huge tomatoes are apt to disapoint.

On that also a general rule is the smallet the individual fruit the more forgiving the plant when it comes ot setting fruit.

 

[Copperhead]

Did not know that. I never really asked my mom what variety she was using. Thanks for the tip!

 

[keith99]

Did not know that. I never really asked my mom what variety she was using. Thanks for the tip!

How big did the plants get?

Since you did not mention the plants becomming a bother I'm going to bet she went with a determinate variety.

What is the difference between "determinate" and "indeterminate" tomatoes? - Growing Tomatoes

Anything reccomended for containers should be good for upside down growing.

I disagree with the link on one point. Up to 10 feet tall for indeterminate tomatoes is wrong. With tall enough support thay can get well past that. I know I used 7 foot tall cages (made of concrete reincorcing mesh) and one year I ended up lashing cages to teh top giving abotu 2 1/2 feet more and the vines were sticking well above the top.

As the link implies it is not a clean line between the two groups, and some catalogs include descriptions like Strong Indeterminate. Go with that in a container or hanging basket and expect all plant (more of it than you want) and few tomatoes