I know it's not really a farm but I call it that sense there are animals galore all over my balcony at any given time. The squirrel and I came to an agreement. I leave him/her food he/she leaves my plants alone. ^-^ Any who onto the pics...
1. I use old vitamin or pills bottles and sometimes soda bottles as irrigation of sorts. I clean with vinegar and lots of hot water then poke holes at random all around. I bury them so they have a couple of inches of top showing. Then fill with water. That's it. I add water about once a week. Seems to be working well because the roots get water like they need without the soil getting all moldy from top watering.
2. I reuse boxes lined with plastic bags or rubbermaid containers. My soil seems to love the rubbermaid. I drilled holes in the bottom for air circulation but not big enough it entices ants to make a new home. My soil stays at a nice moistness but not WET. Everytime I open the container is smells so nice. I hope to start a compost of sorts with it and grow my own black gold.
3. You may seem some small sticks in some of the plants. I use that for extra stability on plants with thin stems. Once they have grown enough and show they aren't going to flop over from weakness I take them off so they aren't that dependent.
4. The wires you see on the longer planters are for makeshift greenhouses. I cover them with a opaque plastic bag I cut when it rains too much or its just too hot. It also worked well as the starting home when it was cold. Great for starting seedlings. But more than anything I wanted to protect the sprouts from the hard heavy rain drops. It also freaks out the birds who don't like landing on it. (Bonus)
I am starting small. Once I get the hang of it I will be looking into raised beds to line and take up 75% of the balcony. It isn't big but its length it was seems to make things a little easier.
1. I use old vitamin or pills bottles and sometimes soda bottles as irrigation of sorts. I clean with vinegar and lots of hot water then poke holes at random all around. I bury them so they have a couple of inches of top showing. Then fill with water. That's it. I add water about once a week. Seems to be working well because the roots get water like they need without the soil getting all moldy from top watering.
2. I reuse boxes lined with plastic bags or rubbermaid containers. My soil seems to love the rubbermaid. I drilled holes in the bottom for air circulation but not big enough it entices ants to make a new home. My soil stays at a nice moistness but not WET. Everytime I open the container is smells so nice. I hope to start a compost of sorts with it and grow my own black gold.
3. You may seem some small sticks in some of the plants. I use that for extra stability on plants with thin stems. Once they have grown enough and show they aren't going to flop over from weakness I take them off so they aren't that dependent.
4. The wires you see on the longer planters are for makeshift greenhouses. I cover them with a opaque plastic bag I cut when it rains too much or its just too hot. It also worked well as the starting home when it was cold. Great for starting seedlings. But more than anything I wanted to protect the sprouts from the hard heavy rain drops. It also freaks out the birds who don't like landing on it. (Bonus)
I am starting small. Once I get the hang of it I will be looking into raised beds to line and take up 75% of the balcony. It isn't big but its length it was seems to make things a little easier.
Missed this yesterday... I see you've got a stake in the Vick's plant... it doesn't really grow UP, though... it sprawls like a mint. The highest I've seen mine go is about a foot, once the stems all went every which way and then it went up a bit, but it mainly goes up only as an end to flop over and go OUT.
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I love your little farm. And you've given me some new ideas too. Thanks!
ReplyDelete@Tracy Ohhhh ok well I'll take the steak out and let it be. Hopefully it will be ok but I am not sure. The upper halves of the stems are green but the lower halves are brown. The leaves are new though which is odd so I dunno.
ReplyDelete@Sara Thank you. Glad I was able to give you some ideas :)
Just ran outside & checked mine... the new stems are green, and really fuzzy, but the older stems are greyishbrownish and less hairy (but still with some on there).
ReplyDeleteThey like a lot of water did I tell you that? So mine have been LOVING all the rain we had. Though it sounds like yours is normal! :}
Ok good. Yes I remembered the water part and they are always kept moist but not dripping wet. There seems to be babies popping up so I guess it is ok.
ReplyDeleteNice little balcony farm! :D
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
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