Monday 31 March 2014

Welcome to "Balcony of Eden"

Hello, and welcome to "Balcony of Eden", a website about my balcony gardening project. 
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I live in a small, one bedroom apartment in South Western British Columbia, Canada. For the past two years, I have been keeping a few pots and containers with various vegetable plants out on our balcony, as an experiment of, well, basically answering the question of whether I could keep a few plants alive out there or not. So far, so good, and none have died - not by my hand anyway. I did try a cucumber plant last year and about a week after I planted it, a big wind storm blew in and the poor thing snapped in half. But, now I know to protect them from the wind when they are young. I've never had a vegetable garden before, so for me these plants were a bit of an experiment in simply growing the things in the first place. I've learned a few things, and learned that I don't know a lot more things. That's okay, I figure, because I can keep learning how to do things better.

This year will be my third of gardening out on the balcony and I'd like to expand the project in a significant way, to really see what I can do for food production with this small space. From here on out, I want to start gearing this space towards providing a steady supply of food throughout the growing season. Don't get me wrong - I don't think I'll need to build a root-cellar out there to store my produce, but I want to see just how productive I can make a balcony garden. Is it worth-while? How much can it supplement my grocery-bought food? Therefore, I have a two-fold goal: 1). To learn how to grow more types of vegetables in containers, and, 2). To learn how to maximize this small space for the purpose of growing various food-bearing plants.

The Past

Here are some pictures I took of the first pots I put out there two years ago.
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One thing I learned in the first year was that I didn't plan out my pots and containers very well. I should have used deeper ones and I should have spaced my plants a bit further apart, even if it meant having less plants overall. Also, I should have paid a bit better attention to what grows well with other plants and what doesn't. Do they both need similar amounts of water and sun, for example, or, when they mature, will the one hamper the growth of the other by being too bushy? This year, after I expand the amount of containers and thus, my growing area, I will do some earnest planning before I plant anything, to hopefully make things more efficient. 
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No sooner than I had bought these containers at Walmart, I brought out the trash and someone left a large white plant-container in front of the complex's garbage bins. Being the proud man that I am, I took it and used it.
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Here they are later in the summer, around the beginning of July, if I recall correctly. I moved the box of herbs up to the top (below left) - it was way too full! There is parsley, mint, dill and chives in that little box. Although, I did get a fairly good crop from them, despite their crowded quarters.  
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Some peppers starting to fruit. 
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Tomatoes coming along nicely. 
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I've tried a variety of different peppers over the past two years, with mixed results. My green and red peppers came along quite well until about mid-season, and then simply stopped growing and stayed about half the normal size. The same thing happened to the jalapenos. They grew quickly to about half-size, and then stopped growing. However, I also have grown banana peppers and a variety of hot peppers, which all did very well for me. A difference I noticed between the ones that worked well and the ones that didn't was that the green, red & jalapeno peppers, which ultimately failed to grow to a mature size, started coming along very early and then quit, while the peppers that did the best for me took a slow, steady path to maturation. In fact, of the ones that turned out well, I had almost written them off as "not going to produce anything" in the beginning of the year, and I harvested them quite late in the year. Here are some of the jalapenos. I was quite excited that they grew like this, and there were so many of them. But, they didn't really get much bigger than what you see here. 
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My tomatoes as well have not grown to a very large size, but they did better than the peppers and were at least respectable - plus, they fully ripened and tasted great. Cherry tomatoes and strawberries have done the best for me so far, providing the most produce of any of the plants I have tried growing. 
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The Present
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Here are some pictures of the balcony as it sits today, ready for the vegetable garden to be expanded. It's not a very large space. I've walked it, and given that I wear size 11 shoes, it is about 11 steps across by about 6 and 1/3 front to back. I'll pull out the measuring tape later, when the pots start coming in, but I estimate it to be around 70 square feet. Not a big space by any means.

I spend quite a bit of time out on the balcony. This is a pretty small, one-bedroom apartment - around 550 square feet - so there really only is the main living area and the bedroom indoors. Since I am a smoker, I end up going out to the balcony quite often, and I suppose the balcony is kinda my man-cave, or man-balcony, or man-perch, or something manly like that. It doesn't have a high-tech entertainment system or anything, but the low-tech entertainment is still very rich. There's lots of activity going on in the courtyard and parking lot, as this is a pretty large complex with three separate buildings. I've estimated the amount of units to be over 200, and with that many people there's always something going on, including moments spiked with drama for one reason or another.
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Thus, I often joke that I live in Melrose Place. My favourite incident so far was during the first year we moved in here. There were a couple of girls living on the ground floor back then, and I don't know what all happened but they kicked one of their boyfriends out of the apartment (the guy didn't live there, he was just visiting). Anyway, during the commotion that ensued, these girls' neighbour - some young, muscular guy - came outside to "protect" them. The girls tried to get the neighbour to calm down, but the fellow would have none of it and grabbed a baseball bat to wave around. Then, to show how tough he was, he took a swing with the bat... at his own window! "Smash!" The glass didn't completely shatter, but there was a big hole in the center with fractures radiating outward. I watched him over the next couple of days trying to get the window fixed before the landlord seen... estimates for the repairs were in the $500 to $600 range. And, he didn't get it fixed in time. By the end of the next month he was gone, evicted, I suspect.

Another favourite neighbour of mine was the girl who lived in the building across from mine. Once every couple of weeks she would have her boyfriend over at night. I don't know what kinky games they were playing, but they would open the blinds with the interior lights on and dance naked in front of the windows for five minutes or so, then they'd close the blinds again. Happened several times. Sadly, she no longer lives there. Like I said, there's never a dull moment out on the balcony!
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But, back to the garden! I've moved the present pots around a bit, to kind of envision the amount of space I can create for growing. Amazingly, I think I can stuff all the pots I currently have around the barbecue and still have room to spare. This is what I meant earlier up, when I said one of my goals was to maximize growing space. Just because this area is only around 70 square feet - on the floor - does not mean it cannot be utilized well, or expanded vertically to create more growing space.
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My planter box attached to the railing, and the other similar sized box I now keep on the floor, would fit on the small part of railing beside the BBQ if I bought another bracket set and put them front to back, on both the inside and outside of the railing. However, I have decided not to worry too much about putting more boxes on the railing - not this year at least. I'm going to try and expand this project over two years. This year will be phase one - increasing the gardening space on the floor, and next year will be phase two, where I will try to go more vertical.
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The Future
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What I'm planning out right now is how to create a growing space where I can grow some larger plants. I've been considering building two large, wooden planter boxes which would frame the bottom of the balcony. One to run from the BBQ to the glass, and another running front to back alongside the glass. There are lots of planter box plans floating around online, and I like the idea of planter boxes, but while I was looking at various plans and designs I decided to check out the Minter Country Garden, which is located nearby, and seen they had 25 gallon garden pots for $12.99 each.  They looked like these. I measured them out and I could fit two of them front to back where the bike is currently located. This would certainly give me a decent space that I could grow in and for that price, I don't know if it's worth it to go through the trouble of building boxes. I wouldn't even be able to get scrap lumber for that price, let alone factoring in the labour it would take to build them. 
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With those pots, I think I could try to grow some carrots, kale, and broccoli... maybe more - we'll see. 
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I also seen that they had both blueberry and raspberry "dwarf-shrubs" for $25.00 and $35.00 respectively. They are both designed for pot growing, with the blueberries growing from 1 & 1/2 to 2 feet tall, and the raspberries growing from 2 to 3 feet tall. I'd really like to get those. Then I'd have strawberries, blue-berries and raspberries growing, which I can easily supplement with a harvest of the wild black-berries that grow in almost every nook and cranny of the Chilliwack area. 

I'd also like to see about growing some vines along the back wall using a pot with a wooden trellis staked into the soil. I figure I could have two of them in the corners, and try to run the growing vines along the wall and around the window. Grapes grow in the region here, however, I know nothing of grapes except that I like eating them and don't know if they would be suitable for the balcony. I seen some other vines for sale - one was some sort of kiwi fruit vine which grows to about 20 feet long. This sounds interesting as well.

Some other ideas I've been thinking about with vines/vining, is using the railing to grow cucumbers and/or beans. If I set something like a wire trellis against the railing, would they grow in and fill in the railing? I think of this for two reasons, the first being that it would obviously be a good use of space. The second is that my balcony faces to the West and gets the full brunt of the afternoon sun in the summer. That deck gets hot! Real hot! So far, every plant I've grown has been for "full sun," but I wonder if I could arrange a plant capable of vining on the railing and create a suitable shade area behind it, which would increase the kinds of plants I could try to grow. 

Well, these are the immediate plans for "phase one" of the "Garden for the Balcony Project." Please, feel free to follow along in my experimental journey of discovering just how much food I can grow in this small space. Comments are encouraged and appreciated, as this is very much a learning process for me and I would love advice and information-sharing with others who are interested in this subject. 

Monday 10 March 2014

Tips for Growing Nasturtiums

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Companion Plants to Nasturtiums: Cabbages, Cucumber, Potatoes, Radishes, Roses, Tomatoes, Zuchini
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Antagonistic Plants to Nasturtiums:
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Pest Control Tip: Nasturtiums are helpful in controlling pests such as aphids and white-flies in your garden.
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"Nasturtiums are the most readily recognized edible flower, having made their debut on salads in restaurants across the country. Their bold orange or scarlet color enlivens mixed greens. Up close, they have a slightly sweet fragrance, but their unique flavour sets them apart. Pop the entire flower into your mouth and as you chew, you first get a sweet essence from the nectar, followed by a bold peppery tang. Make colorful and flavourful vinegar from nasturtiums by adding flowers to a good white wine vinegar. Let it sit in the dark (light will fade the color) for several weeks. Strain the flowers out and pour the vinegar into a clean glass bottle. Use it to make a flavourful salad dressing. You can also make a unique martini with vodka steeped in nasturtiums. In addition to orange and scarlet, nasturtium flowers come in yellow, pale orange, cream, and bicolors." -- Edible Flowers, Cathy Wilkinson Barash, Richters
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The Nasturtium Journal
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June 19, 2014
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I didn't make "the lazy mistake" with the kale and lettuce though, and had my seeds ready for planting as soon as I pulled out the old plants. I don't know how this will work, perhaps it's too late in the season already, but I planted ten nasturtium seeds in each of the previous lettuce containers. It says on the package that they should be planted indoors before transferring them outside two weeks after the last frost. Well, that time is well gone by, but the package also shows they grow until October, so I figured that's still quite a bit of time to have them. I made the mistake of planting a non-edible flower (Petunias - below left) to attract pollinators when I started the garden this year. From now on, nothing grown that isn't edible, I figure, so I wanted to try nasturtiums and see what they're like to grow.I didn't make "the lazy mistake" with the kale and lettuce though, and had my seeds ready for planting as soon as I pulled out the old plants. I don't know how this will work, perhaps it's too late in the season already, but I planted ten nasturtium seeds in each of the previous lettuce containers. It says on the package that they should be planted indoors before transferring them outside two weeks after the last frost. Well, that time is well gone by, but the package also shows they grow until October, so I figured that's still quite a bit of time to have them. I made the mistake of planting a non-edible flower (Petunias - below left) to attract pollinators when I started the garden this year. From now on, nothing grown that isn't edible, I figure, so I wanted to try nasturtiums and see what they're like to grow.
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July 25, 2014
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Nasturtiums
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The nasturtiums I planted last month have come up nicely, but no flowers yet. I should have planted these all in one pot, or better yet, I should have planted them in with the tomato plants, since they are companion plants. Out of the package of 20 seeds which only actually contained 19, seven of them came up. Not a blazing success, but they do fill in quite well as they grow. Still, I shouldn't have used two pots for them.
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September 10, 2014
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Also, I was able to add some nasturtium flowers to the above salad, which gives it a little bit of extra zing as well as making the salad look rather unique. It was a little late for them to bloom, since I planted them mid-season when they should have been going much earlier, but they made it! I certainly like the idea of growing edible flowers - it just seems more, ahem, "manly" to grow flowers you can eat than something girly like petunias. Next year, only edible flowers. Grrrr! You go, man!
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Left: Nasturtiums / Right: Tomatoes
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Sunday 9 March 2014

Tips for Growing Peppers

Blossom-End Rot - Stress brought on by both drought and too much rain is the cause of Blossom-End Rot. Drought can be defeated by providing a minimum of one inch of water a week, keeping the plants well mulched, and ensuring high amounts of organic material are present in the soil. A deficiency in calcium also causes Blossom-End Rot, so be sure to maintain a pH level of 6 to 6.5 by applying limestone to your container.
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Peppers- Most varieties of peppers have a decent amount of vitamin C in them. A half-cup of chopped chili peppers has 107.8 mg of vitamin C. A cup of chopped red bell pepper contains 190 mg., and the same amount of green peppers has 120 mg. -- The Prepper Project: "What To Grow To Avoid Starvation and Malnutrition" ..
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The Pepper Journal
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April 19, 2014
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I went to the Minter Country Garden today and picked up some more plants and seeds for the balcony garden - plus three more bags of soil to lug up to the apartment. I've never really grown plants from seed before so we'll have to see how it goes. I bought Hot Pepper Mix, Sweet Pepper Mix, Climbing Beans, Carrots, Radish and Cucumber.
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The peppers I should have read a little more closely because it says on the package that they have to be started indoors and won't be ready to transplant for around three weeks. So now I have eight cups filled with dirt and seeds on my window sill, seeing if they will grow. As I've said before, I've had mixed luck with peppers, but I've always bought them as seedlings first. Hey, why not take the plant I have the most difficulty with and make them even more difficult by starting them from seed? Oh well, if they don't work out, I'll just have to buy some seedlings in a few weeks. I really like peppers, but after two years of trying if I don't get some production this year I suspect it might be wise to try something else that's easier to grow..
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June 19, 2014
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Sweet Mix Peppers and Hot Mix Peppers
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The peppers which I transplanted from the window sill a few weeks ago are now taking root and growing to just where they are peeking over the rim of the pots. I had planted eight seeds and five made it, and out of those five, only one is struggling after the transplant (below right). Grow, my little babies, grow! You can certainly see the difference between topsoil-mix and potting-soil-mix in those pictures (below), can't you? The topsoil is full of little bits of bark and stuff, while the potting soil (the soil in the large containers) is nice and clean with no debris in it. I've read that potting soil is lighter than topsoil too.
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Sweet Mix Peppers & Hot Mix Peppers
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July 25, 2014
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Peppers starting to flower
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The peppers have finally flowered and, if you look closely on the right, have just begun to fruit. So far, out of the five pepper plants, four have flowered. These things sure do flower late in the year - the same as last year when they flowered so late I didn't think they would at all - but then, around the end of July or beginning of August, bam! And they were ready to pick by September. This year seems like it will be a repeat.
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August 2nd, 2014 - Sunset Pictures from the Balcony (no commentary)
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September 10, 2014
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The peppers as well were good - but as you can see in the top picture, they didn't grow terribly large. This has happened to me every year so far. It would be nice if they would grow bigger, but to be honest, I'm not sure how much bigger they should be in a "natural" state. What I mean is, most food from the grocery store is genetically modified - that's why strawberries from the store are the size of a small apple but have almost no flavour, while my strawberries are much smaller but pack so much flavour there is almost no comparison. I'm sure the peppers I'm buying from the store as well are genitically modified, so, while I know my peppers should grow bigger, I don't really expect them to grow as big as the store bought ones.
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I'll tell you what I've had really good luck with though - hot peppers. They just keep producing and producing... then I pick them, and a couple more flowers show up, and soon, more peppers to pick once again. Each year now, I've had way more hot peppers than I thought I'd get - and unlike the green peppers, they always grow to a mature size.
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February 26, 2015
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After I was done with the compost, I planted some tomato seeds and pepper seeds in small yoghurt containers I've been saving up over the winter. In another week or two, I'll start some cucumber seeds in a few more containers. I hope these little things work out. Last year I used a few coffee cups, and that worked out okay. I'm going to try to grow everything from seed this year, to cut down on expenses.
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April 22, 2015
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I planted a few of the pepper seedlings I had growing on the window sill, and as you can see, the kale is filling into those two pots nicely. In a week or two, I should start some more seedlings so I have something ready to go into those containers once the kale comes out.
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Peppers (Left) and Kale (Right)
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Tips for Growing Tomatoes

Companion Plants to Tomatoes: Asparagus, Basil, Borage, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chives, Marigold, Grape Vine, Marjoram, Mulberry, Nasturtiums, Onions, Stinging Nettle
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Antagonistic Plants to Tomatoes: Beets, Fennel, Potatoes, Rosemary
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Blossom-End Rot - Stress brought on by both drought and too much rain is the cause of Blossom-End Rot. Drought can be defeated by providing a minimum of one inch of water a week, keeping the plants well mulched, and ensuring high amounts of organic material are present in the soil. A deficiency in calcium also causes Blossom-End Rot, so be sure to maintain a pH level of 6 to 6.5 by applying limestone to your container.
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The Tomato Journal
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April 19, 2014 - Tomatoes Planted
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There's the potatoes, which I moved off to the side, and behind them, in the corner against the wall is a tomato plant and the container with kale.
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June 19, 2014
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Tomatoes
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As for the rest of the garden, there are two beautiful tomatoes growing next to my chair (top right above) and a few more of the flowers are just beginning to turn into more tomatoes (bottom left above). The cherry tomatoes (bottom middle above) have flowered, but none of them have turned into tomatoes yet - they are certainly struggling compared to the full-sized ones, which is just the opposite of what I experienced for the past two years.
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June 21, 2014
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So, I came home today and went outside to admire my beautiful tomatoes in the garden, and what did I find? One of my tomatoes fell off! Like, what the heck? It's lying down there in the pot, but the stem it was hanging on is completely snapped in half and nowhere to be found.

A possibility is that it got pecked at by one of the cotton-pickin' pigeons that are hanging all around the apartment this year.

This sucks.

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July 25, 2014
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Cherry Tomatoes
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The cherry tomatoes are coming along alright, what few of them grew this year. Usually I have oodles of cherry tomatoes, but this year it looks like I'll hardly even get a handful.
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The best damn tomato on earth!
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But my, oh my, look at that one nice, big, juicy tomato, eh?

EH?

Isn't that beautiful?

I plucked that work of art and ate it all by itself, with only a little salt & pepper added. It tasted as good as it looked.

Good job on that one, Mr. Gardener!
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September 10, 2014
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Left: Nasturtiums / Right: Tomatoes
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Guess what else has happened recently? My very under-producing tomato plant gave me a late season suprise and produced two more tomatoes on the big plant, and a good dozen more for the cherry tomato plant. One of the large ones is a little deformed and I don't know how much bigger they will grow anymore this late in the year, but I'll take 'em!
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February 26, 2015
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I planted some tomato seeds and pepper seeds in small yoghurt containers I've been saving up over the winter. In another week or two, I'll start some cucumber seeds in a few more containers. I hope these little things work out. Last year I used a few coffee cups, and that worked out okay. I'm going to try to grow everything from seed this year, to cut down on expenses.
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April 7, 2015
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So, my five of my cucumber seedling and two of my tomatoes have been growing quite well in my little pots on the window sill since I planted them back in the end of February...
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Tomatoes sprouted up!
. I'd been watching them every day... watering them... talking to them... loving them...
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Tomatoes (Left) and Cucumbers (Right) growing bigger
.And the weather had been so nice over the past few weeks... it must have been a month since the last frost, so I started bringing them outside to harden them up before transplanting.
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Tomato Seedlings (Left) and Cucumber Seedlings (Right) Hardening on the Balcony
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And finally, after a few days of hardening, I proudly planted my little darlings, excited to get such an early jump on the growing season... until the next morning when I went out to my car - AND HAD TO SCRAPE FROST OFF THE WINDOWS!!!

Aaargh!
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Oh well, what can you do?
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April 22, 2015
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The carrots have come up well - and early. I left much more space between them this year, so hopefully they grow larger than they did last year. The two tomato plants seem to have survived the one night of exposure to the frost in the beginning of the month - it looks like they'll make it. 
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Carrots (Left) and Tomatoes (Right)
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Tips for Growing Potatoes

Companion Plants to Potatoes: Beans, Broad Beans, Bush Beans, Beets, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Corn, Marigold, Marjoram, Nasturtiums, Peas

Antagonistic Plants to Potatoes: Celery, Cucumber

Preventing Potato Scab - Once you grow a container full of potatoes, you shouldn't plant potatoes in that container again for three years, to allow the soil to replenish itself and prevent Potato Scab. Also, avoid rotating your potatoes into other containers which have had different root crops grown in them the year before, like turnips, beets and carrots, because these crops are also prone to develop scab. Dry soil also causes scab, so make sure your potatoes have enough water at the time of tuber set, which is a month or two after planting.
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Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes- one cup of boiled, peeled potatoes yields 134 calories. One medium baked potato in the skin has 161 calories.  One cup of baked sweet potato (in the skin) has 180 calories. -- The Prepper Project: "What To Grow To Avoid Starvation and Malnutrition"
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The Potato Journal
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April 15, 2014
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Well, now that there's soil out on the balcony, it doesn't seem like there's much reason to not have plants growing out there as well.
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A friend stopped by and gave me four seed potatoes he had left over, which was a mighty nice thing for him to do. Later, I went to Newfie Speed & Sport (aka Canadian Tire) and bought a few more plants - some Great Lakes Lettuce, Mesclun Mixed Greens, two tomato plants (one cherry), and a few Red Russian Kale plants.
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May 22, 2014
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Although it doesn't show very well in the picture, the potatoes (above right) have been hilled up. Man, do these bloody things grow fast. And to think, only a few weeks ago they were so late in coming up that I though they might not come up at all! At first I piled the soil up from around the plants, but that wasn't enough dirt so I had to buy another bag of potting soil mix and pour it into the container until it was around 5 or 6 inches from the top of the plant, but now, again, they are at least 12 inches high again! They literally are growing about an inch a day. I know they should be hilled much higher, but I fear I will only be able to add another 3 or 4 inches of soil to the hills before it will overflow out of the container. That will just have to be that then. I hope they still work out okay..
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June 19, 2014
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Left: Wave Petunias -- Right: Potatoes
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In the container that used to have the kale (above right) I planted two new rows of lettuce. I certainly liked the Great Lakes Lettuce better than the Mesclun Mix, so this time I'm going to try a different variety - Grand Rapids Lettuce - which looks similar to the Great Lakes variety. Lettuce grows best in the spring and fall, so I don't know how well this is going to work heading into the heat of July and August, but time will tell. I will be planting more lettuce later in the year when the other crops are harvested and the weather cools again, and this way I can kind of get a feel for what it's like to grow lettuce from seed - as well as seeing the difference between growing them in a small container versus a large one. Since my potatoes have grown like bloody palm trees (above right), once the lettuce sprouts out of the soil I'll move the lettuce behind the shade of the potato plants to help keep them cool..
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August 12, 2014
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Well, I've read that the time to harvest the potatoes is when the leaves wilt and turn brown. God help me, but there is nothing left for me to do but let them wilt and turn brown. No amount of water seems to make a difference, so, up they come! It's not too bountiful of a harvest - 2lbs, 9oz. At a value of $1.12/lb, that's not too great! Meh, at least I got the seed potatoes for free. 
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Rotating Your Vegetable Container Crops

Potatoes - Once you grow a container full of potatoes, you shouldn't plant potatoes in that container again for three years, to allow the soil to replenish itself and prevent Potato Scab. Also, avoid rotating your potatoes into other containers which have had different root crops grown in them the year before, like turnips, beets and carrots, because these crops are also prone to developing scab. Dry soil also causes scab, so make sure your potatoes have enough water at the time of tuber set, which is a month or two after planting.
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March 7, 2015 - I've marked my large rubbermaid pots "1 to 4" to keep track of what's been planted over the years and hopefully avoid some of the problems from planting crops in the same soil year after year.
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Year #2: 
Pot #1 - Kale, Lettuce
Pot #2 - Potatoes
Pot #3 - Beans, Radishes
Pot #4 - Cucumbers, Radishes, Carrots 
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Year #3:
Pot # 1 - Kale
Pot # 2 - Kale
Pot # 3 - Carrots, Cucumbers
Pot # 4 - Cucumbers
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Tips for Growing Raspberries

Companion Plants to Raspberries: Marigold, Peas, Rue
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Antagonistic Plants to Raspberries: Potatoes

Pruning - Raspberries produce berries on the canes which grew in the preceding year. This is essential to understand when pruning raspberry plants. As soon as the berries have been picked from the cane, cut it off at ground level. Do not cut the new canes because they will be the ones producing berries in the next year.
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Raspberry Tea - You can get more from your raspberry bush than just the fruit. Pick the leaves when they are fresh and green, then put them on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, store them in a Ziploc bag until needed. Steep a handful in hot water for a light and caffeine free tea.  
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The Raspberry Journal
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I bought a dwarf thornless raspberry shrub from Minter Country Garden, so when I say I am growing raspberries on my balcony, make note - these are specialized plants, rather than the regular raspberry plant. As such, I thought it would be a good idea to write down the information that came on the label, to keep a reference to what kind of raspberry plant I am growing, and its specifications.

Raspberry Shortcake offers everyone a chance to enjoy raspberries like never before. This revolutionary, thornless raspberry has an endearing compact, rounded growth habitat and thrives in a patio pot or in the landscape. Perfect for children and adults, this carefree patio raspberry requires no staking, or big garden spaces. Raspberry Shortcake produces full-sized, nutritious and super sweet raspberries mid-summer. 

Fruit Season: Mid-Summer

Berry Size: Medium

Flavor: Sweet/Vanilla Essense

Shrub Habitat: 2' - 3' Dense Compact Mound

Planting & Care Notes: Full Sun * Fairly Neutral Soil (pH 6.5 - 7.5) * Good Drainage * Fertilize Early Spring * Moderate Watering * If leaves yellow or droop in summer - water and use a balanced liquid fertilizer. No staking, trellis or companion pollinator required. 

This dwarf raspberry produces abundant new canes each spring and fruits on new canes that have gone through a winter dormancy period. Once fruiting is finished, prune out canes at the base that have fruited leaving new canes to fruit the next season. 

Note: Raspberry Shortcake is best suited to large patio containers and will fill it out no matter the shape! If you choose to plant Raspberry Shortcake in the ground, as with any raspberry, take care to plant in an open landscape or garden area where moderate spreading is tolerable. .
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April 19, 2014
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In the above right picture is a dwarf thornless raspberry shrub I bought for $35. It is similar to the blueberry bush (same company) and should grow two to three feet high in a dense, compact mound. I also seen that they had grape vines for $40 that were designed for container growing. I really want a grape vine to grow on the back wall. I just love grapes so much. I remember when I was a kid living on Vancouver Island, at one of my friend's house they had an entire wall covered with grape vines. We'd go there after school and just hang-out and eat grapes until we were sick of them... and that took a long time because like I said, I love grapes. But, I didn't buy the grape vine. I had already dropped $100 on the blueberry and raspberry shrubs, the seeds and the soil, and that was enough for one day.
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June 19, 2014
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Top: Blueberries -- Bottom: Raspberries
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The raspberry plant (above - bottom left) is struggling more than the blueberry plant (above - top right), although there are a couple of raspberries on the one plant, and so far, I see no blueberries at all. I suspect that since these plants are perennials, they won't really produce until the next year.
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July 25, 2014
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Raspberries looking healthy again... but now the blueberries are hurting!
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In a strange turn of events, my raspberry plant which I was sure was going to die last month has perked right up with signs of new life. But now my blueberry plant is suffering the death look in almost the exact same fashion as the raspberries were last month. Neither of these two plants produce enough fruit worth mentioning. I hope they both survive and work out better next year. Time will tell, but for this year, they were not worth the money. ($60 between the two of them!)
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April 7, 2015
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... But I don't think I'm get much from these raspberry and blueberry bushes I bought last year. Gesh! $60 between the two of them, didn't get more than a few berries to eat of off them, and they're toast by the next year.
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Dead Blueberries (Left) and Condition Critical Raspberries (Right)
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Those things were such a waste of time, effort and money, I think I might just take them completely off the "garden cost list" and write them off as a mistake of nature. KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid!)
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April 22, 2015
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We've had some nice weather lately - in the low twenties celsius - and it really helped to give the garden a kick in the pants. Below is the still very dead blueberry bush, which will soon be pulled and replaced with a tomato plant, but the raspberry bush looks like it's struggling to make a comeback!
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Dead Blueberry Bush (Left) and Struggling Raspberries (Right)
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