City Container Gardener

[Doobie]

I am new to city gardening, and I have a west facing large balcony with a roof (direct sunlight after 3:00pm). I was wanting suggestions for flowers to grow in medium (5 gal) containers that would work well. Also, any chance of tomatoes in the same size containers. Grew up on a farm, everything grew there!

Jamie

[trudyjean]

I "City" Garden daily, but on a different scale. Could you tell us what zone your in, it would help. I grew tomatoes last year in 5 gal buckets with ok success. I think they would have done better in the ground. trudy

[lovetogarden]

A book that might interest you is called
The City and Town Gardener by Linda Yang

This book goes in depth about container gardening and the microclimates that
city gardeners have to deal with.
Hope this helps.

[Doobie]

I am a 5b according to a zone map. St. Louis City.

[trudyjean]

Hopefully someone nearer to your zone will speak up. I am deep south and the climate is different as well as the plants. If you can get some Ornimenal Grasses, Lantanas, Ornimental Potatoes, things along those lines should do well. I suggest you go to your local garden center, other gardeners and get ideas. Sometimes just driving around the different neighborhoods to see what others are doing will inspire you. Theres a lot of trial and error when it comes to gardening on asphalt. Good luck. trudyjean

[lovetogarden]

doobie,
Welcome neighbor. I live in Eureka MO.
http://www.mowildflowers.net/ I grow a lot of MO natives around my house. They seem to tolerate the exteme weather we get. This company
divides the plants into sun, sun/shade, and shade. And what is nice they are perrinnials. I bet if you protect the containers they would grow back every year.
I also grow zinnias and dwarf morning glorys in containers They do well. If you would like me to send some seeds just e mail me. Also, just about the typical ***mart plant does well in containers---petunias, panseys, etc.....


When I run out of space in my raised beds, I also grow veggies in containers.
Tomatoes do well in 5 gallon pots as long as you remember to water them
once or twice a day. I have a tomato that was grown in one farm family since l840. Would you like to try it? Also, I have miniature sweet bell peppers that work well. Email me if interested.

[Farmgirl Susan]

Hi Doobie,
I know someone who successfully grew several types of tomatoes on her tiny townhouse patio this past summer. The trick was putting the containers on wheels. She just moved the containers around to follow the sun! Also, you will have the best luck with smaller, cherry type tomatoes. I highly recommend Gold Nugget (available from Baker Creek) and Yellow Pear.

I mostly grow everything in the ground, but I have found that the key to the container herbs, etc. that I have (besides watering of course) is to make sure you give those plants some good fertilizer. I usually use manure tea (I raise sheep). If I'm lazy I just put a little manure right on the top of the soil, and each time the plant is watered it receives a light fertilizing. Top dressing with compost and/or adding it to your potting mix also makes container plants happy. Hope this helps! :)

[luckylad]

I think my greatest fear is losing my rental house garden and having to move into a city-like apt complex or something. I'm sure if all I had was a balcony or patio I would have a bunch of pots filled to the max with plants, though.

[hippiehillorganics]

Before I moved, everything was in containers. From pole beans to indeterminate tomatoes. I planted directly in compost, mainly in 5 gallon pails with drilled in drainage holes. You can grow just about anything except for perennials. Little finger carrots, spinach, lettuce. It goes on and on....... All this in Buffalo, NY!

[dirtundernails]

I did containers on a balcony in South Dakota. It was fun. Bush cucumbers, regular tomatoes pruned to one vine and buried deeper each time production went down, salad fixins tub, herbs and wheat grass, and a black oil sunflower (!) from the bird feeder. If I still lived there, I would be getting the very miniature fruit trees and tophat blueberries.
Two things that helped me were using a.) A couple of inches of styrofoam peanuts in the bottom of a large container for drainage and making the container lighter b.) Charcoal briquettes in the bottom of a container with no drainage, so the dirt would remain "sweet" ( This I did for indoors tomatoes )


dun

[rjzatyko@yahoo.com]

doobie,
Welcome neighbor. I live in Eureka MO.
http://www.mowildflowers.net/ I grow a lot of MO natives around my house. They seem to tolerate the exteme weather we get. This company
divides the plants into sun, sun/shade, and shade. And what is nice they are perrinnials. I bet if you protect the containers they would grow back every year.
I also grow zinnias and dwarf morning glorys in containers They do well. If you would like me to send some seeds just e mail me. Also, just about the typical ***mart plant does well in containers---petunias, panseys, etc.....


When I run out of space in my raised beds, I also grow veggies in containers.
Tomatoes do well in 5 gallon pots as long as you remember to water them
once or twice a day. I have a tomato that was grown in one farm family since l840. Would you like to try it? Also, I have miniature sweet bell peppers that work well. Email me if interested.
hi, that tomato that you said was from 1840 i would like to try it,my e-mail is rjzatyko@yahoo.com,how would i pay you for it.

[SelfSufficientOne]

I agree, I would be interested in the tomato as well. If you are interested please pm me.

[deb65802]

love to garden-- what is the tomato variety that you have. I collect and grow heirlooms to preserve and promote biodiveristy.