c/balcony-veggie-gardens

Just saw the coolest vertical setup on a fire escape in Brooklyn

I was walking around the neighborhood yesterday and looked up at this old brick building. Someone had turned their whole fire escape into a veggie patch using those fabric shoe organizers. Each pocket had a different herb or small plant like lettuce. They even had a little drip line running down from a water jug on the top landing. It got me thinking about using every inch of vertical space, which is huge for a small balcony. I always stuck to pots on the floor, but this was way smarter. Has anyone else tried something like this with hanging pockets? I'm worried about the weight on my railing.

Just threw out $30 worth of 'self-watering' pots that drowned my basil

They held way too much moisture and turned the soil into mud, killing everything within a week. Anyone have a better setup for herbs that won't rot?

My basil went from sad to super bushy in just two weeks

I moved it from a small pot to a deeper container (like 10 inches deep) and it just exploded with new leaves. Has anyone else seen a big change after giving herbs more root space?

My whole tomato setup fell over in a storm yesterday

Had three big pots on a tall shelf, wind just knocked the whole thing sideways. Tomatoes were just starting to get flowers, now they're all snapped and the dirt is everywhere. I'm trying to salvage what I can but it's a huge mess. Anyone got tips for securing pots on a windy balcony?

My neighbor in 4B told me to stop using those tiny plastic pots for my tomatoes

My entire cherry tomato harvest almost went down the drain because of a hidden pest

I was watering my plants in Chicago last Tuesday and saw a single, tiny whitefly, which led me to discover a full-blown infestation on the undersides of all my leaves that I had to spray down with neem oil for a week straight to save them. Anyone else had to deal with whiteflies on their balcony?

Watching my neighbor's peppers in Chicago made me ditch my big pots

I saw her using a bunch of 1-gallon fabric grow bags and her plants looked way healthier than mine. Anyone else switch to smaller containers and see better results?

The week my entire balcony crop got covered in sticky white fuzz

It was about a month ago, right when my tomatoes were starting to set fruit. I noticed a few leaves looking dusty, but thought it was just pollen. Within three days, every single plant - the tomatoes, the peppers, even the basil - was coated. It was powdery mildew, bad. I panicked and sprayed everything down with a mix of 1 tablespoon baking soda, half a teaspoon of dish soap, and a gallon of water. It took two weeks of spraying every other day and removing the worst leaves to get it under control. I think it happened because I was watering at night and the humidity just sat on the leaves. Has anyone else beaten a bad mildew outbreak without losing the whole season?

My basil got absolutely wrecked by a surprise storm last night

I'm in Chicago and we had that crazy wind come through around 8 PM, which knocked my biggest pot right off the railing. I managed to save a few stems to try and propagate in some water on my windowsill. Has anyone had luck regrowing herbs from broken stems like that?

I had to pick between a big tomato plant or a bunch of herbs for my one sunny corner

I went with the herbs, basil and thyme, because I cook with them more. The tomatoes would have needed a huge pot I just don't have room for. Anyone else ever choose practicality over a dream plant?

Pro tip: don't cheap out on your potting mix

I grabbed the cheapest bag at the garden center, about $4, thinking dirt is dirt. My tomatoes in my Chicago balcony pots just sat there for a month, barely growing. I switched to a named brand mix, FoxFarm Ocean Forest, which cost about $22, and within two weeks everything took off. Has anyone else had a plant just stall out until you changed the soil?

My whole setup almost went over the railing in a storm last night

A big wind came through around 2 AM and I heard a crash. My big planter box with six tomato plants tipped over because the cheap plastic trellis acted like a sail. I had to go out in the rain and drag everything back from the edge, getting soaked. Has anyone found a good way to really anchor things down without drilling into the concrete?

Honestly thought those self watering pots were just a gimmick

My sister gave me a couple for my birthday last year and I was sure they'd drown my herbs. Tried one with basil in a 10 inch pot on my south facing balcony. After two months, the plant was twice the size of the one in my regular pot. The reservoir really does stop the soil from drying out in the summer heat. Has anyone else had a good or bad run with these things?

My sister-in-law saw my setup and said 'that's not a real garden'

She was over for dinner in Portland last week, looked at my three fabric pots of tomatoes and peppers, and just laughed. She said you need at least a full yard of dirt for it to count, which really got under my skin. I've been getting salad greens from this balcony for two years now. Has anyone else had a friend or family member dismiss your small space growing?

PSA: Overheard a guy at the hardware store say he waters his tomatoes with leftover pickle juice

He was dead serious, claiming the vinegar keeps pests away. I'm not brave enough to try it on my own balcony cherry tomatoes, but has anyone else heard something this wild that actually works?

Saw a balcony in Portland using old rain gutters for lettuce, but I'm worried about plastic leaching.

After seeing that setup, I'm torn between the genius upcycle and the risk of chemicals getting into my food, so what's the verdict on using old plastic for edibles?

My whole trellis setup collapsed under the weight of my cucumbers

It happened just two days ago during that heavy rain we got. I had the trellis made from bamboo stakes and garden twine, and the main support snapped clean in half. I had to rush out and prop everything up with some old tomato cages I had in storage. Has anyone found a really strong trellis design that can handle a big vining plant on a windy balcony?

Honestly, I saw a neighbor's balcony in Chicago last month that totally changed how I think about vertical space.

I finally figured out why my balcony tomatoes kept wilting after a heavy rain in Chicago last month.

I was out of town for a weekend storm and came back to find my 5-gallon fabric pots completely waterlogged, so I drilled extra drainage holes and mixed in a bunch of perlite, which saved the plants but has anyone else had to fix a balcony flood like that?

My job's call schedule means I water at dusk and my plants are thriving, not dying.

I think the hard rule to always water in the morning is wrong if your real life, like back-to-back afternoon meetings, makes that impossible for your balcony pots.

Warning: I think letting soil dry out completely between waterings is BETTER for roots

Last month, I ignored the common advice to keep my balcony pots moist and let everything dry out bone dry. My lettuce looked sad for a day, but then I watered it and the plants came back STRONGER than before. The roots seemed to dig deeper looking for water, and now my spinach and kale are holding up better in the wind. I used to water a little every day, but that made the soil soggy and attracted gnats. Now I only water when the top inch feels like dust, maybe every three or four days. My veggies are greener and I haven't seen any root rot since I switched. Most folks freak out about underwatering, but in my tight space, less is more. What do you all think, am I crazy or does this work for others?

I was sure balcony gardening needed full sun, but my shady spot proves otherwise.

Update: My balcony herb planter turned into a snail hotel

I used to think snails were no big deal on a high up balcony, just let them be. Then I planted some basil and mint in a long planter box last month. Overnight, it looked like a snail convention moved in, with dozens of them munching away. I found one curled up inside a hollow stem like it was checking out. After a week, my herbs were full of holes and the snails had even left shiny trails all over the railing. I tried picking them off by hand, but more kept showing up. Now I put out little bowls of beer to trap them, which feels ridiculous but actually works. I guess sometimes the weird tips are worth trying after all.

Why I'd rather water my herbs than attend another virtual meeting

Since working from home, I've turned my balcony into a mini herb garden. In my experience, the quiet time with my plants is more refreshing than any coffee chat with coworkers. Your mileage may vary, but I find it cuts through the noise of constant emails. It's a small thing that keeps me grounded. Take this with a grain of salt, but I argue management should support hobbies like this for better mental health.