Blog - Page 19 of 20 - Time Of Garden

If you live away from the village, it is tough to find space for gardening as cities are occupied by high buildings and factories. When you live in an apartment or in a rented property, you may consider that gardening is impossible there. But the reality is different if you have a passion for gardening, you can utilize many things in your home for this purpose like balconies, patios, and window sills even can place small pots in bedrooms or kitchens. Gardening requires passion instead of large spaces. Balcony Gardening: The balcony garden is exactly what it sounds like-a garden on a balcony. Balcony gardening depends upon container gardening. You can create a lush garden on the balcony by placing different types of containers. Depending on the size of your balcony, you can also add some vertical elements as well, add a trellis or plant ladder, and place pots on them. Different types of containers can use for balcony gardening, but the suggestion is to use lightweight containers, as heavy one may prove problematic. It is easy to grow vegetables on your balcony, the thing you need is proper planning and management. Vegetables for Balcony Gardening: Almost any vegetable plant you can think of growing in your backyard garden will bloom in the balcony vegetable garden under the right conditions. Any type of vegetable like tomatoes, onions, peppers, beans, radishes, potatoes, carrots, leafy vegetables and so many others in your balcony vegetable garden. Balcony Vegetable Gardening Ideas: Balcony filled with variant colors of blooms looks more beautiful than the empty one. It not only adds charm to your house but also gives a sense of satisfaction, it is a fun activity to grow vegetables on the balcony, it is quite relaxing and gives you mental peace. Vertical Balcony Garden: Vertical gardening is very popular among urban dwellers who want to create lush gardens in their high-rise buildings. The vertical garden gives you a number of benefits, it creates a green enclosure that purifies the air as well as provides a home to many birds and feeds many butterflies as they get nectar from blooms. If you want to have a large vegetable garden at your home, vertical gardening is a great idea to start with. Consider growing a vertical vegetable garden. It gives you a satisfactory harvest even from a limited space. It’s easy to make a vertical vegetable garden. How to Create a Vertical Vegetable Garden? The creation of a vertical vegetable garden largely depends upon your locality; the most important one is the availability of light. Because the levels of light determine the type of plants for your garden. If you have a shaded balcony then select plants that grow well in low light levels, but if your balcony has full exposure to the sun it will give you many options because most vegetables thrive well in full sun. Growing Vertical Vegetable Garden: Shelves: The shelves offer the benefit of growing different vegetables on each shelf, as high as you can reach or as much space as you allow. Arrange your garden in a way that every plant gets full light. Any type of shelf can be considered for gardening, the best one is the kind with slats. This will allow good air circulation, and excess water on the upper shelves will move smoothly down to the bottom ones. Hanging baskets A variety of vegetables can be grown in hanging baskets, especially those with trailing features. These baskets give you a number of options you can place them on the balcony, hang them on suitable hangers or even you can hang them on the stairs grill. Keep eye on watering as Hanging baskets are more prone to drying out, so keep them watered daily, especially during hot spells. Trellises: Trellises are used for support purposes. They allow you to grow vibe or trailing crops like cucumber, pumpkins, and many more. A fence can also use a trellis. Keep Reading: Growing Strawberries Vertically In Towers Container Balcony Garden: Before planning a vegetable container garden on your balcony it is important to check, the balcony will support your garden or not. Most balconies are able to handle a few containers or beds. But it’s a great idea to check the strength and capacity of your space before you start loading it up with plants. You can’t imagine how heavy a container can get once it is filled with soil, water, and plants. Spread your containers around your balcony instead of storing them in one place, to maintain equilibrium. Doing so will spread the weight distribution. Different types of containers like wooden, self-watering, ceramic, or DIY containers can be used for balcony gardening. Size of container: Keep in mind that the larger your container is, the easier it will be to maintain, as smaller containers have their own flaws like they hold less soil plus require frequent watering. The more soil there is in a container, the more moisture will be retained. In general, do not bother with containers that are smaller than 12 inches. Bigger is really better when it comes to growing vegetables in containers because some plants spread their roots at maturity and if you use a smaller pot then you have to transplant your plants otherwise it will not produce a significant harvest because of lack of nutrition. Hanging Coconut Shell Planter: Recycling is a good thing and it is possible anywhere, it also has many benefits as by doing so you contribute to the reduction of pollution. By using coconut shells as planters you can create a lush and unique balcony garden. How to Make the Planter? Take a minimum of two well-cleaned and scraped coconut shells. Fill them with good quality potting mix, you can also use kitchen waste like fruit or vegetable peels too. Vegetables To Grow In Coconut Shell Planter: Add peels into the bottom of the shell then put the soil layer upon it. Spread seeds on the soil and sprinkle some soil on them after that water your shell. Following vegetables like coriander, fenugreek (methi), mint, fennel, and even oregano can be grown in coconut planter. Tips for Growing Vegetables in Coconut Shell Planter: Break coconut into two equal parts to use as a planter.There will be three natural depressions in one part of the coconut shell. Make some holes in the shell for drainage, because excess water can result in rot.Mark your shells, if you are going to grow more than one type of seeds, otherwise you will get confused about your planters, followed by shuffling of care like watering or light requirements.Seeds will take some time to germinate.When the greens are about 4-inch-tall, it is ready for harvest.These shells are also used as starters; you can grow many seeds in them as they act as seed beds when seedlings appear transferred to the large pot. Aromatic Herb Garden: It's so satisfying to have your own herbs, you can approach them any time when you need them. So what’s the matter? You can easily grow any type of herb on your balcony; aromatic herbs are not only used for culinary purposes but also create a beautiful fragrant aura in your garden. Herbs To Grow On The Balcony: The things you mainly need to grow herbs include light, a suitable climate, and some space. Herbs that you can grow easily include basil, fennel, dill, cilantro, marjoram, parsley, and chive. You can also go for perennials like – oregano, lavender, sage, thyme, mint, and rosemary. Medium for Growing Herbs: Growing medium herbs will give you multiple options you can grow them easily in hanging baskets, in pots, in a plastic bottle, or in any recycled utensil from your home. Keep Reading: How To Build A Vertical Herb Garden Upside Down Gardening: Upside-down gardening is growing plants in pots hanging downward from the ceiling. It becomes a popular way of gardening as it allows you to fulfill your wishes even if you do not have space or your balcony is small enough to have a lush garden. Upside-down planters can be hung on balconies from fences or railings, off porches, and in carports, you can easily move them around. Upside-down planters extract the need for staking and minimizing soil-borne problems and weeds. Growing vegetables upside down is an easy and cheap plan, so why not give it a try. Make sure you hang it in a place that can hold a minimum of 50 pounds, as these planters can get heavy in the rain. Water your plants daily as they dry out quickly, and feed them with liquid fertilizer. Put some trays under your pots so that water does not affect the other plantation on the balcony. Plants To Grow Upside Down: You can grow a number of plants in upside-down planters: TomatoesPeppersEggplantsCucumbersSquashBeansVarious herbs.These humble growing systems can grow anything from lettuce to kale, or any herb you like. They are also used as an intermediary home for larger plants like tomatoes, which later transfer into larger pots. Keep Reading: How To Grow Strawberries Upside Down?How To Grow Peas Upside Down?What Plants Can Grow Upside Down? Benefits Of Upside-Down Gardening: Reduce Chances of Pests attacks: As the plants have minimum contact with the ground, so there is a much, much smaller chance that they will be affected by pests such as aphids. Can Be Done In A Smaller Space: This is the biggest benefit offered by upside-down gardening; you don’t need a garden or a lot of space, you can make a beautiful garden full of harvest even in a small place. Rot/Disease Resistance: Another advantage of the plant not touching the ground is that the roots, stems, and fruit are less susceptible to rotting or contracting a disease. Staking: Since the plants grow downwards you don’t need to stake them to optimize growth. Weeding: Growing plants traditionally requires a lot of time and attention, most of which is taken up by the weeds, as they are good competitors of plants. Upside-down planting saves your time and efforts in that sense. How to Build an Upside-Down Planter: You can use a 5- gallon, 3- gallon bucket depending on the plants you are going to grow. These buckets are easily available in the markets. Avoid the use of buckets that contain toxic chemicals.Make holes in the bottom for drainage. Make plenty of holes as water accumulates in a small container. Use a drill or punch holes with a nail and hammer. Make a hole every 3 inches. For a nice look paint your bucket, or make some drawings on it. You can also make it beautiful by using colorful fabric and vines, tie them around your bucket it will give you a classy look. Filling Of Planter: Fill your bucket with good quality soil also mix some slow-release fertilizers into it. Add some gravel as it helps in efficient draining. A proper draining system is very necessary, put some rocks and pebbles into the bucket before the soil. Mix the dirt well and leave a little space for planting. Some plants may require higher or lower amounts of compost in the soil. Do not use garden soil or topsoil as these can compact in the bucket and hinder plant growth, moreover, they may contain microbes, and it also has clay contents. Place your plants. You can place seedlings or seeds up to your choice. Both methods work well with container gardening. Water daily during dry spells but only when it seems dry. Fertilize plants once or twice a month with liquid fertilizer to promote growth and for getting a good harvest.