I live in an upstairs apartment but want to make a garden in my balcony or grow veggies some how?

Question

I thought I might buy a huge sand box and fill it with soil and try to grow some veggies but don't know if it will work? Otherwise how can I grow veggies inside?

What kinds of veggies can I grow?

Thank you

Answer 1

Things like herbs on your kitchen windowsill would work well. Then you could grow veggies like peppers, chillis, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes etc in pots and if you could get a large ish bin or container, you could also grow your own potatoes in it.

Also you could look into growing soft fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackcurrents, gooseberries etc in pots too.

There's so much information on google about this type of thing so it may be worth having a look, i would post a link myself but i don't know your area so it's hard to point you in the right direction with what can grow easily in your country! x

Answer 2

I've got a cherry tomato and a jalapeno pepper plant growing outside on the deck as we speak. I've got the tomato in a 10" pot and the pepper in a 6" pot. You can grow most any variety of herbs in a pot, bush beans, pickle bush cucumbers (compact variety), salad greens and even potatoes in containers (potatoes can be grown in 5 gallon bucket!).

The herbs will do ok in a sunny window, but I'd advise having the veggies outdoors for polination purposes.

Answer 3

You are going to want to purchase mature plants at this point because it is later in the season, but it is still possible (though you might want to stick to annuals as perennials don't have enough time to establish to stay around for next year).  You should get large ground pots because veggies are heavy and the root systems go deep to support the weight of the plants (or in the case of underground veggies like carrot, they need room to grow).  A sandbox is too shallow for the taproot and the plants will fall over and die.  The pots and soil will be the greatest expense, and it is likely that you will actually lose money due to the small quanitity you will produce, but if you find veggie plants attractive then it will work.  Good luck!

Answer 4

First off check with your landlord. Buying a huge sandbox, filling it with soil and water may be more weight then your balcony can support. It's mid July, most people start planting in the spring. Better wait til next year, and start small.

Answer 5

Actually to put all of your vegetables in one container is not as good as putting 2 or 3 in a container.  Large 5 gallon buckets will bottom drainage holes drilled,( make sure they sit in saucers so the plants can take a good long drink.

If the balcony is small paint the outside of the buckets to give them more of a look of a nice pot.  You can plant lettuce, onions , radishes, green bean, (bunch /bush) tomatoes, infact just about anything.

Look over some of these links for ideas

Ohio State University

Horticulture and Crop Science

Container Vegetable Gardening

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/16...

Scroll down to this category

Suggested Vegetable Varieties for Container Growing

((It has a plethora of good veggies for containers including what size pot and what fertilizers))

There was a time when growing fruit in a pot wasn't even thought of as possible

STARK BROTHERS

Home page

http://www.starkbros.com/index.jsp

fruit trees for containers

Meyeri Lemon Potted Kit - Catalog # 36400

http://www.starkbros.com/access?action=p...

Tangerine Citrus

http://www.starkbros.com/access?action=p...

Key Lime Plant

http://www.starkbros.com/access?action=p...

Stark® Sensation™ Miniature Peach

http://www.starkbros.com/access?action=p...

Stark® HoneyGlo™ Miniature Nectarine

http://www.starkbros.com/access?action=p...

To make growing Blueberries easier,

Do NOT Plant them in the ground!!

Blueberries make a wonderful container plant.

Very ornamental as well as productive when grown in a container.

See: Growing Blueberries in Containers from Ed Laivo

Blueberries in Containers

http://www.davewilson.com/homegrown/prom...

Strawberries

Answer 6

i have grown tomatoes and bell peppers and chili peppers in 5 gallon buckets.

thay make vegetable pot mix you can get at any place that has garden suplies. i bought cheep plastic 5 gallon buckets and drilled holes in the bottom so thye could have good drainage. you will need to put one plant per bucket but you can get some good veggies like this. its nice to have them in buckets too cuz then you can move them around, if they are not getting enough light or if there is really bad storms. good luck. oh yeah google container gardening, thats how i found out about using the buckets.

Answer 7

It might work, but you should put maybe a towel under it so it doesn't soak as much to the people under you.

Answer 8

Other than just growing them, how are you going to pollinate them, out doors the wind and bees do this. Without it they will bear no fruit or veggies.

On the balcony would work.

Answer 9

instead of a huge sand box get some long wooden planters about a ft. deep and yes they will work great u can grow lettuces, spinach, radishes, cucumbers (train them to travel up a trellis), anything that is not too much of a root veggie, oh and of course tomato plants u can put in just any pot type container. good luck and have fun!

Answer 10

All kinds.

Tomatoes do very well in pots. I have one going now.

Strawberries too. And you could try container gardening for flowers also. Lots of magazines on the market devoted to container gardening.

Answer 11

You'd have better luck using a standard aluminium pail for things like tomatoes.  Sandbox idea is clever, but won't work.

Maybe you could install some large window boxes.