peppers – Urban Organic Gardener

July 13, 2009April 22, 2010

Showing Some Love to my Peppers and Tomatoes

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been showering my lettuce plants with love because they’ve been producing the most. Nearly forgot that I had peppers and tomatoes planted on my fire escape as well.

Luckily for me, they didn’t hold it against me and are starting to produce. There is a small sweet Italian pepper that has formed and is doing it’s thing (whatever it’s called) with lots of flowering going on.

My cherry tomato plant is also blooming (I’ll use different phrases until I find out what the proper terminology is) and flowering as well. Being the experienced gardener that I am, I bought a cherry tomato plant for my fire escape thinking that small tomatoes equals small plant. Not so much.

The tomato plant has grown to be pretty large, but it’s still not in the way on the fire escape. Since that’s what it is, a fire escape and not my personal garden.

I have an old mirror frame to support it for now, but with the tomatoes starting to grow, I’ll need to find something a bit more sturdy. Will just go to the park and get some tree branches.

Happy that I’ve raised my vegetables not to hold grudges and they’re still doing their thing. Pretty soon, I’ll have something besides lettuce to chow down on.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp1G_kyCnBo

June 8, 2009April 22, 2010

Start Growing an Herb Garden, Not Killing One

I think it's safe to say that there is no reviving the basil.

It’s been a rainy week here in Seattle, I mean New York, so I haven’t been paying much mind to the vegetables out on my fire escape.

When I finally checked on them, I was happy to see that the lettuces, peppers and tomatoes looked pretty healthy. Then I looked above them and noticed the sad, sad sight of the herb garden I started to grow in the upside down vegetable planters. They looked the opposite of healthy – dead.

Here’s what I think contributed to my massacre of the herbs:

My surgeon like touch. Much like planting vegetables, you need to be gentle when transplanting the herbs. Let’s just say if I was playing Operation, I would’ve lost and lost quickly.

The soil was too heavy. I used the first batch of potting soil that I made myself. It might’ve been too heavy, retained too much water and over saturated the herbs.

The planters just don’t work. I think this is the least likely of the reasons, but it still needs to be considered.

I think it’s a combination of the first two that lead to the ultimate demise of the herbs. I am heading out of town later this week, for a few days (Bonaroo). When I get back, I’ll get some more herbs set up and planted.

Hopefully, if any of you were thinking about starting to grow your own herb garden, this hasn’t discouraged you. Take this knowledge and use it to your advantage.

Even though the upside down vegetable planters haven’t worked out so far, the self watering containers are doing real well. Peep this video:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOXgkHOoD4I

June 1, 2009April 22, 2010

Checking in on the Gardens One Week Later

It’s one full week since I’ve planted my vegetable gardens on my fire escape and in Brooklyn. Here’s an update on how things are progressing.

Before I do that, I wanted to let you know that I decided not to garden at my parents in Staten Island and to move those containers to Brooklyn. Logistically, it makes more sense that way.

My Fire Escape Vegetable Garden

The tomato plant started to bloom a bit and was picked. It was picked so that the plant can focus on growing as opposed to blooming at this point.
The pepper plant also started to bloom
The herbs in the upside down planters, especially the parsley and basil did not look so good. Need to take another look at what was done to remedy for next time.

My Brooklyn Vegetable Garden
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK78ClpiIp4

For the most part the plants looked good.
The cucumber looked pathetic. Watered it from above to try and wake it up.
It looks like there was some kind of critter that was digging in the containers, but didn’t harm any of the vegetables, yet.
The celery and greens look to be very productive.
The nasturtium has started to bloom.

May 23, 2009April 22, 2010

My Fire Escape Vegetable Garden

I set up my vegetable garden on my fire escape this afternoon with 3 buckets and 5 upside down herb planters.

One bucket has Mottistone Crisphead lettuce, Parris Island Romaine lettuce and Anna Aasa tomato. Another has Mottistone lettuce, Parris Island Romaine lettuce and Buttercrunch. The third bucket has Jimmy Nardello’s sweet pepper and Chile Releno.

The herbs that I planted were parsley, basil, sage, oregano and dill.

Check this video tour of the set-up:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST5rQAt5-_0