I live in an apartement and want to have plants in my balcony?
Question:well I am really concerned about global warming and wish I could do something just as an individual to help to have clean air.I have a small balcony...has anyone had any good experience with developing a small garden in a small balcony.how should I start?what kind of pot?what is the most efficient way of having a pot without using too much water and what kind of plant...I love fruit trees..do you know any plant that can clean air and produce lots of O2 and absorb lots of CO2?
Answers:
There are a lot of plants that you can grow on your balcony. You will want to be careful that you don't overload it structurally, however. Use light weight potting soil. Some of the newer potting soils have increased water retention capacity. You probably are not going to be able to grow fruit trees unless you have a really big balcony.
All plants use CO2 and expel oxygen. Whether or not you will be able to contribute meaningfully in this regard is debatable. You will, however, contribute to the overall beauty of the world and find a relaxing hobby. Spending a few minutes each day to tend your plants can be a great way to start or end the day.
Visit our website for more container gardening ideas at-
http://www.gardening-at-the-crossroads.c...
Good Luck and Happy Gardening from Cathy and Neal!
make your pots big enough to hold your plants for at least a year before they become too root-bound and require repotting. a good rule of thumb is make the pot twice as big as the root ball of your plant, same rule for the later repotting. if you are a beginning gardener, start out with low-maint stuff like bamboo or succulents. if you want something that trails over your balcony, try golden creeping jenny or draping rosemary. fruit trees require special pruning and huge pots, so maybe not the best choice for your situation, but strawberries are pretty easy! and remember: outdoor potted plants dry out VERY quickly, so water approx. every other day, depending on the weather, and mix local soil into your potting soil to improve moisture retention, as the potting soils are formulated for indoor use. the more total leaf area on the balcony, the greater the 02 production, but ginkos are supposed to be particularly good c02 eaters.
There's a great book by Ed Smith called Container Gardening with lots of information about how to grow vegetables in containers. In it, he explains how self-watering pots are the best way to grow most plants (except some herbs) because they ensure that the plants always have access to the water they need without getting drowned. He discusses the importance of using a good growing medium (soilless mix) and provides a recipes for how to make your own potting mix for containers. Get a copy of his book from your libary or Amazon, and talk to the people at your garden store about self-watering pots, and get growing!
If you want a fruit tree without a lot of room you should look into buying a outdoor bonsai. I say "buy" because training a bonsai tree is not for beginners, it takes a lot of time, patience and work. It's a lot easier to buy one fully developed and trained. They are beautiful and produce fruit. My personal favorites are the dwarf Pomegrante trees and the Blood Orange trees. This website has a lot of fruit trees in different sizes and prices. Keep in mid the larger the bonsai the more expensive it is going to be.
http://bonsaiboy.com/catalog/flowering.h...
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