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Yet Another North Facing Balcony

TheLonelyHab

TheLonelyHab

Hello all!

Well let me say it is good to be back! The last time I was on these forums I had just graduated college and was growing my peppers in a cardboard box with CFL lights. I will direct you to my previous explorations http://thehotpepper.com/topic/21259-new-grow-setup-update/

and http://thehotpepper.com/topic/22630-pepper-show-the-wannabe-orange-habanero/

Now that was last year and I have been sadly out of the pepper growing game since that crop. However I saved the seeds and vowed I would return once I had a job and a place to live.

So moving up in the timeline I have now been to my 2nd engineering job since then and I think it is a good time to whip out the seeds and try to grow. I was stuck growing on a north facing balcony before and GUESS WHAT? My apartment has another... NORTH FACING BALCONY.

I am currently residing in Texas now, on oceans in sight.

So I planted my first generation seeds from my tomatoes and habaneros and I am waiting for them to sprout. I am going to grow them on the balcony, albeit it is north facing I am at the top complex and although it does not get direct light. it does get alot of ambient light.

I took my cfl bulb outside and turned it on to compare the difference and I can not even tell the cfl light is even on....

So QUESTION IS: Will it grow? Does the cfl put off as much as the ambient conditions?
 
Welcome back!

I'm actually considering moving right now, for a laundry list of reasons, not the least of which are some inconsiderate neighbors, punk kids playing outside with no concept that there's other people living here (never thought I'd hear myself using the phrase "punk kids"), and the fact I'm pretty much limited to growing indoors due to the aforementioned punk kids and their blatant disregard for the potted plants others have put outside, despite protests lodged with management. I'm actually looking at one or two spots, and it looks like several of them have south-facing balconies. My hope is that I can snag one right around the time my lease ends here at my current place, and will be able to move. OK, so it's a bit more in terms of a drive, but it will balance itself out because I'll pay less in electricity (currently running 4x125w cfl bulbs for most of the day).

As far as the peppers growing. I don't see why they won't. Granted, peppers prefer direct light, but I doubt they'll be so picky that they won't grow in indirect light. You can do an experiment with the cfl to see if it makes a difference, and go from there if you feel best, but my two cents is, I don't forsee an issue.
 
Using CFL's can supplement but you really need to use more that one- this is a little old but helpful - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-6ligbr1yA

Do a Google search on T5 fixtures- they are better, ie more efficient but also cost more than the T8's. Which means they are some great deals on some T8's @ Walmart, Home Depot etal. Depends on the ize of room on your patio, but you might could put a couple of these on a cheap chrome shelving unit and build a mini grow room. That way you have an all weather plant stand for growing out your plants. You could also use it for germinating your seeds and a mini greenhouse when it gets a little cooler.
 
I guess I will do an experiment and see if they will grow under those conditions. I really dont want to make a grow chamber is this apartment but maybe I will, I need to think about it and get motivation.
 
I've gifted a couple plants to a friend having a north face balcony.
Cayenne becomed a little leggy but production is ok; Naga Morich looks healthy but has very little fruit set compared to mines.
I think it really depends on variety, some tolerate indirect light better than others so give it a try.

Cya

Datil
 
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