2010 charlesNYC's Grow Log AKA My Ugly Little Fire Escape

So here it goes. I'm a bit late to post and I don't have as many good pictures as I wish I did. On top of that, my garden is nothing compared to what many of you guys are working with. I don't have a backyard, or even a balcony. I've planned out a Fire Escape Garden for this season, while hoping that next year, I'll be at an apartment with a backyard (not as hard as it sounds, noting I live in Brooklyn).

I'm also very late to the seed-starting party. I sowed my seeds at the beginning of the month; but took care to choose varieties known for setting fruit out early (Tomato's are Early Wonder and New Big Dwarf, and the basils should be ready by the end of next month.).

My super long list of varieties being grown in my Fire Escape (planned and in progress):
2 x Habanero Orange. (bought as 4 for 2 dollars as transplants from a local flower shop).
3 x Ring of Fire Cayenne.


So I'm being a cheap hipster and recycling a lot of the random trash I produce (I drink far too much coke zero).

The first habanero transplant. (circa May 20th).

A few seedlings by the Window. (South-facing).

Starting up a second post now.

 

[charlesNYC]

Thank you all for the kind words.
You guys are awesome.

So pics are here:

White Habanero (lolEbay Seed). An overwintering/half-assed bonchi project is what I'm thinking with such a late sow:

One side of the fire escape:

Orange Habanero - The better one of them; this one started trying to bud last week. I promptly nipped those off:

Orange Habanero - This one reacted with a much more bushier habit after getting topped by last week's downpour. The previous one just split into two main stems towards the top.

Continued.

 

[charlesNYC]

My "Back-up" Plant. I barely take care of this thing. It's still in a transparent container. It doesn't seem to be stunted, but I'm just keeping it in case one of my Ring of Fire seedlings dies.

One of the Ring of Fire Seedlings. Transplanted it to a 5 Gal. Leaving it be there. I'm hoping I'll get at least some green pods out of this by the fall.

One of the stunted Ring of Fires. I hate fungus gnats. I hate miracle-gro for including them in their potting mix.

Basil. Rocking the Coffee Tin. (as a side-note; this is the best non-gourmet coffee I've ever had):

 

[patrick]

Your back up hab looks like it could be a monster, you might want to wrap that glass for the heck of it. You're a serious coffee drinker eh NYC? I did some reading and I guess using coffee grounds to kill slugs is kind of an old wives tale. Thing is if it's working for you don't change a thing. Keep the good work up.

 

[charlesNYC]

I did some reading and I guess using coffee grounds to kill slugs is kind of an old wives tale. Thing is if it's working for you don't change a thing. Keep the good work up.

Wouldn't be surprised. I've yet to have slug problems here but I'm 25 feet up in the air, I tend to regurgitate a lot of what my grandparents told me while I was a child.

 

[deadhead804]

Way to rock the fire escape garden bro! Good stuff

 

[Benjoe]

I used plastic soda bottles for starter pots. It worked really well until I had to get them out of there 'pots'. Even using a razor blade it was hard to cut through the plastic without damaging the roots or the plant

 

[charlesNYC]

Bad News:
The White Hab is dead. Too much coffee in the medium. It doesn't retain enough moisture in the surface part.
Also gnats are back. Sevin doesn't seem to kill them to I have a bottle of BTi on the way from an Amazon.com store.

Good News:
My neighbor just put an AC in his window this morning. I am understanding that the fire escape is now mostly mine, so I have one more spot to put a 5 Gal container in. Hello Mr. "Back-up Habanero". I'll be potting it up in about a week when it's a bit more root-bound (so i don't have to make that much of a mess).

 

[patrick]

Sorry to hear about the white hab NYC. I wonder if it's the coffee grounds that is attracting the gnats? Congrats on getting more space, best of luck with the back up orange hab.

 

[charlesNYC]

Sorry to hear about the white hab NYC. I wonder if it's the coffee grounds that is attracting the gnats? Congrats on getting more space, best of luck with the back up orange hab.

i've read reports that the gnats came in in egg for with the miracle grow potting mix :-\
but it might be.
anyways, I have a nice bottle of BTi on the way... that should solve everything.

 

[chefben4]

love seeing innovative growing of plants! Use what you have and I hope you have great success.

As a Safety Engineer Im not crazy about having stuff on a fire escape, but hell they seem out of the way so I dont think there is anything to worry about. Good luck and keep up the up-dates!

 

[charlesNYC]

Back-up Habanero stops being a Back-up

 

[salsalady]

hey NYC, great looking back up plant there!

What's that thing in the background that looks like a pop bottle tied to the railing?

 

[charlesNYC]

hey NYC, great looking back up plant there!

What's that thing in the background that looks like a pop bottle tied to the railing?

a few months ago i tried to make a self-watering container out of a coke bottle. i thought of it as a failure up until a few days ago when the lettuce planted on it just started growing well.
i've pretty much ignored them for a long time; i'll post pics in a bit.
learned a lot about what NOT to do from that one and from you guys.

 

[kiddc]

all plants looks like winners

 

[Geosojda]

a few months ago i tried to make a self-watering container out of a coke bottle. i thought of it as a failure up until a few days ago when the lettuce planted on it just started growing well.
i've pretty much ignored them for a long time; i'll post pics in a bit.
learned a lot about what NOT to do from that one and from you guys.

the best way to learn is by doing it wrong the first time, its the only reason i know anything! Hab looks like its gonna be a winner!

 

[ditter]

Looks like you go that plant out of that clear plastic container just in time. You were asking for major root damage on that one, especially with the odd hourglass shape.

 

[patrick]

NYC I was hoping that back up hab would get a chance. Once it gets to going that baby is going to keep you in pods all year long. Good luck man.

 

[charlesNYC]

Even more pictures.

Growth spurt? anyone?

(basil)

 

[charlesNYC]

buds forming:

lettuce of the half-assed variety:

 

[charlesNYC]

Just thought I'd add a few more pics of how stuff is coming along: