Trying to get a successful balcony garden going

[konflict]

I've read a ton of the posts on here following along and greatly admiring nearly all of the peppers/gardens I've seen on here. Hopefully I'll get to that level someday! The very few posts I've put on here were about a Bolivian Rainbow I was having trouble with... nonetheless he bit the dust but that's what backup seedlings are for, right!? Trying to start a pepper garden on the 3rd story of an apartment in cheap pots isn't the way to go lol and I'm slowing getting them potted up into much larger containers (wasn't sure if I'd have much success from an apartment balcony). Aside of being on the 3rd floor, more often than not I have mild/high winds and limited window of direct sunlight on good days. Enough chatter... pics or it didn't happen right?... Here we go.

This is what was once my balcony...



Thai Sun



Thai Sun Pods beginning to come on



Charleston Hot that had some problems and has begun bouncing back



Peter Pepper in #7 container



Peter Pepper in a crappy 2 gal pot, seems to be doing ok though



First Jalapeno pod coming from this guy



First Hot Cherry Pepper pod



Bhut Jolokia, just starting to have a few buds come out on it
(also the first time I'm trying to grow a superhot, hope it does well)



In comparison to a lot of other pics, it seems most of my plants are on the small side but as long as I'm able to get a few pods off each of them, I'll be happy and next year I will be much better prepared (and more knowledgeable) to get better results from containers on a balcony. Some of them have taken off in the last two weeks since the temps have dropped below 100 and with the wind being crazy I never know when I can lower the sunshade screen (using it sort of as a wind blockade) before I leave for work without having them blown all over the place.

I've already learned a lot from everyone here yet have so much more to learn and try my hand at. Hope you all don't think my plants are shameful haha!!

 

[konflict]

A few more to add...

Scotch Bonnets, took forever to get these guys to germinate and show hooks... slow growing since then



Another smaller Bhut Jolokia and my Bolivian Rainbow backup seedlings



And of course a few tomato plants (Black Krim, Husky Cherry and Bloody Butcher)

 

[midwestchilehead]

Looking good, but how big are those big pots? Many say that 5 gals is the minimum. They will grow in smaller pots, but you won't get nearly the yield if they don't have room to spread their roots.

 

[konflict]

Looking good, but how big are those big pots? Many say that 5 gals is the minimum. They will grow in smaller pots, but you won't get nearly the yield if they don't have room to spread their roots.

The big black ones are 7 gal, the others are 4 gal and 2 gal containers. I'm working on getting those transplanted into the black 7 gal containers.

 

[CeQu]

I know this thread is a bit old, but how many days did the Hot Cherry take to germinate? I'm having trouble germinating mine (don't know if it is because of the small seed size)

 

[LGHT]

I've been patio growing the last 2 seasons after a move and I've had great results. My biggest and best plants are in earth box types setups. 1 is in an actual earth box, but I quickly realized that the container was too small for 2 big peppers plants so this year I picked up a 30 gallon container and made my own and have had the best production so far.

I have a lower and 2nd floor patio and the 2nd floor does the best because they get a bit more sun. Since they are on the second floor I only use earth boxes and simply siphon water 5 gallons at a time from my large fish tank which the plants really seem to prefer over hose water.

You may want to try a home made earth box next year as my 2 earth box setups are producing more than all my other 5 gallon plants by more than double.

Good luck!

 

[papadaca]

I've read a ton of the posts on here following along and greatly admiring nearly all of the peppers/gardens I've seen on here. Hopefully I'll get to that level someday! The very few posts I've put on here were about a Bolivian Rainbow I was having trouble with... nonetheless he bit the dust but that's what backup seedlings are for, right!? Trying to start a pepper garden on the 3rd story of an apartment in cheap pots isn't the way to go lol and I'm slowing getting them potted up into much larger containers (wasn't sure if I'd have much success from an apartment balcony). Aside of being on the 3rd floor, more often than not I have mild/high winds and limited window of direct sunlight on good days. Enough chatter... pics or it didn't happen right?... Here we go.

This is what was once my balcony...



Thai Sun



Thai Sun Pods beginning to come on



Charleston Hot that had some problems and has begun bouncing back



Peter Pepper in #7 container



Peter Pepper in a crappy 2 gal pot, seems to be doing ok though



First Jalapeno pod coming from this guy



First Hot Cherry Pepper pod



Bhut Jolokia, just starting to have a few buds come out on it
(also the first time I'm trying to grow a superhot, hope it does well)



In comparison to a lot of other pics, it seems most of my plants are on the small side but as long as I'm able to get a few pods off each of them, I'll be happy and next year I will be much better prepared (and more knowledgeable) to get better results from containers on a balcony. Some of them have taken off in the last two weeks since the temps have dropped below 100 and with the wind being crazy I never know when I can lower the sunshade screen (using it sort of as a wind blockade) before I leave for work without having them blown all over the place.

I've already learned a lot from everyone here yet have so much more to learn and try my hand at. Hope you all don't think my plants are shameful haha!!

your garden looks nice. The advantage you have over most the people on here you can bring them inside during winter. your plants dont have to die.