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fruits and veggie on a balcony

paolafromparispaolafromparis Posts: 4
in Fruit & veg

Hi everybody, I'm new on this forum so please forgive me if I post in the wrong place, also I'm an Italian living in Paris so I apologise for my English.

I've been looking for a balcony-gardening forum but the few I find look pretty desert to me, so I came here where people seem to be friendly and dynamic.

My story is, I have no garden, but I am lucky enough to have about 27 square meters of balcony, half South-East oriented, with NOTHING in front for miles and sun from dawn to about 2 o' clock all year long, and the rest Nort-Ouest oriented with a lot of direct sun in spring and summer, but none from november to february. Moreover I have a closed balcony that I can use as a greenhouse.

My question is:

do any of you have experience with dwarf fruit tree that can grow in pots, or in growing any type of veggies in boxes,bags, containers, anything?

thank you everybody!

Paola

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Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391

    Hi Paolo and welcome!
    There are plenty of fruit trees which can be grown in pots and so would be suitable for your balcony.  If you search for 'patio fruit trees' you should find lots of suppliers, some on Amazon who may deliver to Paris.

    Many, many types of vegetables can be grown in containers, bags, boxes or pots.  Again, the keyword (at least for english web sites) is 'patio', so google for 'patio vegetable seeds' to find suppliers.  Lots of folk on here grow vegetables in containers and I'm sure can help further. image

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,555

    YOU COULD GROW A DWARF PEACH TREE IN A POT IF YOU KEPT IT IN THE "GREENHOUSE" WHILE IT WAS FLOWERING. YOU COULD MOVE IT "OUTISDE" WHEN THE FROSTS OR ICY WINDS WERE FINISHED.

    Last edited: 15 January 2017 18:03:55

    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • paolafromparispaolafromparis Posts: 4

    Thank you both for answering me so quickly! Patio, huh? I'll check it out !

  • M-K-M-K- Posts: 30

    Ciao Paola! 

    This is quite good from the Royal Horticultural Society about roof gardens and balconies. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=674 

    Also, if you search this site for 'balcony', there are quite a lot of hits.

    Nice project!

    Buona fortuna!

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 9,976

    If you got something like this -

    http://www.screwfix.com/p/forest-rectangular-deep-root-planter-1800-x-700-x-798mm/2039K?kpid=2039K&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-Sales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking%20url&gclid=CjwKEAiA2OzDBRCdqIyIqYaaqQoSJABeJZdiqg-VZO4KqUl4CgmY9wU_Oigf8G49-o-n62zlC4L-kxoCRSjw_wcB

    You could grow all sorts of vegetables/salad and herbs
    I'm sure similar products are available in France

    In bocca al lupo!

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • paolafromparispaolafromparis Posts: 4

    Wow,, everybody is speaking Italian around here! thanks for the links,  I will check them out. What I wanted to know is if any of you has a direct experience in growing for instance a cherry tree in a pot and could get a correct quantity andd quality of cherries. (or apricots, or peach or anything else) The only thing I experienced was growing a raising tree in a big pot and despite the bad conditions (small balcony North-Ouest oriented, among buildings, maximum two hours of direct sun per day and only in the full of summer) I could get two years in a row about 2 pounds of surprisingly good tasting raisin. (It's true that I talked a lot to the guy, I mean to the raisin tree, and they say it helps...image) Two months ago we moved, to this new appartement and it's like a dream. I want to make of my balconies an edible jungle. I love flowers too, but hey, fruit trees have very nice flowers too! I brought with me the heroical raisin tree. I hope it wont die for the shock!

     

  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,555

    MY DWARF PEACH TREE FOUR YEARS AGO.

    image

    YOUR "RAISIN TREE" IS, I THINK, WHAT WE CALL A GRAPE VINE?

    I LIKE THE SOUND OF A RAISIN TREE THOUGH.image RAISINS, IN ENGLISH, ARE DRIED GRAPES.

    Last edited: 16 January 2017 09:31:50

    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • hoegloryhoeglory Posts: 69

    you could grow Italian beans  and pots of pear trees.  Tomatoes are possible in Paris I suppose?

  • paolafromparispaolafromparis Posts: 4

    GRAPE VINE, of course! image !  Your peach tree is just AMAZINGGG!  If I can get something like this I will dance around  on my balconies   the whole summer! 

    And yes we can get tomatos in Paris, Ive seen some around 

  • WateryWatery Posts: 388

    I found this book useful: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Permaculture-Pots-Small-Urban-Spaces/dp/185623097X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484646551&sr=1-1&keywords=9781856230971 (Permaculture in Pots by Juliet Kemp)

    I used her idea of wicking self-watering tomato plant containers with success.

    Last edited: 17 January 2017 09:51:56

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