how many plants do i need to do this?

violetta1976

16 years ago

This is how I want my balcony to look:

My balcony is 15 feet wide and I have three Palettes growing. Do I need more?

Here is my balcony a month ago:

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Comments (5)

nckvilledudes
16 years ago
Based on your space, I would think 3 plants of Palette should do the job in time.
michael_in_chicago
16 years ago
I would also consider which direction you face. If your balcony looks south, this will be the best for them as they prefer full sun. You will, however, want them in as large a pot as possible (15" or more) and as deep as possible. Deep, because they want to stay moist, and deep pots hold moisture better.

Since they'll be in pots, you'll also want to fertilize regularly (a slow release like osmocote would be good, with a high 2nd and 3rd number in the NPK rating). These also may not overwinter, since soil in pots will get colder than soil under the ground.

Good luck!
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violetta1976
Original Author
16 years ago
Much thanks to you both! I'm almost a little disappointed - I think I wanted an excuse to get another one.

Yes, I get full sun on that balcony, it just wasn't sunny that day. Darn Oregon weather. I already have larger pots to put the 3 palettes in (I think they're 18 inch ones), I just haven't gotten around to doing it yet.

Overwintering... I haven't figured out what to do about that yet. I suppose I'll be nagging buyorsell to tell me what she does when the time comes. It stays fairly mild here, but we do have a couple nights here and there when it gets down to freezing.
nckvilledudes
16 years ago
I bet in your zone they would survive outside with no problems during the winter. I have two hirsutissimas in one pot that is much smaller than 18 across and way smaller than that in height and they have survived our zone 7a winters outside on the north side of the house for two winters now.
buyorsell888
16 years ago
Miguel is right. You do not need to worry about winter. I've overwintered many in gallons with no protection or precautions. Even if they die back they come up from the roots.

He is also right about how many Clems you need to achieve that look.

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how many plants do i need to do this?

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how many plants do i need to do this?

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nckvilledudes

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