Need inspiration and info for an edible hedge
18 years ago
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- 18 years ago
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Need info on Narrow Balcony Design
Comments (9)since you are in florida and hence have high winds in hurricane season, even with loggia style balcony you'll have wind - so i would not advice any trellis or any large trailing plants. square containers do not topple in high wind - a big plus over round containers. you'll probably need to use sturdy large heavy containers and put you plants in lighter plastic inserts, so you'll be able to lift them occasionally for maintenance/repotting. i would not plant anything high maintenance/edible for obvious reasons: bugs in summer are big in florida. you don't want to attract them. for plant choices you'd be better off in florida forum. for low maintenance(low water) bromeliads are a good choice. some of them get quite large and they will bloom and offset. you can also take them indoors for a display. same with orchids: in florida humidity they will just need to be misted and can be grown without soil. obviously in summertime the NE balcony with overhang is A BIG plus! most house plants are tropicals and can be grown outside on the balcony, except for a few weeks in winter. if you stay away from very tender plants, you won't have to bring them in in case of low temps. you could have potted citrus like calamondin too - it can fruit in part shade too and is pretty with fruit. design wise, i'd stay away from too much simmetry. some taller plants can go against the wall: the west wall will have some sun, the east wall will be always in shade. since the railing will cast shade too and 8' is pretty deep - you need to use mostly shade tolerant plants - most tropical house plants will do the job. it all depends on how much your mother is willing to water. you can setup self-watering containers. in case of hi-winds most condos require you to move all furniture/plants from the balcony. so keep this in mind....See MorePlanting any new edibles this year?
Comments (10)Lettsee, You can't always trust Alfie, you know. (Did you know Alfie likes okra? No wonder she doesn't like JA's :) ) She may not have known that the best flavor develops only after a light frost. I never dig mine until October or later, all the way through March if the ground isn't frozen. Once spring comes, you cannot dig anymore as any leftover tubers are producing the sunflowers for the next year. Jerusalem artichokes are very prolific.... OK, they can be invasive if planted in the wrong spot. Therefore, yes, you must plant them under the harshest conditions you've got--do not give them amended soil, fertilizer, or 10 hours of sun. Yes, I eat them and I love them. They have a lovely artichoke flavor, with a texture similar to potatoes. But here's the inside info: do not peel them, just scrub. All the nutrition and much of the flavor resides in and near the skin. Even if you wind up mashing them, the skins are so delicate you won't notice. Here are some ideas. 1)you can eat them raw, they're sweet and nutty, with a crunch like water chestnuts. Great in salads just before serving. 2)You can steam/microwave/boil them and dress with butter, or mash like potatoes. 3)You can slice and saute them. 4)I really like to cut them in 1" chunks, coat lightly with olive oil and roast in the oven with other root veggies and/or a chicken. Rosemary is a nice touch. 5)they make a terrific soup--substitute for half of the potatoes in a cream of potato, vichysoisse, or potato/leek soup. So shall I bring some to the swap for you? Laurel They are not good keepers, which is why they are so expensive in the supermarket....See Morewe need a hedge!!
Comments (10)Greetings! I have to say I am amazed that you posted this, because I am facing the same dilemma! I do not have quite as much road frontage, but the salt spray killed my first attempt at a hedge, so I am looking to achive the same goal...again. I can't recommend either Russian nor Autumn Olive, as both plants are invasive. However, in the ELEAGNUS genus, you might consider SILVERBERRY, Eleagnus commutata. This is native to the central US, very hardy, thorny, Birds will take the berries. It is great for poor soils, etc. Two other options are the closley related BUFFALOBERRY, Shepherdia argentea and SEA BUCKTHORN, Hippophae rhamnoides. Buffaloberry is native, related to Silverberry in its habits and lineage. The Sea Buckthorn is not native, but the description is intriguing. See the following site: http://www.lincolnoakes.com/trees/tree.html This nursery will ship to you bare root in the spring. The problem is the stock will be small. The plus is they are WICKID cheap!!! A final idea I had was to use clump River Birch (Betula nigra HERITAGE) to screen with. It grows very fast and within 5 years you will have a dense (though deciduous) screen. Good Luck!! Here is a link that might be useful: More about Buffaloberry...See MoreHelp me plan an edible hedge
Comments (17)You might want to check out local people for the hardiness and eventual size of these plants. I am at 8300' in CO, zone 5a and quite windy. Elderberries get ~8' tall here. Service berries get 6' or so. All this with irrigation. Other plants which should in theory grow here, don't. A lot of plants have a smaller mature size in harsher climates, like mine. You don't give the other details about your location (like wind, etc) but many of these plants may end up smaller than they would if grown in a warmer/wetter location. BTW here I have yet to see Carmine Jewel cherry get much higher than 4'....See More- 17 years ago
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