Wow Tasha (and Istvan) that is very impressive! Looks like you did a lot of nice work in getting that garden all set up. I think your use of the drip irrigation is excellent.

I hope you will post more photos once all of your "babies" grow up and fill out your garden. I am especially curious on how your raspberries and apple tree will do in those size containers. What kind of tomatoes are you growing?

Good luck and nice job!

Yes, thin it out the lettuce by pinching off the extras

Hi John and Ray!

Thanks for answering so quickly - my DH and me are really proud!

OK, will pinch off lettuce (or transplant, since one of my other spots for lettuce didn't germinate because the seeds blew away).

With the raspberries it is a gamble. I have grown lots of things in smaller containers than one should and they come out fine.

But the apple and cherry tree are in the recommended size containers for their species. I cannot find the name in English for these types of trees - they aren't dwarf trees, but the German translation is "column tree", which it is obvious why. To be honest when I lived in California, I never thought I would be growing minute apple trees on a roof deck!

I will definately keep you updated!

Cheers,
Tasha

Sorry - forgot to answer the tomato question:

2 Berner Rose
1 Date Tomato

:))
Tasha

They are just called "columnar apples" here. I have never seen one in person, but I know what you are talking about.

I am not aware of a cherry of that particular property but cherries can be pruned creatively so that might be what is done with yours on a severely dwarfing rootstock.

Hi Ray,

Thanks for the name! I prefer to get my info on them in English, but didn't know the name! My apple has a granny smith-like apple grafted below and a cox-like apple above so that I don't need to worry about cross-pollination.

As columnar fruit trees, because of land prices, most houses here only have very very small gardens (in comparison to CA) and so there are two type of columnar cherries (one - mine - self pollinating, about five different apples, one pear (which of course needs a normal pear cross-pollinator). Then there are a number of dwarfs that ar specially made for the small garden market.

I was actually looking for information on columnar cherries, because I just got leaves this year and no blossoms :( and was wishfully thinking that maybe the blossoms come later on columnar trees. But now after a month and full leaves, I don't think so.

OK, so I pinched off the lettuce this morning and gave my snap peas a better trellise. I just stuck a wooden skewer in the ground next to the baby pea and ran a string from the top of the bamboo "cage" to the skewer. Is this enough? Do I have to do anything special to encourage the peas to use the trellise?

Cheers,
Tasha

Peas are proficient climbers. In my experience its usually a matter of keeping them from climbing things I don't want them on.

Tasha,
I know you live in Germany, and I do not, but I noticed your irrigation system and am looking for something just like that. Where did you get yours, and do you have any tips for finding something similar online or in the US?

Thanks!

Ich haette es nie gadacht, dass jemand aus so wenig platz solch einen Werk herstellen koennte. Aeusserst imponierend! Hevorragend, wirklich. Es beweist auch dass es ziemlich egal ist wie wenig platz mann hat, pflanzen koennen wir ueberall! :)

I think this is a wonderful thread to keep handy for anyone who ever says "I don't have enough room" for gardening.

Outstanding!

Clock

Hi Yipla and Clock!

The company is called Blumat and I think is based here in Europe, but they do have an international shop...maybe you can find something there. My system cost about 135 euros ($175) but is TOTALLY WORTH IT! The best thing is that the "feelers" decide when to pull water from the tank. The tank, as you see is just a normal rain water tub that we picked up here at the home and garden store.

The principle behind it is that when the ground is dryer than the clay feeler (which is filled with water) then it pulls water out of the cone feeler. This then pulls water out of the water tank. Of course it can also be connected to a water tap. This means that the tomatoes automatically get the increased water they need without me constantly adjusting the amount of drip/number of holes. The system lasts for years and years and if you rebuild you just need extra hoses. So to make it short - high investment up front, but low maintence costs. And through using the "distributor dripper" you can place the water exactly where the SFG plan needs it. And with the tank I have sun warmed water. We don't have a water connection on our deck, but my DH managerd to arrange a pretty convenient connection from the kitchen and we assume that in high summer we will have to fill once a week.

The system can be really complicated so if you think you want to get it, please feel free to post here and/or email me, because I spent a long time trying to figure out what I actually need. :)

Clock: Vielen Dank fuer Ihren Beitrag! Wir haben jetzt 9 Quadratmeter, was natuerlich mehr ist, als ich je zuvor in Europa hatte! Mir kommt es vor wie wahnsinnig viel Plaz, aber ich bin schon neidisch ueber die Leute die wirklich Reihen von SFG-Kasten haben. Aber wir sind erstmals nur zur zweit und eine Zuchinni, eine Gurke, uns reicht uns.

For those that don't speak German: Clock expressed how amazed he was on how much we could plant in such limited space and I told him that this was the larged balcony/deck we have had here in Europe. And despite that we have made great use of our small space, I am still very jealous of all those who get to build rows and rows of SFGs!

Cheers,
Tasha

Here is a link that might be useful: Blumat International

Thank you very much for the information Tasha, it is exactly what I am looking for!

Tasha, I'd like to e-mail you more about this, but I can't through your gardenweb profile. You can change the setting in your profile to allow users to e-mail you, or you can e-mail me through my profile page and I'll get back to you. Thanks!