listen up ..... there are various levels of experts here .... i know most of you don't need me to tell you not to leave them in water for a week .. or until you can plant them outside ... but just in case there is that newbie who is getting their first mail order ever... it is imperative for them to understand that a soak is one thing... growing it like a water lily is another ... these days most stock is TC liners grown out.. the crown is never cut ... when i started you might get actual divisions with fresh cuts .... and that type of stock can rot if left in too much water for too long ... my point is simply that the audience knowledge level varies ... so dont take offense if you feel i am taking down to you when i simplify it all for others ... i just cant remember all 250 of your aliases ... its a guy thing.. lol .... good luck ken

Fellow growers in NE PA, how are your tomatoes taking this chilly weather?

The potting mixes like Miracle Gro that advertise that they have fertilizer don't have that much fertilizer. Certainly nowhere near enough for a complete growing season. Maybe a month, if the plant remains small. But with something like a Brandywine, it's best to assume you'll get 3 good weeks. And with all the rain we've been having, remember that the fertilizer mostly likely all got flushed out very early on. For my container tomatoes, I mix my fert at 1/4 the recommended dose and use that to water every three waterings or once a week, whichever comes first. If it gets hot and I'm watering every day, I reduce it to 1/8 strength every third watering. My plants are never overfertilized.

The OP's challenge may be finding evergreen plants that will survive the winters. Having something that dies back to bare branches during the winter will negate privacy during that period. That said, I fully agree to do some research both online and at professional nurseries -- do NOT rely on folks working at HD or Lowes. While ivy looks nice, it is also highly invasive in many areas. (Check with your local univerisity or county extension offices to find out if it is a problem plant in your area.) A trellis has strong possibilites. For summer greenery and flowers, you could check to see if there are clematis which would survive the winter on your balcony. Otherwise, you might have to look at annual vines to train up the trellis for summer interest. For the winter, you could consider decorating the trellis with seasonal items -- either artificial or not -- such as dry cornstalks + small pumpkins/gourds for autumn, and evergreen boughs or wreaths for winter. In addition to the trellis idea, if your balcony has the space, I'd say consider checking into a large planter with an evergreen tree/shrub. I would expect there will be ones available in your area that would survive your winters.