ways to prolong growing season for salad greens

8 years ago

I live in NYC in Zone 6 (not sure if I'm considered 6a or 6b). Either way I have a very small balcony where I can fit some pots....maybe a few 10" pots...and I have a few 14" as well. I sowed seeds for a few greens that are supposed to do well in temps down to the 40s...

However, I'd obviously like to prolong the growing season as long as possible. I do not have space for a coldframe, nor am I handy enough to build even a small one. But are there other less complicated ways to help my plants produce longer throughout the winter?

Would a layer of mulch on top of the soil help? Wrapping the pots in burlap with layers of leaves inside? Or getting a heavy clear plastic tarp and somehow affixing it say to the sides of my balcony railings and creating a sort of sunroof cover to help hold in warmer temps around the pots?

Any ideas? Tx!

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Comments (8)

maxjohnson
8 years ago
You could buy premade green houses on Amazon that should be easy to put together.
Lynn Nevins
Original Author
8 years ago
...small enough for a 60 s.f. balcony? ;-)
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Hey Mariava: It looks like that worked just fine for you! I'd do the same thing to try to extend the season a bit myself but living in an apt with little sun has left me no choice but to use my lights. Next year, I will avail myself of a friends help and see if I can take my hippies to his place to set out on the south side of his house. The only thing with plastic to remember is that it has poor insulating properties insofar as any leaves touching the plastic may get zapped by frost that way. Otherwise, that idea of yours is perfect. Regarding the leaves getting zapped by frost when the hippies are outside at this time of year. I wonder if anyone has ever just allowed them to get zapped by frost a little bit to encourage dormancy or has that been too much for the bulbs and damaged them beyond recovery. I was thinking this in terms of digging up begonias, dahlias etc. I've always advised home gardeners to allow the frosts to zap the leaves which would encourage the tubers, corms etc to go dormant. Not sure if that would do the same thing for Amaryllis and one thing I realize is that with the bulbs that are not buried in the ground, they could get zapped by frost and be damaged irrevocably.
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ways to prolong growing season for salad greens
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It depends some on just what size balcony, how high up, how windy, how much sun does it get in the summer? Is is on the precipitation side of the building, or are you going to have to water it a lot? If you have the space for it, perhaps one of those mini-greenhouses? Footprint is 2x3 I think, and about 6 feet tall when assembled. Has 4 shelves, comes with a clear plastic cover, some come with shade cloth covers too. If you go this route, invest in a chunk of styrofoam insulation to sit as the base of the greenhouse to help with drafts from below. You can ask about scrap at the local big box store. Otherwise, at least lay down a mat of some sort to help block out under breezes. This isn't going to give you a lot of protection, but it will help some. If you want to go whole hog and enclose your balcony... If you can, get a whole sheet of Styrofoam insulation and do the whole floor and bottom foot or so of your balcony rail- however high up the bottom rail is on the vertical. Make sure you leave a niche cut out on the bottom vertical to leave you access off the porch if/when needed. Then put up a wind block of some sort from the top of the bottom rail to the bottom of the hand rail. I've used cheap quilters cotton in light colors when it's been on clearance to block the bottom that way. Colorful and useful as a wind block if needed. And can allow some extra privacy depending on how your balcony is situated. Then from the balcony roof- if you have one- hang clear plastic shower curtains that you can pull back as needed. This gives you more flexibility year round. What you use as fasteners to hold it closed depends on what your balcony is made of. If you can, use square pots. If you or someone you know has cats, you might be able to get free litter jugs or buckets, and those make great planters. If you get kitty jugs, spring lettuce and fall lettuce can be planted in with a summer tomato- and use a full sized cage, Or a small bean or cucumber pole. The kitty buckets are almost perfect square foot gardening for anything. If you need late spring into summer extension for tender greens from sun and wind, try using lightweight fabric curtain instead of plastic shower curtain.
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caityross
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Older post, but may help next year: I use a clear storage tub overturned above my pots as a basic cold frame to prolong my season. It's not a cloche or a cold-frame, but does enough to help my containers last a bit longer here in Boston.

Something along these lines:
Lynn Nevins
Original Author
8 years ago
omg...simple but genius!! Thanks!! Only caveat is...where do I store the tub when not in use?....storage space is tough for me...but ....I DO already have one clear storage tub under my bed with other 'stuff' in it....maybe during the winter months only I can find another way to store that stuff...and use the container out on the balcony....

Did you need to put anything weighted on top of the storage box to ensure it didn't blow away...? I'm on a 3rd floor balcony so sometimes there can be a bit of wind...but I suppose not enough to literally lift the thing up off the floor of my balcony...I suppose the most the box might do is shift a bit on the floor itself, but then the planters within it would prevent it from moving any further...so probably ok I guess....
caityross
8 years ago
During the off season, I use mine to hold various gardening supplies- I mean, it's not necessary for organization, but it's easy enough for me to find space. I also don't have quite as limited options as it seems you do.

I grow onions, which can survive in the winter weather, so I use the 5 gallon buckets with my onions along the outer side of the box to help keep it in place. I also use a brick under one of the narrow ends to make sure there is some airflow. On really cold nights if I remember, I'll remove the brick. I usually don't remember tbh.
caityross
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Another option that just occurred to me. If you have a few extra inches under your bed, you can just nest your current box into the empty one during the growing-season.
Lynn Nevins
Original Author
8 years ago
thanks..and good tip on the airflow. I'm a stickler for aesthetics and currently use a really nice looking 'box' for storage....see link as an FYI...it was super easy to snap together..no tools needy...looks like it will stand up well to this, its first Winter on my balcony...and the top can double for a place to lay plants or as an extra balcony seat.... http://www.amazon.com/Suncast-SSW1200-Wicker-22-Gallon-Storage/dp/B0044V3UFS/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449090112&sr=8-1-fkmr2&keywords=balcony+storage+suncast

Anyway, I therefore already have a box that I use for balcony storage...however it occurred to me that ideally, maybe I can find a clear box such as yours, and of dimensions that are just a hair smaller than the footprint of my current balcony storage box. Then, during the warmer months when I no longer need my makeshift coldframe, I can simply insert it into the base of my pre-existing storage box so voila!...it's really not taking up any extra space! Yeah!! Necessity is the Mother of Invention as they say...one of my favorite expressions, as it is sooooo true!
Lynn Nevins
Original Author
8 years ago
...and no extra room under my bed. Otherwise also a great idea...

ways to prolong growing season for salad greens

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maxjohnson

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ways to prolong growing season for salad greens

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maxjohnson

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