Container Gardening / Balcony Gardening

[recapitulation]

Hi! Has anyone done any gardening here...successfully? I've gotten soil from Mario Vivero. While I like their plants, the soil tends to be very compacted or maybe it's got too much clay. I've also had tons of problems with bugs infestations - aphids, white flies, mealy bugs, spider mites, green caterpillars that eat the leaves, scales...I've never seen so many at once. So...

1. Where do you get soil and/or how do you treat it for bugs?

2. Where do you get seeds?

3. When do you start seedlings?

Is already a bit late for starting from seeds?


Thanks!

 

[arlean]

Hi Recapitulation, I tried container gardening and it seemed to work okay for the little time that I did it. I guess it depends on how much you plan to do. Might be what I did wouldn't work for you, but I got mine up at Easy in Palermo. I didn't have any problems with bugs at all. Don't know why. I don't guarantee it but that's my experience. The soil was in plastic bags and if you're doing a lot, that might not be very practical. I had to get a taxi to bring al my stuff home.

 

[French jurist]

For the soil, you can add "perlita" (kind of white flakes they sell at Easy & such).
Better buy a bag of soil a bit more expensive, the cheap ones indeed give a compact soil.

Perfect time for the seeds since the beginning of the month!

 

[Aleina Dee]

Sources for seeds :: Coto / Walmart for communal gardenvariety seeds
Mercadolibre
Semilleria

I just started amaranth plants. They are on their second leaf already . Showy flowers and great salad leaves. Seeds to boot at the end of their lives.

 

[la_guachita]

Instead of seeds I buy baby plants from the feria since they are only 5 or 10 pesos each. Haven't had too much luck with my container gardening in years past although the basil did last a while, but this year I am recycling plastic containers, making self-watering pots and they seem to be happier. Also starting a compost in an old paint bucket in an effort to rejuvenate old soil. I've never had problems with bugs but one issue seems to be chlorine in the water. Now I am distilling it before feeding the plants to see if it makes a difference.

I am also making bird feeders out of old bottles (

) since a little family of finches lives in the old kitchen exhaust pipe. I'm just worried about the cats flying out the window trying to get them -- I came across a neighbor's cat that fell out of a 2nd floor window the other day.

 

[lucha54]

Only can speak of my experience with 2 potted herb plants that I bought for 20pesos each at El Galpon Organic Market (Chacarita, every Wed and Sat)
The rosemary grew really well; didn't die when I left it in the cold laundry room for too long. Still going strong.
The mint leaves were beautiful and big, was using them for fresh spring rolls and really enjoying!! But the time in the balcony laundry room for 2 weeks in winter killed it and the leaves shriveled and died. I picked off all the dead bits and started watering it a bit more regularly. Miraculously, out of nowhere, the mint started growing back in, healthier than ever!! Such a thrill!! Now I keep it in the warm apartment but of course left it in a little section that gets afternoon sunlight, I think it liked that.

Would love to hear more tips as I'll be moving and want to grow more herbs (including albahaca) and maybe some other edibles on my balcony!!

 

[Alicia karr]

Same thing happened to my mint. By the way I keep everything out all year round and my Rosemary which is like a small bush now even flowered!

 

[nyer4ever]

Save your coffee grinds and put it in your compost to get rid of ants...won't harm the plant.

 

[recapitulation]

You guys are awesome. So...soil at Easy and hopefully clay will not be an issue, if it is, add perlita. Got it. I hunted on Mercado Libre for seeds and found some vegetables I had never heard of! Thanks much.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Speaking of Argentine ants, they have an intriguing history: http://southernconeguidebooks.blogspot.com/2010/06/argentinas-six-legged-invaders.html