Can zucchini be grown in a balcony garden?

[yvr girl]

Is there enough room in a planter to grow them?

I'm definitely going to grow herbs this year, but I don't know what else can be grown in a small space.

[roguevalley]

1. I tried last year and they didn't get very big. But then, it rained all

damned summer. I think if the container is big enough they should grow. Zuccini grows just about everywhere.

[BOSSHOG]

2. I think it can be done

Use at least a 50 quart container. Does your deck get plenty of sunshine?

You could also try tomatoes in large pots. They need lots of sun and you will have to stake them or use a wire cage. They are well worth the effort when you are eating homegrown tomatoes in the summer. And Okra is great to plant even if you don't like the product because the plant has a very pretty bloom, similar to hibiscus.

Hope you have a bumper crop.

You can get frames with wheels to put under the pots to make it easy to move them about, either out of your way or to track the sunshine.

[yvr girl]

3. what are the aprox. dimensions of a 50 quart container

We're metric here. I get a bit of sun but not tonnes. I plan on getting a balcony greenhouse so I can start my herbs soon.

[Gormy Cuss]

5. How are containers sized in Canada?

Are they sold with liter capacity? Our pots are sold in quart and gallon sizes. A zucchini plant should do alright in a 3 gallon container (11-12 liters, approximately.)A bigger container, around 20 liters, will give you a better yield. Choose a container variety for best results and look for a variety that is parthenocarpic (pollinates without bees.) Most are not. If you buy a standard variety and the fruit wither or blacken rather than mature, it's a sign that you don't have bees around to do the pollination. A bush variety is better than a vining variety for container growth. If you're buying seed, the package should indicate whether the variety is rated for containers. If you plan to buy a start from a nursery, check the tag for this information.

If you're using fresh potting soil, the plants should be fine for the season. If you are reusing dirt, plan to fertilize lightly about once a month. In your climate you need to be careful that the plant has enough warmth and the soil is on the dry side because cool, wet soil can kill it.

[BOSSHOG]

7. 50 quarts equals about 47 litres

Its a pretty good size pot giving the roots room to roam. It would be heavy so if you can get a roller plate it would make it much easier to move around. That size pot would also be recommended for tomatoes.

[KatyaR]

4. Yes, ma'am!

There are several small varieties that can be grown in containers. I'm trying Eight-Ball Zucchini from Nichols Garden Nursey (nicholsgardennursery.com). Check out several seed sites--there are a lot of different hybrids that are smaller and perfect for this kind of gardening.

The lady who owns the Nichols Garden Nursery has cowritten a book, "The Bountiful Container." It's the bible of container veggie gardening, and it's awesome. Buy it, and you won't be sorry.

Good luck!

[BOSSHOG]

6. Thanks for the info

I've ordered a pack of 8-ball seeds. I think they'll do great. I couldn't find them anywhere around here so I ordered them. Supposed to be ready in 35 days from sowing. Might get a couple of crops. I'm just about ready to seed. I got heirloom tomato seeds (brandywine) I can't wait to plant but I'm gonna hold off another couple of weeks. We get a bizarre occasional frost in late March.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. Warning, BOSSHOG. Eight balls are extremely prolific.

They do mature quickly but ones much larger than softball size are not good for much other than stuffing. Pick early and often. I grew them and an heirloom black zucchini one year. The eight ball produced like crazy but succumbed to powdery mildew long before the black zucchini had any mildew at all. The eight ball had a milder flavor as I recall.

[BOSSHOG]

9. I was reading

that they should be picked at three inch diameter. I couldn't find any 8-ball seed around here so I ordered them. I also can't find Pepperoncini seeds. Might have to order them as well. I'm still waiting to garden. I just know we are gonna have one more frost this season.