Recommendation of what to grow during the winter.

oldscoil

Hi Folks,

After a recent trip to the Botanic Gardens I decided to try and get a little “window box” together.

Well grow things on my balcony to be more exact.

I am one story up and it’s on a corner so it’s quite windy. Plus I’m about half a kilometre from the sea.


At the moment my wife has a few herbs growing, which is great as we use them most days.

So what else can I grow during the winter?

Edible would be great, but I’m open to suggestions…..

This is my first stab at growing things, so nothing too crazy.

Thanks in advance Folks.

Corsendonk

Window box in a windy location in winter don't really work. If you have any large plants it just gives the wind more purchase and suddenly your window box is one storey down. There great for summer growing but just not really worth using in winter. Have you a balcony that you can put large window troughs on the ground? A lot less exposed to the wind.

oldscoil

Corsendonk wrote: »

Have you a balcony that you can put large window troughs on the ground? A lot less exposed to the wind.

Hi Corse.

(Thanks for the reply)

My balcony would be kind of similar to the attached pic

It is in an "L shape" with one side facing East and the other side facing South. From my days as a smoker I know that sometimes the wind blows one side, and some days the other

Corsendonk

Not such a bad design, well you could use the window box troughs placed on the floor of the balcony around the balcony edge. That way the wind shouldn't catch the plants and on the odd sunny day in winter your balcony should be pretty warm. For ideas on what to grow have a look at the winter veg thread below. You could grow winter peas but to get a decent crop you need alot of plants so you might want to stick to the brassica family(cabbage, cauliflower, kale)

With a balcony that size you could do alot with next spring and summer. You could use the troughs for lettuce crops, maybe a couple of bush tomato plants , strawberries in hanging troughs. Some spinch perhaps, it isnt too big so you could just have enough veg for you and your wife and once you keep harvesting the plants don't go over the top as quick so you get alonger growing season.

jezko

Corsendonk wrote: »

Not such a bad design, well you could use the window box troughs placed on the floor of the balcony around the balcony edge. That way the wind shouldn't catch the plants and on the odd sunny day in winter your balcony should be pretty warm. For ideas on what to grow have a look at the winter veg thread below. You could grow winter peas but to get a decent crop you need alot of plants so you might want to stick to the brassica family(cabbage, cauliflower, kale)

With a balcony that size you could do alot with next spring and summer. You could use the troughs for lettuce crops, maybe a couple of bush tomato plants , strawberries in hanging troughs. Some spinch perhaps, it isnt too big so you could just have enough veg for you and your wife and once you keep harvesting the plants don't go over the top as quick so you get alonger growing season.

For a bit of Colour, try growing Pansy's ... you can also eat the flowers AFAIK I am open to be corrected

oldscoil

jezko wrote: »

For a bit of Colour, try growing Pansy's ... you can also eat the flowers AFAIK I am open to be corrected

Thanks Jezko & Corse.

This is great info.

I was actually thinking of giving garlic a try (as I eat quitea lot of Italian food ).

I found this link for growing garlic in Ireland:
http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about240.html

Thanks again....

Sonnenblumen

OP you will have no problem selecting plants to grow over winter on such a baclony including Liriope muscari, helleborus (niger), pachysandra and cyclamen to name a few. Complement these with ornamental grasses/sedges including carex, acorus and ophiopogon and you're guaranteed with a little care (watering/feeding) eyecatching low requirement displays.

IMO growing veg in such a limited space is more aspirational than inspirational and very difficult to get a nice display not to mention small returns. It's a matter of personal choice?

Good luck.