I live in an appartent - 10th floor, which is in Toronto, Canada. I am
thinking of growing three vegetables in the Flower Pots. I don't know
anything about growing. I have one flower pot, but that's about it :)
Right now,I want to grow tomatoes, green chilies, and mint. I am hoping
that I can grow them without using any chemical.

I did some research about growing aboved mentioned vegetables, however,
most of the advice is about growing them in a garden. Do I have worry
about same issues - like danger of frost, temperature, acid soil with
a pH, diseases, and rotating crops?

I learned that there are varities of tomatoes, geen chilies, and I am
not sure which one will be good for growing in an appartment. Also, I
like the mint avilable in indian market in Toronto, it has very nice
smell, does anyone know what's called, I would like grow that mint.

>From what I understand tomatoes and other plants need rich soil. I read
that some people used left over tea-bags, water which they used to
clean vegtable & rice for enriching soil. Can I use egg shell, leafs
for it, beside tea-bags, rice water? I am not sure I can get a organic
fertilizer in Toronto. According to one site tomatoes are members of
the poisonous nightshade family, I don't suppose their leaf can be used
for soil rich?

Ps: My appartment windows are east & west, will this be a problem?

Thanks in advance.

<michelebargeman [at] yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1147595954.463594.75660 [at] u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com...
>I live in an appartent - 10th floor, which is in Toronto, Canada. I am
> thinking of growing three vegetables in the Flower Pots. I don't know
> anything about growing. I have one flower pot, but that's about it :)
> Right now,I want to grow tomatoes, green chilies, and mint. I am hoping
> that I can grow them without using any chemical.
>
> I did some research about growing aboved mentioned vegetables, however,
> most of the advice is about growing them in a garden. Do I have worry
> about same issues - like danger of frost, temperature, acid soil with
> a pH, diseases, and rotating crops?
>
> I learned that there are varities of tomatoes, geen chilies, and I am
> not sure which one will be good for growing in an appartment. Also, I
> like the mint avilable in indian market in Toronto, it has very nice
> smell, does anyone know what's called, I would like grow that mint.
>
>>From what I understand tomatoes and other plants need rich soil. I read
> that some people used left over tea-bags, water which they used to
> clean vegtable & rice for enriching soil. Can I use egg shell, leafs
> for it, beside tea-bags, rice water? I am not sure I can get a organic
> fertilizer in Toronto. According to one site tomatoes are members of
> the poisonous nightshade family, I don't suppose their leaf can be used
> for soil rich?
>
> Ps: My appartment windows are east & west, will this be a problem?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>

First, don't expect things to go well, after all this is new to you.
It's great that you're trying, though.
Tomatoes and peppers love the sun. Too little sun and you'll get taller
plants in the end because they're reaching for the sun. So, put a strong
stake in the pot to tie them to as they grow. Give the stems a little room
to thicken. Perhaps you can put the pots on a dolly and move them from east
to west to get more sun.
I'd choose a grape or cherry tomato variety. Choose a chile variety
based on heat and flavor. Some of the small ones are cute when they're ripe
but who's gonna eat them? Too hot! and no perceptible flavor. I like red
ripe jalapenos or cayennes for sauces.
Question: do bees or other pollinating critters fly to the tenth floor
of any building?
I don't know about mints or organic fertilizers. I'd use a water soluble
fertilizer like Miracle Gro. Don't worry about diseases or pH, etc. Just
don't drown the plants.

Tom

michelebargeman [at] yahoo.com wrote:

> I live in an appartent - 10th floor, which is in Toronto, Canada. I am
> thinking of growing three vegetables in the Flower Pots. I don't know
> anything about growing. I have one flower pot, but that's about it :)
> Right now,I want to grow tomatoes, green chilies, and mint. I am hoping
> that I can grow them without using any chemical.
>
> I did some research about growing aboved mentioned vegetables, however,
> most of the advice is about growing them in a garden. Do I have worry
> about same issues - like danger of frost, temperature, acid soil with
> a pH, diseases, and rotating crops?
>
> I learned that there are varities of tomatoes, geen chilies, and I am
> not sure which one will be good for growing in an appartment. Also, I
> like the mint avilable in indian market in Toronto, it has very nice
> smell, does anyone know what's called, I would like grow that mint.
>
>>From what I understand tomatoes and other plants need rich soil. I read
> that some people used left over tea-bags, water which they used to
> clean vegtable & rice for enriching soil. Can I use egg shell, leafs
> for it, beside tea-bags, rice water? I am not sure I can get a organic
> fertilizer in Toronto. According to one site tomatoes are members of
> the poisonous nightshade family, I don't suppose their leaf can be used
> for soil rich?
>
> Ps: My appartment windows are east & west, will this be a problem?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>

Hi Michael, I'm Zone 6A Ontario. I'm assuming you don't have a
balcony? If not, my DD grew vegetables in their condo with no balcony
not far from Toronto. Any garden can be managed without the use of
strong chemicals but you may need a few non-toxic to humans home
remedies. Pests shouldn't be a problem unless they come in with the
plants. Use Safer's Soap or mix your own: 1 - 2 drops vegetable oil, 1
- 2 drops dish soap, in a spray bottle then fill with water. Use as
needed. You won't have to worry as much about temperature just don't
let them get the cool breeze from the AC. Larger tomatoes such as
beefsteak won't do as well but you should be able to grow any of the
grape tomatoes. I would suggest Tiny Tims or Sweet Millions as both
perform nicely. Mint is basically a weed and there are many varieties.
Grow mint on your window sill. I'm not sure what mint is at the
Indian market but you could always ask. I grow pineapple mint,
chocolate mint, spearmint, and peppermint. Other herbs that are easy to
grow that you might be interested in: oregano, chives, lemon balm,
lavender, thyme, parsley, and any of the basils. Basil is an annual so
expect it to die come winter. I haven't grown green chilies but I have
grown other peppers. They tend to be a little more finicky for me. If
growing from seed, some plants are susceptible to "dampening off". That
means the seed sprouts and everything looks good then suddenly it bends
over and is dead. To prevent this, brew a strong cup of chamomile tea.
Allow to cool then spray the seedlings until they are out of the
danger zone.

HTH & Happy Gardening

--

Garden Gnome
http://ca.360.yahoo.com/sfg.oamc
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/garden_wanderings
http://gardengnomewanderings.blogspot.com/

tomatoes require a lot of heat. Nighttime temps over 65 is beneficial
for a good crop. There is a method for growing them upside down. The
gardening TV guru says to fertilize them only once at planting time.
Hammacher Schlemmer sells a kit for growing them upside down.