Garden Revival

[Pineapple Smurf]

It has been almost 2 years now that I have had potplants on my balcony
I started when Covid19 hit our shores and we went into lockdown
I used the potting soil bags you buy
And I water each day from a 2 litre plastic bottle so each plant is only getting a tiny amount of water.
I do this either before work or after work as the sun has just set.
Also use a spray bottle and just wet all the leaves, this also gets any dust off
All the succulents are really happy and growing nicely
The rosemary is medium happy and just sits there growing 1cm per year, it needs more sun but I cannot give it anymore on my balcony
1 chillie bush is also doing pretty well, it is flowering this week and I see some little round chillie bombs sprouting
Also have a ficus bonsai and that dude is bullet proof, had him 11 years now

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

Oh and I have 2 lavenders but they are struggling
Balcony only gets sunlight from 3pm onwards so I will be throwing these ****ers away in due time

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

Post pics.

My garden was a wasteland and has taken 2 1/2 years to transform back, it takes time.

You need to get the carbon cycle running again so that's compost and organic fertiliser added regularly with watering and plants to protect the soil.

Start with Hardy stuff like lavender, sheenas gold, Cape honey suckle, butterfly Bush etc.

Never ever throw anything organic in the bin, leave the grass cuttings when mowing, throw leaves into the beds, even vegetable peelings etc can be put in the flowers.

 

[rietrot]

It all pretty much looks like this. The soil above has just been turned so it looks more moist than usual.

Even the grass is very sparse and the ground looks dried out. We had plenty of rain. So the ground lacks organic matter and isn't keeping the moisture.

If you cut grass, leave the grass clippings as a mulch. Don't throw it away.

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

It all pretty much looks like this. The soil above has just been turned so it looks more moist than usual.

Oof.

You'll need a cube of compost per 100m2, 3 times a year, can get in 2 this season before winter and then again next summer, that'll give you a start

 

[UrBaN963]

Oof.

You'll need a cube of compost per 100m2, 3 times a year, can get in 2 this season before winter and then again next summer, that'll give you a start

Thank you. I'll grab some on the weekend and give it what for.

 

[shinji]

Water the soil to soften the layers (you want the soil to be moist like coffee grinds, not mud).
Use a Garden Fork to loosen up the soil.
Remove some of the soil (enough to fill 1 of the bags below).
Mix 1 big bag Compost and 1 big bag Potting soil (the black soil nurseries sell in white bags) into the soil.
The flowerbed should now have darkish soil.
Plant some indigenous or hardy plants - for flowers I suggest Marigolds.
Water daily for the first week then water by hand (ie. hand sprayer) every second day between 17:00 and 18:30.
When watering avoid flooding the flowerbed (streams and puddles = bad).

Hope this helps.