How about a gardening thread?

[Pavanne]

	Quote:	StarbugHayley
	- is it (generally) accepted that a balcony in a rented apartment can be packed full of planters in Switzerland (or specifically in Zurich, if that helps narrow the scope of the question)? Does it matter depending on the building or discretion of the landlord? (i.e. something akin to 'strata' rules?) Or 'for the most part' can you put whatever you like on a balcony?

I think you can put whatever you like on your balcony if it doesn't smell, drop compost on the balcony below, etc. I had a big tangle of tomato plants.

One reservation: it gets HOT here in summer and on a south facing balcony, anything but tomatoes tended to wither and die (as did tomatoes unless watered twice a day). So consider heat resistance when planting!

	Quote:	junun
	Hi, I´m new here in switzerland, cn you recommend me some crops i could grow at home for spring. and at around what month can i start growing them? thanks !!!

Do you have a garden, a plot of land or a balcony? You need to consider how much sun it gets - south facing? Then buy your seeds or plants accordingly.

Do you like fruit, herbs and/or vegetables? Go to a garden centre and look around, ask questions if you meet a friendly and helpful sales assistant. Bearing your budget in mind, decide on perennials or annuals. You can start planting end-March or early April, depending on when the threat of frost is over.

[StarbugHayley]

Hello fellow gardeners!

(I'm a n00b around here - I thought I replied to this thread before, but my message never appeared! Oops!).

I don't live in Zurich yet (though I'm really hoping to!), but I'm such a gardening geek, I'm on here well in advance to check out the gardening conditions in the prospective 'new home city'!

I have three questions, if someone would like to indulge me!

1. Generally speaking, if you rent an apartment in Zurich that has a balcony, can you grow plants? Or are there restrictions on what you can and can't do on a balcony? I know here in Canada that some strata-owned buildings don't allow bicycles to be stored, and sometimes no BBQs, and (horror of horrors!) no gardening. (I guess what I'm really asking is: should I specify that I wish to grow a couple of tomato plants on the balcony when I'm applying to rent the apartment?).

2. I've read elsewhere that the garden plots that are in the 'familiengarten' areas are for 'retired persons' almost exclusively, and that there isn't much of a gardening culture in young and middle-aged adults. Is that true? (I'll garden regardless, of course! Just wondering if a 32 year old foreigner would be well accepted!).

3. (And I accept that this is an odd question, but...). I worked with a lady from Poland who told me all about these exceptional Polish tomatoes that were like 'raspberries' (smallish (for a tomato), pinkish, tapered, and indescribably sweet). I did some searching and found the term 'pomidor malinowy', and I think this is what she's talking about. I haven't been able to find seeds for a similar variety here in Canada - has anyone grown this variety? Are the 'legends' true? I'm so curious about these!

(I placed a link to a Polish website earlier that showed a few varieties with the description 'malinowy', but I'm wondering if that hyperlink wasn't the reason why my post never appeared.).

Thank you for any responses! I'm so pleased to see a forum on gardening! This is very encouraging indeed! It seems to me that there must be a vibrant gardening culture (and that the myth about the 'old folks only' was just that - a myth!).

Not that there's anything wrong with being old and gardening! It's what I'd like to be doing if I wasn't working!!!

[StarbugHayley]

OH DEAR! Apologies!

My post DID post! I was looking at the wrong page!


SO EMBARRASSED! Thank you, ARGUS for responding to me!!!

I'm very sorry everyone! (I don't know how to erase messages, or I'd delete this one!)

[StarbugHayley]

Oh dear, thank you PAVANNE!

Sorry! (I'm not off to a good start, am I?!)

	Quote:	StarbugHayley
	OH DEAR! Apologies! My post DID post! I was looking at the wrong page! SO EMBARRASSED! Thank you, ARGUS for responding to me!!! I'm very sorry everyone! (I don't know how to erase messages, or I'd delete this one!)

For a minute there, you got me all confused. Nevermind, the best of us have our worst moments, too. Cheers! (Pssst, you'll fit right in with us crazies on the EF.) And, no, you don't have to tell your prospective landlord about your fetish for tomatoes.

[sups]

Hi starbughayley,
welcome to the gardening thread on the EF.
1 yes you are allowed to grow plants on the balcony.
2. garden plots are used by young as well as retired ppl, though the etrend is retired folk do use it much more since it is they who tend to have more time off hands.
3.I am as such not aware of this tomato but i shall look it up.

Wonders! The first purple-yellow crocus popped up in a pot in my balcony today. Will have to go check out the crocus triangle near the lake park in Cham soon.

[smoky]

	Quote:	argus
	Wonders! The first purple-yellow crocus popped up in a pot in my balcony today. Will have to go check out the crocus triangle near the lake park in Cham soon.

Yes, lovely! A sign of Springtime?

I was amazed to see all the little green tips of bulbs I stuck in last year appearing thru the melting snow.

I wish I`d made a plan of where I planted what. Really believed I`d remember where the various lovely colours, heights, varieties, were planted!

[Principia Discordia]

So when is the last frost date here? For some reason I thought mid-may but someone earlier mentioned you can plant around march/april.

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	Principia Discordia
	So when is the last frost date here? For some reason I thought mid-may but someone earlier mentioned you can plant around march/april.

It really depends on where you live and what you are actually planting.
It's best to wait until later to plant tender plants and annuals but there are many shrubs and summer flowering bulbs plus vegetables that can be planted before May.

[JanerMacP]

Anyone familiar with raised beds? We have a 10 foot wall that runs along our yard. Planted at the base of this wall are tons and tons of blackberry bushes, the kind with thorns.

I want to rip them out and lay down a Tarp to keep them from regrowing and then building raised beds to grow tomato and climbing plants.

Is my idea going to work? The blackberries produce a ton of fruit but have become unmanageable, they come out almost 2m from the wall.

	Quote:	smoky
	Yes, lovely! A sign of Springtime? I was amazed to see all the little green tips of bulbs I stuck in last year appearing thru the melting snow. I wish I`d made a plan of where I planted what. Really believed I`d remember where the various lovely colours, heights, varieties, were planted!

Oh, spring is perhaps around the corner. Hope our bulb tips don't get frost bitten. The rest of this week sees 7 to 9 degrees C in the daytime.

Can relate to anecdotes of forgetfulness. When I finally get a garden of our own, I'll have to make a plan and mark in the colours, species and heights. Right now, I can't even remember which bulbs I planted in which pots.

[Tom1234]

	Quote:	argus
	Oh, spring is perhaps around the corner. Hope our bulb tips don't get frost bitten. The rest of this week sees 7 to 9 degrees C in the daytime. Can relate to anecdotes of forgetfulness. When I finally get a garden of our own, I'll have to make a plan and mark in the colours, species and heights. Right now, I can't even remember which bulbs I planted in which pots.

I put labels in for the bulbs so I wouldn't dig them up accidentally. The kids moved them all!

	Quote:	Tom1234
	I put labels in for the bulbs so I wouldn't dig them up accidentally. The kids moved them all!

The dog hasn't moved any of the other plant labels (yet) - the way she moves my hand-cream tubs and tubes around the flat.

[smoky]

	Quote:	Tom1234
	I put labels in for the bulbs so I wouldn't dig them up accidentally. The kids moved them all!

Old photos of the garden help. "Oh look ..... there`s where the red tulips are!"

Lists. I try to not make lists, as I forget where I put THEM!

Only one plant has a marker in the garden. An old rusted broken off garden fork is stuck in the ground where a crazy little plant comes up each year. It`s winter hard (I was told at nursery) and gets bushier each year, but am still waiting for the bush, 3 years later. It sends out a few long straggly branches in summer with lovely tiny flowers, but never seems to get beyond that stage.

Anyone had any luck with the shrub called "Trännendeherz" however it`s spelt? (Crying heart /bleeding heart) .... little heart shaped flowers in red and white?

	Quote:	smoky
	Old photos of the garden help. "Oh look ..... there`s where the red tulips are!" Lists. I try to not make lists, as I forget where I put THEM! Only one plant has a marker in the garden. An old rusted broken off garden fork is stuck in the ground where a crazy little plant comes up each year. It`s winter hard (I was told at nursery) and gets bushier each year, but am still waiting for the bush, 3 years later. It sends out a few long straggly branches in summer with lovely tiny flowers, but never seems to get beyond that stage. Anyone had any luck with the shrub called "Trännendeherz" however it`s spelt? (Crying heart /bleeding heart) .... little heart shaped flowers in red and white?

I saw those cute plants... somewhere. Do you fertilize it in spring? It says here to cut back the stems severely in November or thereabouts.
http://www.garden.org/plantguide/?q=show&id=2038

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	Tom1234
	I put labels in for the bulbs so I wouldn't dig them up accidentally. The kids moved them all!

We had the same problem but with the cat. He had great fun batting them until they came up and then chasing them around the garden. Not very helpful now though.

	Quote:	smoky
	Anyone had any luck with the shrub called "Trännendeherz" however it`s spelt? (Crying heart /bleeding heart) .... little heart shaped flowers in red and white?

Dicentra or bleeding heart (tränendes herz) is beautiful and pretty easy to grow. I had a lot of success with it in Belgium in heavy clay soil and the one I planted here seems to do well too although it's quite small and has only overwintered once so far so we'll see what this year brings.
One of the most common varieties is Dicentra Spectabilis.

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	argus
	I saw those cute plants... somewhere. Do you fertilize it in spring? It says here to cut back the stems severely in November or thereabouts. http://www.garden.org/plantguide/?q=show&id=2038

Nope. Never fertilised mine. Did cut them back in November though and we do usually top up the bark mulch every year.

[sups]

	Quote:	JanerMacP
	Anyone familiar with raised beds? We have a 10 foot wall that runs along our yard. Planted at the base of this wall are tons and tons of blackberry bushes, the kind with thorns. I want to rip them out and lay down a Tarp to keep them from regrowing and then building raised beds to grow tomato and climbing plants. Is my idea going to work? The blackberries produce a ton of fruit but have become unmanageable, they come out almost 2m from the wall.

Janer, if you build a raised bed on the blackberries they wont grow there but they are very stubborn and might send out suckers from the sides of these beds..
It is sad that you have to put the blackberries to sleep...but I understand you want space for somethng manageable. why not put a few plantain containers, that will limit their suckering.