May (beginner) gardening?

[delightedmama]

DH and I want a shared hobby, and after discussing it, decided on (indoor) gardening. Then we realized it's May. Is it too late to grow anything edible this year? We were thinking herbs, cherry tomatoes, maybe pickling cucumbers. We did herbs a few years ago, but that's about the extent of our experience, so we're not sure where to start... so links to beginner online guides (or your one must-buy book) would be useful too!

[Macky]

We're just starting our growing season here in zone 2... whadda ya mean "too late"?! ;)

Indoor vegetable gardening is MUCH more challenging than planting outside. What sort of committment (aka $$) are you willing to make as far as supplies, lighting, etc.?

[delightedmama]

Hmm... good to think about... does it help that by "indoor" I mean a balcony with windows on 3 sides and direct afternoon sun?

[Macky]

Most glass filters out some parts of the light spectrum that plants need for good, strong growth. It can be done, but you need to have nice, large containers for your plants (root systems are much bigger than you might think) and provide proper fertilizers for them. Most organic fertilizers take a long time to take effect and often require the action of weather or soil organisms to break down enough for plants to use. Most greenhouse (which is essentially what you're attempting) production uses synthetic fertilizers because they're immediately available to the plant. Then you also need to make sure there's sufficient airflow to prevent disease, etc...

I think you should look into books for greenhouse gardening or even hydroponics, if you're up for a project. I think they would be much more help to you than advice from people who are used to growing outside in full-spectrum light and natural weather patterns.

Let us know how it goes! :)

[delightedmama]

Thanks, I'm finding pretty good resources online even just for "balcony gardening". We have the windows open all of the time, and one side is always open (no windows on it). Thanks for mentioning things like having larger that I'd think containers!