aloes

So it’s been a while and we’ve been a bit caught up with work, but have been slowly making progress with the balcony and window plants. We’ve taken the bamboo wigwams off the big aloes because they seem to have stabilised in their new ceramic pots. The bamboo is now supporting the two large tomato plants, although we might need something bigger for the black cherry tomato pretty soon.

But first, here are some pics from 11th April that we forgot to post:

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And here’s the view from today:

The baby Black Crim tomato plant is doing well.

The smaller of the two tomato plants, which we thought were both black cherry, is in fact a surviving Black Crim! The flowers are bigger and look at this beast! Currently measures about 1 5/8" x 2" and has beautiful dark green stripey markings. Hopefully we'll get a few more... — The smaller of the two tomato plants, which we thought were both black cherry, is in fact a surviving Black Crim! The flowers are bigger and look at this beast! Currently measures about 1 5/8″ x 2″ and has beautiful dark green stripey markings. Hopefully we’ll get a few more…

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Black Crim flowers, lots of. We’ve been having a little fun trying to get them pollinated, but that’s for another post.

The black cherry tomato plant has started fruiting, SO EXCITING!! They’re not ready yet, but getting there. The folks say they’ve come quite early for the season and also that cherry tomatoes seem to grow easier than bigger varieties. Dizzy with success right now. Giving them a weekly feed of course, and watering nearly every day. The leaves wilt very quickly when they’re drying out, then perk up just as fast.

The first black cherry tomato starting to take on a rusty orange tone.

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Our previously poorly chilli plants (aphids last year!!) are perking up a bit with lots of new flowers and a couple of little chilli peppers. They’re still an odd shape but lots of little tiny shoots are sprouting out of the main stems so hopefully they’ll get a bit bushier and a little less lopsided.

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The original seeds seem to have been nicked from this. Got it in my stocking at Christmas. Stuck in some purple ruffles basil, Thai basil, sweet Genovese basil, cinnamon basil and coriander. All but one type are up as little seedlings with the coriander the quickest off the mark. Planted it up at 4 in the morning after a night out, so wasn’t in the best state to remember to mark which is which, will just have to wait and see.

The baby aloes don't seem to have rooted so well, but they're still alive. Trying to pawn them on unsuspecting house guests. — The baby aloes don’t seem to have rooted so well, but they’re still alive. Trying to pawn them on unsuspecting house guests.

At last! The first batch of Alpine strawberries didn't grow at all. Planted some more in this little pot and nothing happened for weeks and weeks so popped exactly 3 more seeds in and now bam we have 7! — At last! The first batch of Alpine strawberries didn’t grow at all. Planted some more in this little pot and nothing happened for weeks and weeks so popped exactly 3 more seeds in and now bam we have 7!

Our rescue poinsettia looking very beautiful with its red leaves

So this is turning into a monster post so gonna divide it into two. Coming up, the view from outside and some wildlife spotted from between the bars.

We mentioned our aloes in the last post, they appear to be on a bid for freedom from their red Ikea pots that seemed so very huge when we bought them to house our growing Medusas. We discovered the mammy plant abandoned on our balcony when we first arrived, toppled over in a cracked little pot and rolling slowly on its side in a most unnerving fashion in the breeze, along with a mouldering mop and a cigarette butt. She already had a little baby shoot that we later divided and planted up by itself, now rivaling mammy aloe in size.

Mammy aloe has pretty much been bullying our other plants lately, she’s reached right out of her pot and tried to bulldoze out over the lemons and the coffees and toppled herself over again, having sprouted lots of new little aloes in her wake. So it was definitely past time for a change.

Every now and then we’ll separate the offspring from the big aloes and our friends get new plants. It’s easy and a bit satisfying and involves plopping the plant out of its pot and easing the offshoots apart.

aloe babies

We ended up with 17 little aloes, and normally we’d let them grow bigger before separating them, but there were so many this time and we’ve got them in glass jars of water on the windowsill for the moment. At this point we’ll probably have to cast the net further for potential aloe guardians.

Next up, a wigwam to support the giantess (should’ve gone for a bigger pot again?).

Luckily we had also picked up some bamboo sticks to support the dwarf French beans we’re going to be planting in a month or so.

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By the way, this is what happens when you over water your aloe. In other words, if you do not provide adequate instruction to significant other before leaving town for a few days.

The leaves swell and droop, then sometimes they’ll fold downwards and eventually break off at the crease. You can see that the tip of one leaf on the left there has fallen victim. I suspect that secret watering may have been going on for some time in this case. Mammy aloe is also showing signs of over watering, especially in her lower leaves. We’re not too worried though, these are tough, resilient badboys, about the easiest plants to keep alive (even we’ve managed it, after all).

They’ve been with us the longest, cost us nothing and are the liveliest pot plants imaginable. But if you should wish to harvest a leaf, better ask nicely or your blossoming chilli plant nearby might just find itself with a broken stem.

balcony d8

Failing better at our balcony garden in sunny Dublin 8

Progress

Aloes