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Windy balcony problems

Rathwulven BC

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Hi folks,

it is time to start planning for the upcoming season, and things need to change. For the context: I used our rooftop balcony or terrace this year and tried my luck with some easy to grow vegetables. We quickly learned that we deal with an issue on the south side - the coastal winds are simply too strong and up until May, there was too much convection going on and especially pickles and other "weaker" plants died off late in spring.

I tried to troubleshoot that matter by raising a pavilion - no effect. Then tried raising reed-walls - no effect. A greenhouse as such may not be built due to community regulations (yeah, we got some strange regulations here).

I was wondering if people here experienced comparable issues and might have tips and solutions. Gardening downstairs in the land as such ain't no problem, we are really just talking about pots and such elevated on the top of the house (to maximise growing space).

Thanks in advance!
 
Are you sure, that the main point isn't the missing water?
Vegetables usually are very sensitiv.
 
There are way too many variables for me to comment on your problems but for small spaces in exposed areas I would suggest hydroponics rather than pot grown in a soil/compost blend. Hydroponic growing is a great way to ensure consistent nutrients and watering to ensure maximum yield.
 
Are you sure, that the main point isn't the missing water?
Vegetables usually are very sensitiv.

Absolutely not. I am farming since childhood days (then usually in open fields), and I can say with certainty that all caused damages were simply temperature based. Which is an issue, because pots were partially insulated and still the problem emerged. You could even see this in certain varieties known for so called "purpling" - i.e. creating some sort of antifreeze compounds. I am convinced it must be the wind as such, we had some 6-8bft type of days.

The question is how to eliminate that very problem: The incredibly severe fluctuation in temperature. If you got regular soil in fields, there is no convection from below or around the roots as compared to pots. So I guess the best way really is to block out the wind, which might pose a problem due to the constuction regulations. Did anyone ever experiment with insulation of some sort?
 
My neighbour insulated his little fig tree with success. An old post sack, paper between the twigs and so on. That works in the winter.
I write here about fig cultivating in the open in front of an unheated garden house in BERLIN!

But vegetables usually want a bit of sun, I guess.

Cant you simply use that traditional little greenhouses, that boxes with a window on top? Windows you get every where. They throw them away.
The box is constructed easily.
 
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