おいしそう～
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Do you have these where you live?
Do you eat them?
num num
Do they have these in Asia, or in Japan?
I think not, I think that they may be just an American thing.
I guess that is what they invented Googoo for.
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I’ve been meaning to update for a while now. Took some pictures only to realize I’ve been invaded by lice. 
So, I’m throwing away some stuff, saving others. My big chili-plants have going into bloom and are already producing chilies. So, I’m trying my best to save them. 
I’m giving a anti-bug recipe a try: I part water, I part såpa (English translation?? for cleaning your floors, not your hands type of soap), I part denatured alcohol. After showering the plants I’ve now sprayed them with the mixture, hoping the lice will get knocked out!
Before bringing the plants inside, these are some images of them blooming! ^^
(you can see the damaged leaves in this image Y_Y )
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It looks like your bugs have been doing their reviews. 
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But I have too! 
Scout’s honor and everything!
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I’ve been fighting the bugs that infested my chili plants. It’s not over, but I’ve put the plants back on the balcony (I got fed up having to shower with them). And even if I lost a lot of flowers and had to cut leaves, it still seem to be getting some chilies this year which makes me happy! ^>^
I’ve put my oregano in quarantine, so it’s indoors. Seems fine, and it’s in full bloom!
I’m not sure why, but I haven’t seen any strawberry flowers on my plants. :C
I’m not sure what I’ve done wrong, if anything.
In any case, this is a plastic planter, so they can survive the winter outside. Still, any tips for what to do for next year is very welcome! 
(I do wanna eat some strawberries in the future. 
)
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Are your strawberries first year plants? I was under the impression strawberries won’t produce in their first year…
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I agree with Saruko-san that first year strawberries are too busy establishing themselves to produce fruit - you can help direct their energy by keeping those runners trimmed back to the base of the plant.
They also look a bit hungry - they should be a deeper green than that.
Thanks for sharing your photos - my gardening is currently more about weeding and clearing rather than production, so it is lovely to see someone with some bounty! 
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Thanks @Saruko @Rowena ! So that’s what it’s about. It’s very hot right now, and while I have tried to water them enough, I still managed to dry them out, so yeah, I need to keep on top of that. They have become HUGE though! Perhaps too big for the amount of soil I have there. 
I’ll try to fill up more. Or try to add nourishment some other way. Thanks for the tips! ^>^ I guess I’ll look forward to next year!
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発酵 is the theme of my garden this year. I have been making ザワークラウト most of my life. Somehow, I mistakenly thought that the whole 発酵 process was something particular to キャベツ.
It is not. I am trying to ferment everything this year.
漬物:
すいか. 2tbs salt. 1 quart watermelon rinds four days on counter.
Milkweed. 2tbs salt, 1 quart container one week on counter. Very fruity!
トマト. 2tbs salt, 1 quart container. Just started, will ferment for a week.
The ピーマン were phenomenal. I did a half gallon with 5 tbs salt, for one week on the counter.
In the U.S., we have our own wonderful obsolete measuring units. I usually convert things to metric, but my canning jars are all in U.S. units.
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After having fought pests infecting my chili plants I’m glad to present my first batch of chilies! I’m gonna dry them and keep them around to make chili flakes or powder, depending on my needs. My apartment is now smelling of chilies to the max!
EDIT: I used these instructions if anyone was curious! ^>^
The result was really good, but it took a while with my small oven and no extra air-circulation. Longer than it said on the website (I’m guessing 10 hours). A better oven might be faster. I kept it around 80C to not make them too dark. I checked them periodically as they dried at different paces. Once brittle enough to break I removed them and kept the rest in the oven as some where thicker and/or bigger than others and thus took longer.
I usually wait around for them to turn red before harvesting, but this time I just didn’t want to chance it with the pests still being a problem (I pick leaves of the plants every day now). There is not saving them. 
I still hope for a second batch, but it’s a big ask. ^^;
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Congratulations on your harvest! I am so happy that the pests did not cause a total disaster.
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I did loose some chilies in the fight, but this is still more than I can use up in a year. And it’s still blooming, so there is a chance for a second batch if all goes well. ^>^
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I am excited to have a start on my first ever 冬 vegetable garden. I have ルッコラ , ビート, キャベツ,かぶ, にんじん, and だいこん seedlings started. In a few weeks, にんにく will go in the ground.
I have never ever winter gardened before. Ultimately, I will build something to give plants a little more protection and warmth. For now, we will see how this winter goes. Also, I have no kale seeds, so that will need to wait for next year.
Also (pictures coming tomorrow) I have been experimenting with soil blocks for starting seeds. The principal is that you mold blocks of soil, and start your seedlings right in the blocks. You keep them on trays, and then you just plunk them right in the ground to plant. No more crappy plastic seedling things! No more transplant shock!
Here is the commercially made thingy for making blocks:
I didn’t feel like buying anything that I am not confident in the usefulness of. So, I went through a couple of weeks of trial and error, and finally made a simple device from left over PVC pipe and caulking tubes. It works great, and seedlings are growing! I think that this will be my new forever method of seed starting.
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I want to try it, too! Just on a smaller scale on my balcony. I want to seed some 野萵苣 (のぢしゃ - corn salad). But I have to get one or two more planters with hangers for my balcony first. And seeds, of course. I only have 3-4 weeks left to do so, so I have to hurry to get everything, hopefully next week.
Also an update on my balcony
I bought visual covers and installed them. Bought a foldable table and chairs that I can put outside to sit on my balcony and study Japanese outside. 
I also bought some hangers for my planters but these hangers were almost sold out back when I bought them, so only two planters are hanging right now. And one is still on the floor but below my raised bed that I got myself a month ago. Replanted all my バジル (basil) in that bed. Replanted my ミント (mint) into the planter below. These plants survived last winter, so I hope they will do the same this year.
After seeding ほうれん草 (ほうれんそう - spinach) for the first time in my life in spring and seeing how well it went, I put some seeds into one of the hanging planters last weekend and now they are already growing. 
If you look closly at the before pictures, you can spot my tiny トマト植物 (とまとしょくぶつ - tomato plant) - first picture in the bottom left corner. It’s still growing and doing really well at the moment. Maybe I will try to get some seeds from these tomatos and use them next year, so I don’t have to buy a plant…?
And remember my 苺植物 (いちごしょくぶつ - strawberry plant)? I cut off the offsprings and planted them. Now I have 5 苺植物 but I’m not sure if two of the new ones will make it, they look a bit haggard. Hopefully, they all survive the winter outside, so I can have the most delicious tiny strawberries again. 
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What a great garden! I have always said that I nice balcony enriches city life.
Depending on how far North that you live, I think some of the secret to winter gardening is to start the seedlings early enough, so that they have some time to grow before they start becoming dormant.
I collected tomato seeds from a special tomato that a customer gave to me, that they have kept for many years. From what I read, tomato seeds should be fermented to get rid of the compound that keeps them from germinating. To do that, just squeeze a few very ripe トマト into a jar, then leave it on your balcony for a week or so until it gets stinky, then wash and dry the seeds. I did that with mine, and I will see how it turns out next year. To be a purist, you are also supposed to wash the seeds in a certain solution of bleach, to get rid of any virus.
I hope your winter garden works out! It looks like you have light from several angles there.
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Thank you, I think I will try that!!
I’m at the top floor and get sun exposure from morning until early afternoon. It’s great for growing things on my balcony and for collecting rain water but it was very hot at my apartment the last few days. In autumn/winter it’s great, though, because I’m using the heater less frequently than others.
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So here is my soil blocker:
The pipe was left over from some plumbing work at our house. The tube was a dried up tube of silicon. I cut the nozzle off as you can see, to leave a little nubbin.
You put a scoop of gloppy soil into the top, squish it down in, twist it a bit, then push the plug through.
Maybe a half hours work to make these. I used straight up compost.
The next time, I will use a measuring cup for more consistent results.
And here are Arugula I started last week:
The whole process is very muddy. I definitely don’t want to be doing it in February, so I will make trays up this fall and dry them in the sun and store them in the basement.
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