Growing tomatoes on the balcony is an increasingly popular option. It requires a little effort and a few hours of time, but you will have great satisfaction and you will be able to bring organic and certainly zero-kilometer fruits to the table. Do you share this passion? Then you’ll surely want to know more.
You don’t need large areas to start an urban garden. A terrace or even a balcony are enough spaces for your gardening skills to be fully expressed. Of course, you’ll need to choose your plants carefully. Not all of them fit in tight spaces, but some do it beautifully. Like the cherry tomato that grows very well even in pots. With little care you will always have it available to prepare your dishes. You’ll leave everyone speechless.
Sowing
When to plant? In fact, you can start as early as February, taking care to protect the plant from the cold, keeping the pot indoors for the first few days. Or you can wait for temperatures to rise and plant between March and April. Plant the seed in a pot at least 40 cm in diameter and 40-50 cm high. The roots of the plant grow deep and need space to grow well. Place the seed not too low but about half a cm deep and choose a warm, sunny location. If your balcony doesn’t have good exposure, you can cover the plant with plastic sheeting to retain heat.
Vegetable garden on the balcony, if you want a healthy plant, watch out for the vase!
When choosing the vase, consider not only the size but also the material. Avoid plastic pots that don’t let the roots breathe and promote rot. They also do not guarantee the right temperature for the plant because they overheat in summer and do not protect the plants from frost in winter. Choose instead clay ones, a natural and breathable material that ensures the right degree of humidity and temperature for the plant. With these pots there is no risk of root rot. The only downside, the weight. A clay pot with moist soil becomes very heavy and difficult to move.
Growth
Balcony garden, if you want the tomato to grow luxuriant, choose the same soil that is used in traditional vegetable gardens. Create a compound by mixing two parts clay, one part sand, and one part peat. Administer fertilizer, preferably organic and in liquid form, to dilute in water. Water the plant constantly, but don’t overdo it. Choose the times of day with less heat and pour the water directly on the soil and never on the leaves. The cherry tomato grows in height and needs a support to lean on. A bamboo cane is fine. Be careful not to tie the plant too tightly to avoid pinching. Remember to remove axillary jets, the leaves that emerge at the meeting points between the main and lateral branches. It will serve to strengthen the fruitful branches. After about 60 days, the first cherry tomatoes will be ripe and will reproduce throughout the summer.
