Growing tomatoes on your balcony is becoming increasingly popular. It requires a little effort and a few hours of time, but you will have great satisfaction and you can bring organic fruit and certainly zero kilometers to the table. Do you share this passion? Then you will definitely want to know more.
You don’t need large areas to create a vegetable garden in the city . A terrace or even a balcony is enough to show off your green thumb to the full. Of course, you have to choose the plants carefully. Not all of them fit in a small space, but some do wonderfully. Like the cherry tomato, which grows very well even in pots . With little care, you will always have it available to prepare your dishes. You will leave everyone speechless.
sowing
When to sow? In fact, you can start as early as February , protecting the plant from the cold and keeping the pot indoors for the first few days. Or you can wait for temperatures to rise and sow between March and April. Plant the seed in a pot with a diameter of at least 40 cm and a height of 40-50 cm. The roots of the plant develop deeply and need space to grow well. Do not place the seed too low, but about half a cm deep and choose a warm and sunny place . If your balcony is not well exposed, you can cover the plant with a plastic sheet to retain the heat.
Vegetable garden on the balcony if you want to have a healthy plant eye on the pot!
When choosing the pot, pay attention not only to the size but also to the material. Avoid plastic pots, which do not allow the roots to breathe and encourage rot. They also do not ensure the right temperature for the plant, as they overheat in summer and do not protect the plants from winter frosts. Instead, choose those made of earthenware , a natural and breathable material that ensures the plant the right level of humidity and temperature. With these pots, you do not run the risk of rotting the roots. The only drawback is the weight. A clay pot with damp soil becomes very heavy and uncomfortable to move.
growth
Vegetable garden on the balcony, if you want the tomato to grow luxuriantly, choose the same soil used in traditional gardens . Create a mixture by mixing two parts of clay, one of sand and one of peat. Administer fertilizer, preferably organic and in liquid form, to be diluted in water. Water the plant constantly , but without exaggerating. Choose the less hot hours of the day and pour water directly on the soil and never on the leaves. The cherry tomato develops 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 bottlenecks. Remember to eliminate the axillary rays , the leaves that arise at the meeting points between the main branch and the lateral branches. It serves to strengthen the fruit branches. After about 60 days, the first cherry tomatoes are ripe and they will multiply throughout the summer.
