have ’s get into more detail for each of these steps so we can get you gardening . Your balcony is go to look awe-inspiring covered in tomato plant !
Raising Tomatoes On Your Balcony
The very first affair to think when deciding if you could do a balcony veggie garden is the amount of sunlight you get . tomato prefer full , bright sun , and standard wisdom is that it takes about eight hour per day , althoughone gardenerfound that six and a one-half hours per day would do .
So bet around , are you blocked by another building ? Have a magnanimous shade tree diagram outside your balcony ? No ? Then upright , you ’re quick to begin .
Do Tomatoes Grow Better In Pots Or In The Ground?
First , you ’re belike wondering if Lycopersicon esculentum raise better in the ground than in pots .
Not necessarily . One of the enceinte things about growing in pots or lift bed is you have less concern about pests and disease . If you choose the right multifariousness of works , then you ’ll yield as many love apple as you might if you grew them in the ground .
What Do You Need For Growing Tomatoes On The Balcony
If you ’re start your own seedlings , you might consider using peat moss pots .
These handy small orbitual pellets amplify to form small " pots " when watered and are a great way to start your seedlings in a tray on the windowsill .
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Have bigger pots on hand for transferring once the tomato plant plants are sturdy enough and between 6 - 10 in tall . Something about 10 " in diam is a good choice , as it will give you plenty of room for development . If they have a water tray beneath them , that will avail for maximal absorption of the liquid your plants will need ( more on that later ) .
The Best Kinds Of Balcony Tomatoes
When choose your plants you want to study the overall size . Some Lycopersicon esculentum get very large and carry clayey yield ( like the classical Burpee Big Boy come to thinker ) , but with the consideration of wind and the need to stake the tomatoes , this may not be your good alternative . There are some species specifically breed for balcony and container growing . Also , cerise love apple varieties can work very well , even in window box .
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Choosing The Right Soil
When choosing soil for your potted tomatoes you might believe just digging up some land would be the right affair to do . Well , it ’s not . One of the benefits of pot tomatoes is having fewer pest and disease problem and by using purchase soil , you ’ll be off to a great start . There are many mixes on the mart specifically made for rise vegetables .
Using something like this Black Gold organic soil feed you fertilizer and land all in one . The admixture of earthworm castings and peat moss helps with feeding and aeration .
You may want to tot up in a little perlite to help keep affair loose and draining well .
Feeding Your Tomatoes
Use a few tablespoonful of a 5 - 10 - 5 vegetable fertilizer when you transfer your seedlings to their larger pots . As the summertime conk along you may further help your plant by pulling off any dried or yellowed foliage and giving it another modest hit of fertiliser . This can allow for the extension of your crop time of year .
How Often Should Tomatoes Be Watered?
You ’re going to need to check on your Lycopersicon esculentum plants day by day . Their ground call for to be continually moist to maximize the growing and yield of the plants . Because they ’re on a balcony , and presuming that means more wind , the pots may have a tendency to dry out more quickly than if they were in an in - reason garden .
But be careful not to get the farewell of the plant too wet when watering . Wet leaves and foliage are what can lead to blight and other fungous diseases .
Secure Your Tomato Plants As They Grow
With some hanging basket variety and more bush eccentric plants , you wo n’t have to worry about tomato plant stakes or cages . But other varieties may require a little help in the standing up and staying strong department .
A place shared by Priyanka Chopra Jonas ( @priyankachopra )
you could use pieces of bamboo along with twine , as prove in this photo to help your plants out . you’re able to even tie it to the grid of the balcony itself if your balcony has railing .
Here several stake are inclose into the soil of large potted bush type tomato plant to give a bit of extra certificate for the works and to keep the branches upright as they grow lumbering with fruit . Stakes are typically made of bamboo and come in various pre - thinned lengths for every size of it garden and plant .
Harvest Your Tomatoes
In worldwide , though it will depend upon the variety , you’re able to expect to glean your tomato plant anywhere from 2 to 3 months after transplanting your seedlings . But it ’s so deserving the hold . There ’s nothing as amazing as a homegrown , spicy from the Sunday , sweet off the vine love apple .
What Other Vegetables Can Be Grown On A Balcony?
Now that you ’ve started think about it , you might be saying to yourself , why stop at tomatoes ? Why not have a full - blown vegetable garden on my balcony . Exactly , why not ? But what other veggie can you grow on the balcony ?
We ’ve put together a picayune lean of other plants you could get on your balcony . ( We sleuth lettuce , pepper , Lycopersicon esculentum , and kale in this photo )
There aremany varietiesthat work great for container gardening . Hybrids have been developed that take less space while still producing a decent amount of garden truck . It will all depend on the size of it of your balcony and how much campaign you want to put into the garden .
We have a few other post on balcony develop that we hope you ’ll train out :
30 Stunning Balcony Garden Ideas That Will Inspire You
How to Make a Vertical Garden on a Balcony