How to properly tie tomatoes on the balcony. Step-by-step instructions on how to grow tomatoes on the balcony for beginners

For many years, urban residents who do not have a country house or a country plot have been trying to grow balcony tomatoes in their apartment. Many succeed, and then it becomes possible not only to rejoice in success, but also to enjoy the fruits of their labor and harvest a rich harvest without leaving the apartment.

Certain varieties of tomatoes created by breeders take root perfectly in ordinary flower pots and bear fruit abundantly. They are unpretentious in care, do not require pinching and give an excellent harvest, subject to certain growing rules.

A variety of varieties for growing on the balcony

Growing tomatoes on the balcony begins with the choice of a variety of this plant. Among the huge variety offered by sellers, it is necessary to find those that grow well and do not require artificial pollination. All varieties sold are hybrids, so choosing the most suitable for growing at home, you should be guided by:

• to the height that the bush is gaining;
• the number of fruits;
• the need for pinching;
• the possibility of growing without pinching the top.

The last condition is important to observe because the size of the seat is quite small, and the amount of soil is limited. That is why it is better to purchase seeds of undersized varieties. The fact is that after pinching the top, the growth process noticeably slows down and flowering is delayed for at least 14 days.

Ideal for growing on the balcony and in high demand are varieties such as "Pinocchio" and "Balcony Miracle". Although the latter will probably have to be pinched, or provide them with a quality garter. No less popular:

• Micron;
• Bonsai;
• Cascade;
• The pearl is red;
• Yellow pearl.

Studying the description, you should pay attention to the ripening period of the fruit and buy seeds of early ripening varieties. Planted in late September or very early October, they will produce a bountiful harvest just in time for the new year.

The usual period from planting to harvesting fruits is from one hundred to one hundred and ten days.

How to plant balcony tomatoes

Before you buy seeds and start planting them, you need to learn how to grow tomatoes on the balcony and get a rich harvest. The selected seeds must first be soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and after 15-20 minutes, rinse with warm running water and put on a damp cotton cloth.

You can use ordinary paper napkins or cotton pads, but you need to take into account the fact that only the roots that have appeared can grow through them and they will simply break when transplanted into the ground.

Seeds do not have to be germinated on fabric, 100 gram cups can be used. This method is a dive landing. The container is filled with fertile soil, not reaching the edge of 2 cm, moistened and laid out on the surface of several seeds. Sprinkle with a centimeter layer of soil and put on the windowsill or in another bright and warm place.

When planting without picking, the seeds are laid out immediately in pots or in a selected large container filled with earth not reaching 4-5 cm to the top edge of the pot. When growing tomatoes on a balcony step by step, it is necessary to strictly follow the order of work and take into account all the nuances. So, for example, soil is not added to pots because the subsequent addition of earth will replace the pick.

Seeds are spread on moist soil and do not cover the surface with glass or film. The soil must "breathe". Otherwise, instead of the greenhouse effect, rotting will begin, and the seeds will die.

In an effort to achieve a greenhouse effect and closing the container with the planted seeds with a film, you will have to raise it daily, providing air access and ventilation.

The first sprouts and seedling care

The seeds will germinate in a few days. First, two thin leaves will appear, and after another 3-4 days, you can notice the appearance of the third and fourth sheets. Now they will have a figured edge and a subtle smell of tomato tops will appear.

Now you need to monitor the uniform distribution of the light flux and moderate moisture intake. This means that every day it is necessary to rotate the pots with sprouts 180 ° around its axis and adhere to the rule "better to underfill than overfill". Too much moisture will cause the roots to rot. To ensure full access of oxygen to the roots of seedlings, the soil in pots is regularly loosened.

Water intended for irrigation is defended for several days. It should be at room temperature, and the first feeding is carried out no earlier than 60 days after the first shoots appear. The best fertilizer is recognized as humus, which is sprinkled on the surface of the soil. In the process of loosening, it mixes with the ground, and the roots receive a sufficient amount of nutrients.

Picking and shaping a bush

In order to grow full-fledged balcony tomatoes, it is necessary to choose and leave the strongest ones from several sprouts that have risen in a glass or in a pot. The rest will have to be removed. When performing a pick, the cup with the selected sprout is turned upside down and the soil is carefully released. When preparing the container into which the seedlings will be transplanted, drainage is formed at the bottom using expanded clay and a little foam. The first will provide air access, and the second will retain the right amount of moisture.

Watch a video about growing tomatoes on the balcony:

Fertile soil is poured into a container so that after installing growth, at least 3 centimeters remain to the upper edge of the pot, and the distance to the side walls is 1.5-2 centimeters. Proper growth and distribution of roots depends on the shape of the pot. Therefore, to avoid a crease or deformation of the root will allow the use of a container of a round or oval shape. The main thing is that the bottom should not have corners.

Long trunks of tomato bushes feel uncomfortable if they grow tomatoes on a balcony or on a windowsill. Of course, you need to equip a retaining structure and tie up each plant, but to form the right lush bush, either pinch its top or choose a certain form of support. It is better to take care of everything in advance and, when buying, choose undersized varieties, the bushes of which grow no more than 50 centimeters high.

Low bushes should be grown, leaving only two shoots, removing all other additional shoots (stepchildren). Long creepers are grown, leaving one shoot and getting rid of all stepchildren. This will noticeably speed up flowering, and for better pollination, flowering tomato bushes are gently shaken every two days.

Another feature of balcony tomatoes is that during the flowering period it is imperative to get rid of flowers located at the top of the bush even before the first ovary appears. In this way, it is possible to improve the nutrition of fruits on the lower branches, to increase their number and accelerate ripening.

A large number of tomatoes on one bush requires more frequent watering. However, do not forget that the earth in pots should not be too wet, but slightly damp. It should be watered by directing a jet of water not under the base of the stem, along the entire contour of the crown.

Great video on growing tomatoes on the balcony:

If you want to get lush bushes, you must abandon pinching, continuing to cut off the top flowers. Harvesting should be carried out regularly, as the fruits ripen. Some of them are plucked "brown", that is, unripe. This avoids the depletion of the bush, accelerate the formation of a new ovary and fruit ripening.

Growing tomatoes at home on a balcony cannot be called a difficult task, but any details are important in this process - from the size of the dishes and variety to the need to regularly rotate the cups with seedlings (for uniform illumination of the sprouts). It is enough to harvest tomatoes at home a couple of times and you will want to teach your neighbors and friends how to grow tomatoes on the balcony. A very large varietal diversity allows you to choose types of tomatoes that are suitable not only in appearance and growing technique at home, but also in taste.

Tomato varieties: conditional division according to ripening time and natural indicators

Among the numerous types of tomatoes, it is necessary to choose tomatoes that have the appropriate characteristics for growing a house on a balcony.

Tomatoes on the balcony are not only delicious fruits, but also decoration

The main popular requirement for tomatoes when cultivating at home is a low stem. Although tall varieties (“Rapunzel”) are very interesting and promising in terms of harvest. Regarding the ripening time of the crop, the varieties are conditionally divided into early, medium and late-ripening. It is quite practical to simultaneously plant tomatoes on the balcony with different fruit ripening periods.

The most popular varieties:

• "Balcony Miracle" is an ultra-early crop, the time for full ripening of fruits is 84-89 days, the stem grows up to 50 cm tall. From one bush, the harvest can be up to 2 kg.
• "Minibel" is an early ripe variety, the fruits ripen in 90-100 days, the bushes are compact, growing up to 50 s, the tomatoes ripen weighing 20-25 grams.
• "Pinocchio" - an early ripening tomato (ripening time - 85-95 days), bush height - up to 30 cm.
• "F1 Balkoni Elou" - mid-early hybrid (ripening period - 100-110 days), the stem grows up to 45 cm in height, the fruits are spherical in shape, yellow in color, the taste is sweetish with a slight sourness.

Preparatory moments for growing balcony tomatoes

Tomatoes can be called unpretentious plants, but it is advisable to withstand certain care requirements in order to get a full and plentiful harvest at home.

• Placing and growing tomatoes on the sunny side of the house will contribute to the normal development of seedlings and the production of early ripe fruits.
• Tomatoes for a glazed balcony should not interfere with opening window sashes for ventilation; containers for planting crops must be selected taking into account the size of the window sill / table on the balcony, and it should be taken into account that the root system of tomatoes is highly developed. It is recommended to install 30-40 cm plastic pots, as they are light, they are easy to unfold and they already have special holes in the bottom. You can, of course, use cut plastic bottles (but when the roots become crowded, this can affect the quality and quantity of the crop). For undersized varieties "Balcony Miracle", "Pinocchio" enough land in flowerpots with a capacity of 4.5-5.5 liters.
• Soil quality is of particular importance for seedlings. It is not advisable to use country lands (they may contain harmful insects or bacteria). You can buy soil in specialized stores. Suitable universal soil mixed with fertilizers or ready-made soil mixture "Tomatoes".

Technology for growing tomatoes on balconies

Balcony tomatoes ("Pinocchio", "Balcony Miracle") have planting and care stages similar to soil varieties. Tomatoes "Balcony Miracle", "Pinocchio" on the windowsill or insulated balcony can be grown at home all year round.

Germination of tomato seeds: rules and useful tips

Preparing seedlings is a mandatory step when growing tomatoes at home on a loggia. Seeds are checked for germination before sowing - they are poured into a glass of water and left for 30-40 minutes. Floated seeds are empty and discarded. The rest of the planting material is disinfected - soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate for 15-20 minutes. Then the seeds are thoroughly washed and left for two to three days in a warm place in a damp cloth. During this period, it is important to ensure constant humidity of the matter and a warm temperature.

Tomatoes can be grown immediately in beautiful pots, without seedlings

Sprouted tomato seeds (varieties "Balcony Miracle" and cherry tomatoes) are planted in plastic cups with soil. Such planting of seeds will be justified during subsequent planting in large flowerpots, since the sprouts will be transferred with the ground and the root system will not be damaged. A hole is made 1-1.5 cm deep and gently moistened. Seeds (one or two) are planted in each cup, covered with soil and everything is slightly moistened. All cups are placed in one container (tray), covered with paper or cloth and kept in a warm place until seedlings emerge.

The first sprouts appear in two or three days. Now it is important to provide sufficient lighting for seedlings. If the plants are kept on the north side of the building or the weather is not sunny, it is necessary to provide artificial lighting (three hours in the morning and in the evening). Seedlings are best watered with warm, settled water once every four to five days. A container with seedlings can be covered at night.

Tomato seedling care

Planting seedlings on a permanent place of growth is carried out when the sprouts reach a height of 8-12 cm. In order not to damage the plant during transplantation, it is recommended to pre-moisten the ground. The glass is turned over and lightly tapped on the bottom. To carefully remove the sprouts from the cup, they are held by holding them between the fingers. The longest central spine is dived. This is done in order to form a branched root system in plants in the future. The soil mixture in a large pot is poured to a level of 3/4 of the height of the container (so that it can be added later).

The soil in the container with sprouts is added gradually, which will contribute to the formation of a strong root system and a strong green stem.

A hole in the ground is made according to the height of the cup, moistened. Transplanted seedlings are carefully watered and left in a warm shaded place. Watering cherry tomatoes on the balcony is better in the morning. When watering, it is important to maintain water balance - the earth should not be dry, but waterlogging also harms plants.

Seedlings can be fertilized two weeks after picking. The first top dressing is carried out with a solution of copper (1 teaspoon of the substance per 10 liters of water) to protect plants from late blight. Two weeks later, urea is used (1 tablespoon of the substance is diluted in 10 liters of water) to recruit green mass sprouts. The third top dressing is carried out in order to provide tomatoes with nutrients. Apply a solution of "Nitrophoska" - 50 grams of fertilizer per 10 liters of water. In general, there are a lot of compositions for feeding tomatoes. For the correct procedure, follow the instructions on the packaging.

Young tomatoes need a lot of light

For proper care and feeding of seedlings, the Balcony Miracle tomato should be monitored for the appearance of the sprouts. The pale color of the leaves indicates a lack of iron, a purple hue indicates a lack of phosphorus. Light yellow sheets may appear from a lack of nitrogen or from a lack of light, large temperature fluctuations

As soon as constant climatic indicators are established (the optimum temperature regime is +24 during the day and not less than +10 at night), you can take the seedlings to the open balcony. On glazed balconies in hot weather, it is necessary to provide ventilation for the tomato and carefully monitor the humidity of the air and the need for watering the soil.

Stepchildren that germinate in the axils of the leaves and grow out of the ground must be plucked, as they will absorb a lot of nutrients. Cut tomatoes for an open / glazed balcony in such a way that two or three strong trunks are preserved. During this period, a tomato garter should be arranged - a peg is inserted into the pot or a trellis is equipped. What type of support to apply depends on the stems of the tomato.

Small-fruited varieties of tomatoes grow well on the balcony

Tomato blossom and harvest

When the Balcony Miracle tomato blooms, it is correct to leave the glazed balcony open for pollination of plants. When it is undesirable to open the window sashes, tomatoes for a glazed balcony are pollinated by hand - for this, it is enough to shake each bush slightly.

At air temperatures above +35 degrees, fruits do not set (pollen becomes sterile). Therefore, in hot weather, additional ventilation and evening watering of plants is necessarily provided.

For the full ripening of tomatoes, it is advisable to remove the flowers near the formed fruit brushes.

When frost occurs, green fruits are plucked and left to ripen in a warm place (provided that the plant cannot be brought into rooms from an open balcony).

The selection is evolving all the time. New types of tomatoes are being developed, and some are specifically for growing in apartment conditions. Which variety to choose - everyone decides individually. Someone loves small tomatoes on the balcony (varieties "Balcony Miracle", "Pinocchio"), and some will like the tall variety "Rapunzel" - a sort of balcony-tomato vine. Attentive care is the main requirement for growing any plants at home. If you follow all the procedures step by step and correctly, then the tomatoes on the balcony of the Balcony Miracle variety will reward the owners with a well-deserved abundant harvest.

The lack of a summer cottage is a great reason to start growing vegetables on the balcony. The most popular crops in the impromptu mini-garden are tomatoes and cucumbers. It is possible to achieve high yields on the balcony with a comprehensive study of all stages of cultivation step by step - from the choice of seeds, soil and containers to sowing methods and care rules.

Choosing the Right Tomato Varieties

Limited space sets its own conditions when choosing varieties for growing on the balcony. Excessively branched and tall bushes are best cultivated in open ground; for a miniature garden, it is preferable to choose compact specimens. To navigate the variety of varieties of tomatoes, consider the following requirements:

• The size of the bushes does not exceed half a meter. They do not need to be tied up, it is not necessary to pinch and pinch them. If it is planned to install trellises for growing tomatoes on the balcony, tall, not too branchy varieties will do. These tomatoes also grow in hanging baskets.
• Short growing season. For growing on the balcony, ultra-early varieties are best suited.
• Cluster tomatoes, harvested in whole bunches, are the most practical cultivation option.
• Developed plant immunity contributes to a high yield, so hybrids that are resistant to nightshade diseases are preferred.
• Growing tomatoes on the balcony should bring aesthetic pleasure. The combination of yield with an attractive appearance is one of the conditions for choosing suitable tomato varieties. Carpal plants with fruits of different shapes and colors will create a unique natural atmosphere on the balcony.
• The versatility of fruits, the skin of which has a moderate density, will make it possible to use the tomato crop for fresh consumption or for pickling.

Despite the abundance of requirements, there are many varieties of tomatoes suitable for growing on a balcony. Among them:

In addition to those listed, other varieties of tomatoes are suitable for growing on the balcony.

Growing conditions on the balcony

The location of the loggia relative to the cardinal points has a significant impact on the development of tomatoes:

• The optimal space is considered to be oriented to the southeast or southwest.
• The south orientation of the balcony is characterized by an excess of sunlight, so you should worry about temporary shading.
• The northern section of the balcony, where the sun's rays are less than 3 hours a day, will not allow organizing a mini garden with tomatoes.

Plants are placed near walls or railings to reduce their exposure to gusts of wind. If the seedlings are in hanging baskets, they are hung at the middle level for comfortable care. For tall bushes, trellises made of wood, twine or plastic are prepared in advance. The installation is carried out near the wall of the balcony, which is maximally protected from gusts of wind.

Advice! Growing herb tomatoes nearby helps repel insect pests.

Soil and capacity requirements

Preparing soil for tomatoes is one of the key points in growing vegetables on a balcony. Tomatoes prefer nutritious light soil with neutral or slightly alkaline acidity. Of course, you can use ready-made soil mixtures, but they are far from ideal due to an excess of peat and a lack of nutrients. It is better to use such a substrate as an additive to your own prepared soil. There are several options for earthen compositions suitable for tomatoes grown on a balcony:

• Garden soil is mixed with humus and a small amount of peat is added.
• Soddy land is combined with compost and peat-based store substrate.
• Washed river sand and compost are added to the old soil from the garden.

The addition of fertilizers contributes to the increase in the nutritional value of the composition:

• superphosphate;
• saltpeter;
• potassium sulfate;
• wood ash.

Growing tomatoes begins with sowing seeds. Initially, various plastic containers can be used for seedlings (cups, cut off bottoms of bottles, etc.). In the future, it is better to purchase special wooden or plastic boxes on the balcony, which are located in places protected from drafts.

Sowing seeds

Germination of seeds is an integral part of the process of cultivating tomatoes on the balcony. Usually, the procedure is started in late February - early March.

Comment! It does not make sense to disinfect packaged tomato seeds, they have already been processed.

The seeds are soaked in water heated to no higher than 50 ° C, after which they are placed on fabrics in a warm place until the sprouts hatch. For growing on a balcony, the following option for germinating tomato seedlings is usually used:

• 200 ml disposable cups are filled with the prepared soil composition and poured with boiling water.
• After the earth has cooled, depressions are formed and tomato seeds are placed. If there are sprouts, 1 copy is enough, if the germination stage is skipped, 2-3 tomato seeds are placed.
• Due to the small volume of soil, holes are not made at the bottom of the tank.
• The dishes are placed in a warm place, previously covered with a film.
• Growing on a balcony implies a rapid growth rate at all stages. After 2-3 days, the first shoots appear, four days after that, the future tomato seedlings move to a cool room with artificial lighting.

The dry top layer of soil serves as a signal for watering tomatoes with water at room temperature. During the period of growing seedlings before transferring to the balcony, watering is carried out weekly. When the first true leaves of tomatoes appear, the plants are fed. The second time the procedure is repeated before moving the seedlings into new containers intended for the balcony.

Transplant and care

Transplanting tomato seedlings from temporary containers into new dishes and relocation to the balcony for the purpose of further cultivation usually takes place in April. Initially, holes are prepared at the bottom of the plastic container to drain excess liquid. At the same time, they contribute to the enrichment of oxygen to the root system of tomatoes. After that, the container is filled with soil of suitable composition.

The roots of tomato seedlings go deep into the soil by 2-3 cm and are watered. If a tall variety is chosen for growing on the balcony, the plants are tied to pegs. Strengthening the root system of tomatoes, which are grown on the balcony, lasts for 5-7 days. Cool weather is an occasion to bring seedlings into the room at night. Further care for tomatoes on the balcony is as follows:

• In the process of growing bushes, tomatoes are tied up, if necessary, soil is poured into containers.
• About once a week there is top dressing and watering of tomatoes.
• The second stage of development will be marked by the appearance of side shoots - stepchildren. When growing low-growing varieties on a balcony, three stems can be left, taller bushes are formed from two shoots.

Attention! Sick and yellow leaves of tomatoes need to be removed.

After the formation of brushes with fruits, the lower leaves of tomatoes are also recommended to be cut. Shoots in the axils of the leaves slow down the formation of inflorescences, therefore, when growing tomatoes on a balcony, these shoots are disposed of. Pruning is desirable to carry out in the morning and manually, so as not to violate the integrity of the main stem.

The following actions will help to achieve high yields when growing tomatoes on the balcony:

• One stem should contain no more than 4 bunches of ovaries.
• Tops of tomatoes are pinched.
• Hand pollination consists of lightly shaking the inflorescences and tapping the stem. Such actions lead to the shedding of pollen from the upper brushes to the lower ones. Ventilating the balcony also promotes the transfer of pollen.
• When forming tomato fruits on the balcony, the tops and flowering brushes are removed.

Cultivation continues until the formation of a brown tomato. At this stage, it can be plucked so that it ripens at room temperature. If late blight is found on the leaves during cultivation, tomato bushes are treated with appropriate preparations. Untimely assistance will lead to the death of all plants on the balcony.

Little tricks

In order for the growing process on the balcony to give tangible results in the form of a good crop of tomatoes, you should remember the following nuances:

• Tomatoes are a thermophilic culture, so growing on an unglazed balcony before April is impossible. The optimum temperature regime is 23 ° C during the day and 13 ° C at night. When tomatoes are flowering, the temperature should be even higher.
• Humidity ranges from 60-65%.
• Planting seedlings in containers is carried out with an interval of 40 cm.
• Excess moisture provokes the development of fungal diseases on the tops of tomatoes.
• Watering on the balcony is carried out no more than 1 time in three days with soft water at room temperature. Waterlogging of the soil leads to rotting of the root system.
• The soil under the tomatoes is periodically loosened, as it settles, a new portion of the soil is added.
• Growing on a glazed balcony implies its regular airing.
• The presence of a drainage layer at the bottom of containers installed on the balcony is welcome. It is also recommended to put them on rails, under which there is a pallet.
• An excess of organic and nitrogenous fertilizers leads to the cultivation of rough shoots with low fruiting tomatoes. It is optimal to carry out one top dressing per decade.
• The elimination of small roots will help speed up the process of forming bushes. To do this, the planted plant is pulled up a little, as a result of which the thin shoots are damaged.

On this, the actions necessary for the full development of tomatoes can be considered exhausted. Go ahead, and growing vegetables on the balcony will bring tangible results.

Surely there are few people who do not like tomatoes. These delicious vegetables are very nutritious and saturate the human body with useful substances. And perhaps it's no secret to anyone that home-grown vegetables are much tastier than store-bought ones.

But what if you don't have a vegetable garden where you can grow tomatoes? You can arrange to grow tomatoes on the balcony.

We suggest you learn how to grow balcony tomatoes. The article will give specific recommendations and will consider all the nuances and stages of growing tomatoes on the balcony.

What variety of tomatoes to choose

There is little space on the balcony, so the variety of tomatoes should be chosen carefully. So, the variety should be undersized with large and abundant fruits. The following tomato varieties are suitable for growing on the balcony:

• Cherry.
• Cascade Red.
• Micron-NK.
• Red Pearl.

Particularly noteworthy are the hybrid varieties of tomatoes, which were bred by breeders, taking into account the wishes of gardeners:

1. F1 Balcony Red is an early maturing variety. The ripening period of tomatoes begins 3 months after the emergence of seedlings. Fruit size is medium. Tomato has a pleasant sugary taste. For a good development of the bush, you do not need to cut off the stepchildren. The growth of the bush is up to 30 cm.
2. Pinocchio is another tomato variety that has already come to the taste of many balcony gardeners. This variety is grown because it is not whimsical, and also for the earlier ripening of tomatoes.
3. Balkoni Elou is a hybrid variety of tomato. The bush reaches a height of up to 45 cm. The fruits are distinguished by a bright lemon color. The variety is suitable for conservation.
4. Balcony miracle - this hybrid variety is also early maturing, but also prolific. The height of the bush is 50 cm. About 2 kg of fruit can be collected from one bush. At the same time, the average weight of each tomato is on average 65 g.

You can also grow tall tomato varieties on the balcony. Varieties such as White filling and Bull's heart develop well in such an unusual environment. The fruits of these tomato varieties are juicy and fleshy. To grow tall tomatoes, you need to prepare large pots. They will need to be installed on the floor.

Preparing the balcony for growing tomatoes

The arrangement of a miniature garden on the balcony can be organized only if it faces the southwest or southeast. The balcony, located on the north side, is not suitable for growing plants, since the sun shines in its direction only 3 hours a day. The south side will not work either, since there is too much sun on such a balcony, which also negatively affects the development of tomato bushes.

If the pot with a tomato bush is heavy and needs to be installed on the floor, then it is better to place it closer to the balcony wall or railing. It should be borne in mind that the tomatoes on the balcony do not like sudden gusts of wind, because of them the growth of the bushes slows down. If you decide to plant ampelous tomato varieties, then they should be grown in hanging pots. But so that caring for tomatoes does not cause unnecessary trouble, the pots should not be hung very high. Tall tomato bushes can be attached to trellises made of plastic, rope and wood. In turn, it is better to fix the tapestries on a free wall that is maximally protected from the wind.

Together with tomatoes on the balcony, you can plant herbs. Such a composition looks very harmonious, and also the herbs will scare away pests from tomato bushes. So, herbs such as mint, curly and ordinary parsley, lettuce, celery and oregano coexist perfectly with tomatoes.

Soil and seed preparation

To achieve maximum fruiting tomato on the balcony, it is important to properly prepare the soil for sowing. If there is no time for self-preparation of the soil, then you can purchase a special soil mixture consisting of turf and humus in equal proportions. Also, to improve the friability of the soil, peat or sawdust is added to it.

Important! Saltpeter, wood ash, potassium sulfate and superphosphate are excellent fertilizers for tomatoes.

It may seem to a novice gardener that growing a tomato on a balcony is a thankless task. But, if all the initial stages are performed correctly, then the tomato bushes will need minimal care in the future. After preparing the soil, it's time to start preparing the seeds for sowing to obtain seedlings. The beginning of these works falls on the end of February - the beginning of March.

Start by soaking the tomato seeds. Place them on a cloth, cover with warm water and leave the seed warm until germination.

There are several ways to plant tomato seeds in the ground:

1. Fill special cups with soil and pour boiling water over it, sowing can be done only after the soil has completely cooled down. If you do not have the opportunity to purchase such cups, then you can grow tomatoes on the balcony in plastic bottles. To do this, cut off the neck from them, cover them with soil, make holes and place the seeds in them. If you first germinate tomato seeds, then you will need to place 1 seed in a glass, and not germinated - 2-3. There is no need to make holes in the glass, since there is not much soil in the glass and all the liquid will be absorbed by the plants. Cups with crops should be placed in heat and covered with cellophane. After the appearance of sprouts, 2 to 3 days should pass and the crops should be transferred to a cool place with artificial lighting. Watering is carried out as the soil dries.
2. Before sowing, tomato seeds are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. Then they need to be placed in a soaked cloth on a plate and wrapped in cellophane. The environment in which the seeds will germinate should be warm and moist. Then the germinated tomato seeds are placed in the soil, covered with glass and again in a warm place. After the tomato sprouts appear from the ground, the containers should be moved to the windowsill to provide the seedlings with enough light. Watering is carried out as the soil dries. It is important to add tomato sprouts with warm water, preferably settled.

Transplanting into containers

Usually a month is enough for the development of strong tomato seedlings. And then the period comes when it needs to be transplanted into spacious pots or containers. If you plant tomatoes in long containers, then the distance between plants should be 25 cm. Now let's look at how to grow tomatoes on a balcony step by step.

In order to ensure good drainage, expanded clay or broken tiles should be placed at the bottom of the container / pot. The soil can be enriched with organic fertilizers. Then the pot needs to be filled with soil mixture by 1/3 and lay the tomato seedling seedling. Spread the roots out to the sides and press lightly into the soil. Then gradually pour the soil into the pot, compacting it with your hands. Do not add soil to the top of the pot by 1/3. Lightly tamp the soil and pour plenty of warm water over the tomato seedlings, do it slowly so that the moisture is evenly absorbed into the soil.

Important! Although only self-pollinating tomatoes can be grown on the balcony, you can lightly shake the flowers or run a brush over them to speed up the pollination process.

After transplanting seedlings, it should not be touched during the first week. So, you will allow the tomato bushes to take root.

Low-growing varieties of tomatoes can be planted 2 - 3 seedlings side by side. So, a lush and beautiful bush will form. All dry and outwardly diseased leaves should be cut off to prevent the spread of disease. During the period of the appearance of the first fruits, the color must be removed from the top. This is done so that moisture and nutrients get into the developing fruits.

After the fruits begin to turn pink, they must be removed from the bush and placed in a box for further ripening. In this case, the beneficial properties of the fruits will not be lost, and new fruits will form on the bushes, while the previous ones will not take juices from them.

Top dressing and care features

In order for the bushes to develop well and color form on them, it is important to carry out timely feeding of plants. Start doing this in April. Mineral fertilizers can be used for this.

If you decide to grow tall varieties on the balcony, then the size of the bushes will be correspondingly large, and so that they do not break under their own weight, you need to tie them up. If there was a long spring and there is still no heat on the loggia, then you will have to bring the pots with plants into the house at night, and take them out again for the day.

To prevent late blight and other diseases of the tomato, you need to treat the bushes with a composition of potassium permanganate and garlic. To do this, in 0.5 liters of water, dilute 0.5 tbsp. l. crushed garlic and 0.5 g of potassium permanganate. Another option for disease prevention is to spray the bushes with a solution of phytosporin.

Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers and watering should be done every week. Starting from the second stage of tomato development, the bushes are actively formed, letting out side shoots. Leave 2-3 stems, and the rest of the shoots, or as they are also called, stepchildren, need to be cut off or cut off.

After the fruit brushes are formed, cut off the lower leaves. If you do not cut the bushes, then they will have a very large volume and, as a result, the inflorescences will not be laid.

A warning! Some gardeners carry out full pruning of leaves. However, it is not desirable to do this, since the synthesis of organic materials is disrupted by complete pruning.

Stepchildren must be cut off very carefully so as not to damage the stem. Trimming or pinching is best done in the morning. Leave 4 bunches of ovaries on each stem, and pinch the crown.

Some Growing Secrets

Balcony cultivation of seedlings and subsequently tomato bushes is different from the garden. We invite you to familiarize yourself with a few more secrets:

1. If your loggia is not glazed, then you should plant tomatoes no earlier than April, provided that the temperature during the day does not fall below 23ºС, and at night - 13ºС.
2. In order to avoid the development of fungal diseases on a closed balcony, it is important to maintain a certain level of humidity within 60-65%. To do this, you need to systematically ventilate the balcony.
3. Plants should only be watered with warm water.
4. For the development of powerful and tall bushes, you need to regularly fertilize them with organic and nitrogen top dressing. But don't overdo it. Otherwise, powerful bushes will remain practically barren. The optimal period between top dressing is 10 days.
5. So that the stems of the bush do not break under the weight of the fruits, they must be tied to a support.
6. To make the bush form faster, you need to cut off small roots. To do this, slightly pull the plant up, as if pulling it out of the soil.

So, as practice and photo examples given in this article show, growing tomatoes on a balcony is a feasible task for every amateur gardener. The process of growing tomatoes will bring you not only a good harvest, but also positive emotions. Such relaxation after a hard day in a noisy city can help you protect yourself from psychological disorders.

We invite you to watch a video that shows step by step how to grow tomatoes on a balcony:

The garden is, of course, good. It's nice to harvest a crop grown with your own hands. But what to do if there is no garden, but you really want to treat yourself to tomatoes of your own cultivation? There is a solution - a balcony is perfect for this. After all, a balcony or a loggia is not only a convenient place for, for example, you can perfectly practice here. In this article, we'll talk about how to grow tomatoes on the balcony.

Due to the fact that you will not grow tomatoes in a very large space, it is necessary to select low varieties with medium-sized fruits. For example, cherry tomatoes, Cascade Red, Red Pearl or Micron-NK are perfect for planting on the balcony. If you were not lucky enough to find such varieties, you can select the stated requirements. Plants should not be bought tall, with a compact bush and many fruits.

Growing tomatoes on the balcony

It should be noted that some hybrid varieties meet the stated requirements. A low bush is strewn with magnificent fruits - what could be better? There are the following varieties for growing tomatoes on the balcony:

"F1 Balcony Red"- fast growing plant. Exactly after three months after the emergence of shoots, red fruits will sing. Their size is small, but the fruits are very sweet and fragrant. The bush is only about 30 cm, but it does not need pinching.

Balcony Elou- This is a medium-early ornamental hybrid. Approximately 110 days pass from the time the shoots appear to the very fruit bearing. The plant is compact, the bush is small - up to 45 cm in height. As for the fruits, they are yellow, sweet with a slight sourness. Great for conservation.

"Balcony Miracle"- the most popular variety and favorite among gardeners. This variety is characterized by the fact that from one small bush you can harvest up to 2 kg. It takes up to three months from the moment of germination to fruiting, but the harvest can already be harvested after 80 days.

"Red Pearl", "Yellow Pearl"- these varieties are perfect for balcony cultivation, on the windowsill, indoor and outdoor. The bush of plants of this variety reaches 50 cm in height. Well, red fruits are much sweeter than yellow ones, but they are also decorative.

"Bonsai"- characterized by the fact that the plant of this variety is unpretentious and quickly ripens. Already on the 85th day, you can see red fruits of a round shape. The bush is small, its height is up to 30 cm. From each bush you can collect up to half a kilogram of small, but tasty and red fruits.

Growing tomatoes on the windowsill

The first feeding should be 10 days after planting. After that, it is necessary to fertilize three more times before transplanting into the main pot. Soil with humus will be an ideal fertilizer. If there is none, you can buy special land in the store. Such land should be poured three times before the main landing. This solution is ideal for a tomato, the roots germinate, absorbing the beneficial properties of fertilizers, the surface becomes larger, which allows you to get even more oxygen.

A suitable temperature for seedlings is between 10 and 20 degrees. After the street temperature is stable at +25, you can safely take the tomatoes out into the open. If the balcony is glazed, this is not necessary, do ventilation.

Transplanting tomatoes into pots

If you grow tomatoes in winter, you should understand that this culture is warm and light-loving, so for them it is still worth it, though artificially, to extend the daylight hours. This is achieved by installing lighting lamps at a level of 25-30 cm from the plant (not from the pot). Lamps should also be turned on if it is cloudy outside, and not only at sunrise, but also after sunset.

When the seedlings are 3 weeks old, you should fertilize them with products intended for seedlings, strictly adhering to the instructions. As a preventive measure for various diseases and fungus, it is better to spray seedlings by diluting 50 g of milk in 500 ml of water.

Growing tomatoes on the balcony

After the third sheet appears, you should do a dive. First of all, they should be planted in small containers with a diameter of 5 cm. If you transplant all the seedlings into a large container, the roots will develop much worse.

After a month, tomatoes from small containers should be transplanted into larger containers - from 3 to 5 liters. An alternative are boxes with light soil, in which plants can be transplanted at a distance of 25 cm.

A great solution would be to hang tomatoes. For such purposes, hanging pots are used. Some time later, the leaves and fruits will drop down, as a result of which you will have an original fruitful balcony decor.

We grow tomatoes

In winter, tomatoes grown on a balcony or loggia should not be watered often, as in summer. It is better when the earth dries well.

Since tomatoes are a heat-loving crop, ideally they should be placed in the south and east side. It happens that long internodes appear between the elongated bushes. It comes from hot and dry weather. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to the optimal air temperature in the balcony area. The main thing is that it should not be more than +30.

To prevent overheating indoors, it is better to use blinds, curtains, roller blinds on the windows.

As for pollination, it is impossible to achieve it in apartment conditions, so you will have to do pollination yourself. When the plants bloom, shake their brushes every morning. At this stage, you can also use the sprayer "Ovary", which contributes to the ripening of fruits.

Cherry tomatoes in plastic bottles on the balcony

If stepchildren began to form in the variety, they should be cut off, leaving stumps of 5 mm. Also, in the process of flowering and after 2 weeks, it is necessary to use top dressing with mineral fertilizers and ash, diluting 1 tbsp. l. in 500 ml of water.

In the process of ripening fruits, it is necessary to collect the most ripe ones, leaving others to ripen. If the tomatoes taste sour, this is the result of insufficient lighting during the growth process. Therefore, try putting the crop on the windowsill for a few days on the sunny side, and the taste of the fruit will become noticeably better. Actually, this is the whole principle of how to grow tomatoes on the balcony correctly, so that you get untold pleasure from the whole process and the harvest.

Cherry tomatoes

The most common varieties of cherry tomatoes for balcony cultivation are: Bonsai, Thumbelina, Baby, Minibel, Pygmy, Date F1, Bead F1.

Cherry tomatoes growing on the windowsill

If your choice is cherry tomatoes on the balcony, growing (the photo and video process of which are presented in this article) will not be difficult and hassle. For this you need:

1. Prepare cylindrical pots for planting. It is cylindrical, since rectangular or square containers will be worse filled with roots. Well, the land must be selected fertile.
2. Plants are light-loving, so expose them to the sunny sides - south, east, west.
3. If the lighting is insufficient, or the windows face the north side, additional light sources should be installed. You should be aware that if there is not enough light, then the buds may fall off.
4. Seeds are planted in pallets, covered with polyethylene, and exposed to dark places where the temperature is not lower than 25 degrees. And so they keep until the first sprouts. When shoots appear, the film is removed. After that, it is necessary to wait for some time for the small plants to get stronger, and then transplant to a permanent place.
5. After planting seedlings in a permanent place, it will be necessary to take care of them: water them every day, stepchild, fertilize, tie them to supports, and also fight pests, diseases and prevent fungus.
6. Also, many practice growing tomatoes on the balcony in hydroponics.

Growing tomatoes on an open balcony

You must not forget that the humidity level must be moderate to prevent rotting or drying out, as well as the appearance of stepchildren. In cloudy and winter periods, it is worth limiting frequent watering. What's more, cherry tomatoes are self-pollinating, so you don't have to shake them every morning. If the humidity of the earth is increased and the temperature is more than +30 degrees, the ovaries slow down the formation.

Stepchildren take root quickly enough - in a week. To do this, it is better to add a little flower fertilizer to the water with stepchildren.

Most experienced gardeners use metal buckets for planting cherry tomatoes, which does not negatively affect the plants in any way. Late blight is not terrible for them.

Growing tomatoes on the balcony