It seems that growing tomato plants on the balcony is a very popular idea. This is because balconies are ideal areas to grow tomatoes. However, if you have never planted anything on your balcony before then you should know that this can be a little bit tricky and you need to follow the guidelines in order to make sure that your plants and tomatoes do not wilt or die. That being said, if you follow these simple guidelines then your apartment garden can easily become a thriving community of tomato lovers.
First of all, it is important that you keep your balcony cool. It is not really recommended to grow plants that require high temperatures because they will not thrive. You also do not want your tomato plants to get too hot as they could easily rot.
Now that we have mentioned that your plants will need to stay a bit cooler, you may be wondering where you can keep them when the weather is nice. Keep in mind that they are most often kept out of direct sunlight as well as during the night. Of course, there will also be times when you need to plant them in the sunlight, but you must move them as soon as possible to avoid frost.
The temperature of the apartment is another consideration. You can have all of your plants inside the apartment, but if this is not possible then you need to provide a good amount of shade for your plants. If you have an attached apartment then this should not be too difficult, but if you have a separate unit then you need to buy some shingles or else place coverings on top of them. That way, the heat will not reach your tomatoes. In fact, it may even be a good idea to buy a few plastic tarps. All you do is put your tarps on top of your windows or over your balcony so that the heat does not get into your apartment.
It is important for the plants to have their light and heat source directly above them. This can be somewhat difficult to achieve since you will probably want the sunlight to hit your plants, but you cannot risk damaging them by getting it too close. The best thing you can do is to buy a few low wattage lamps that can easily be hung from the ceiling. This will give them the proper light they need without burning out your expensive bulbs.
As with any kind of gardening, you need to fertilize your tomato plants on a regular basis. This will help to ensure that they have all of the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy. However, you do not need to fertilize your plants every single day.
Keep in mind that you should take care of your plants, even though they are not actually “growing” when it comes to the gardening term. They still need to have plenty of sun and water so that they can thrive. You also should watch for insects. There are plenty of pests out there that can do serious damage to any kind of plant, and tomatoes are no different. Make sure that you remove the insects each day before the plants have a chance to grow.
These are some basic tips to remember when growing tomato plants on balcony vines. Just follow the tips provided above, and you should be able to get just fine. Make sure that you plant them in good soil and make sure that you water them daily if you want them to grow properly. Your plants should prosper in no time!