How to make a vegetable garden on the balcony

Organic soil and seedlings at the right distance. The soil must be of good quality, with the addition of coarse sand (10 percent of the total). If you have a lot of light, you can choose any vegetables. If you are on a busy street, cover the pots.

HOW TO GROW THE GARDEN AT HOME

It is not true that the vegetable garden can only be built by having large spaces. Gardens and terraces. Even a small balcony can be well cultivated, especially with vegetables, and give the great satisfaction of eating one’s own products made at zero kilometers at the table. Just choose the right soil and seedlings, plant them well and keep in mind, in the selection of vegetables, the exposure and the light of the balcony. But let’s take a closer look at the essential tips for gardening on the balcony.

DIY HOME GARDEN

First of all, it is good to remind those who grow on the balcony that they will not get huge quantities of vegetables and fruit, but will have qualitatively valid ones.

Buy already grown seedlings to transplant into large pots. The size of the pots must be proportionate to the size of the vegetable you are growing. Zucchini, for example, grow in pots of 50/60 cm in diameter and 40/50 cm in height. Lettuce, celery, chicory, and many aromatic herbs can grow in pots of 30 cm in diameter and 20 cm in height.

Always start with short cycle vegetables or start with the simplest aromatic herbs. If you love flowers, choose vegetables and fruits that bloom or are decorative, such as peppers, beets, the strawberry, the cherry tomatoes  (you can find here the bottoms of tomatoes and here that of chiles).

Already grown seedlings can be transplanted from late March to late April.

As far as soil is concerned, don’t buy cheap ones, because the quality is everything in this case. The soil can be traditional, already fertilized or organic soil already fertilized. The pots should be prepared with expanded clay or gravel on the bottom. Add some coarse-grained sand to the soil. The sand, which must be about 10% of the total, easily drains the water.

To grow well, plants must have their own living space. Therefore, leave at least 70 cm of distance, for example, between the zucchini seedlings, at least 40 cm for tomatoes, and 25 for lettuce. Find out, therefore, how much space must exist between the plants according to their species.

When transplanting seedlings, water them well and then wait until the earth is dry before watering. The warmer it gets, the more watering will be needed, especially at the edges of the pot and not directly on the roots. Water at sunset, so the plants will have all night to absorb the water, which instead evaporates immediately if it comes in full sun.

If your balcony is flooded with light all day, you can plant any variety of vegetables; otherwise, limit yourself to planting valerian, chicory, cabbage, chard, parsley, and all those plants that do not need so much light.

If your balcony is located on a busy city street, cover the pots with a “non-woven fabric” (TNT) which will prevent fine dust from settling on the plants, while allowing the sun and water to filter through. Obviously, wash the vegetables well with baking soda when they are ready to be eaten.