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Urban gardening is becoming more and more popular throughout our beautiful planet every day, which is the real evidence that people are more and more aware of the quality and price of food offered on grocery store shelves. Today, it is clear to everyone that vegetables can be successfully grown in a pot, so I urge all of you who have sunny terraces to start this trend and enjoy the juicy and healthy fruits that will be your best reward.
Nowadays, it is possible to find on the market a wide range of containers, jardiners, beds, or crates, with which you can create a particular style and achieve the desired atmosphere.
Healthy, freshly picked and delicious food from your own balcony vegetable garden can also be found on your plate, even if it is a balcony with just a few pots.
All of you who are a little more creative on your own can make pots for your herbs from various materials that do not have to be expensive, or get pallets and make from the various forms of boxes in which you can successfully grow many herbs.
With a little effort and goodwill and in a few squares you can grow good quality vegetables, spice, or herbs. Grow your plants according to the principles of organic farming and teach your little ones how to grow them. Children will quickly adopt a healthy view of nutrition, which will affect their entire lives.
Bring a touch of living nature to the windows, balconies, terraces and create gorgeous color and fragrance combinations that you can enjoy all summer long. By planting mixed vegetables, herbs, spices, and flowers, you can create a small oasis in a small space where you will find something healthy and delicious every day.
And believe me, there is no greater joy than tasting the vegetables you have grown yourself. For your herbs, choose a quality substrate that you can mix with the coconut fibers that can be found in better-stocked shopping malls. Coconut fibers are an ideal solution for balcony growing as they are packed in a block weighing only 4 pounds.
The addition of water gives a mass of high-quality organic substrate of 70 liters. The coconut fiber substrate improves the water-air regime in the soil and makes the soil light, keeping water in the soil longer. It is enriched with organic fertilizer and the plants will initially have enough nutrients they need. The substrate has a lifetime of 8 years, which is ideal for balcony farming as it is not necessary to change the soil in pots every year.
Planted plants need to be added food several times during the growing season with a handful of dehydrated organic fertilizer.
Which vegetables to choose for your organic terrace growing
You can grow all kinds of vegetables in pots such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, zucchini, cucumbers, parsley, onions and more.
Of course, larger plants will require a deeper and wider container, while smaller plants can also be grown in quite small containers. You can also grow potatoes in a bag so that as the plant grows, you gradually add soil to it. Potatoes are a very nice plant and look perfect when blooming. Naturally, larger plants will need a deeper and wider container, while smaller ones can be grown in smaller vessels as well.
Tomatoes will need a larger growing pot, so if you don’t have space, plant cherry tomatoes that will look like an ornamental plant. Cherry tomatoes are ideal for balcony growing. By planting several different varieties, different shapes, and colors, you will enjoy their fruits until the fall. It will look nice along the fence that will serve as a support.
Planting chili peppers, which are complemented by tomatoes with their varied shapes and colors, will make your balcony a magical and very charming place to rest after a busy day. When buying seedlings, pay attention to the appearance of the plant. The quality transplant has a well-developed root and the leaves are of healthy green color.
Organic growing spices and herbs at home
You can plant spices and herbs in very small pots. Plant the spices you like to use in your kitchen as they will always be available in fresh form. Also, prepare yourself a tea made from freshly harvested herbs that has a higher concentration of herbs than dried ones. You can plant lemon balm, chamomile, parsley, basil, calendula, precious, mint, oregano, chives, thyme …
The sunny terraces are perfect for growing vegetables
The size of the garden space itself does not matter. How rich harvests of fruits and vegetables will be mostly influenced by the position of the garden/terrace in relation to the sun. The successful growth of most vegetables and berries requires the plants to be exposed to the sun daily for at least 6 hours. On shaded terraces, leafy vegetables such as lettuce, chard, arugula, and even spicy pots with chives and parsley will grow well, plants that are otherwise more sensitive to high temperatures and summer heat.
That is why it is important to be well informed about plants and their needs when planning a balcony. Don’t forget to calculate going on vacation and, accordingly, grow edible plants that will ripen in time when there is someone at home.
Terrace garden perfect for beginners
Although gardening alone requires a great deal of knowledge, urban organic gardening is ideal for beginners, as plants are provided with the best care on a daily basis, and there is little chance of disease and pest infestation.
Vegetables such as cucumbers or peppers succeed even better in pots than on flower beds, but they need to be planted in large enough pots for the plants to properly develop their root system. 25-liter pots are optimal for growing vegetables. Spicy herbs can also be grown in smaller pots, while salad vegetables of small leaves can grow in pots only 3 inches deep. Plants such as watercress, arugula, corn salad, common purslane, or dandelion have shallow roots, ripen quickly, and are suitable for multiple cuts.
Vegetable gardens on terraces are made for experimentation. Containers, where vegetables are grown, can be recycled from everyday household items such as old cans, plastic bottles, caskets, wooden crates. It all depends on your creativity and resourcefulness.
To grow balcony vegetables, use a high-quality nutrient-supplemented substrate to give plants plenty of energy to grow and develop. This is especially important for the cultivation of tomatoes and other fruitful vegetables, which should begin to be fed with organic fertilizer within four weeks of planting.
Tricks for a successful terrace garden
- Recycle. Make wooden crates from recycled lumber, and you can use plastic bottles or cans for smaller containers.
- Plant edible flowers throughout the year. The flowers and leaves of the borage and garden nasturtium are used in salads, while the chives and garlic flowers are delicious in the potato salad.
- Grow varieties adapted for growing in pots, such as hot chili peppers, a dwarf variety of Salad Bush cucumbers, or leafy salads like oak leaves. The fruits of these varieties are slightly smaller and the stem is shorter and more compact.
