Plant tomatoes on the balcony: how to grow them in a pot | > – Guide – Garden

Status: 05/10/2023 4:25 p.m

Tomatoes can be grown in a pot on the balcony or patio. Above all, the plants need sufficient sun and protection from rain. Which varieties are recommended?

Sweet vegetables from the balcony are all the rage: growing tomatoes is particularly popular. If you don’t want to grow the plants from seed yourself, you can buy young plants in spring, which usually grow well.

The right location on the balcony

However, the cold-sensitive plants are only allowed outside in May after the ice saints. The ideal location is a south-facing balcony, because tomatoes love sun and warmth. It is best to place the pot close to the wall of the house and, if possible, under a roof overhang. This protects the plant from rain.

Pot or grow bag: plant tomatoes

If you plant tomatoes in a pot, you should make sure that it has a capacity of at least 15 liters so that the plants can take root sufficiently. It is practical to place the plants directly in a plant bag with soil or in a purchased plant bag. Since tomatoes are heavy consumers, high-quality potting soil should be used.

If you want to be on the safe side and are willing to spend a little more money, you can buy special soil for tomatoes. This is tailored to the plant and provides it with sufficient fertilizer for the first six to eight weeks. Organic soil is also suitable. Those who want to protect nature and the environment make sure that the earth is peat free.

Bush tomatoes: recommended varieties for the pot

In principle, most tomatoes thrive in tubs. Bush tomatoes are particularly recommended, they grow low and compact and are very productive. Unlike other tomato varieties, they do not need to be pinched, meaning there is no need to remove excess shoots or leaves. For example, the tomato with the beautiful name “Little Red Riding Hood” is recommended. Their fruits grow very compact. “Lizzano” also needs little space, the tomato plants are only about 50 centimeters high.

The “Bajaja” variety is also ideal for the balcony. It only grows to about 35 centimeters and is particularly productive: it is said to produce more than 600 juicy-sweet fruits. The “Primabell” dwarf tomato is between 25 and 35 centimeters high. It bears 60 to 80 very aromatic fruits per plant. Both tomato varieties grow quite compactly and are therefore ideal for a tub, “Bajaja” also cuts a fine figure in a hanging basket.

Many types of vegetables are suitable for balcony cultivation

Many other types of vegetables are suitable for growing on the balcony, such as cucumbers, Peppers, lettuce, potatoes, radishes and courgettes. Aubergines are also suitable, especially the “Rondini” variety. The fruits do not grow oblong, but as small balls and take up little space.