Tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables can be grown in balconies of apartment buildings. This is a relatively new practice, started in the 1980s, but has grown into an established trend in many countries. The growing of tomato plants in balconies is a good way to enjoy all the benefits associated with outdoor growing, from pest control to fresh produce. Gardeners have learned that there are advantages in planting tomatoes in balconies over the traditional greenhouse method. In this article, we’ll look at some of those benefits and why apartment gardeners should try apartment gardening.

One of the major benefits of growing your own tomato plants in balconies or patios is that you get an abundance of natural light. When plants are growing under natural sunlight, they are less likely to succumb to diseases, from insects and other pests. Your plants also get a wider variety of sunlight and exposure to that light. You may not get as much natural light when you grow plants in a greenhouse, for various reasons. That’s not an issue in an apartment building. The plants will get all the natural sunlight they need and no artificial light can affect them.

Another advantage is that it allows you to have a number of tomato plants on your balcony or patio. When your plants are getting the light they need, they will start to grow. Before long you’ll end up with several varieties. Many apartment dwellers don’t have enough room for all the plants they want to get. Growing the tomato plants in balconies can solve that problem. It allows you to choose only what you want to grow and eliminate all the plants that don’t do well together.

Tomatoes love the Mediterranean climate. And because they’re small, they can be grown successfully as part of an apartment garden. The key is to provide them with plenty of access to water. You can do that by digging a hole under the balcony rail and installing a well connected drainage system. You can then refill the hole with water every few days.

There are two other things to keep in mind if you want to grow tomato plants in the balcony space. One is shade. Since the tomato tends to be rather large and sunny, the smaller plants that grow well in a balcony can quickly become crowded. The larger ones have to share the sunlight with a lot of other plants. So provide them with lots of indirect sun.

The second thing to consider is the soil. This is where you’ll want to add lime for additional calcium. Don’t add too much lime or your tomato plants may burn. Keep your soil moist but not moist enough to drown the smaller plants. Too much water may cause the roots of the plants to rot. Keep your soil about 2 inches deep so that you can easily trowel your tomato plants in the balcony space.

Tomatoes love plenty of sun, but they do require to have shady areas occasionally during the hot summer months. The best way to do this is to install a trellis on either side of the balcony rail. These provide shelter from the sun, provide protection from frost, and provide a place for plants to go into the shade when temperatures get too high.

If you have tomato plants in the balcony space that you want to move indoors for the winter, you’ll have to replant them before the first frost. You can do that in late autumn, early winter, or March, depending on the length of time you have left before the frost. Tomatoes love their tomatoes! They are very hardy and will do fine in most climates. They can even handle being indoors for three weeks a month if that’s all they can handle.