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How to grow tomatoes & herbs on my balcony?
Let’s try this again.
Year 3.
I’d like to grow tomatoes and herbs in pots on my balcony. I am considered a complete novice and somehow fail horribly every year. Perhaps the help of professionals such as the Downers landscaping company is very much needed for people who are interested in gardening and/or landscaping.
Year 1: My herbs lasted all of two weeks before I overwatered them and they died.
Year 2: My mint died almost instantly thanks to the hands of a little one who pulled off half the leaves of the plant. My basil did pretty well for awhile and then suddenly the leaves turned yellow and the plant soon died. I never once gave my plants any food aside from water, and I didn’t realize that I shouldn’t water them every day. I shouldn’t, right?
We still have plenty of time before spring, but this year I want to be prepared. I would like to grow some of those big, juicy heirloom tomatoes like my friend Jillian and my friend Manny’s dad grow every year. And I’d like to have a basil plant as tall as my auntie Daniela’s plant, which at last view was about 4 feet high. I’d also like to grow rosemary and anything else that might be easy – suggestions are welcome.
What do I do? How do I start? I literally don’t know a thing about gardening, especially about growing food in pots on a balcony. I don’t know what kind or size pot to buy, if I should start from seeds or seedlings, how often to water, what kind of food to give, what to cut and what to leave alone.. I’m clueless.
I can cook a mean dinner, but I can’t make my basil plant survive even a month’s time.
There is something so satisfying about pulling an herb or a vegetable from your own garden and enjoying it. I want that satisfaction. Teach me how to do it?
5 Responses to “How to grow tomatoes & herbs on my balcony?”
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Does your balcony get at least 8 hours of sun each day? I tried to grow tomatoes on my balcony once and ended up with puny little fruits because while there was some sun, it wasn’t enough :(. I don’t know about the watering though – maybe too much?
Yes, we get plenty of sun to the point that it could be too much (if that is possible?)
Did you eat them? Did they taste good or did they never fully develop?
if you only have 1 tomato plant, that could the problem. they need to be able to be easily cross-pollenated. if you can’t have two, flick the white flowers once they form to release the pollen. as far as the basil, make sure you pick off the top flowery part so they don’t go to seed, that’s the secret to tall plants.
watering every other day should be plenty but i would definitely suggest feeding them every 6 weeks or so, esp the tomatoes. or at least start with miracle grow soil.
Thank you Meghan!
Hello-
I’ve followed your blog for a few years but haven’t commented before. I have been balcony gardening for about 6 years and have had success, I’d like to see if I can help.
Watering: Dependent on the herb, heat, and rain will depend on when you water. Always water your plants in early morning or after the sun has gone down. Basil, mint and Rosemary enjoy morning sun and afternoon shade. Rosemary needs air movement or you will get powdered mildew on the leaves. Watering is the same for tomato plants. For any of these plants if the leaves are wilted, just water at night, they will look fresh and beautiful in the morning. Because they are in pots, it is much easier for them to get either waterlogged or over dry. Be careful not to over water. Usually 1.5-2 cups of water per plant.
Potting: The bigger the pot, the bigger the plant will get for herbs. Some herbs are seasonal and go to seed (more on this later). Tomatoes I use large pots that are similar in size to a 5 gallon bucket. You can even use a 5 gallon bucket if you drill drain holes in the bottom. I typically use pots about one foot round and at least one foot deep for herbs.I keep my soil every year and leave it out in the winter and in the spring add organic used coffee grounds to the soil and organic vegetable peelings (carrots, strawberries, egg shells,greens – whatever I have around). I started out with an organic soil mix several years back. I let the coffee and veggies sit in the soil and moisten soil and stir daily before planting my herbs or tomatoes.
Food – The coffee grounds provide nitrogen rich soil and you should not have to add more food for tomatoes as long as your soil in rich in minerals. Even if you buy new organic potting soil, I highly recommend adding about 1.5 cups of coffee grounds to each pot. If you are noticing blossom rot on tomatoes, then add egg shells into soil, the calcium will strengthen the plant. If you notice the plants looking yellowed and sickly, soak good quality, unsalted seaweed in 5 gallons of water for 2-3 days, strain out the seaweed and water the plants with water.
Tomatoes need to be caged to offer them more support due to not being able to build a strong root base. I built cages out of chicken wire and cable ties. You can use regular tomato cages if you can get them to stand on the balcony.
Seeds vs. Seedlings: Seedlings may already be stronger. When buying seedlings, look for dark rich colors and thick healthy bases to the plant. Seeds are great because you know the plant from seed to fruit, but they take more work. They need to be started in doors in a south facing window. I use an organic seeding mulch that is very light weight to the seedlings don’t have to strain to break through the dirt and bruise themselves. The mulch should be wet to touch and I cover my seedlings with a plastic cover to hold moisture in. After seedlings break through, transfer to small pots with organic soil and allow to get about 4-5 inches tall (for tomatoes) before potting in larger pots. Herbs you can poke holes in the dirt about .5 inch down using your finger. Drop seeds in and water. (Herb seeds take a bit to grow and add extra time before your plant gets large). Be careful not to overwater seeds (they will rot). Soil will be wet to touch but should not squeeze water out when you push on soil with your finger.
Plants: I have grown tomatoes, peppers, okra, herbs of all kinds, spinach, zucchini and cucumbers in my pot garden. All of these do very well. When picking tomatoes, certain varieties do better in pots. Romas grow well, as well as Black Krim, Brandywine, cherry tomatoes, and I’ve even had good success with Beefeaters.
If you have additional questions, please e-mail me. I hope this brings a prosperous plant garden to your balcony!
Lynn