You can grow your own tomatoes without a personal plot. For these purposes, a closed insulated balcony or even a windowsill is suitable. Tomatoes "Balcony Miracle" are designed specifically for these purposes. In general, the cultivation of this variety is simple and convenient. However, there are subtleties and pitfalls. To get a good crop, you need to figure out how to properly grow the “Balcony Miracle” at home.
Variety Description and Benefits
First of all, we’ll start with a description of the variety in order to understand what we will grow. By the name of the variety it is already clear that the bushes will be small - usually they reach a height of no more than 60 cm. The compactness of the “Balcony Miracle” allows you to grow several bushes at once, without taking up much space. In addition, the appearance is very pleasant, the bushes will decorate your windowsill in the kitchen or balcony.
Another advantage of the variety is early maturity. From the appearance of the first fully grown leaves on seedlings to the first harvest, about 3 months pass.
With proper planting and care, you can collect up to 2 kg of tomatoes, each fruit reaches a weight of 50-60 grams. The size of the tomatoes is small, they are beautiful-looking, juicy and surprisingly tasty.
The Balcony Miracle variety is resistant to late blight, which often affects tomatoes. It does not need to be chained or tied. However, some housewives put pegs or sticks in a pot.
Tomatoes of this variety are grown all year round. How wonderful it is to take your crop even in winter. These tomatoes can be added to salads, eat fresh, used to prepare any dishes, even pickled or salted.
Have you already wanted to try growing a “Balcony Miracle” at home? Probably yes!
General principles of indoor cultivation
Growing vegetables and greens in a city apartment is gaining more and more popularity. Let's look at the general principles of planting and caring for the "Balcony Miracle", and then consider all the conditions in more detail.
Although care for this variety is simple, there are several prerequisites:
- the volume of the pot is at least 8 l (ideally 10 l);
- the soil should be enriched fertile;
- a sufficient amount of light;
- providing long daylight hours;
- regular top dressing.
All these conditions are easy to provide. Since we grow tomatoes in a limited space, we need to provide them with everything they need. By the way, the seeds can be planted immediately in a prepared pot of earth. This ensures the growth of the “Balcony Miracle” without stress when transplanting seedlings. Although, if you have rich experience, you know how to transplant seedlings into a new container or soil - you can use this option.
In general, the cultivation of "Balcony Miracle" can be divided into several stages:
- First we need to calculate by what date you would like to receive the first crop.
- Buy soil for tomatoes or make it yourself.
- We select suitable pots of sizes not less than 8 liters, and best of all 10 liters.
- Selection and sowing of seeds.
- Ensuring a long daylight - put the pot in a sunny place.
- We are waiting for the first shoots.
- When the “Balcony Miracle” begins to bloom, then the fruits are tied, be sure to feed potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
As mentioned above, the “Balcony Miracle” begins to bear fruit 90 days after the appearance of the first stronger seedlings. For example, to try the first home grown tomatoes, you need to sow in the early to mid-September.
Important: do not forget to add the time of seed germination.
The usual soil for growing this variety of tomatoes is not suitable. Go to a specialty store and find mixes for growing tomatoes. The soil should be slightly acidic, light and rich in nutrients. Or mix in equal proportions black soil, humus and peat. Only when preparing the soil do not take "fresh" humus on your own.
Important: if you select the wrong soil, not rich enough or take a "fresh" humus, the bushes will begin to wither. Accordingly, a good harvest is not worth the wait.
What else can be added to the ground? Ash increases the nitrogen content. Superphosphate has the same property. However, if you put too much of this fertilizer, you can do harm. Ideally, you need to feed a little while watering tomatoes.
We already know that the pot should be at least 8 liters, it is best to use 10. Otherwise, the root system will have little room for development, the bush will be weak, low-yielding or even die.
Preparing, sowing and growing sprouts
So, we have soil and tanks. Before planting seeds, the soil is moistened. Do it in a few days. Soaking seeds is also not necessary - just sow dry seeds in moist soil. Planting depth - no more than 1 cm. Lightly cover with earth and cover with a film to provide a greenhouse effect.
As soon as the first sprouts appear, remove the film and make sure that the containers are in a sufficiently lit place. If the day is short - use electric lamps or special phytolamps that provide plants with ultraviolet light. In this case, you can grow the “Balcony Miracle” in a not very bright place, for example, on a shelf in the room.
Important: ultraviolet does not reach plants through windowpanes, remember this! At the same time, infrared rays penetrate unhindered - do not place containers with seedlings close to the glass - the leaves may burn.
Another point - it is better to plant directly in the pots, in which the tomatoes will always be then. Cut juice containers are suitable only for temporary shelter seedlings.
If you have a wide enough window sill, put pots on it. Future bushes should have enough space for development, growth. If the window sill is narrow - make a special stand at the window level.
Important: check for draft. Cold air can enter through window frames and crevices. In a draft, the “Balcony Miracle” can get sick. If batteries are near, be careful not to dry the ground. Place cut-top bottles filled with water next to the bushes. It is advisable to maintain air humidity in the range of 40-70%.
Water once a week as the soil dries. Water the earth, not the plant itself. Water should not fall on it.
Care during flowering and fruiting
When tomatoes were just starting their growth and development, they needed nitrogen. When the bushes begin to bloom, reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer.
Now tomatoes need more potassium. If you have grown a very tall bush with dark green leaves - you fed the tomatoes nitrogen. Such a bush will have few flowers, respectively, and ovaries - the harvest will not be as we would like. About any 2 kilograms of speech is not talking.
Use ready-made fertilizers for the period of growth, flowering and harvest, follow the instructions.
Pitfalls of growing the "Balcony Miracle" at home
Observance of all of the above will allow you to get the expected amount of yield from each bush. However, there are moments that, for some reason, are often not paid attention to:
- Tomatoes love warmth. Grade "Balcony Miracle" should be at a temperature of + 22 ° C during the day and + 16 ° C at night. If your balcony is not insulated, not heated, then in winter the temperature will drop. Either rearrange the bushes, or put a heater in the room and check the temperature with a thermometer.
- Indoor air circulation should be sufficient. Yes, we remember that drafts should not be allowed, but at the same time air stagnation is unacceptable. If the air is stagnant, then pollen will not get to another bush, pollination will not occur. For reliability, sometimes gently shake the bushes to scatter pollen.
- Yes, "Balcony Miracle" is resistant to late blight. However, you must completely eliminate the possibility and protect your bushes. If you notice dark spots on the leaves, immediately get rid of this bush, do not let the disease spread further.
- Do not pour cold water from the tap. First, pour into a container, let it stand for at least 3 days.
- If you overfed the bush with nitrogen, it became very tall and dark green., there will be practically no flowers. However, you can still save the crop. Stop watering for a decade, increase the temperature in the room. When the first flowers appear, do a manual pollination.
- "Balcony miracle" does not give stepsonsHowever, in exceptional cases, they may appear. You can immediately tear off the sprouts or wait until they grow, then it can be rooted in a separate pot.
If you decide to grow "Balcony Miracle", try to comply with all conditions - it is not so difficult. But in the winter it will be nice to collect your own harvest of fresh, juicy and tasty tomatoes.
