Cherry tomatoes on a balcony or loggia: how to grow and plant

Growing Cherry tomatoes on the balcony is not a problem these days. The main thing is that there is a balcony, and everything else can be found in the nearest gardening store. This activity is exciting, the good thing is that you can attract children or the elderly who already find it difficult to go out.

Where to start

You need to start with the analysis of tomato varieties. The right variety is not half the success, but a big part of it. For a balcony and a window sill, undersized species and tomatoes of medium height are more suitable, and tall ones are more suitable for loggias with a large area.

After the variety is selected, you can start preparing containers for planting. When choosing, it is important to consider the characteristics of the pot:

volume;
design;
production material;
presence of drainage holes.

For the plant itself, only the volume of the pot and the presence of drainage holes are important. Two other characteristics must be taken into account if there is a desire to create a cozy place to relax on the balcony (loggia), decorated with picturesque tomato bushes.

Choose pots, do you know their size? You can follow the land. It is better to go not to the country, but to the store. High-quality purchased soil for tomatoes corresponds to the requirements of the plant in terms of mechanical and chemical composition. But before planting Cherry, the purchased soil should be treated from the fungus. For disinfection, you need to buy a proven fungicide "Fitosporin M", prepare a working solution and process the purchased soil.

Choose a variety

A little bit about what cherry tomatoes are. First of all, this is a separate type of tomato with small fruits of a spherical or slightly elongated shape. Ripe cherry fruits come in different colors: yellow, red, black, green.

The main differences between Cherry fruits and classic tomatoes:

Cherry is sweeter;
keep longer;
The content of nutrients in cherry pulp is almost 1.5 times more.

Let's get acquainted with the existing classification of Cherry by type of growth. All varieties of tomatoes are divided into 4 groups:

Superdeterminant.
Short.
Determinant.
Indeterminate.

The first group is represented by compact plants, the height of the bushes does not exceed 40 centimeters. Cherries of this group are the most early ripening tomatoes. After the formation of the fifth brush, the growth of the central stem stops. The second group - Cherry stunted.

Ideal for growing indoors or on a balcony. The third and fourth groups are species that are not suitable for breeding at home due to large tall bushes.

Description of some varieties of Cherry

Consider those Cherry tomatoes that grow well not only on the balcony (loggia), but also on the windowsill.

The first Bonsai tomato variety on the list. Early maturing plant, absolutely unpretentious. The bushes are compact, they do not need pinching. Tomato Bonsai care is very simple.

Very interesting super-early tomato variety Garden Pearl. Low bushes are hung with a large number (up to 500 pieces) of small pink fruits. The weight of one Cherry tomato does not exceed 20 g. The purpose of miniature fruits is universal.

Cherry Kira tomatoes have an unusual fruity taste. The weight of one Cherry tomato of this species is 30 g. The fruits are stored for a long time, from 2 to 2.5 months. Planted in large containers (8 - 10 liters), Cherry Kira tomato bushes can keep fruiting until almost January.

You can pay attention to the variety Minibel. The plant is undersized (40 cm), unpretentious, strewn with small, up to 25 g in weight, fruits. The list of suitable Cherry varieties does not end there, it can be continued for a long time.

Home growers practice growing the following varieties on the balcony:

Balcony miracle;
Golden Bunch;
Rowan beads.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Consider growing Cherry seedlings step by step from seeds for a balcony. Planting seeds is not a difficult process, you can have a great time, take a break from the bustle of the city.

The first step is pre-sowing preparation of tomato seeds. First, the seeds must be inspected visually, select all whole, without damage. Put them in a glass, pour water (0.5 cup). Throw away the floating seeds, place the remaining 15 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, dry.

Second step - preparing the container for planting. We take for this a cleanly washed plastic container. A deep container is not needed, the optimal height of the sides is 6 cm. Fill the container with purchased soil, water the soil with settled water.

The third step is to sow the seeds of tomatoes. We lay them out in 3 cm increments, fill them with the same soil or pure humus. The layer thickness is 1 - 1.5 cm. It is not necessary to water the ground from above, the seeds have enough moisture in the lower soil layer. Cover the container with foil or glass.

The seeds have been sown, with good germination they will sprout in 5-6 days. Put the container closer to the heater. Seedlings will germinate faster if the ambient temperature is 25 - 28 °C.

Seedling care

Remove the film from the container as soon as the first green loops appear, and place the container on a well-lit window. There comes a period when light plays the most important role in the development of cherry seedlings. With a lack of light, the seedlings will stretch, but the stems will be thin and fragile. It is good to have a lamp for additional illumination of tomato seedlings. The ideal option is a phytolamp, the radiation of which contains the entire spectrum of light waves necessary for the plant.If there is no fitolamp, you can illuminate the seedlings with an ordinary fluorescent lamp.

Tomatoes planted, first leaves appeared? It's time to prepare cups for tomato seedlings, where each seedling has its own cup. Suitable disposable cups with a volume of 250 ml. Take the soil of the same composition that is poured into seedling boxes.

After picking, 10 days will pass, the seedlings will get stronger by this time, it will be possible to water it for the first time with a solution of liquid complex fertilizer. In the future, it is required to feed Cherry bushes no more than 1 time in 10 days.

The exact feeding schedule can be found in the instructions that came with the preparation. Before transplanting seedlings into a large container, you need to feed Cherry at least twice.

Replanting seedlings

By April, Cherry seedlings are growing up, a glass will no longer be enough. You need to prepare for the transplant. Wash purchased pots, buckets or other containers with any disinfectant, pour a layer of expanded clay on the bottom, fill the containers with soil mixture.

Transplant Cherry seedlings to a permanent place using the transshipment method, water and take them out to the balcony (loggia). At the time of transplantation, establish a support for the bush. At first, it is not needed, but during the period of fruit formation it will certainly come in handy. There are many cute bamboo and plastic poles on sale that are not only functional but also decorative.

Caring for mature plants

The main thing in care is attention. Soil moisture control, monitoring for signs of diseases and pests are activities that need to be carried out regularly. At the ready should always be a watering can with water at room temperature. Prolonged drying of the soil can lead to shedding of flowers, ovaries, so you need to water the soil in pots at the first sign of drying.

Grown tomatoes attach to the support. Loosen the top layer of soil periodically shallow loosen. Loosening promotes better access of oxygen to the roots, prevents the formation of a crust.Do not forget about the additional lighting of tomato bushes. During the period of active growth, the optimal illumination is 150 lux / m². The better the lighting, the faster the development of the tomato bush.

Fertilizer for Cherries

Fertilizers for Cherries on the balcony are absolutely no different from the fertilizers used by summer residents in the garden:

urea;
superphosphate;
nitroammophoska;
ash.

It is especially important to feed Cherry bushes during flowering and fruiting. The main thing is not to overdo it with top dressing. In "overfed" tomatoes, the taste of the fruit deteriorates and the beneficial properties decrease due to the high content of nitrates in tomatoes. The instructions that come with each drug will help you not to make a mistake with the dosage.

During the flowering period, tomato bushes can be sprayed with Ovary. The tool promotes better pollination. Pollination can be stimulated artificially by lightly shaking the flowering bushes.

Harvesting

Harvesting is the most enjoyable job. It is unlikely that a huge number of tomatoes can be grown on the balcony. A guaranteed small cherry bush can produce up to 1 kg of delicious tomatoes. This is quite enough to diversify the menu with a light snack from Cherry. Fruits should be removed regularly to reduce the load on the plant. The removed tomatoes are stored for a long time even at room temperature.

Conclusion

Knowing how to grow Cherry tomatoes and how to properly care for them, you can do a detailed study of Cherry tomato varieties and start breeding them. A self-grown tomato bush will decorate the balcony and delight with delicious, beautiful fruits.