How to Grow Tomatoes on a Balcony

Tomatoes are a fruiting vegetable that can be grown on a balcony. Besides the yellow flowers to enjoy, you can also watch the process of the fruit gradually changing color. And today's tomatoes come not only in red but also in rich colors such as yellow and orange, so it can be said to be a vegetable pot plant that makes people eager to welcome the harvest day as soon as possible. Below is an introduction to the methods for growing tomatoes on a balcony.

1. Sowing and Raising Seedlings

Soil preparation: Put the prepared nutrient soil into the flower pot, keeping it 3~4 cm from the pot rim. Water thoroughly, and sow after the soil dries slightly.

Before planting, soak the seeds in warm water at 50~55°C for 10~12 hours, then take them out and sow them directly in the flower pot. Sow one seed every 10~15 cm.

After sowing, cover the surface with 0.5 cm of soil, cover with a layer of plastic film, and remove the film once the seedlings emerge.

2. Potting Up

When the tomato seedlings grow 3~4 leaves, they can be planted into pots.

First wash the flower pot, block the small hole at the bottom of the pot, then fill it with sandy soil. Dig out the seedlings, being careful not to damage the roots, keep a small amount of soil around the seedling roots, plant them directly into the flower pot, straighten the plant, then water until water seeps out of the pot hole.

3. Daily Management

Water management: When planting tomatoes, water once thoroughly, then water once every 3~5 days. Control watering before fruiting, and keep the potting soil moist after fruiting.

Fertilizer management: Apply liquid fertilizer once 10 days after potting up, and apply decomposed chicken manure before flowering.

Pruning side shoots: So-called shoot pruning means properly removing the newly grown tender shoots to promote flowering and fruiting.

Training: After training, there are usually two forms, single-stem or double-stem.

Single-stem training: Keep only one main stem and cut off all other side branches. Such a plant bears fewer fruits, but the fruits are larger.

Double-stem training: Keep two main stems and remove all others. This can increase the number of fruits, but the nutrient supply to the plant must be ensured, otherwise the fruits will grow abnormally.

Pruning: When the plant height exceeds 80 cm, pinch off the top. Remove the leaves at the top.

When there are too many fruits, thin the flowers and fruits in time. The stem of the tomato plant is not woody and has limited load-bearing capacity; too many fruits will make it collapse under the burden. To ensure fruit quality and fruit shape, flowers and fruits must be thinned.

4. Flowering and Fruit Setting

In a normal inflorescence, the position of the flowering inflorescence is about 20 cm from the top of the plant; above the flowering inflorescence there are inflorescences with visible buds and inflorescences still developing; the inflorescence grows compactly, and the flower stalk is thick, short and strong; the open flowers are large, and the flower color is deep and bright. Overgrown inflorescence: flowering is not neat, often the floral organs and ovary are unusually large, and the petals are deep yellow. Aged inflorescence: flowering is delayed, the floral organs are small, the petals are pale yellow, and the ovary is small. Normal flower: within the same inflorescence, flowering is neat, the floral organs are medium in size, the petals are yellow, and the ovary is moderate in size.

Weak flower: the buds are thin and small, and the flower stalk is slender, caused by high temperature, insufficient light, or lack of nutrients.

A normal plant has a stem of even and appropriate thickness, and the internode length gradually increases from bottom to top; each leaflet is relatively large, somewhat palm-like, the leaf blade is large, the veins are clear, and the leaf tip is relatively pointed; after the fruit swelling stage, a normal plant is tower-shaped; the growing point and the leaves below it that are developing and elongating form an approximately equilateral triangle.

The vegetative growth form of excessive vegetative growth: the upper stem is relatively thick, the tender leaves at the top are curved, the terminal bud and the new leaves below form a scalene triangle, and the leaf stalks of the leaflets are relatively long.

Extreme reproductive growth form: the flowering node moves up to near the top, the stem is thin and the leaves are small, and the top of the plant is horizontal, caused by low temperature, dryness and lack of fertilizer.

Inflorescence regreening form: new leaves or new shoots grow again at the top of the inflorescence, caused by high temperature, low temperature, dryness, and excessive nitrogen fertilizer.

5. Fruit Ripening Stage

1. Green fruit stage (green fruit stage): The fruit has fully grown, the fruit volume has stopped expanding, the number and volume of cells no longer increase, the physiological activities of the fruit are entirely material transformation, the fruit color changes from green to white, and seed development is basically complete, with germination and production capacity. Generally, tomatoes for long-distance transport or storage should be harvested at this stage. (2) Turning stage (red line stage): The top of the fruit gradually colors, reaching 1/4 of the whole fruit; after harvest at suitable temperature for 1-2 days, it can fully color. Generally, when the distance from the production area to the market is relatively short, they should be harvested at this stage.

2. Ripe stage (edible stage or commercial stage): The fruit has already shown the characteristic color of the variety, has high nutritional value, and good flavor; it is suitable for eating raw but does not keep well for storage and transport. Generally, only when picking and selling nearby can it be harvested at this stage.

3. Late ripening stage: The fruit turns fully red or yellow, the flesh softens, and the sugar content is very high; it can be eaten raw, but it does not tolerate transport, and as a commodity it is already difficult. Generally, only for seed saving can it be harvested at this time.