What Are The Best Tomatoes To Grow On A Balcony?

Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:35 pm

Tomato plants are extremely diverse, as well as ways to grow them. Amateur gardeners who do not have a garden available, can easily grow the tomatoes on the balcony.

Numerous specially bred for this purpose tomato plants are suitable for growing on the balcony, and also shine with their decorative appearance.

The optimal location

Like outdoor tomatoes, balcony tomatoes prefer special places. The best conditions are provided by a south-facing balcony, since the tomato plants need an enormous amount of sunlight. However, this is not a prerequisite! Essential for the cultivation of tomato plants are the following points:

• sunny location
• ideally eight hours of sunlight a day
• protected from wind and rain
• optimal is a wall protected from the wind
• if it is humid for a long time, the plants should be covered with foil
• no draught
• sufficient distance between the plants
• optimal is about 60 – 80 cm

Vessels and aids

Tomato plants can be grown in pots or tubs, as well as in balcony boxes. In addition, there is the option to choose balcony tomatoes, which like to grow hanging. These can be grown hanging on the balcony in a hanging basket or balcony box to save space.

Pots and tubs

Balcony tomatoes can be excellently cultivated in tubs as well as pots. It is important that the containers are not too small, because the plants need sufficient root space. Therefore, the containers should be too large rather than too small. In addition, it is important to note the following:

• ideal from a size of about 15 liters
• made of clay, wood, eternit or plastic
• at least one drain hole, so that the water can run off
• the drainage hole can be covered with clay shards
• so it does not get clogged with soil
• and the water can drain away
• Water storage containers should have an overflow
• so that after watering or rain no waterlogging forms

After harvesting, the soil should be disposed of along with the dried plant and the pots should be carefully cleaned. The vessels can be cleaned with a commercial dishwashing detergent or sodium hydroxide solution. If you want to store the pots over the winters, you should make sure that they are dry so that mold cannot form.

Climbing aids

Tomato plants grow extremely quickly. Therefore, they should be supported with climbing aids, so that they do not collapse under the weight of the fruit. It is optimal to incorporate them into the soil when the plant is planted. If this is done at a later stage, there is a risk that the roots will be damaged. There are numerous variations of climbing aids, and there are extremely decorative specimens, especially for balcony tomatoes.

Tomato sticks made of plastic

• about 15-20 mm thick
• 120-150 cm high
• are easy to clean
• are particularly light
• are suitable for tub plants

Bamboo climbing aid

• about 15-25 mm thick
• minimum length of 1,20 m
• are not so easy to clean
• natural and decorative appearance

Tomato sticks made of wood

• about 30 mm thick
• minimum length of 1,20 m
• made of larch or oak wood
• because these are weather resistant
• but also pine or spruce are suitable, if they are impregnated
• the wooden poles must be disinfected in autumn
• natural appearance

spiral bars made of metal

• very robust and durable
• must be galvanized and rustproof
• minimum length of 1.20 m
• most expensive alternative

In addition, there are other decorative climbing aids, such as pyramids, obelisks or trellises. Many of these models can also be retrofitted to the plants. Most climbing aids can be reused, so it is essential to clean them carefully before storing them.

The optimal substrate

Tomato plants are heavy growers, which means that the soil should also be rich in nutrients. High-quality plant soil is best suited, as it is more fertilized than sowing soil. In addition, the following criteria are important when choosing a substrate:

• the soil should be able to absorb plenty of moisture
• contain many minerals
• ideally be calcareous
• the pH value should be around 6.0-7.0
• as tomato plants like to have a slightly acidic environment

In addition, it is important that the soil is loose. If you are not sure whether the soil is suitable for growing tomatoes, you can determine this with a simple trick: Shape the soil into a snowball with your hands. If this falls apart again and again, then it is a suitable soil.

Sow & harden off tomatoes on balcony

There are quite a few varieties of tomatoes, which is why many amateur gardeners choose to sow the plants themselves. After all, the choice of seeds is much more diverse than the selection of pre-cultivated seedlings. In principle, the cultivation of balcony tomatoes is quite simple and requires little equipment. All that is needed are the seeds, a growing soil and a container for them. When sowing seeds, the following must be observed:

• Place seeds on a sowing tray or egg cup.
• the seeds should have a distance of about 3 cm from each other
• then fill the container with growing soil
• then water and keep moist daily
• ideal location is a sunny windowsill or a winter garden
• as soon as the first leaves have formed, the tomato plants must be pricked out

Planting the tomatoes

tomato plant is ready for the pot or tub, it can be carefully planted. This works best if the following is observed:

• Fill the container about ¾ full with soil.
• Insert the plant in the center
• preferably up to the base of the leaves
• press the soil well with the back of your hand
• fill the container with soil up to about 5 cm below the rim
• this ensures that the soil does not overflow during watering
• support or offer the plant
• then water well

Then they can be slowly accustomed to outdoor conditions. Once the plants have become familiar with the weather conditions, they can take their permanent place on the balcony.

Care

Balcony tomatoes require sufficient care and attention. In addition to regular watering, professional fertilizing also plays an important role. In order for the tomato plant to grow properly and bear fruit, the following must be observed in its care:

Fertilizing

• Soil must be moist when fertilizing
• it is best to use a special tomato fertilizer
• compost is not recommended for balcony tomatoes
• fertilize every two to three weeks until the first fruit set
• if too much fertilizer is applied before this, it is counterproductive
• as the stronger growth suppresses fruit set and ripening.
• fertilize weekly thereafter

Watering

• the water should be lukewarm and lime-free
• it is best to water in the early morning hours
• or in the evening, when the sun is no longer so strong
• in dry weather or when there is a lot of sun, water additionally
• the root balls should always be moist
• if watering is irregular, the fruits may burst
• when watering, the leaves must remain dry
• Watering balls and watering systems are suitable.

Pruning

Most varieties of balcony tomatoes are bush or wild. These have the advantage that they do not need to be cut out. However, if you decide to prune them out, you should observe the following:

• cut off fresh stingy shoots with your fingers
• gently bend firmer shoots to one side
• so that they break at the predetermined breaking point
• cut off older side shoots
• never pull out shoots
• do not cut above the blossom

Harvesting tomatoes

If the tomato plants bear a lot of fruit, the most exciting moment for the hobby gardener, namely the harvest, is imminent. When is the right time to harvest can be seen from the fruits:

• they are no longer green
• but red or yellow, depending on the variety
• the skin of the fruit is slightly softer
• they can be easily detached

If the fruits have these characteristics, they are ripe and can be harvested. However, when harvesting, it is essential to ensure that the fruit cap is not damaged.

Which variety of tomato should it be?

There are many different balcony tomatoes, which differ mainly in appearance and taste of the fruit. For amateur gardeners who plant their tomatoes on the balcony, the available space often also plays a decisive role. Depending on how much space is available, different varieties lend themselves to cultivation.

Ampeltomat

There are many balcony tomatoes that like to grow hanging. These can be easily planted in a hanging basket and hang on the balcony. Ampeltomaten are not only space-saving, but also extremely decorative. In addition, with these varieties, the effort for care turns out to be much less, since pruning as well as supporting is not compulsorily necessary. Among the most popular varieties are:

Tumbling Tom Red.

This variety has been specially bred for growing in hanging baskets and window boxes. It prefers a nutrient-rich soil as well as humus and loose soil. The optimal location for the hanging tomato should be warm, protected from the wind as well as sunny. The tomato plant Tumbling Tom Red is characterized by the following features:

• sowing time is from February to April
• loose seed
• height of growth about 30 cm
• fruit size about 4-6 cm
• branches vigorously
• bears numerous fruits
• these taste sweetish
• harvest time is from July to October

For a particularly decorative appearance, the cultivation of Tumbling Tom Red together with Tumbling Tom Yellow is recommended. The latter differs only in the color of the fruit, because it bears yellow tomatoes.

Losetto

This bush tomato is suitable for both hanging baskets and window boxes. It stands out for its robustness, being resistant to late blight. Among its characteristics are:

• Sowing from February to April.
• height of growth about 30 cm
• vigorous growth
• red round tomatoes
• they have an intense sweet taste
• harvest from July to October

Bajaja

This variety is also ideal for growing in hanging baskets or balcony boxes. It stands out above all for its extremely high-yielding harvest, because the Bajaja can bear up to 700 fruits per plant. In addition, this variety of tomato is characterized by the following:

• Height of growth about 35 cm
• Fruits weigh about 8-10 grams
• Tomatoes are sweet and juicy
• seeds are sown from March
• Harvest from July to October

Balcony tomatoes in pot or tub

Taller growing as well as bushier balcony tomatoes, can be ideally planted in a pot or tub. Unlike the hanging tomato varieties, these may need to be supported or thinned out. Among the most popular varieties are:

Primabell

This dwarf tomato is particularly noted for its compact growth as well as its high-yielding crop. The variety can bear between 60-80 fruits per plant and has the following additional characteristics:

Height of growth about 25-35 cm
aromatic fruits
they have a diameter of about 2.5 cm
harvest time from July to October
suitable for balcony boxes and plant pots
Balconi Red

This bush tomato is ideal for growing in containers and window boxes, as well as for hanging baskets. It has a particularly decorative appearance and also impresses with the low maintenance. In addition, it has the following characteristics:

Height of growth about 30 cm
red sweet tomatoes
fruit weight about 15 grams
Sowing February to April
harvest time July to October
Extreme Bush

As the name suggests, this is a bush tomato, which is suitable for growing in containers. Despite the relatively small size of the plant, it produces extremely large fruits. Other characteristics of this variety are:

height of growth about 1 meter
large red-orange fruits
the fruits are rather flat shaped and slightly ribbed
they are very sweet and juicy
and ripen very early
climbing aid may be necessary
Red Riding Hood

This bush tomato is particularly impressive for its compact growth and is therefore ideal for growing in pots or tubs. Pruning of this variety is not absolutely necessary, but still advisable. This variety of tomato has the following characteristics:

Height of growth about 55 cm
fruit weight about 50 grams
red round fruits
they are juicy and sweet
harvest time June to October
Sowing January to March
Hanging tomatoes bush tomatoes
The advantages of hanging tomatoes speak for themselves: In addition to saving space, the decorative appearance is a particular advantage of hanging tomatoes. With simple steps, commercial bush tomatoes can be converted into hanging tomatoes:

Bucket with metal bracket required
drill a hole in the bottom of the bucket about 5 cm in diameter
then cut a coconut mat into a disc
this should have a diameter of about 15 cm
and a slit to the middle
the coconut mat holds the plant in the bucket
now put the roots from below through the bottom hole
then turn the bucket upside down
push the root neck into the slit
then water
and hang up with a sturdy hook