VEGETABLE GROWING
AT HOME
Growing your own vegetables
Locally-sourced food is becoming more important, which is why more and more people are trying to grow their own vegetables. You can grow your own food anywhere, whether in the garden, on the balcony or indoors. Harvesting food grown in your own home isn’t just a lot of fun, but it’s also incredibly tasty and healthy.
Good for both mind and body! The joy of growing your own produce is a great way to relieve some of the stresses of modern life, and the scent of the plants also helps you relax at the same time. Of course you need to choose the right kind of vegetables to match the space available to you. Zucchinis and cucumbers for example take up a lot of space, which is why they are best grown in the garden.
Small paprika, tomatoes and fruits on the other hand can be successfully planted on your balcony. Herbs and even edible flowers are also becoming more and more popular, and can be grown anywhere.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes (solanum lycopersicum) are part of the nightshade family. Depending on the variety, they grow between 20 cm and 2 m high. They have dark-green and fleshy leaves, which are coarsely feathered and slightly hairy. Tomatoes give off a uniquely spicy scent.
Which tomatoes are particularly suitable?
Alongside the small “Miniboy” balcony variety which grows to about half a meter, larger bush or stake tomatoes with high-quality vegetable soil are also suitable varieties for cultivation. It’s important here to watch out for vigorous young plants. Tomato plants prefer a warm spot away from direct sunshine which should also be protected against the rain.
Choosing the right planting vessel
You can start planting from May or June. You should take care here not to use vessels which are too big. Too much soil can lead to root rot. We recommend pots between 13 and 16 cm in diameter (here: Lissabon blackboard paint).
Paprika
Another member of the nightshade family is paprika (capiscum annuum). Paprika is a versatile plant which comes in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes. The best-known varieties are green, yellow and red paprika.
Which types of paprika are particularly suitable?
Mini paprikas with loose and nutrient-rich soil are strongly recommended here. Care should be taken to ensure that the plants are planted in a warm spot. This spot should be sunny and sheltered from the wind.
Choosing the right planting vessel
Cultivation should begin around the end of February. Temperatures of over 20°C are necessary for germination to occur. After about a month it should be possible to repot the plants in larger vessels. Here we recommend pots with a diameter of more than 21 cm (here: Dallas Style). The indoor vessels should be brought inside before the winter to prevent frost damage to the pot.
Herbs
Some traditional culinary herbs include parsley, chives and dill. They can be used to give a variety of different meals that little bit extra. Some other herbs include basil, thyme and rosemary, which are used in Mediterranean cuisine. Herbs used in Asian cuisine on the other hand include coriander and mint.
Which herbs are particularly suitable?
Those who are looking to plant herbs in a pot should use annual or biennial varieties. It should be ensured that the plants have enough soil. Roots should be prevented from growing along the walls of the pot. If this happens, the herbs should be repotted in a bigger vessel.
Choosing the right planting vessel
A range of herbs appear in stores from April / May onwards. We recommend pots between 12 and 16 cm in diameter or our Dallas Culinary, which has space for several herbs.
Strawberries
The strawberry (fragraria) is part of the rose family and is considered a perennial. Their flowers grow on long herbaceous stems. The small yellow nuts on the outside are the seeds, which is why it is categorized as an aggregate fruit.
Which types of strawberry are particularly suitable?
So-called “everbearing” strawberry varieties are especially well suited. The fruits grow upwards and don’t lie on the ground as is typical. They prefer a spot in full sunshine and should be cut back in the fall. This way they will still bear fruit in their second year.
Choosing the right planting vessel
The ideal vessels are pots with a diameter of at least 20 cm. The potted strawberries should be placed in a cool location in their first year and should be watered regularly during the winter. We recommend pots between 19 and 24 cm in diameter (here: Basel Full Color).
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