Tomato Balcony miracle: growing in open ground and at home

Balcony miracles are dwarf tomatoes that, with the right choice of seeds, can be grown at home on a windowsill. The plant takes up little space, bears fruit well, is easy to care for, and takes root well in flower pots. A distinctive feature is the ability to freeze fruits for the winter, juicy pulp and pleasant taste.

Tomato seeds Balcony miracle

Balcony miracle tomatoes have a sweet and sour taste

Tomato bush Balcony miracle with bunches of tomatoes

Description and characteristics of the variety

Externally, it is a small bush with clusters of small, deep red tomatoes that reach a height of 40 cm. You can get up to 2 kg of ripe fruits from one plant. There are cases when the height of the bush reached 50-60 cm, and the yield indicator was 3 kg.

The tomato stem is single and strong, the ribbed leaves are dark green. The plant itself is compact, does not take up much space on the balcony, and bears fruit twice a season even in poor lighting and close proximity. Small flowers are collected in inflorescences of several pieces.

Fruit

Balcony Miracle tomatoes grow in small clusters of 5-8 pieces. The fruits are small, round, dark red in color without impurities, weigh from 15 to 40 g, have no ribbing or specific taste. Tomatoes have a sweet and sour taste, elastic flesh and smooth skin.

Application area

Tomatoes are used fresh for making sauces and salads. If desired, they can be preserved and recycled. When salting and pickling, the appearance and taste of the fruit do not deteriorate. The tomatoes remain whole, firm and juicy.

Balcony Miracle tomatoes are not suitable for sale, since the harvest is not rich when grown on a balcony. Small, bright red tomatoes are often grown for personal use.

Productivity and fruiting

From the moment of planting to the first harvest, 90-100 days pass (this is a mid-season variety). The yield is high, but the size of the fruits is insignificant, reaching 1.5-2 cm in diameter. Up to 2 kg of tomatoes can be harvested from one bush, but this is subject to the rules of growing and caring for plants.

Resistance to diseases and pests

Balcony Miracle tomatoes are resistant to late blight, and the risk of fungal diseases is minimal. The danger for the plant is spider mites, due to which the leaves and stem are covered with a velvety coating.

You can control pests using home methods, for example, using onion or garlic infusion or milk-soap mixture for spraying. In advanced cases, it is better to immediately buy fungicidal preparations at the pharmacy and spray the vegetative system.

Description of tomato

The Balcony Miracle tomato is a compact branched plant with a neat bush. The height of the variety rarely exceeds 60 cm and on average is about 40 cm. Due to its small growth, the Balcony Miracle does not need gartering or pinching.

Description of fruits

Balcony Miracle tomatoes form very small fruits - at best, their weight reaches 65 g, usually less. The shape of the tomatoes is round, without pronounced ribbing. The skin of the fruit is painted bright red without impurities.

Reviews about the taste of the Balcony Miracle tomato variety are extremely positive. In addition to the soft, sweet taste, the pleasant aroma of the fruit is also emphasized.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

These decorative tomatoes on the windowsill attract attention. They fit harmoniously into the collection of indoor plants, and at the same time give a good harvest.

List of advantages of the Balcony Miracle variety:

• early maturation;
• decorativeness, compactness of bushes;
• rapid fruit set;
• no need for pinching, gartering, or bush formation;
• pleasant taste, attractive appearance of fruits;
• ease of care;
• stable immunity;
• possibility of obtaining 2 harvests;
• versatility of fruits;
• growing in greenhouses and open ground.

The tomato deserves only positive reviews from vegetable growers and consumers, but still the Balcony Miracle variety has one drawback - low yield.

Germination of seeds

Germination of seeds

The process of preparing containers was described above. Having chosen the appropriate option, fill the cups with soil and place the hatched seeds in shallow holes. One seed in one glass to a depth of 1-1.5 cm, no more. We place containers with seeds next to each other on the windowsill to allow sunlight to penetrate. Cover them with transparent film or spunbond.

Shoots should appear on days 6-8, or even earlier. Without pre-soaking, germination time increases. The air temperature should be between 23 and 25 °C. Additional lighting at night with a 40-60 W lamp will not hurt. per 1 sq. m. (February, March). It is better to spray the emerging young animals with a spray bottle without overdoing it. The main thing is to make sure the soil is moist, nothing more. After the sprouts appear on the soil surface, remove the covering material for ventilation. When all the seedlings have fully sprouted, shelter will no longer be needed. Now that we have learned how to grow seedlings, we move on to replanting them.

Growing tomatoes Balcony miracle

To ensure that tomatoes ripen in the spring, sow the seeds in December-January. You can immediately choose a wooden box or large pots, because the grown seedlings do not need to be planted. Many vegetable growers use cut-off 5-7 liter bottles as containers.

To grow tomatoes at home, observe the following conditions:

• Choose a large pot for the plant.
• Prepare fertile soil that is superior to garden soil.
• Provide the plant with access to light.
• Follow the feeding regime.

If all requirements are met, you can get your first harvest within 3 months.

Seed preparation

Buy seeds from trusted producers - the fruiting of the variety depends on this. Before planting, examine each grain; treat whole specimens with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin.

Alternatively, wrap the seeds in damp gauze to allow them to germinate, then plant them in the ground. You don’t have to do this, since Balcony Miracle tomatoes grow well from dry seeds, the main thing is to follow the rules of care and planting.

Planting seeds for seedlings

If the seeds are ready to plant, start preparing the soil. In 3-4 days, distribute the soil into cups or use another container, fill with warm water. Plant seeds in the following sequence:

1. Make a hole in the pot to drain the water, fill it with loose and nutritious soil, and mulch.
2. In a large container for future tomato seedlings, make small depressions (up to 2 cm) at a distance from each other.
3. Place several seeds in each hole to a depth of 1-1.5 cm, cover with fresh soil.
4. Cover the pots (containers) with polyethylene and put them in a dark, warm place for several days.
5. When the first shoots appear (after about 3 days), remove the film and move the seedlings to a well-lit place.
6. Water the plant regularly with warm water so that the root system strengthens and grows faster.

Seedling care

Follow these recommendations for caring for seedlings:

• Tomatoes need light. The place in which the seedlings are located should be well lit. If there are not enough natural sources, use lamps to illuminate the seedlings. In poor lighting conditions, the fruits do not ripen well and the yield decreases.
• Regular watering. Spray the seedlings with a spray bottle in the morning and evening. Maintain a humidity level of 65-70%. The plant does not tolerate drafts, so avoid their presence in the room with seedlings.
• Temperature conditions. Seedlings grow better in warm conditions. Ensure the room temperature is 19-20 degrees, avoid sudden changes. At night, store the seedlings at 16 degrees.

Soil selection

Seed growth depends on the quality of the soil. Buy a nutrient mixture for tomatoes at a specialty store or prepare it yourself. In the latter case, mix peat, humus and turf soil in equal proportions. Add 500 ml of ash and 2 matchboxes of superphosphates to 1 bucket of the resulting mixture.

The optimal soil for planting seeds is black soil with humus in equal proportions. Add superphosphates, urea or ammonium nitrate, ash or potassium supplements to the substrate for greater fruiting.

Transplanting seedlings

If the tomatoes are planted in a large container or separate pots, you should not replant them. Even in close proximity, the seedlings feel comfortable and bear fruit in a timely manner even at home.

When 3-5 leaves appear, it is allowed to replant the plant in open ground or another pot, depending on future goals. Water the soil well first so that it can easily separate from the walls of the container.

Plant the plant itself in the center of the pot, add a little fertile soil to the sides for fixation. The same manipulations are needed when planting Balcony Miracle tomatoes in open ground, while the distance between neighboring plants should be 25-30 cm. Water the seedlings immediately.

How to grow a variety indoors

“Window gardening” is gaining popularity in cities, but not all plants can be grown on a windowsill. Caring for “Balcony Miracle” tomatoes at home is not difficult, you just need to comply with certain conditions:

• the pot must be large enough for the plant;
• the soil in the growing container should be superior in fertility to garden soil;
• sufficient daylight hours;
• compliance with the feeding regime.

These conditions, which dictate how to grow the “Balcony Miracle” tomato, are due to the limited space in which the plant’s root system can develop. There are also advantages to growing a “Balcony Miracle” tomato from seeds on a windowsill: you can immediately plant the seeds in the desired container and not worry later whether the seedlings will take root.

So, how to grow a “Balcony Miracle” tomato on a window:

• calculate the time frame by which you need to get the harvest;
• buy special soil for tomatoes in the store or make it yourself;
• take a container of a suitable size;
• sow seeds;
• wait for shoots;
• provide the necessary daylight hours;
• During the period of flowering and fruit set, feed the plant with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.

With deadlines everything is quite simple. Since the bush begins to bear fruit 3 months after germination, then in order to get fresh tomatoes for the New Year, you need to sow the seeds in early to mid-September. Not later than.

Important! The time for seed germination must also be added to the vegetative period.

Regular soil for flowers will not work for tomatoes. Flower shops sell special mixtures, one of which is called “Tomatoes”. You can also make the soil yourself. To make soil, take 1 part chernozem and 1 part humus.

Important! Humus should not be “fresh”.

According to reviews of the balcony miracle tomato, when growing a bush in soil with fresh humus, the plant began to wither due to a lack of magnesium.

In addition to chernozem and humus, you can add ash and superphosphate to the soil to increase the nitrogen content. But you should be careful with these fertilizers. Their excess can lead to the death of the sprout. It is better to add fertilizers little by little during the watering process.

Next you need to choose a pot. A container of less than 5 liters does not make sense, since in it the root system cannot develop to the desired size.

From the reviews and photos of the owners of the “Balcony Miracle” tomato, it is easy to conclude that the bush requires a fairly large pot volume. The photo shows 10 liter containers. Those who received a good harvest did not grow tomatoes in pots smaller than 8 liters.

Sometimes reviews from those who planted the “Balcony Miracle” tomato are unflattering, but the photo shows that the issue is most likely in the volume of the flower pot.

After you have selected the soil and soil, it is time to sow tomatoes. There are tricks on how to grow the “Balcony Miracle” tomato.

Preparation, sowing and growing young shoots

To activate the soil, it must be moistened a few days before sowing. Since tomato seedlings are not required to be grown in this case, tomato seeds are not soaked for accelerated germination. Dry seeds are immediately sown in moist soil.

After sprouting, tomatoes need to be provided with sufficient lighting. With a short winter day, this can only be done with the help of electric lamps. Today you can buy special phytolamps that can provide tomato sprouts with the required dose of ultraviolet radiation.

On a note! Ultraviolet light does not penetrate through ordinary window glass.

Unless the loggia for the garden was glazed with expensive quartz glass, the plants will need an additional dose of UV rays.

But infrared rays pass through home windows without problems, and placing a tomato plant too close to the glass can lead to leaf burns.

Description and photo of the tomato variety “Balcony Miracle” recommend placing pots with tomato bushes on window sills. But the problem with growing indoor “Balcony Miracle” tomatoes on a windowsill is that modern houses have thin walls and, as a result, small window sills.

Only very small containers can be placed on such window sills. Tomatoes will try to grow and bear fruit even in such conditions, but you can’t count on yield. Reviews about the yield of the “Balcony Miracle” tomato in containers like in the photo are negative. A few tomatoes, instead of the promised 2 kg, are disappointing. But the tomato variety is not to blame for this.

On a note! Trimmed boxes of juices and other liquid products are only suitable for growing seedlings.

If you make drainage holes in them, they will quickly get wet. If you do not do this, there is a risk of flooding the roots of the tomato bushes with water. In addition, in the future, the proximity of the plant to the glass can play a cruel joke on tomatoes.

After the tomato shoots appear, the container must be positioned so that in the future the plants will not be crowded and will not have to reach for the sun. If the windowsill is wide, you can place the pot on it. If it is narrow, it is better to place the bushes a little further from the window on a stand that is level with the window.

In winter, you will have to use phytolamps to provide balcony tomatoes with the required length of daylight.

Important! Pots with plants should not be exposed to drafts.

Sometimes cold air can blow into the cracks between the window sill and the window frame. In this case, the plants begin to hurt. Also, the earth ball in the pot should not dry out due to exposure to the heating radiator under the windowsill. Heating appliances dry out the air greatly. To maintain the required level of humidity, place a container of water next to the tomato plants.

On a note! Normal humidity is 40 – 70%.

The easiest way to determine humidity is to buy a hygrometer. Calculating humidity from a table of temperature differences between dry and wet bulbs can be overwhelming.

In summer, it is best to grow tomatoes on an open balcony.

Flowering and fruiting period of tomato bushes

If the plant needed nitrogen fertilizers during growth, then after flowering begins, nitrogen must be reduced. At this time, the plant needs more potassium.

On a note! A very tall and lush bush with dark green foliage is overfed with nitrogen.

Such a bush will “drive out” the green mass. There will be few flowers and low yields. In order not to overfeed the plants with fertilizers of any kind, it is better to buy ready-made ones and use them according to the instructions.

Features of growing at home

Tomatoes bear fruit well in pots on the windowsill; the main thing is to provide them with proper care. Basic rules for vegetable growers:

1. Choose 3 liter pots.
2. Place drainage at the bottom, to a height of 5 cm, so that the soil can breathe.
3. Fill the pot with nutritious soil and loosen it.
4. Plant seeds or seedlings and water.
5. In the future, water the plant once a week.

Tomato care

The plants are unpretentious in care, but for a rich harvest it is better to take care of their maintenance in a timely manner. We need warmth, light, fertilizing and regular fluffing of the soil.

Valuable recommendations from experienced vegetable growers:

• Maintain the air temperature at 22 degrees during the day and 16 degrees at night.
• Ventilate the plant by periodically shaking its leaves.
• Water the bushes regularly so that a crust does not appear at the base, interfering with oxygen access to the root system.
• If desired, use mineral fertilizers and fertilizers.
• At the first symptoms of disease, start treatment in a timely manner.

Features of plant care

The balcony miracle loves warmth. Comfortable temperature for miniature bushes is 26–28. At 16 degrees, development slows down and there may be no fruit.

Watering and fertilizing

Tomatoes growing in the room are irrigated abundantly, but once a week, using warm, settled water. If in summer the tomato pot is on the balcony, water the bushes more often so that the soil does not dry out. Excess moisture should not be allowed so that the roots do not rot and the earth does not turn into a lump.

Miniature tomatoes planted in an apartment on the windowsill are not fed with mullein and bird droppings. You can buy mineral complexes in the store or combine 5 tsp. superphosphate, 1 g of urea and potassium sulfate and dilute the mixture in 5 liters of water. Tomatoes must be fertilized during flowering, after the ovary appears.

Pollination

The miniature plant pleases with its decorative appearance, but it is usually planted not to decorate a room or loggia, but to obtain tasty fruits. On the balcony, the tomato is pollinated by the wind. In winter or when growing in an apartment, you need to knock on the stem several times, gently shake the pot or turn on the fan. This is enough for the ovary to appear.

Loosening and tying

If the Balcony Miracle grows in a garden bed, the branches may break due to gusts of wind or under the weight of the fruit, so install a peg and attach the shoots to it. When growing a dwarf tomato on a windowsill, the bushes do not need to be tied up; the shoots do not need to be removed. The soil under the bushes is loosened so that it does not form a crust.

Diseases and pests

In indoor conditions, the Balcony Miracle does not suffer from an invasion of insects, but in the garden beds Colorado beetles rush towards it. Parasites are collected manually, or tomatoes are sprayed with Aktara. Cutworm caterpillars are dealt with by loosening the row spacing. Dwarf tomatoes are immune to diseases, but if not properly cared for they are affected by late blight.

Harvest and storage

The fruits of the Balcony Miracle are plucked without allowing them to fully ripen. Tomatoes ripen and turn red in a room with good ventilation at 15–16 °C; at lower temperatures they remain green.

Tomatoes do not spoil for up to 2 months if there are no dents or cracks in the skin. Store the fruits in a wooden box in a cool, ventilated area.

Watering and fertilizing

After planting in open ground or a permanent pot, water the plants once a week. Check the soil regularly to ensure it does not become crusty. Make a hole at the bottom of the container and place a tray to drain the liquid.

Use phosphate fertilizers every 15-20 days during the growing season. Additionally, feed the plants with organic fertilizers (after 2 weeks). Nutrients are especially important during the formation of the ovary.

Pollination

When planted in open ground, plants are pollinated by insects and wind. At home, this opportunity is not available, so it is important to artificially create air flow, for example, by shaking leaves or directing it under a working fan.

At temperatures up to 13 degrees, the quality of pollen decreases, and at temperatures above 30 degrees, these grains lose their viability. Therefore, it is not recommended to violate the temperature of the plants.

If desired, pollinate tomatoes manually, using special preparations, a soft brush or cotton pads. The optimal time for artificial pollination is 9-10 am, since pollen ripens at night.

Bush formation

The plant is low-growing, so there is no need for staking it. To prevent all the strength of the tomato from going into the green part of the bush, remove the stepsons, pluck the top when the growth is more than 50 cm. Ideally, stepsons are not required, and the height of the plant should not exceed 40 cm. Otherwise, you can doubt the quality of the seeds.

Fruiting and harvesting

This variety of tomatoes is a mid-season variety; the first fruits can be tasted in the spring (during winter planting). In one season you can harvest 2 crops. Fruiting is moderate - no more than 2 kg comes out from each bush.

If the plant needs nitrogen fertilizer, then during fruiting it is better to exclude this compound from the fertilizing composition, otherwise the yield decreases, the fruits become small and tasteless.

How to grow tomatoes on the balcony

The process of planting and caring for tomatoes on the balcony differs from those growing in beds in open ground or in greenhouses. This is due to different crop growth conditions and the characteristics of the selected varieties and hybrids.

Tomatoes are planted through seedlings. The time for sowing balcony tomatoes is at the beginning of spring. At this stage, you can sow them in one container. Before this, the seeds are soaked for rapid germination and disease prevention. A great way to disinfect seeds is to soak them in a weak (slightly pink) solution of potassium permanganate for several hours.

Advice!

Soil with a low acidity level is ideal for seedlings of balcony tomatoes. It can be purchased at a specialty store.

BALCONY TOMATOES - COMPLETE GROWING - video

After soaking, the seeds of balcony tomatoes are placed in the selected container almost on the surface of the soil, only sprinkled with a little soil. Watering is carried out by spraying from a spray bottle. Cover the plantings with film to create a greenhouse effect. Place the container in a warm place. The temperature should be above +25 degrees.

Immediately after germination of the seedlings, the film is removed so that the plants do not begin to turn yellow. Now you can place the planting container in a cooler and brighter place. Daytime temperatures are from 23 to 25 degrees above zero. And at night it’s not lower than +10.

Attention!

In order for tomato seedlings for balconies and windowsills to develop and grow normally, lighting is required for 12 hours. If natural light is not enough, artificial light is used.

Photo of growing tomatoes on the balcony

The picking stage begins after several true leaves appear. Tomato seedlings are placed in separate pots. Fertilize with urea.

Seedlings of balcony tomatoes are planted in a permanent place of growth in the first half of May, when there will definitely be no drop in temperature or frost, and the thermometer will be set at a constant level. For planting tomatoes on the balcony, cylindrical pots are preferred. Roots are better placed in such containers.

Important!

When growing tomatoes on an unglazed balcony or loggia, the seedlings must first be hardened off by taking them out to the future planting site for 10-30 minutes every day or by opening a window in the room.

Disease and pest control

Like other plants, Balcony Miracle tomatoes are afraid of fungal infection when heterogeneous spots appear on the leaves and stems. Cases are rare, but still occur in vegetable growing. To prevent the disease from spreading to healthy plants, use special preparations according to the instructions.

Potential pests and control methods:

• Powdery mildew . The infection first spreads to the lower leaves. A white coating appears, which is clearly visible against the green background, and gradually makes its way to the top of the plant.
• Black leg . The disease develops when the soil is over-watered, when the root system begins to rot. Infected plants are dug up, neighboring plants are generously treated with fungicides for prevention.
• Whitefly . Small, white, sucking insects appear on tomato leaves, which quickly deplete the leaf structure. Without timely treatment with special means, pests cannot be eliminated.
• Plant aphids . This harmful insect sucks the sap of young plants. First, the leaves curl into a tube, then turn yellow and dry out. For treatment, a soap solution or the drug Komandor is used.

We bring to your attention a video in which an experienced gardener will teach you the tricks of growing a Balcony Miracle tomato:

Reviews of tomatoes Balcony Miracle

★★★★★
Andrey, 45 years old, agriculture, Sochi. I grow Balcony Miracle in open ground.
The tomatoes are small, like cherry tomatoes, but you get more of them from one bush. The plant is prolific, especially if kept warm and watered regularly. Tomatoes are tasty, have thick skin and elastic flesh. My wife uses them whole for preservation. When interacting with vinegar, the tomato does not lose its shape and the skin does not crack. ★★★★★
Inga, 37 years old, secretary, Izhevsk. My Balcony Miracle grows on my windowsill.
The bush is small and bears fruit twice a year. Ripe tomatoes are very tasty, have a pleasant acidity, and you don’t even need to salt them. The plants are unpretentious in care, do not take up much space on the windowsill, and do not need staking. They bear fruit 3 months after planting, the main thing is to water it on time. My children really love this variety of tomatoes; they pick them from the bush themselves. ★★★★★
Angelina, 45 years old, agriculture, Smolensk. I have a couple of Balcony Miracle bushes in my greenhouse.
I believe that this variety is more suitable as an ornamental plant for a windowsill. The fruits are small, and there are not many of them. If I forget to water, the leaves quickly turn yellow. I don’t see the point in growing such tomatoes, except to please my grandchildren with their appearance. The variety is definitely not suitable for sale; you can suffer from growing it. The taste is specific. Hide

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Tomatoes Balcony miracle is a vegetable garden on the windowsill. With proper watering, fertilizing and loosening the soil, you can get a small harvest and delight yourself with fresh vegetables.

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How to care for indoor tomatoes

Growing tomatoes on the balcony requires appropriate care. There are some peculiarities here.

The first thing to remember is
sufficient watering.
As a rule, there is not much space in the planting container, and the soil often dries out under the influence of the sun's rays. On especially hot days, water even 2 times a day.

When feeding, it is important to observe moderation. Fertilizers are applied no more than 3 times in one season. With an excess of additional nutrition, the plant will begin to increase green mass, giving all its strength.

INTERESTING!
The most unique and unusual varieties and hybrids of tomatoes
Pinching is carried out only for those varieties of balcony tomatoes that have rapid growth of side shoots. They are broken off, leaving no more than 5.

The garter helps the plant hold fruit. Tall bushes must be tied up at the seedling stage.

Advice!

It is not recommended to treat tomatoes for balconies and windowsills with chemical insecticides and fungicides in the presence of pests and diseases.
It is better to use folk remedies: potassium permanganate, herbal infusions and others.

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