Just because your house doesn’t have a garden doesn’t mean you can’t do some gardening. You can create a small vegetable garden if you have a sunny balcony. If you don’t have enough space, it is not necessary to plant various vegetables. For instance, you can opt for aromatic herbs such as thyme, chives, or parsley that you will use in the daily dishes you prepare. Similarly, you can also try growing tomatoes that you can eat raw to fill up on vitamins or make fruit juice.

You don’t necessarily have to use pots and planters. You can use items you no longer use, such as jars and plastic bottles. In addition to saving you money, reusing these items is very environmentally friendly. It will reduce your plastic footprint and also your garbage. So, how to successfully grow tomatoes in plastic bottles?

How to Successfully Plant Tomatoes?

Making a vegetable garden is a good idea since it allows you to have fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables in all seasons. Indeed, this way, you can use seeds and not chemicals that are harmful to health and the environment.

Before you start, you should know that growing tomatoes is not very complicated, but it does require a particular techniques. To obtain beautiful fruits, tomatoes need light and must be placed at a temperature between 20 and 25 °. That’s why the sowing is done in March, when the days are longer. This way, the plants will develop well when you plant them in the garden.

You can utilize used plastic bottles for the seedlings. Choose only those which had fruit juice or water and not cleaning products. To have more room for the seedlings, put them upright and make a sort of opening along the length. Make holes on the opposite side to make it easier to drain water and arrange the bottles on top of each other for a more decorative look.

Germination

To facilitate germination, soak the tomato seeds in water one day before sowing. This will soften the seed coat, thus promoting germination. For good drainage, put a layer of gravel at the bottom of the bottle before the special sowing soil. Then, sow the seeds. You can use a seeder or do it manually, but make sure to space them well, especially if you plan to leave them in the bottles. Then add a thin layer of potting soil.

To start germination, water the potting soil. Use a mister or a sprayer to avoid too much humidity, which could rot the seeds. Then place the bottles in a warm place and water at least every two days. The seedlings will generally appear a few days after sowing (6 to 10 days). On the other hand, if patience is not your strong point and to avoid this long work, choose plants ready to be transplanted.

Which Tomato Varieties To Choose?

There is a wide variety of tomatoes. They differ in shape, size, color, and especially taste. To choose the variety to plant, you must therefore consider these criteria. However, you can also consider what you want to do with them. If you’re going to grow tomatoes to eat them as a salad or to make juice, use the tastier and juicier varieties, such as the Crimean Black or the Beefheart. On the other hand, if you want to make a sauce for pizzas or quiches, choose the San Marzano or the Marmande, which can be kept for longer.