Three years of balcony growing and I finally got a tomato that actually tasted like summer

I planted a 'Sun Gold' cherry tomato in a 5 gallon pot back in April, and last week I ate the first ripe one. It was sweet and warm right off the vine, nothing like the grocery store ones. I used to get a lot of leaves but no real fruit here on my 3rd floor balcony in Austin. Anyone else struggle with getting enough sun for tomatoes up high?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliver52319d ago

Sun Golds are great, that's a solid pick for balcony growing. But idk, I think people forget that growing tomatoes in a pot that small means you gotta water them way more often than you'd think. Especially up high on a balcony where the wind dries them out fast. Maybe try a 7 or 10 gallon pot next year if you can fit it. The roots need room to spread out and find water, plus it helps keep the soil temperature more stable up there in the Texas heat. Also, you might need to give them a little afternoon shade if the sun is blasting that balcony from like 2pm to 6pm, it can actually scorch the leaves and hurt fruit set.

williams.amy19d ago

Gotta push back a little on the bigger pot thing though. I've grown Sun Golds in a 5 gallon bucket for years and they do just fine as long as you stay on top of watering. Not everyone has room for a 10 gallon pot on their balcony, you know? The real secret is mixing in some water retaining crystals or even just using a good quality potting mix with perlite and peat to hold moisture better. And honestly, afternoon shade is pretty key in Texas, I totally agree with that part, but I've had better luck just moving the pot to a spot that gets morning sun and dappled afternoon light instead of rigging up shade cloth. Some of my best harvests came from plants that were a little stressed and had to work for it, they actually produced sweeter fruit.