BOUNTIFUL BALCONIES
You can still grow plenty of fruit and veg in the tiniest of spaces
BY 2050, 68 per cent of the world’s population will be living in urban areas, according to the UN.
For many this will mean apartments with little or no outdoor space. But even on a small balcony, it is still possible to grow your own. Complete self-sufficiency may be difficult, but you can affordably supplement your weekly shop and grow produce more flavoursome than anything in the supermarkets.
Some crops such as tomatoes and aubergines can grow better in containers, where you can move them around to gain maximum sunlight and monitor them more closely.
A few years ago, Patrick Vernuccio worked in marketing and had never grown anything. One day he went to buy some flowers for the balcony of his flat, came across vegetable seeds and decided to give them a try. Now as @thefrenchie
gardener he has a million followers on Instagram who love his videos showing how to grow a bountiful harvest in containers.
This week, his book Tomatoes And Basil On The 5th Floor is published (DK, €17.40), with advice for those trying to grow fruit and veg in small spaces.
‘If you really want success you need to invest in a quality organic potting soil, mixed with organic compost and designed to grow vegetables,’ he says. Save money by reusing containers and growing from seeds. Start small and aim for quality not quantity.
‘It’s better to have one tomato plant in one pot rather than two or three plants that won’t grow,’ he advises.
TAKE A BREATH
CONTAINER plants need watering regularly, but this needn’t be a chore. ‘I call it a meditation moment. Watering time is when I let go of everything,’ says Vernuccio.
On his balcony, he has a rainwater butt and saves leftover grey water from his showers — making sure he has used only organic soap.
You can even make your own compost in a small space using a Bokashi bin for food scraps. Many people don’t think about mulching when container gardening but adding a layer of leaves or plant clippings on top of the pot helps to retain moisture and nourish the soil. Vernuccio shows what can be achieved in a space of 4m by 4m using just seven pots, four window planters and a couple of grow-tables. He also demonstrates it is possible to grow on a balcony all year round, with kale, turnips, spinach and even radishes and lettuces ready to harvest in winter.
MONEY-SAVING TIPS
HE HAS plenty of ways to save money such as dividing supermarket basil to fill several smaller pots or taking a ginger root and planting it to grow ten more.
Even in a limited space, it is possible to think about biodiversity. When you grow a few of any variety, let one go to seed to attract beneficial insects. If you grow on a balcony, or small back garden, you don’t have to walk far from the house, so it is easy to spend a few minutes every day checking on your plants.
Vernuccio says: ‘The best thing is when you come back from work and think, “Tonight we’ll eat this lettuce.”
‘And there are many studies showing gardening improves the cognitive development for children and the serotonin level increases when you touch the soil and plants. There are so many benefits which we should not underestimate.’