Don't close your garden in August: tips for caring for and enjoying it

BarcelonaA small balcony, spaces that fit four pots, and even the tightest corners can be converted into a vegetable garden. You don't have to be a farmer to harvest your own tomatoes and other vegetables full of vitamins and energy. Now that the warmer weather is fully upon us and the days are long, aromatic herbs and vegetables reach their peak on the balconies, terraces, and patios of many homes, where all kinds of plants are grown, even if only in small yields. A little bit of sun, and above all, a willingness to get dirty with the soil, is all it takes to harvest homemade organic vegetables.

Summer varieties

The varieties that you can harvest in the middle of August are diverse. Depending on the Sowing and planting calendar for the Catalan coastal area, from the book A garden to be happyMarc Casabosch's collection offers all kinds of options: from eggplant, cucumber, and zucchini to beans, potatoes, and celery. The smaller varieties offer very interesting options. Without a doubt, one of the kings of the crop is tomatoes, especially the Charles and pear varieties. These varieties—especially the latter—are ideal for deep pots.

Basil, parsley, and mint are also successful, three herbs with extensive culinary and decorative possibilities. There are still weeks of warm weather ahead, and these plants appreciate the high temperatures.

On the other hand, those who want more intensity on the table can still harvest peppers and chili peppers, plants that also appreciate the good weather that summer provides.

Equally interesting are the fast-growing lettuce varieties, which can be harvested within a month and allow us to serve varied salads. These plants appreciate direct sunlight—in fact, they require more than five hours a day—and, above all, they don't require large amounts of soil to develop satisfactorily.

Finally, for those who are more eager to plant than harvest, August is also a month to look ahead. According to the sowing calendar, it's time to plant broccoli and cauliflower, which can be on the table in three or four months. In September, you can start planting calçots, spring onions, and broad beans.

Minimum space required and orientation

Although it may seem small, a variety of plants can be grown in combination in one square meter of balcony, provided the substrates are carefully chosen. If we can choose, the ideal planting orientation is south, and the plants can always adapt to west and east exposures. It's important to keep an overview and place the tallest plants, such as tomatoes, in the background, while leaving shorter plants, such as herbs and peppers, in front.

Containers and substrate

If transplanting is done now, it's best to place the plants in deep pots, at least 30 centimeters deep, for the most demanding plants, such as tomatoes and peppers. You can also use smaller recycled planters, boxes, and containers with drainage holes, especially for herbs and lettuce. You can even install vertical gardens on walls or in small containers. Currently, there are many ideas on social media for converting any type of container into a test. It's recommended to always use a compost-rich substrate and not reuse it.

Irrigation and maintenance in midsummer

Surely the greatest challenge of having a vegetable garden is keeping it alive in the heat, when the sun and heat dry everything out. Water is key to this maintenance, but it's often associated with the need to be on top of it, especially when the pots are small, have high sun exposure, and dry out easily. To keep the plant in good condition and ensure constant humidity, it's necessary to water it early in the morning or at dusk, preferably using a drip irrigation system, a method preferable to flooding with a hose. To prevent fungus, it's necessary to wet the soil directly, leaving the leaves out of the equation. Those who will be away on vacation for a few days during August should ensure their watering is well-maintained, for example, by using inverted bottles with small holes.

Tomatoes, the classic

To successfully grow tomatoes on your balcony, you need to know a few things about this Mediterranean fruit. First, plant it in the deepest pot possible and with the richest soil possible. Buying worm castings is an excellent option to encourage the plant to produce. In fact, fertilizer is a key factor for this plant: it must be applied every two weeks to ensure an explosion of flowers and fruit. The saying "if you give it, it gives back" is true, and if we maintain this throughout the entire productive stage, it will bear abundant and satisfactory fruit. Second, planting tomatoes is essential without a "stake," which can be a pole or cane, and which serves to support and guide its upward growth. This object will prevent the fruit from ending up on the ground and spoiling. To promote fruiting, it is also necessary to remove and pinch the lower branches and lateral shoots, so that only the selected parts produce fruit. In fact, leaving only the main shoots on the plant will result in "better, larger, and more advanced fruit production," says Íñigo Clemente, a seed expert at the Spanish Association of Garden Centers.