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Swedes buy seed and plant logs like never before, and at crown time many aspire to spend a summer in the garden. But where should the person who lives in the apartment go? – There are all opportunities to grow on the balcony and terrace, says Niklas Hjelm of the Home-grow association.
Tomatoes grow on the balcony of Niklas Hjelm of the Home-grow association. Swedes buy seed and plant discs like never before, and at crown time many aspire to spend a summer in the garden. “Tomatoes of different varieties love the heat,” he says.
Will it be a summer in the apartment, away from the opportunities of renting a vacation home, going out into nature or enjoying your own sparkling garden? The corona virus appears to be changing our plans significantly.
Now that most people are preparing to stay home, several leading online gardeners are witnessing how plant and seed sales online have record momentum, something TT has previously reported on.
So what should he who lacks his own things come to?
Start growing and planting on the balcony and terrace. And invest in edible food, says Niklas Hjelm of Hemmaodlat, an association in Malmö that strives for everyone to learn how to grow vegetables at home. There are a lot of crops to choose from, he says.
– Tomatoes of different varieties, they love the heat. And the advantage of a balcony and patio is that it is protected, he says and continues:
– If you have a sunny position, cucumbers and squash are also sun-loving plants.
The crop also works on a semi shaded balcony. The suggestion for small spaces is also to try to use all the available space.
– You can think of cultivation at altitude if you have a limited area. Get a strap or hook so plants can climb.
Beans and peas work well and are happy to grow flowers and other groceries in the same container. But skip the root vegetables, reports Niklas Hjelm.
– It takes up a lot of space and offers relatively little performance. A bucket of potatoes occupies a large area, so he harvests and gets 8-9 potatoes and then only has a lot of land left.
Anyone who wants a really green, garden-like appearance can invest in bushes and trees, says Dan Rosenholm, a garden writer who has written several books and runs the Garden à la Rosenholm site. Trees can be used even in a small area.
– Yes, of course it is possible! That’s what it does to the environment, he says.
– If you create exuberance, you should think of small trees, shrubs and perennials.
A favorite is the clematis from the clematis plant, which according to Dan Rosenholm works excellently in a spacious pot on the balcony.
– Klematis are great, they bloom and grow well and have the ability to cope during winter. And feel free to use a position where they can climb.
For the balconies north of Dalälven, Hungarian oxygen can work, while a Japanese maple will thrive further south, if properly managed, emphasizes Dan Rosenholm.
– Take large glasses. And if you want the plants to stay in the winter, you need to protect them from the cold, even things that are quite hardy.
Niklas Hjelm of the Hemmaodlat association even has a citrus tree on his glassed-in balcony in Skåne.
– In my house I have a nice linden tree that spends the winter well.
Shrubs and trees for balcony
Here are garden writer Dan Rosenholm’s top tips for balcony and patio trees:
Dwarf acid – buy on the stem. It can have a round crown and bloom in early spring.
Clematis: works well in a pot.
Lavender: Then you don’t need such big pots. It should remain dry and sunny and should not have too much nutrition.
Mountain Bamboo – Goes tropical and works, but buy one of the smaller varieties.
Cherry Moss – Copes with unpleasant weather and in the fall gets berries that look like flowers.
Splashbuckles – Before it blooms adorably, it has fantastic leaf cracking. Durable and will create vegetation.
Japanese maple, if you live south. Have a large pot and protect it properly in winter.
Hungarian lilac: good choice for a balcony north of Dalälven. The Oden variety fails to kill at first, according to Dan Rosenholm.
Brokbladig Russian Kernel: also the good option for the northern parts of the country. The plant is durable and strong.
Source: Dan Rosenholm
