Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

Balcony

Browsing
Food

Self-catering Balcony: These Tips Will Help You

With a self-catering balcony, you can live at least partially self-sufficient and grow your own groceries. In this article, we will show you what you should consider.

With a self-sufficient balcony, you not only use the balcony area for ornamental plants, but also for fruit and vegetables that you have sown yourself. This allows you to become more mindful of your food. After all, you can see for yourself what process a plant has to go through before it finally bears fruit.

In addition, you can consciously do without chemical-synthetic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and feed yourself in a climate-friendly way with regional food from the self-catering balcony.

Self-catering balcony: make a plan

With a self-sufficient balcony you get a little closer to self-sufficient life. However, you will not become completely independent of the food trade. You will still have to buy many foods such as oatmeal, legumes or nuts. However, you can harvest fruit, vegetables and herbs yourself.

In order to equip your balcony as efficiently as possible, you should draw up a cultivation plan. For example, you can grow plants on several floors (e.g. on a plant shelf or on a plant ladder) on the small balcony area. A so-called vertical garden is ideal for herbs and salads in particular. You can find inspiration for this here: Urban Gardening: Tips for growing vegetables on your balcony.

Then you should consider which types of fruit and vegetables are suitable for your self-catering balcony. This mainly depends on the cardinal direction:

A lot grows on the south-facing balcony. However, you should also ensure there is enough shade, especially on hot days. For example, tomatoes, beans, strawberries, columnar fruit, herbs, zucchini and peppers are suitable for the south-facing balcony.
On a north-facing balcony, you have a little less choice. For example, lettuce, spinach, chard, kohlrabi and radishes grow here. Be careful not to place the plants in the pot directly on the cold ground. You also have to water less here.
With an east or west orientation, you can experiment a bit and place sun-loving plants in particularly sunny locations and other plants in shady corners. If necessary, you can also rotate the plants regularly.

Self-catering balcony in tune with the seasons

Depending on the season, you can harvest and sow different plants and take other precautions on the self-sufficient balcony:

In spring you can sow radishes, lettuce, spinach, chard and parsley from March. From April, peas, potatoes and nasturtiums will be added. Alternatively, you can put local herbs and salads on the balcony as young plants. You can now grow tomatoes indoors. In general, spring is the time for planting and sowing!
Above all, you should use the summer to water plants with organic fertilizer according to their individual needs, to water them appropriately and to check them for pests. In addition, now is the time to regularly pinch tomatoes and harvest ripe fruit. From July you can still sow some types of vegetables, which will then ripen in autumn. These include beets, fennel, radishes, chard and salads.
In early autumn you can still harvest many fruits from the summer time on the self-catering balcony. A few plants can still be sown in September, such as lamb’s lettuce, spinach, chard and parsley.
In winter you can still harvest some chard and a few local salads and herbs. Otherwise, calm will return to the balcony after the first frost. Now you should prepare your plants for the winter, possibly cover them up and water them only slightly. From February you can grow chili and paprika indoors and plant chives.

Preserve vegetables and fruit from the balcony

When the crop is particularly plentiful for a particular crop, preserving the food is important. If you take good precautions in summer, you will still have regional fruit and vegetables ready in winter. You can use different methods for this:

First of all, make sure that you store fruit and vegetables appropriately depending on the variety. Some prefer the cool temperatures in the fridge, while others like room temperature.
You can also freeze the harvest from the self-sufficient balcony. To do this, you should wash them well and sort them beforehand, i.e. sort out any vegetables or fruit that are no longer good.
Alternatively, you can boil fruit and vegetables, put them in sterilized jars, seal them airtight and let them cool down.
Many types of vegetables are suitable for pickling in oil or vinegar. You can also ferment the vegetables in salted water.

Keep Reading
By
Lifestyle

Growing Potatoes on The Balcony: This is How it Works – and What You Have to Pay Attention to

no garden? You can also plant potatoes on the balcony. We’ll tell you how to do it!

Potatoes for the balcony – the preparation

If you want to grow potatoes on your balcony, success starts with the preparation. It is best to use ripe potatoes for planting. It’s best to buy seed or seed potatoes from a gardening store. For planting on the balcony, let them pre-germinate in a box in a dark, cool place. This can already be done in March and takes about four weeks.

The right location is important. Potatoes like it warm and light. But make sure that they are not directly in the midday sun. Use vegetable soil or regular garden soil that you have mixed with some compost for the potatoes. So your plants have enough nutrients. Your potatoes also need enough water and space: Potatoes want to spread and always need a lot of water. The soil should not dry out.

Plant bag, bucket or tub: you need that

If you have prepared everything and the sprouted potatoes are ready, you can almost start. But first you have to decide whether you prefer to work with plant bags, buckets or tubs:
Plant sacks: You can buy special plant sacks in specialist shops, but you can also use plastic sacks made from strong PVC fabric. Even rice or jute sacks are suitable for planting potatoes.
Buckets: Buckets or closed tubs are also suitable as long as they are large enough. In order for you to be able to harvest enough potatoes, your container should definitely have a volume of ten liters and a height of about 40 centimeters.
Pots: As with the plant bags, you can also get plant pots from a gardening store. Here you need dark-walled plastic buckets that are as high as possible so that the soil is warmed up well by the sun’s rays.
It is important, no matter which planter you choose in the end, that you ensure sufficient drainage. Potatoes do not tolerate waterlogging, which is why an additional drainage layer made of gravel is worthwhile. For drainage, you can equip your planters with a hole or some slits before filling. Then the water can drain well.

Growing potatoes on the balcony: Here’s how

With the right equipment, you can now plant your own potatoes step by step:
First fill the drainage layer in your planter (think of suitable holes or slots beforehand).
Now you fill in a 15 centimeter high layer of soil that has been enriched with sufficient nutrients.
Now you can spread the seed potatoes evenly over the soil. About four potatoes per pot. Fill in enough soil to just cover the tubers.
Keep everything moist.
After about 14 days, the potatoes are already 15 centimeters high. If the plants have reached a height of 30 centimeters, you can refill 15 centimeters of soil. After that, you can add soil twice more at intervals of 10 to 14 days. This will cause your plants to form more tubers and new shoots further up the shoots.
After about three to four months, the first potatoes are ready to be harvested. At the latest when you watch the leaves of the plants wither, it is time to harvest. Potatoes can usually be harvested from May to October, depending on when and how they were planted. Simply empty your planter. Then you can enjoy your first own balcony potatoes.

Keep Reading
By
Cooking Tips

Tips for Grilling on the Balcony

Lots of useful tips for barbecuing on the balcony. With the right planning and approach, a barbecue on the balcony can also be a wonderful experience without disturbing or bothering the neighbors. The issue of safety should be given particular importance.

Use different places for grilling

On sunny days, barbecuing is a must. Sit comfortably in the garden, on the terrace, or on the balcony and enjoy delicious meat or sausages. But if you don’t have a garden or a large terrace, you usually only have a balcony. Although this is also well suited for a barbecue evening with a great barbecue menu, a few points must be observed so that there is no trouble with the neighborhood.

Barbecue on the balcony

In principle, barbecuing on the balcony can be just as much fun as in a large garden or outdoors. Careful planning in advance is important. Since the space available on the balcony is very limited in most cases, care should be taken to ensure that no heavy smoke develops. Because this would not only disturb the guests, the neighborhood would not be particularly enthusiastic either. While a charcoal or gas grill tends to produce a lot of smoke for technical reasons, this is not the case with an electric grill.

The fat can drain off very well, especially if the collection container is filled with water. All grilled dishes can also be prepared on such an electric grill. In addition, the device is ready for operation after a short time and you can get started immediately. However, it should be noted that large pieces of meat require a little more time here since an electric grill does not reach the high temperatures of a gas or wood grill.

Note the rental agreement

Barbecuing on a balcony is generally permitted, but the neighbors in an apartment building must also accept this. However, there are exceptions if this is expressly forbidden in the rental agreement. As a tenant, you have to stick to it, otherwise, there may be legal consequences in the form of a warning or even termination.
But even without a corresponding regulation in the rental agreement, the barbecue evening may only take place in such a way that no excessive smoke enters the neighbors’ apartments. A strong impairment by smoke or heavy smoke represents an administrative offense that can also be punished with a fine.

In order to avoid trouble with the neighbors in advance, a short conversation with the neighbors or a small notice in the hallway, where the project is pointed out, often helps.

Allocate space correctly

The available space on the balcony is limited, so the division should be made wisely. The grill should not be placed near the dining table so that the odors do not disturb the meal. A small electric grill is often so compact that it does not even need a large frame, which ultimately helps to save valuable space.

When it comes to seating, wide and large chairs are often not very helpful. As an alternative, a narrow beer tent set can help to create enough space for everyone. If a kind of buffet is planned, it can be placed in another room (living room or kitchen), for example. The guests can put together their menu there in peace and quiet and the meat or sausage dishes are then served fresh from the grill on the balcony. Also, note creative ideas for beautifying the balcony.

Pay attention to safety

When barbecuing happily on the balcony, safety must not be neglected under any circumstances. A sufficient safety distance to the grill should always be maintained, after all, there is a lot of heat here and burns can occur very quickly. Adults should be very vigilant, especially when children are involved.

To avoid an uncontrolled fire when grilling, it is advisable to place a bucket or watering can with water next to the grill stove. If a fire does break out, it can be extinguished quickly and worse can be prevented. Under no circumstances should a fire extinguisher or an extinguishing spray be used. Also, do not use water on burning fat. Here the heat must be smothered. Grilling should never take place in a closed room, as there is an acute risk of suffocation from the carbon monoxide.

Extinguish the grill properly

When the meal together is over, the grill should be properly extinguished, especially if it is a charcoal grill. Because even hours later, the embers can still ignite (e.g. due to strong wind). Sand is best for correct and reliable extinguishing. A small amount is often enough for this. The next day, this can be separated from the burned charcoal and disposed of. If there is no sand at hand, potting soil can also help, as this ensures that the embers are smothered and do not flare up again. The charcoal should only be disposed of after 24 hours. With a kettle grill, it is often enough to close the cover so that the grill goes out.

Keep Reading
By
Lifestyle

Embellish Creative Ideas for the Balcony

For many city dwellers, the balcony offers the opportunity to relax outdoors and recharge your batteries. However, not all balconies invite you to relax. So that your balcony becomes an oasis of well-being, there are many creative ideas for beautifying and redesigning the balcony.

Beautify the balcony and feel good

Depending on the type of balcony, you can use it as an oasis of well-being in both summer and winter. The balcony is a walkable platform that leads from the apartment to the outside. Especially in the city and in apartment buildings, it offers people the best opportunity to get some fresh air and a little sun. However, balconies are not automatically cozy or beautiful. On the contrary, you usually have to beautify your balcony so that you can take a pleasant break there.

Clever balcony ideas for remodeling

The challenge when redesigning a loggia is usually the size. While some offer enough space for chairs and a table, others are relatively small. But even here you can create a nice oasis of well-being with a few creative ideas. We have collected some balcony ideas for you:

1) Beautify the balcony with a balcony cladding

In summer, the balcony is our most important idyll for effectively reducing stress and recovering from everyday life. Since many balcony railings are ugly, old, or porous, you can easily redesign them. Consequently, use bamboo cladding to close the view and beautify your balcony overall.

2) Make balcony with new floor

A small change with a big effect is a new floor covering. So you can beautify your balcony quickly and easily. Various coverings are suitable as a new floor for the balcony, such as click tiles, wooden floorboards, artificial grass, or WPC click tiles. It is mainly a matter of taste which type of floor covering you choose. We recommend the click tiles because they are easy to lay and easy to care for.

3) Beautify the comfortable seating area on the balcony

An important part of the redesign of the balcony is the seating. Depending on the size of your loggia, you can opt for a seating area, e.g. made of pallets, chairs, or even a hammock. There are no limits to your creativity. Accordingly, you can also refurbish old furniture and use it outside. And if there is enough space for people, you can have a delicious barbecue on the balcony.

4) Beautify the balcony with plants

Plants on the loggia bring you closer to nature. So the more the better. Consequently, you can beautify your balcony by planting tomatoes there or putting up beautiful flowers. Herbs also thrive on the window sill and provide a fresh scent. Furthermore, geraniums, petunias, magic bells, and climbing plants are easy-care and robust plants for your green paradise.

5) The right light to feel good

To beautify the balcony, you should definitely install cozy light. You can use different fairy lights or set up candles for this. But please so that nothing can burn. When choosing a fairy light, it is important that it is waterproof and suitable for outdoor use. You can also use light chains with the marking “IP44” or “IP64”. Then attach them to the ceiling or railing with the help of hooks. Also, note useful tips for driving away pigeons to protect your oasis of well-being from unwanted intruders.

6) Build clever privacy screens

Since some balcony designs allow neighbors and pedestrians too much insight, a privacy screen can be useful and at the same time beautify your balcony.

Keep Reading
By
Lifestyle

Pruning, Caring For And Planting Columnar Cherries: Tips For The Garden And Balcony

You don’t need a spacious garden of your own for a columnar cherry, because the plant also fits on a balcony or terrace. You can read here what you should consider when planting and caring for the special cherry tree.

If you don’t have too much space in the garden or if you don’t want to do without sweet cherries without your own garden, a columnar cherry is the ideal solution. The fruit-bearing trees grow narrow and low and can therefore also be kept in pots on balconies, roof gardens and terraces.

Pillar cherries and pillar fruit in general are the result of clever breeding. The trees grow to a maximum height of two to three meters, but beyond that they are normal cherry trees.

Tip: If you want to get a single cherry tree, you should use a self-pollinating variety. These do not need another tree for pollination. Example varieties include Campanilo, Claudia, Sara, Stella and Victoria.

Pillar cherry: The optimal location

As far as location is concerned, the cherry tree has the same preferences as conventional cherry trees. In the best case, you will find a location in full sun – the more sun the tree gets, the sweeter and tastier the fruits will be. A place that is sheltered from the wind and not at risk of frost is best.

The soil should be loose, humus and moist. Pillar cherries do not tolerate wet, heavy soil. The plants also prefer medium-heavy, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil.

Planting cherry trees: Here’s how

When you have found a suitable location for your columnar cherry, you can already plant it. The best way to do this is as follows:

Dig a planting hole about twice as deep and wide as the diameter of the plant’s root ball. Tip: If you want to plant your cherry tree in a bucket, it should have a capacity of at least 30 to 40 liters.
If your soil is very poor in nutrients, you can mix in some humus or compost before planting the plant. By the way: If you don’t know what your soil is like, you can take a soil sample and have it analyzed.
Put the plant in the hole. The root ball should be flush with the soil. The plant should therefore be planted neither deeper nor higher than the ground.
Fill the hole with dirt and trample it down with your feet.
Water the plant generously.
Tip: If you want to plant several columnar cherries, you should keep a distance of at least 80 centimeters between them, preferably one meter.

It is also advisable to use a support rod. You can dig this about 30 centimeters deep before you put the plant in the hole. Then tie the cherry tree to it with a piece of string.

Caring for the cherry tree properly

Pillar cherries are quite easy to handle and do not require much maintenance. Just stick to the following tips and you should be rewarded with a rich harvest:

In summer and when it is dry, the cherry tree needs enough water. Then water them regularly and generously. But be sure to avoid waterlogging.
In spring, as soon as the first shoots appear, you can provide the plant with some compost to provide it with nutrients. Finally, you should fertilize in August so that the new shoots can still sprout before frost.
You can protect columnar cherries in tubs from frost in winter with fleece, jute or coconut mats. Also place the pot on a piece of wood so that not too much cold gets in from below.
If you cultivate the plant in a pot, you should repot it every two to three years.

Cutting cherry trees: tips and tricks

In principle, sweet cherries, which also include columnar cherries, often sprout strongly and are very vigorous. Therefore, you should make a pruning every year after harvest.

Remove all weak and diseased as well as very old and heavily woody shoots.
All side shoots should be cut back to two or three eyes. Eye is a synonym for bud – so you can recognize eyes by thickenings on the shoots where the tree sprout. The side shoots should remain about 20 to 30 centimeters long.
If some shoots grow very dense or cross each other, you can trim those too.

Keep Reading
By