It took months of quarantine to rediscover ourselves all a little farmers, to remind us of the beauty of having your own vegetable garden and the satisfaction, on the other almost at no cost, of self-production. In fact, there were many who in this period, also thanks to the spring season in progress, started to grow something on their balcony, from vegetables and vegetables to fruits and aromatic herbs. In short, the garden has proved to be one of the most useful and pleasant pastimes, able to make us recover that relationship with nature that we often miss in the city. Let's see together what we can cultivate, how and when.

Thing

On our balcony, even in the city, we can really (almost) cultivate everything. Among the most common crops, also because they adapt more easily, there are the herbs, inevitable ingredients in the kitchen, such as mint, chilli, sage, rosemary, basil, thyme, oregano, chives, marjoram, tarragon, parsley, chamomile. In all these cases you can take and transplant the ready-made seedlings, or proceed by cutting: try to keep a sprig of mint in the water and you will see that in a few days it will produce roots that you can then plant.
Secondly vegetables and greens such as tomatoes, salads, courgettes, cabbage, legumes, which in this case too you can buy already developed, or proceed with a seedbed, which will surely give you more satisfaction. How? It is much simpler than you think: in the case of tomatoes, peppers or chillies, simply take the seeds gently, clean them from the pulp, dry them and then dry them in the sun or in the open air. Then, between March and April, place the seeds at a distance of at least two centimeters from each other, in a tapperware-like container at room temperature, without temperature changes, on a cotton or absorbent paper base that must always remain slightly damp (do not wet!), covered with a perforated film for perspiration. After a few days, you will see the first shoots born, which will then be buried in pots, even if they are not yet ready to be outside: for this you will have to take care to keep them indoors, at least during the night. But there is no shortage in the garden fruits such as olive, avocado, oranges, apples, strawberry tree, pomegranate, berries or lemons; in the latter case, just take some seeds and proceed as mentioned above (even if in reality lemons also reproduce by air layering). Be aware, however, that with fruit time is dilated over years, so it takes large pots and a lot of patience.

How

It is essential that plants have three elements in the right quantity: sunlight, water is nutrientsjust like humans! For this, first of all, it is important to choose an ideal position so that the plant has natural light: if it is inside, for example on a shelf, it must be far from heat sources such as radiators or stoves; in the case of outdoor spaces such as windowsill, terrace or balcony you must check theexposure. For example, if exposed to the north, there are more difficulties for plants such as peppers and tomatoes as there is less light; but it is also true that there are plants such as berries, salads and herbs, pumpkins and courgettes, cabbage, turnips or carrots, which adapt more easily. As for theirrigation, each plant requires a different amount of water; in general, it is always better that they receive little water, but frequently, just like irrigation systems, now easy to install and program, especially for when, hopefully soon, we will be able to travel and go out again. The pots must be large enough for the roots to have room to develop and to support the weight of the plant. For this purpose, the reuse of old boxes or pots to be recycled could be useful, as well as beautiful to look at, the important thing is that they are not of toxic materials; however, remember to make holes in the base so that it can drain excess water. Today there is an innovative system such ashydroponic, which is also located in Ikea (krydda kit), where the earth is not used but water (as the word itself says), useful because being safer in terms of hygiene it does not attract insects like the earth does. In this regard, try to keep invasive insects such as ants as far away as possible, preferably with traps and not with poisons. Finally, if you want to make your own soil without buying it, you can try doing the compost with selected fruit and vegetable waste, foliage, wood, paper towels; but be careful because there are rules to follow and this is not a mere accumulation of waste, but a bacterial cultivation that decomposes the waste.

When

Having your own garden on the balcony also allows you to always have seasonal products, moreover at almost zero cost: the important thing is to respect (and wait for) the seasons. For this reason, self-production also has an educational function, especially for the little ones, capable of teaching the beauty of waiting and the preciousness of patience. As you may already know, each product has its own cultivation period, which can vary depending on the climate. To be planted or sown in spring there are garlic, onion, potatoes, peas, beans, broad beans, lettuce, spinach, chard, chicory, melon, cucumber, watermelon, zucchini, pepper, eggplant, savoy cabbage, celery, tomatoes and herbs. In that ofsummerinstead, radishes, broccoli, fennel, beets, pumpkins, courgettes, thistles, leeks, celery, fennel, beans, carrots, aromatic herbs, radicchio. In Autumn it's time for carrots, radicchio, turnip greens, savoy cabbage, beets, broccoli, broad beans, peas, various salads such as lettuce, rocket. King of the vegetable gardenwinter they are cabbage, from broccoli to cauliflower, as well as in reality other varieties if covered in a small greenhouse.

Let's not forget that in summer some plants such as lavender, sage or mint (as well as for mojito) are also useful for keeping mosquitoes away, while throughout the year they also have a function: to make our homes more beautiful, but above all more alive. Also, remember that plants cannot lie: if you treat them well, they will bear fruit, otherwise they will leave you speechless. Finally, having a vegetable garden on the balcony should not be thought of as something just for us and our needs, but also as a way to help the environment and animal biodiversity that stands on it and lives, such as all the bees and birds that will come to visit you!