Why can’t you eat vegetables grown on the balcony? (It’s better to eat less vegetables grown in flower pots and boxes on the balcony)

Why is it better to eat less vegetables grown on the balcony?

With the popularization of healthy eating concepts, many people are paying more and more attention to food safety and highly recommend natural and pollution-free food.

People think that "meat eaters are afraid of hormones, vegetarians are afraid of toxins, and drinkers are afraid of pigments." So they grow vegetables on their own balconies, hoping to eat them with peace of mind. But is it really safe to grow vegetables on the balcony? The answer is not necessarily. Improper operation can bring potential risks .

1. Soil

Since you want to grow vegetables on the balcony, in addition to hydroponics, you must have soil. Where do you usually get soil from?

Some people buy nutrient soil from flower shops, while others save time by digging some soil from flower beds, ruins or other places. Don't think that what you dig up is treasure. If you are not careful, you may bring in invisible "sources of poison".

The soil may contain organic waste, heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, slag, coal dust, radioactive pollutants, etc., which have a great impact on the quality of vegetables.

2. Container

   Used large foam boxes, discarded wooden drawers, scrap metal barrels picked up from outside, large and small plastic bottles, etc.

Qualified foam boxes are generally made of relatively stable materials such as polystyrene, but if they are inferior and unqualified products, they may release toxic substances after use.

Some abandoned iron barrels used for building decoration, such as paint or latex paint, are strong, but they may contain residual chemicals that are difficult to completely remove, and may also pose hidden dangers. Therefore, don't just pick up garbage containers to grow vegetables in order to save some investment.

3. Surrounding environment

Generally, vegetable bases are far away from downtown areas. If the environment of your own balcony is relatively clean, that kind of vegetable is very good.

But if it is close to the road or other places where dust accumulates a lot, you have to think twice.

A large amount of automobile exhaust, incomplete combustion of petroleum and coal emissions, etc., contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that may cause cancer and enter the air.

These substances will adhere to the surface of plant leaves or be deposited in the soil and then absorbed, metabolized and accumulated by plant roots .

Therefore, when growing vegetables on your balcony at home, you must be careful about these things so that you can grow safe, reliable and healthy vegetables.

Why is it not recommended to plant too many vegetables on the balcony?

1. Too many vegetables and food will inevitably attract all kinds of insects, including cockroaches! (Open balcony) Especially in the community, they will run up. And those who come to have food will be very happy. Less but better, easy to manage and can also harvest food.

2. The selection and proportion of vegetables. Leafy vegetables are delicious, but most of them take about a month to harvest, and the leaves are bare after harvest. Plant those whose leaves can be picked and eaten continuously.

3. The advantage of growing vegetables on the balcony is that they are fresh, pesticide-free, delicious and nutritious! This is something many people overlook. If you grow the same things, pests are more likely to spread.

4. Planting too many vegetables in flower pots. If you need to replant them after harvesting, soil disinfection, soil replacement, watering, etc. are very time-consuming, and you will also encounter various problems, such as balcony load-bearing capacity, insect pests, diseases, etc.