What Foods Can Be Grown On A Balcony Or Terrace?

How about an apple tree on the balcony? Or maybe you want a brightly colored flowerbed that is also edible? A small garden can bring a lot of harvest even in a small space. A few pots or a small shelf is enough. With these tricks you will soon be picking fresh fruit and harvesting vegetables from your own mini garden, totally free of pesticides.

Harvest in a small space

1. Grow your plants tall

When there is no horizontal space, the solution is to resort to height. Think of Manhattan. A vertical garden is not a complex installation, it can consist of something as simple as some shelves where you can place small pots of aromatic plants. Or you can place individual pots attached to the wall of your balcony. There are also vertical planters designed for balconies where you can grow many types of vegetables.

2. A mini horizontal garden with a planter

If you want to get more out of your small garden, mixed crops in a planter are the most appropriate. Of course, you have to keep in mind that the chosen plants get along well:

• Tomatoes go very well with basil and nasturtiums.
• Dill, watercress, or garlic are compatible with lettuce.
• Strawberries are friends with parsley and marigolds.

However, when planting them together, make sure each plant has enough room to develop its roots.

3. Fruits in pots

An apple tree, a cherry or even a plum does not always have to take up a lot of space. Now there are varieties that can even be planted in a pot on the balcony or terrace. But they are also ideal for a small corner in the garden.

4. Harvest bountifully more than once a year

Fast-growing aromatic vegetables or plants are especially suitable for a small garden. They allow harvesting more than once a year.

• The radishes or some plants such as chives and watercress are good examples.
• The spinach and lettuce can also be harvested fresh after a few weeks.

5. Play with an advantage: plant before in seedbed

Sow in seedlings instead of putting the seeds directly into the pot where you expect the plant to grow. You can sow in a small pot, in yogurt containers, or in egg cups. Put them by a window, on the inside, and keep them moist. Late February is a good time for most plants.

Then, in a couple of months, select the seedlings that have thrived best and transplanted into the final pot, these plants will give you a better harvest.

6. Plant flowers that are not only pretty

Many flowers are not only pretty, but also edible. Lavender or marigolds, for example, add color to both the garden and the plate. The same goes for sunflowers, nasturtiums, violets, borage, and many more.

The right plants for your balcony

It is better that you start with a few plants and build up year after year. Scented plants are easier to start with because they are easy to care for and can be used in many ways in the kitchen as well as giving off a soothing scent on the balcony.

Aromatic

In principle, all aromatics can be grown in a pot. For starters, basil, parsley, and chives are especially recommended. They only taste really good when freshly harvested, so they are worth growing.

• Basil grows quickly and can be re-seeded throughout the summer. It must be in a sunny place and protected from the rain, it is not a good idea that it is facing a south wall, where the heat accumulates in summer. You need a soil rich in nutrients that should always be moist enough, but you must avoid waterlogging.
• The parsley should ideally be in a partially shaded location. Like basil, it needs moist, nutrient-rich soil.
• Chives grow in sunny to partially shady locations, even in shade it still thrives surprisingly well. Use garden soil or aromatic soil mixed with sand, no fertilizer is necessary. Chives need a lot of water, but it shouldn’t stay wet.

Lettuce

Lettuce is perfect for growing on the balcony. Plants often thrive even better than in the garden, since their great enemies, slugs, do not climb to a sixth floor.

A large planter or bucket is enough for a good amount of lettuce. Make sure to harvest varieties that you can gradually grow leaves from to consume. Cut off the outer leaves so the plant can continue to grow.

Choose a sunny or partially shady spot and water regularly so the soil always remains moist. But make sure (as with all potted plants) that excess water can drain well.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are almost a must-have for every balcony gardener. They are perfect for south facing balconies, because they love a place in full sun, protected from rain and wind.

Tomatoes regularly need compost or fertilizer and plenty of water and will reward you with a rich harvest. Tomato plants need stakes. You can tie the plants to bamboo sticks.

Pepper

Small peppers, such as those from Padrón, are especially recommended for the small balcony, but they don’t have to be hot if you don’t like them. These are especially small, sweet and low-seeded pepper varieties.

They have demands similar to those of tomatoes. They are heat lovers should protect themselves from rain and wind in a completely sunny place. You just have to water them from below and regularly supply them with nutrients so that they grow well.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are climbing plants, so they take up very little space on your balcony. Mini cucumbers are especially recommended. They will feel more comfortable in a sunny and sheltered place. Every now and then, give the cucumbers a handful of compost or fertilizer.

Berries

Harvesting berries on the balcony is a good idea.

• The strawberries occupy less space. When shopping, look for varieties that have been created especially for potting. You can grow them in planters or hanging baskets. A hole in the bottom of the pot allows irrigation water to flow steadily. Strawberries should be placed in full sun.
• Depending on the size of the balcony, the raspberries can be grown as a trellis along a wall to save space.
• Some berry varieties have been created specifically for growing in pots. The berries of the variety “Navajo”, for example, adapt to the growth vertically.
• The blueberry bushes can also be kept on the balcony, if you live in a region with cold weather in winter.