Beginner’s Balcony Gardening – More people are growing food in cities than ever before, adding greenery to urban centers in unexpected ways. Whether it’s a herb garden on a windowsill or a full-blown vegetable patch on a rooftop, the rise of urban gardening bodes well for the health of today’s city-slickers.
Achieving a luscious garden doesn’t require a home, a yard, or even a large space. Keep reading for our beginner’s guide to balcony gardening.
What to grow in your balcony garden:
Growing on a balcony doesn’t have to be limiting. Balcony gardens are well-suited to compact varieties of vegetables, as well as anything that can grow on a vine, such as tomatoes, cucumber, and zucchini plants. If you’re going the container gardening route, begonias, geraniums, and verbenas make for good fillers. If your balcony doesn’t get a lot of sun, ferns don’t require much sunlight or daily watering to flourish. If you’ve got some space leftover, herbs and micro-herbs are well-suited to a small space garden. This is because they tend to fill around your larger plants and don’t require much in terms of space. Keep in mind that herbs appreciate a sunny environment so make sure they won’t be shaded by larger plants.
How to: get your balcony garden started
- Before you buy or plant anything, make sure you know the light conditions of your balcony. If your balcony is on a low floor or is surrounding by tall buildings, you might not get enough sun to grow some plant varieties. Take this into consideration when deciding what to plant in your balcony garden.
- If you’re going the container gardening route, mind your soil choice. You want to use a potting soil that is very light, with a wide spectrum of nutrients.
- For best results, ensure you are watering slowly and thoroughly until excess water drains out the bottom of the container. You can do this using a self-watering device, such as this Self Watering Glass Bird.
- Traditional pots and planters can be heavy and bulky. Some lightweight and small-space-friendly alternatives include: mini planters and planter grow bags. Visit ShopCHT.com for more gardening gear and inspo.
For more great ideas, click here.
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