Balcony-grown vegetables and herbs

Interested in growing your own vegetables on the balcony? Let’s get started! No matter how generous or limited your outdoor space is, our tips help you grow a small vegetable garden about anywhere. In addition to sun, placement, watering and fertilising, we also have a few upcycling ideas and insider tips on a bountiful harvest.

Create a nursery

Gardening requires patience, but it’s definitely worth it. If protecting the environment, knowing where your sprouts come from and saving money are your priorities, you can grow plants from organic seeds or use seeds you’ve dried yourself. All you need to grow vegetables from seeds is potting soil, a watchful eye to monitor watering, and the right containers for your plants.

Mini beds in a can: Empty yoghurt containers or food tins are the perfect pots for sowing seeds. Just make sure to poke a hole in the bottom so water can drain off.

The right pot

What beds are to a garden, planters or pots are to a balcony. Take care to choose the right size, depth and placement. The rule of thumb: the larger the planter, the better off your vegetables will be. For carrots, for example, choose a pot that is at least 30 cm high.

Save the herbs: Do your store-bought herbs start drooping after just one day? Divide the plant into four by the roots and give each new plant its own pot.

Wall planters

On balconies with limited space, walls turn into lush green spaces with a few tricks. Old pallets or fence pieces can be used to make shelves for hanging pots, creating space for plants to grow on multiple levels. Especially beans, zucchini and peas feel at home in your vertical vegetable garden.

Bagged vegetables: Overwhelmed at the idea of building something to hold your plants? Grow plants in buckets, old watering cans or simply the vegetable soil bag.

Water, water, water

Proper watering is the be-all and end-all for any vegetable garden. In summer, plants on sunny balconies need water at least once a day, more often on very hot days. Gravel at the bottom of flower boxes helps excess water to run off.

Properly covered: Covering the soil around plants with hay or plant clippings helps preserve moisture in the soil.

Time for sunshine

Most vegetables need about five hours of sunlight per day. Thyme, rosemary, marjoram, carrots and tomatoes love the sun. Mediterranean varieties such as peppers, courgettes and aubergines thrive in lots of light and near walls.

Shade, please! Mint, parsley, spinach, chives, chard, beetroot, radishes and lettuce flourish on balconies with partial shade.

The right soil

Ordinary potting soil is unsuitable for growing vegetables on the balcony. It typically contains peat, which is neither good for the climate nor for plants unaccustomed to acidic soil. A better choice: tomato or vegetable soil. It’s rich in nutrients and usually comes pre-fertilised.

Collect some dirt: Clever gardeners swipe a little soil from molehills. The soil they bring to the surface is perfectly aerated.

NährsNutrients galore

Vegetable plants require a lot of nutrients so fertiliser is a must. The best fertiliser is a biological, mineral-based slow-release variety that is safe for children. It lasts for around three months, after which you’ll need to re-fertilise.

Homemade banana fertiliser: Banana peels are rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium. Soak the peels in water for a few days for the perfect liquid fertiliser.

Best Buddies

Looking to plant several types of vegetables in one planter? No problem. Just be sure to pair complimentary varieties. Bush beans, for example, provide excellent shade for spinach and radishes. Plant basil next to tomatoes for more delicious tomatoes.

Sowing and harvesting: You can start sowing most plants on the balcony in the springtime. Come autumn it’s time to harvest carrots, courgettes and co.

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