There is no reason to deprive yourself of the joy of harvesting fresh vegetables grown in a natural way just because you have a simple balcony. Both decorative and useful, this arrangement allows you to change the decor over the months while enjoying yourself, so don't hesitate any longer: transform your balcony into a vegetable garden!
Ideal conditions
To ensure an abundant harvest, a few simple principles must be respected:
Each type of plant has specific needs, so it is necessary to take an interest in their growing conditions in order to adapt the exposure, watering and nutrient supply in a targeted manner. Thus, on a balcony with a southern exposure and plenty of sunshine, you can try growing tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and even melons. Also think about ornamental squash that will take over in the fall, well attached to a trellis along a vertical wall.
In mid-shade, lettuces, radishes, watercress or spinach will perfectly match ornamental plants such as fuchsias, coleus or begonias that will bring a note of color to the whole.
Watering should never be neglected because unlike a traditional vegetable garden, the vegetables will grow in containers and will be subject to much greater evaporation. The pots should not be undersized to allow a good development of the root system.
Remember also to adapt the nature of the mix to the plant: tomatoes and melons, for example, require a very rich soil and consume a lot of nutrients, while aromatic plants such as thyme, rosemary, chives or mint require a lighter substrate, with the addition of sand to ensure good drainage. Once again, don't hesitate to ask about the growing conditions of each plant!
Finally, growth should be supported by very regular and targeted fertilization: leafy vegetables will appreciate a fertilizer with a high dose of nitrogen while fruits will need more potassium to ensure a good harvest. Preferably choose natural fertilizers used in organic agriculture and avoid the use of chemical pesticides. This way, you will grow healthy vegetables with a preserved taste.
A suspended but secure vegetable garden
Be careful, installing a vegetable garden on a balcony should not make you forget the obvious safety rules;
- Avoid overloading the balcony and respect the rules in force in your condominium;
- Avoid overloading the balcony and respect the rules in effect in your condominium; Favour containers made of light materials, keeping in mind that a maximum weight of 350 kg per average balcony is usually tolerated. This weight includes of course the substrate, the plant once developed and the container itself, not to mention the watering water that is added to these parameters;
- Do not install planters on the side of the road and avoid planting heavy fruits such as watermelons which could be very dangerous if they fall.
