Creating Vegetable Gardens On Your Balcony
It is possible to create an edible garden even in small places. By growing small, summer-only vegetables in containers it is possible to have fresh food on even on a balcony. For more on gardens, click here.
If you have a windy balcony, we’d recommend to attach clear plastic on the balustrade. Plants on hot, sun-drenched balconies may require extra watering.
Herbs and vegetables can be grown in pots, hanging baskets and some even grow well in growing bags. In fact several vegetables grow well in growing bags on a sheltered patio or balcony. Plant as soon as all risk of frost has passed.
Some easy to grow vegetables are:
Bush French Beans – plant six bushy plants. The pods are ready to be picked if they snap when bent.
Courgettes – use two plants. Water and feed plants regularly and harvest them while young.
Lettuce – you can grow eight of them in a bag.
Tomatoes – you can grow 3-4 plants in one growing bag, you need to ensure that you put in supports. You need to pick fruits as they ripen. Tomatoes can also be grown in hanging baskets or pots. Whichever option you choose, side shoots need to be removed.
Other vegetables for small gardens are:
Aubergines – otherwise known as egg plants. These plants are frost tender. They can be grown in sheltered and warm beds, as well as growing bags and large pots. Plant established plants once the frost has passed and use compost.
Beetroot – choose globe types that are round and mature quickly. You need to plant these in spring. Saw the seeds about 30 cm apart.
Cucumbers – they need a warm and sunny, wind sheltered position. You can plant them mid-spring in warmer areas and early summer in cooler areas. They love the goodness of compost. Water them and cover each seedling with a jam jar. Harvest ripe cucumber between mid to late summer when they are about 15-20 cm long.
Carrots – choose short rooted carrots, they are ideal for containers. you should plant them mid-spring or early summer. You can harvest them once they are large enough to eat.
Radishes – choose summer radishes, sow them mid-spring to late summer. When the seedlings are large enough to handle thin them out to 2.5 cm apart. Pull up young plants when they are large enough to use in salads.
Spring onions – are ideal for salads. You need to prepare the soil for them in winter by digging it up, followed by an early spring fork and rake. You can saw the seeds from mid-spring to mid-summer, if you sow every two weeks you should have spring onions from early summer to early autumn.
As you can see there is a variety of vegetables that you can use in your small vegetable garden or pots to create fresh, pesticide free vegetables for all summer.