Tips for an Edible Balcony

05. 08. 2026

1. Sunlight

Let's be honest, plants need light. Most of them require 6 hours of daylight. Vegetables need to be illuminated for an average of 6-8 hours.
And what do the icons on the labels tell you?

• Direct sunlight: at least 6 hours of daylight.
• Indirect sunlight: 3-6 hours of light in the morning or evening.
• Partial shade: 3-6 hours of light, complete shading during the hottest part of the day.
• Shade: 3 hours or less in light shade.

2. Wind

Think about safety. Balconies are often exposed and wind can easily damage plants. If you need to create wind protection on your balcony, use strong plants with sturdy stems and place them at the edge of the balcony.

Suitable species for balcony wind are: Dicentra Aquilegia, Delphinium, Lupine, Lychnis, Phlox, Rudbeckia, Veronica, Papaver, Aconitum and climbing beans.

3. Space

The size of your balcony is a fundamental limit that you cannot influence. Therefore, you must plan ahead.

Specifications for Balcony Growing

• 1 is more than 10

It's better to use one large container with mixed planting than 10 small planters.

A larger container means more soil and more soil means more water.

4. Mulch

To prevent excessive water evaporation, you need to cover the soil surface with something.
Besides commonly purchased mulching bark, you can use gravel, pebbles, newspapers or straw.

5. Monitor Your Plants

Water when the plants are dry, and let those that prefer dryness dry out a bit (rosemary, lavender). When watering, water the entire soil surface.

6. How to Fertilize?

Good advice is to add a tiny amount of fertilizer to regular watering. This way, plants will be supplied with nutrients regularly.

Plant Selection

Even if we'd love to have a vegetable garden on the balcony and be able to pick fresh tomatoes, lemons or avocados, we need to consider the limits of space and light conditions. Therefore, it's always good to make a list of vegetables you prefer (choose varieties that are harder to find on the market). For a start, it's good to choose a mixed planting of vegetables, herbs and ornamental flowers (these will attract bees).

Always think about how the vegetables grow and choose types that won't compete with each other.

Tomatoes, for example, can be planted in combination with borage (a honey plant that attracts beneficial insects), marigold and chives (repel aphids), lettuce and basil (against moths and mites). If you decide to grow tomatoes, don't forget about a trellis - support for growth.

Finally, I'm adding a list of suitable vegetable types for balcony growing: tomato, lettuce, radishes, pepper, chilli, spinach, peas, beans, carrot, eggplant, cucumber, pumpkin, leek, beetroot, melon, strawberries, berries, herbs.

SPECIES attracting BEES: Echinacea, Calendula, Mint, Monarda, Marigold

SPECIES for sunny locations: berries, tomato, thyme, lavender, rosemary, eggplant