12 Vegetables That You Can Grow on Your Balcony

12 Vegetables That You Can Grow On Your Balcony

You may not have space for a big, beautiful garden, but the good news is, you can still grow some of your favorite vegetables in small spaces such as your balcony.

Contrary to popular beliefs, you can grow a thriving balcony garden. Here is a list of easy-to-grow vegetables that you can plant in your small garden and enjoy productive gardening.

If you’d like to see a graphical breakdown of the balcony vegetables, we got you covered:

Balcony Vegetables

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1. Tomatoes

Growing Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a popular home-grown vegetable that needs to be well taken care of to grow full and healthy. 

The succulent red veggie needs plenty of space to grow to reach its maximum size. You will need to choose a large pot with proper drainage holes.

Avoid using black containers as they tend to absorb a lot of heat and may hinder the plant’s growth.

Place the plant in a spot where it can receive 6 hours of sunlight. Use good-quality potting soil, such as compost-rich soil, for the best result.

Keep the soil moist for a happy plant, but avoid over-watering it. Also, avoid overcrowding tomatoes in one pot. As we said, tomatoes need space to prosper. Keep one tomato per pot.  

2. Cucumbers

Cucumber is a summer vegetable that can happily grow on a sunny balcony.

Like tomatoes, cucumbers also prefer a lot of room to spread out. A large pot or a container with a large width and height will be better.

The prerequisite for healthy growth is the choice of your soil. Cucumbers thrive best in loose, air-permeable, hummus-enriched soil.

Apply a natural fertilizer containing phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium every week. When gardening, insert cucumber seeds about 1cm into the soil and cover the soil to the depth of your finger.

Water regularly but never overdo it to ensure a successful harvest.

3. Zucchini

Growing Zucchini

Zucchini is another easy-to-grow plant on the balcony.

You need a light, well-drained potting soil such as peat or compost with perlite or vermiculite to grow zucchini. Use a large, plastic container with good drainage holes.

You can select smaller varieties of zucchini such as Gold Rush, Cue Ball, or Eight ball in case you’re using a small container.

Keep the plant in a sunshiny spot, and don’t let it go dry. Water the plant regularly. Feed the sun-loving plant every four weeks with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer.

At the planting time, use a mix of time-release fertilizer alternatively.

4. Eggplant

Cultivating an eggplant on your balcony is hassle-free, as long as you abide by the plant’s growing conditions.

Wait to plant the brownish-purple veggie until the last threat of frost is over. Opt for a location with full sun and use well-drained soil mixed with organic matter such as fall leaves or grass clipping.

Mulching is important as it can maintain the soil moisture and keep weed problems at bay.

Eggplant varieties that grow best in a container are Casper, Dusty, and Black Beauty. If you want to grow more than 1 or 2 eggplants, consider using a five-gallon container.

5. Celery

Growing Celery

Celery loves cool weather so you can consider growing it in an early fall season, ideally, eight-twelve weeks prior to the last frost.

Note that germination will take around two weeks.

Choose a pot with an at least 8-inch depth. Sow five seeds with a gap of two inches between each seed.

Celery is all for moisture, so water the plant to keep it moist at all times. Use an organic fertilizer every two weeks to keep the plant well-nourished.

You can also add a spoonful of compost tea to the watering can every week to feed to the plant.

6. Broccoli

Broccoli is a large plant, but you can still grow it in a limited space.

It’s important to choose the right container to grow hearty broccoli. You can grow one plant per container using a 12-inch by 12-inch pot or an 18-inch wide and 12-inch deep pot for a crowd of budded heads.

Plant the cruciferous veggie in either spring or fall. The plant enjoys cool weather and basks in natural sunshine. So, make sure you fulfill these two growing requirements.

Opt for well-drained soil combined with compost or manure, ensuring the soil is neutral to slightly acidic. Always lightly spray the plant with water to keep it well-hydrated but not water-logged.

7. Radishes

Growing Radishes

These crispy root veggies can be grown in spring as well as summer.

They come in several varieties. The most popular ones include Cherry Belle, Easter Egg, and Purple Plum.

When planted in a pot as deep as 6 inches, these varieties can grow less than a month.

Keep the plant in a spot where it receives 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. Use rich, well-drained soil to optimize healthy growth.

On windy, hot days, add organic materials such as coconut coir, aged manure, compost, or peat moss to retain moisture in the plant.

You can also use perlite or vermiculite to keep the plant well-hydrated.

8. Scallions

Also known as green onions, scallions offer a high yield in a minimal space, and hence, are a perfect choice for your balcony garden.

Sow scallion seeds in well-drained, organic soil. Insert organic matter at least 6-8 inches deep into the soil.

Mist the soil with water to keep it moist. The seeds germinate in two weeks, at max.

Water the plant regularly to prevent the soil from drying out. That said, avoid the plant from sitting water as it can give rise to various plant diseases. Green onions usually mature within 8 – 12 weeks.

9. Chili Peppers

Holding Chili Peppers

Chili peppers require two major things for proper growth – water and light.

They need five hours of direct sunshine and regular watering to grow adequately.

Place the pepper plant in a pot near a sunny location and consider watering the plant twice a day when the temperature rises above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise, watering once a day is enough.   

Avoid using regular garden soil as it is unfit for the plant’s nourishment. Instead, go for rich, organic potting soil.

10. Kale

Kale is the best fall vegetable to grow on your balcony.

However, consider planting the crunchy veggie if your area receives 8 hours of sun per day. Use a pot that is at least 10 inches deep and 15 inches wide.

Add in 2-4 inches of compost on top of the soil. The plant will grow faster when nourished with a sufficient amount of water daily and fertilized every week or two weeks.

During extreme hot temperatures, move the plant to a cooler location until the temperature is back to normal. Add a protective layer of mulch to keep roots cool and hydrated.

11. Carrots

Growing Carrots

Carrots are easy to grow in containers that are deep and wide.

This setting allows the orangey vegetable to develop fully. Make sure the container you use has drainage holes to allow excess water to seep out and avoid water-logging.

Fill the container with loose, debris-free soil and sprinkle the seeds on top and cover with more soil.

Remember to water the veggie every one to three days, depending on the weather conditions.

You don’t want the plant to be completely parched or soggy. Keep the plant moist by providing it with a steady supply of water.

12. Chard

The highly nutritious and delicious chard can be planted indoors on your balcony.

Use a pot not too deep for the plant to thrive in your terrace. Swiss Chard is not too picky in terms of soil. It can do well in poor soil without any added fertilizer.

The plant requires a shaded location, so if you live in an area that gets minimal sunlight, chard should be on top of your planting list.

Keep in mind that the plant may get bitter during the scorching summer heat. In times like these, be more vigilant and give lots of water to the needy plant.

Conclusion

If you have a green thumb, but you lack space to indulge in vegetable gardening, utilize your balcony and grow the edible plants that are mentioned above.

All these veggies are easy to grow, provided they are supplemented with the right amount of water, light, and fertilizer.

Because all the above plants require pots to grow, remember that water in containers tends to dry out much faster than in the ground.

Therefore, you will need to keep an eye on the watering needs of your vegetable plants.

For added nutrition, you will also need to supply them with the right fertilizer always.


About The Author

Gina Harper grew up dreaming about farms and growing her own food. She began an urban garden to feed herself and turned it into an incredible hobby. Gina is here to teach you everything from raised beds to container gardening, how to keep plants alive and well in a smoggy city, and the works. It’s time that we carve our own piece of green earth and reap what we sow—she’s here to help you with that.