Gardening on Balconies: Ways to Thrive in Small Spaces

High-density living shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the benefits that having a garden brings. With thoughtful planning, balconies can be productive green spaces that enhance both your lifestyle and the environment.

Understanding Your Balcony’s Microclimate

Gardeners living in stand-alone dwellings benefit from having options when it comes to where to grow. If their backyard is in full shade, their front garden may be blissfully sunny, or vice versa. This means they can grow a wide variety of both sun-loving and shade-loving plants.

Balcony gardeners, on the other hand, are likely to have just one ‘aspect’, whether that’s the full-on heat and sun that comes with a north-facing balcony or a cooler, shadier space facing south. Perhaps most challenging are units facing west, where balconies are in full shade in the morning and blasting sun throughout the afternoon. Understanding these specific growing conditions – or microclimates – on your balcony is a very useful first step when setting up your garden.¹  

Each balcony has its own unique microclimate. Elevated positions can amplify heat and wind, creating conditions that differ significantly from ground-level gardens. Factors like overshadowing from neighbouring buildings, wind tunnels and heat from reflected surfaces all influence your microclimate, and these factors may change season to season. Once you have a good understanding of your conditions, you can choose plants suited to them. You can also add shade or shelter to influence your microclimate if required.

Choosing the Right Plants

Selecting plants suited to your balcony’s conditions is essential. The ‘right plant right place’ principle suggests that matching your plants to your growing space means they are more likely to thrive. They will also need fewer inputs (water, fertiliser etc) and may be less prone to pests and diseases.

For sun-exposed areas, consider Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, thyme and oregano, and fruiting vegetables such as tomato, chilli and beans. In shadier spots, leafy greens such as spinach or lettuce and soft-leaved herbs like mint and lemon balm are a good starting point, along with rhubarb.

Compact varieties of vegetables are often good choices for windy sites, as they will benefit from the shelter provided by balustrades and walls. These varieties are also better suited for container gardening. Take care that stakes, trellises and hanging baskets above balustrade level are firmly secured – you don’t want elements of your garden causing a safety hazard as they’re blown away in a gust of wind!

Selecting Containers

Most gardening on balconies relies on growing in containers. When compared to small pots, larger containers provide more soil space for plant roots to grow, hold more water and dry out more slowly. Wicking pots and wicking beds, which have a water reservoir below the soil, use water efficiently² and also allow you to go away for a few days without worrying about watering. Light-coloured pots that will reflect rather than absorb heat are preferable.

Before purchasing large containers make sure you’ll be able to transport them into your space. Also consider their overall weight, which includes not only the pot and soil but also the weight of water in a fully hydrated pot.

Soil, Nutrients and Watering

A good quality potting mix with the Australian Standard tick logo on the packaging is all that’s required to grow most plants in containers. You may wish to add some slow-release fertiliser such as a pelletised chicken manure or worm castings from a worm farm. Alternatively, feed your plants with an organic liquid fertiliser or worm tea every few weeks.

Topping your containers with mulch will help stop evaporation as well as deterring weeds. In very windy spots, the straw-based mulch usually recommended for veggies may just blow away – either hold it down with something heavy (eg a trowel laid across the surface or a few small rocks) until it settles into the soil, or consider a heavier alternative like fine wood chips.

Regular watering is vital, as containers can dry out quickly. Using self-watering pots or incorporating a wicking system can help, or consider a small drip system attached to an outside tap. Irrigation sprayers and drippers specifically designed for pots are available. If your potting mix dries out and becomes hydrophobic, dunk containers in a large tub of water to rehydrate them, or consider adding some coir (coconut fibre) to your potting mix to help hold water for longer.

Connect with Your Community

Engaging with your local gardening community is a good way to gain support and inspiration from people who have similar gardening spaces and conditions to yours. Sharing your experiences can really help if you’ve encountered some stumbling blocks along the way. Joining your nearest community garden, even if no garden plots are available for you to use, is a good way to connect with gardeners close to you. Some larger apartment complexes also have opportunities to start a gardening group, and sometimes there’s a little bit of common space to garden together too.

Gardening on balconies can be challenging but is also a rewarding way to grow some of your own food and connect with nature. By understanding your space, selecting appropriate plants, and employing smart gardening techniques, you can create a garden that enhances your home and wellbeing.

References

1.  Understanding Your Balcony Microclimate
2. Semananda, Ward & Myers (2016) Evaluating the Efficiency of Wicking Bed Irrigation Systems for Small-Scale Urban Agriculture. Horticulturae. 2. 10.3390/horticulturae2040013.