Balconies have become the space to dump trash or put extra unused items which do not have a place inside the house. Why waste such an amazing space? Why not grow an in-house vegetable garden? Vegetable garden on the balcony is the best way to make use of your balcony area. Not only the veggies will be within your hand’s reach, but also it will keep the air fresh and breathable. And who does not like having a little bit of greenery?

Balcony vegetable gardening at home is an easy, and peaceful thing to do. It does not matter the sq. ft. of space, but what matters is how cleverly you make the use of space. People hire experts who suggest to them how to grow a vegetable garden in a small balcony. However, experts charge. You need to put your mind and soul into home gardening, and you will have a vegetable garden on the balcony.

How to Begin?

Vegetable gardening on the balcony can be daunting at first, but if you put your heart and soul into it, this activity can be rewarding. Once you taste the juicy flavors, you will hardly want to go grocery shopping again. Also, it gifts you with the freshest of the veggies, grown without any chemicals and pesticides. It is a win-win situation for it.

Here are a few pointers to take care of while starting with the balcony vegetable gardening at home:

Location: Location should be airy, and the atmosphere, suitable for the veggies you grow otherwise the plants will die out on you.

Size: Size of the area does not matter; you can opt for vertical gardening but make sure you do not suffocate them.

Choosing: Lean more towards growing general and healthy plants. Also, if you grow something healthy regularly, then you can incorporate that in your diet, time and again. Go for Lemon, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Onions, etc.

Sunlight: Your vegetable garden in a small balcony must have a good amount of sunlight for the plants to remain healthy, otherwise they will die.

Soil: Pick the right soil for your vegetable garden on the balcony because one soil is not good enough for every plant. Every veggie requires a different kind of soil, amount of water and amount of sunlight.

Seeds and saplings: If you want a vegetable garden in a small balcony, you need to make sure that your plants flourish. Seeds from fruits and veggies do not work, you need to order seeds online. To achieve the best results for balcony vegetable gardening at home, buy the saplings from the experts.

Types of Vegetables

There are various veggies that you can grow in balcony vegetable gardening at home, they are well explained below :

1. French Beans

French Beans are easy to grow at home. For growing them in your vegetable garden in a small balcony, you need a 12 inches deep pot/container. It can be grown as vines or bushes;however, you want, but considering small space, we suggest you go for vines.

The best season to grow them in your vegetable garden on the balcony is Spring but keep the pots inside during the nights. It requires sun and well-drained soil, so keep it in the area with maximum sunlight. Supply the soil with adequate water during the dry weather, and you have got yourself a winner.

2. Carrots

Carrots are yummy, healthy, and perfect for salads & pasta.In your vegetable garden on the balcony, they will grow inside the soil, not occupying the outer space, which is why you need deeper pots. If you water the plant regularly, then you will get yourself a healthy plant. It is possible to grow them in balcony vegetable gardening at home, but it needs its daily dose of 3-4 hours of sunlight.

3. Cauliflower/Cabbage/Broccoli

Your vegetable garden in a small balcony must have Cole Crops. They are healthy, leafy, and tasty to eat. You can use them in salads, soups and have them as sides as well. These crops cannot tolerate too much of temperature, thus, grow them in winter. For summers you can arrange for a cooler area at your home where sunlight is not scorching, or it can damage the plants.

4. Cucumber

In Summers, it is important to eat foods that retain water level in our body. So, you must grow cucumbers in balcony vegetable gardening at home. However, you must be warned that you need a good amount of space for this plant alone. Pre-soak the cucumber seeds and keep the soil moist all the time. Within a week or two, your cucumber plant will flourish. It can easily camouflage with the leaves, so make sure to check from all the angles while planting them in the vegetable garden in a small balcony.

5. Eggplant

Eggplant plants must have enough space in your balcony vegetable gardening at home. This plant itself needs 5 gallons of capacity. Thus, you can choose to place it indoors for a while. Or you can keep it on a marble rack. Mix the soil and sand to give the nutrients it needs and sand controls moisture. Bury the seeds and water the plants. You will be able to get the fruit in 2 to 3 months after planting the seeds.

6. Tomato

It is easy to grow Tomatoes in a vegetable garden in a small balcony just as growing a Rose flower. Order the seeds online, place it under the sunlight for 6 – 8 hours and water the plant regularly. You will be able to get your hands-on tomatoes in a month and a half. Once you taste them, you will forget your way to your nearest grocery store. They are fresh, juicy, and tasty.

There are many other vegetables that you can grow in your Vegetable garden on the balcony. Research about them and grow them at home.

Read Also : Starting Indoor Flower Gardening

Containers or Pots

Container proves to be space-saving if you group all your vegetables in a manner, they require sunlight and the type of soil. Most vegetables need an almost equal amount of sunlight (full) and same kind of soil i.e., well-drained. However, if you happen to have such a veggie that does not belong to this category, then plant it separately in a pot. You can also go for hanging pots but make sure they are at a proper height. To make your vegetable garden in the small balcony a huge success, go for the combination of pots and containers.

Sunlight

As mentioned above, most vegetables require a proper amount of sunlight. Place them in a way that they receive enough sunlight in winters. However, if you live in a place where summers are straining, then cover the area with a temporary roof made up of cloth otherwise plants would burn down. Balcony vegetable gardening at home is easy if you study thoroughly about the requirements of sunlight of each plant.

The other option is you grow vegetables that will flourish in the amount of sunlight they get. Vegetable garden on the balcony is a blessing.

Caring Tips

If you are growing plants in a single container, then you must make sure to group them according to their needs of soil and sunlight. If you need, keep changing the soil time and again. Experiment in the start and see what works out for you and what does not. Get the best tools for taking care of plants easily and without any mess.

If the need arises, grow a flower with certain veggies to balance it all out. Water them regularly and feed them the homemade fertilizer. Make sure there are holes in the pots/containers for the excess water to flow out and you can grow hybrids as well.

Other plants to beautify the balcony

1. Flowers

Some of the plants you can grow at home that will make your balcony look beautiful and fragrant are Roses, Jasmine, Peace Lily, Hibiscus, Dahlia, Chrysanthemum, Daisy, Evergreen and so on. Choose different colors and mix and match to make your garden look colorful and backdrop worthy. Hibiscus and rose will help you with the herbal tea, Dahlia and Chrysanthemums can be used as decorations, and Jasmine and Daisy will add to the fragrant.

2. Medicinal plants

Apart from flowers and vegetables to be grown at home, you can grow various medicinal plants at home. Make them part of your vegetable garden on the balcony and we promise you will not regret it. Medicinal plants you can grow at home are:

Tulsi : for tea, for other dishes, for making the paste and applying it on the wounds and face for the better skin.

Aloe Vera : Most of the people know the benefits of Aloe Vera. You can apply it on burns, wounds, gel for the face, and so on. You can also incorporate in your diet for better gut health.

Mint : for the tea, juices, shakes and so on. You can boil the mint and use it as a natural fragrant to get rid of body odor.

Giloy : It helps people with diabetes, Arthritis, Dengue, Chikungunya, and so on. Chewing the raw Giloy leaves helps the people with the breathing issue.

Curry Leaves : Curry leaves used in food reduces gastric issues, inflammation issues, helps maintain cholesterol below the borderline and makes the food tasty. It is a must – grow a medicinal plant in the vegetable garden on the balcony.

Once a person gets used to having a vegetable garden on the balcony, he/she will do it for the rest of their lives. instead he will become careful about health and can follow diet with fresh veggies.