Not everyone has a large vegetable garden or has the time to cultivate one. Instead, a small balcony is also ideal for planting tomatoes, cucumbers, salads, herbs, kohlrabi or bush beans.
How to create a vegetable garden on the balcony?
To create a vegetable garden on the balcony, you need high-quality planters, the right planting, sufficient light and good drainage. Fill the containers with potting soil and plant vegetables and herbs according to the ice saints.
The right containers for the potted garden
When shopping, choose the highest quality planters possible, preferably made of clay or terracotta. But buckets and troughs made of natural stone, concrete, metal, wood, wicker, fiberglass or (recycled) plastic are also very suitable, as long as they are not thin, cheap goods. The size of the containers depends on the local conditions, the planned planting and your personal taste.
High-quality buckets with water outlet make care easier
Plant containers should always have a water outlet. Especially for larger buckets, specialist retailers also offer designs with water retention and overflow. These can significantly reduce the frequency of regular watering. Fully automatic irrigation systems for potted plants not only ensure water supply during the holiday weeks.
The right location for vegetables and herbs on the balcony
If the fall protection on the balcony is permeable to light and air (e.g. perforated metal or plastic railings), the plant containers can stand on the ground. For solid parapets made of masonry, metal or plastic, the vessels should be arranged at least on the south side on the upper edge. Only there can sufficient exposure be ensured. If there is a roof overhang, the containers with the tomatoes can stand underneath.
Filling and planting containers
In our latitudes, the balcony box season begins around mid-April, although cold-sensitive vegetable plants such as tomatoes in particular should only be put outside after the Ice Saints. Before you start potting, you should first clean the containers thoroughly. Then it continues as follows:
- A drainage layer is filled in as the bottom layer.
- Split or expanded clay are particularly suitable for this.
- For pots with water storage, the overflow must still be in the drainage layer.
- A fleece filter may be added on top of this.
- Finally comes the actual substrate.
- High-quality potted plant soil is suitable for this.
- Put the vegetable plants and herbs in there.
- Don't forget to water thoroughly afterwards.
Tip
Don't lose sight of the statics when designing and planting balcony gardens: self-supporting balconies are often only designed for a load capacity of around 250 kilograms per square meter. For a 10 square meter balcony, this means that it can be loaded with a maximum of 2.5 tons in total.