The balcony offers crunchy vegetables the ideal conditions for vital growth and a rich harvest. Suitable varieties grow small and compact, are easy to care for and high-yielding. This guide introduces you to the best balcony vegetables for a snack garden at lofty heights.
Which vegetables are good for growing on balconies?
Balcony vegetables are ideal for growing at lofty heights and include radishes, lettuce, mini kohlrabi and cherry tomatoes. Mushroom cultivation is recommended in a shady location. Climbing vegetable plants such as snack cucumbers, sugar peas and mini pumpkins serve as privacy screens.
This is how the flower box becomes a vegetable bed
Balcony gardeners have discovered the flower box as an area for growing vegetables. Species and varieties thrive here and cannot be prevented from vigorous growth by the limited substrate volume. The following vitamin suppliers have particularly stood out as balcony vegetables:
- Radish 'Icicles' (Raphanus sativus) with an extra long harvest period until November
- Picking lettuce 'Picarde' and 'Lollo Rosso' (Lactuca sativa var. crispa), decorative with ruffled leaves
- Summer spinach (Spinacia oleracea), especially the box-suitable varieties 'Columbia' and 'Lazo'
- Mini kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) with the mild varieties 'Lanro' and 'Noriko'
Gardeners with a balcony on the north side use the shady location to their advantage and grow mushrooms. Mushrooms (Agaricus) are the perfect starter mushrooms, followed by pioppino (Agrocybe cylindracea), king oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus eryngii) and oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus).
Balcony vegetables for pots, buckets and tubs
Pots and tubs are perfect for growing balcony vegetables with expansive root balls. The following species and varieties represent the wide range of special varieties for the balcony:
- Red mini pepper (Capsicum annum): bears up to 30 red fruits with a spicy-sweet taste; 100 cm growth height
- Cherry tomato 'Romello' (Solanum lycopersicum), the ideal balcony tomato for beginners, does not need to be exhausted; 50cm
- Pineapple-Cherry 'Golden Marble' (Physalis Pruinosa): decorative spring flowers and golden-yellow fruits; 40-60 cm growth height
An innovation is causing a sensation among balcony gardeners. The Tomoffel 'TomTato' produces up to 500 mini tomatoes above ground and white table potatoes below ground. The breeding genius was achieved without any genetic engineering. Rather, a special type of tomato and potato were connected using a finishing clip and the ingenious vegetable duo for the large bucket was ready.
Privacy protection made from vegetable plants – two birds with one stone
The exposed location of their cultivation area is both a blessing and a curse for balcony gardeners. Plants are pampered with sunshine on the balcony, whereas the gardener usually sits on the display plate. So that you can enjoy breakfast in your bathrobe, balcony plants with a privacy factor are very popular. The following vegetable plants also protect your privacy as climbing plants:
- Snack cucumber 'Minik': climbing height 100 to 130 cm, produces 10 cm small cucumbers with smooth skin and no seeds
- Sugar peas, especially the Kefe variety (Pisum sativum subsp. sativum) with the most tender pods; up to 100 cm height
- Mini pumpkins, such as 'Butternut W altham', 'Baby boo' and other dwarf varieties of Cucurbita pepo
Climbing balcony vegetables thrive in a box or tub with an integrated trellis. Since the plants develop a dense layer of leaves, they ward off prying eyes.
Tip
Is there a lot of space on the balcony? Then simply build a vertical herb bed. This can be done easily and inexpensively with used or new wooden pallets. A single Euro pallet creates 6 compartments in which balcony herbs thrive.