How to grow an edible garden on your balcony

No need to go to the supermarket, pick your own herbs, fruit and vegetables

Choose your spot

Survey your surroundings and work out the best spot for your garden, the more sunlight you get the more you’ll be able to grow. Small citrus trees, for example, require at least five hours of full sun a day so make sure you know exactly how much sun your proposed garden space will get. The smaller the space the more you’ll need to rely on plants that work effectively in crowded areas.

Be prepared

Gardens generally reflect the amount of effort put in so plan carefully, go to a garden centre and talk to the staff about options for pots and garden beds. Get online and check out gardening and garden centre websites. Make sure you get good quality potting mix, fertiliser and the right size pots with good drainage. Plants like lettuce and silverbeet require around 30cm in diameter and a lot of fruits and vegetables need well-drained soil to keep their root structure sound enough to support the growing and ripening of yummy fruit and vegetables.

Keep it simple

Everyone’s loves the idea that they have a green thumb but this isn’t always the case and it’s best if you’re a novice gardener to start simply and then move on to more ambitious projects as your confidence grows. Herbs and leafy greens such as lettuce and silverbeet are regarded as good for beginners. They’re hardy and can be kept in pots and are harvestable sooner than a lot of other crops. Also do some research and learn how to combat myriad of pests that might invade your vegetable garden.

Use the space wisely

Wall gardens not only look great but also can increase the number of things you can plant with limited space, they’re great for garlic, herbs and leafy plants. Use a trellis to encourage plants such as cucumber, passionfruit and tomatoes to climb. Tomatoes can also grow hanging tubs so make sure you use every bit of space available to you. Small growth fruit trees such as Meyer Lemons can live happily in tubs and be kept on wheels and moved to catch as much sun as possible.

Andrea Black

Travel, design and interiors writer Andrea Black embraces maximalism in the home, prefers mid-century modern style furniture and likes to hunt down vintage pieces. She specialises in travel relating to design, history, architecture and music. When visiting a city she will track down vintage vinyl record stores and bring home a local release.

Related stories

Sign Up to the Newsletter