Sky-high vegetables can grow on balcony

Fresh-grown fruit and vegetables only steps away from the kitchen? That may be so for homes with a garden, but for apartment and condo dwellers, it can be a long walk to a community garden. That could be enough to sway the preference toward the grocery store where everything is washed, packed and shrink-wrapped in plastic — and well-travelled.

But you can successfully grow a fine selection of vegetables and herbs in a simple container on the balcony. Who wouldn’t prefer fresh basil and a sun-kissed tomato just steps away? Cherry tomatoes would be like a living bowl of candy.

Your balcony garden will need to be on the sunnier side of the building, so check the orientation. The north side will be too shady for anything other than leafy vegetables, and they’ll struggle, although young leaves manage the shade better than mature ones, so you’ll be able to occasionally harvest enough for a small salad. Most vegetables need a minimum of six hours of sun.

The other weather concern is wind. It can be troublesome on a tall building when it accelerates to tornado strength between neighbouring highrises. A screen might be necessary to deflect the extremes, or your kale could end up in Kansas with Dorothy.

With that sorted, there’s one rule when growing vegetables in planters: the bigger and deeper the better — at least 30 centimetres (a foot) deep, deeper still for carrots and other root vegetables. Provided it’s big enough, anything that will hold soil and has a drainage hole will do. Vegetables absorb a lot of water, and they don’t do well if stressed when there’s a lack of moisture in the soil, so never let it never dry completely.

There’s no need to add gravel in the bottom of a planter. However, it’s worthwhile covering the holes with something like a coffee filter or w the soil washing through.

It’s best to have a tray underneath to catch any excess water or neighbours below might be hammering on your door if you happen to overwater.

Access to water will mean a hose attachment for the kitchen faucet, or you’ll need to carry a pail as often as once a day, because balcony planters miss out on rain most of the time. Large containers do cut down on the need for watering as often.

Self-watering containers are an option — there are many on the market. They incorporate a reservoir in the bottom whereby water is wicked up into the soil, but these take up space that could hold soil. When the soil is deep enough, it acts as its own water source. To reduce evaporation, add mulch to the soil surface after you’ve planted. Chunky coir works well, or bark nuggets.

Choose a soil that is light and drains well. These are typically made of peat moss and vermiculite for water retention and perlite for drainage. Some incorporate fertilizer, but that isn’t essential as you’ll need to feed those vegetables. A balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer is fine, or a water-soluble one. Fertilizer isn’t a cure-all, so don’t use more than necessary.

Herb and vegetable plants are available now, or you could still sow seeds. For first-timers, there might be failures, so start with a few easy ones like lettuce, basil, tomatoes or peppers. They don’t have to be in separate containers. With a something to climb, pole beans will do well and produce a good crop.

Success comes with experience, so view setbacks as a learning experience. If everything fails, there’s always the grocery store.