Balcony Vegetable Gardening Guide: Suitable Vegetable Varieties and How to Buy Seeds and Seedlings

Many people today advocate green food, but vegetables bought at the market are not necessarily healthy to eat. Some people want to grow vegetables at home but worry that their balcony is too small to keep them alive. Let's take a closer look below:Which vegetables can be grown on your own balcony? Where can you buy seeds and seedlings?

How do you grow vegetables on a balcony?

1: What vegetables to grow on a balcony?

“Growing flowers is good; growing vegetables is even better.” Grow flowers well and you can enjoy them; grow vegetables well and you not only get to eat pollution-free vegetables you grew yourself, but the green leaves and abundant fruit can also become a beautiful sight. But we city dwellers living in a jungle of steel and concrete have no large plot of land, so how can we grow vegetables? No worries, a small balcony is actually a great place to grow vegetables. Below we introduce the knowledge, methods and tips of balcony vegetable gardening one by one, starting with what vegetables are suitable for a balcony.

Choose vegetables according to orientation

What vegetables to grow on a balcony depends on one hand on personal preference and needs, and on the other hand on which vegetables suit the environmental conditions of your balcony. Generally speaking, if space allows, most vegetables, melons and fruits can be grown on a balcony. The so-called environmental conditions of a balcony mainly refer to its orientation and whether it is enclosed. Orientation determines the light conditions of the balcony, while whether the balcony is enclosed determines its temperature conditions. A fully enclosed balcony is also warmer in winter and is less limited by temperature, so the range of vegetables to choose from is wider and vegetables can basically be grown all year round. A semi-enclosed or unenclosed balcony is colder in winter, so it is generally not easy to grow vegetables in winter; in summer, direct sunlight makes the temperature too high, so you also need to pay attention to shading to protect the vegetables.

More importantly, the orientation of the balcony matters. When temperature allows, vegetables should generally be chosen according to the balcony's orientation.

A south-facing balcony gets full sun, has plenty of light and good ventilation, and is the most ideal balcony for growing vegetables. Almost all vegetables grow best under full sun, so most vegetables can be grown year-round on a south-facing balcony, such as cucumber, bitter melon, tomato, snap bean, daylily, New Zealand spinach, mustard greens, zucchini, green pepper, lettuce, Chinese chives and so on. In addition, aquatic vegetables such as lotus root, water chestnut and water caltrop are also suitable for growing on a south-facing balcony. In winter, most parts of a south-facing balcony can receive direct sunlight, and with a simple insulation setup you can also create a good environment for producing vegetables in winter.

East- and west-facing balconies get partial sun and are suitable for growing light-loving, shade-tolerant vegetables such as onion, leaf lettuce, baby bok choy, Chinese chives, loofah, cilantro, radish and so on. But a west-facing balcony is hotter in summer when the sun beats down in the afternoon, causing some vegetables to suffer sunscald, with mild cases dropping leaves and severe cases dying. Therefore it is best to plant vining, heat-tolerant vegetables in the corners of the balcony. In summer, you should also try to guard against the strong light and reflected radiation coming from the building behind.

A north-facing balcony gets almost no sunlight all day, so the range of vegetables to choose from is the smallest. You should choose shade-tolerant vegetables to grow, such as lettuce, Chinese chives, asparagus, Chinese toon, dandelion, water spinach, Ceylon spinach and so on. In summer, you should also try to guard against the strong light and reflected radiation coming from the building behind.

Which vegetables are most suitable for growing on a balcony?

Fast-growing vegetables with a short cycle: baby bok choy, green garlic, sprouting vegetables, mustard greens, bok choy, leaf lettuce

Vegetables with a long harvest period: tomato, chili pepper, Chinese chives, coriander, cilantro, scallion, etc.

Space-saving vegetables: carrot, radish, lettuce, scallion, ginger, cilantro

Easy-to-grow vegetables: bitter melon, carrot, ginger, scallion, lettuce, baby bok choy

Vegetables not prone to pests: scallion, Chinese chives, sweet potato leaves, ginseng herb, aloe, angular quelite

What vegetables should beginners choose?

Beginners can choose easy-to-grow vegetables or fast-growing greens. For example, bok choy and leaf lettuce can be planted year-round and grow relatively fast, taking about five or six weeks to harvest. Bitter melon, scallion, ginger and so on are highly adaptable and have a special taste of their own, so insects are not fond of approaching them, and they can grow well without pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

Where to buy seeds and seedlings?

Usually the seeds or seedlings you need can be found at farms, garden shops, flower markets, vegetable markets, horticultural markets, seed stores and other such places.

Overseas seed companies noticed the home vegetable-growing market long ago and have continuously bred dwarf and mini varieties of various vegetables to suit growing in small spaces. Such dwarf and mini varieties are still rare on our market, but it is believed that as more and more people take up growing vegetables at home, there will be more and more of these vegetable seeds on the market for us to choose from.

Complete Balcony Vegetable Gardening Guide Part 2: What containers to use for growing vegetables?

Almost any type of container can be used to grow vegetables, as long as it is sturdy enough and can provide enough space and drainage. Besides traditional flower pots, flower troughs and other specialized containers, many household items can be repurposed, such as plastic basins, buckets, flower boxes, flower troughs, wooden crates, aluminum boxes, galvanized iron boxes, plastic boxes, jars, food cans, and even bathtubs, tires, burlap sacks, barbecue trays and so on. But no matter what container you choose, make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom.

Basins, buckets, boxes, jars, baskets, pots and other household items can all be used to grow vegetables

Tuber vegetables such as potatoes can be grown in bags

Scallions, Chinese chives, garlic sprouts and so on can be grown in baking trays

Tires, burlap sacks and so on are also good containers for growing vegetables

Drainage holes

No matter what container you choose to grow vegetables in, you must make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom to ensure smooth drainage. Drainage from the container is crucial. Poor drainage suffocates and rots the plant roots; drainage that is too fast will cause the plants to dry out and die from lack of water. Flower pots, flower troughs and other specialized containers bought on the market all have drainage holes in the bottom. For containers repurposed from household items, you need to drill a few drainage holes yourself; generally you can evenly drill a few drainage holes 0.5-1cm in diameter around the bottom.

To prevent soil loss when watering, you can do “pot lining”, that is, cover the drainage holes with broken pot shards, tile pieces or window screen, just enough to block the drainage holes. To promote drainage, you can place some coarse gravel or small stones on top of the pot lining material to keep drainage smooth.

For vining plants such as cucumber and snap bean, you can give the flower pot a “cage” as support

Material

Generally speaking, ceramic and wooden containers drain faster than plastic containers and need more watering. Do not place plastic containers by the window, because plastic vessels are lightweight and easily blown over by the wind. Do not use pressure-treated wooden containers; chemical preservatives are added during the pressure-treatment process, and although this method allows the treated wood to resist termites, rot and other harmful factors for a long time, the wood itself also contains toxic substances that will poison plants. If you make your own wooden containers, it is best to use rot-resistant wood such as pine, fir and so on.

For the material and selection of flower pots, please refer to “Home Gardening: How to choose flower pots?”

Color

Use black containers with caution, because black absorbs heat and may damage plant roots. If you choose a black container, it is best to coat it with a lighter-colored paint, or simply shade the container to avoid direct sunlight.

Size

The size of the container is very important. When choosing containers for growing vegetables, it is better to err on the large side than the small; a larger container not only has ample room for fertilizer but also holds more water, so it will not dry out quickly in summer. Tomatoes, chili peppers, snap beans and so on need larger containers; generally a container of about 15-20 liters is enough. When buying seeds and seedlings, it is best to ask the seller how large a container is needed, how to water and fertilize, and so on.

Soilless culture

So-called soilless culture is the technique of growing plants without soil, instead using a substrate (including rock wool, peat, vermiculite, perlite, bark, sawdust, water and so on) and nutrient solution. Soilless culture not only grows fast, yields high and gives good quality, but also has fewer pests and diseases, is clean and tidy, and requires only watering with nutrient solution, making it very convenient to manage.

Soil culture uses potting soil

Home vegetable growing can also use soil culture. Soil culture is relative to soilless culture and also has its advantages, such as a stronger buffering capacity for pH and so on, a very good ability to retain fertilizer and water, and the activity of various beneficial bacteria being beneficial to plant growth. Home vegetable growing usually uses organically cultivated potting soil; these potting soils can be bought at horticultural markets, and you can choose a specialized potting soil according to the type of vegetable.

Some people find that soil bought from the market does not grow plants well, and some people like DIY, so you can also mix your own potting soil. For the ingredients and mixing methods of potting soil, please refer to the following article:

What is potting soil? What types of potting soil are there?

In order to meet the needs of flowers, especially potted flowers, for growth and development, soil specially mixed by hand according to the different soil requirements of various varieties, containing rich nutrients, having good drainage and permeability (air permeability), able to retain moisture and fertilizer, not cracking when dry, not sticking together when moist, and not crusting after watering, is called potting soil.

There are quite a few types of potting soil; the commonly used ones are as follows:

Leaf mold

Made by piling up and composting fallen leaves, dry grass, vegetable peelings and so on until rotted. These materials are piled into a pit, layer by layer of leaves (or dry grass, vegetable peelings), then a layer of garden soil, sprinkled with some livestock or poultry manure and urine, repeated for several layers, then covered with soil on top; after more than half a year, the rotted leaves and so on are mixed with the garden soil, then sieved, sun-dried and stored for later use. This potting soil has rich humus, excellent physical properties, is good for retaining fertilizer and drainage, and is loose and on the acidic side.

Stable manure soil

Stable manure is made by piling up and composting cow manure, horse manure, pig manure, sheep manure, poultry manure with soil and weeds until rotted; after rotting it must also be sun-dried and sieved before use, and it contains nutrients and humus.

Garden soil and field mud

Garden soil and field mud refer to the surface soil of a garden or field, that is, the mature soil from cultivated crops, which is piled up, sun-exposed and then kept indoors for later use.

Pond mud

Pond mud is used more in the south. Pond mud is dug out and made into thin blocks, sun-dried and stored for later use; when using, break the thin blocks apart. Its advantages are that it is rich in fertilizer and drains well, and it is neutral or slightly alkaline.

Rice hull ash

Rice hull ash is mainly the ash from burning rice husks or rice straw, also called plant ash; it loosens the soil, aids drainage, contains potassium fertilizer and is on the alkaline side.

Yellow sand

Generally, using river sand as potting soil helps drainage and aeration; before use it must be rinsed with clean water to remove salt before use.

Sawdust

After sawdust is piled up and composted until rotted, it is mixed with soil to make the potting soil loose and good at retaining water; it is a newly developed potting soil material in recent years.

Brick rubble

Breaking up tile pieces or bricks helps drainage and aeration, but lacks nutrients.

Garbage soil

Garbage soil is called “revived soil”; it is the waste soil after repotting, piled up again with added manure. This soil is composted until rotted, then sieved and sun-dried for later use.

How to mix potting soil?

Because various plants have different nutrient requirements, degrees of acid and alkali tolerance, and drainage and aeration needs, the mixing ratios also differ. The basic requirements for potting soil should follow these principles:

① Have an appropriate proportion of nutrients, including trace elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

② Be required to be loose, well aerated and well drained.

③ Be free of pests, diseases and other harmful substances that harm the growth of flowers and trees, such as insect pupae.

④ Remove grass roots, gravel and other debris, sieve and carry out general disinfection, such as sun exposure or heating and steaming.

Several potting soil mixing methods suited to the needs of different potted plants are as follows:

Soil for sowing and seedlings

2 parts leaf mold, 1 part garden soil, a small amount of stable manure, a small amount of sand. Or 1 part leaf mold, 1 part garden soil, 1 part rice hull ash, a small amount of stable manure.

Soil for general potted flowers

1 part leaf mold, 1 part garden soil, 0.5 part rice hull ash, 0.5 part stable manure soil. Or 1 part leaf mold, 1.5 parts garden soil, 0.5 part stable manure soil

Soil for shade- and moisture-tolerant plants

0.5 part leaf mold, 2 parts garden soil, 1 part stable manure soil, 0.5 part rice hull ash.

Soil for cuttings

Because cuttings do not need nutrients before rooting, yellow sand or vermiculite is often used. If using 1 part garden soil, 1 part rice hull ash; or 1 part garden soil, 1 part leaf mold is also fine. For certain flowers, cuttings can also be taken using rice hull ash alone.

Soil for acid-loving plants

Use mountain soil or leaf mold, garden soil plus a small amount of yellow sand.

Soil for succulents

Use 0.5 part yellow sand, 0.5 part garden soil, 1 part leaf mold. Or use 1 part brick rubble, 1 part garden soil.

Soil for camellia, azalea and banana shrub

2 parts leaf mold, 1.5 parts yellow mud, 0.5 part burnt mud ash, 1 part sand, plus a small amount of bone meal and so on.

Soil for orchids

At present, black mountain soil is mostly used, that is, leaf mold naturally accumulated from fallen leaves in mountain forests, or a small amount of yellow sand added to leaf mold.

In addition, there are the following mixing methods for soil types:

Loose soil

2 parts garden soil, 1 part rice hull ash. Suitable for cuttings.

Light fertile soil

1 part garden soil, 2 parts leaf mold, 1 part stable manure soil. Suitable for plants with weaker root development and for fine seeds.

Heavy fertile soil

2 parts garden soil, 1 part leaf mold, 1 part stable manure, suitable for growing general flowers.

Clay fertile soil

2 parts garden soil, 1 part stable manure soil, suitable for growing palms, cycads and other plants with thick roots as well as rhizomatous plants.

What fertilizer to use for home vegetable growing?

Fertilizing vegetables grown without soil is the simplest; you just water with nutrient solution. The nutrient solution for soilless culture must be formulated with major elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur and trace elements such as iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper and molybdenum. There are nutrient solution formulas specially for different plants as well as some general-purpose ones for plants; all can be bought at horticultural markets, and after mixing reasonably according to the instructions on the label, they can be used for watering.

Watering with nutrient solution is the key to soilless culture. The principle of standard nutrient solution watering is to water on sunny days and not on cloudy or rainy days; water less in the early growth stage and more during the fruiting stage. The nutrient solution can be recovered and reused cyclically; generally the nutrient solution is completely replaced once about every 20 days.

Soil culture can use traditional fertilizers or nutrient solutions. If using traditional fertilizers, it is best to choose organic fertilizers, including plant-based fertilizers and animal manure, and to avoid chemical fertilizers as much as possible, because chemical fertilizers leave acid or salt radicals behind, and the potting soil will become acidic or alkaline, hindering plant growth. There are various specialized organic fertilizers on the horticultural market; you can choose a suitable organic fertilizer according to the type of vegetable.

Make your own organic compost from kitchen scraps

If you like DIY, you can also make your own organic compost from kitchen scraps, which not only reduces the amount of garbage and makes full use of waste, but is also economical and environmentally friendly. The method for making your own organic compost is very simple: first line the bottom of the planting container with broken tile pieces or window screen for pot lining, then cover with about 2cm of soil, then place drained kitchen scraps in the container (about 3cm), then cover with a layer of thick soil (about 6-9cm); the compost is then made, and you can sow and plant in this container.