How to Create a Balcony Garden

Creating a balcony garden might seem like a time-consuming and challenging task. However, it doesn’t have to be. Turn this little project into a creative hobby that you will enjoy to make your balcony a happier and brighter place. This guideline on how to create a balcony garden will help you out. 

Measure out the area you have to work with

If you want to create a balcony garden, there is one thing you absolutely have to do before you rush to the nearest plant store to buy your plants and flowers. You first need to measure out the area you are going to work with. You don’t want to end up buying more plants than you need. Just remember that you probably won’t be covering the entire balcony so try to work according to the space you will be using. Keep that in mind while you’re taking the measurements. You can also try to use buckets and plates as indicators. That way you will be able to visualize the vases that are going to fill up space.

Make sure your balcony has a drainage system

The next thing you need to do is to check whether your balcony has a drainage system. This step is very important because you can end up killing your plants if water gets clogged up around them. This especially goes to those who have just moved into a new apartment since there’s a high chance you haven’t gotten a chance to see how the building responds in a downpour.

Make sure you check if your balcony has a drainage hole as well as a kind of a slope toward the said hole. In case it doesn’t have any of that, you can talk with the property manager to get informed about how the drainage system works.

Get your light right

Also, before you get to buying, take some time to observe how many hours of sun per day your balcony gets. This is extremely important if you want to make sure that your plants will be growing in the right environment and conditions. Make sure you are paying attention to indirect light as well. Indirect light can be useful too which means that even if your balcony is facing north, your plants will be fine if there is enough indirect light. 

This all depends on the type of plants you want to buy too. Some plants such as grasses, succulents, morning glory vines, lettuce, lavender, mind, sage, basil, and oregano need full sun. On the other hand, plants like Coleus, English ivy, ferns, and peace lilies thrive in shades. 

Choose the right plants

Then, you want to choose the right plants. Focus on what you want your balcony to look like, but think about what conditions you can create for certain plants on your balcony. Do you want to have potted plants, grow some vegetables, or create a beautiful green wall on your balcony? Make sure you are well informed about everything your plants need in order to know whether you can provide the right conditions for them beforehand.

Use an organic spray to help with pest control

Once you get your plants and arrange them nicely, it’s expected that you will be facing pests that are attempting to destroy your garden. You will most likely be facing some issues with caterpillars, but don’t worry. There is a solution. All you have to do is get some organic salt spray, mineral oil, or garlic spray and you will be able to keep the pests away from your plants.

Check your planters

Also, you need to get containers that will be compatible with the growth habits of the plants you have. The containers have to have adequate drainage holes as well.

Use a top dressing of compost

Make sure you are giving your plants some top quality compost. Compost tea is the best option you can go for since it is good for indoors and containers. You can use this instead of water for your balcony plants.

Give the plants a good drink

Lastly, make sure you are giving your plants enough water, especially if you live in a windy area. In this case, your plants will need some extra watering. Remember that terra pots require more often watering than plastic ones. However, don’t over rush the watering. You need to water thoroughly and slowly to give your plants enough time to soak in all the water and get rid of the excess water through the drainage system.  

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating and maintaining a balcony garden really isn’t that hard. All you need to do is create the right environment and conditions for the plants you want to have, take care of the drainage system, and then just give your plants all the love and nutrients they need to grow and thrive.