Growing a Container Vegetable Garden: Easy Vegetables on a Balcony and Terrace
No need for a garden to harvest your own vegetables. On a balcony or terrace, well-chosen pots make it possible to grow cherry tomatoes, salads and herbs all season long. Here is how to get started.
Choosing the containers
- A pot of 30 cm diameter minimum for tomatoes and courgettes
- A growing tub 40 cm deep for carrots and potatoes
- A hanging planter or a support for strawberries and herbs
- Check the drainage holes: essential at the bottom of the pot
The right soil
Use a special vegetable potting mix, light and rich in nutrients. Put a layer of clay balls at the bottom of the pot for drainage, then the potting mix up to 3 cm from the rim. Vegetables in pots quickly exhaust the soil: add a liquid organic fertiliser every two weeks during full growth.
The easy vegetables to start with
- Cherry tomatoes: very productive in pots, need sun
- Cut-and-come-again salads: you harvest them several times
- Radishes: ready in 4 weeks, ideal for quick results
- Herbs: basil, parsley, chives in a planter
- Courgettes: a single plant is enough, in a large pot
Watering, the key habit
- Water in the morning or evening, never in full sun
- Water at the base, not on the leaves (risk of disease)
- Check the moisture with your finger: water when the surface is dry
- In summer, pots dry out quickly: plan a mulch or water-retaining granules
Sun and positioning
Most fruiting vegetables (tomatoes, courgettes) need 6 hours of sun a day. Salads and herbs tolerate partial shade. Face your pots south or south-west if possible, and turn them a quarter turn each week for even growth.
With a bit of potting mix, suitable pots and regular watering, your balcony turns into a productive mini vegetable garden, with vegetables far tastier than those from the supermarket.