If you’re living somewhere with limited outdoor space but want to have a garden, you may have realized that there are a lot of challenges that come with trying to grow things in pots with limited space and possibly limited sunlight. Having had my own balcony garden every summer now for almost ten years, I wanted to share my best tips here so you can have a successful garden too!
There are no mistakes in gardening, only experiments.
Janet Kilburn Phillips
I once heard the quote above that goes like “There are no mistakes in gardening, only experiments.” and I absolutely loved it. I really resonated with this because gardening can be a lot of work that doesn’t always pan out. But it’s always worth it! Even if your harvest doesn’t end up how you’d hoped, there is always something to be learned with everything you try. If you’ve had some disappointments, I want to encourage you to keep going and keep experimenting!
Here are the best tips I’ve learned along the way about having a garden in a small outdoor space- whether that be on a balcony, small patio, or deck:
Research the depth of plant roots
Because you’ll be growing things in pots, it’s important to research the plants you want to grow to find out how long the roots will grow. This will help you to determine what size of pots/containers you need to use.
You can totally grow root vegetables like carrots and beets in a pot, as long as the pot is deep enough! I grow carrots every summer in a cedar planter about 14″ tall, and they have been one of the easiest and most dependable things I grow.
Use pots that are safe to store outside during the winter
If you’re living in a condo or apartment, chances are you have limited storage space. Without having a garage or outdoor space to store pots & gardening supplies over the winter, you’ll need a convenient place to store your pots when they’re not in use. Choose pots that are safe to keep outside over the winter (like cedar wood planters and some plastic) if you don’t have any space inside to store them. Most ceramic and terracotta pots are at risk of cracking with freezing temperatures.
For me, I use a combination of cedar planters, plastic, faux wicker, ceramic, and terracotta. I use cedar, terracotta, and ceramic for food crops to reduce toxic chemicals leaching into the soil. For the most part, I save the plastic pots for growing flowers. A lot of my pots are a faux wicker (weather-resistant) style, that I created using baskets and a burlap lining. Check out how I made those here.
Use an outdoor storage box
Something that was a complete GAME-CHANGER for me was buying an outdoor storage box where I keep most of my flower pots over the winter. This protects them from the elements and keeps my patio looking neat and tidy over the winter months.
Having a storage box also made it very easy and convenient to store extra bags of soil, my watering can, etc. It also made putting things away at the end of the season and bringing them back out in the spring MUCH easier. If you’re outdoor space is really small, you can get a storage box that has a flat seat for the top, allowing it to be used for seating as well.
Re-use some of your soil the next year
Buying new soil to fill your pots every growing season can get expensive! So what I started doing was leaving my pots about half-full of soil at the end of the season, and then topping off the pot with partially new soil at the start of a new gardening season. I usually add fertilizer to the old soil, mix it in, and then add new soil on top.
This is another big perk of having an outdoor storage bin- you can keep some soil in your pots and not have to worry about throwing it away or finding a way to store it.
Take note of how much sunlight your location gets
Sunlight can be tricky in a condo or apartment as there are often more buildings around that can block the sun. Research the plants you want to grow to find out how much sun they need so you can select ones that will thrive in your space. Choose the specific locations for your pots strategically so as to make sure the plants that need the most sun will be in the sunniest spots. Chances are you have some “corners” of your patio that are mostly shaded, mostly sunny, or somewhere in-between, so take note of these areas. Your specific location is known as a “microclimate”.
Plants like tomatoes and peppers will need full sun (6+ hours of direct sunlight), while crops like lettuce, radishes, carrots, and kale can grow in partial sun (3+ hours of direct sunlight). Many plants will still grow in less-than-ideal sunlight situations, they just won’t produce as big of a harvest. So if there’s something you really want to grow and aren’t sure how it will do, I say go for it! Remember, gardening is an experiment! 😉
Grow cut-and-come again crops to make the most of your time & effort
Cut-and-come-again plants are ones that can be harvested multiple times throughout the growing season. It means you can “cut” some of the plant and it will come back again. This includes all kinds of leafy greens like spinach, kale, romaine, and many herbs. The key is usually to only harvest the outer leaves, and continue to allow the plant to grow back again from the centre.
Implement ‘companion planting’
Companion planting is when you grow plants together or near each other that mutually benefit each other. Sometimes the benefit is improving nutrients in the soil, or attracting pollinators and repelling pests. It also takes into account avoiding growing plants near each other that don’t grow well together.
This could mean growing flowers such as marigolds, which attract pollinators and repel harmful insects, nearby plants like tomatoes. Another example would be growing basil near tomatoes, as they enhance the flavour of each other when grown together!
Many herbs and flowers can be used for repelling harmful insects and attracting pollinators. Both are important in helping your container garden to thrive! Avoid planting things in the same area that are prone to the same diseases and attract the same pests. This helps to keep any potential problems more contained. Do a bit of research when planning your garden to find out which plants are best for companion planting.
Research, research, research- starting in March
As I’ve mentioned a few times already, it’s important to research the plants you want to grow. You’ll want to find out how big the plants will get, and what will be involved in growing them. Can you direct seed into the pots you’re using, or do you have to start the seeds indoors and then transplant outside? Does the plant you’re considering grow well in your zone?
I LOVE growing tomatoes, but the seeds need to be started indoors in early spring, and then transplanted outside when the chance of frost has past. I don’t have the space at my condo to grow tomato seedlings in early spring (which require a good amount of sunlight), so I have to grow them at my parents’ house. You may need to do something similar!
I recommend starting to plan and research what you want to grow starting in March, which is the start of spring in my zone and most of Canada. (It may be different where you are.) This will give you time to figure out what seeds you want to buy, order them, and get any supplies you may need. I like to buy most of my seeds online because there is a MUCH better selection of seeds available. You can buy many seeds that are bred specifically for container growing, such as dwarf tomatoes and compact cucumber plants.
Try planting things closer together than the seed packet states
On most seed packets, it will tell you how far apart your plants should be spaced. However, a lot of plants can be successfully grown closer together, which can sometimes mean a bigger harvest when growing in a small space. Lettuce, for example, can be grown densely and then picked when the leaves are smaller to have lots of baby leaves for a salad.
Spacing plants farther apart is more for when you need to allow the plant to grow to its full size. This does have some benefits, such as providing good air flow around the plants. But just keep in mind that there is definitely wiggle room when it comes to spacing!
Don’t get overwhelmed, just go for it!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, the best thing you can do is to just go for it and not over-think things too much. While there are definitely a lot of things to consider, you’ll find out what works best for you by just trying it! Start small with just a couple of plants if that helps, and slowly grow more as you can.
Happy planting!
Leave a Reply