This post shows you how to make the most of a small balcony garden space!
The desire for the perfect garden can make you wish you had a large backyard to make your dreams come true.
But maintaining a garden of that size isn’t a task for the weak, considering the amount of expenses, weather, and physical labor it takes.
Many of us live in smaller spaces but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to garden!
Container gardening in smaller spaces is where the best creativity comes from – proving that you know how to make the most of what you have when it matters.
And if you can grow a few ingredients right outside your door, making dinner becomes something to look forward to!
Here are some tips to maximize your growing space
1. Go vertical
When growing vegetables on a balcony, patio, or deck, going vertical is the ultimate solution to maximizing garden space.
Not only are you saving tons of space, but growing “up” allows for a cleaner and straighter harvest of vegetables!
Use a trellis, ladder, stake, or tomato cage as extra plant support. They even have 3-tier planters at Dollar Tree to create a tower effect!
Great container gardening options for a vertical garden include cucumbers, snap peas, pole beans, squash, and or sweet potatoes.
2. Invest in companion planting
Companion planting is a smart solution to growing a large amount of food in a small space.
Maximize garden space by using popular gardening techniques like relay cropping or interplanting.
Simulate a raised bed using a storage tote to grow multiple crops.
A good combo could be planting a root crop like carrots with strong-smelling herbs like basil and garlic with tomatoes to repel pests away!
Not only does grouping your plants companions save space, they mutually benefit from each other leading to healthier plants!
3. Choose the right container
Make the most of your containers and the plants you grow for max space. Most herbs and lettuce do not need containers more than 6 inches deep since they have shallow roots.
But greens like broccoli and kale have deeper roots that will need large pots at least 12 inches deep!
Take into account if you have an awkward or narrow space, fabric grow bags offer flexibility and a perfect option for growing.
Square milk crates or containers fit better on balconies with right angles and can also be stacked for vertical gardening or square-foot gardening.
Square pots also hold more soil than circular pots of the same diameter, so go square if you can!
Before growing on an apartment balcony, be sure to check the weight of your balcony to prevent structural damage.
4. Plant the expensive stuff
While we’d like to think we can save money and replace all of our groceries by starting a garden, it’s just not realistic.
Instead of growing a bunch of random varieties, focus on growing the veggies that tend to be more expensive at the store or that aren’t available in your area.
For example, beans are a pretty cheap commodity at the store so it may not be the most cost-effective while fresh herbs like basil tends to be pricier and less common, but is super easy to grow!
5. Utilize indoor and outdoor space
Who says you can’t grow indoors? While you can grow vegetables on a balcony or patio space, try moving smaller plants indoors.
A mason jar herb garden can make a stylish display for window sills.
You can grow determinate (bushier and more compact) tomato varieties near a sunny kitchen window.
You can even use a citrus or lemon tree for decor indoors. The smell of lemon or orange blossom makes every bit of maintenance worth it!
Final Thoughts
This post has shown you how to maximize your balcony space for a container garden!
Did these tips help you brainstorm ideas to maximize your garden space? Sometimes all it takes is a bit of inspiration and creativity to make the impossible work. If you found this post helpful, please pin and share!
