Create a herb garden on the balcony

You don't need your own garden to grow fresh herbs from your own cultivation. We'll show you how to create your own herb garden on your balcony.

If you don't have a garden, you don't have to do without fresh herbs for the kitchen. A large part of the herbs can also be kept perfectly on a balcony. So you not only have beautiful balcony boxes, but also fresh greens for salads and other delicious dishes.

Which herbs can be grown on the balcony?

Basically, most herbs can be grown on the balcony. The only limiting factor is the roots. Plants with shallow roots feel much more comfortable in window boxes than plants with deep roots such as lovage or dill. Otherwise there are no limits to your design imagination. Of course, the orientation of your balcony determines which plants will thrive best. Local herbs will thrive on almost every balcony, while Mediterranean herbs need a lot of sun and warmth.

You now have the choice between domestic and Mediterranean, annual or non-winter-hardy herbs and perennial species.

Annuals or not hardy herbs

These herbs mostly prefer a shady to partly sunny location, but without the blazing midday sun. The substrate should be moist with a pH value in the neutral to slightly acidic range, i.e. between 6 and 7. These herbs feel really good in nutrient-rich and humus herbal soil - like ours Plantura organic herb & seed compost.

• parsley (Petroselinum crispum ssp. crispum): Parsley is actually two years old, but most of the time it does not survive winter in our regions. In the next year, however, you should not sow the crop in the same place again, as it is not self-tolerant. Parsley can be sown directly from April / May.
• basil (Ocimum basilicum): You can never have enough of fresh basil. So it's a good reason to grow it yourself. It prefers slightly sunnier locations and warm temperatures. It gets too cold for him below 10 ° C. It therefore only makes sense to sow the seeds outdoors from May onwards.
• Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus): Nasturtiums are not only tasty, but above all extremely decorative. The long shoots with the strikingly bright flowers like to hang down on the balcony or climb along beams and struts, if you allow this. Sowing outdoors is possible from the ice saints in May.

tip: Which others Herbs for the shade are particularly suitable, you can find out in our special article.

Perennial herbs

The following herbs are among the in our temperate latitudes hardy herbs and often live for many years. Like the annual or non-winter-hardy species already mentioned, these perennial herbs prefer semi-sunny or shady locations. The soil should be moist and humus and have a pH value in the neutral to slightly acidic range. With herbal soils like our Plantura Organic herb & sowing soil you are on the safe side here. Our Plantura herb and seed soil meets the requirements of herbs and also has the optimal nutrient content for your herbs.

• chives (Allium schoenoprasum): Chives not only taste great in scrambled eggs or salads, they also develop magnificent and even edible flowers that are a welcome source of food for numerous insects. In addition, chives are robust and reliably come new every spring.
• Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis): Lemon balm is virtually indestructible. The long-lived herb survives many years and can sow itself without any problems. Their growth is strong and so a small amount is usually enough to cover the kitchen needs. Their small lip flowers, which show up in early summer, are a magnet for insects.
• mint (Mentha): Mint is incredibly diverse. Taste, plant shape and even the color shade of the leaves vary considerably within the species. In theory, you could have a very decorative window box with different ones Types and varieties of mint design. Mint is very reserved in its claims and gets along well with warm and sunny as well as rather shady balconies.

For very sunny and hot balconies, you should resort to Mediterranean perennial species. sage (Salvia), lavender (Lavandula), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), winter savory (Satureja montana) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) enjoy the dryness and heat and develop their full aroma. These herbs thrive in rather dry and nutrient-poor soil, the pH of which should be basic.

Planting a herb garden on the balcony: instructions

The substrate is of particular importance for your own herb garden on the balcony. The earth should not be too rich in nutrients so that the herbs can develop their unique aroma. Too many nutrients can reduce this. It depends on the type and amount of nutrients. In addition, the soil should be permeable and humus. Our Plantura herb and sowing soil was specially developed for planting herbs and therefore offers optimal conditions for successful herb planting. By doing without peat, the earth is particularly climate-friendly. Most herbs also particularly like the slightly acidic to basic pH value. It is also practical that you can also use the soil for growing cuttings.

Normal window boxes are of course suitable as planters. Check that the boxes are securely in place before filling in the soil. Of course, depending on the size of the balcony, you can also put the herbs in pots and other planters and distribute them over the balcony. Converted pallets also offer a space-saving option here.

Now is the time to think about how to best arrange the herbs. Some herbs are quite tricky here as far as the neighborhood is concerned. Basil and lemon balm, for example, don't like each other and should therefore not be planted next to each other. Otherwise, of course, you shouldn't neglect aesthetics.

Most of the herbs themselves can be sown around the month of May or grown on the windowsill. You don't have to buy many herb seeds. Surely you have friends or acquaintances who can harvest a few seeds of lemon balm, nasturtium or lavender for you. If this is too tedious for you, you can also buy potted plants and plant out or pull cuttings. However, you should not fertilize purchased potted plants for the first six to eight weeks, as this can lead to over-fertilization. Herbs such as chives or lemon balm can also be multiplied by dividing them.

Tip: Growing herbs from seeds yourself is a very special experience. With our Plantura herb growing kit this succeeds without any problems - the all-round set contains everything you need for home-grown herbs: Substrate, growing pots, seeds for 5 aromatic varieties, a mini greenhouse and plant signs.

summary – Plant a herb garden on the balcony:

• Find a suitable substrate. Our Plantura organic herb & seed compost provides the best conditions here
• Select a suitable planter and attach it securely
• Choose herbs and create a planting plan
• Possibly grow herb seeds or cuttings yourself

Maintain herbs on the balcony

Many herbs are absolutely easy to care for. Depending on the sun exposure of your balcony, you should water your new herb garden more or less often. Most of the plants prefer it to be moist, even if they don't like waterlogging at all. Only the sun-loving, perennial Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary and sage like to have things a little drier.

As for the nutrients, don't be overly indulgent for the flavor. Herbs such as basil, parsley and lemon balm, however, are happy to have a portion of fresh fertilizer every now and then. Organic fertilizers like ours Plantura organic universal fertilizer ensure the right nutrient supply here. Also a Coffee grounds fertilizer is suitable for many herbs. It has a slightly acidic effect on the pH value of the soil and also contributes to the build-up of humus. Only lime-loving herbs like many Mediterranean plants should not be fertilized with coffee grounds.

In autumn, you can remove the residues of annual herbs and withered stems of the perennial. If the balcony boxes stay outside during the winter anyway, you can leave the plant remains until spring for the sake of the insects.

summary – Care of herbs on the balcony:

• Many herbs are extremely easy to care for
• Keep the soil moist, water Mediterranean herbs such as sage and rosemary less often
• Fertilize heavily draining species such as basil from time to time
• Cut back in autumn or spring and remove plant remains from annual species

More detailed information about the Fertilizing your herbs can be found in this special article.