Self-catering balcony: Which plants are suitable?

Growing vegetables on the balcony is anything but difficult, even if there is little space. We will show you which plant suits your balcony.

If you don't have a garden but still want to garden, you often use the balcony instead. Fortunately, harvesting a lot of vegetables is not a problem here either. Most Vegetables can also be cultivated in pots without any problems. However, beginners in particular sometimes find it difficult to get started with balcony gardening: the question of which plants can actually thrive on your balcony unsettles many. We will show you the factors on which successful vegetable cultivation depends and which plant goes with which balcony.

In the city, too, it is possible to grow a lot of delicious vegetables yourself. Of course, self-sufficient nutrition becomes difficult even on the largest balcony. With our tips for growing vegetables in a small space, you can make the best use of your space.

Criteria for suitable plants for the self-sufficient balcony

Not every plant can be grown equally well on every balcony - but before you waste a lot of time and money with it To find out which plant is most suitable for your balcony, you can make the selection clear with two simple criteria enclose. On the one hand, you should determine in which direction your balcony is facing, and on the other hand, you should ask yourself how much time you want to invest in gardening. Once these questions have been clarified, the selection is clearly narrowed down

Suitable plants for balconies with every cardinal point

While the cardinal point in the garden usually plays a subordinate role, it is elementary for gardening on the balcony. The reason: the direction in which the balcony faces almost always determines the amount of light that reaches the balcony. A north-facing balcony is almost always in the shade of the building, while it is almost always sunny on the south-facing balcony. East and west balconies, on the other hand, are in the middle and offer both sun and shade. Since different types of vegetables also differ fundamentally in terms of their need for light, the choice of vegetable type is directly dependent on the amount of light and thus also on the orientation of the balcony. Since the east and west balconies have both sunny and shady spots, it is possible to grow many types of vegetables here: broccoli and Kohlrabi, salads of all kinds, carrots and radish, beans and a variety of herbs are just a selection of plants that feel very comfortable on the east and west balconies. Basically, all plants that appreciate sunny or semi-shady locations thrive here.

The south-facing balcony, on the other hand, is suitable for all sun worshipers: Varieties that can’t get enough sun feel particularly at home here – these include, among others tomatoes, paprika, cucumbers, Berry and eggplants. But the plants from the east or west balcony can also feel at home here if you give them some shade with an awning or something similar. The south-facing balcony is therefore perfect for most types of vegetables and ideal for gardening. Owners of a north-facing balcony have the hardest time: growing plants is generally more difficult on their balcony because there is little light available. That is why for this balcony above all Vegetables that can also grow well in the shade suitable. This includes almost all types of cabbage, chard, Lamb's lettuce, Beetroot or leek.

Plant overview for the cardinal directions

Not sure which plant is right for your balcony? Here we have put together a brief overview of the different types of balconies and the plants that go with them.

East or west balcony:

• All plants that like it sunny or partially shaded
• salads
• Herbs
• radish
• Kohlrabi
• broccoli
• beans

South balcony:

• All plants that like particularly warm, full sun locations
• tomatoes
• paprika and chili
• cucumber
• Mediterranean herbs
• berries, like strawberries, currants or raspberries
• aubergine
• With sufficient shade from sun sails or similar, all types of vegetables that are also grown on the east or south side. west balcony flourish

north balcony:

• Only types of vegetables that are particularly robust and can grow in the shade
• All cabbage varieties
• chard
• herbs like dill, tarragon, chives and Caraway seed
• salads like Lamb's lettuce, arugula or winter purslane
• Beetroot
• leek

Tip: Because hardly any energy in the form of sunbeams reaches the north side of the building, vegetables are grown always grow much slower on the north balcony and deliver lower yields than comparable ones Plant. It is all the more important to start growing in good time, to use cold frames and to plant the right ones Earth and to support optimal nutrient supply. In this way you can already bring large and strong plants onto the balcony as soon as it gets warm and make the best use of the growing season.

tip: Like you one Build your own cold frame you can find out in our special article.

Plants for the self-sufficient balcony with different time expenditure

But not only the cardinal point determines the success of the self-sufficient balcony: the time required also plays a major role in the thriving of the plant. With daily care, some plants can thrive on a balcony that is not ideal demands, while other plants, despite a suitable balcony, begin to grow without care wither away If you don't have the time (or don't feel like it) to take care of your garden every day, it's better to go resort to more robust varieties instead of demanding ones - these also forgive a spontaneous weekend trip without problems.

Most are considered robust vegetables cabbages, bush beans, Mediterranean Herbs, pick lettuce, arugula and also spinach and radish. And also Beetroot, onions and Jerusalem Artichoke you can leave it to yourself. But the individual varieties of a certain type of vegetable can also differ greatly from one another. There are often more robust breeds that bring a little less yield, but also forgive one or the other mistake. If you don't want to spend too much time in your garden, you should consider this when buying plants.