Cultivating a kitchen garden on your balcony

While allotments have really got going in large cities, a new trend has also been emerging: the balcony-based kitchen garden.

You might not know it, but a small balcony area is enough for cultivating aromatic herbs and even fruit and vegetables. Here’s advice from a Jardiland’s plant director, François Pauly on how to become a city gardening guru.

Is a balcony kitchen garden the new best thing?

François Pauly: Yes, definitely. Cultivating your own kitchen garden has become more and more fashionable, particularly in the last 4 or 5 years, and balcony gardens have started to come in recently. More and more people are having a go at growing their own vegetables, herbs and spices.

Why are city-dwellers embarking on growing their own food?

François Pauly: There’s a large element of nostalgia in this, and searching for your roots. Everyone has memories of their grandmother or a loved one cultivating a garden. Gardening is also a way of recharging your batteries… We often hear people saying that when they are weeding, it clears their minds. Plants have a marvellous effect on stress! And also, there is a convivial aspect to it: it is always nice to organise an aperitif with cherry tomatoes and lemons from the balcony. Not forgetting that it can be educational and fun for children as well.

What’s the minimum area required to have a kitchen garden on your balcony?

François Pauly: If you have a south-facing balcony this will be all the better for your plants, but whatever the exposition, it is absolutely possible to have a little kitchen garden on your balcony. The surface area available will determine the kind of produce you will be able to grow. Don’t delude yourself into thinking a balcony kitchen garden will have a high rate of productivity; it is still just a pastime more than anything. And for this, you don’t need a lot of space!

Which season is best to start planting your kitchen garden?

François Pauly: The first tip I would give to kitchen garden novices, is to go for plants already potted up and forget about growing seeds, which is more complicated when you are starting off, as well as a waste of most of the packet of seeds. The other advantage of buying pots is that the plant has already produced shoots and there is no risk of the seeds not germinating. You plant them up, water them and you’re off!

You can plant from the beginning of spring through to July. At the end of the summer, it is already too late: nights will be getting colder and days get shorter – more risks to newly shooted plants. However, you can continue happily planting herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon and rosemary) until September.

And what can be grown in a kitchen garden over winter?

François Pauly: Winter is the season of rest and this time is used for preparing soil for the new season. Everything is renewed, and you have the choice of leaving the earth bare or planting up tubs with primroses, tulips or rosemary… But whatever you choose, your green fingers will still get a bit of a rest in winter.

What can I grow on my balcony kitchen garden?

François Pauly: Cherry tomatoes and herbs definitely work the best. But you can also grow salad vegetables, courgettes and radishes on your balcony, from seeds this time. Don’t panic – it’s actually really easy. In 18 days, you will have radishes almost ready to eat! This is ideal when you have children as it is like magic for them.

As for fruit, you can get a lot of pleasure from planting redcurrant, blackcurrant and raspberry bushes. There is no limit on what you can plant and you will always get results. If you have a south-facing exposition, you can even plant citrus fruits like lemons, limes and kumquats. These are extra fragrant and are beautiful when blooming. Of course, if temperatures drop below -5°C in winter, you’ll need to bring your citrus plants inside and remember to keep misting them with water.

What to grow	When to plant	When to harvest
Lettuce	Around 1^st May	Around 10^th June
Radish	During Spring	18 days later
Tomato	Around 1^st May	From end June until the cold weather comes in
Courgette	During May	7-8 weeks later
Citrus trees	Anytime of the year, but buy a flowering tree	Around 5 months after planting
Rosemary	During Spring	3 months later (from seed)
Parsley	Late February/early March	2-3 months later (from seed)

What equipment does a kitchen gardener need?

François Pauly: Window boxes or pots, it’s up to you – but I would lean towards window boxes. The most important thing is to choose containers at least 20 cm deep and pots with a volume of 10-15 litres minimum. You will have larger amounts of soil and this is better for retaining water. You also need to get enriched soil as vegetables need a lot of nutrients. This will mean you can avoid using fertiliser, which is advised against strongly for edible produce, and that too so close to your living area. You should make sure to catch any excess water underneath the pots or boxes, to avoid annoying downstairs neighbours and passers-by with dripping water.

Does a balcony kitchen garden require a lot of maintenance?

François Pauly: No, your balcony kitchen garden won’t need a large amount of maintenance if you use enriched soil from the get-go. Weeds can’t spread and aphids won’t be a problem in cities. You can always release ladybirds onto the plants but this is pure folklore for city dwellers, as they won’t actually have much to munch on! If it’s sunny, you’ll need to water plants well every day at dusk or dawn. On the other hand, if it rains a lot then watering once a week may be enough. Gardeners should touch the soil to judge if the plants need watering. If you have tomatoes, you can get stuck into pruning, but this is not obligatory.

Any other advice for beginner gardeners?

François Pauly: Attach window boxes to the inside of your balcony and not on the outside to avoid anything falling. If you go on holiday, kit yourself out with an automatic watering system or ask a neighbour to water your plants. If not, by the time you get back you might have lost your beautifully cultivated kitchen garden!

Jessica Xavier

Posted 16.02.2012

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