Growing Organic Vegetables in Roof Terrace and Balcony

When deciding to create a balcony or roof terrace garden, you need to start with the right supplies. First of all, you’ll need good soil and large planters that provide adequate drainage. Be sure to have gardening gloves, a spade, and a large watering can on hand. For a balcony or roof terrace garden, you need to have containers that can hold soil at a depth of at least 8 inches. The containers must be large enough to accommodate different plants without squeezing them together and have plenty of holes for proper water drainage.

Next up, you must plan before planting. Make notes of how many containers you’ll have, their sizes, and the spacing of the seeds or starter plants. Consider the conditions like specific locations, obstacles like sunlight, wind, and accessibility. Take into consideration plant compatibility and choose plants that grow together well. Pick your plants carefully and choose between seeds or starter plants. If your balcony or rooftop terrace gets full sunlight for most of the day, choose plants that need plenty of light. If you have a mix of shade and sun, you can select which plants to place in full sunlight and which to keep in the shade.

Plants that usually do well in partial or low sun conditions are salad and leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, root vegetables, and certain herbs, among others. Remember that plants do require at least four to six hours of sun each day. Plants that love the sun for six and more hours per day are melons, fruit like cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, squash vegetables, and corn. Many different plants are companionable with each other such as strawberries and spinach, carrots and beans, potatoes, and basil. So make sure you have a list of compatible plants which, once planted together in containers, can also save you space and give you a chance to place more containers in your balcony or roof terrace garden.

Make compost with food and yard scraps. Your plants will benefit from added nutrients. You’ll be encouraging the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi and therefore reducing your reliance on fertilizers. Gather together peels, seeds, produce scraps, and even newspaper scraps to make a healthy compost for the plants. If it’s possible, add in some wet leaves and lawn clippings. To boost nutrients, add a half-inch layer of compost to the base of the growing plants. Be aware of water usage and water in the mornings and during the coldest part of the day to limit evaporation.

If your balcony or rooftop terrace garden gets pesky insects, then remember never to use chemicals. You want to grow natural and organic vegetables. You can take care of the pesky insects by making natural insecticides using common ingredients like mild soap sprays and vegetable oils. Do your research online, and you’ll see many recipes for creating natural pesticides that won’t harm your plants.