Small Balcony Garden: How To Make The Most Of Your Small Space

Do you have a tiny balcony space? Barely room to sit down? Overcome your small balcony garden space challenges to find room to grow some food in containers.

Not everyone has the luxury of having a large back yard and front yard. Young people usually rent or purchase a condo in the city when they are first starting out. Retirees also might downsize to a condo when they no longer need a large house. Or they might have physical limitations where they can’t garden anymore.

I started off on the first floor patio of my apartment suite. I tried growing tomatoes but didn’t have much luck due to the lack of sunlight. However I was able to grow some lettuce and flowers that could put up with the shade most of the day. And I found the space somehow even though I had a table and chairs, a barbecue and a small storage shed as well.

So what do you do when you only have a small postage stamp-sized balcony or patio off of your living space? Here are some ideas to maximize your small balcony garden space and create a relaxing outdoor space that can also grow some food.

Note that while for the most part I mention “balcony gardening”, these techniques can be applied equally well to a ground-level patio or a small townhouse backyard.

Note: Be aware of your rental company or strata’s rules about gardening on a balcony or patio.

Grow Vertically

Think up.

Plants generally grow up, so they are usually more than happy to have vertical space to stretch their branches and foliage.

A simple trellis will allow peas or beans or even cucumbers to climb up and take up very little horizontal space
The most portable and least obtrusive way to incorporate a trellis, is to attach it to the planter that the plant is in that you want to train up the trellis
Don’t block all sunlight with the trellis if you have other plants that rely on sunshine and heat. However using the trellis as a privacy and/or shade screen is a good idea if you sit on your balcony and have other buildings’ balconies facing yours
Secure the trellis well to avoid it falling over in high winds

Grow Dwarf or Compact Varieties

Think small.

Some plants grew naturally big and don’t do well if you try and constrain them. So you want to look for dwarf varieties and plants that are compact but still productive (flowers, foliage and fruit/vegetables).

You can actually have small trees, even fruit trees on a balcony
You will want to pick dwarf varieties that do not grow too tall, although in general a tree in a container won’t grow as tall as if it is in the ground since the roots are constricted
For fruit trees you can consider the cordon form. You train the tree to grow tall on a single stem, so this form takes up very little horizontal space
Or you can espalier a fruit tree on a trellis like a fan
There are also mini roses that will not only provide beautiful blooms and scents but also the petals can make a delicious tea!
There are vegetable plants that stay small such as lettuces, some greens and fruits such as strawberries that don’t take up much space in relation to what they are able to produce
Consider creating a container salad garden consisting of a tomato or pepper plant surrounded by one or two lettuce plants and green onions

Get Rid Of The Clutter!

Think clutter-free.

Balconies and patios are often the storage