Apartment Balcony or Patio Vegetable Gardens

Living in an apartment or condominium limits the avid gardener in the fun and thrill of gardening, to some extent. Using creative techniques for gardening, the apartment dweller can produce beautiful edible treats right outside the front door.

With so many varieties in gardening today, the gardener who lives in an apartment or condominium is provided with greater opportunities for gardening than in decades past. Using hanging baskets, the gardener can plant and grow beautiful, vegetable gardens on the balcony, patio or right outside the entryway into the condominium or apartment. Using simple techniques, and lots of patience, these gardening ideas are sure to satisfy the gardener in all of us.

Because hanging baskets come in two basic varieties, wire or solid, there are limitations to the types of vegetables which can be grown in specific hanging baskets. Size is also an issue as the greater the size basket, the better the vegetable garden will grow. For this reason, finding the right size and type of basic is the crucial first step in beginning your apartment dwelling outside vegetable garden.

In addition to the hanging basket style and size, the apartment gardener will need to also consider the location of the hanging basket. Because vegetables are generally best when grown in open ground soil, in the sun, when using a hanging basket it is important to mimic this environment as much as possible. However, because the hanging basket suspends in the air, there is a tendency for soil to dry much more quickly thus requiring more consistent attention when hanging on your apartment balcony.

Once you've identified the sunny location, in close proximity to your door for easy watering access, it is now time to choose the compost or soil in which to plant your new garden. Most vegetable gardens do well in soil. However, because hanging baskets can easily become heavy laden with soil it is imperative they be suspended from a stable wall or ceiling joint using durable hooks and chains. As an alternative to the heaviness of the basket, consider mixing soil based compost with non-soil based compost.