Before you rush out to buy loads of pots and compost you need to be aware of how much weight your balcony will take. When pots are full of compost and water they can be quite heavy!
I would second the heaviness test, and also bare in mind drainage for water. I've flooded a small balcony before by not noting how much water was leaking out the bottom of pots.
I was fortunate to have a large balcony in a previous flat. I grew pumpkins and courgettes. They took over! I would advise, if you have the space, to get a small wormary composter, it is a fantastic way to recycle. I would put a tray of pea shoots, or something else easy to move on top so you aren't wasting the space.
I have a Red Windsor apple grafted o M27 rootstock (this rootstock ensures that it will stay small and Red Windsor is a self-fertile variety, so you get apples even if you don't have another apple tree nearby). I got about six apples and they were delicious. It's still a young tree, so I'm hoping for bigger harvests in the future, but even if not, it's thrilling to have my own apple tree and the blossom is beautiful.
There are raspberries that stay small, I have Ruby Beauty. And strawberries, of course! As long as they have good drainage, you can grow strawberries. But stay away from these "strawberry pots" that have lots of openings and you're supposed to plant 10 plants in one, they are far too small.
Bilberries, too. They need acid soil and a bit of shade, but are very small, so should be OK in pots.
Herbs - mint, lavender, etc.
But do check the weight restrictions. And wind might be a problem, depending how exposed the balcony is.
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Love your peaches.
Before you rush out to buy loads of pots and compost you need to be aware of how much weight your balcony will take. When pots are full of compost and water they can be quite heavy!
I would second the heaviness test, and also bare in mind drainage for water. I've flooded a small balcony before by not noting how much water was leaking out the bottom of pots.
I was fortunate to have a large balcony in a previous flat. I grew pumpkins and courgettes. They took over! I would advise, if you have the space, to get a small wormary composter, it is a fantastic way to recycle. I would put a tray of pea shoots, or something else easy to move on top so you aren't wasting the space.
I have a Red Windsor apple grafted o M27 rootstock (this rootstock ensures that it will stay small and Red Windsor is a self-fertile variety, so you get apples even if you don't have another apple tree nearby). I got about six apples and they were delicious. It's still a young tree, so I'm hoping for bigger harvests in the future, but even if not, it's thrilling to have my own apple tree and the blossom is beautiful.
There are raspberries that stay small, I have Ruby Beauty. And strawberries, of course! As long as they have good drainage, you can grow strawberries. But stay away from these "strawberry pots" that have lots of openings and you're supposed to plant 10 plants in one, they are far too small.
Bilberries, too. They need acid soil and a bit of shade, but are very small, so should be OK in pots.
Herbs - mint, lavender, etc.
But do check the weight restrictions. And wind might be a problem, depending how exposed the balcony is.