For those who love the beauty of greenery all around, apartment gardening is an ideal way of growing your favorite plants. Unlike houseplants, plants in balconies are not restricted by space or height restrictions. As long as you have enough space and a few pillars for support, you can grow almost any flowering or non-flowering plants you want, provided they do not eat too much water and get too much sun. With a little bit of planning, you can even create an intimate backyard garden for yourself in your apartment.
Before embarking on apartment gardening ideas, it helps to first understand how plants fare in different environments. Plants are very sensitive to certain elements in their natural habitats. Some may be more resistant than others to extreme temperatures or elements, and some are more sun loving than others. A balcony is one of the most difficult places in an apartment to grow plants due to its limited space and exposure to direct sunlight. However, there are certain plants that do well in almost any environment, provided they get ample sunshine and have adequate drainage. Knowing what plants are good for your balcony will help you in deciding which plants to grow in your apartment.
Most apartment gardeners grow succulents because of their low maintenance requirements and ability to tolerate minor fluctuations in temperature. You can place these plants on planters in your balcony. If you want to keep your apartment gardening ideas simple, then you can just use potting soil. Just make sure that you moisten it thoroughly before planting. Some plants such as cacti do not require any additional moisture and are just fine with any soil condition.
However, there are other plants that do better with some additional moisture. These plants include liatris, which also needs a lot of sun. Other popular plants to keep in balconies include azaleas, daisies and roses. You can find these plants at local gardening stores or you can go online to buy them.
In order to grow plants to keep in the balcony, you need to provide adequate space for growing plants, especially plants that require more water and sun. If you are living in a small apartment, then you should consider growing plants that are hardy in low light conditions. Examples of these plants include clematis, which grows well in almost any kind of environment; and date palm, which prefers a warm climate.
Plants to keep in balconies should be given proper care. You should make sure that they get sufficient sunshine and fresh air. When it is necessary, you can provide artificial lighting at night. This can be very helpful if you cannot provide natural sunlight. On the other hand, if you are living in an apartment where the temperature is usually vary, then you should provide plant protection products in order to prevent diseases from attacking your plants.
If you are planning to grow plants to keep in the balcony, you have to select plants that can thrive well in your climate conditions. However, do not expect plants to grow in balcony conditions instantly. They may take time to adjust to your environment. It may even take some years before they are able to thrive well. Keep in mind that the most suitable plants to keep in balcony are those that are hardy and can survive cold weather. You can choose hardy plants such as California Poppies, Bulrush, Sedum Nutgrass, Juniper, Rose of Sharon and Red Maple leaf.
If you want to grow plants to keep in the balcony, you also need to select plants that are energy-efficient. Energy-efficient plants will save you money. However, they cannot provide as much sunlight as other types of plants. To determine the energy-efficiency of plants to keep in the balcony, you need to use the Outdoor Test Kit. This kit will provide you with an assessment of the sunlight requirements of your chosen plants.