Starting a small vegetable garden on a balcony

Written for UpdateSee: the essentials, without the noise.

A balcony with five hours of sun can grow more food than most people expect. Begin with three large containers of good compost and plants that forgive mistakes: cherry tomatoes, salad leaves, herbs and dwarf beans. Water in the morning, feed every two weeks once fruit appears, and pick little and often to keep the plants producing.

A balcony with five hours of sun can grow more food than most people expect.

Weight and wind are the two things to plan for. Use lightweight pots on the floor rather than the railing, group them so they shelter each other, and check that the balcony can carry wet compost before adding more. By midsummer you will be eating something you grew every day, and the leftover seedlings make welcome gifts for neighbours.