What to Grow on Your Balcony in Autumn
Many balcony gardens are cleared out at the end of summer, but cool autumn weather suits a whole range of fast-growing greens, root crops and hardy flowers. Lower temperatures mean less watering and fewer pests, and some crops taste sweeter after a light frost. What you can grow depends on your climate and how much sun your balcony gets as the sun drops lower in the sky.
Check your timing and light
Find your average first frost date and count back from it using the days to maturity on seed packets. Fast crops such as radishes, baby salad greens and arugula can often be sown four to six weeks before frost, while others need a longer run.
The sun sits lower in autumn, so walls and railings cast longer shadows. Note which parts of the balcony still get at least three to four hours of direct light, and move containers with sun-hungry crops there.
Leafy greens and quick crops
Lettuce, spinach, arugula, mizuna, kale and Swiss chard grow well in containers in cool weather. Sow cut-and-come-again salad mixes in wide, shallow containers and harvest the outer leaves so plants keep producing for weeks.
Radishes are ready in about a month in deep enough pots, and green onions regrow repeatedly from the base. Pea shoots and microgreens can be grown in trays and harvested in two to three weeks.
Garlic and overwintering crops
In many climates, garlic is planted in autumn a few weeks before the ground freezes, spends winter developing roots and is harvested the next summer. A container at least 8 inches deep with good drainage works for a small balcony crop.
Hardy greens like kale and some spinach varieties can survive into winter in mild regions, especially with a frost cover or small cold frame. These covers trap daytime warmth and protect plants on cold nights.
Herbs for autumn
Parsley, chives, cilantro and thyme tolerate cool weather and can be harvested well into autumn. Cilantro in particular grows better in cool conditions, since summer heat makes it bolt quickly.
Tender herbs like basil will not survive cold nights. Harvest them before the first frost, or pot a few up and move them to a sunny windowsill or under a grow light indoors.
Flowers and colour
Pansies, violas, ornamental kale, chrysanthemums and heather add colour to autumn balconies and tolerate light frosts. Plant them in railing planters and hanging baskets where summer annuals have faded.
Autumn is also the time to plant spring bulbs such as tulips, daffodils and crocuses in containers. Layering different bulbs at different depths in one pot gives a long spring display from a small space.