29 JUNE 2019AMATEUR GARDENING 39Anne Swithinbank’s masterclass on: herbs for balconies
Q
I have recently moved into a
fourth-floor flat with a south-facing
balcony. Do you think that I could grow
herbs? I tried supermarket parsley, but
this did not last very long. What can you
suggest in terms of plants and care tips?
Joyce Winstanley, Sheffield,
South YorkshireA
This is a brilliant plan, because
herbs will bring colour, aromas,
bees and butterflies, as well
as extra ingredients for food
and drinks! Soon, visitors
will be queuing up to
drink fresh herbal teas
from your balcony.
There are two basic
sorts of herbs: green
herbs (parsley, basil, dill
and coriander) need regular
sowing and prefer a little
shade. Longer-lasting, mainly
shrubby sun-loving Mediterranean kinds
(rosemary, thyme, sage and marjoram)
will thrive on a sunny balcony.
Before growing green herbs, create an
area of shade and shelter. At height, drying
winds whip moisture from leaves, so fix a
well-secured trellis or screening, and acouple of pots planted with windproof
shrubs such as escallonia, Euonymus
japonicus or olearia. Root restriction will
keep these shrubs compact, but they’ll
create a pool of cooler shade.
Supermarket parsley is a pot of closely
sown, forced seedlings best kept on
a windowsill. With good care, you can
harvest perhaps three cuts from one pot,
but the individual plants are too crowded
to enjoy a very long life. Some people
patiently divide them into small
clumps for planting out, but
it is best to sow parsley
from scratch or buy in
young plants.
Although weight is
an issue with balcony
gardens, I would add
perhaps a quarter of
loam-based compost
(John Innes No2) to your
peat-free container compost.
This helps with rewetting, and herbs will
enjoy the mineral content. Incorporate
controlled-release fertiliser to feed
plants slowly over a six-month period.
Every spring, prise away the top 1-2in
(2½-5cm) of compost and replace with
fresh, including more fertiliser.Which herbs grow best on balcony?
herbs will bring colour, aromas,
bees and butterflies, as well
as extra ingredients for foodand coriander) need regularshade. Longer-lasting, mainly
shrubby sun-loving Mediterranean kindsto enjoy a very long life. Some people
patiently divide them into small
clumps for planting out, but
it is best to sow parsley
from scratch or buy in
young plants.an issue with balcony
gardens, I would add
perhaps a quarter of
loam-based compost
(John Innes No2) to your
peat-free container compost.
This helps with rewetting, and herbs willTo save space, plant several
Mediterranean-style herbs into one
container. I’m using variegated
thyme lifted from the garden,
common sage (Salvia elegans)
‘Honey Melon’ and Origanum
vulgare ‘Country Cream’Body image: Alamy. All other photography John Swithinbank/TI Media unless otherwise credited
Herbs that spread, such as mint
and lemon balm, are best kept in
their own separate pots.Have fun with
balcony herbs
A combination of sun-loving
Mediterranean herbs will thrive on
a sunny balcony. Regular picking
helps them stay dense and bushy.Space your parsley plants
4-5in (10-13cm) apart, and they will
flourish often through winter until
the following spring.Sow coriander regularly in drills
across the tops of pots that measure
7in (18cm) diameter upwards.Anne’s
top tipsContainers for balconies
WEIGHT is always an issue with balconies, and it
would be worth checking with the management
agency before adding a significant number of
pots. Go for lightweight, frost-resistant plastic,
resin or fibreglass containers. Rainwater needs to
escape, but if there is an overhang, saucers or water
reservoirs will help with summer watering.fresh, including more fertiliser.Containers for balconies
escape, but if there is an overhang, saucers or waterRosemary, thyme, sage
and marjoram thrive
on a sunny balconyAdd controlled-release
fertiliser slowly over
a six-month periodShrubs such as Euonymus japonicus can
provide shade and shelter for balcony herbs
Both insets: HumphriesUse lightweight plastic, resin
or fi breglass containersAlamy