How to Maintain a Balcony Garden


By its very nature, a balcony is relatively easy to maintain -hardly more trouble than a sitting room containing rather a lot of houseplants that need care and attention. This is not just because the area is usually small and compact; a tiled, paved or timber floor only needs a sweep and wash down to keep it looking good, while plants grown in containers mean no weeding, no mess and minimum maintenance. There are no lawns to mow, beds to dig or tall hedges to clip. Instead, there are just a few pruning and planting tasks, the annual responsibility of checking the main structure and keeping it in good repair, and a regular clean and tidy-up armed with a broom and a plastic refuse sack to prevent any build-up of dirt and disease, so the balcony and plants look in top condition at all times.

Maintenance equipment

One big advantage of having to tackle only minimum maintenance tasks is that you do not need a large collection of tools to keep the balcony looking good. This may be just as well as you will need somewhere close at hand to store them. If using a broom cupboard or some sort of storage in the house is not practical, you will have to consider providing unobtrusive facilities on the balcony itself – the important thing is that they should be handy, otherwise regular jobs are too easily shirked. A built-in cupboard or bunker might fit conveniently into an unused corner or double as seating or staging.

Maintain Balcony Garden

For watering your plants, you will need a plastic watering can and possibly a hosepipe. Most importantly, you will have to decide from where you will fetch the water. A bibcock, or outdoor tap, on the balcony would save the mess and inconvenience of traipsing through the house. You will need a strong trowel and fork, secateurs and at least two sprayers -one to refresh and clean the plants with clear water, and the other marked and reserved for treating any infestation from pests and diseases. Your balcony could also provide an ideal location for food and shelter for the common house mouse. Getting mice control treatment at the earliest sign of a problem can greatly help to reduce the length of time needed to effectively control an infestation. A broom and bucket will be among your most used tools, as they are essential for cleaning and collecting debris. Knowing different broom types is helpful. A dustpan and brush would also be useful as there will be no flower beds to sweep dirt on to and you certainly should not sweep it off the edge of the balcony on to the heads of anyone passing below. Add to your list of essentials a pair of gardening gloves and possibly (although the majority of features are usually at a convenient height) a kneeling mat or stool for tending pots in comfort.

Filed Under: General How To's

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About the Author: Greenery always attracts Arthur Kunkle. He has a big garden where he plants many fruits and vegetables. His passion for gardening motivates him to write and share different tips on gardening.

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