7 Easy Vegetables to Grow on a Small Balcony

You do not need a big garden to grow your own food. A sunny balcony and a few pots are enough to start.

Start with these seven

1. Cherry tomatoes - one plant in a 20 litre pot gives fruit all summer.
2. Lettuce - harvest outer leaves and it keeps growing.
3. Spinach - happy in partial shade.
4. Chillies - compact and very productive.
5. Spring onions - regrow from the roots you already buy.
6. Radishes - ready in about four weeks.
7. Herbs - mint, basil and coriander need almost no care.

Soil and water

Use a light potting mix, not garden soil, and water in the early morning. For drainage tips and pot sizes, see this balcony gardening checklist.

Start with two or three plants, learn how much sun your balcony really gets, then grow from there.