Having potted plants on your balcony can help create a little haven for you and your family. It can also be a great place to keep a small amount of vegetable plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.
However, keeping potted plants healthy can be somewhat more difficult than keeping them alive in a much larger proper garden. If you notice your balcony plants are dying, there are three main reasons this could be happening.
Overwatering
Overwatering is normally the most common reason for potted plants to start dying. Oftentimes, you may think that because a plant is in a much smaller amount of soil, it needs more water to remain healthy. And in some cases this can be true. However, overwatering can be just as dangerous as underwatering.
If you start to notice leaves turning yellow, this could be a sign of overwatering. You may also start to notice fungus growing on the surface of the soil, or may notice roots are starting to rot if you remove the plant and move it to a larger pot.
Plants in pots on your balcony should have a drainage layer at the bottom. This is normally large gravel or lava rocks and it helps raise the soil and roots up away from the water so the plant does not continue to sit in it and start to rot or grow fungus.
Underwatering
Just as dangerous as overwatering, underwatering can lead to a quick death with some plants on your balcony as well. Container plants will need a more frequent watering schedule than those in a proper garden simply due to the smaller amount of soil and faster evaporation rate when they are sitting in the sun.
You can tell your plant is being underwatered if the leaves start to wilt or look crinkled, or if they start to fall off the plant itself. One of the best ways to ensure your plants are getting enough water is to add water to the center of the pot at the base of the plant and give it a few minutes to soak in completely.
Continue this method until the entire surface of the soil is moist, but not soaking wet. In addition, it’s important that your pot has proper drainage holes and a layer of stones at the bottom to help with proper drainage to prevent overwatering.
Improper Sunlight
Another reason your plants may be dying is due to improper sunlight. Each plant has their own requirements for sun. Some will enjoy direct sunlight, while others thrive best in the shade.
Always be sure to know which amount of sunlight your plant prefers. Tomato plants do well in high sun, while some pepper plants and decorative plants may do better in partial sun. More delicate plants such as lilies may thrive in a shaded area.
Once you have the plants arranged on your balcony to give them the proper amount of sunlight each day, they will thrive.
