8 Smart Ways to Take Care of Your Beloved Balcony Garden

The balcony is an optional but important space in a house. Many homeowners truly love it for its loads of benefits plus the value it adds. Aside from the outdoor views it allows inhabitants to witness from above, its serviceability and flexibility are adored. One of the ways it can be transformed beautifully is making it a balcony garden!

When you own a balcony garden at home, you will know how refreshing and rewarding it is. You can head to a cozy resting spot without needing to leave your house. A safe and relaxing moment while enjoying fresh air and skyline views all by yourself or with your loved ones is possible from the comfort of your home’s balcony garden. It is indeed worthwhile.

Now, while this garden is obviously located in a spot safer than anywhere else because it is typically in an huge distance from the ground, you cannot be overly complacent that you will never face any problem while maintaining a balcony garden. In order to keep this lovely space pretty and pleasant, you have to take care of it with all your heart and effort. To aid you, below are 8 ways to do that!

1 – CLEAN THE SURFACES REGULARLY.

Gardens, wherever they may be situated, can be messy most of the time. That is normal, but you should clearly identify the difference between inevitable mess and irresponsible dirt, and avoid the latter.

The soil from plants sometimes drop to the ground, especially when you are moving plant containers here and there. The same is when you are filling pots with soil and adding fertilizers. Water used to hydrate the plants doesn’t always perfectly shoot into the vessels you are pouring it into. At times, it spills, and the section becomes muddy.

These are not unusual sights in a balcony garden, but don’t just let their remnants stay for a long time. Properly clean the surfaces regularly. Wipe and mop the areas that often get slimy and slippery. Make sure to sanitize hard-to-reach surfaces to prevent molds and bacteria from forming and making your balcony garden unhealthy.

2 – REPAIR OR REPLACE BROKEN POTS IMMEDIATELY.

Flower pots get broken accidentally when you drop them or get them knocked down by something heavy. It’s heartbreaking especially when you cherish those pots so much, but what you have to do is to immediately clean up and replace them.

For vertical planters that shattered after falling while hanging, you may repair them if it’s possible. There are hanging clay pots which can be changed into fabric planters and canvas planting bags.

If you keep using the cracked vessels, further damage might occur, and the maintenance you are doing might get wasted.

3 – WATCH OUT FOR PESTS.

The balcony is an ideal house area for gardens because it keeps plant life secure. Away from passersby and stray dogs and cats, your garden will require less supervision compared to those situated on ground floors and exposed outdoor patches.

What you must watch out for though is the visit of flying pests and crawling bugs that will destroy and kill your plants. While insects like butterflies and lady beetles are helpful to plant and flower growth, many insects are considered pests. To name some of the latter are caterpillars, bagworms and gall mites.

Keep them out by using fragrant herbs that are actually foul-smelling to them. These include citronella and lemongrass. There are substances safe to plants and humans but are poisonous to pests; use them as well. Cover pathways where these organisms come out to drop by your plants. Broken eggshells are usually spread by garden owners to hamper pests from entering the plant area.

4 – KEEP YOUR PETS AWAY FROM THE BALCONY GARDEN.

If you have pets freely moving around the house, taking care of a garden will not be easy. Many garden owners who are also pet parents understand that these fur babies often run around playfully in the garden, destroying some stuff and arrangements, but they always get stressed out about it.

Of course, who wouldn’t get upset if you spent half of the day cleaning up the mucky garden space, and you wake up the next morning with an even muddier look of it? Who wouldn’t be shocked if you see your newly bought pot fragmented in just a few days?

Keep your pets away from the balcony garden to avoid these inconveniences and more. Let your pets stay and play in a safer room where they won’t break anything. It’s best for your pets who will not be scolded and harmed by stuff they accidentally break. And it’s best for you who will not get mad because of having to clean up and buy garden stuff over and over again.

5 – INSTALL A SHADE NET OVER THE BALCONY GARDEN.

In order to control sunlight coming down to your unroofed balcony garden, install a shade net over it. This item also modulates air, moisture and humidity through its holes.

Shade nets lend a big helping hand for balcony garden owners, especially since this area is in an elevated room in the house. They help shield plants from pests, from extreme drying and from wind. They enhance the atmosphere of the garden and make it more appropriate for the life and development of plants.

6 – KEEP YOUR PLANTS WELL-NOURISHED.

Needless to say, keep your plants in the balcony garden well-nourished. Water them as necessary. Use proper containers for them. Ascertain that they receive the right amount of sunlight for their life. Make sure that air is sufficiently flowing. Refrain from utilizing chemicals that might harm and hamper plant growth.

7 – AVOID CONGESTION.

When you become a plant parent, every plant has a place in your heart and in your garden. That’s because you treat these plants as your kids now.

What you must abstain from is making your balcony garden overloaded and congested. Space is vital, especially for vegetables where every plant requires ample scope for its roots and proper growth. If there are lots of competitors vying for their basic needs, some plants will flourish, some will grow weakly, and some will wilt in no time.

Moreover, air space is highly essential for plants. If you disregard it in your balcony garden, you are attracting diseases to your plant babies. One of them is mildew which can be transferred from plant to plant through direct contact.

8 – DECORATE THE BALCONY GARDEN.

Many homeowners are in love with their balcony gardens because of the freedom they get when it comes to beautifying these spaces! Doing so is both fun and stress-relieving.

Decorate your balcony garden as you please while, of course, not making it overcrowded. You may renovate the balcony to put some house fixtures, additional lighting and fixed planters. Adding roomspace is also a good idea, especially if you are planning to make it a multipurpose balcony.

Remodelling and amping up your balcony is not only beneficial for today but also for tomorrow when you claim your home’s tax depreciation benefits and when the time comes that you decide to sell your abode. For all the refurbishings you do, you are prettifying your house and increasing its value without a doubt!

_____________

LOVED BALCONY GARDEN

A lot of homeowners desire to have their newly built houses created with a balcony. They delight in the great advantages of this home area, such as being able to begin a garden in it.

Undeniably, the balcony is one of the best spaces at home where a garden suits well. Balcony gardens are more private than backyard and frontyard gardens since commonly, they can be accessed only through a room in the house. That means you yourself can focus more on keeping it and the plants in it clean, safe and healthy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nicole Ann Pore is a writer, an events host and a voice over artist. Quality and well-researched writing is her worthwhile avenue to enlighten and delight others about things that matter. Nicole is a daytime writer for Depreciator, an Australian-based company specializing in tax depreciation schedules. Nicole graduated Cum Laude from De La Salle University Manila, Philippines with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts.