Ordering balcony seeds: plan first, then buy
Seed catalogues are tempting in winter, and suddenly there are 20 packets in your basket. A short shopping list helps you order only what fits on your balcony.
Ordering seeds in November means you get the pick of the range, since popular varieties are often sold out by late winter. The downside is that it’s easy to get carried away. A balcony only has a few square metres, so that is where your order should start.
Think in terms of space, not the catalogue
Measure your balcony and count how many pots and boxes actually fit. A cherry tomato needs a pot of at least 10 to 15 litres, while a balcony box is enough for cut-and-come-again lettuce, radishes or a row of herbs. Once you know your spots, you know how many different varieties make sense.
Three questions per plant
Before a variety goes on the list, ask yourself three things: How much sun does my balcony get, and does the plant like it? How much room does it need in a pot? And will I really enjoy eating it? On a north-facing balcony tomatoes rarely thrive, whereas lettuce, parsley and chives cope with less sun.
Plan the sowing dates too
Not everything gets sown at once. You start tomatoes and chilli on the windowsill from March, basil follows in April, and lettuce and radishes can be sown in several batches from March into autumn. Knowing the dates spreads the work across the year, so you don’t need every pot at the same time.
Open-pollinated or F1
Open-pollinated varieties can be saved and grown again, and the seed stays true to type. F1 hybrids are often more uniform and vigorous, but their offspring vary. Either is fine when you’re starting out. If you’d like to save your own seed later, begin with open-pollinated varieties now.
Check your leftovers before reordering
Look in your seed box first. Tomatoes, lettuce and radishes often still germinate after several years, while parsnips, onions and chives are usually reliable for only a year. Anything doubtful can be tested in February with a germination test and replaced if needed.
Build your list with the plant encyclopedia
Write down one variety per spot, plus the sowing date and pot size. If you want to look up details on location, spacing or sowing time, the plant encyclopedia in Rootivo helps you fill the list step by step before you order anything.