10 tips for starting your urban garden on a terrace or balcony

To achieve good results, it is recommended to start little by little and get to know the plants and crops that we are best at, so we can feel more comfortable and less overwhelmed. If this is your first year in the summer garden, we advise you to plant tomatoes, peppers, onions, or lettuce. These species are easy to grow; their care must be continuous but does not require much effort. It is advisable to get used to the needs of each plant, but in general, we must keep our Raised Garden Bed without watering too much but also not dry, and well-fertilized.

Our advice is to start with fast-growing crops with few pests, such as leafy crops, lettuce, or radish roots. Another good idea is growing tomatoes; this fruit is ideal to combine with our lettuce, and also for making jam. Therefore, the tomato is a mandatory plant, both for its nutritional benefits and its ease of cultivation. We also recommend Padrón peppers; although their taste may be exclusive to more specialized palates, their benefits are more than outstanding. With these 3 plants, you should have more than enough to get started and make 100% nutritious and organic recipes.

As we know, there is nothing better than homemade food, especially if it comes directly from our own harvest. Being organic, its texture and flavor are totally different from what many are accustomed to. Tomatoes have a strong, juicy flavor; lettuces have a texture and taste far superior to the conventional ones. In short, there is nothing better than producing our own vegetables!

If you want to go a step further, you can also start from seed. We explain how in this article: How to germinate our seeds.

2. Plant according to the season and your climate

If you want to find success with your planting, it is necessary to know local conditions, as it is one of the most important elements for your garden and will determine what you can plant and when. For example, if you live in a northern area where temperatures are quite low in winter, it is advisable to plant crops that are acclimatized to that place and short-season varieties. In the south of Spain, with a warmer environment, seasonal vegetables will be planted much earlier than in other colder northern areas. Our advice is to ask local gardeners or walk around garden areas to know what to sow in each season.

For example, continuing with the tomato: It needs a temperature of about 20 to 35°C, so it is advisable to start planting it in spring after the last frost.

3. Grow what you consume: more motivation, better results

At the beginning, we advise you to plant what you like the most, since the care of your container garden will take less work. If you like leafy vegetables, it is very comforting to know that in a few weeks we will be able to enjoy them at our table and, most importantly: grown by ourselves.

4. Respect the space and depth of each plant

There are many farmers whose priority is to take advantage of space by reducing the distance between seeds. This sometimes causes the plant to not have enough space for its development. Each plant needs a vital space both in depth and height, which must be respected for its proper growth. In addition, one of the most important issues is that each plant also has the necessary light and sufficient depth to expand its roots, so that there is no competition between one and another. The Urban Garden Raised Bed Kit with Wheels has 20 cm of depth, the minimum for the vast majority of vegetables. Thinking about fruit trees or deep-rooted plants, the Growing Module is designed with 50cm of depth and the same internal drainage system.

5. Use mulch to avoid weeds and retain moisture

Highly recommended! Weeds can be a source of frustration for us urban farmers, as they grow quickly and can steal and choke nutrients from our herbaceous plants. Instead of having to remove the weeds manually, by applying a good layer of mulch (e.g., dry leaves, straw), we directly prevent unwanted seeds that may have landed in our soil from germinating.

That said, don't throw away the weeds! You might ask, "why?" Once cut, we advise placing the weeds on the soil we are cultivating, as they provide numerous benefits, such as moisture retention, erosion reduction, or nutrient contribution through their decomposition on the surface in the medium term. In the English-speaking world, this technique is known as chop and drop.

6. Keep a record of your urban garden: save time and avoid mistakes

In our opinion, we should not rely on our memory, and it is advisable to make a sketch of our urban garden. It is as simple as drawing the surface of our containers and dividing it into several parts, so we can record over time what we have planted in each section in each season.

It is also important to have a list of pests that affected us and which natural treatments were effective and which were not (such as the use of ash to protect us from snails, something we will talk about later on the blog).

In addition, it is also a very good idea to label each plant in our module to know which seeds we have placed in each spot, since some seeds take time to germinate and we might forget what we have planted.

7. Learn to recognize your plants and differentiate them

There is nothing like watching your plants grow, caring for a tomato seed until the first sprout appears. Therefore, to avoid making a serious mistake, we must familiarize ourselves with the appearance of the plants we sow to avoid pulling them out, thinking they are weeds. Get to know them!

If you don't know them, in local nurseries where they sell already-germinated seedlings, you can also see the appearance of each variety in its early stages.

8. Nourish the soil with organic fertilizer and worm castings

Healthy soil is the foundation of a healthy crop. Each season, you must replenish the nutrients that the plants will need, using fertilizers of natural origin that respect the soil balance. You can incorporate cured manure, compost, or worm castings—one of the best allies to enrich the soil progressively and without chemicals. At the end of the season, if you are not going to be cultivating for a while, planting a cover crop is an intelligent way to prepare the soil for the next sowing.

In our online store, you have everything you need to nourish your garden:

🌱 Worm Castings →
🌱 Urban Garden Mix →

If you want to prepare your own fertilizers and repellents at home in an ecological way, don't miss our guide on natural bio-preparations.

9. Add flowers to attract pollinators to your garden

Flowers are not just for decoration. In an urban garden, they fulfill an essential function: they attract pollinating insects like bees and butterflies, which improve the production of your plants and maintain the natural balance of the crop.

Some of the best options for a terrace or balcony are calendula, which also repels pests naturally; lavender, which attracts bees and takes up little space; and basil, which combines perfectly with tomatoes and drives away unwanted insects.

Intercalate them between your vegetables or place them on the edges of the raised bed. You will notice the difference from the very first season.

And there is an extra benefit that many people discover over time: several of these plants have uses at home beyond the garden. Lavender and calendula have been used for centuries in infusions and home remedies—the former to calm and rest better, the latter for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties. Mint, lemon balm, or chamomile are other aromatics perfect for a terrace that you can harvest, dry, and use in homemade infusions throughout the year. Growing your own green pharmacy is simpler than it seems.

If you grow aromatics, here is everything you need to know about how to harvest and dry them at home.

10. Water your urban garden well: frequency, quantity, and technique

As we know, water is life, but in abundance, it can bring us harm in our cultivation. We recommend applying it in the right measure: do not water too little because the plants won't grow and won't produce, and do not water too much since it can drown the roots and cause diseases in them. If it has not rained, it is advisable to do a deep watering once a week and the rest of the week water superficially on alternate days.

It is advisable to water the plants in the morning or at dusk, thus avoiding sudden changes in temperature, which can cause stress and cause the fruits to spoil. It is important to water the plants from the base and not from above, avoiding getting the leaves wet, as this prevents various types of fungi.

More practical tips to not waste a single drop in our guide on saving water in irrigation.

Is it time to start your urban garden?

You already have the tips. Now you just need the space to grow.

Our kits include a raised bed with wheels, substrate, seeds, and a growing guide. Everything you need from the first day, without construction or complications.

👉 See Raised Bed Urban Garden Kit with Wheels →
👉 See Mini Urban Garden Kit with Wheels →

At Urban Green Club, we design and manufacture raised garden beds intended for anyone to start growing on their terrace or balcony from day one. Everything included and without complications.