Sun decides what you can grow on a balcony more than anything else. The good news: you do not need a south-facing roof terrace to eat something you grew. You need to know how many hours of direct sun you actually get, and choose plants to match.
What “direct sun” means
Direct sun is the sun shining on the leaves themselves, not just a bright spot. A balcony can feel bright all day and still get only two or three hours of sun on the pots. Buildings, trees and the balcony above yours all count, which is why counting beats guessing.
How much each kind of plant needs
| What you eat | Examples | Direct sun per day |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit | Cherry tomato, sweet pepper, bush beans | 6–8 hours, and more is better |
| Roots | Radish | About 6 hours. With too little sun the roots do not fill out |
| Leaves | Leaf lettuce, kale, green onions | 3–5 hours is enough |
| Herbs | Mint, chives, parsley, cilantro | 4–6 hours for a decent harvest; basil wants 6 or more |
The order never changes: leafy plants tolerate the most shade, root crops less, and plants grown for their fruit need the most sun of all. A plant in too little light grows tall, thin and unproductive.
What your direction tells you
- South and west exposures are the sunniest and warmest. They suit tomatoes, peppers, beans and basil.
- East and north exposures are shadier and cooler. East is often enough for leaves and herbs; count the hours to be sure.
The one-day sun check
Pick a clear day when you are home. Choose up to three spots where pots could go. Once an hour, look at each one and note whether the sun is shining directly on it. At the end of the day, count the hours.
- 6 hours or more: you can grow any of the plants above.
- 3 to 5 hours: lettuce, kale, green onions, parsley, cilantro, chives and mint.
- Under 3 hours: try your sunniest window for herbs instead.
No time for a whole day? Check three times, in the morning, around 1 pm and around 5 pm. Repeat the check in early spring and in midsummer, because the sun’s path shifts with the seasons.
Sources
Every fact in this guide comes from the publications below. None of them reviewed or endorsed Balcony Bounty.
- University of Maryland Extension. Growing Vegetables in Containers. extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-vegetables-containers
- NC State Extension. Extension Gardener Handbook, chapter 18: Plants Grown in Containers. content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/18-plants-grown-in-co…
- Colorado State University Extension. Container Gardens. extension.colostate.edu/resource/container-gardens/
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. E-545: Vegetable Gardening in Containers. aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2011/03/E-545_…
- University of Georgia Extension, Fulton County. Container gardening: thinking outside the box. site.extension.uga.edu/fultonag/2020/04/container-gardening-thinking-o…
- University of Maryland Extension. Growing Vegetables in Containers and Salad Tables. extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-vegetables-containers-and-salad-tab…
- University of Illinois Extension. Make a Garden Sun Chart. extension.illinois.edu/youth-gardening/make-garden-sun-chart
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