A balcony that gets the sun for only part of the day is not a lost cause. You just grow leaves and herbs instead of fruit. Leafy crops tolerate more shade than root crops, and plants grown for their fruit need the most sun of all.
Good choices for 3 to 5 hours of direct sun
- Leaf lettuce: 3–5 hours is enough, and in summer it actually prefers afternoon shade, which delays bolting.
- Kale: tolerates 3–5 hours; it prefers more sun in cool weather.
- Green onions: grow with about 5 hours of sun.
- Parsley: full sun or light shade; in hot climates afternoon shade helps.
- Cilantro: afternoon shade stretches its life once the weather warms.
- Chives and mint: both tolerate light shade; mint grows from full sun to part shade with at least 4–6 hours.
What to skip in a shady spot
Cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers and bush beans want 6–8 hours of direct sun. Basil wants 6 or more. Radishes need about 6 hours; in too much shade you get leaves and no root.
Make the most of the light you have
- Count first. A one-day sun check tells you exactly how many hours each spot gets. The sunniest corner of a shady balcony is often good enough for herbs.
- Containers can move. Put the pots where the sun actually lands, and move them as the season changes the sun’s path.
- Watch for stretching. Tall, thin, floppy plants are asking for more light. Move them to a brighter spot.
Under 3 hours of direct sun? None of the 12 plants in our kit is a good bet outdoors there. Try herbs on your sunniest windowsill instead.
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…
- 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 Maryland Extension. Growing Lettuce in a Home Garden. extension.umd.edu/resource/lettuce
- University of Maryland Extension. Growing Onions in a Home Garden. extension.umd.edu/resource/onions
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Petroselinum crispum (parsley). plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/petroselinum-crispum/
- Penn State Extension. Cilantro: A Unique Culinary Herb. extension.psu.edu/cilantro-a-unique-culinary-herb
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension. Chives, Allium schoenoprasum. hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/chives-allium-schoenoprasum/
- University of California Statewide IPM Program. Cultural tips for growing mint. ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/cultural-tips-for-growing-mint/
- University of Maryland Extension. Growing Radishes in a Home Garden. extension.umd.edu/resource/radishes
- University of Illinois Extension. What's wrong with my seedlings? Troubleshooting seed starting problems. extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-02-25-whats-wrong-my-se…
More free guides
Getting started · 4 minHow many hours of sun do container vegetables need?Fruit, roots, leaves and herbs need different amounts of direct sun. Here is how much, and a one-day check to find out what your balcony gets.
Timing · 4 minWhen to plant: frost dates, not hardiness zonesYour USDA zone tells you which perennials survive winter. Your planting dates come from two frost dates. Here is what they mean and how to find yours.
Containers · 3 minPotting mix vs. garden soil: what to put in your potsWhy soil from the ground fails in a container, what to look for on the bag, and what to do with the mix next year.