Lush blooming flower boxes are the icing on the cake when it comes to creative balcony design. In order for the sea of flowers to shine in lavish splendor from spring to autumn, the right approach to planting is important. These instructions explain step by step how to skillfully plant a balcony box.

The plants can be brought forward on the windowsill

Prepare and fill the flower box - this is how you do it right

Examine a newly purchased flower box (€16.99) to see whether it has openings in the bottom for water drainage. If these are not available or are only pre-punched, drill the holes yourself. To prevent waterlogging, lay a 3 to 5 cm thick layer of potsherds as drainage. Before you fill in the substrate halfway up, spread out an air- and water-permeable fleece on the drainage so that it does not muddy up later.

Tips for plant selection - You should consider these aspects

Don't be confused by the dizzying variety of offers in the garden center. By no means all plants feel at home on your balcony. If you answer the following questions about the selection criteria, the range of options for your needs will shrink significantly:

  • Is the balcony on the south side in full sun, on the half-shaded west/east side or in the shade on the north side?
  • Are the plants at the mercy of beating rain or strong winds?
  • Could deciduous or long-hanging plants bother the neighbors?
  • How much time is available for care?

Adjust the plants primarily to the dominant light conditions. Sun worshipers, such as petunias and geraniums, are a misnomer for the low-light window box. Under the opposite sign, shade-loving leaf ornamental plants, such as the mini hosta (Hosta), are in a lost position in the sunny flower box.

Use plants correctly - this is how it works

Once the prepared balcony box and all the plants are ready to hand, the planting work can begin. Experience has shown that you need 6 to 8 plants for a 100 cm long flower box, whereas a 80 cm small balcony box gets by with 4 to 5 plants. How to use the young plant professionally:

  • Submerge the potted root balls in water until no more bubbles appear
  • Unpot the plants and plant them a hand's breadth apart
  • Fill the balcony box with substrate up to a 2 cm high watering edge

Press the soil down with your hands to create good ground contact for the roots. Finally, water the plants until the first drops run out on the underside of the box. If the water collects in a coaster, please pour it out after 10 minutes at the latest.

tips

Do not reach for the first potting soil that comes along because it is currently being offered at a low price. Please take a look at the composition before purchasing. The rule of thumb here is: the higher the peat content, the lower the quality. Peat is not only questionable from an ecological point of view. If the substrate with peat dries up, the water storage is significantly reduced.

Category:

Indoor plants