How to Grow Organic Vegetables on a Balcony

Buy a range of pots in different sizes. To go truly organic, purchase wood, clay or stone pots rather than plastic. Size depends on the vegetables you plan to grow and the space on your balcony. Carrots and radishes will grow in quart pots, whereas cabbage, kale and tomatoes grow best in 5 gallon pots, according to the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Create an easy organic potting mix. The National Center for Appropriate Technology's Sustainable Agriculture Project suggests mixing equal amounts of natural compost, garden topsoil and sharp sand. Fill your balcony pots with this potting soil.

Use natural compost, such as fully rotted leaves or garden waste, or well-aged horse manure. Add more compost to pots containing vegetables, such as squash and eggplant, that thrive on nitrogen-rich soil.

Use organic fertilizers instead of chemically-based versions. For example, agricultural specialist Jon Traunfeld at the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension suggests using fish, sea kelp or composted tea bags mixed with water. Alternatively, add a little blood meal, chicken manure pellets or worm castings around the soil on your containers.

Water your container vegetables daily. Water evaporates faster from pots than it does from the ground.

Position containers in the areas of your balcony that get the most sunlight. This tends to be away from eaves and overhangs. Put leafy greens, such as broccoli and cabbage, in the more shaded sections as they're better able to tolerate these conditions.