What’s the best flower to grow on a closed balcony?
It’s a great time to plant flowers and grass, and those who love flora are gearing up to cultivate their favorites.
A newcomer to gardening asked me, “I started learning how to grow flowers last year and plan to grow more this year, but I have a closed balcony at home. I heard that it’s not good for growing flowers. Which plants can I grow?”
When I think of a closed balcony, it seems poorly ventilated, requiring windows to be open for long periods. During summer, such balconies become the hottest place in the house, an environment that is quite unfriendly to some delicate plants.
Especially those with low resistance may frequently suffer from diseases or pests. Whether you neglect them or use medicine to treat them, it can pollute the indoor air, affecting its quality.
So, can flowers still be grown on a closed balcony? Yes, many varieties thrive. Here, I’ll share some popular ones.
As the name implies, the Desert Rose is quite heat-tolerant. It rarely gets diseases or pests. While it has the disadvantage of being cold-sensitive, there’s no need to fear it freezing to death on a closed balcony in winter, and it’s also heat-resistant in summer.
Isn’t it wonderful to grow a Desert Rose on a closed balcony?
Particularly on a south-facing balcony, the environment is very suitable for the growth of Desert Roses. If well cared for, it can rival those grown outdoors.
The root system of the Desert Rose is weak, necessitating the use of loose, breathable soil, preferably granular soil.
Otherwise, in poorly ventilated conditions, a watering mistake could easily lead to root rot. Because of this, it is advisable to repot and change the soil every spring, which can better aid its growth.
As a result, it will grow faster, and the number of flowers will significantly increase.
If you’re a beginner and planning to use your south-facing enclosed balcony for plants, I suggest starting with some common succulents. You’ll find that, apart from color development being slower indoors during autumn and winter, there’s not much difference in their growth.
Moreover, succulents are resilient and adaptable. Just keep the windows open on the balcony, manage the watering and fertilization as required, refrain from overdoing it, and you’ll find that your balcony succulents will flourish.
If your balcony lacks ventilation, to prevent pests, consider using some insecticide granules.
In the summer, pay attention to shading. It’s best to keep the windows open for long periods for ventilation, which can help cool the area.
Otherwise, it gets too hot, and potted succulents could get scorched. If there’s space indoors, it’s best to relocate the succulents to a cooler spot for the summer.
Once the summer heat subsides, you can move them back to the balcony. If there’s no other option, just ensure that there isn’t intense sunlight or high temperatures on the balcony.
Both cacti and spherical cacti are easy to grow and are highly decorative, even without flowers. They’re adaptable and thrive on enclosed balconies. Even if you’re a novice, it’s difficult to kill a cactus grown on such a balcony.
The only thing to be mindful of is watering. Not only should you avoid overwatering, but also ensure that you don’t spill water on the spherical part of the plant. Instead, water slowly along the edge of the pot.
After watering, open the windows to ventilate and quickly evaporate excess water.
If you love growing spherical cacti, they generally all do well on enclosed balconies, particularly some superior varieties. They are not only beautiful but bloom spectacularly, have long flowering periods, and produce abundant flowers.
For example, the Gymnocalycium mihanovichii, also known as the Ruby Ball Cactus, is hailed as a “flowering machine,” blooming from summer through winter, making its flowering period exceptionally long.
If the Ruby Ball Cactus is the “flowering machine” among cacti, then the Hibiscus rightfully earns the same title. Provided the environmental temperature is right, it can bloom year-round.
Many plant lovers enjoy growing a pot of Hibiscus on their balconies. Even on an enclosed, poorly ventilated balcony, as long as there’s ample sunlight and suitable temperature, you’ll find it continually blooming.
The Hibiscus is highly adaptable and resilient, and very easy to cultivate. It doesn’t have special environmental requirements.
As long as you manage the watering and fertilizing well, and ensure proper ventilation, you’ll find that it seems to live to bloom. I highly recommend everyone to grow one. Even novice gardeners can handle it perfectly.
Enclosed balconies are ideal for growing Plumbago. This plant is resistant, grows very quickly, and the quality of its flowers is very high. Not only does it have a long flowering period, but the blooms it produces are generally profuse. It’s also sun-resistant.
As long as the windows are open and the temperature doesn’t get too high (which could roast the root system), it’s pretty effortless to maintain in summer.
Plus, it’s relatively tolerant of water logging and not prone to root rot. Things that other plants are afraid of don’t seem to bother Plumbago, making it very suitable for an enclosed balcony.
However, there are some drawbacks to growing Plumbago on an enclosed balcony. The main one is poor ventilation, which could lead to powdery mildew.
Good airflow can help mitigate this, but if it’s not possible to ensure sufficient ventilation, you can thin out the Plumbago by pruning dense leaves, especially near the base. This can effectively prevent powdery mildew.
When I recommend growing Jasmine on enclosed balconies, some people disagree. They believe that enclosed balconies not only lack good ventilation but also sufficient light, making it difficult to grow Jasmine.
They argue that it’s also hard to grow succulents well, as they are prone to leggy growth. But I have to ask, is my idea of an enclosed balcony different from yours?
Enclosed balconies are only half-enclosed at the bottom, with windows that can still be opened at the top. Such an environment is not entirely enclosed, and it’s completely possible to grow Jasmine well in these conditions.
Jasmine can suffer from yellowing leaves, mainly if the pot hasn’t been turned and the soil replaced, causing the soil to become alkaline, resulting in iron-deficiency yellowing. This can be resolved by adding a suitable amount of ferrous sulfate.
You can also apply ferrous sulfate preventatively to avoid iron-deficiency yellowing, which can impact growth and flowering.
Otherwise, let your Jasmine bask on the balcony. The more light it gets, the more vigorous the growth, the more flowers it produces, and the more intense the fragrance. If the lighting is insufficient, the plant is very likely to grow leggy, all leaves and no flowers.
Many people also enjoy growing Dwarf Morning Glory. From a young age, we should be pinching back this plant. It can also be hung in mid-air, which helps it grow better and benefits the entire plant.
For watering, you can use aquarium water, which not only provides it with nutrients but also promotes absorption.
Geraniums are also suitable for our cultivation, commonly seen in daily life, and basically, they don’t require us to spend too much time or effort. When you notice the soil is dry, water it. During the fall, ensure it stores more nutrients to prevent excessive nutrient depletion.
The Marguerite Daisy may not be very familiar to many people. From its early growth stages, we should pinch it back and rotate its pot every week, providing it with nutrients. Supplementing it with compound fertilizer is sufficient.
This plant doesn’t require much effort from us, and we can keep it in very good condition. Hibiscus is a plant many people love to grow at home because it doesn’t require much care.
It’s easy to maintain and basically has no specific environmental requirements.
However, we should timely supplement its nutrients during its maintenance, which can promote its rapid growth and accelerate the emergence of its buds. This will greatly influence its blooming in the later stages.
The Crab Claw Orchid is very common in daily life, and it is especially dazzling when it blooms. It’s easy to maintain, and its light requirements are not particularly high, so we can take care of it well.
We don’t need to water it excessively to keep it in good condition. Overwatering could potentially harm it. Correct watering will allow it to produce more gorgeous flowers.
Also, after it blooms, remember not to move its pot. These are the things we usually need to pay attention to.
Many people are familiar with the Pyracantha, which can also be grown on the balcony. If you want it to bloom quickly, you should timely supplement its nutrients.
We should add compound fertilizer once a week on average, which can promote its growth. This will have a very good effect on its budding and flowering in the future.
String of Pearls is a beloved plant variety that stays green all year round, with bright green leaves. It blooms beautiful, elegant, and refreshing flowers, particularly in the summer.
Here’s how to care for it:
If your enclosed balcony gets good sunlight, you can grow sunflowers. Sunflowers, also known as “Helianthus”, bloom more when they get plenty of sunlight in the summer.
Sunflowers also rarely suffer from pests or diseases, all you need to do is water and fertilize them properly, then wait for them to bloom. Sunflowers are easy to propagate, simply pinch off a stem and it can grow.
As long as you have one pot of sunflowers at home, you can propagate many more, creating a sea of sunflowers during their flowering period.
Sunflowers can be propagated by seeds or cuttings. If you want to propagate by seeds, you should start early in the spring. Because from the time the sunflower seeds are sown to the time they bloom, it takes about 3 months.
For example, if you sow sunflower seeds in early March, they may only bloom in mid-June. If the sowing is too late, the bloom will be late, and the viewing time for this year will be greatly reduced.
If you find it too troublesome to grow sunflowers from seeds, you can directly use stem cuttings. Once the cuttings take root, they can bloom. It’s simple and easy to grow.
Bougainvillea is a southern flower that is both sun and heat tolerant, and it doesn’t often suffer from pests or diseases, making it very suitable for an enclosed balcony!
Some people only have an enclosed balcony and don’t grow anything else, just bougainvillea, which blooms all year round! Bougainvillea doesn’t require much ventilation.
As long as the temperature stays above 5 degrees Celsius and there’s sufficient sunlight, it can grow and bloom.
Bougainvillea basically doesn’t have any pests or diseases, so you don’t have to worry about using pesticides that might contaminate the indoor environment. Bougainvillea is quite heat-tolerant.
As long as the potting soil is loose and breathable, it can get through the dog days of summer on a balcony with direct sunlight. So, if you find that other plants in your home are prone to pests and diseases, grow bougainvillea. It’s so easy to care for!
Hydrangeas do not require high amounts of sunlight, so they can be grown on enclosed balconies that face any direction, as long as there is sufficient diffused light, they can grow well.
However, make sure to open windows for ventilation during the summer.
Most small chrysanthemums have strong adaptability, such as summer chrysanthemums, medal chrysanthemums, and thousand-head chrysanthemums. These chrysanthemums like light and also tolerate shade.
Regularly spraying with a fungicide like Polyram can prevent insects. They bloom frequently, and some varieties are heat-tolerant, while others are cold-tolerant. If you cultivate a mix of them, you can ensure that there are flowers to see all year round.
Dwarf lily varieties, such as Asian lilies, are compact and do not take up much space. They bloom relatively quickly and do not have a fragrance, so growing them in an enclosed balcony will not cause a strong smell that might make people dizzy.
Moreover, they are relatively heat-tolerant, making them easier to grow during the summer.
Amaryllis is highly adaptable. Enclosed balconies in winter are very suitable for growing amaryllis. Pay attention to ventilation, control watering, and if the bulbs are well cared for, they can bloom all year round.
African violets are incredibly charming when they bloom. They don’t require much sunlight, so they’re suitable for environments with appropriate diffused light or bright light. An enclosed balcony is quite suitable.
The air plant is a very magical plant that doesn’t need a pot or soil, just a spray of water regularly and it grows well. There are many varieties of air plants with different shapes, they provide ornamental value both for their flowers and leaves.
Variegated Gardenia emits a delicate and pleasant fragrance, which is not overwhelming and stays fresh for a long time. Growing it on the balcony, the scent will occasionally waft into the living room, providing a very comfortable atmosphere.
The variegated gardenia has a long flowering period, but it’s not fussy at all, much like a quiet little girl. All you need to do is regularly water it and throw in a few slow-release fertilizer granules on time. You will not regret having this plant around.
Many plants thrive on enclosed balconies, but when planting and maintaining them, there are a few things to keep in mind:
① Watering control
The ventilation conditions on an enclosed balcony will inevitably be inferior, so watering should be regulated. For plants that can’t tolerate too much moisture, it’s crucial to let them dry out thoroughly before watering again. On the other hand, plants that prefer a damp environment would thrive in such conditions.
② Breathable pots
When growing plants on an enclosed balcony, choose pots made from materials that are highly breathable, such as Zisha (purple sand) pots, clay pots, or green mountain pots. When it comes to the style of the pot, wide-mouth shallow pots are ideal. These pots speed up the wet-dry cycle of the potting soil, helping plants grow vigorously.
③ Good potting mix
Waterlogging is fatal to most plants, hence the saying, “Growing plants is all about nurturing the soil.” Good soil equals healthy plants. On an enclosed balcony, where ventilation is limited, not only should watering be regulated but the potting soil must also be loose and well-draining.
Beginners who don’t know how to mix their own soil can purchase ready-made potting mix. The cost-performance ratio is quite good, so don’t skimp and end up with less-than-ideal blooms.
As long as the enclosed balcony is not a completely sealed space, you can grow the several types of flowers mentioned above.
If your balcony is completely enclosed without any ventilation capabilities, then you might only be able to grow artificial flowers.
Peggie was once a high school mathematics teacher, but she set aside her chalkboard and textbooks to follow her lifelong passion for flowers. After years of dedication and learning, she not only established a thriving flower shop but also founded this blog, “Flowers Library”. If you have any questions or wish to learn more about flowers, feel free to contact Peggie.
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