How to Maximize Balcony Space Without Overcrowding Your Plants

We have a small space in balconies, and that’s why it’s obvious to think about maximizing balcony space by adding too many pots.

And it’s a mistake that most beginners make due to excitement. To maximize the number of plants in our balcony, we need to utilize our space properly.

Otherwise, because of overcrowding, no plants grow to their full potential.

I myself have always been aware of this problem, even before I actively started managing balcony plants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Why You Must Avoid Overcrowding Your Balcony Plants

In the beginning, you won’t really see any abnormal things in your plants.

Everything will remain normal, like leaves, growth, etc.

However, after a few times, like a few days or weeks, you will realize that your plant has started changing its leaves, and that will happen because some tall plants or even normal plants will be consuming more sunlight while overshadowing other plants. 

And especially when you have a gardening bed, and you are growing multiple plants in that, then a strong plant will consume more resources than the weaker one. 

Although I personally don’t have a gardening bed, I’m thinking of having one.

Besides this, it will also be hard for you to reach the pot, though it’s not a big problem; you can easily find a way to reach it for watering your plants.

But lack of sunlight is the biggest problem. Even if you don’t see leaves changing color, the growth will be slow.

 

Maximizing Balcony Space with Vertical Gardening

Now, if we talk about maximizing our balcony space, then I always say that you should not put too many pots on the floor. Instead, you should try to use all the balcony space available. 

For example, I am personally using the side and back walls of my balcony. So you can do the same thing. 

You just have to figure out on which wall you are receiving the most sunlight, there you can grow vegetables, and where it is occasional or like partial shade, you can grow shady plants, or even indoor plants like the snake plants.

Besides this, you can also go with vertical gardening in the balcony using a bottle system, wall-mounted planters, narrow shelves, etc.

They all will help you to utilize space, and you can grow more and more stuff. 

That’s because when you grow your plants upward instead of just keeping them on the floor level, they will receive good sunlight, air flow, and you can easily attend to them as well.

So, that’s why I’m telling you to utilize the space.

 

Why Shelves, Hanging Baskets, and Height Matter

As of my own observation, shelves are very practical tools for small balconies. I’m not saying the wider ones, but the narrow shelves.

They will help you separate the plants by height, and you won’t have to stack them directly in front of one another. 

The hanging baskets system is also good, but you will have to make a little bit of effort, especially when it comes to watering, and they are a little bit higher. 

I personally prefer it for herbs, trailing plants, light feeders, etc. Also, hanging baskets won’t steal all the sunlight from other containers, which you will see in floor cases.

 

Understand Where Your Balcony Gets Less Sun

Every balcony has uneven light, even if it looks bright overall, so you have to track the sunlight pattern.

In my case, the upper back side of the balcony wall receives less sunlight because of a roof extension and railing design. 

Sunlight simply won’t reach that area directly.

This is important to notice because if you plant sun-hungry plants, they won’t grow properly, no matter how well you care for them.

This is where systematic placement matters.

You should grow Low-light or low-maintenance plants in shaded or partially shaded zones.

Plants that need full sun should stay in the brightest, most open areas. 

If you ignore this and place everything randomly, overcrowding will become worse because plants will start compensating for poor placement.

Also, when we place our plants according to light, they need less intervention. They will grow naturally instead of constantly adjusting.

 

A System Matters More Than the Number of Plants

Growing too many plants in the balcony is not bad unless you follow the correct system.

A system considers:

• Light direction and shade patterns
• Plant height and growth habit
• Water needs
• Access for maintenance

If these factors align, you can grow more successfully without adding stress. But if they don’t, it might be hard to maintain a small number of plants.

 

The Quiet Rule That Solves Most Balcony Problems

Here’s the simplest rule I follow:

If adding a plant makes caring for the existing ones harder, I don’t grow it or even recommend it to others.

This simple rule will help you prevent overcrowding naturally. It forces you to think in systems rather than numbers. 

Plus, it will keep the balcony productive without turning it into a maze of pots.

 

Conclusion

In order to maximize plants in your balcony, you should first think about how you will maintain those plants, share space, provide light, air flow, etc. 

Because, initially, overcrowding might feel productive, especially when you want more herbs or vegetables like me, but weeks later, you will face problems.

And all that will happen because of uneven sunlight, watering, etc.

Therefore, growing vertically using your balcony walls, climbers, shelves, and hanging baskets.

 

FAQs

How many plants are too many for a small balcony?

It depends on your balcony size and the size of your pots. Your balcony will be overcrowded if plants start blocking light from each other, and watering becomes hard too.

Is vertical gardening better than keeping plants on the floor?

Yes, in most cases, but it also depends on sunlight. What if you have more sunlight on the floor only, or little on the bottom of your wall? Then, it won’t be right to grow everything vertically.

But, yes, in general, vertical gardening is good as it provides proper air, sunlight, etc.

Can I still grow vegetables without overcrowding?

Yes, you can grow vegetables, but they will do well on balconies if you grow strategically. You can also use climbers for crops like cucumbers or beans, keep heavy feeders spaced properly, and avoid placing everything at the same height.