Best Edible Plants for North-Facing Garden or Balcony

Are you living in an area where you’ve got a small balcony, patio, or garden and wondering what grows well in a north-facing garden? Or maybe you’re thinking about what edible plants grow well on a north-facing balcony. 

Well, there are actually quite a few edible plants that can thrive in these lower-light spaces, such as Spinach, Lettuce, etc.

But first, let’s quickly understand what a north-facing area means and why growing some fruits, herbs, and vegetables there can be tricky.

In a north-facing balcony or garden, direct sunlight is limited, which is usually around 3 to 4 hours a day, depending on where you live. 

And as you might already know, most common vegetables need more than that, topically around 6 to 8 hours of sun daily to grow properly.

So, what does that mean? 

It means you’ll likely have to skip sun-loving plants like tomatoes or chilies. 

But don’t worry, you still have plenty of options. Leafy greens, shallow-rooted herbs, and a few shade-tolerant vegetables can actually do really well in these spaces.

In this post, I’ll discuss everything so that you can start growing vegetables here, etc, in your north-facing garden or balcony.

Also read: Growing Herbs Indoors with Grow Lights

What Grows Well in a North-Facing Garden?

There are many edible plants that do not like hot, direct sun. 

That’s why growing edible plants for a shaded garden is a good option, especially those that are soft-leaved, moisture-hugging types—also known as partial shade vegetables—such as green stems, herbs, etc.

Here are the top picks that grow well in a facing garden:

1. Spinach (Malabar or Baby varieties): Baby spinach does well in a north-facing garden or balcony as it requires 3 to 4 hours of gentle light. During cooler months, it even works better. Just water often and harvest young.
2. Lettuce (Looseleaf types): it doesn’t bolt fast in the shade. And this type will give you tender, sweet leaves. Avoid Iceberg—go for the Butterhead or Oakleaf variety.
3. Mint: Practically a weed, in the best way. Grows in just about any corner that’s not bone-dry. But you want to keep it in a wide container.
4. Coriander: It lives shorter, but it’s super doable. It germinates slowly, but shade delays bolting, so your harvest lasts longer.
5. Chives: It gives Mini onion vibes, low effort. And it’s a partial shade-loving plant. You can snip it, and it’ll grow again.
6. Methi (Fenugreek): You sow it thickly in trays and harvest microgreens or baby leaves. This plant loves moisture.
7. Radish greens: sometimes, if roots fail due to low sun, the greens are still edible and great in stir-fry.
8. Parsley: Flat-leaf is faster, and it only needs around 3 to 4 hours of filtered sun. Plus, it also tolerates cool weather.

Okay, so these were some of the best edible plants for north-facing balcony spaces that you can grow. You want to have it, especially if you have wide containers.

 

Low-Maintenance Plants for North-Facing Garden Life

If you don’t want to care like a babysitter and don’t want to pay attention to your garden 24×7, then here are some low-light edible plants and easy plants for balcony gardening that you can have in your north-facing garden.

• Aloe vera: It’s edible in small amounts but is mostly a healthy plant; it’s also good for skincare routine. And this plant also loves the shade.
• Malabar spinach: Climbs well and handles humid shade.
• Lemongrass: it doesn’t require full sun. You can use this plant in your morning tea and soups.
• Spring onions: They can regrow from store-bought roots and also need minimal light.
• Chard: pretty and productive, shade-tolerant too.

These are seriously low-maintenance plants for north-facing garden corners. Once settled, they just do their thing. I’d highly recommend growing them if you’re a beginning gardener.

If you do skin care, you can have aloe vera.

If you apply its gel to your face and gently massage it in circular motions, it can remove dirt and excess oil. You’ll have to rinse with warm water. It has many benefits.

 

Best Vegetables to Grow In North Facing Garden Balcony

If you are living in an apartment and you have a balcony that is north-facing, then here are more vegetables for a low-light balcony that you can consider. 

Yes, you can still grow vegetables in the shade successfully with the right picks.

• Beet greens: You might not get full beets, but the leaves are salad gold, so you can grow them.
• Turnip tops: They also have the same story as beet. Grow for leaves, not roots.
• Mustard greens: Peppery, a fast-growing plant that thrives perfectly in early spring or fall shade.
• Pea shoots: it’s quick and tasty. Just harvest leaves and tendrils.

Btw if you want to grow fruiting plants, then try growing dwarf varieties and accept a smaller yield. 

You can grow micro chilies or cherry tomatoes in grow bags and sometimes sneak in a surprise.

 

How to Set-Up Your North Facing Garden or Balcony for Gardening

If you have a north-facing balcony and you want to build a garden there, here is how you can consider growing edible plants.

Because growing edible plants for a north-facing balcony is not just picking the right plants, as we discussed above.

You also need to follow balcony garden set-up tips and understand container gardening in the shade to set up your north-facing garden correctly.

Tips:

• Use reflective surfaces: I recommend you paint nearby walls white. Plus, hang mirrors or prop up foil boards to bounce whatever sunlight you do get. Besides this, shiny tiles can also help a bit.
• Hang planters at an angle: You want to tilt them slightly forward or downward so that leaves can reach for what little sun’s available.
• Use railing trays; keep that in mind. Long, narrow planters along balcony railings will grab more exposure than chunky deep pots shoved in the corner. If your deep pots are shoved in the corner, keep them on a chair or stool so they can get taller to get more sunlight.
• Plant in clusters: Shade-loving plants do better when they’re grouped, as they keep humidity in and don’t dry out as fast.
• Make a tiny garden bed: If you have some extra area on the floor (like extra space), then build a short raised bed using bricks, crates, or even old wooden drawers. You don’t have to work a lot to make it fancy. It would be perfect to grow shallow-rooted veggies.
• Recycle plastic bottles: you don’t want to forget vertical space. You can cut and do gardening using plastic bottles. You’ll just have to hang them with ropes or wires and grow leafy greens. Yes, even in a shaded corner, you can grow. It’s a cheap, flexible way to make use of walls most people ignore.

All these tips will help you grow edible plants; even the best vegetables to grow on an apartment balcony survive better longer.

If you just follow these above-mentioned gardening north-facing gardening tips.

North-facing doesn’t mean hopeless. It means smart gardening.

Also read: Best Edible Plants to Grow in Florida

Prepare the soil and potting to thrive plants in the facing garden

When you are growing edible plants or any other plants, including flowers, in a north-facing balcony or garden, photosynthesis will be hard due to low light. 

That’s why having the best soil mix for balcony gardening is essential

Because of slow photosynthesis, plants won’t make enough food. 

So you have to help them out to grow more, and for this, you can prepare the soil.

Here’s how to keep your soil working smarter:

• Use airy soil mixes: You need to blend garden soil with cocopeat, perlite, or even sand. All these things will keep the soil loose, which is good for avoiding soggy roots.
• Never skip drainage holes: One hole’s a joke. That’s why you’ve to give your pots 3 to 4. Besides this, you need to drop some gravel or broken terracotta at the bottom.
• Top dress with dry mulch: At least once a week, you need to pick and throw dry leaves, coco husk, or even old tea leaves to keep things from going fungal.
• Add some homemade nutrition: What do you do with the kitchen scraps? Throw it away? Well, you can use them for good, like you can have crushed eggshells, powdered banana peel, or composted veggie bits (not oily food). This would be nice food for plants.
• DIY tip: Mix a handful of dried, ground vegetable peels with soil every couple of weeks. It’s low-effort but packs in potassium and calcium.

When gardening in a north-facing garden. Remember that low-light set-ups can’t rely on photosynthesis alone.

So, your north-facing plants need their nutrients delivered through the roots. 

That’s why preparing soil is important, and I highly recommend it for better plant growth.

 

Fertilize Your Plants Without Burning Them Out

Shade = slower growth = less nutrient hunger. 

But that doesn’t mean skipping the feed. Above, I have mentioned DIY tips to provide nutrients to your plants.

However, if you can invest a little bit, here is what you can do:

• You should use liquid compost tea or vermicompost water every 15 days.
• If you’re growing greens, then dilute fish emulsion and seaweed extract work wonders; you can use any of them.
• You want to avoid overdoing nitrogen. In shade, too much makes plants leggy and weak.

You just want to feed your plant light and often like soup, not steak.

 

Best Spots for a Shady Edible Garden (North-Facing Balconies Especially)

Sunlight doesn’t just fall; it moves. So where should you set up? 

Here are some gardening tips for low-sunlight areas to help you find the best spots for your edible garden on a north-facing balcony.

Best places to grow:

• Balcony railings (especially east-facing corners)
• Kitchen windows with extended grill ledges
• Wall-mounted racks with light-catching angles
• Under open staircases with indirect light
• Tree bases or fence lines with dappled shade

Besides this, If you’re really short on light, go vertical with stack planters and sneak in mirrors. 

Also read: Best Fruit Trees That Grow Well in Texas

Mistakes people make (and what to do instead)

Growing plants in a north-facing garden or balcony is not everyone’s cup of tea, especially when the gardener is a newbie with no experience. 

So, making some mistakes would be normal. Here are some classic flops in north-facing edible gardens.

• Picking sun-hungry drama queens: Tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, they’ll just sulk. Therefore, you want to stick with leafy greens, herbs, and root veg that actually like the shade (As I’ve discussed above).
• Watering like it’s midsummer: Shade = less evaporation. So, overwatering will lead straight to root rot. Therefore, you want to water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Yes, you can poke it to feel.
• Feeding like it’s a farm field: In a north-facing garden, there’s less light, which means slower nutrient absorption. Don’t blast them with fertilizer. It just makes long, floppy, weak stems. (You can also move plants when you get more sunlight occasionally)
• Using black plastic pots: Please don’t use them; they trap too much heat unevenly, which isn’t good for plants’ root health. Go for light-colored containers, clay pots, or even repurposed wooden boxes.
• Ignoring airflow: Shaded balconies often get stuffy. Without air movement, fungus parties start fast. That’s why you need to keep breathing room between each pot.

Be soft with them. Shade-tolerant edibles are not built for speed; they’re steady growers who like things calm and balanced. 

Handle them like gentle house guests; be patient.

 

Care Rituals that Actually Matter

When gardening on a north-facing balcony or garden, you don’t have to be a hover, but don’t be a ghost, either. 

Here are some north-facing balcony care tips and shade gardening tips that actually matter:

• Pinch and prune regularly: You want to do it at least once a week; it will keep the plant’s growth compact and strong. Check if there are yellow or brown leaves, any pests, etc. 
• Rotate containers every week: Even shade isn’t evenly shady. Therefore, you’ve to move pots slightly to balance the light.
• Watch for fungus: Humid shade = higher risk. So, you want to use the Neem spray every 10 to 15 days.
• Don’t overcrowd: Air circulation matters more when sunlight is low.

These are some very simple and small things that have a big impact on your edible plant’s growth. 

 

Creative Ideas to design a facing garden when growing edible plants

When growing edible plants in a north-facing balcony or garden, and you also want to do home décor, then here are some ideas that will help you improve your garden’s appearance.

• You can add a herb ladder using recycled crates.
• You can grow some herbs and vegetables using old Plastic Bottles, Plus you even decorate those bottles like by doing painting’ Its nice home decor Idea.
• Hanging mason jars with mint or chives on a window grill will also improve appearance.
• You can try a hydroponic jar system near your bathroom window.
• Repurpose egg cartons for microgreens; they’re super quick wins.

The more playful you are, the more ideas show up, so just use some of your ideas, too.

 

Final note

If you’ve ever felt like your north-facing or shady balcony can’t grow anything good, I hope this piece flipped the narrative. 

I have shared many of the best edible plants for the north-facing balcony. 

You don’t need blazing sunlight to eat from your own garden. 

You just need the right picks and a few smart tricks (and I have shared both) to grow food on a shaded balcony. 

Yes, edible gardening without sunlight is not a myth—it’s a doable, rewarding practice.

So now go ahead and start planting and growing your own vegetables, herbs, and fruits. 

Because now you know what grows well in a facing garden, and better yet, how to grow it without fuss.

 

Can I Grow Tomatoes On A North Facing Balcony?

Yes, you can grow, but it’s not going to be very easy. You’ll have to tweak a few things smartly. 

Tomatoes are in love with —ideally, they need up to 6+ hours of sunlight.

But if your north-facing balcony gets at least 3–4 hours of direct sunlight (especially in summer), go for cherry tomato varieties like ‘Tiny Tim’ or ‘Balcony Red.’ 

They’re smaller in size, more forgiving in shade, and do well in containers. 

Besides this, you can also boost your chances by placing tomato plants near reflective surfaces (like white walls), or you can use grow lights during dull days. 

So yeah, with some creativity, growing tomatoes on the north-facing balcony is possible—not perfect, but still possible.

 

What Are the Best Low-maintenance Plants for North-facing Gardens?

The best low-maintenance plants for north-facing gardens are those that handle partial shade and don’t throw tantrums over missed waterings. Here are some examples:

• Mint: it practically grows on its own; you just have to provide it with a pot.
• Chard: it’s pretty and productive, shade-tolerant too.
• Lettuce: leaf it alone; it still grows.
• Parsley: herbs love the coolness here.
• Spinach thrives in cooler, dimmer corners.

All these plants work without fuss, don’t need full sun, and are made for “set and forget” gardeners, meaning they’re low-maintenance edible plants for north-facing balconies.

 

Can Strawberries Grow in a North-facing Garden, or Do They Need Full Sun?

Strawberries prefer the sun, but how to grow fruits in partial shade is a question many balcony gardeners ask. 

Look, strawberries can still grow in a north-facing spot, too, especially if your garden gets 3 to 4 hours of dappled or early morning light.

You’ll just have to choose shade-friendly varieties like ‘Mignonette’ and ‘Alpine’ strawberries. 

Once you’ve got them, then grow these strawberries in hanging baskets or bright corners. 

You won’t get a giant harvest, but you will get sweet little fruits if you care for them right. So, growing is possible with some effort.

 

Are Herbs Like Mint or Parsley Suitable for a Shaded North-facing Balcony?

Absolutely, yes. Mint and parsley are among the best herbs for north-facing balcony gardens and are two of the most shade-tolerant, balcony-friendly herbs out there.

They don’t scorch in the hot sun and stay green longer. 

You can grow mint or parsley in small pots, railing baskets, or even recycled containers.

Btw, don’t overwater (especially in winter), and keep trimming for fuller growth.