If you are lucky enough to have a large garden or park near your home, you will understand how important it is to create a sense of well-being and health in cities. There’s nothing like a grove of trees and thick green soil instead of asphalt to reduce the feeling of heat and increase air quality and comfort.
If this is not your thing, but you have a sunny balcony or a few meters of good lighting inside the house, I have good news for you. There are plenty of plants that can withstand hot environments and allow you to enjoy the benefits of gardening, however inhospitable it may seem right now.
The fact is: cities need to breathe, and we are increasingly aware of how important this volume of vegetables is. You can’t suddenly stop climate change, but at least the streets (and your house) will look nicer if you dress your balcony in green or replace old furniture with plants. have you registered
heat resources
A quick way to justify a plant’s resistance to hot conditions, scorching sun or episodes of extreme heat is its origin. If in their natural habitat they are used to this type of environment, their DNA contains the information that makes them “toughest in class”.
When it’s hot, plants evaporate water faster, causing more water stress. This means that plants lose water faster than they can absorb it through their roots.
Before we talk about plants, let’s take a look at four tricks that will make them more comfortable and a little safer from the scorching sun on your balcony:
- Collect the plants. Not only will you get a more pleasant and natural effect, but you will also help each other fight this water loss due to heat. Place the most delicate ones in the secondary layer, protecting them with partial shade, which is depicted by the heaviest layers.
- Use pots according to their size. A plant that outgrows its shoes tends to dry out its substrate faster. If your plant has the right pot and substrate, it will be able to retain enough water for those moments when the sun is stronger.
- Water when needed, but better when young. You can do this both in the late afternoon and in the early hours. The important thing is that this water is available to your sunny plant for as long as possible. If you water during the most violent hours, the irrigation efficiency will be lower.
- Use a shadow. It is a good idea to help with a small awning, curtains suitable for outdoor use or organic materials to cover your balcony railing. In addition, it will give your balcony a certain style and harmony with other elements such as flooring or furniture.
Four hardy plants for the balcony
There are two ways to check if a plant will be happy on your hot balcony:
- Place any plant and see how it works. But it carries a high risk of failure…
- Look for information that will give you clues that this plant will be great.
As for the second one, I can help you. Here are four groups of plants that tolerate heat well:
Succulents
As you know, the succulent plant team, which includes cacti, is one of the toughest in terms of drought and intense sun scenarios. It is easier to kill them by watering more often than by subjecting them to extreme environments and recording heat, as we think.
You can include and collect these fantastic plants on your balcony. Even indoors, near a well-lit window, they will be able to live with dignity. My favorite is sedum, euphorbias like Euphorbia alluaudii, Mesemi (Mesembryanthemum cordifolium) or Echeveria.
small trees
If we are talking about heat and direct sun, you should know that there are some perfect trees on our balcony that we have to display. Have you ever thought of a small olive, almond or citrus tree?
Yes, although it won’t be as vigorous as it would be in a wider setting, this is a plant that will give you a lot of joy if you keep it in a good pot and water it occasionally. Don’t worry about the sun, these fruit trees love it so they can bloom and bear fruit to the end.
aromatic plants
How many times have we grown rosemary in the kitchen and failed? Aromatic plants love the sun and are very drought tolerant. Can you get them home? Yes, but they won’t be as happy as they are on your balcony. Keep in mind that in nature they tend to grow in very well-drained soil, so don’t overwater them, the same thing will happen to succulents.
I love lavenderLavandula stoechas), wise (sage officinalis) and herbs such as oregano (Oregano vulgar) or coriander (Coriander satium), but in this case we warn you that you should pay a little more attention to watering.
and flowers?
Of course. Annual or seasonal plants are the queens of the balcony. Don’t cut yourself off and put everything you can imagine into it. Of course, be careful with the hottest days, there are more delicate ones like pansies or nasturtiums. After all, their job is not to retain water in their tissues like a succulent.
Any hard options? I like to introduce plants like the traditional but always outstanding geraniums (Pelargonium), gazanias (Gazania rigens) or a more original variant such as guar bell (Oenothera Lindheimeri); You will love its almost flying flowers.
Source: El Diario
