Free planning tool

Balcony Herb Garden Planner

Match herbs to your balcony before buying plants. The planner estimates potting mix and recommends herbs by direction, direct sun, pot size, growing conditions, watering style, and how you want to use the plants.

Balcony direction

Direct sun hours per day

Number of containers

Average pot diameter in inches

Average soil depth in inches

Growing conditions

Watering style

User preference

Difficulty comfort

About 1.7 cubic feet of potting mix total

A sunny setup with four 10 inch pots can support basil, parsley, chives, mint, thyme, and oregano if watering groups stay separate.

Planner results

Recommended Herbs

Basil
Parsley
Chives
Mint

Avoid for This Setup

Avoid rosemary, lavender, and dill if the balcony is too shaded or the pots are too small.

Container Guidance

Use the largest pots that fit the walkway, and keep mint in its own container.

Sun Warning

Six or more hours of direct sun gives the widest herb choices.

Watering Guidance

Separate steady-moisture herbs from herbs that prefer to dry partly.

Pairing Suggestions

Good pairings: parsley with chives, basil with parsley, and thyme with oregano. Keep mint and lemon balm alone.

Difficulty Notes

Start with beginner herbs when the light or watering routine is uncertain.

Suggested Starter Setup

Start with four medium pots: one leafy pair, one solo mint, one woody herb pot, and one backup pot.

Related Guides

How the Planner Makes Recommendations

The tool filters herbs by direct sun, balcony direction, minimum pot size, preferred watering, growing condition, and difficulty. It also limits the recommendation list to the number of containers you entered, because a smaller healthy setup is easier to manage than a crowded balcony.

For hot, windy, cool, or narrow balconies, treat the recommendation as a starting point. Use larger pots on exposed surfaces, lower shelves in wind, and one main growing edge on narrow walkways.

After planning, compare the results with the balcony herb garden beginner guide, sun and pot size chart, watering schedule chart, and container compatibility chart.