Plants to Grow in January on Your Balcony

Coleus is a good plant for balcony gardens and is ideal for adding colour to your outdoor space. The plant thrives in shady balcony spaces. Given appropriate shady conditions, the leaves of the Coleus plant develop into bright shades of red, white, yellow and green, automatically making your outdoor space more lively. Keep in mind that too much sun can drain the colour from the leaves of this plant. The Coleus plant can be sown in pots or trays filled with seed compost. The germination could take 10-20 days depending on the temperature. In areas that have extremely low temperatures, you could also move the trays indoors or into a temperature-controlled greenhouse for germination. Expect the beautiful colourful foliage display from June onwards.

Chillies are useful edible plants that can be cultivated in January. They need warmth to germinate, so a suitable spot outdoors or indoors is required. Sow your chilli seeds in a pot filled with seed compost or vermiculite. The germination process could take between 3 and 10 days. Post germination, move the chilli plant to a spot that receives enough light during the day as they need it to grow healthy. The chilli plant grown in January can be harvested from July to October.

Sweet peas are lovely container plants to grow in January. They thrive in containers, and when sown in January, they flower from May to August. Plant your sweet pea seeds in a container filled with high-quality seed compost mixed with a loam-based compost to ensure that there is maximum water retention. The seeds could take about 10 and 14 days to germinate. Once they start to grow, use a liquid feed to help them develop.

Dahlias are perfect plants to grow in January on your balcony garden. They grow very well in pots as long as you make sure that they are watered regularly. Sow the Dahlia seeds in a small pot with good drainage, filled with seed compost and potting soil. Germination should take between 5 and 20 days. Once the plant starts growing, make sure to add in fertilisers regularly for the plant to thrive – dahlias grown in January flower from July to November.

Icelandic Poppies are beautiful flowering plants that are ideal for containers. They can survive colder temperatures making it easy to cultivate them in January. Sow the Icelandic poppy seeds in a container with good drainage and seed compost. Germination may take between 14 and 21 days. Icelandic Poppies sown in January flower from June to October.

Pelargoniums are great flowering plants to grow in January in your balcony garden. They require warmer temperatures, so you may have to sow them indoors or in a temperature-controlled greenhouse on your balcony. Sow the seeds in trays or pots containing peat-free, multipurpose compost in a spot with sufficient light during the day. Ensure that they are not left under a scorching midday sun though, as that could be harmful to the plant. The pelargonium seeds take between 3 and 12 days for germination. When planted in January, you can expect flowers from June to November.

Basil makes a wonderful addition to any balcony herb garden. Basil sown in January is ready for harvest from May to October. Sow the basil seeds in a tray or pot filled with seed compost and cover it with vermiculite. Germination of the seeds should take between 14 and 21 days, depending on the temperature. In places with extremely low temperatures, move the pot or tray indoors to a spot with sufficient daylight. Make sure to water and fertilise the plant regularly to ensure good growth.

Delphiniums are beautiful flowering plants that can add a wonderful charm to your outdoor space. They can be sown in January for flowering in June and July. Sow the delphinium seeds in a tray or pot filled with seed compost and vermiculite. Keep the tray or pot in the fridge for three weeks in order to start germination. It could take from 7 to 28 days for the germination process to begin. Ensure that they are well watered and maintained through the winter months.