Hi Bill - my recommendation would be chard - it can take partial sun and produces all summer. Good luck!

Hi there,

why not start a herb garden in a pot... Basil, thyme, rosemary and chive all are so nice to cook with and look beautiful all summer long. They are pretty hardy as well. Happy planting and eating!

I was just going to say chard. I have a north-facing apartment as well...I haven't had my chard very long, but it is very happy! I just put it as far away from the building as possible, like my herbs on the railing. it gets morning and evening sun.

I'd just say to experiment and see if things will grow one year. Then next year, plant as much as you can of the things that grew well!

Hate to burst your bubble, but it's illegal (at least here in New York) to have anything on the fire escape. My guess is that this is code pretty much everywhere.

Basil, thyme and rosemary are all sun loving plants - they won't do well.

In general, the Cruciferous vegetables will do best (e.g., chard, radishes, rutabaga, kale, cabbage, broccoli, arugula).

I agree with the hint to experiment. Next year, repeat the things that did well and give up on the things that were unhappy.

Fire escapes aren't mini-gardens or private balconies for you to fill up w/ stuff that would impede the progress of people evacuating the building in an emergency, or firemen coming up to help people.

About how many hours per day do you get? If it's less than 5, you might be in trouble.

If you do get 5 or 6 hours, your best bet is going to be leafy greens like lettuce, chard, arugula, or kale. They will do better with minimal sun and they'll actually benefit from the shade in the dead of summer.

The nice thing about leafy veggies is that they are a) compact, which is nice for balconies, and b) they come in gorgeous colors so you can enjoy them as decoration as well. Try red leafed kale with pale green lettuce, or a big old pot of rainbow chard.

I agree with some experimentation. If you start early then if things aren't doing well you might have a chance to still plant something else. I have a north facing balcony also and it took me several years to master what would and wouldn't do well. Now 10 years later all my neighbors with north facing balconies want to know my secret. I haven't tried vegetables though so don't have any advice on that. I did get Thai Basil to grow well last summer. I love Thai food so I was very happy with that. This year I am going to try several more herbs and repeat the Thai basil too.

Since this is the SF section - are you in a sunny location or a fog belt? For shade gardening, be sure to use a very, very rich organic soil.

If you get at least 4 hours of summer sun: Try cool-season herbs or leafy greens: French tarragon, cilantro, parsley, salad burnet, arugula, chives. Also, lemon grass does quite well in shade.

If you get less than four hours, try a mushroom log. There are some charming varieties available!

Lettuce greens, peas, and the brassica family (cole crops, like kale) would probably have the best luck. Try to estimate how many hours of direct sun your space gets per day. Things like tomatoes or corn need 12 hours. If you have more like 7 hours of light, you would have more luck with tender herbs and greens.
yes: oregano/mint/thyme/mesclun/arugula
no: tomatoes/corn/basil/eggplant/sunflowers