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A balcony has a weight limit, more wind than a yard, and usually a lease attached. Those three things shape what grows well up there, and every guide in this section starts from them.
Last guide added: Best railing planters for bal…, 23 Aug 2026
Every guide filed under balcony appears here
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Aug 2026 5 min
Straddle, hook-over, bracket and hanging designs sorted by railing type, compared on fit, wind, weight and drainage, with the measurements to check before buying.
No-drill · Fits 2–6 in rails · 24 in Read
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Get in touchThree numbers decide most of what a balcony can grow: the hours of direct sun it gets, how much weight the floor will take, and how exposed it is to wind. Count the sun hours across a day, assume about 50 lb per square foot unless your building says otherwise, and take the wind seriously. It dries pots faster than sun does, and it will flatten anything trellised much above three feet.
If you rent, a few practical rules make everything easier: nothing needs to be screwed into a railing, nothing should drain onto the balcony below, and the whole setup should come apart in an afternoon when you move. The guides below are all written to that standard.
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