{"id":547,"date":"2026-10-09T00:28:40","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T22:28:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/192.168.60.121\/en\/light-on-the-balcony\/"},"modified":"2026-10-14T18:37:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T16:37:53","slug":"light-on-the-balcony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ortoinbalcone.com\/en\/light-on-the-balcony\/","title":{"rendered":"Light on the balcony: how many sun hours per family"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before choosing a plant, measure the light on the balcony. Hours of direct sun per day are not the hours when the sun is up: only those in which your balcony receives direct<\/strong> light, without shade, count. From the 120-profile dataset, here’s the real need per family.<\/p>\n

\"Ore<\/figure>\n

Light on the balcony: direct sun hours per family<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Family<\/th>\nDirect sun<\/th>\nWhat it means<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Fruiting vegetable<\/td>\n6\u201310 h<\/td>\nFull sun is essential for fruit and flavour<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Leaf vegetable<\/td>\n2\u20137 h<\/td>\nThey do well in partial shade<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Root or bulb<\/td>\n4\u20138 h<\/td>\nHalf a day of direct sun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Compact legume<\/td>\n5\u20139 h<\/td>\nFull or near-full sun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Herb<\/td>\n2\u20139 h<\/td>\nThe most flexible of all<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Soft fruit<\/td>\n5\u20139 h<\/td>\nNeeds full sun to fruit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Beneficial flower<\/td>\n2\u20139 h<\/td>\nFrom partial shade to full sun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

How to measure<\/h2>\n

This is how you measure light on the balcony: for a day or two, note when the sun comes onto your balcony and when it disappears behind the shadows of nearby buildings. Subtract: the result is your direct<\/strong> sun hours. Compare with the table. If your balcony has 4\u20135 hours of direct sun, aim for leafy vegetables, roots and herbs; if it has 7\u20138 or more, you can try the fruiting vegetables.<\/p>\n

Exposure matters as much as hours<\/h2>\n

A south-facing balcony gets more sun and heat; a north-facing one less. Exposure also changes the wind and the risk of late frosts. The Exposure evaluator<\/a> tool helps you combine sun hours and orientation, the two halves of light on the balcony.<\/p>\n

Sources<\/h2>\n