I live in an apartment in São Paulo and I only have a balcony that gets sun for about 3 hours a day. I wanted to grow lettuce, chives, and herbs to use in the kitchen, but I'm not sure if they can grow with that amount of light. Has anyone managed to do this?
With 3 hours of direct sunlight it's tight, but you can definitely do it. Lettuce and chives can handle low light better than most plants, so you've got that going for you. The real issue is they'll grow slower and won't be as lush as they should be. If you want to try anyway, invest in pots with good drainage, use quality soil (like those fertilized bags they sell), and place the pots as close as possible to your light source. Being careful with watering so you don't waterlog them is also essential, because with low light there's less evaporation.
Now, if you want plants that actually thrive in low-light apartments, consider boosting things with artificial lights. There are cheap LED grow panels for hydroponics that you can mount on the wall or put on a stand next to your pots. It's not even as expensive as it sounds. With that you can keep lettuce, chives, parsley, and even some varieties of basil doing well without direct sun. It's a game changer. If you want to start without any extra spending, try putting the pots on your balcony during those 3 hours of sun and move them near the window (even if it's shade) for the rest of the day - not ideal, but it helps.
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