How to Make a Balcony Herb Garden | Complete Tutorial

The best things about herbs are they are easy to grow and are not as fussy as the other houseplants can be! Plus, you can use them fresh in your kitchen to enhance the taste of your cuisines too!

You can grow practically any herb you want to grow. However, it depends on sunlight, space, and weather. Some of the annual herbs are – basil, fennel, dill, cilantro, marjoram, parsley, chive, and perennials like – oregano, lavender, sage, thyme, mint, and rosemary.

Herbs can easily grow in small pots and you can use any pot of your choice. 

The best way to get herbs is from a nursery or a garden center if you don’t have the time to grow them from seeds. Usually, the temperature of an urban balcony remains warm and if you do not live in a really cold climate, you can grow herbs year-round. Just care your plants more in winters to save them from freezing temperatures. 

Most of the herbs grow best in full sun or light partial shade. If you have a south, south-east or south-west facing balcony, you’re in luck!

Although herbs are tolerant of temporary shortages and excess of water in the soil, herbs growing in pots are more sensitive to dry and waterlogged soil. To save your plants from this, water regularly and choose pots with drainage holes.

The best part about growing herbs is the fact that you don’t have to fertilize them much. You can use 5-10-5, or easily available 10-10-10 balanced liquid fertilizer, diluted half to its strength. Feeding them 2-3 times a year will be more than enough. Don’t feed in winter unless you live in a warm climate.

If you are growing herbs for the use in the kitchen, they’ll be automatically trimmed when you’ll snip the leaves for consumption. Regular snipping results in more rounded and fuller leaves. Do make sure that the herbs have reached a height of 4-6 inches before you start to snip/harvest them. Also, pinch off the top set of leaves to encourage lateral growth.