Why pay $4 for a tiny bunch of wilting mint when you can pick it fresh every day from your balcony?
Everyone started growing at home in 2020. Most of them failed. Not because they don’t have a green thumb, but because they started with the wrong plant, in the wrong pot, with the wrong sun exposure.
This guide is based on data from the Ministry of Agriculture. It will teach you which seedling to buy to see results in 30 days, and which one will keep giving you harvests for a full year.
Step 1: Don’t Buy a Pot Before You Check These 2 Things
1. Weight and Container Depth
Roots need volume. The deeper the container, the stronger the plant and the bigger the yield. Those cute little half-gallon pots will not work for vegetables.
A good rule of thumb: One 2.6-gallon bucket can hold one large broccoli plant, or 2 climbing cucumber seedlings, or 3 lettuces, or 4 parsley seedlings.
Every container must have a drainage hole. Without it, roots rot.
If your balcony is small, don’t buy 10 small pots. Buy 3 deep rectangular planters of 10 gallons. They hold weight better, save water, and give you four times the yield.
2. Sun – Don’t Fight It, Work With It
Stand on your balcony at noon. How many hours of direct sun do you get?
- South or West Facing Balcony with 6-8 hours of full sun: You can grow everything – tomatoes, peppers, rosemary, lavender.
- East Facing with 3-5 hours: Perfect for herbs and leafy greens.
- North Facing or Shaded with less than 4 hours: Don’t buy tomatoes and peppers, they will struggle. Grow shade champions instead: lettuce, green onions, arugula, dill, cilantro, parsley, and spinach. Pick them young and they grow back.
Pro trick: On a sunny balcony, plant a sunflower or corn on the south side and use them as a living shade net for lettuce and mint that are sensitive to scorching sun.
Step 2: The 7 Herb Seedlings Every Home Must Have
Herbs are the most marked-up item in the supermarket. A small bunch that rots after two days costs $4. One seedling for around $6 will give you harvests for 8 months.
These are the 7 best seedlings for beginners because they are almost impossible to kill.
1. Mint and Peppermint
Grows insanely fast and spreads aggressively. It needs a lot of water and must be planted in its own separate pot, or it will choke every other plant. It is heat tolerant, goes dormant in winter below 30°F, and comes back in spring. Trim it every two weeks and it will explode with new growth.
2. Basil
If you only pick leaves from the bottom, it will flower and die. Cut the top head off and it will become a huge, bushy plant. It needs regular watering and lots of sun.
3. Rosemary, Za’atar, Oregano and Thyme
These plants love to suffer. Full sun, little water, well-drained soil. Perfect for those who forget to water or travel a lot. A light pruning in the spring and they stay with you for years.
4. Lemon Verbena and Lemongrass
Fast growers that get tall and need medium watering. Verbena tends to get bare at the bottom – prune it low in the spring and it will renew itself. Lemongrass can be harvested four times a year and is amazing for tea, soups and fish.
5. Sage and White Micromeria
Very hardy, tolerant to both cold down to 20°F and heat, and need little water. Excellent for winter teas.
6. Lavender
Full sun, little water. If the soil is too wet it dies. After flowering, prune the flower stalks and you’ll get a second bloom.
Step 3: Vegetables That Pay You Back – What to Grow by Season
Don’t buy pumpkin or watermelon seedlings for a balcony. They need a lot of space. Buy what gives you the most pounds per pot.
The Fastest – Harvest in 30 to 40 Days
Radish: Sow and harvest in a month. You can cook the leaves too. Lettuce: Don’t pull the whole plant. Pick outer leaves and it will keep growing for three months.
Summer Vegetables – April to July
Cherry Tomatoes: Don’t buy regular large tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes yield 10 times more in a small pot. You need at least a 2-gallon pot and a support stake. 60 to 80 days to first harvest.
Cucumber and Zucchini: Cucumber is a climber, so give it a trellis and it saves space. Zucchini flowers are edible and very expensive in restaurants. Use a 2.6-gallon pot.
Pepper and Eggplant: They need support and a 30% shade cloth when it gets over 90°F.
Winter Vegetables – October to November
Strawberry: One plant gives you strawberries all winter and will survive summer if you give it shade and water. You must put plastic or straw mulch down so the fruit doesn’t touch the soil.
Garlic and Green Onions: Take a garlic clove from your kitchen and push it into soil in October. It is space-saving and repels pests.
Broccoli and Cauliflower: Need a large pot, but you can cook their huge leaves too.
Carrots and Beets: Sow shallow and thin out crowded seedlings. Beet leaves are tastier than the root itself.
How Not to Kill Them: 3 Mistakes Everyone Makes
- Watering a little every day. Water thoroughly until water comes out the drainage hole, then don’t touch it until the top 1 to 2 inches of soil are dry to the touch.
- Using soil from the garden. It is too heavy for a balcony, gets compacted and doesn’t drain. Buy a lightweight potting mix with fertilizer. It costs about $7 and saves you $50 in dead seedlings.
- Not pruning. Fear of pruning kills plants. Herbs must be pruned to become bushy. After pruning, reduce watering until you see new buds.
Start with three or four pots of herbs you actually use. Mint, basil, and rosemary are almost impossible to kill. Add one vegetable you love to eat. You will be surprised how much you can grow on just a few square feet.
