Growing Herbs on a Balcony

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Looking back to the start of the season, I had anticipated dedicating much of my limited garden space to growing herbs on my balcony, and that’s certainly proved to be true. Aside from cherry tomatoes, chili peppers, and a vertical planter of lettuce (which thrived for half the season), the rest of my balcony has been filled with all the herbs I love to cook with.

I finally invested in some good gardening shears because nothing beats stepping outside to clip exactly what you need in order to elevate your cooking. Even more, having a balcony full of herbs gives me inspiration when I’m wondering what meals to make. Growing herbs is an easy way to get started with balcony gardening because they grow well in containers and don't take too much space. We bought a few of these affordable 14.2" garden pots and 11.3" containers and they worked great.

Here's a recap of the herbs I grew this season and how they fared:

Thyme, sage and mint are reliable staples

Every year I grow thyme, sage, and mint. These are herb staples that grow well in containers. All are pretty low maintenance crops that require minimal care. With just regular watering and partial sunlight, they grow well on my north-facing balcony.

I often grow thyme and sage together in the same container, and this year was no different. Mint can be invasive, so keeping it in a separate container is important. This will prevent it from overtaking other plants. While my spearmint grew well, the leaves ended up smaller than I would have hoped. It might need more sun and it could also be the way I harvested the leaves. I might grow it in a larger container next year and be more aggressive about pruning it to promote new growth.

Rosemary is a perennial that regrows every year

Fresh rosemary is one of the handiest herbs to have readily available, making it a perfect choice for balcony gardening. It's also very easy to grow as it's both durable and drought-resistant. I always grow my rosemary in its own container, ensuring it is in a pot with a diameter of at least 12 inches. Rosemary roots do need plenty of room to grow, so make sure your container isn’t too shallow. It shouldn’t be watered too often, so only give it water when the soil starts to appear dry. I have my rosemary on my north-facing balcony and while it needs a minimum of  6-8 hours of direct sunlight to thrive, my balcony gets far less and it still grows well.

When harvesting, clip just the tops of each stem. This way it will encourage new growth to help your rosemary plant grow bushier. And finally, unlike most other crops I grow, rosemary is a perennial. To my surprise, my rosemary plant survived the winter, and new growth appeared in the spring. Since rosemary is a perennial plant, it will regrow each year if the conditions are right. I’m curious to see if it will come back again next spring.

Perilla leaves ended up being my main crop

Once again, perilla leaves were my main crop this year. It certainly helps that they grow so prolifically. After some initial struggles germinating the seeds I saved from last year, the seedlings took off once I transplanted them outside. They’ve been growing vigorously, providing me with multiple harvests, and they’re still going strong as I write this in early September.

This year, I also learned how to preserve perilla leaves in soy sauce, which means I’ll be able to enjoy them long after the final harvest. With plenty of seeds remaining from last year’s plants, I don't think I'll need to harvest seeds this season. Here’s hoping they’ll still be viable next year.

Chives was a lesson in harvesting

I grew chives for the first time in years, but they didn’t last as long as I’d hoped. The starter plant I bought thrived after being transplanted into a larger pot. I began clipping chives to be used in meals, and remembered why they are so nice to have around. Too many times I’ve bought chives at the store to use in a recipe, only to have leftovers get soggy a week later.

However, I think I got a little careless while harvesting. Chives need to be cut just above the soil line to encourage regrowth. Unfortunately, I mistakenly clipped only the tops of too many chives, which, combined with an extended heatwave, caused them to die off mid-season. Next year, I’ll take better care of them and ensure a longer harvest.

Lemongrass was a pleasant surprise

This was my first time growing lemongrass, and it was full of surprises! I bought a starter plant at a local farmers market without any expectations. I love lemongrass and wanted to see how it grew. The first surprise was how well it took to my balcony. After transplanting, it shot up quickly, eventually growing so tall that I had to trim the long top leaves.

The second surprise was how different the flavor was compared to store bought lemongrass. It has a much fresher, brighter flavor compared to the ones you might buy at the store. Not wanting to waste the trimmed leaves, I experimented with using them to flavor dishes. They worked wonderfully, especially in curries and sauces. Lastly, after harvesting all the stalks, I noticed new growth just a week later. I'm planning to save the plant indoors for next year.

Cilantro was underutilized

My cilantro grew fairly well, although I didn’t get as much out of it as I thought I might. I started some seedlings inside using my Click And Grow, and transplanted them outside once they got big enough. I even did one succession planting, knowing that cilantro can grow quickly and newer plants can replace the older plants once they’ve been harvested.

However, I think my problem was not using enough cilantro. Regularly cutting small amounts encourages new growth, but since I don’t use cilantro often, I may have neglected it. Both plants eventually grew too tall and started to flower. I’m leaving the flowers for now, hoping they will form seeds, as I hear fresh cilantro seeds can be quite delicious.

Basil, a late addition

Basil was a late addition to my balcony garden this season. After harvesting my lettuce, I needed to fill the space, so I bought a pot containing three large basil plants. I separated them and planted them in one of my new rectangular planters. To my surprise, they showed no signs of transplant shock, even though the seedlings were larger than usual. Within a few weeks, they were big enough to start harvesting, and I’ve been using them frequently ever since. Next year, I’ll start growing basil right away instead of waiting until mid-season.

Fenugreek was a challenge

The only herb I struggled with this season was fenugreek. Despite several attempts, I couldn’t get it to grow beyond 2-3 inches. The seeds germinated easily, but the plants just stopped growing after reaching that height. I tried different locations, but nothing worked. If I decide to try growing fenugreek again next season, I’ll need to do some research, as there isn’t much information available on growing this herb at home.

Final thoughts on growing herbs on my balcony garden

All in all, I’m pleased with how this season’s balcony herb garden turned out. I had enough fresh herbs to suit my needs, and while not everything went perfectly, I consider the season a success. I have a much better sense of what works best on my balcony garden, and I’m looking forward to making some adjustments next season to make it even more productive.

By experimenting with different herbs, I’ve gained valuable experience that will help me create an even more bountiful herb garden next year. If you’re thinking about starting your own balcony herb garden, I highly recommend giving it a try. You’ll be amazed at how much you can grow in even the smallest of spaces. To help you get started, here are some tips to consider when growing a balcony garden.