The latest pandemic quarantine had sprouted many interests in activities at home. Other than baking and cooking, gardening seems to gain much traction too. Here are a few fail-proof balcony-to-table ideas

1) Basil

Basil is a delicious and easy-to-grow plant that could be harvested all year round. There are two varieties that could be found easily in Malaysia—the sweet basil and tangy Thai variety. 

Just remove the lower leaves of your store-bought basil and leave the topmost leaves of the stem. Propagate it with water and make sure the parts where the leaves were removed were submerged underwater. Those are the areas where the roots would sprout. Within a week the roots would sprout and when it reaches three inches long, plant them in soil. 

The new plant would be ready to be harvested within two months or less! Just pluck off the topmost leaves when needed. 

2) Lemongrass

Lemongrass is often used in Malay and Nyonya style dishes. It’s easy to propagate too, just leave a lemongrass stalk in water for about a week for the root to sprout. It takes about one week for the root to sprout, put it in a soiled pot and wait for about three months before harvesting the stalks. Be careful of its leaves as the edges are sharp.

3) Chili

Left-over chilis from your last purchase? Fret not, sprinkle the seeds in a soiled pot and water regularly. While it takes about ten days to sprout, just keep watering the chili plant for about eight to ten weeks and chilis will start to grow. 

4) Spring onion

Does your onion sprout on its own before you cook them? Don’t throw it away, once you see the green shoots coming out of the onions, transfer the onions to a soiled pot. You can harvest the leafy spring onions within three weeks or less time depends on the species.

5) Mint

Mint is another fail-proof plant that grows rapidly under sunlight. It’s so easy to grow that you have to be aware that the mint plant starts to invade our plant’s territories. Be sure to keep it in its pot and water when the soil on the surface feels dry. Trim off the stem when it grows flowers and wait for its new plant cycle to start. Mints are versatile and can be used for drinks, curries, and for garnish.

Start planting some of these on your balcony. You reap what you sow!