Nowadays, everyone likes to grow some flowers or edible fruits and vegetables on the small balcony at home. Have you ever thought about growing some spices on the balcony? It is too expensive to buy spices and they are not easy to store. , if you grow spices on your balcony, you can go to the balcony to pick some and put them in your meals when cooking. It is affordable and convenient, and the fragrance of the spices can fill your home with a natural and fresh fragrance, so growing spices at home is a good idea. A good choice, today I will introduce to you some low-cost spices that can be grown at home.

Mint

Cilantro

Basil

Rosemary

Perilla

Mint

Mint is one of the novice-friendly spices. This spice has an elegant smell and is versatile for home use. It is one of the most familiar and common aromatic crops for Chinese people. The main edible part of mint is the stem. Adding a few young mint leaves to stews and braised beef can make the cooking more fragrant. It is essential for mixing mojito and other drinks. Mint is also a natural mosquito repellent. You can grow it at home even if you don’t eat it.

Planting season: March to May

Mint preferences: Suitable growing temperature 18-30 degrees, heat and cold tolerance

Mint planting:

Choose a larger flower pot because the roots of mint are highly malleable and grow quickly.

Spray water to keep the soil completely moist, then sprinkle the mint seeds evenly on the soil surface.

Cover the seeds evenly with a layer of fine soil or sand, and then cover them with a layer of plastic film to keep them moisturized. Remember to poke a few small holes for ventilation.

The flower pot can be placed in a brightly lit place, preferably away from direct sunlight. Remember to spray water once a day until it sprouts.

Cilantro

Cilantro is also a very common spice, but people’s preferences for coriander are seriously polarized. Those who like it find it super delicious, while those who don’t like it find it difficult to swallow. You can add some coriander to most vegetables to increase the flavor. If you like to eat coriander, you can plant it on your balcony. Coriander is easy to grow, has a short growth cycle, and grows as you pinch it, making it suitable for novices to try.

Planting season: March-May or September-November

Coriander preferences: Xiyueliang is low temperature tolerant, and the suitable growth temperature is 15-25 degrees

Coriander planting:

Gently crack the coriander seeds. In order to allow them to germinate better,

soak the seeds in 40-degree warm water for 6 hours to allow the seeds to wake up.

Prepare a suitable container, pour the prepared soil into the container (try to choose loose soil), soak the soil with water, and set aside.

After spreading coriander seeds into the soil, cover with a thin layer of soil. The thickness of thin soil is about 1 cm. Try not to space the coriander seeds too closely together. ?After the coriander seeds begin to germinate, place the planted coriander in the sun to dry and water appropriately. Young seedlings will grow in about a month.

Basil

Basil is known as the "King of Vanillas" and has a sweet and pungent aroma. There are more than 40 kinds of basil growing all over the world. Its refreshing aroma is its characteristic. It is especially suitable for cooking with tomatoes, making soups or making salads. Moreover, basil is easy to grow, and you can harvest another slice if you cut it out.

Planting season: March-May or September-October

Basil preferences: Basil is strong, warm and drought-tolerant, but not cold-tolerant

Basil Planting:

Take an appropriate amount of basil seeds, sow the seeds on the soil at a distance of about 1 cm, and plant about 3 to 5 seeds in each place.

Water after covering with soil. Basil needs a lot of water. In summer, you can place a water tray in the basin and add water every morning to keep the soil moist. It is best to water it once in the morning and evening.

Top dressing once every two weeks after sowing. After the plants grow to 10 to 15 centimeters, a bracket can be erected to prevent the plants from falling over.

It can be harvested in about one month and can be harvested continuously for 4 to 6 months. Basil blooms easily. If no seeds are left, it should be removed at any time to avoid aging of the plant due to flowering and to extend the harvest time.

Rosemary

Rosemary is most suitable for cooking Western food. It is also a very versatile herb. You can use it to cook meat or seafood, which can help enhance the taste and remove the smell. Taste, you can easily make the taste of high-end Western food. Rosemary thrives on soil and water, so planting one tree can basically meet your daily needs.

Planting season: April-May

Rosemary preferences: warm and sunny, drought-tolerant

Rosemary planting:

Sowing seeds Before germination, soak the seeds in warm water, absorb enough water, put them on a wet paper towel, and cover them with plastic wrap. Generally, they will turn white in 2-3 days.

Afterwards, prepare peat soil and vermiculite to prepare potting soil. Place the seeds on the soil surface without covering them with soil. Spray water appropriately and wait for roots to take root. After the seedlings grow to 10 cm, they need to be transplanted.

Put the potted plant in a sunny place. Direct sunlight will make it grow better. However, when the summer is too hot, you need to be careful not to expose it for too long.

After that, you can water every two or three days in spring, water every day in summer, and apply fertilizer about three times a year.

Note? Pregnant women should try not to eat rosemary.

Perilla

Perilla is a treasure-class side dish spice. Plant one on the balcony and it will continue to produce. When it grows in autumn, it will produce seeds. In the following spring, You will be pleasantly surprised to find that many perilla seedlings grow in other flower pots. The four seasons cycle like this and they are easy to survive. Perilla can be added to both Chinese and Western food, such as perilla duck, perilla fish or perilla barbecue, which can be perfectly matched.

Planting season: March-April

Perilla preferences: strong environmental adaptability, suitable temperature is 10-15 degrees, and prefers a warm and humid environment

Perilla planting:

First select healthy and complete seeds, and then soak them in clean water for about half an hour, allowing them to fully absorb water and increase the rooting rate.

Mix potting soil with fine soil, spread the soaked seeds evenly on top, cover with a damp cloth, and spray water 6-8 times a day to keep it moist. Germination will begin after two weeks. Remove the wet cloth and make sure the soil is loose. After the seeds germinate, they can be transplanted into pots.

Choose fertile and breathable soil for transplanting, and control the spacing. If the spacing is too short, perilla will rob nutrients and cause airtight control, which can easily breed mosquitoes and bacteria.

When watering, it is generally necessary to water thoroughly when it is dry and wet. When the temperature is high in summer, it is necessary to provide shade and spray water mist to increase the surrounding humidity. During the growing season, it is best to water once a day.

Two months after sowing, perilla will enter a period of vigorous growth, so we need to replenish nutrients in time and apply fertilizer every half month. It is best to apply fertilizer before low temperature or rain, and After each application of fertilizer, it must be watered once to dilute the fertilizer and prevent root burning.

The above are five spices suitable for planting at home and their planting methods. These spices are relatively easy to grow, easy to maintain and cost-saving. If they are successfully planted, you can add spices to meals every day to increase the food content. Fragrance and saving money at the same time, why not do it, so take action and plant your favorite spices on the balcony.