How To Grow Kangkung, Curry Leaves & Other Balcony-Friendly Plants Yourself

BY JULIE MOKHTAR — 27 FEB 2018

You can grow some of these from kitchen scraps too.
Thinking to start your own garden of edibles?

o
 Image viaSimple BitesNothing beats the feeling of cooking with ingredients plucked
from your own garden! Some plants can be grown from kitchen scraps, making it a great
chance to reduce food wastage too. Plus, you can take this opportunity to recycle
canisters, bottles and such to be used as planting containers, making this planting
project just that one step closer to living that zero-waste lifestyle ;)The
great
thing is that many types of plants don't actually require a
large backyard - they'll be just as happy growing in your
balcony

Image viaBy Brittany Goldwyn

Here are some beginner-friendly plants you can start with:

• 1. Bok Choy

Image viaSpace Girl Organics

 o The next time you've got the bottom bit of the bok choy left over from your
cooking, place it in a shallow bowl filled with a bit of water. Keep it on a
windowsill with sunlight and change the water every few days. Within about a
week, you'll start to see your bok choy sprouting around the center of the base!

Image viaSeed Germinator

o Once you see the regrowth, you can transfer the growing bok choy into a well-
drained container. Cover everything but the new growth part with soil. Bok choy
grows well in slightly cool weather so if you see that your plant isn't thriving,
move it to a cooler, shaded area.

2. Cilantro
•
o

Image viarickycobs via Exploregram

o Cilantro's a great way to add a fresh flavour to your dishes, but as most grocers sell
them in rather large quantities, this can sometimes lead to wastage if you don't use
them quick enough while they're still fresh.

To avoid wasting, why not plant your own instead? You can use the root part
that's usually left over from cooking - just make sure it has about three inches of
the stem intact. Place it in a jar of water, give it enough sunlight and change the
water everyday.

o
 Image viaBalcony Garden Web

o Once the stems start to grow, you can transfer your cilantro plant into a soil-filled
pot. It will take a few months for the plant to mature, after which you can feel
free to grab the leaves as and when you need them in the quantity you need.

3. Kangkung
•

Image viaYuziyana Yusop

o Here's an easy way to grow kangkung using a colander and pail! Start by
soaking kangkung seeds for 32 hours. Drain and place in a fine colander. Fill up
pail with water and place the colander over the top.

Cover the seeds, and after two to three days you'll see them start to sprout. Treat
them to ample sunlight at this point and add fertiliser.
 o

Image viaYuziyana Yusop

o Keep an eye on the water level and replenish if needed. The kangkung will be
ready for harvesting within three weeks.

4. Romaine Lettuce
•

o Here's how you can have an endless supply of salad greens at home: Start by
saving the bottom part of your romaine lettuce and keep it in a bowl with about
half an inch of water. Keep it on a sunny windowsill and change the water every
day.

o
 Image viaPay Dirt

o Once you start seeing sprouts - which tends to happen within the week - you can
move the plant into a soil-filled container or pot. The greens are ready to be
harvested once their height reaches six inches. To keep the supply going, cut the
leaves off and leave the base for regrowing.

5. Ginger
•

Image viaGetting There Green

o To plant your own ginger, choose a young, smooth and healthy root to work with.
Plant it in a pot with a mix of potting soil and compost, and make sure the pot has
plenty of drainage. Place it someplace warm but with indirect sunlight.

o
 Image viaCalifornia Gardening

o You can start harvesting at six months if you want young ginger, or wait the full
nine months for them to fully mature. At this point, you'll see the leaves turning
yellow. Keep some roots to be replanted to keep your ginger stash going!

6. Cili Padi
•

Image viaChillibonsai

• If you're familiar with the heartbreak of seeing your leftover cili padi all crinkled
up at the bottom of your fridge's vegetable drawer, you'll love having this plant
around! To start planting, cut open some cili padi and grab the seeds. Sprinkle
them in a soil-filled container or pot and water two times a day.
 o

Image viaTable for 2...or More

o Once your pokok has sprouted around eight leaves or more, you can move it to a
large pot to give it ample space to grow.

7. Scallions / Green Onions

•

o
 Image viaThe Kitchn

o Don't throw out that bottom part of your scallions - they are one of the easiest
things to regrow! Just place them in a water-filled jar on a sunny windowsill and
change the water every other day.

Image via17 Apart

o Within a week, you'll have new scallions! Harvest them as needed, but make sure
the roots are kept in water. At this point, you can also choose to leave it in the jar,
or replant them in soil.

8. Lemongrass
•
o

Image viaHGTV

o This must-have ingredient for on-point Malaysian cooking can be grown at home
with minimal effort. To grow your own from scraps, place the root stems in a glass
of water. You'll start seeing new roots forming within the week.

Image viaTable for 2...or More

 o After two to three weeks when the roots have strengthened, you can move the
stalks into a pot. Feel free to harvest lemongrass once the plant reaches around
one foot in height.

9. Curry Leaves
•

Image viaNurserylive.com

o You can grow a curry leaf tree from seeds, but it will take a year or two to mature
so for quicker results, you can opt to get a curry leaf plant from the nursery to be
planted at home. Keep it in a sunny area and be careful not to overwater it. You'll
only need to water the plant when the soil has become dry.

10. Garlic
•
o

Image viaSoap Deli News Blog

o You can grow garlic easily at home using just the clove. Plant the clove with the
root facing downwards and keep it in an area with direct sunlight. You can plant a
few cloves in the same pot too - just give them space of about four inches away
from each other.

Image viaCharm City Balcony Garden

 o You can start harvesting once the shoots start to turn yellowish.

11. Celery

Image viaVanessa Greaves via All Recipes

o You can plant leftover celery scraps too! Leave about three inches off the bottom and
pierce it with sticks before placing it in a bowl of water. The sticks are to prevent the
celery's roots from touching the base of the bowl and allow for better growth. Treat the
plant to ample sunlight.

o
 Image viaRaja That!

o You'll start seeing regrowth towards the centre of the base within one to two weeks,
which means you can now move it to a soil-filled pot. Celery requires damp soil to thrive
so be sure to water it twice a day.