Herbs

Herbs are the highest-value crop a home gardener can grow: a ₹30/$4 supermarket packet versus a plant that produces for months. Our guides cover the full kitchen-garden range — Mediterranean classics (basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano) that want sun and lean soil, leafy quick-croppers (coriander/cilantro, mint, parsley) that prefer it cooler, and Indian staples like tulsi, curry leaf and lemongrass. Each guide explains the harvest-and-pinch rhythm that keeps herbs bushy instead of leggy, when to let plants flower (for pollinators or seed) and how to dry or freeze the surplus. Most herbs thrive in containers, so balcony growers can start today. Begin with basil or mint — both nearly guarantee success.