Medicinal herbs are the easiest possible entry point into growing things. They are forgiving, they grow fast in Mumbai’s climate, and unlike an ornamental plant, you notice immediately when one is doing well because you are using it. These five are the ones we recommend most often.
1. Tulsi (Holy Basil)
Ocimum tenuiflorum — the obvious starting point, and genuinely one of the toughest plants you can own. Tulsi wants full sun, which on most Mumbai balconies means four to six hours. Water when the top inch dries out.
Tip: pinch off the flower spikes as they appear. Once tulsi flowers it puts its energy into seed and the leaves turn bitter and sparse. Pinching keeps it bushy and productive for years.
2. Aloe Vera
Aloe barbadensis — close to indestructible, and the plant most people kill by being kind to it. Aloe stores water in its leaves and wants gritty, fast-draining soil. Water every two weeks in summer and roughly monthly through the monsoon.
Snap a leaf for burns, cuts and sunburn. Cut from the outside of the plant inwards, taking whole leaves at the base rather than trimming tips.
3. Lemongrass
Cymbopogon citratus — grows in dense clumps and asks for very little. Full sun, regular water, and it will double in size in a season. It also happens to repel mosquitoes, which is not a small thing in Mumbai.
Harvest by cutting whole stalks at soil level rather than snipping the tops. Use in chai, in soups, or steeped on its own.
4. Ajwain (Indian Borage)
Thick, slightly furry leaves with a strong carom scent. Tolerates partial shade better than the others here, which makes it useful for a balcony that only gets morning light. A single leaf in hot water is a long-standing remedy for indigestion and a blocked chest.
It roots from cuttings almost embarrassingly easily — snap a stem, push it into damp soil, and you have a second plant.
5. Adulsa (Malabar Nut)
Justicia adhatoda — less common on balconies and worth more attention. A fast-growing evergreen shrub with broad, lance-shaped leaves, long used in Ayurvedic preparations for coughs and congestion. Give it a larger pot, bright indirect light, and water every two to three weeks.
Getting Started
You do not need a garden. All five grow well in 8 to 12 inch pots on a balcony or windowsill. Two practical notes:
- Do not crowd them. One herb per pot. They compete hard for root space and the weaker one always loses.
- Harvest regularly. Herbs left untouched get leggy. Cutting is what keeps them bushy.
All five are available at the nursery — see the full medicinal and herbs collection, or get in touch and we will put a starter set together for you.