Plant Guides: Your Complete Growing Reference
Everything You Need to Know About Growing Plants at Home
Whether you’re growing herbs on your windowsill or vegetables on your balcony, our comprehensive plant guides provide detailed information to help you succeed with every plant you choose to grow.
Quick Reference Plant Categories
🌿 Herbs & Aromatics
Perfect for beginners and essential for any kitchen garden
🥬 Leafy Greens
Fast-growing, nutritious, and perfect for small spaces
🍅 Fruiting Vegetables
Rewarding crops that provide ongoing harvests
🥕 Root Vegetables
Grow down, not out – perfect for deeper containers
🍓 Fruits & Berries
Sweet rewards for patient gardeners
🌱 Microgreens & Sprouts
Maximum nutrition in minimum space and time
🌿 Herbs & Aromatics
Basil
Difficulty: Beginner
Space needed: 6-8 inch pot
Light: 6+ hours direct sun
Harvest time: 60-90 days
Growing tips:
- Pinch flowers to keep leaves tender
- Harvest regularly to encourage growth
- Bring indoors before first frost
Best varieties for small spaces: Genovese, Thai, Purple Ruffles
Parsley
Difficulty: Beginner
Space needed: 6-8 inch pot
Light: 4-6 hours sun (tolerates partial shade)
Harvest time: 70-90 days
Growing tips:
- Soak seeds 24 hours before planting
- Cut outer stems first
- Grows well in cooler weather
Best varieties: Flat-leaf (Italian), Curly
Cilantro/Coriander
Difficulty: Beginner
Space needed: 6-8 inch pot
Light: 4-6 hours sun
Harvest time: 45-70 days
Growing tips:
- Bolts quickly in hot weather
- Succession plant every 2-3 weeks
- Both leaves and seeds are edible
Mint
Difficulty: Beginner
Space needed: 8-10 inch pot (keep contained!)
Light: 4-6 hours sun
Harvest time: 60-90 days
Growing tips:
- Very aggressive spreader – always use containers
- Pinch flowers to maintain leaf quality
- Divide plants annually
Best varieties: Spearmint, Peppermint, Chocolate Mint
Chives
Difficulty: Beginner
Space needed: 6-8 inch pot
Light: 4-6 hours sun
Harvest time: 60-90 days
Growing tips:
- Cut like grass, leaving 2 inches
- Purple flowers are edible
- Perennial in most climates
🥬 Leafy Greens
Lettuce
Difficulty: Beginner
Space needed: 6-8 inch pot
Light: 4-6 hours sun
Harvest time: 45-65 days
Growing tips:
- Harvest outer leaves for “cut and come again”
- Prefers cooler weather
- Succession plant every 2 weeks
Best varieties for containers: Buttercrunch, Red Sails, Oak Leaf
Spinach
Difficulty: Beginner
Space needed: 6-8 inch pot
Light: 4-6 hours sun (tolerates partial shade)
Harvest time: 40-50 days
Growing tips:
- Cool weather crop
- Bolts quickly in heat
- Rich in iron and vitamins
Arugula
Difficulty: Beginner
Space needed: 6-8 inch pot
Light: 4-6 hours sun
Harvest time: 40-50 days
Growing tips:
- Peppery flavor intensifies with age
- Self-seeds readily
- Harvest young for milder taste
Kale
Difficulty: Beginner
Space needed: 8-10 inch pot
Light: 6+ hours sun
Harvest time: 55-75 days
Growing tips:
- Harvest outer leaves first
- Sweetens after light frost
- Very cold hardy
Best varieties: Dwarf Blue Curled, Red Russian
🍅 Fruiting Vegetables
Cherry Tomatoes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Space needed: 5+ gallon container
Light: 6-8 hours direct sun
Harvest time: 65-80 days
Growing tips:
- Provide strong support/caging
- Water consistently to prevent cracking
- Pinch suckers for better fruit production
Best varieties for containers: Tiny Tim, Patio, Sweet 100
Bell Peppers
Difficulty: Intermediate
Space needed: 3-5 gallon container
Light: 6-8 hours direct sun
Harvest time: 70-80 days
Growing tips:
- Warm weather crop
- Support heavy fruit with stakes
- Harvest green or wait for color change
Best compact varieties: Mini Belle, Lunchbox, Gypsy
Hot Peppers
Difficulty: Intermediate
Space needed: 2-3 gallon container
Light: 6-8 hours direct sun
Harvest time: 70-90 days
Growing tips:
- Generally easier than bell peppers
- Less water = hotter peppers
- Wear gloves when harvesting
Best varieties: Jalapeño, Serrano, Thai Hot
🥕 Root Vegetables
Radishes
Difficulty: Beginner
Space needed: 6-8 inch deep pot
Light: 4-6 hours sun
Harvest time: 25-30 days
Growing tips:
- Fast-growing space filler
- Cool weather crop
- Thin seedlings for proper development
Carrots
Difficulty: Intermediate
Space needed: 8-12 inch deep pot
Light: 6+ hours sun
Harvest time: 70-80 days
Growing tips:
- Need deep, loose soil
- Thin carefully when young
- Choose shorter varieties for containers
Best container varieties: Paris Market, Thumbelina, Short ‘n Sweet
Green Onions/Scallions
Difficulty: Beginner
Space needed: 4-6 inch pot
Light: 4-6 hours sun
Harvest time: 60-80 days (or regrow from scraps)
Growing tips:
- Can regrow from kitchen scraps
- Harvest outer leaves, leave roots
- Grow year-round indoors
🍓 Fruits & Berries
Strawberries
Difficulty: Intermediate
Space needed: 8-10 inch pot per plant
Light: 6+ hours sun
Harvest time: 60-90 days
Growing tips:
- Choose day-neutral or everbearing varieties
- Protect from birds with netting
- Replace plants every 2-3 years
Best container varieties: Albion, Seascape, Ozark Beauty
Dwarf Citrus
Difficulty: Advanced
Space needed: Large container (15+ gallons)
Light: 8+ hours sun (or grow lights)
Harvest time: 1-3 years
Growing tips:
- Bring indoors in winter (cold climates)
- Use citrus-specific fertilizer
- Hand pollinate if grown indoors
Best varieties: Meyer Lemon, Key Lime, Calamondin Orange
🌱 Microgreens & Sprouts
Microgreens
Difficulty: Beginner
Space needed: Shallow trays
Light: Bright indirect or grow lights
Harvest time: 7-14 days
Growing tips:
- Harvest when first true leaves appear
- Use sterile growing medium
- Mist regularly, don’t overwater
Easy varieties: Radish, pea shoots, sunflower, broccoli
Sprouts
Difficulty: Beginner
Space needed: Mason jar
Light: None needed
Harvest time: 3-7 days
Growing tips:
- Rinse twice daily
- Keep in dark, warm place
- Harvest when sprouts are 1-2 inches
Popular varieties: Mung bean, alfalfa, broccoli, lentil
Plant Care Essentials
Watering Guidelines
- Check soil moisture: Stick finger 1 inch into soil
- Water deeply: Until water drains from bottom
- Morning watering: Reduces disease risk
- Consistent moisture: Avoid wet/dry cycles
Feeding Schedule
- Seedlings: No fertilizer for first 2-3 weeks
- Established plants: Feed every 2-4 weeks
- Fruiting plants: Higher potassium during fruit set
- Leafy greens: Higher nitrogen for leaf growth
Common Problems & Solutions
Yellowing leaves: Usually overwatering or nutrient deficiency
Slow growth: Often insufficient light or nutrients
Pest issues: Use companion planting and beneficial insects
Disease problems: Improve air circulation and avoid overhead watering
Seasonal Planting Calendar
Spring (March-May)
Start cool-season crops, prepare for warm-season planting
Summer (June-August)
Focus on heat-tolerant varieties, provide shade if needed
Fall (September-November)
Plant cool-season crops for winter harvest
Winter (December-February)
Maintain indoor gardens, plan for next year
Advanced Growing Techniques
Companion Planting
- Tomatoes + Basil: Improved flavor and pest control
- Lettuce + Radishes: Space-efficient succession planting
- Carrots + Chives: Pest deterrent combination
Succession Planting
- Plant new crops every 2-3 weeks
- Ensures continuous harvest
- Maximizes small space productivity
Vertical Growing
- Use trellises for climbing plants
- Stack containers for multiple levels
- Hang trailing varieties
Need More Specific Help?
Each plant has its own personality and preferences. Start with the easier varieties and work your way up to more challenging plants as you gain experience and confidence.
For detailed troubleshooting and advanced techniques, check out our Growing Tips section or contact us with specific questions about your plants.
Happy growing! 🌱