Can you grow fenugreek leaves at home?

I started my gardening adventure back in March 2020. I decided to use my greenhouse space, I planted several seeds such as, Fenugreek, Mint, Tomatoes, Garlic and Coriander. The fastest plant to grow was fenugreek leaves. It is an absolute treat to watch your plants grow.

Gardening is not as hard at it seems, it does not require a lot of manual power or attention. Just a little bit of patience and lots of love for your plants. 

I started by using a rectangular pot (as shown in image) with small holes at the base to let out any extra water. I filled up the pot with store brought potting mix (I purchased mine from Tesco). Then create two rows using a pencil, about 1 cm deep. It is not essential to make rows but I like to plant them like that as it looks neat and has enough space to grow. Now spray some water and wet the soil, then sprinkle the seeds along the rows, do not add too many seeds together as the plant should have enough space to grow. Top up the seeds with some potting mix, spray some water to keep the soil moist. 

Now I am aware that many people like to soak the seeds for a couple of days and let it germinate before transferring to the soil, but since fenugreek has a strong odour I prefer to directly place the seeds in the soil, and it works just fine. I have used store brought fenugreek seeds that is used widely in Indian cuisines. It is available in any Indian store.

Since I grew my first batch of fenugreek leaves in April, It was warm therefore I had to water the plant every day. And in temperatures like 35C sometimes twice a day. Fenugreek leaves can be grown indoors as well, but make sure the plant receives adequate sunlight. I did not use any external fertilizer or plant food for this plant. 

Fenugreek leaves can be harvested when the leaves are small, or when grown tall, It depends on individual preferences or the recipe you want to prepare. I like to harvest my leaves in about 4 weeks. I use fenugreek leaves to prepare thepla (*recipe available), Methi sabji, aloo methi sabji, salads, etc. Fenugreek leaves are rich in fibre and is an excellent remedy for constipation.

After harvesting the leaves, I do not reuse the soil as it doesn't have nutrients to support the growth of new seeds. Therefore, I add fresh potting mix and start the process again, so I get fresh leaves every 3-4 weeks. Since I harvest all the leaves together, I wash them thoroughly and freeze the leaves in zip lock bags to use them for the next week or until I have another batch ready. Gardening is very therapeutic and I definitely recommend. Also, as an Indian living in London we do not get fenugreek leaves in supermarkets, hence I always grow mine at home.

Follow me on Instagram @thepintopost for more tips and a sneak peek in my life living in London.