And fruit.

Modern technologies make it possible even for beginners to organize a vegetable garden on the windowsill in winter.

For beginners, there is a ton of practical advice from professionals and home nursery enthusiasts.

Having studied the right approach, you can pamper yourself with juicy vegetables and herbs all year round without leaving your home.

To create a small home garden for the winter, you need careful preparation:

• Plastic containers (cut bottles, glasses will work) or flower pots.
• Polyethylene to organize a mini greenhouse.
• High-quality soil and fertilizers that are intended for vegetables and herbs.
• UV lamps to create daylight.
• Thermometer to monitor the temperature of the home garden.
• A small watering can for watering the garden.

The soil can be purchased at any gardener's specialty store. Then they need to fill the prepared containers and water them so that the earth gets wet. Then the seeds or seedlings are planted. In the case of seed planting, the containers should be placed in a warm place and covered with foil to create a greenhouse effect until the crops begin to germinate.

As soon as the sprouts appear, the polyethylene must be removed to ensure air circulation and transferred to the windowsill, where the plants will have access to daylight.

The key to quality plants and a successful home harvest is timely watering, fertilization and access to daylight. Since there is little natural light in winter, a daylight lamp will be needed.

If you do not want to plant seeds, you can purchase already sprouted crops in the store and simply transplant them at home into containers.

Growing greens

Greens are not only a flavoring seasoning for many dishes, but also a source of vitamins that every body needs, especially in winter. You can grow absolutely any kind of greenery on the windowsill.

Consider the most popular, which are very easy to plant at home.

Onion

You don't need to plant everything at once. It is enough to plant 7-10 heads, after 2 weeks the same number and so on.

Thus, you can provide yourself with green onions all year round uninterruptedly, and without cluttering all the window sills.

Watercress

Watercress, like green onions, is not whimsical and does not require a lot of attention in a room garden. It grows very quickly, which is important for a home windowsill, as soon as 2 weeks after planting, you can enjoy the greenery.

In addition to taste, this type of salad has many beneficial properties for the body:

• improves blood circulation
• normalizes blood pressure
• promotes the production of hemoglobin
• saturates the body with vitamins A, B, C, E

Watercress does not require special lighting or temperature control. For him, the perfect environment is considered to be +15 degrees and above. The main thing is to water it all the time, since the plant dies from a lack of moisture. For a constant harvest of greens, it is recommended to plant portions of seeds once a week.

Leaf salad

According to experts, two types of lettuce are ideal for the garden on the windowsill: Lollo-Rossa and Lolla-Bionda.

But these, unlike onions or watercress, require additional lighting.

To keep the leaves juicy and soft, it is important to stick to neutral moisture, dryness or over-watering will lead to bitterness.

When the seeds begin to sprout, it is important to break through them at a distance of 1-1.5 centimeters.

When the plants get stronger, the distance between them should be increased to 4 centimeters. In cramped conditions, the lettuce will weaken and produce juicy fruit leaves.

Given the compactness and diminutiveness of the garden, you should not wait until the leaves grow to full size. You can feast on young leaves, cutting them off in time and making it possible for new leaves to appear.

Parsley

This type of greenery is one of the most fastidious and fastest growing. There are several ways to plant parsley:

• Sowing seeds. In a container with moistened and fertilized soil, seeds are sown, previously soaked in Gum. Then they are covered with a layer of earth from above and placed in a warm place for germination. With the appearance of greenery, it can be rearranged on the windowsill. With this planting, you need to know that parsley seeds germinate very slowly.
• Planting forcing - pre-prepared roots. This option is a little easier, as you do not need to sow seeds. Medium-sized roots are planted in moistened soil. A plastic box, container, or flower pot is perfect for a container.

Parsley does not require much watering or lighting. It is enough to moisten the soil as needed. This plant also does not need thinning.

Chives

In order for the chives to please with a juicy harvest throughout the winter period, it is necessary to carry out preliminary preparation in the fall. Onion curtains must be planted in a container and sent to the balcony or basement. When the time comes to plant it on the windowsill, the workpieces are brought into a warm room. Feathers grow back very quickly.

As practice shows, two harvests can be obtained from one fruit, after which the plant deteriorates. Therefore, you need to prepare several containers for the winter.

It is not necessary to fill in the chives with water, but it is also not worth allowing the soil to dry out. When dry, feathers become bitter and flower stalks form. For a high-quality harvest, it is recommended to add a hydrogel before planting in the ground.

Basil

Basil is planted by cuttings or sown with seeds.

Both in the first and in the second case, an excellent harvest is obtained.

At temperatures from +18 and above, the seeds germinate on the 6th-7th day.

Cuttings take root from 10 to 15 days.

In the case of basil, it is better to use the sowing method.

This plant loves loose soil, and in order to create favorable conditions for it, coconut fibers are placed in a container with soil. They can be purchased in shops like "Garden, Vegetable Garden".

You need to water the basil as needed, preventing the soil from drying out. As for lighting, a natural light regime in winter is quite enough.

Mint

The easiest way to grow mint is on a windowsill, since it is not capricious either to light, or to moisture, or to the quality of the soil. Different species get along well with each other, even if you plant a mint assortment in one pot.

It is not recommended to sow mint with seeds at home - it is too long. Better to buy seedlings with roots in a store or market. Mint takes root up to 12 - 14 days, and then begins to grow rapidly, spreading an incredible aroma throughout the apartment.

Rosemary

The rosemary stalk is immediately planted in the soil for rooting. It is not necessary to pre-plant it in water. Above you need to create a greenhouse - a film or glass jar will do. The root will get stronger in 2 weeks, then the "greenhouse" must be eliminated.

Drainage must be put on the bottom of the container with soil. Rosemary loves fresh air, but is afraid of the draft. There are no special instructions for watering this plant, but you need to spray the leaves with water from time to time.

Growing vegetables

In addition to greens, it can be grown in the garden on the windowsill in winter. For beginners, the lighting should be of the highest quality so that there are no problems with the plants. Those who have already practiced growing crops from their own experience already know from their own experience what kind of vegetable, what kind of light is needed.

Cucumbers

It seems that growing cucumbers in an apartment is unrealistic. With the right approach and proper care, everything is real! Cucumbers are not very whimsical, so you can enjoy a fresh salad in December and March.

Benefits of planting cucumbers on the windowsill:

• it is not difficult, even a beginner can easily cope with this task
• where one and a half months after planting, you can enjoy juicy and healthy fruits
• you can provide the table with delicious fresh salads all year round

Before planting in an apartment, it is important to know that not all varieties are suitable for this. It is better to give preference to self-pollinated, bush and shade-tolerant. For this, the following varieties are suitable:

• F1 legend
• Marinda F1
• Connie F1
• Debut
• Athlete
• Babylon
• Claudia F1

For you need to create favorable conditions so that the plant is quickly saturated with vitamins and will soon bear fruit:

• Light. Cucumbers are light-requiring, so natural light will not be enough for them. It is necessary to purchase fluorescent lamps to illuminate the plant when it gets dark outside or cloudy weather.
• Warmly. For these plants, it is important to provide a mode from +20 to +24 degrees. At a lower temperature, the fruits will ripen for a long time and will not turn out juicy and crunchy.
• Moisture. Cucumbers do not tolerate drought either in the garden or on the windowsill. It is necessary to strictly monitor soil moisture.

Shrub hybrids are best planted in a plastic container or flower pot (large). Seedlings are planted immediately. You can buy it, or prepare it in advance, even in the fall.

You can watch the video about how to grow cucumbers and tomatoes on the windowsill:

Tomatoes

A tomato on the windowsill is the dream of every housewife. Bushy indoor tomatoes are not whimsical to moisture and temperature. They need to be watered as the soil dries up and the temperature should be kept from +17 to +24 degrees. The room where the tomatoes are located can be ventilated, since, unlike cucumbers, they are not afraid of drafts. For a home garden, seedlings of the following varieties are best suited:

• Balcony miracle
• Room surprise
• Betta
• Bansai
• Cherry
• Florida
• Talisma

As a rule, the seeds indicate that this variety is suitable for growing in an apartment.

In order for the tomato bush to be beautiful and even, and the fruits sang evenly, it is recommended to turn the tomato pot on different sides every day to the window.

Sweet pepper

Bell peppers are one of the easiest vegetables to grow at home.

It does not require special heating or lighting.

But the first fruits appear 6 months after the seed sprouts.

That is, in order to provide yourself with peppers, you can plant several bushes every month, which will result in an uninterrupted harvest.

Indoor varieties:

• Patio Ivo - bright yellow juicy fruits
• Jupiter F1 - gives red and green fleshy peppers
• Oda is one of the most productive sweet peppers

Initially, you need to sow seeds and create a greenhouse for them. After sunrise, the sprouts are moved to a container with fertilized soil to their "permanent residence". Peppers are unpretentious, but require sun and heat. The best mode for them is + 22-26 degrees. Additional lighting should also be present, since, after all, this is a southern plant.

It is better to protect sweet peppers from indoor bitters. Otherwise, hybrid pollination can occur, as a result of which both varieties will deteriorate.

Hot pepper

Hot peppers will bear fruit, regardless of temperature and light. Enough 3-4 hours a day of the sun or artificial lighting. After sunrise, fruits appear in 8-10 weeks. One plant can bear fruit for up to five years. In addition, bitter pepper is very beautiful and will complement any interior. Varieties that are suitable for the windowsill.

A home garden on the windowsill is a great opportunity to pamper your family with fresh herbs at any time of the year. It's nice to cut a sprig of basil from the kitchen garden to make pizza or salad, and you will also know for sure that no chemical fertilizers or nitrates were used during the cultivation. In addition, green plants purify indoor air and are an element of interior decoration. If you want to get your own garden on the windowsill, so that even in winter you always have summer at home, use our recommendations.

Garden beds on the windowsill do not require agricultural skills, so children can also be involved in this activity - they usually like to work with the soil and watch a green sprout emerge from a seed, which grows into a large plant or bush. So, you will need flower pots, boxes, sour cream and yogurt jars, plastic cups, soil from a flower shop, seeds, a small watering can and a spray bottle.

Advice 1. Do not plant different plants in the same pot. The fact is that they need different growing conditions, besides, many garden crops are not combined with each other. If you want to increase the area of ​​your home garden, make special racks for windowsills that can hold many pots, and also use hanging planters.

Tip 2. Do not use the land from the summer cottage, as it can be infested with pests, which are almost impossible to get rid of at home. The ideal composition of the earth is sand, earth and humus. It is better to buy seeds and seedlings in specialized stores.

Tip 3. The best place for a vegetable garden is kitchen windows, since the kitchen is humid and warm, which is favorable for growing greenery. Sometimes, for faster germination of seeds, mini-greenhouses made of plastic bags are used.

Tip 4. The seeds are soaked in water, and their readiness for planting can be determined by swelling - if sprouts hatch from the seeds, the plants can be planted in the soil. For soaking, a saucer and a damp cloth are used, on which the seeds are spread. They need to be slightly filled with water and moistened as needed.

Tip 5. The seeds are planted in very moist soil at a shallow depth, covered with earth from above, moistened again, and the earth is slightly compacted. The container is covered with a plastic bag, and after germination, the impromptu greenhouse is removed. Seedlings are watered with warm water as needed.

Tip 6. Despite the fact that most plants are adapted to indoor conditions, it is advisable to provide the home garden with adequate lighting. Phytolamps are suitable for this purpose, the light of which is as close as possible to solar radiation. Humidifiers and a high-quality plant sprayer will be needed to ensure adequate humidity.

Tip 7. Don't forget about drainage, which is easy to do at home. To do this, pour expanded clay on the bottom of the pot or other container with a layer of 2-3 cm, and cover it with earth on top. This is necessary so that water does not stagnate in the ground and air exchange improves. Drainage prevents root rot and mold growth in the soil.

Tip 8. Plants need nutrition, so choose quality organic fertilizers that won't harm the health of your loved ones. Some housewives are creative, using not only ash, but also eggshells, banana peels or yeast.

Hit parade of plants suitable for home "beds"

It is best to choose unpretentious crops that yield quickly and do not require large time and material costs. And there are a lot of such plants - choose according to your taste!

Green onions. It doesn't even need land to grow it. Plant the bulb in a jar of water so that the bottom is always moist, and harvest the first crop after two weeks.

Dill. Dill seeds can be sown into the soil without soaking, the main thing is to ensure regular watering. To ruin a dill garden, you need to try very hard. The most productive and unpretentious variety of dill is "mushroom".

Parsley. It is better to pour parsley seeds with warm water for a day, then dry and rub with dry sand - thanks to this, the seeds will be hardened, enriched with minerals and sprout faster. Parsley loves moisture, so water often and keep the soil dry.

Basil. When planting, leave about 5–6 cm between the basil seeds, as the bushes are very spreading and freedom-loving. Place the box of plants in the warmest part of your kitchen, as basil doesn't like coolness.

Spinach. It should not be planted deeply, otherwise you will have to wait too long for the harvest. All that is needed for complete happiness is sun and abundant watering, and the best varieties for growing at home are "gigantic" and "melody".

Saffron. This plant is propagated by bulbs that are planted in moist soil, and then the pot is stored for two months in the refrigerator until the sprouts grow 5 cm.After that, you can put the saffron in a sunny and warm place, water it moderately and use this fragrant spice in dishes.

Arugula. There are only three things you need to know about arugula. Its seeds should be planted 1–1.5 cm deep, the plant should be provided with excellent natural or artificial light and should be watered frequently.

Ginger. Place the ginger root in warm water at 36–38 ° C for four hours until buds sprout. Then plant in a spacious pot, buds up to a depth of 3 cm, and water the soil as it dries. Provide the ginger with good lighting, but not in direct sunlight, and after 5-7 months, you can dig up the overgrown roots and eat them.

Watercress. This surprisingly unpretentious plant can be grown in a layer of damp cotton wool, while the seeds must be pre-soaked in water. Create a greenhouse effect with plastic wrap and place the cotton wool in a semi-dark place. After a few days, when the seeds begin to sprout, remove the film and do not forget to moisten the cotton wool. After a week, you can harvest and enjoy the fresh herbs.

Celery. It does not like moisture and grows very slowly - within 2-3 weeks if you grow it from seed. There is an easier way to get tasty and healthy greens. You need to cut off the base of the stump from the store bought in the store, put it in water, wait for the roots and the first leaves, and then put it in a pot. After two weeks, the leaves will be larger and you can make a salad for the whole family.

Coriander. 1-2-year-old varieties of plants sprout well, and it is better to plant them three pieces per pot. Water the coriander generously and loosen the soil, and the first shoots will appear in two weeks.

Hot peppers. Early ripening varieties are excellent, which, moreover, do not need additional lighting. Germinated seeds are planted to a depth of 1 cm and covered with foil, and when sprouts with several leaves appear, each plant should be planted in a separate pot. If you manage to create excellent conditions for the pepper, it will delight you with a harvest for five years.

Cucumbers. Buy special indoor cucumber varieties that are capable of self-pollination, sow the seeds in the soil and water abundantly. Seedlings appear already on the 2-3rd day, and you will only have to feed the cucumbers with the infusion of wood ash.

Strawberry. Decorative ampelous strawberries bear fruit all year round in low light conditions, so they are ideal for indoor conditions. First, plant the bushes in pots, hold them in a cool place for two weeks, and then move the strawberries to a special soil. Now you have to water it, and after flowering, "work" as a bee, pollinating the inflorescences with cotton swabs.

Leaf salad. It requires additional lighting, abundant moisture and periodic thinning. However, don't overdo it with watering, or the roots of the lettuce will start to rot.

Mustard leaf. After sowing the seeds, take the pot to a warm and dark place, and as soon as the first shoots appear, provide them with optimal lighting. Leave three bushes in each pot, and after a month you can add spicy fragrant leaves to the salad.

Radish. For planting, choose large brown seeds - they are the most viable and "promising". Radish can rise on the third day - he likes a cool temperature, so the room should be ventilated more often.

Bell pepper. It is enough to plant a perennial plant only once, and then it will delight you with harvests all year round. Sweet peppers are a very pampered culture, they do not like drafts and dark places, they require loosened soil and warm temperatures.

Mint. Purchased mint sprigs should be placed in a glass of water, wait for the roots and put in a pot. Water regularly and savor its fragrant aroma.

Rosemary. Propagated by seeds and cuttings - the cuttings are first planted in wet sand under a film, and after the roots appear, they are transplanted into the soil.

Marjoram. It grows well from seeds, can overwinter on an insulated balcony and easily tolerates a lack of light. Marjoram is an ideal home plant in harsh climates.

Oregano. This spice is undemanding to the quality of the soil, loves a lot of sun and takes a long time to grow, so you will have to wait for sprouts for three weeks. Water the oregano in moderation, avoiding stagnant water.

Thyme. Indifferent to warmth, but loves light, preferring dry and light soils. Needs constant ventilation and moderate watering.

Tomatoes. Even such complex crops can be grown on a windowsill, only self-pollinated hybrids should be chosen, which are also small-fruited and undersized varieties. Seedlings are planted in pots with “correct” soil and watered in moderation. New bushes can be obtained by cuttings - they take root well and bloom faster.

You can grow tangerine, lemon, pomegranate, etc. on the window, but this is already a more complicated and troublesome process. It is not necessary to turn all windows into plantations, but even if dill, parsley and green onions "settle" on your kitchen windowsill, the room will look more fun, and the dishes will become much tastier. Verified by personal experience!

Seed varieties for the garden on the windowsill

Vegetable seeds suitable for growing in an apartment are marked by manufacturers as: for balcony use, for growing on a windowsill or for pot growing. It is also advisable to choose shade-tolerant ones.

• We choose cucumbers parthenocarpic (not requiring pollination), female type, disease resistant and, of course, early ripening. On the packaging should be written "F1" - that is, these are hybrids. Sibmams grew up at home and on the balcony "Garland", "Balkonny", "Masha", "Marinda", "City", "Favorite son-in-law". However sibmama Josephine writes that it is nevertheless necessary to pollinate: “The cucumbers“ Favorite son-in-law ”, as it is written, do not require cross-pollination, but all this is nonsense, until she began to pollinate herself with a brush - the cucumbers did not grow, the ovary simply dried up and fell off. So I pollinate and grow, my son is happy that he can pick cucumbers from the bush. "

Photo Nadia: “Cucumbers were planted in late January - early February, and the photo is dated March 13th. A cucumber has started. "

• , perhaps, the most popular among lovers of home vegetable growing because of their decorative effect. There are many varieties, for example, "Little Miracle", "Orange Miracle" from Sedek, "Favorite Orange" from Aelit ("Harvest Windowsill" series), "Surprise" from Sedek.

Photo ard, grade "All the sky in the stars"

• Sibmams traditionally choose Pinocchio, Balconnoe Miracle, Florida Petit, Red and Yellow Pearl for growing on the windowsill. The same varieties can be grown in the country as well - as seals in greenhouses between tall varieties (for example) or even in flower beds.

• Green seeds - dill, parsley, sorrel, arugula, coriander, basil, oregano, lemon balm, you can take any. For greenery, the main thing is to organize the right lighting.

Photo of arugula from lmlnow

Photo oregano and lemon balm from Nadia: “I bought seeds from Biotechnics, grew them in March for seedlings, then they grew in the country, and in the fall they moved back to the apartment.”

Photo mila1977

Basilica photo from Navladia

It seems that you can grow anything at home, but you need to be careful when choosing a culture. For example, Homochka wrote about her unusual experience: “Pumpkin ... Well, then I flew by myself - I planted a bee-pollinated plant! But the greenery was amazing! "

Home garden lamps

Greens should be grown on the sunniest and coolest windowsill. But with early sowing in November-February, you cannot do without a good one.

Photo Marina79

Sibmama ard notes: “Light is different. For greenery, they write, more blue and UV are needed, which you cannot achieve either on the windowsill or on the balcony. On the windowsill and balcony, the light is more diffused, green and red spectrum. Tomatoes and peppers can be grown, greens need direct light. Half of my success is in the backlighting. I always keep seedlings under blue light, so they are compact. Any fluorescent lamp does not have a spectrum for the strawberry crop: there is not enough red. For strawberries (for harvest), only full spectrum illumination (or full spectrum) is suitable. But a powerful luminescent one will do well before setting the flowers. "

Photo mila1977

What pots should be for a home garden?

For tomatoes, the required minimum is 5 liters per bush, but better than 7. If you undertook to grow varieties at home or, then you need a volume of 15-20 liters per bush.

Photo Nadia: "Florida Petite tomatoes in mid-May, sown in February."

For peppers, a smaller volume is suitable - from 1 to 3 liters.

Photo ard

Cucumbers are the most demanding crop for home cultivation, both in terms of volume and composition of the soil. For 1-2 bushes, you need about 10 liters, since the soil in small pots will dry out very much.

Photo Di Na:“I have a large window, French type. I tied the ropes right to the curtain. I didn't pinch cucumbers. Now my cucumbers are 6 weeks old. "

Greens can be grown in standard seedling boxes about 15 cm high.

Photo lmlnow

When to sow vegetables and herbs for home growing?

If there is a good phytolamp, then green ones can be sown at least all year round. It is better to start sowing vegetables from mid-January until the traditional sowing dates in mid-March. In any case, you cannot do without a seedling lamp. Moreover, it is better not to pick tomatoes green, as we do for, but we must wait for full ripening on the bush.

Agricultural technology for growing vegetables and herbs on the windowsill

In total, there are seven simple rules, observing which even a beginner can grow vegetables on his balcony or windowsill.

1. We highlight our garden. In order not to forget to turn on and off the phytolamp on time, a relay is useful (I bought it in Ikea). We grow everything on the sunniest windowsill.

Photo ard

1. Be sure to put drainage on the bottom (for example, expanded clay).
2. We water only with settled water, and in moderation. Water more in the heat. If we leave somewhere, then we can substitute a jar of water with a twisted bundle of bandage lowered there, the other end of which we put in the pot. Through the bandage, water will flow into the soil. Another secret of watering is shared ard: "I watered it with acidified water, since the soil from the settled tap water had a white coating with rust, and I diluted the water with soft".
3. We maintain air humidity, especially during the period when the batteries are on. We turn on humidifiers or simply put water in a jar next to the boxes, or put wet towels on the batteries.
4. Preparing the right soil. It should be loose, breathable. I always use my own compost from the garden, to which I always add purchased soil and vermiculite. Forgetful ones can add hydrogel to the soil, then watering can be done less often.

1. We observe the temperature regime. We ventilate, at night we maintain the temperature of about 12-15 degrees, opening the window - but remember that newly emerged seedlings can "lie down" from the cold air. During the day, the temperature should be no more than 18-22 degrees. We protect from sunburn, shade if necessary, you can also spray it with ordinary room temperature water from a spray bottle in the evening. When the temperature is above zero on spring nights, you can leave the pots overnight on the balcony or loggia. It is better to grow cucumbers not on the southern windowsill, but on the east or west, otherwise sunburn of the leaves and drying out of the soil cannot be avoided.
2. We feed regularly. Before flowering, we use complex fertilizers for seedlings, where there is nitrogen. During flowering, we use fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and potassium. Ard advises: “Let the food be of a wide range, than the lack of one thing will lead to the loss of the crop. Everyone who grows under phyto-LED lamps notes that they have to feed more often. They associate this with the fact that metabolism is faster under phytolight. However, I never feed the recommended amounts. Sprinkle half a liter on the tip of a knife. I also noticed: I won't feed for a day or two, the flowers are thrown off a lot. "

Photo ard- peppers in August.

Do I need to shape and trim vegetables and herbs on the windowsill?

We mainly grow tomatoes on the windowsill that do not require pinching, but if this is indicated on the seed packaging, then we regularly remove the stepchildren.
We form the peppers: we remove the internal branches that interfere with the airing and growth of the fruits, we also pluck out the crown buds. Remove excess and drying inflorescences.

Photo ard:“I could not stand it, I cut all the lateral branches with weak small flowers at the overgrown pepper. All the same, all these flowers will be thrown off, and they are wasting food. I left somewhere half of the branches. "

We tie the cucumbers, of course. Photo lmlnow

We sow the greens thickly, but then thin them out. Cut off can be dried or added to salad. Photo The idea

Cut the onion on a feather carefully with a knife, it will grow back one more time. Photo Twins: “I took small onions, but I didn’t buy a set specifically, but I chose the smallest from an ordinary onion”.

Basil is pinched, it grows back perfectly, just like sorrel, lemon balm. Photo K @ p @ stranded

We cut off the parsley too, it will grow again. Photo mila1977: “I have been growing parsley on the windowsill for the second year. At the end of summer, I dig up a few parsley roots in the country and transplant them into a pot. Of course, in the darkest months, growth slows down, but since February it has started to grow again. Stands on the south window, soon you can take it out to the loggia. I water it often - it dries very quickly. I don’t risk growing greens from seeds on the windowsill ”.

Watercress in a jar of water

Eight shares an interesting way to grow watercress:

• take a glass jar (which, for example, from under cucumbers),
• pour water 0.5 cm at the bottom,
• put paper napkins there (6 pieces should be enough),
• sprinkle seeds (quite thickly),
• sometimes we ventilate (the smell, I'll tell you, there will still be one),
• sometimes we water
• after 1.5 weeks we harvest - we just shake the salad out of the jar and eat it along with the roots, since there is no land there.

_Elenka_ specifies: "I planted it like that, only with a hydrogel and a disposable container, then washed the salad, added it to okroshka (it was in the spring)."

To provide gardeners with fresh vegetables all year round, you can use window sills and insulated loggias in apartments in winter. Cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, salads and even beans and beans grow well on the windowsill. Providing the vegetables with the minimum conditions for temperature, light and humidity, you can get vitamins from fresh fruits and fragrant greens during the entire off-season.

A wide range of different types of vegetables from greens to fruit crops can be grown on the windowsill:

• greens from distillation crops (onions, parsley, celery);
• leafy salads,
• Cycorny salad Vitluf,
• cucumbers,
• tomatoes,
• legumes (beans, beans).

Conditions for growing vegetables on a windowsill in winter

In order to successfully grow vegetable crops at home, you need to provide them with all the conditions necessary for the growth and development of plants.

• Find the Right Growing Container

The most important nuance is the volume of the growing container. If greens can be planted in ordinary pots for indoor plants, tomatoes - in 5-7-liter containers, then a cucumber will need a container with a volume of at least 8-10 liters.

• Find a place

It is desirable that the windows for growing vegetables in winter face south and southeast. These are the most preferred cardinal points. In the presence of east, north, north-west windows, backlighting will be required in winter. For supplementary lighting, specialized fluorescent and phytolamps are suitable.

• Humidify the air

Air humidity for all crops at home should be at least 60-70%. At the same time, a cucumber needs a moisture content of 80% and higher, and 60% will be enough for tomatoes, because at higher rates, the tomato does not set fruit. Therefore, it is not recommended to grow tomatoes and cucumbers on the same windowsill (as well as in the same greenhouse).

• Adjust the temperature

Nighttime and daytime temperatures at home should mimic "wild" natural conditions. Plants grow more intensively at night due to the products of photosynthesis accumulated during daylight hours. Therefore, in the dark, you need to reduce the temperature to 15-17 ° C.

The daily temperature for greens and salads should not be higher than 20-22 ° C. When heated, the plants stretch, the internodes lengthen, the marketability decreases, and a black leg may appear. Therefore, it is necessary to regulate the ventilation and open the vents, especially at night.

The exception is the thermophilic culture of cucumbers. They do not tolerate drafts and can easily withstand temperatures of 25-36 ° C.

• Provide adequate lighting

Daylight hours are desirable 12-16 hours. For example, in Siberia, the shortage in winter is supplemented in the morning from 8 to 10 (when it is still dark), and in the evening from 16.00 to 18.00. In this case, the illumination should be intense (read the recommendations on the use of artificial lighting lamps).

Growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter

Cucumbers at home can be cultivated from January to May. Growing in an apartment is less important during the summer months. First, the temperature rises dramatically, the air becomes dry and hot. These are excellent conditions for the spread of spider mites on cucumber plants.

In April-May, the growing season of a cucumber at home ends. The fruiting period is even less. Nevertheless, for 3 winter months, you can get environmentally friendly, fresh and crispy greens directly from your windowsill.

Subject to all the rules of agricultural technology, cucumbers give an impressive harvest: up to 5-7 kg per plant.

Planting dates for cucumbers

In order to get the first cucumbers early, you need to sow seeds as soon as the day begins to grow. Immediately after the New Year, literally in early January, you can already start sowing. cucumbers. With good agricultural technology, the first fruits will appear by March 8 or even earlier.

Watering and spraying cucumbers

Cucumbers need regular watering and high humidity. Watering is recommended weekly at the root. Since the air in the apartment is dry, it is recommended to cover the heating radiators with a damp cloth. Make sure that there is water in the pan at all times and carry out daily spraying.

Spraying helps to provide the necessary air humidity and prevents the infestation of spider mites, which settle on dry leaves in dry air.

Cucumber feeding

When growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter, you need to feed once a week with any complex mineral fertilizer. You can use both universal and specialized fertilizers for pumpkin crops marked: Cucumber, Pumpkin, Zucchini, Patisson, etc.

Tying a cucumber

It is necessary to create an artificial trellis on the windowsill and be sure to tie up the cucumbers. Or tie the plant to the structures on the window or curtain with hemp twine, as in a regular greenhouse.

Cucumber varieties for growing on a windowsill in winter

To grow a cucumber at home in winter, you need to select shade-tolerant, low-growing varieties. Of the varieties selected by SibNIIRS, varieties are suitable for indoor cultivation Sagittarius and Homer .

Variety Homer known since 2009. Parthenocarpic hybrid. Good for salads and pickles. The first fruits give a month after 1.5 months after germination. Medium-branched bush with medium-sized leaves, female flowering type, the number of female flowers in a node is 1-3. The ogruchiki ripen short, weighing 50 g, cylindrical in shape with tubercles and white pubescence. The taste of fresh and salty greens is excellent. from 1 m² you can collect 9 kg. Resistant to fusarium, bacteriosis, tolerant to downy mildew (downy mildew).

Variety Sagittarius available to summer residents since 2000. Very productive early maturing parthenocarpic hybrid for universal use. Climbing bush, indeterminate. The plant is medium-sized. Fruits are cylindrical in shape with sparse tubercles and white pubescence. Zelentsy ripen with a length of approx. 10 cm, 3 cm in diameter and weighing just over 90 g. Fresh, canned and pickled cucumbers taste good. The average yield in the open field is 4.5 kg per 1 m², in a greenhouse it reaches 15 kg. The variety is appreciated for its high yield and decent taste.

Of the varieties of other breeding institutions, I can recommend Blizzard ... The hybrid was also tested at SibNIIRS and showed excellent results for indoor cultivation.

Variety Snowstorm available for cultivation since 2006. High-yielding early-maturing parthenocarpic hybrid. Intended for fresh and canned consumption. It pleases with fruits 40 days after full germination. The bush is indeterminate, slightly branched. Cucumbers are short, but weighty - weighing more than 70 g, cylindrical in shape with tubercles and rare white pubescence. They taste good. Yields up to 15 kg per 1 m². They resist cladosporiasis, powdery mildew and peronosporiasis.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill in winter

Tomatoes are less demanding on lighting conditions than cucumbers, so they can be planted earlier. So already before the New Year, in the second half of December, they sow seeds. Then the first fruits of early ripening varieties can be obtained by March 8.

Tomato varieties for growing on a windowsill in winter

A wide variety of varieties for growing tomatoes in indoor culture are presented. These are standard low bushes, only 30 cm each, which do not need to be pinned or tied up. They can be used as an ornamental crop. Ripe fruits look very nice, and a home tomato can easily replace a potted flowering plant.

Of the varieties selected by SibNIIRS, the variety is most suitable for home cultivation. Philippok ... Known since 2010. Standard variety with medium-sized red fruits 40-50 g. Very early ripening. It is easy to form and looks quite decorative.

From the varieties of other companies, we can recommend Volume yellow and Volume red ... They are great for indoor culture. Available to tomato growers since 2013. Good for salads and whole-fruit canning. The varieties are early maturing, the plants are determinate. The fruits are red and yellow, respectively, neat, weighing up to 20 g and with good taste. The yield is about 3 kg per 1 m².

Sorts such as Balcony miracle (1997), Bonsai (2001), Craiova.

Growing onions on a windowsill in winter

In addition to fruit and vegetable crops, almost all year round, from September to May, you can provide yourself with green onions.

For forcing on greens, shallots are best suited, not onions:

• shallots have a multi-bud bulb, so it gives more abundant greens;
• shallots have a shorter rest period;
• shallots are richer in vitamins and microelements, they have more dry matter, and their culinary properties are much better.
• shallot more early maturing has a high growth rate*.

If onions are planted for distillation, they wake up in 1.5-2 months, or may not wake up at all. Regrowth in shallots occurs within two weeks. After another 2 weeks, he is already ready for cleaning. Thus, the distillation period for shallots lasts 1 month. Therefore, shallots can be planted for distillation every two weeks and regularly receive greens from it.

*Growth rate is determined by the ratio of the mass of the grown greenery to the mass of the planted onion. The shallot has a growth rate of 1.5-2, i.e. greenery grows 2 times more in mass than the bulbs were planted. Onions have a growth rate of approx. 0.8, it is less beneficial.

Growing greenery on a windowsill in winter

On greens, you can drive out not only the heads of onions and garlic, but also root crops:

• parsley,
• celery,
• parsnips,
• Cycorny salad Vitluf.

Root crops grown the day before in summer are planted in pots with a volume of 2-2.5 liters. The root crop is planted and sprinkled with earth along the neck. It is necessary to water well and make sure that the soil does not dry out. Regrowth begins quickly. After 2 weeks you will be eating aromatic vitamin greens.

It is convenient to grow on the windowsill of the so-called. microgreens. It includes various green and salad crops, which give fresh greens in just 2 weeks:

• watercress,
• early varieties of leaf lettuce (for example, Moscow Greenhouse),
• salad mustard,
• spinach.

Is it possible to grow dill on a windowsill in winter?

I would not recommend growing dill on a windowsill. You can grow it, but there will be no effect from dill greens, because there will be absolutely no essential oils in it. Dill grown on a windowsill in the absence of ultraviolet rays does not accumulate essential oils, has no taste or smell. Dill rises for a long time and stretches quickly.

Perhaps, on a specially equipped loggia, where the percentage of illumination and sunlight is higher, you can get more aromatic and tasty dill greens.

Growing legumes on a windowsill in winter

Nowadays we have developed compact varieties of legumes that can also be grown in pots. Sowing is done later than for cucumbers and tomatoes, when the day arrives quite well. Better to plant in late February - early March.

Beans Patio variety - compact bushy Very abundant fruit. They belong to vegetable legumes, i.e. they can be eaten with the shutters as long as they have not yet become callous (like green beans)

You can get the fruits of vegetable beans successfully enough. Of the varieties of SibNIIRS selection, I would single out bean variety Nika with green vegetable beans and the Sun variety. They can be easily obtained in room culture.

Unfortunately, the vegetable (green) bean culture is not as popular among vegetable growers as we would like. Indeed, in terms of food, medicinal and nutritional value, it has no equal. Be sure to eat vegetable beans, especially if the thyroid gland is malfunctioning, diabetes mellitus, i.e. with diseases of the endocrine system. Therefore, I advise you to grow beans in the summer in the ground, in the winter - on the windowsill, or buy frozen products.

Tatiana Steinert, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences

Sometimes I want to go out onto the balcony, like Jamie Oliver, pick up my own grown vegetables and herbs and stir up something stunning from them. And the balcony, by the way, looks much nicer if it does not store old pieces of iron, which it is time to send to the landfill, but aromatic herbs and vegetables.

Bright Side chose several interesting plants that take root well on the windowsill or on the balcony.

Pepper

On the windowsill, you can grow a hot pepper for diablo pizza. It will require a warm, bright place and varieties suitable for home cultivation: "Carmen", "Flint", "Ogonyok", "Ryabinushka", "Bride", "Indian Summer", etc.

The bushes are very cute and do not require large pots. Up to 50 fruits can be set on one plant. The optimum temperature is 25-27 degrees Celsius.

Carrot

For growing carrots at home, it is better to take mini-varieties such as "Parmex", "Sophie", "Vnuchka". They grow in 80-90 days and do not require a lot of space - they will be fine with a pot or container. You can also take a funny round variety "Round baby".

The soil for the carrots should be light and well-draining. The vegetable can be grown in cut plastic bottles. The optimum temperature is in the range of 13-24 degrees Celsius.

Mint

Mint is a non-capricious and undemanding plant. It can grow on your windowsill or balcony, even in winter, if you arrange additional lighting. It can be grown from cuttings and seeds. If there is an opportunity to dig up a stalk in the country at home or from friends, it is better to use this method. Mint, grown from seeds, is not taken as actively, and it will take longer to wait for the harvest.

It is important to remember that the plant loves well-moisturized soil. And when choosing a place for it, keep in mind that the lighting should be good, but it is better to avoid direct sunlight. The optimum temperature for mint is 20-25 degrees with a plus sign.

Green onions

Growing green onions at home does not require any special dexterity. But nevertheless, it is worth considering some nuances: the bulb that you will plant should be round, firm to the touch and without any signs of rot, the root cup should be well-formed.

Immediately after planting, it is worth putting the onion in a cool, dark place so that the root system is better formed, and only then the feather will need a lot of light. The optimum temperature is 18-20 degrees, you should not overheat, because then the growth of greenery will stop.

Basil

Any kind of basil grows well in flower pots and boxes. It is better for him to allocate a sunny place, water well, keep warm and provide good drainage. For planting, you can use both cuttings and seeds. At the same time, the cuttings will quickly give the first harvest, but they will not last long, since they will bloom quickly. You will have to wait longer to harvest from seeds, but such a bush will also last longer.

The optimum temperature for basil is 20-25 degrees Celsius. In winter, backlighting is required for about 3-4 hours to increase daylight hours.

Cucumbers

To grow cucumbers on the windowsill or on the balcony, you should take a closer look at the hybrid varieties that are marked with the F1 icon. If all conditions are created for a plant, it can give 3-4 dozen fruits. Here you will have to tinker a little with the seedlings, but after transplanting into boxes, you will only need to water and cut the antennae.

Plants are planted in containers with a volume of at least 5 liters. It is important to remember that cucumbers are large water loaves and the ground should always be moist. The optimum temperature is 21-24 degrees Celsius.

Tomatoes

Dwarf varieties are usually chosen as home-grown tomatoes: Minibel, Florida Petit, Balcony Miracle, etc. You will have to take the most illuminated place in the apartment for this miracle. You will need to start with seedlings, then plant them in containers, tie them up, feed them and protect them from the cold. This is one of the most troublesome balcony crops, but pride in the work done and gardening talent is attached to the crop.

It is important to remember that tomatoes, like all plants, love water, but they can be easily poured over. Therefore, water should be done carefully. The optimum temperature is 23-25 ​​degrees Celsius.

Sorrel

Sorrel, in addition to its wonderful taste, is distinguished by the fact that it calmly tolerates shaded areas. It can be grown from rhizomes of 2-4-year-old plants with buds or from seeds of such varieties as "Maikop", "Altai", "Odessa broadleaf".

It can grow at 5 and 20 degrees Celsius and even withstands small frosts. So you can keep it on the balcony until the last, and if the balcony keeps heat well, then you can not clean it for the winter. The leaves are cut at a height of 8-10 cm, this must be done carefully so as not to damage the growth buds.

Ginger

Ginger is not only a delicious seasoning, but also a beautiful plant. If you plant it at home, the shoots can grow up to a meter in height. Pieces of ginger root are planted, consisting of at least a couple of sections with live buds. If the root is dry, you can hold it in warm water for several hours to wake up the kidneys.

The root should not be planted very deeply, and until the first shoots appear, it should be watered very sparingly. Keep ginger in the light, but away from direct sunlight. The optimum temperature is 20-25 degrees Celsius.

A pineapple

To grow pineapple at home, you need to be patient and find a suitable fruit - purchased in the warm season and with an intact tail. The tail is cut off with a knife, preferably without pulp, dried for 3-4 days in the light, and then germinated in clean river sand. When the roots appear, after about a month, it can be transplanted into a pot of soil.

Pineapple loves light, warmth and spraying. The fruit will appear about 2 years after planting. The optimum temperature is 23-30 degrees Celsius.

Strawberry

Strawberries can be grown at home all year round, in winter you will need to arrange lighting. To do this, you should choose remontant strawberry varieties that bear fruit more than once a season, but constantly, for example: "Yellow Miracle", "Queen Elizabeth", "Mount Everest". You can grow strawberries from seeds, but the easiest way is to buy ready-made seedlings. After 3-4 months, a couple of bushes will give new rosettes, and your plantation will increase by 3 times. Meanwhile, as with the germination of seeds, you will have to tinker.

Strawberries are afraid of the cold, so they should be taken out on the balcony only when the weather is warm. The optimum temperature is 18-24 degrees Celsius. It is important to remember that since there are no insects at home, you will have to pollinate the flowers yourself with a brush.

Thyme

Thyme is a wonderful herb. It is very fragrant, tasty and extremely unpretentious. Thyme naturally grows in dry areas with poor soil. Therefore, ruining it at home is not easy. The most important thing he loves is light. It is not afraid of direct sunlight, and it can be placed even where other plants will die. The only difficulty is watering: in the sun, the soil in a small volume of the pot dries out quickly, and the thyme itself does not like waterlogging.

It also makes no sense to overdo it with fertilizers - thyme will not appreciate it. It can be grown both from cuttings and seeds.

What goodies grow in your home?

Growing many vegetables and fruits on your own is not at all difficult, but even very exciting. You don't even need seeds.

Green onions, leeks, shallots and fennel

Emilian Robert Vicol / Flickr.com

To grow these indispensable plants at home, you can use either the roots with roots (the lower white part, which we usually cut and discard), or whole bulbs. To do this, you need to place them in a glass jar with a small amount of water and put them on the windowsill, where the onion will receive the sunlight it needs. After a while, the first feathers will appear, which can be cut off and added to food as they grow. Thus, you will always have fresh herbs at hand - the main thing is, do not forget to add water to the jar once a week.

Cymbopogon

joshuagarr / Flickr.com

The aromatic citrus seasoning Cymbopogon or Lemongrass is essentially a perennial herb and should be grown like any other herb. After using the stem, do not discard the root - place it in a jar of water and place it in the light. After a week, the cymbopogon will sprout and will need to be transplanted into the ground. When the stem of the sorghum grows to about 30 cm in length, it can be cut and dried.

Celery, bok choy, romaine lettuce and cabbage

Anastasia R / Flickr.com

These vegetables can be grown at home from the remnants of their hard, thickened stems. To do this, pour water into a shallow cup and place the stump in it with the roots down. Celery, bok choy, romaine lettuce, and cabbage are very moisture-loving, so be sure to add water to them. After a few days, you will notice that roots and new leaves will appear, and after another week the plants can be planted in the ground.

Ginger

Fluffymuppet / Flickr.com

To grow ginger at home, you need a piece of fresh, smooth ginger root with a couple of live buds. If the root is too dry, you can soak it in warm water for a while. It is necessary to plant ginger in a pot or box with the soil, buds up. Ideal conditions for this plant are a warm, humid, bright place, but without direct sunlight. In addition to the fact that ginger is tasty and healthy, it is also beautiful (somewhat reminiscent of reeds), so it can be grown even for decorative purposes.

Potato

1sock / Flickr.com

Many townspeople simply cringe from the phrase "plant potatoes" - it's easier to buy than to "hunchback" in the country all summer. And in vain, because this vegetable can be grown right at home. To do this, you need one small potato with "eyes". It must be cut into several pieces and left at room temperature for a couple of days so that it dries up and does not rot in the ground after planting. It is recommended to plant potatoes in well-fertilized soil. In this case, it must be buried to a depth of at least 20 cm, so make sure that the dishes for planting are large and deep enough.

Garlic

Crispin Semmens / Flickr.com

Growing garlic is very simple: take one or two cloves with roots and stick them into the ground in a warm, bright place. When the root system is firmly established, the garlic will give its first shoots. They need to be pruned in a timely manner so that they do not take "energy" and do not interfere with the formation of the bulb.

Onion

Alice Henneman / Flickr.com

Oddly enough, at home it is quite easy to get a crop of a "tear" vegetable: take an onion, cut off the bottom with roots and plant it in moist soil. Onions love the sun, so choose a warm spot for it.

Sweet potato

goatling / Flickr.com

The rules for planting and growing sweet potatoes are almost the same as those of regular sweet potatoes. We take a tuber and send it to moist soil. A week later, the sweet potato will sprout, and when the leaves reach 10 cm, they can be cut, and another plant can be planted nearby, at a distance of 25–30 cm. Just make sure that slugs do not start on the lashes - they are very fond of sweet potatoes. And then after 4 months you will have juicy sweet potatoes.

Mushrooms

Karen Neoh / Flickr.com

Mushrooms are difficult to grow at home, as they need special conditions - high humidity, special temperatures, ventilation and lighting. For their planting, the so-called mycelium is needed, that is, germinated spores of mushrooms. The mycelium is placed in a substrate (a mixture of oats, millet, rye, barley and other cereals), where it takes the form of thin white threads, from which mushrooms then grow. Attention: for successful growth, mushrooms need a humidity of 95% and a temperature of no more than 20 ºС. In addition, during ripening, mushrooms release a strong allergen into the air, so experts do not recommend growing mushrooms in an apartment. An ideal option is a plot near the house or, in extreme cases, a balcony.

A pineapple

shawnleishman / Flickr.com

But turning your home into a tropical "island", on the contrary, is quite simple. It is enough to cut off the top with leaves (do not forget to clean the pulp, otherwise the plant will rot) and place it in a glass of water. Soon, roots will appear on the outlet, which means that the pineapple is ready for planting. Remove some of the lower leaves and stick the rosette about 2–3 centimeters into the ground. This fruit is quite unpretentious, it easily tolerates direct sunlight and high temperatures. The main thing is not to forget about regular watering. After 1-2 months, young sprouts will appear on the pineapple - this means that the stalk has taken root, and after a couple of years you can harvest the first crop.

Your success in home gardening depends on many factors - the weather, soil, the quality of the "seedlings" and, of course, on how carefully and carefully you will treat your green "pets". You may very quickly get bored with all these pots on the windowsill, but it's still worth a try - let your children see with their own eyes how onions, cabbage and potatoes grow.

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Cucumbers, peppers, carrots and even strawberries! All this can be grown on a balcony or windowsill and there is fresh, environmentally friendly, and most importantly, free vegetables and fruits all year round. Right now, we'll tell you how to set up a mini-vegetable garden in a city apartment.

Growing food in a city is popular all over the world. So, Britta Riley lives in a tiny apartment in New York. She came up with a vertical hydroponic vegetable garden. It takes up little space and produces a good harvest. Britta talked about her innovation at TED.

In the West, if a product is labeled eco, bio or organic, it means two things. Firstly, these products are grown, harvested and processed in accordance with environmental standards, that is, without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, growth stimulants and other "nasty". They have been certified, and serious organizations have guaranteed their quality. Secondly, organic products are much more expensive than conventional ones.

In Russia, the market for "clean food" is just emerging. Biocertification and control systems have not yet been formed. And the difference in prices between organic products and ordinary vegetables and fruits sometimes reaches 1,000%! Therefore, for us, the most eco, bio and organic are products grown by our own hands.

But not everyone has dachas and relatives in the village. What should urban children do, who are accustomed to seeing potatoes washed and in nets, and greens in vacuum packages? Grow vegetables and fruits directly on the balcony or windowsill.

6 reasons to arrange a mini-vegetable garden at home

1. You can pamper yourself with fresh vegetables and herbs full of vitamins all year round.
2. Saving. Vegetables and fruits are expensive, especially in winter. With a home garden, you no longer have to adjust to the season (we eat plenty of tomatoes only in July, and apples in September).
3. You yourself can grow a plant from a tiny seed with your own hands, you can collect fruits. This is a creative activity that charges with positive energy.
4. You can improve your knowledge of biology, gain useful skills and acquire an exciting hobby.
5. Your children will see how tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables grow, and will understand that they do not materialize miraculously in the refrigerator, their cultivation is a serious work.
6. You can surprise your friends and acquaintances. Imagine showing off your harvest by showing your window beds. 😉

What you need to grow vegetables and herbs at home

• A place... This is usually a windowsill or balcony. Better if they face the sunny side. If not, lamps will be required for additional lighting. If necessary, the window sill can be expanded or racks for "beds" can be built (the minimum distance between shelves is 50 cm).
• Containers... Clay or plastic pots, wooden boxes can serve as beds for a home garden. The main thing is that there are holes in the bottom for draining water. It is recommended to place containers on pallets.
• Priming... There are many potting mixes available for indoor gardens. As a rule, several layers are made: peat, compost, turf. You can prepare the soil yourself, or you can buy it in a specialized store.
• Seeds... Some varieties of tomatoes or cucumbers grow well at home, while others do not even sprout. Therefore, before you start indoor gardening, you need to sit on the forums, read articles on the Internet and find out which seeds to buy.

In addition, you may need fertilizers, top dressing, a thermometer and a vessel for settling water (house plants are watered with water at room temperature, separated from chlorine).

We have the inventory, now we need to decide what to plant. The life hacker has already written about some vegetables that grow well on the windowsill.

16 foods you can grow at home

Today we will tell you about ten such plants.

Carrot

DenisNata / Depositphotos.com

Variety: "Amsterdam".
Temperature: from 15 to 25 ºС.
Harvest: in ≈70 days.

For growing at home, you need to take miniature carrots. You can plant in boxes, pots or just cut plastic bottles with holes in the bottom. Drainage soil should be taken.

The seeds are placed in the ground to a depth of about 7 cm. When the carrots have sprouted and germinated a few centimeters, they must be thinned out, leaving the strongest shoots at a distance of about 2 cm from each other. It is not recommended to keep the beds in direct sunlight.

You need to water the carrots at home often, but you need to make sure that there is not too much moisture, otherwise the root crop will rot. From time to time, you can feed with fertilizers with a low nitrogen content (if there is a lot of it, all the growth will go to the tops). It is also very useful to loosen the soil sometimes.

Pepper

Balcony-Grown Peppers

Varieties: "Treasure island", "dwarf", "watercolor", "swallow" and others.
Temperature: from 25 to 27 ºС.
Harvest: after 100-130 days.

The seeds are first planted in small pots, which are covered with cling film and placed in a warm place. When the first shoots appear (after one to two weeks), several small punctures need to be made in the film. After a while, the pepper will get stronger, then it can be transplanted into large pots or buckets. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the spine. The plant is rooted by a third, after which it is watered with warm (30 ºС) water.

In the future, the pepper can be watered every day. This plant loves light, so white light bulbs are recommended in addition to natural light. It is necessary to protect home-grown peppers from drafts and direct sunlight.

You can fertilize with nitrogen fertilizers, but potassium salt and potassium chloride will destroy the roots of the plant. With proper care, peppers on the windowsill can delight with fruits up to two years.

Cherry tomatoes

Levranii / Depositphotos.com

Varieties: "Pygmy", "bonsai", "bead" and others.
Temperature: from 23 to 25 ºС.
Harvest: after 90-100 days (depending on the variety).

The soil, as in the case of pepper, is more convenient to buy ready-made. It is recommended to take a cylindrical container: it is better filled with the root system.

First, the seeds are germinated in small pots: they are buried to a depth of 1.5 cm, covered with cling film and left in a warm place until the first shoots. When the tomatoes have risen, they are dived into a larger and deeper dish.

It is important that the plant receives uniform lighting. To do this, you can hang fluorescent lamps above the "beds" or regularly turn the containers towards the window.

Watering should be done carefully: cherry is easy to pour. When the plant grows, it is recommended to loosen the soil from time to time and feed it with mineral fertilizers. If necessary, the stem of the tomato can be tied to a support (wooden skewer or pencil). It is also important to ensure that pests do not appear on the tomatoes.

By the way, not only cherry tomatoes grow well in home gardens, but also ordinary tomatoes.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers grown on the window

Varieties: "Rytov's room", "miracle at the window", "ant" and others.
Temperature: from 21 to 24 ºС.
Harvest: after 35–45 days.

For cucumbers, rather large containers are needed, with a volume of at least 6 liters. The soil should be loose, with peat or compost.

Self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers grow well at home. First you need to prepare the seeds: they are poured into a weak saline solution, those that have surfaced are thrown away. Then, suitable seeds are soaked for 20 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate, after which they are washed on damp gauze and planted in the ground (under a film). When the seedlings sprout and grow, they can be planted in large containers.

Home cucumbers are poured with warm water every day, but with caution. Leaves can also be sprayed with a spray bottle. Potassium nitrate is recommended as a top dressing.

When the cucumber lashes form and grow, props should be built for them so that the plant can weave.

Radish

Homegrown radish

Varieties: "Carmen", "white fang", "celeste F1" and others.
Temperature: from 18 to 20 ºС.
Harvest: after ≈40 days.

It is recommended to plant radishes in wooden or clay containers, but ordinary plastic cups can also be used. You need a loose, well-drained soil. Seeds can be tested for germination before planting, like cucumbers. Then they need to be buried to a depth of 1-3 cm.

After planting, the soil must be watered and covered with foil. When shoots appear, the "greenhouse" is removed. Radishes usually do not dive. But sometimes it is placed for two or three days in a lower temperature regime - about 15 ° C. This hardens the plant and promotes a better harvest.

Five days after the appearance of the first shoots, organic feeding is carried out, and two weeks later - mineral fertilizing. Water the radish abundantly as it dries. It is also important that the air in the room where it grows is not dry.

Spinach

Homemade spinach

Varieties: "Virofle", "godry", "gigantic" and others.
Temperature: 15 ºС.
Harvest: after ≈40 days.

Spinach is a green vegetable and is considered very healthy. To grow it at home, you need containers 15–20 cm high. You can use ready-made potting soil. The main thing is that they include peat.

It is recommended to soak the seeds in water for a day before planting. Sowing is carried out to a depth of 1–2 cm. To accelerate germination, you can cover the containers with foil. Spinach emerges about a week after planting, then it can be dived.

In winter, when the apartment is heated and when there is a short daylight hours, it is recommended to illuminate the plant with lamps and spray from a spray bottle (in addition to watering).

You can harvest when the spinach is 7-10 cm tall.

Basil

jamdesign / Depositphotos.com

Varieties: "Marquis", "lemon", "Baku" and others.
Temperature: from 22 to 24 ° C.
Harvest: after 50–55 days.

Basil is one of the most aromatic and favorite seasonings for housewives. Moreover, it is quite unpretentious and grows well on the windowsill.

Basil is planted immediately in large containers (with a volume of at least 1.5 liters). First you need to prepare the soil for planting: water it twice with mineral fertilizers at intervals of five days. The seeds are deepened by 1–1.5 cm. Until the plant sprouts, it must be watered every two days. Further watering is carried out daily, preferably in the morning.

Green garlic

fotomod / Depositphotos.com

Varieties: "Kharkiv", "Jubilee" and others.
Temperature: from 18 to 25 ° C.
Harvest: after 15–20 days.

Garlic bulbs are commonly used in cooking. But green shoots (arrows) are also suitable for gastronomy: they are suitable for making marinades and sauces.

Garlic varieties are divided into two groups: winter and spring. The latter usually do not produce arrows, so they are not suitable for growing at home.

For those who have ever grown onions on a windowsill, it will not be difficult to cope with garlic. You need to take cloves of winter garlic, preferably with sprouted sprouts. You can take any soil mixture. Each clove is planted at a depth of 2-3 cm and at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other. After planting, it is imperative to water.

The container with garlic should be kept on the lightest window in the house. Water as the soil dries up. From time to time, you can feed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

Mint

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Temperature: from 20 to 25 ° C.
Harvest: after ≈60 days.

Mint has a rather branched root system, so a deep and wide container should be taken for planting it. It is recommended to use peat soil, any varieties.

There are two ways to plant mint: seeds and cuttings. The latter is shown in the video below.

To grow mint from seeds, you need to plant them in the ground to a depth of about 5 mm and water. Film can be used to create a greenhouse effect. Before germination (after about two weeks), the soil should be sprayed with water every day. After germination, the mint must be planted.

Mint is unpretentious. In summer, it must be protected from direct sunlight, and in winter from lack of light and excessive watering. From time to time, the plant can be fed with organic mixtures.

Mature plants can be up to a meter in height. As a rule, they have a lot of leaves - there will be mint for tea or homemade mojito almost always.

Strawberry

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Varieties: "Autumn fun", "home delicacy", "garland" and others.
Temperature: from 18 to 20 ° C.
Harvest: in ≈30 days.

For a home garden, ampelous remontant varieties of strawberries are suitable. They bear fruit all year round and are not too demanding on light. You can plant strawberries in any soil mixture. But first, drainage (expanded clay, small pebbles) should be poured onto the bottom to protect strawberries from stagnant water.

Strawberries can be grown from seedlings or seeds. Both are sold in shops for gardeners.

The seeds are planted in small containers (for example, plastic glasses), watered abundantly and covered with cling film. After the first shoots appear, the film is removed and the seedlings are placed in a well-lit place. When three to four leaves are formed, the strawberries are dived into larger containers.

This plant loves light. When days are shorter than nights, artificial lighting should be used. Watering and spraying is carried out as the soil dries up. Strawberries are easy to pour.

As a top dressing, solutions with a significant iron content are used. During active growth, strawberries grow overgrown with mustaches, they need to be tied to supports.

As you can see, growing vegetables, herbs and even berries in a city apartment is not difficult and even exciting.

If you have experience in home gardening, tell us about it. Write in the comments, what and how did you happen to grow on your windowsill.

In winter, you really want fresh herbs, fragrant berries, fruits and vegetables. I would like to, but my hand unconsciously puts back the just taken package with Turkish tomatoes and cucumbers ... Just know how much real life there is ...

Imagine: cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and greens in the midst of winter, you yourself can grow without leaving your home - on your two or three windowsills! And along the way, create a summer cottage landscape right in your apartment. No, no, no kidding, if you decide today, and tomorrow you go to the store for seeds, then on March 8, the first cucumbers may already appear on your bushes, and the grown bushes of tomatoes, peppers and beans will make your windowsill look summer green and joyful !

And let us convince you that it is interesting, exciting, important, necessary and not difficult at all! We can grow at home cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet and bitter peppers, carrots, beans, garlic, celery, herbs ... oh-oh-oh, how many things!

Well, let's get it in order?

Cucumbers

Growing cucumbers at home is a very tempting idea. Just imagine: you wake up in mid-March, go to the window, pick a couple of young cucumbers from a green bush, and five minutes later there is a healthy vegetable salad on the table ... And what a smell all over the apartment!

If a thought flashed through you now: "Maybe I should try?" - here are some arguments to help you decide:

• Cucumbers grow very quickly: literally 7-9 weeks after planting, you can cut a salad from your greens!
• It is quite possible to grow cucumbers at home not only for a summer resident who has already "eaten a dog" in vegetable growing, but even for an inexperienced city dweller.
• And a control shot: just imagine how delighted your friends, colleagues and neighbors will be with young cucumbers on your windowsill! You will become an object of ah and ah for a long time))

Want to see how it might look? And here's how in this video:

Stop, stop, do not urgently run after the seeds that you have prepared for summer cottages! Everything is in order. First, we carefully read what you need to know and take into account when growing cucumbers at home.

Suitable varieties

Not all cucumber varieties are suitable for indoor growing. You need to choose

self-pollinated

hybrids... It's best if they will

early maturing... Even better - if they are also

bush... And then -

shade-tolerant))

• ‘Marinda F1’
• ‘Onega F1’
• 'Masha F1'
• ‘Connie F1’
• ‘Legend F1’
• 'Claudia F1'
• ‘Tatiana F1’
• ‘Seryozha F1’

Good reviews are also about varieties:

• ‘Gribovchanka’
• 'Debut'
• ‘Zozulya’
• ‘Ragtime’
• 'Babylon'
• 'April'
• 'Flight'
• ‘Boyfriend’
• 'Athlete'
• ‘Kinglet’
• ‘NIIOH-412’
• ‘Cucaracha’

If you are just starting to grow cucumbers at home, choose from these varieties, you will not go wrong.

The necessary conditions

Cucumbers, like any other plant, have their own preferences. They:

• photophilous, therefore, the eastern or southern side of the apartment (house) is best suited for growing them. If there is not enough light (and most often this is the case), it will be necessary to organize additional lighting with fluorescent lamps.
• thermophilic, they need a temperature above + 20 ° C (at least + 22 ... + 24 ° C during the day).
• hygrophilous, therefore, the soil should always be moist (moderately, not overflowed).

Tomatoes

A red tomato is clearly not a winter or spring vegetable. Therefore, fresh tomatoes from your garden in April and May are an indescribable pleasure (and pride, whatever you say!).

Many do not dare to grow tomatoes in an apartment, fearing that they simply will not succeed. You know, the bushes strewn with red fruits on the windowsill are just at first glance, "how difficult it is to be horrified." Anyone can grow tomatoes at home. Almost everyone grows flowers in their apartments, and this process is no less complicated 🙂

If you are eager to try your hand at growing homemade tomatoes, heed the advice of our experienced summer residents.

Suitable varieties

Suitable for a home garden self-pollinated hybrids... Do not mess with tall varieties - you will suffer. Better to choose undersized(or even dwarf ones). It is also worth sacrificing love for large tomatoes, it is better to plant small-fruited varieties - they ripen faster and easier.

There are a lot of tomato seeds on sale today of those varieties and hybrids that are specially designed for home cultivation:

• ‘Balcony miracle’
• ‘Room surprise’
• ‘Balcony Red F1’
• 'Alaska'
• ‘Betta’
• ‘Pearl red’
• ‘Pearl yellow’
• ‘Bonsai’
• ‘Japanese room’
• ‘News of Canada’

They are especially fond of

dwarf:

• ‘Minibel’

• 'Bonsai micro F1'
• ‘Pinocchio’
• ‘Florida petite’
• ‘Cherry Pigmy’
• ‘Lisa F1’
• 'Greenfinch F1'

Ampel varieties that look great in hanging pots are wonderful - such as:

• ‘Cherry’
• ‘Talisma’
• ‘Yellow pear’
• ‘Peruvian home’
• ‘Ildi’

Advice

: the store will offer you quite a few varieties of tomatoes, assuring that they are great for home growing. Listening to this and trusting the seller, you still carefully read what is written on the packaging: the bags we need have special marks “Home garden”, “Harvest series on the window” or “Recommended for pot growing”. Now, if you saw such an inscription - feel free to pay money)

The necessary conditions

Caring for "home" tomatoes is not much different from caring for them in the country or in a personal plot.

• Tomatoes - plants light-loving, therefore, it is advisable for them to choose the south, southeast or east side. In winter, in an apartment, they need lighting (you can read more about lighting in the article 10 secrets of a home garden).
• They do not like stagnant air, they are afraid damp rooms.
• And here are not afraid of drafts, so feel free to ventilate the room where the tomatoes "live".
• Optimal daytime temperature for growing: before flowering and fruiting - + 22 ... + 25 ° C (night - about + 17 ° C), and then - preferably 2-3 ° C higher.
• Watering, as in the open field, requires rare but abundant.

Advice:

if you want the tomato bush to be symmetrically developed and beautiful, turn it 180 ° daily in relation to the light from the window - then it will build up the green mass evenly from all sides (some owners rotate the pots with bushes 90 °, considering that there will be even more evenly))

Sweet pepper (bulgarian)

This southern juicy vegetable is quite suitable for "domestication", it is unpretentious, beautiful and very useful. Although you will have to be patient - you will be able to taste the first sweet peppers only 5-6 months after germination.

Growing it at home is interesting, to say the least. Yes, and profitable as well. How is it profitable? Yes, because pepper is a perennial plant, and the bushes planted today will delight you with their harvest for 2-3 years. Tempting? And then! If you decide to add bell peppers to your windowsill, get acquainted with the secrets of growing it.

Suitable varieties

As in the case of cucumbers and tomatoes, for a home garden you need to select early maturing self-pollinated hybrids... In home culture, varieties have proven themselves best. universal purpose, used both for planting in open ground and in protected:

• indoor pepper 'Patio-Ivo', which pleases with its bright yellow fruits at any time of the year on the windowsill or balcony;
• thick-walled peppers of the improved selection ‘California Miracle’ - up to 75 cm high, with beautiful bright red fruits with a ribbed surface;
• medium-early high-yielding hybrid of Dutch selection 'Jupiter F1' with very large fleshy fruits that change color from green to red;
• very sweet pepper of the 'Oda' variety - purple in color, undersized (35-50 cm) and very productive.

Good reviews received medium early varieties:

• 'Martin'
• ‘Bulgarian-79’
• ‘Gift of Moldova’
• ‘Novogoshary’
• 'Winnie the Pooh'

The necessary conditions

Bulgarian pepper will not be "capricious" and will thank you with a good harvest, if you observe several important conditions for it:

• This plant is southern, so it should be placed in the sunniest room, where there is most of the light. If there is not enough light, it will be necessary to artificially illuminate it.
• Sweet pepper is a sissy, he does not like drafts.
• The optimum air temperature for its maintenance is + 20 ... + 26 ° C (at night + 18 ... + 20 ° C).
• Regular soil loosening necessarily.
• Pepper needs pest protection(aphids and spider mites).
• During the fruiting period, pepper is needed tie up to the trellis.

Advice: it is categorically not recommended to grow sweet and bitter peppers on the same windowsill (and in the same room) - as a result of cross-pollination, all your peppers will turn out to be bitter (a distance of 2-3 m to the next window sill is not an obstacle, you can skip checking))

Bitter pepper

I think that bitter pepper lovers will never give up the opportunity to always have a bush with burning pointed fruits at hand ... because for them any dish with hot pepper becomes immeasurably tastier))

But to grow such a miracle on the windowsill is not difficult at all. To do this, you only need the presence of the sun in the window for 3-4 hours a day, a pot of soil, and the necessary seeds. And in 2-3 months you will have a gorgeous treasured bush, strewn with medium-sized fruits. And it can bear fruit in one place up to 5 years!

By the way, it is especially worth emphasizing that all representatives of "bitter peppers" are highly decorative and will certainly become a decoration of your home garden!

I don't think I had to persuade you)) It remains only to skim through a few lines of the necessary information.

Suitable varieties

For home cultivation, seeds of early-maturing self-pollinated varieties and hybrids are best suited. To the delight of hot pepper lovers, almost all varieties of hot pepper fully meet their purpose)

These are varieties and hybrids:

• ‘Astrakhan 147’
• ‘Elephant trunk’
• ‘Ukrainian bitter’
• 'Indian summer'
• ‘Fire’
• ‘The Queen of Spades’
• 'Sweeties'
• ‘Carmen’
• ‘Superchile F1’
• ‘Curious’

Special feedback received two varieties of pepper:

• ‘Serpent Gorynych’ is a high-yielding, very pungent, pungent taste.
• The 'Elephant's trunk' is the largest-fruited of all hot peppers, reaching up to 27 cm in length.

The necessary conditions

In order for hot pepper bushes to grow and develop without problems, several basic conditions must be met from the very beginning.

• Prepare a high-quality soil substrate .
• Plants are best placed on south, southeast and southwest windows where most of the world... If there is a lack of lighting in winter, it is imperative to carry out additional lighting.
• To not allow drying out soil.
• Do not pinch, then the bush will be voluminous and "rich".
• During fruiting feed as it is usually abundant and quickly depletes the soil.

Beans

Everyone can grow beans on the windowsill. Moreover, it is unpretentious, rises and grows quickly, does not require special care. It is a self-pollinating plant; in a month and a half it will bloom, and in two you will be removing young pods. They are incredibly tasty in vegetable stews, soups, omelettes and simply stewed.

Believe me, you will not regret it if you decide to "get" a couple of bean bushes).

Suitable varieties

Practice has shown that it is most profitable to grow at home early maturing varieties of asparagus bush beans... But also curly varieties shouldn't be written off. At the very least, they are very decorative - long bright green vines with large flowers of pink, purple or white look amazing. And you won't be left without a crop either.

What varieties of beans should you choose?

• has proven itself well black Eyed Peas‘Fatima’.
• good reviews of summer residents received varieties bush beans Triumph Sugar 764, Sachs Without Fiber 615, Mask and Green Pod 517.
• from curly beans it is recommended to choose either ‘Golden Neck’ or ‘Violetta’.

The necessary conditions

It is easy to take care of the beans, it is enough to provide them with regular watering, loosening and feeding and fulfill a few simple requirements:

• The container for growing bush varieties should be at least 2 liters in volume, and for climbing varieties - 30-35 liters.
• Bush beans more photophilous, it is best placed on the windows of the southern and southeastern sides, curly can "live" on either side. Beans, as a rule, do not need additional lighting.
• Curly beans need ropes (wire, mesh) to supports.
• The yield of beans is increased feeding superphosphate and potassium chloride.

Carrot

Have you ever heard that carrots are grown on a windowsill? In a simple flowerpot or container, you can get a very decent harvest. Most varieties will allow you to start picking fresh carrots as early as 3.5 months after planting: when the majority of summer residents just start sowing carrots, you will already be eating them!

Carrots, of course, are capricious, but the main thing is to know a few secrets, and then you will "make friends" with it for a long time:

Suitable varieties

Carrots are remarkable in that the root crop, even when it has just been born, is already suitable for consumption. Therefore, growing it is a win-win business))

• For growing at home, it is best suited mini carrot of the Parisian Carotel variety - these are the ‘Parmex’, ‘Sophie’, ‘Granddaughter’ varieties. It grows in 80-90 days and does not require a lot of space - a pot or container is fine with it.
• You can also opt for early maturity sort ‘Amsterdam’.
• And kids will love the Round Baby round little roots.

The necessary conditions

We need to start with preparation lightweight and well-drained soil. This is extremely important: the easier it is to penetrate oxygen into the soil, the juicier and healthier the roots will be.

• Tank depth(container, pot, flowerpot) must be large enough so that the roots can develop normally.
• Temperature the environment must be kept within the range of + 13… + 24 ° C.
• Carrot does not like direct sunlight.
• Watering requires regular (more often than in the open field). In this case, the presence of drainage holes is mandatory!
• To retain moisture in the soil, you need to carry out mulching.
• Do not get carried away nitrogen fertilizers, you risk getting a lot of tops, not carrots.

Advice

: Carrots can be grown in cut plastic bottles. And cheap, and convenient, and mobile))

Home garden with herbs

Well, what kind of vegetable garden is without greenery? Onions, parsley, dill, salads, basil, mint ...

• 5 types of greenery that are easy to grow on a windowsill
• Growing green onions in a plastic bottle
• How to grow parsley on a windowsill
• How to grow delicious onions on a windowsill - secrets and subtleties
• How to quickly and easily grow watercress on a windowsill
• 10 secrets of the home garden

And finally, we suggest admiring the home garden of Nadezhda Shcherbinina. Any of us can make the same branch of a summer residence ... you just want to.

The more snow outside the window, the whiter the landscapes, the more we miss the bright colors of the past summer, the fresh biting sound of a jet from a hose, the whisper of herbs - at our dacha. Hands have long missed the ground, and oh, how long to my favorite beds ...

But it is in our power to regain a piece of summer and a summer residence. There is everything for this - desire and ... a window sill! Let me remind myself once again: if we start right now, then by March 8 we may already have our own cucumbers! Let's start?