What vegetables and fruits can be grown at home?

Cucumbers, peppers, carrots and even strawberries! All this can be grown on a balcony or windowsill and there is fresh, eco-friendly, and most importantly, free vegetables and fruits all year round. Right now, we will 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 “clean food” market 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 they 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).
• Capacities... 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

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

To grow 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 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.

For growing peppers in an apartment, it is recommended to use a special soil enriched with trace elements. It is sold in shops for gardeners. The primer can be supplemented with hydrogels for greater friability.

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

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, over the "beds" you can hang fluorescent lamps or regularly turn the containers to 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 on 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 cucumber varieties 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 are generally not dived. 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. 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

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 of housewives. At the same time, 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.

Basil loves the sun. Therefore, it is recommended to extend the period of insolation up to 15-17 hours a day using fluorescent lamps. Also, once every two weeks, you can loosen the soil to enrich it with oxygen.

Green garlic

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

Typically, garlic bulbs are 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, garlic will not be difficult to cope with. 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, be sure 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

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

Mint has a rather branched root system, so you should take a deep and wide container 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. To create a greenhouse effect, you can use a film. 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

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.

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

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 are quite satisfied 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-drained. 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, dense to the touch and free from rotting marks, 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 a windowsill or on a 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 places. 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 on the balcony it can be kept until the last, and if the balcony keeps heat well, then it should not be cleaned 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 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 to 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 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?

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 ...

And imagine: cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and greens in the midst of winter you can grow yourself 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 green and joyful in summer !

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 cultivation. You need to chooseself-pollinated hybrids... It's best if they willearly maturing... Even better - if they are alsobush... And then -shade-tolerant))

Excellent proven themselves hybrids:

• ‘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 are:

• 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 exactly 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 overfilled).

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 only 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 chooseundersized (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 enjoy special love

dwarf:

• ‘Minibel’

• 'Bonsai micro F1'
• ‘Pinocchio’
• ‘Florida petite’
• ‘Cherry Pygmy’
• ‘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 believing 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 turn the pots with bushes by 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

Bell 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 must 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 not check it))

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 is capable of bearing 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 necessary information.

Suitable varieties

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

These are varieties and hybrids:

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

Special feedback received two varieties of pepper:

• 'Serpent Gorynych' is a high-yielding, very spicy, burning taste.
• The 'Elephant's trunk' is the largest-fruited of all hot peppers, reaching 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 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 feedas it tends to be 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.

Which beans to 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 the ‘Golden Neck’ or ‘Violetta’ variety.

 

The necessary conditions

It is simple 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 south and southeast side, 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’, ‘Grandfather’ varieties. It grows in 80-90 days and does not require much space - a pot or container is fine.
• You can also opt for early maturity sort ‘Amsterdam’.
• And kids will love the Round Baby round little roots.

 

The necessary conditions

You 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 ...

If you are a fan of greenery on the window, we advise you to read the articles on our website:

• 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 reclaim 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?

Many types of exotic fruits can be grown at home, it would be a desire, a little patience and Internet access.

Citrus fruits: we grow lemon, tangerine, grapefruit at home

The most popular are citrus plants. Since these plants require a lot of heat, they grow and bear fruit well in a garden that is reliably protected from the cold. Lemon, orange, grapefruit - you can easily grow all this at home. Caring for such plants does not require special gardening skills.

How to grow an Avocado at home

An avocado grows from a seed taken from a fruit. The stone is placed with a blunt end in the soil, and the tip is left to protrude above the surface. Before the leaves appear, the plant needs an air temperature of about 18 degrees, and in the winter, avocados need to be kept at low temperatures.

Grow Pineapple at home

To grow pineapple, you need to cut off the top with a piece of pulp from its fruit and plant in wet sand. Pineapple needs to be watered frequently. True, grown in a winter garden, this fruit will not always be able to produce truly fragrant fruits.

Is it possible to grow Bananas at home

Growing bananas at home is a painstaking task, these plants require special care. Banana is propagated by offspring, and some species are propagated by seeds. The air temperature should be high - 24-28 degrees, and not lower than 16 in winter.The banana needs plenty of watering, as well as a regular supply of organic fertilizers. And this plant begins to bear fruit no earlier than the 3rd year.

How to grow pomegranate at home

Another plant that can be grown in the winter garden is punica. Or, more simply, a room grenade. The tree can grow up to 1 meter tall and bloom every year. But it does not always give fruit, since in a winter garden it may experience a lack of heat. For the appearance of fruits, you should use the heating of the winter garden in the autumn period or sometimes transfer the plant to the room.

Growing dates from stone

A common plant among gardeners is the date. It successfully sprouts from dried fruit pits at temperatures above 20 degrees. In winter, the temperature of the date should drop to 12-14 degrees.

Coffee and laurel trees can be grown at home

If you are a budding gardener, then you can easily start by growing coffee and laurel trees. In a winter garden, these plants grow well and yield a harvest. It is important to take into account that in winter, the temperature of their content should not exceed 10 degrees.

If you have grown any exotic fruits and plants at home, please write to us about your success. Did your exotics bear fruit? Have you tried growing pomegranate, tangerine, lemon or grapefruit from the seed? Share your experience, because it will help other readers to try themselves in this interesting and exciting business.

source

The time has come for planting, the migration of seedlings from the windowsill to the garden and painstaking worries about the future harvest. Fresh, without unnecessary additives, fruits delight much more than purchased ones. And for those who do not have their own land, advises not to get upset, but to try to grow fruit directly from the seeds at home or even at work.

Of course, the fruit will have to wait, and in some cases more than one year. Growing fruit, however, is a good anti-stress and also a reason to get closer to colleagues.

Citrus

Citrus fruits like lemon, tangerine, orange, grapefruit, etc. have a rich aroma and can be experimented with almost all year round. The seeds for sowing must be fresh. Planting them is quite simple: we wash the seeds and plant them in a moist mixture of garden soil, peat and river sand or special soil for citrus fruits. It is best to immediately plant each bone in a separate pot or glass.

It is very important to provide plants with sufficient light, but protect them from the midday sun and dry air. In addition, citrus fruits must be kept at a temperature of 12-16 degrees in winter.

Date fruit

Even a dried date bone can grow a palm tree. It is better to soak it for several days before planting. Plant it in a mixture of peat and sand, and remember to moisten it with a spray bottle every 2 days. In about a month, the future palm tree should emerge. Like citrus fruits, dates require a lot of light and a cool winter.

Feijoa

The seeds of this exotic plant should be selected from the ripe and soft fruit. If the purchased feijoa is not yet ripe, you can put it in a warm place and wait a few days. The seeds should be washed from the pulp and dried. Without digging deep, we put the seeds in the ground with sand.

The plant can rise and germinate quite quickly. Therefore, do not forget to plant the sprouts, pinch the main root and transplant it together with the old soil into a larger pot.

Fig

To grow a non-fig tree, you need to do the same as with feijoa seeds: rinse, dry and put shallow in moist soil. Sprinkle a little sand on the soil and cover with foil. Find a warmer place for figs. The first shoots will appear in about 3 weeks, if you regularly moisten the ground and ventilate the room.In the warm season, keep the temperature at least 20 degrees, and in winter, no higher than 14 degrees.

Passion fruit

If you plant passionfruit seeds, most likely, not a fruitful tree will grow, but a liana, which will delight you with its luxurious flowering. However, who knows, maybe it is you who will be able to achieve a juicy fruit at home. Passion fruit loves everything that tropical plants like: bright light, a lot of air, warmth and high humidity.

Avocado

There are two ways to grow this storehouse of vitamins from the bone. In the first case, we remove the shell from the bone, set the wide side to a depth of 2-3 cm so that the tip protrudes above the surface. The second method is called open: we leave the shell and at the level of the middle of the bone we drill 3 small holes at an angle of 120 degrees. 3 matches are inserted into them, which will be supports along the edges of a glass of water. The water level must be maintained exactly under the bone. Once there are enough roots, the seed can be planted in a pot.

Before the leaves appear, the plant needs an air temperature of about 18 degrees, and in winter the avocado loves coolness.

A pineapple

Pineapple has no seeds, but you don't need them to grow it. It is enough to cut off the top of it with 2 cm of pulp and plant it in wet sand, for example, river sand. Pineapple loves water and will need to be watered frequently. In a winter garden, this fruit does not always yield the same fragrant fruits as its southern comrades. But it is quite possible to grow it at home.

Garnet

A safe option is the dwarf pomegranate, which bears fruit quite well even in mid-latitudes. He will calmly endure aridity, but not a lack of heat. A dwarf pomegranate will delight with flowers and bear fruit almost all year round even with a growth of 40 cm. The average yield is 7-10 edible fruits up to 5 cm in diameter.

Preview photo credit Galina Savina, Locrifa

Lemon

Many novice gardeners are familiar with the very feeling when a fragile sprout suddenly emerged from a bone planted by your hand.

A fragile sprout makes its way into the light from the bone

Some have a feeling of miracle and involvement with Nature. Others turn on "God Mode". But in a confined space, and even in winter, both of them often pour out into uncontrolled botanical ecstasy, and the seeds of all the exotic fruits that were found in the area are sent to the ground in generous handfuls.

"If you plant this seed, you will grow a whole peach tree, all hung with juicy peaches."

Seed to Citrus

Mandarin, orange and a hybrid of their clementine, lemon and lime, grapefruit, pomelo (sheddock) and their hybrid sweet (oroblanco), mineola (a kind of tangelo - a hybrid of mandarin and grapefruit), kumquat (aka kinkan or fortunella), limequat (kumquat hybrid with lime), oranjequat (hybrid of kumquat with unshiu tangerine), calamondin (citrofortunella), etc. - representatives of the genus Citrus are beautiful, fragrant, multifaceted and available for experimentation almost all year round.

Representatives of the Citrus genus are beautiful, fragrant, multifaceted and available for experiments almost all year round. The seeds selected for sowing should be as fresh as possible: without additional moisture, their germination decreases every day.

General advice for planting are quite simple: rinse the seeds and plant them in a well-moistened mixture of garden soil, peat and river sand (or in a special soil for citrus fruits). As soon as 1-2 true leaves appear on the sprouts, they need to be planted. And it is better to immediately sow them in separate pots or cups.

Citrus seeds are interesting because you never know what will grow from them: theirseedlings, especially hybrids, usually do not retain varietal characteristics your parents. A wildflower will grow from a citrus seed, and you will have to wait for its own harvest, perhaps, for 10 years.Therefore, if your goal is to collect lemons or oranges directly from the windowsill, it is better to find cuttings of the desired varieties and plant your seedlings. This can be done one and a half years after planting.

If your goal is to pick lemons or oranges straight from the windowsill, it's best to find cuttings of the right varieties and plant your seedlings.

From seeds of lemon, orange or grapefruit, excellent rootstocks grow - healthy, strong and initially adapted to home conditions. But kumquats, tangerines and various hybrids are more capricious and are not suitable for rootstocks: their root system is not so powerful.

Despite the generic "commonality", citrus fruits when grown from seeds behave differently. Mandarins, for example, are "slow" in growth, but they are not so demanding on the composition of the soil. The first seedlings from mandarin seeds can appear in 3-4 weeks. A kumquat planted at the same time will "think" at least up to 2 months. Each citrus has its own flowering and fruiting times. But they have enough common enemies: dry air, spider mites, scale insects, aphids, etc.

The most popular "supplier" of material for citrus experiments has been and remains lemon. You can find out about your personal experience of growing lemons from seeds in this article.

Lemon on the windowsill

And the general rules for caring for a home citrus garden are set out in the article Tame a bright fruit.

Pitted persimmon

Diospyros, or persimmon, is a "divine" fruit from the Ebony family, which is rarely seen on windowsills. Meanwhile, it is also quite possible to grow it from a bone. This is done like this:

Persimmon

• We plant the washed and slightly dried persimmon seeds in moistened soil, cover with foil, glass or a piece of plastic bottle and put in a warm place;
• We periodically remove the "greenhouse", ventilate and moisten the soil;
• As soon as sprouts appear, the shelter can be removed.

Wait for shoots not long: just a couple of weeks. But if during this time you did not see them, then they are unlikely to appear at all. However, persimmon germination is not bad. For example, out of the three seeds I planted on 11/23/14, two successfully sprouted. Here is one of the sprouts today:

Persimmon seedling 2 months after planting. Photo: herbivicus And here is a funny time-lapse of how this happens:

 

I also had two plants at first quietly coexisted in one pot. But then the leaves began to turn yellow, so the seedlings had to be urgently planted. At first, transshipment will be required more than once or twice, because persimmon has a powerful root system that develops quickly and requires free space. And moisture. Persimmons need regular watering and spraying. Therefore, we carefully monitor the soil, avoiding overdrying or overflow.

Experienced persimmons are advised to feed the plant with fertilizers (mineral and organic alternately) twice a month. As soon as the "tree" grows up to 20-30 cm, you can begin to shape it by pinching. In summer, it is better to take the persimmon out into the street or on the balcony, gradually accustoming it to the sun. But she needs to provide a cool winter (+ 5 ... + 10 ° C): for example, in the basement. If a tree lives at home from November to March, sooner or later it will die.

Indoors, persimmon grows only up to one and a half meters. If a tree is grafted (with a cuttings in a cleft in winter or with a bud at the end of summer), then it can bear fruit in 3-4 years. Otherwise, the harvest will have to wait as long (and it is not a fact that it will be).

Read more about the types and varieties of persimmon, as well as how to care for it and where you can get hold of material for planting and grafting, read here.

Dried fruit date palm

I always loved dried dates, but last year these guys surprised me: I didn't know that something could grow out of them.

You can grow a palm tree from the seeds of a date

It turns out, how! Dates when dryingnot heat treated... This means that their seeds do not lose their germination. And from them you can try to grow a palm tree.Only the bones are best pre-soaked. Although this is not necessary if the product is fresh, i.e. came to our counters from his homeland quite recently. But, just in case, I was reinsured and soaked the date pits for about a week, changing the water every day. True, she did not scarify and did not suit other dances with a tambourine. I stuck them vertically into a mixture of peat and sand and moistened them with a spray bottle in a day or two as needed. After about a month, my future palms have sprung up:

Date shoots

And here's how they grew up in another month:

Date palms 2 months after planting

It's too early to think about the harvest) Although no one will forbid us to dream, at best, such a miracle in feathers will grow from a date "feather":

Date palm.

This is provided that she has enough light and space, and I have enough patience. And, alas, I have not yet come across evidence that she is able to bear fruit in indoor conditions.

Date palm care consists in regular watering (without overdrying the earthy coma, and in winter watering is minimized) and spraying, airing, providing sufficient light and conditions for a cool wintering. In addition, in the first "five-year" period, the plant needs to be transferred annually to a larger pot. But how great, probably, in the evening to sit under a palm tree to drink tea!

Mango-mango

Huge bones are hidden in the fruits of this large Indian guest. “Mango” is even translated from Sanskrit as “great fruit”. Its seeds are extracted from ripe fruits, open, take out the core and germinate in a light and loose substrate (soil is suitable for cacti or succulents). Expanded clay drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot - as, indeed, in all other cases.

Mango The middle of the already opened seed is planted immediately. The undisclosed one is carefully revealed (if it is ready for it) - as in this video:

If it is not possible to move the flaps apart without effort, the bone is preliminarily kept for a couple of weeks directly in water (the water is changed every other day) or wrapped in damp cotton wool / towel. At the same time, it is extremely important keep it dry... After the emergence of shoots, they will have to be regularly sprayed: mango is sensitive to air humidity, as well as to light and heat. Absolutely cannot stand the cold, and even at + 18 ° C begins to feel uncomfortable. Well, if everything suits him, soon you will grow up something like that.

Having decided to grow mango from a stone, be prepared for the fact that you will have to wait 5 or even 10 years for flowering at best. , what can we say about the windowsill in foreign latitudes.

Feijoa

In the case of feijoa (which is also called akka and belongs to the Myrtle family, which translated into the language of flower growers means some difficulties with wintering), the situation is about the same as with citrus fruits: varietal characteristics during seed reproduction are almost not preserved, which means that seedlings will have to be vaccinated. If this does not stop you, keep in mind that the seeds for planting should be taken from a ripe and soft fruit (it will ripen perfectly in a warm place). Small seeds must be carefully washed from the pulp and dried. Sowing is done superficially, without deepening (you can mix seeds with sand).

Feijoa

If the seeds have enough light, warmth and moisture, they will germinate in about a month. In the first months, Akka seedlings develop rapidly, so they need

pick

and transshipment and then pinching to form a compact

crowns

. 

Fig tree (fig)

Seeds of figs (figs, or ficus carica) for planting are "harvested" in the same way as from feijoa: they must be carefully washed, dried and sown superficially into moist, loose soil. Then lightly "sprinkle" with sand, cover with foil and find a warmer place for them.They sprout in about 3 weeks, all this time they need to be regularly moistened and ventilated.

Fig

Sometimes difficulties arise with fruiting, but some gardeners manage to get

fig

fruits from three to four year old seedlings.

Passion fruit (passionflower)

Passion fruit, aka passionflower, is actually a tropical vine from the Passionflower family.

Passion fruit, she is passionflower

The fruits of this evergreen beauty from South America are edible whole, including the crunchy seeds. However, if you plant them, there is a chance that you will have a vine, and someday you will admire its luxurious flowering without leaving your home.

Passion flower Just do not forget to provide it with bright light and fresh air, warmth, space, high humidity and "enhanced" nutrition.

Lychee

According to legend, one Chinese emperor ordered his gardeners to be executed because they failed to grow this sugary miracle.

Lychee

Since then

lychee

considered one of the most problematic candidates for seed growing at home? But this is true if only because the "Chinese plum" is one of those rare plants that needs

mycorrhiza

... Otherwise, this is a very cute creature with narrow pinkish leaves.

Coffee tree

In order to grow such a cute one from a grain, it is easier to immediately go to Africa, Asia or South America and pick up the fruits of the coffee tree there. Seeds ordered from an online store are unlikely to germinate: they very quickly lose their germination (I say this from my sad experience, it is quite possible that I am wrong, and you will be luckier). In loose, slightly acidic soil and greenhouse conditions with good lighting, a coffee bean will eventually turn into a wonderful tree.

Coffee tree

What else can be grown from seeds? A lot of things, there would be materials and a place for the experimentarium! For example, our colleagues successfully grow kiwi, medlar and even pepino from seeds. And soon you will find out what happens when you plant avocado and pomegranate seeds.

Growing seedlings is exciting, sometimes too much.

In general, growing seedlings is exciting.

But over time, you realize that this is a rewarding job - for patient, caring and responsible "testers". Eating a fruit, planting seeds and waiting for sprouts - this is so, a bouquet-candy period. But then the fun begins. After all, the fruits of labor will have to wait for years. And in the literal sense, you can not wait for the fruit (in the case of avocado and date palm, that's right). At the same time, care for the pet - watering, feeding, light and heat conditions - has not been canceled. The main thing is to remember that we are responsible for everyone who was put in a pot of soil and forced to sprout from the seeds. And if difficulties do not frighten you, - good seedlings and generous harvests!

Have you tried growing something from a seed? Let's share our experience!

Read also:

• How to grow pineapple, oranges, figs or watermelon at home?
• Children of the sun from southern countries: exotics in containers
• Passionflower is an amazing exotic
• Feijoa - is it realistic to grow a southern tree
• Calamondin is a sedentary fruit!
• I'll plant an avocado! What else is needed for happiness?
• And dates can grow in Siberia!

Try growing one of these exotic plants from seeds at home on your own. Moreover, it is not as difficult as it seems at first glance.

Buying delicious vegetables and fruits (including exotic ones) in the store, we get planting material for free. So why not use it rationally? After all, it is quite simple to grow a fruit-bearing tree or shrub from seeds.

1. Citrus fruits

With proper planting and care, citrus plants develop quite quickly, but fruiting does not come soon.Therefore, in order to enjoy homemade lemon or orange, you will have to be patient: the first fruits will appear no earlier than in 5-7 years.

Lemon and tangerine

To grow citrus fruits from seeds, rinse the seeds with warm water, dry for 1-2 hours, and sow in a pot of soil that is designed to grow a specific type of citrus plant.

The pot in which you place the seed should be at least 2 liters, since it is not recommended to replant the plant for the first few years. Do not forget to put drainage on the bottom.

Immediately after sowing, it is necessary to make a greenhouse from a thin plastic bag. This will help maintain the required humidity level. When dry, the soil must be moistened in a timely manner.

Different types of citrus fruits have different germination times: from 3 to 8 weeks. Mandarins grow slower than others.

Citrus fruits grown from a stone at home reach a height of no more than 90 cm.

2. Avocado

This is an unpretentious plant, so even a beginner can easily grow it. Peel the brown skin of a ripe avocado, plant it with the blunt end down so that the sharp end protrudes from the ground, and water regularly.

You can plant it in another way: lower the bone with the blunt end down into a container of water so that it is half immersed in the liquid. Secure the bone with a thread or a toothpick, place the container on the windowsill and add water as needed.

Avocado

The bone should hatch after 3-12 weeks. Germination time depends on many factors: proper watering, seed maturity, etc.

When the seed cracks and a sprout emerges from the crack, plant it in a small pot of any fertile soil, half buried. Water the plant in time - and after 3 months it will grow up to half a meter high.

3. Feijoa

Growing a feijoa from a stone at home is also not difficult. Separate the seeds of the ripe fruit from the pulp, rinse in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, dry and sow in a medium-sized pot with a mixture of leafy soil, peat and river sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 1 to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. It is best to do this in February.

Feijoa blooms beautifully

Then moisten the soil with a spray bottle and place the pot on a well-lit windowsill. Water the crops in a timely manner - and in a month the seeds will germinate. The first fruits will appear after 5-6 years.

At home, it is recommended to grow self-pollinated feijoa varieties (for example, Crimean early or Nikitsky aromatic).

4. Passion fruit (passionflower)

This tropical vine loves to grow in a warm and ventilated place, but not in a draft, with good lighting and high humidity.

If you nevertheless decide to grow a passion fruit from a stone, find a spacious place for it in advance: the vine grows strongly, so a narrow window sill will not work for this exotic plant. You will also need support to support the shoots.

Passion fruit

Passion fruit seeds are easy to plant. The most suitable time for this is mid-spring.

Remove the seeds from ripe fruits, spread them on a clean towel and rub gently. When the juice bags open, rinse the seeds with water and dry in a dark place.

Sow the seeds into a container with a mixture of compost, topsoil, and river sand in equal proportions. Sowing is best done in small grooves spaced 5 cm from each other.

You do not need to deepen the seeds, just sprinkle them with a thin layer of soil and immediately moisten them with a spray bottle. With proper care, passion fruit will bloom 2-4 years after sowing.

5. Pomegranate

Pomegranate grown from the seed blooms for 3-4 years, but its fruits ripen at home for a very long time.Therefore, these plants are grown more out of interest than for the purpose of feasting on delicious pomegranates (as the fruits of this culture are called in botany).

Pomegranate and its seedlings

The most suitable time for sowing pomegranate is winter. Remove the seeds from a fully ripe bright red fruit and, without waiting for them to dry, plant them in fertile soil to a depth of 1-1.5 cm.

Water the crops in a timely manner. Shoots will appear in 1-2 months. Once they have matured, transplant them into separate pots.

Keep in mind that the pomegranate should be dormant throughout the winter, so move it to a cool place every year in late autumn.

6. Pepino

Pepino, or melon pear

This plant is often called the melon pear, because its fruit looks like a pear, and tastes like a melon. To grow pepino at home, remove the seeds from the fruit, put them in a shallow container, wrap them in damp toilet paper, cover with plastic wrap and place in a dark place with a temperature of about 25 ° C.

Moisten the seeds with a spray bottle every 2-3 days. When they hatch, move the container to a well-lit area. When the cotyledons appear, dive the seedlings and plant them in a pot with fertile soil. Please note that pepino is very demanding on light.

7. Date

A date palm grown from a seed at home develops quite quickly and after 5-7 years it can turn into a full-fledged tree. But, unfortunately, you should not expect fruits from such a plant: dates do not bear fruit at home.

Date fruit and date palm

Soak the freshly removed seeds in a glass of room temperature water for two days, then peel them of the pulp. Plant vertically in lightly damp palm soil and lightly dampen the soil occasionally. Shoots should appear after 2-3 weeks.

Do not forget that the date palm does not tolerate excess moisture, but it also does not like completely dry soil. The date does not like transplants and, if the roots are damaged, it quickly dies, so it is better to immediately sow seeds in a container of sufficient volume.

8. Kiwi

Kiwi seedlings

To grow kiwi from seeds at home, you need to choose a ripe fruit with an intact skin, extract the seeds from it and peel the pulp. At the same time, try not to damage the integrity of the small seeds.

Rinse the seeds thoroughly with water several times, dry on a napkin, and then place in a glass of water at room temperature. Place it in a warm place (for example, on a windowsill above the radiator).

After 7-10 days, when the seeds have opened, spread them out on damp gauze, place on a saucer and cover with plastic. When the seeds hatch (usually after 2-3 days), sow them in separate containers with a pre-moistened mixture of black soil, peat and sand.

Kiwi should grow in constantly moist soil, but it is important to avoid stagnant water. Therefore, drainage (expanded clay) should be placed on the bottom of the container and the seedlings should be sprayed with a spray bottle. It is better to choose a warm and sunny place for the plant: a windowsill located on the south side is suitable.

Try growing these exotic plants from seeds. They will decorate your home, dilute the usual flower garden with their unusual look. And they will also give the joy of the experiment, the results of which, perhaps, will be a real surprise for you!