What vegetables and fruits can be grown on the balcony?

WonderWoman

0 0

Do you have a summer cottage or a vegetable garden? How not? Do you have a balcony and a windowsill? Yes! So you have a vegetable garden! Today I will tell you about what vegetables can be planted on the balcony.

Growing vegetables with your own hands on a balcony garden is a fascinating and useful activity

The balcony can be given over to flowers, but it is much more interesting to grow healthy and tasty vegetables. This can be braided beans, crispy cucumbers, tomatoes, a whole lawn of fragrant herbs, and peppers with a twinkle. But let's talk about everything in order.

Balcony gardening has a significant advantage - at home, vegetables are protected from low temperatures, pests and diseases.

We grow vegetables vertically in "pots" from plastic pipes

If you plan on growing vegetables year-round, consider additional lighting. Fluorescent lamps will perfectly cope with this role.

What to grow?

Are you wondering what vegetables to plant on the balcony? Cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, beans, lettuce and aromatic herbs are not a complete list of balcony vegetables.

The simplest and earliest is leafy greens: lettuce, cilantro, dill, basil, celery, parsley, green onions.

Eggplants, peppers and tomatoes are perennials that can be grown year-round when warm. With proper care, individual plants can bear fruit for up to 4-5 years.

The most unpretentious for home growing is greens.

For a home garden, it is advisable to use undersized varieties of vegetables, but there are no restrictions on the choice of a variety of greens.

Many breeding and seed companies have developed special varieties for fans of balcony gardens, which have moderate growth, shade tolerance, abundant long-term fruiting and short internodes.

Technical equipment

Growing vegetables on the balcony starts with seedlings

• For modest-sized beds with greenery, you can use boxes with a depth of 10 cm and a capacity of 5-10 liters.
• For pepper, tomato, cucumber and eggplant, I recommend choosing individual pots of 3-5 liters.
• Ampel tomatoes can be placed in hanging pots.
• In the matter of land selection, give preference to loose fertile neutral soil, peat, compost, various peat-soil mixtures. In this case, the acidity of the soil should vary from 6.0 to 6.8.

Pepper

Is it possible to grow a crop of peppers on the balcony? It is possible if you provide him with comfortable conditions.

Both sweet and hot peppers can be grown in a balcony. The latter will require a warm and bright place. I recommend taking a closer look at the varieties:

• Flint;
• "Carmen";
• "Ryabinushka";
• "Ogonyok";
• "Indian summer";
• "Bride".

Providing comfortable growth conditions, up to 60 fruits can be set on one plant. Growing temperature - 26-27 ° С.

If you have passed the choice in favor of sweet pepper, pay attention to the varieties with medium-sized fruits, for example, "Bucharest", "Kuzya", "Aquarelle".

Bitter and sweet peppers can grow on the balcony at the same time, but in this case they must be placed at a distance of 3-4 meters from each other. Otherwise, as a result of cross-pollination, all the pepper will be bitter.

Tomatoes

If the area allows you, you can plant tall varieties.

The cultivar chosen should be early maturing, compact and growing in the least amount of natural light.

I recommend paying attention to:

• Pinocchio;
• Balcony Miracle;
• Bonsai;
• Little Red Riding Hood;
• Baby.

These varieties do not require pinning, shaping and support. They have an amazing decorative quality due to the large number of bright red, round, medium-sized fruits.

When choosing a variety, pay attention to the color of the tomatoes. It is great if among the red cherries there is a place for varieties with orange and yellow fruits.

In the photo there are ampelous tomatoes

Unfortunately, there are not so many ampel varieties grown in suspended containers. Rowan beads, Golden bunch, Ampelny and Zhemchuzhinka are presented for your judgment.

If you do not like small cherries, take a look at the larger varieties, for example, "Betta" and "Alaska", the weight of their fruits can reach 80 grams.

The optimum temperature for growing tomatoes is 23-25 ​​° C.

Carrot

What vegetables can be grown at home? Of course, carrots!

What other vegetables can you grow on the balcony? Carrot! When choosing seeds, be guided by the above rule - the variety must be dwarf. From personal experience I can recommend Sophie and Parmex. They do not require large areas, and you can crunch the first carvinka in 80-90 days.

Carrots are extremely demanding on the quality of the soil. The latter should be well drained.

For growing, it is not necessary to build a box with your own hands, cut off plastic bottles will be enough. The optimum temperature is 13-24 ° C.

Green onions

Before growing green onions, carefully check the planting material.

Green onions are the simplest plant to grow on a balcony. When choosing a bulb for planting, pay attention to the quality; there should be no traces of rot in it.

After planting, place the onions in a dark, cool place for quick root formation. But Peru will need a well-lit area. Temperature range - 18-20 ° С.

Cucumbers

For planting cucumbers, choose self-pollinating varieties marked with F1. In comfortable conditions, 30-40 cucumbers can be collected from one bush.

Recommended varieties:

• "Stresa";
• "Biryusa";
• Barnaulets;
• "Gribovsky";
• "Dubrovsky";
• "Courage".

Plants are planted in containers with a volume of 5 liters and over and watered constantly. The optimum temperature is 22-24 ° C.

Ginger

Is it possible to grow vegetables that grow in exotic countries like Jamaica? Yes, if it's ginger.

Much has been said about the benefits of ginger, but few people know that it can be successfully grown at home. For planting, use pieces of ginger root in 3-4 sections with live buds.

If the root is a little dry, soak it in warm water for several hours to awaken the kidneys.

The planting is carried out in an individual pot at a shallow depth. Before the first shoots appear, watering should be moderate. The optimal temperature regime is 21-25 ° С.

Murava grass

Grasses are the most unpretentious among balcony residents

What a vegetable garden without fragrant greenery!

Name	Growing instructions	Optimum t °
Mint	It is quite unpretentious, and can grow on the balcony all year round. Planting is carried out by seeds or cuttings. The latter method is preferred as seedmint is less well accepted and takes time to harvest. Mint cannot do without good watering and quality lighting.	20-25 ° C.
Basil	Basil, regardless of the variety, feels great in a flower pot or box.For a fragrant balcony dweller, the sunny part of the balcony is allocated, thoroughly watered and provide good drainage. Planting is carried out by seeds or cuttings. Cuttings can produce a quick harvest, but they are short-lived and also give color quickly. The basilica needs a 3-4 hour increase in daylight hours, so provide additional light sources.	20-25 ° C
Sorrel	It is notable for the fact that it feels great with a lack of light, therefore it does not pretend to be the sunny part of the balcony. For planting, you can use rhizomes with buds at the age of 2-4 years or seeds. I recommend taking a closer look at the varieties "Odessa broadleaf" and "Altai". Sorrel is undemanding to temperature and can survive even minor frosts (seasoned guy).	from +5 ° С
Thyme	In nature, the plant grows in dry areas on poor soil. In order to take his life at home, you will have to make a lot of efforts. The main requirement of thyme is an abundance of light. It can be left even in direct sunlight, which other balcony plants will not tolerate. Planting is done by seeds or cuttings.	25-30 ° C
Salad	Prefers moderate shade and regular soil moisture. If these requirements are met, after 18-22 days you will be able to harvest the first salad harvest.	below 18 ° C

Five secrets of a rich harvest

Separate pots, moderate lighting and watering are all that is required for a comfortable garden setting

1. Choose small-fruited but high-yielding hybrids and varieties. The thing is that in a limited area it is difficult for plants to feed large fruits, they are few or they ripen for a long time.
2. Make sure that the soil does not dry out. In response to ignoring the need for watering, the plant may shed leaves and flowers.

If you don't want to turn a cucumber into a desert cactus, set up a watering system. To do this, a plastic bottle with several holes is dug into the ground, into which water is poured.

The roots will gradually receive moisture, and the earth from above will not be covered with a crust.

3. Rare balcony residents will thank you for direct sunlight. To ensure comfortable conditions, "tint" the balcony windows with white paper.
4. Don't overdo it with fertilizer. Folk wisdom about porridge and butter will be inappropriate here.

Divide the rate indicated in the instructions by 2 times, first water the plant with water, then with diluted fertilizer. The cost of your "generosity" is too high - the plants can burn the root system and die.

5. If you plant two bushes in one pot, you will not get twice the yield. Most likely, the fruits will be small and insignificant.

Summing up

Now you know what vegetables to plant on the balcony and how to properly care for them, I just have to offer novice gardeners an interesting video in this article.

And what grows on your balcony or in a pot on the windowsill, perhaps pineapple or fragrant strawberries? Share your achievements and tips with our readers.

September 13, 2016

If you want to express gratitude, add clarification or objection, ask the author something - add a comment or say thank you!

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 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.

For growing peppers in an apartment, it is recommended to use a special soil enriched with trace elements. It is sold in gardening shops. 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 mixes. 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 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. 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.

Lovers of homemade crispy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes and aromatic greens are constantly looking for new ways to grow them effortlessly and cost-effectively. And the true admirers of fresh vegetables went even further and, having neither a garden nor a summer residence, learned to grow them right at home - on the balcony. Now there is no need to look for grandmothers with homemade crops in the market. By simply stepping out onto the balcony, you can harvest your own, grown without chemicals. And what aroma awaits such a "gardener" during the flowering period!

What can be grown on the balcony?

The choice of plants that will happily grow on an ordinary balcony of an apartment building is very large. Having well thought over and choosing the right ones, the balcony can be made not a chaos of the plant world, but a beautiful and useful greenhouse. What to choose so as not to waste time and space? What can be grown at home?

There are a lot of ideas:

1. Flowers. What could be more beautiful than flowers? Only a wide variety of colors. You can sow them directly into boxes or large pots. It is worth paying attention to the growth and flowering period of the selected plants. In this way, it is possible to ensure that some flowers will change color, while others will only begin to bloom.

2. Vegetables. Almost any vegetable can be grown on the balcony. This includes peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and even potatoes. You just need to water, feed and harvest them on time. The family, of course, will not feed only on vegetables from the balcony, but in winter it is pleasant to eat a fragrant fresh product.

3. Spices and herbs. This type of plants was one of the first to be settled on the balcony by enterprising housewives, because in winter their prices are high, and you really want to please your relatives with something tasty. Greens are used in almost all dishes, so it makes sense to grow them on the balcony.

4. Berries. Both strawberries and strawberries are grown on the balconies. Many berry lovers arrange whole fragrant plantations. A great solution for those who have babies who only need natural products.

Why and why?

Why do this? What is the difference between the grown on the balcony and the purchased one? After all, doing this in such a small area, it is impossible to feed a family. Here are some reasons why many people think about what can be grown at home:

1. All the year round, you can pamper your family with something tasty, aromatic and fresh.Vegetables and berries in the winter, bought in the store, cannot boast of this.

2. In order to save money. After all, fresh vegetables, herbs and berries are quite expensive in winter. Yes, and running constantly in search of a bunch of fresh herbs is not always possible.

3. This activity has a constructive character. A person receives from him positive emotions and a charge of energy.

4. There is a category of avid gardeners who cannot sit still even in winter. Thus, the summer cottage season will not end even when there is snow and a blizzard outside the window.

5. This activity is perfect for those who have children. They will be able to see how plants actually grow and fruits appear on them.

6. Just as an interesting hobby for those who have nothing to occupy their free time.

Where to begin?

Those who have not previously been involved in growing vegetables and herbs on the balcony do not know where to start and what to buy. Most beginners have no idea what can be grown at home.

If there is no experience at all, then it is better not to buy dozens of types of seeds and seedlings. You need to think carefully and choose several types. You can take one representative from vegetables, berries, herbs and fruits. It is better to choose unpretentious varieties with minimal requirements. Ideally, these are early maturing varieties, bred specifically for such conditions.

It is worth examining the plant's requirements for the amount of sun. If there is little light on the balcony, then you will have to illuminate with lamps.

The next step is the selection of containers for future plants. After reviewing the technical requirements, it will be easy to find the right one. Do not forget about the trays, into which excess water will drain after watering.

Another main element is a variety of feeding. They are different for each plant.

Finally, you need to prepare the soil for planting seeds.

Homemade mint

Mint is a well-known and beloved plant by many. It is often grown for human consumption. It is used in cooking, it is brewed instead of tea, and also for decoration. Fragrant greens can be grown in the cold season. How to grow mint at home to delight yourself and loved ones with a pleasant fresh aroma?

It is grown in pots, boxes and trays. It all depends on how much mint you need to grow. Two planting methods are used:

• Planting cuttings.
• Sowing seeds.

The first way is faster. If there is nowhere to take cuttings, then sowing seeds is perfect. Loose humus soils with an acidity of 5-7 pH and peat soils are best suited for the plant.

For mint, a comfortable ambient temperature is 20-25 degrees.

How to grow mint at home and what should you pay attention to? She does not like excess moisture, especially in winter, you should not water it often. Better to spray water on the leaves. Drafts should also be excluded.

But even when the soil is dry, the plant may die. It is also important to ensure that no pests appear. If drugs have been used to combat them, it is worth carefully considering the timing of collection.

Also, the plant does not like direct sunlight. For him, a well-lit, but shaded place is more comfortable.

Pepper

Bulgarian pepper is a juicy tasty vegetable loved by many, is quite unpretentious and feels great on the balcony. This fruit will decorate any table, but it is worth waiting a little, since the first fruits can be tasted only 5-6 months after sowing the seeds.

How to grow peppers at home and what is needed for this? Early maturing and self-pollinated varieties are chosen for balconies. Here are the most common ones:

• Many gardeners have appreciated the Patio-Ivo pepper variety. It is planted both in open ground and on a balcony. Its bright yellow fruits will bring joy and sunny mood to the house.
• The California Miracle is a great variety of thick-walled peppers. The plant grows up to 75 cm in height. Fruits with a ribbed surface, bright red color.
• Jupiter F1 is a pepper variety that has large fruits that change color as a result of ripening from dark green to red.
• Oda - purple pepper, undersized, juicy and sweet fruits.

It is also worth remembering the mid-early varieties that delight with the harvest: Swallow, Winnie the Pooh, Gift of Moldova, Novogoshary, Bulgarian-79.

How to grow peppers at home and what should you pay attention to? There are some conditions, without which it is impossible to harvest:

• Pepper loves the sun, so you need to place it in the sunniest place. If natural light is not enough, it needs to be backlit with a lamp.
• Eliminate all drafts, otherwise the pepper may die.
• Comfort temperature - 20-26 degrees, at night - 18-20 degrees.
• The soil must be constantly loosened.
• Peppers are very sensitive and susceptible to pests.
• Do not forget that the fruits are quite heavy for such a miniature plant, so it must be tied to a trellis.

There are also bitter pepper lovers who will not refuse to enjoy always freshly picked pepper. With seeds, soil and a suitable container available, the first fruits can be obtained in three months. The bright pepper will delight not only the taste buds, but also the eye. What varieties to choose? Here are the main ones that "balcony gardeners" have already appreciated:

• The Queen of Spades.
• Curiosity.
• Astrakhan 147.
• Carmen.
• Elephant trunk.
• Sweeties.
• Ukrainian bitter.
• A twinkle.
• Super Chees F1.
• Indian summer.

In what conditions does bitter pepper feel more comfortable? To create such, you need to fulfill a few simple conditions:

• Prepare quality soil.
• Place the plant on the sunniest side of the house.
• Replenish the need for moisture in a timely manner.
• No need to pinch, then the plant will be lush and beautiful.
• During the period of fruit ripening, do not forget about fertilization.

Mushrooms at home

Now, in order to pick up mushrooms, you do not need to go to the forest. They can be grown directly on the balcony. How to grow mushrooms at home without specially equipped premises?

Everything is very simple! If there is a glazed balcony, it remains to put together a cabinet with shelving and get drawers about 20 cm deep. A ventilation pipe should be built on top of the cabinet, and an electric kettle should be placed below. It will work as both a heater and a humidifier.

Mycelium (a kind of mushroom seeds) can be purchased at any specialized online store. Different mushrooms may require a different substrate. Some grow well on straw, while sawdust is better for others. Some add poultry droppings, others add wheat. All the information you need is on the instructions for planting the mycelium.

So how do you grow mushrooms at home so you don't have to shop around looking for fresh produce? The mycelium is sown into the prepared substrate evenly over the entire area. From above it is sprinkled with a layer of the same substrate.

The most favorable conditions for the growth of mushrooms:

• Temperature 22-27 degrees.
• Air humidity 80-90%.

In order to create ideal conditions for mushrooms, you just need to periodically turn on the kettle and monitor the temperature and humidity.

After 10 days, the overgrown mycelium is covered with a special substrate. It is made from peat and chalk (10: 1). After four days, the temperature can not be increased to more than 17 degrees, but constantly spray from the sprayer, avoiding flooding the substrate. Be sure to periodically ventilate the balcony.

The crop is harvested every other day for two months.

Balcony cucumbers

To grow cucumbers on the balcony, you need to choose varieties that were created specifically for these purposes. The most famous:

• Cucaracha.
• Sail.
• Barnaulets.
• Gribovsky.
• Stresa.
• The matrix.
• Courage.
• Turquoise.
• Dubrovsky.

How to grow cucumbers at home? To do this, it is worth planting seeds in disposable cups. Further, the sprouts are transplanted into pots or boxes to a permanent place of growth. Seeds need to germinate a little before planting.For these purposes, a universal primer is suitable.

So, how to grow cucumbers at home, because they are woven and they need to create conditions for this? For this, the ropes are pulled in an upright position. Cucumbers grow and gradually begin to braid them.

How to grow cucumbers at home in the heat? They must be shaded and watered in a timely manner. Avoid watering plants or watering during peak heat. It is best to do this early in the morning or in the evening.

Bow on the balcony

The easiest and most familiar to everyone from childhood to get greens in winter is to sprout onions on a feather. Some did such experiments as part of the school curriculum, while others watched how my mother did it. How to grow onions at home and enjoy the genuine taste and aroma of the plant? There are two ways:

• Landing in the ground.
• Hydroponics.

In the first method, a little suitable soil is poured and the bottom of the bulb is inserted into it. In the second, a little water is poured into small containers and the bulbs are inserted so that only the roots are in contact with the water. How to grow onions at home is better not to read, but to try and plant.

The garden on the balcony is not only useful, interesting, but also incredibly beautiful. Any gardener rejoices at each new leaf, flower and fruit as his achievement. All guests must visit the balcony and admire the harvest.

Juicy salad

You can also grow lettuce on the balcony. It is quite unpretentious, but very useful. How to grow salad at home on the windowsill? It’s as easy as shelling pears! To do this, you need a container 20 cm deep, it is better to take wide boxes so that moisture is retained in the soil longer. Be sure to pay attention to drainage so that the roots do not rot. Light moisture-retaining soil is perfect for the plant. Grooves are made in it, and lettuce is sown. Then the seeds need to be watered with warm water, every day you need to irrigate the soil. When shoots appear, the box must be installed in a bright place to be there permanently.

How to grow a salad at home on a windowsill and take care of it? The plant is unpretentious, it just needs to be watered at least every other day and not placed in direct sunlight.

The first crop can be harvested in 3 weeks. To delight relatives with a juicy salad all the time, then each next sowing should be done 10 days after the previous one.

Such a garden on the balcony will help you eat healthy vitamin foods all year round.

Tomatoes on the balcony

Most often, tomatoes are grown at home either in winter or due to the lack of land. Seeds sown in September can give the first harvest to the New Year's table. So how to grow tomatoes at home on a windowsill?

Caring for tomatoes is not too different from caring for any indoor plants, you just need to take into account some features. There are many early-maturing self-pollinated varieties that can produce a pretty good tomato harvest. These include: Florida Petit, Dubok, Pinocchio, Button, Balcony Miracle, Micron, Oxheart, De Barao, Carlson.

How to grow seedlings at home? For this, a universal soil for vegetables is suitable. You can sow seeds in disposable cups, before that they need to be soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 15 minutes. When real 2-3 leaves appear on the seedlings, it can be transplanted into pots.

Use warm water for irrigation. Water the plants in the evening without getting on the leaves. Tomatoes are very fond of the sun, they can be turned every 2-3 days so that all the leaves receive enough light. Tomatoes are fed with fertilizer for vegetables every two weeks. Almost all varieties require tying.

It's actually not that hard to grow vegetables at home. You just need a desire and a small amount of time. From the balcony garden, they are chemical-free and always fresh. This option is perfect for young parents who are worried about what their child is eating.

If suddenly you have a question, what kind of plant to grow at home, so maybe you should try to grow greens or vegetables instead of the usual violets and cacti? It is beautiful, useful and entertaining.

Fresh parsley

Parsley is not only tasty, but also healthy greens. It is used in the preparation of broths, meat, fish and cereals. Without it, of course, you can live, but is it worth giving up such a familiar taste? In order not to run every time to the store or to the market for a fresh portion or not to use a product that is not the first freshness, it can be planted on the balcony. How to grow parsley at home and what is needed for this?

In order to grow greens, you need to have a container and soil, and it is also worth deciding on a planting method. The first method is planting root crops. It gives a crop literally 2 weeks after planting. The second method is sowing seeds in the ground.

Almost any container with a depth of at least 20 cm is suitable for growing parsley. Parsley loves fertile soil made of peat, humus, turf and sand. You can easily buy it in a specialty store.

You need to water the plant often, but without much fanaticism. Parsley loves the sun, but the leaves can turn yellow from direct sunlight. With the help of phytolamps, she needs to arrange a 12-hour daylight hours. The main enemy of the plant is aphids, therefore, before planting, the soil must be thoroughly disinfected so that one day you do not find insects on the leaves.

What can be grown at home and how, we hope, is already clear. It is important to take a little time and think carefully about what is best to plant on the existing balcony, as far as there is enough lighting. If it is also insulated and there are phytolamps, then you can pamper yourself with vegetables, herbs and berries all year round.

Content:

• Cucumbers on the balcony
• Tomatoes on the balcony
• Herbs and spices on the balcony
• 5 secrets of success for a mini-garden on the balcony

If you want to grow a small vegetable garden on a loggia or even a windowsill, now is the time to do it. Cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, grown by you, will certainly be the most delicious and will decorate the interior during flowering and fruiting.

Of course, he will not be able to fully feed his family, but he will not only save a little, but also get moral satisfaction. It's so nice not only to see the result of your work, but also to taste it. Self-grown vegetables are always the tastiest and most aromatic, because you grew them with love.

Usually people try to grow vegetables on the windowsill during the height of winter. When the summer cottages are covered with snow, and I want to tinker with the earth.

But this lesson is for more experienced vegetable growers (backlighting is needed, and this minimizes all the savings). Now the daylight hours are very long and it is not at all difficult to grow a crop on the windowsill. The main thing is desire and a little patience.

Poor ecology is a fly in the ointment in our barrel of honey, the air in cities is not particularly clean. But the products that we buy on the market are far from grown in ecologically clean areas.

In addition, it is not known how many pesticides they had to absorb. And in your miniature garden, you can reduce the intake of harmful substances in vegetables.

It is enough to follow the basic rules:

• the introduction of organic substances into the soil makes mercury, lead and cadmium less accessible to plants;
• sulfur-containing fertilizers limit the mobility of mercury and make it inaccessible to plants;
• liming the soil prevents the accumulation of a large amount of harmful chemicals in the fruit. You can also use an infusion of wood ash brought from a picnic for this.

To the content

Cucumbers on the balcony

Crispy cucumbers are the most common vegetable on our windowsills.

They grow quickly and now you can still safely grow them from seeds. When choosing a variety, give preference to self-fertile greenhouse hybrids.

The pot for the plant should be at least five liters (preferably ten).Be sure to lay drainage (expanded clay, clay shards) at the bottom. The soil should be loose, fertile and not acidic.

Add 2 tablespoons to 10 liters of substrate. tablespoons of nitrophoska, 1 teaspoon of magnesium sulfate, 1-2 glasses of wood ash. It is advisable to pre-soak the seeds, and then sow one by one in a pot.

It would be nice to "settle" a cucumber on the east window. On the south side, you cannot do without protection from the scorching rays of the sun.

Cucumbers grow well and bear fruit in high humidity. Place containers with water on the windowsill and on hot days humidify the air from a sprayer with a fine spray (so that no drops remain on the leaves).

Start feeding the plant a month after planting. Now on sale a large selection of fertilizers for each specific crop, it is very convenient to use them.

Take care of the trellis so that the cucumber liana wrap around the window beautifully. In the lower 4-6 nodes, side shoots and female flowers must be removed. The rest of the side shoots must be shortened.

Read the recommendations on the seed packet carefully. After all, each variety has its own characteristics.

To the content

Tomatoes on the balcony

Tomatoes are increasingly "conquering" window sills.

Breeders have bred a lot of tomato varieties specifically for growing in the room. They are distinguished by the compact size of the bush and high decorative effect.

The fruits on them are small, but very tasty and aromatic. And due to the fact that there are a lot of them on the bush, the harvest is quite decent.

The season for selling seedlings on the market is not over yet. Buy a few bushes and you will see that growing tomatoes on the windowsill is not difficult at all.

A spacious pot, good drainage, nutritious soil are the main conditions for success.

Tomatoes do not like humid air, they do not need to be sprayed. Water the soil daily in hot weather, and once a week in cloudy weather.

It is enough to feed the plants once a month. During flowering, the twigs need to be wiggled a little to improve pollination.

Do not pluck the tomatoes unripe. Spreading on a bush, they become fragrant and juicy. This is what we lack in purchased fruits.

The relatives of tomatoes, eggplants, also grow well on windowsills.

Pepper is a real find for a miniature garden. Especially sharp. He has a compact bush and colorful, bright small fruits.

The growing pepper looks like a gorgeous bouquet, and the benefits from it are considerable. The fruits can be dried and one plant will fully satisfy your hot pepper needs.

If you want to grow bell peppers on your balcony, one plant is not enough. Now it is not too late to buy seedlings on the market. Choose a variety with medium-sized fruits.

Colored peppers look beautiful on one window. But spicy with a sweet number should not be grown. Better to place them in different rooms. Otherwise, the fruits on all bushes can become bitter.

The main requirement of pepper is a loose substrate. The roots must breathe. Do not overdo it with watering and loosen the soil more often (but shallowly).

Water with lukewarm water only. If the weather is hot, moisten the leaves in the morning and evening.

To the content

Herbs and spices on the balcony

Herbs and spices are also absolutely essential to have on hand at all times. In order not to buy a bunch of parsley or dill when you only need one branch.

In the room, you can grow various types of salad, mustard, dill and all kinds of spices.

By adding them to salads, meat dishes, soups, you can add completely new flavors to the most common dishes. Moreover, it is a real storehouse of vitamins.

These plants are early maturing and easy to care for. But there is one peculiarity - the temperature should be 18-20 degrees. It is better to postpone their sowing until early autumn.

The choice of crops for your windowsill depends on taste and imagination. You can simply dig up bushes of parsley, mint, perennial onions and everything that you love in the country and transplant them into pots. It will turn out very simple, beautiful, convenient and profitable.

To the content

5 secrets of success for a mini-garden on the balcony

1. Give preference to small-fruited, but high-yielding hybrids and varieties.

In a small area, it is difficult for a plant to feed large fruits, they will turn out to be few or they will not ripen for a long time.

Small fruits ripen gradually, and you can pick fresh vegetables for dinner every day.

2. Do not allow the soil to dry out. This happens very often in hot weather. The plant can shed flowers and ovary. If you don't have time to monitor soil moisture, set up a "watering system".

Dig a plastic bottle into the ground, making several holes in it beforehand. Which side to dig it in depends on the size of the pot. The main thing is that there is a funnel on the surface for pouring water.

The roots will constantly receive moisture, and the ground will not be covered with a crust on top.

3. Protect plants from the scorching rays of the sun. Burns on the leaves and the yield can be significantly reduced, and the appearance of the plant can be spoiled.

"Tint" the glass with white paper - and the room will not be so hot, and the plants will become more comfortable.

4. Do not overuse fertilizers, the saying "you can't spoil porridge with butter" is inappropriate here.

The rate specified in the fertilizer instructions cannot be exceeded. Better yet, divide it in half (it is better to feed it more often).

In order not to burn the roots, first pour the plant with clean water, and only then with a fertilizer solution.

5. Don't make the plants compete. By planting two bushes in one pot, you will not increase the yield, but, on the contrary, you may lose it altogether.

If there is nowhere to transplant the extra plants, it is better to throw them away altogether, and then the rest will thank you with a generous harvest.

Lyudmila Golovina

x

Did you like the article?

Rate the article

Comment on the article "Vegetables on the balcony: 5 secrets of the harvest"