What herbs can be grown on a windowsill in winter?

It is becoming more and more popular to grow herbs at home. Therefore, onion and garlic hedgehogs, as well as curls of watercress, mint, marjoram and other green favorites, flaunt on the kitchen windowsills with might and main. Moreover, they not only settled in our apartments in the summer, but in the cold they delight with their cheerful shoots and supply them with fresh vitamins. The rapid growth of plants and the pleasure of using them can be obtained if you choose wisely when choosing greens. Appropriate care and knowledge of some of the features of growing aromatic delicacies is also important.

These representatives of leafy garden vegetables are quite delicate, except for the bulbous ones, which develop quickly even in water. But with some efforts on the part of the owners of the small garden, their plates will be filled with excellent products of their own production with delicious summer smells. And how much joy there is from one kind of green leaf of mint or lemon balm in a cup of tea! In addition, everyone will show their design skills, organizing a fragrant oasis to their liking, the background of which will be the drifts behind the glass.

What unpretentious seedlings to choose for amateurs?

The successful cultivation of greenery in an apartment in winter depends, first of all, on a reasonable approach to the selection of herbs. Not every plant is able to endure conditions far from the environment of its natural distribution. And almost all spicy herbs love hot dry weather and streams of fresh air filled with sunlight. But if you take care of your business or hobby, even Mediterranean guests grow up successfully on the windowsill, let alone the familiar onions, garlic or dill!

Watercress

Watercress is probably the most popular of the herbs grown on the windowsill. Its small seeds must be soaked.

1. You should take warm water or a solution of one of the growth stimulants.
2. After distributing the seed on the ground, lightly sprinkle with earth or simply cover with foil.
3. Shoots will appear on the third or fourth day.

They eat sprouts with a height of fourex up to ten centimeters. Watercress is cold-resistant, moisture-loving, but does not tolerate a strong stream of light. Therefore, it is better to place a bowl with it in partial shade, and the air temperature should not be higher than 18 degrees.

You can grow watercress in a different way.The seeds are carefully laid out on damp cotton wool, a napkin, and a moisture-absorbing cloth. This substrate must be constantly moist. The ripening time is the same as for sowing into the soil. Delicate greens are piquant, adding a peculiar taste to dishes.

It is best to choose one of the following varieties:

• Curly;
• Broadleaf;
• Ducat;
• Fun;
• Curly;
• Ordinary.

Dill

Dill sprouts on the 4th-5th day if the seeds were soaked for one day in a special preparation that stimulates germination: Ribav, Kornevin or another. Dry ones can germinate in two weeks.

Greens should be well watered and sprayed. If only one stalk develops, at a height of 5 cm it can be pinched, and then a lush bush will form. Already after 20-30 days, you can get a bunch of fragrant greens if you sow one of the varieties suitable for this:

• Salute;
• Russian size;
• Beam;
• Abundant;
• Gourmet;
• Gribovsky;
• Armenian-269;
• Uzbek-243.

Advice

The box with the sown seeds is turned into a miniature greenhouse, covered with a dark film. After the first shoots, this film can be replaced with a transparent one, but only for one day, otherwise the shoots will stretch out and be unviable.

Green curls from root vegetables

Some of the parsley and celery greens can be grown from root vegetables. Sowing these crops with seeds requires some patience from the owners of mini-gardens. First, seedlings do not appear immediately. Secondly, shoots develop rather slowly.

Parsley

Forcing parsley is best made with healthy roots with a good root system, which are planted in a container in the fall. They should be kept cool before shoots appear. And then they are put on the windowsill. Good greens grow for about a month.

Growing parsley from seeds is quite troublesome. They also need to be soaked, like dill. This plant is cold-resistant, so the box can be placed close to the glass. The distance between the shoots is up to 4 cm, watering is moderate. But when the shoots take root and develop, they will delight with a stable harvest for almost a whole year.

In home crops, early ripening varieties are used - for example, ordinary leafy, - and curly species:

• Moskrause;
• Moskurland;
• Bravo.

Important!

Sugar, Urozhainaya, Aromatnaya alley, Grandma's bed and other popular names - root. It is better to grow them all the same in the garden or keep a larger container.

Celery

Celery is also subject to forcing: leaf, petiolate, you can take root. Take a whole root vegetable or cut off the top with leaves. The height of the base is up to 6 cm. The lower part of this rosette is placed in a tall and narrow (by the diameter of the plant) dish with water, to which, according to the instructions, a growth stimulant can be added. Such a culture requires a lot of light. You can also get greens from small fruits of root celery by planting them in a pot.

Popular varieties:

• Delicacy;
• Mushroom root;
• Strongman;
• Apple (tuberous).

Celery seeds should be soaked for at least three hours or longer before sowing. After that, they germinate faster, but still this process lasts up to two weeks. The layer of earth above them is very thin, up to 5 mm, - you can only sprinkle small grains a little or simply cover with foil. Seedlings are capricious, they seem weak, the first month they grow slowly, but, having got stronger, they please with a rich green color. You can cut the leaves after two months.

Advice

The bottom of the celery rosette should only slightly touch the water surface. The water is changed every three days. If the greens are expelled from the root vegetable, it is placed in water only one third.

How to prepare a bouquet of fresh aromas?

Sometimes the cultivation of southern spicy plants on the kitchen windowsill is more successful than sowing them in natural conditions in the country. After all, a comfortable temperature is guaranteed in the apartment, there are no pathogens and pests.Sowing is more practical to carry out several times during all autumn-winter months, with an interval of one week - then fresh fragrant leaves can be harvested throughout the cold season. Now there are many different seeds to work with. It is preferable to choose early maturing crops.

For growing in an apartment, experts advise buying the following varieties.

Basil	Dwarf; Green mini; Fragrant handsome; Green; Naughty
Oregano (oregano)	Oregano ordinary
Thyme (thyme)	Thyme ordinary; Creeping thyme; Citric; Alba; Nectar; Snake
Marjoram	Baikal; Gourmet; Tushinsky Semko; Scandi; Thermos
Rosemary	Dewdrop; Ordinary
Mint	Spearmint; Ceremony; Fun
Melissa (lemon mint)	Lemon flavor; Pure gold; Dozya
Tarragon (tarragon)	Russian tarragon; Gribovsky-31; Zhulebinsky Semko; Volkovsky.

The kitchen is the best place for a “vegetable garden in flowerpots”, where food is prepared every day, the air is heated and humidified. If its window faces south, the greenery there will feel exceptionally good in winter. In summer, the planting will have to be shaded or moved to the east or west side. Plants really need fresh air, the room must be ventilated, but care must be taken to avoid drafts. It is useful to purchase a humidifier for a mini-bed, especially when a stream of hot dry air flows from the bottom of the battery.

It is worth considering the characteristics of the crops grown.

• Basil is very fond of the sun and responds gratefully to morning watering - this is his favorite schedule of the day.
• Lemon balm seeds are placed on moist soil. They emerge for a long time, up to two or three decades, only under the influence of light and at an air temperature above 20 degrees. They may not be sprinkled with earth at all or covered with a thin layer of sand.
• Rosemary is a perennial. If the seedlings have taken root, have grown, they can be planted in pots in spring and grown as a separate plant. For the summer, you can plant it in a garden, on a sunny area where groundwater does not stagnate.

Spicy herbs on the windowsill become really aromatic only when the lighting is as close as possible to the conditions of their natural growth.

Secrets of indoor gardens

Everything will work out if you follow the advice carefully!

• For the usual herbs (dill, parsley, basil), which are used in considerable quantities, take larger boxes. If the container is high and does not interfere with the interior, but the question arises about the amount of soil, the container can be filled from below with expanded polystyrene from under the packages. Pour soil on top. So two problems are solved: the flowerpot, although voluminous, is light; the necessary drainage is created from the pieces of foam.
• Ceramic pots are environmentally friendly, but moisture evaporates quickly from them. This fact must be taken into account when watering plants.
• Various materials are selected for drainage: expanded clay, broken ceramics or bricks, gravel, shell particles. Now foam plastic has become widely used. It is valuable because it weighs little, has a lot of air in its structure, and gives a slight warming effect in cold weather. Therefore, the root system of plants is not susceptible to low temperatures, for example, from the side of frosty glass. The use of charcoal is environmentally friendly and practical: the soil is disinfected, and the moisture level is also stabilized in it. Large particles of the selected type of drainage are placed on the drainage holes in the container so that smaller fractions do not spill out.
• It is best to buy soil in the store, which is already balanced in terms of the composition of microelements. Gardening is dangerous in that it can contain pests "asleep" for the winter. If, nevertheless, a natural material is chosen, in order to avoid the invasion of uninvited guests (insects, fungal spores), it is steamed for about an hour or sterilized in a microwave oven in a paper bag for 5 minutes. You cannot ignite, because organic matter burns out and the soil becomes infertile.In composition, it should be light, contain sand, peat or coconut fiber, vermiculite or agroperlite. The substrate level is 5 cm below the edge of the crockery.
• The moisture content of the soil must be closely monitored: spicy herbs do not like a lot of water, they should not be poured. Watering is also regulated depending on the air temperature in the room. Sometimes it is enough to water the sprouts only once a week. Only in summer do plants need water every day. Winter crops are watered only with water at room temperature, which must be settled. Cold water directly from the tap, where the concentration of chlorine is high, can destroy delicate seedlings and inhibit the development of adult plants. But they won't be hurt by a warm spray from a spray bottle.
• When the stalks of herbs grow to a height of 10-12 cm, you need to start pruning the branches. This procedure will not harm them, but will only allow them to bush more magnificently. The exception is watercress. Its greens are valuable at a very young age. You just need to sow this spice more often in several containers.
• If the windows of the apartment face north, illumination is indispensable (and in winter it is necessary for the south as well). For this purpose, special phytolamps, lamps with red, blue, yellow-orange spectra of rays are best suited. The latter, by the way, do not tire the eyes. It is necessary to purchase such lamps that do not emit thermal energy, otherwise there may be cases of plant burns. Red light is useful for seed germination and faster shoot growth. Greens grow rapidly under blue-violet lighting. It is recommended to use LED, gas-discharge and fluorescent lamps.

Creating a garden of southern fragrances is an entertaining hobby. One has only to try, and this activity will become a favorite, not to mention the benefits of such an exciting hobby. What plants can grow on your windowsill?

Good afternoon - today we will talk about how to grow greens at home, on the windowsill or on the balcony. I'll show you how to plant and how to care for edible herbs grown in boxes and pots at your window. I will also introduce you to spicy herbs that are most often used in the cooking of Europe and Asia... We will find out what juicy leaves and stems can be added to our vitamin salads and other dishes.

WHAT EDIBLE GREENS

YOU CAN GROW ON A WINDOWSILL.

Before we start talking about the rules of sowing growing greens on windowsills ... Let me first tell you WHAT wonderful greens you can grow all year round on your windowsill. Why each herb is useful and how to use it in cooking.

Let's make a brief overview of the greenery with a photo. And to make you want to grow greens more at home - I will give not only a photo of herbs on the windowsill - but also photographs of dishes made with these herbs.

I won't talk about parsley, salad, and dill. Everyone is already familiar with this greenery since childhood.

I want to make you fall in love with other new edible herbs ... who knows, perhaps you will discover an amazing new flavor for your family cooking.

So ... let's get acquainted ...

BORAGO is a cucumber herb with juicy stems.

Borago (or "cucumber grass") - it really tastes like our cucumber. It has double leaves and green flowers. She was loved in France (there she is called "the grass of joy" - her blue small flowers were put in a glass of wine, they taste sweet.

Borago produces lush leaves with thick juicy stems - they are eaten directly from plump stems.

The leaves are harvested even before flowering - they make vitamin salads, add to okroshka, garnish with fish and meat, brew with tea, put in wine or hot punch.

ROSEMARY - the soul of European cuisine on your windowsill.

Rosemary widely used in Italian and French cuisine. It is seasoned with lamb, poultry, potato casserole, vegetable stews. Meat for grilling is even strung on sprigs of rosemary - and the stems of this herb transfer their aroma to the kebab.

OREGANO - herb for sauces.

Oregano - added to marinades, sour cream or mayonnaise sauces. Grind with thyme, basil and olive oil - and this dressing is used to flavor any summer salads or spaghetti. It is also put into pizza.

THYME is a medicinal herb on your windowsill.

Thyme (thyme) - fresh leaves are added to salads, meat and vegetables are stewed with thyme. Thyme is added to omelets, cheese dressings for casseroles.

Tea with thyme (i.e. with thyme) helps stop coughing, relieves hangover syndrome, and eliminates digestive problems.

MAJORAN - greens not like all the others.

The ancient Greeks adored marjoram - they considered it a magical herb, they covered sacrificial altars with it. Marjoram enhances SEXUAL ATTRACTION - in ancient times it was actively used by men - by adding it to wine, to hot alcoholic drinks (such as modern punch and mulled wine).

Nowadays - the entire sausage industry in Germany - prays for this herb - it is generously added to all German sausages. Maybe that's why the Germans are considered sex-addicted ... it's just that marjoram in sausages has such an effect on them.

Add to minced meat - to fillings for meat rolls - to soups - to fish salads. When the diet restricts salt intake, this herb is an excellent substitute for it.

Very quickly, marjoram heals NASMORK - rub the leaf with your fingers to bring it to the nose - you start sneezing and the nasal sinuses are immediately cleared - the swelling of the mucous membrane is removed. Used for diseases of the respiratory tract. Reduces CHOLESTEROL.

BASILIC ON THE WINDOWSILL.

Basil - a well-known spice of very wide application - they put it everywhere... Fresh in salads. In vegetable stew and meat roast - 3 minutes until cooked. It is an ideal seasoning for fish - for liver - for pickles. It is added to minced meat for sausages - to meat fillings for pies and casseroles, as well as to omelets.

CRESS SALAD grown at home.

Watercress - a herb containing just a storehouse of vitamins - just the entire alphabetical-vitamin series. Watercress is used to treat many skin inflammations (including purulent ones) - its leaves heal wounds. It also helps in the treatment of cataracts and other eye diseases. Used in the treatment of prostatitis. It is recommended to eat watercress leaves for depression and nervous disorders.

Cream soups, sauces, and gravies are prepared from cress leaves crushed in a blender. This herb is good in omelets and casseroles. Ideal for fresh salads. Suitable as a side dish for meat and fish dishes.

Below I will talk about how to grow watercress at home - it has an original way of planting.

WHEN TO PLANT GREENS on windowsills.

You can start a sowing company in any season of the year. But of course that in the summer period (with long sunny days, warmed up window sills - sowing will quickly sprout and abundant greenery. While in winter - all these processes will occur much slower.

If you sow greenery in spring and summer, then all that is required for it is systemic watering and a little bit of vermicompost (for nutrition).

WHAT IS BIOHUMUS - and why should it be added to the soil for planting greenery.

Vermicompost is a natural biological fertilizer. Which gives strong immunity to landings. Accelerates seed germination. Accelerates growth and maturation of plants. Prevents the accumulation of nitrates through plant roots. Protects against bacterial and putrefactive diseases.

When added to the soil, biohumus gradually releases nutrients to the plant ... during all its growth stages.

There are already soils on sale - which include vermicompost (read the composition of the soil on the package).

WHERE TO PLANT GREENS - for growing on a windowsill

Preparing the soil. We mix vermicompost with coconut fiber (proportion 1: 2). So we will not get pure vermicompost - but a good substrate, which will gradually give its nutrients to your green plantings.

We prepare containers - pots (with a hole in the bottom), or drawers, or other decorative bowls-cups (if you want your windowsill to look elegant.

The depth of the selected container should be at least 15 cm - if you want to harvest a serious crop.

At the bottom we put 2-3 cm of drainage layer (for the outflow of excess water from the ground) - as drainage, you can use expanded clay balls or even just small pebbles or gravel will do.

You can immediately sow in box pots. And you can first in peat tablets or cups - and then transplant them into large pots.

HOW TO PREPARE THE SEEDS BEFORE PLANTING.

Many people like to test seeds for germination - by dropping them into water. And throwing out floating seeds (like dummies). But in fact, this principle no longer works. Currently, there are varieties and hybrids in which floating seeds germinate in the same way as those settled on the bottom. Therefore, this rule can be omitted.

And just soak the seeds in warm water - for your own pleasure.

FOR PETRUSHKA - such a stay of seeds in warm water is even beneficial. There is a lot of essential oil in its seeds - it prevents the seeds from absorbing moisture and emerging. Therefore, they need to be kept in water - so that the essential oils are washed out of the seeds and increase their germination.

HOW TO PLANT GREENS ON THE WINDOWSILL.

SEEDS are spread on prepared filled with vermicompost, and slightly crushed soil with your fingers. The laid out seeds are sprinkled with earth - a layer no more than 1 cm.

Light-sensitive seeds (small-small) and you do not need to fall asleep at all, but slightly crush it with your finger (stick to the soil) and leave it to lie.

After disembarkation - we need to sprinkle our "bed" with water and cover with a plastic transparent bag to create a greenhouse - so that moisture does not evaporate quickly. In the bag, make a few holes for air or just leave the bag ajar - so that there is no unnecessary discussion in the bag.

Such a man-made greenhouse - will create uniformly humid climate and will accelerate seed germination.

After seed germination (1.5-2 weeks after sowing) - you can remove the greenhouse... But it is better to do this not in the evening, but in the morning ... So that the plants get used to the temperature with a gradual cooling of the day towards evening.

After seed germination - a month later (when they are already standing stretched out on their thin stalks) - you need make a bed of earth - another 2 cm.

NOTE -

some greens can be propagated NOT ONLY BY SEEDS ...

ROSEMARY they are also propagated by dividing the bush, cuttings, layering.

 

PETRUSHKA AND CELERY - also planted with roots. If you plant parsley not with seeds - but with roots - then it will very quickly give its greens.

BASIL - reproduces by leaves. We cut off the leaves with cuttings - we plunge them into the water and wait for the cutting of the leaf to sprout root processes.

BORAGO - sown with standard seeds. The distance between the seeds is at least 6 cm - so that there is where to plow the leaves. Borago does not like a lot of sun - this green is ideal for windowsills with access to the north, west, east.

CRESS SALAD - these are greens that can be planted without land - on a wet flannel cloth or in a scattering of expanded clay balls.

HOW OFTEN WATER GREENS ON THE WINDOWSILL

In the first month of growth, we water a little, but often. The ground should be constantly moist (but not wet) ... The greenhouse helps us with this. In the course of the day, they opened the bag ... sprinkled water from the pshikalki and covered the film again.

In the following months, watering is carried out as needed. More often in summer… less often in winter.

You can arrange a self-irrigation system for greenery ... so that the earth itself absorbs moisture as needed

FOR GREENS TO GROW LUSH

Every day - you need to turn the pots with sprouts - 180 degrees - so that the plant does not bend in one direction (towards the sun).

Onions, dill and parsley do not require a lot of light.Therefore, pots with these green bushes can be placed on the edge of the windowsill - and other sun-loving plants can be placed closer to the window.

ROSEMARY growing in bushes in pots - has a tendency to grow with rhizomes (roots will climb into the drainage layer). Therefore, it is recommended 2 times a year - take the plant out of the pot - cut off part of the roots with a knife along with the ground. Put a layer of drainage back on - add some soil - and return the rosemary bush to the pot. Such a transplant stimulates the emergence of new green shoots. ALSO rosemary requires feeding (with a weak solution) every 2 weeks.

BASIL - after the appearance of 6 leaves - pinch off. So that he bushes to the sides. Then the twigs that have gone to the sides - we pinch in the same way after 5 leaves - so that they also start up their side shoots. And so on until we create the lush crown of the basil bush we need.

ONION ON THE WINDOWSILL - HOW TO GROW.

And we will tell you separately how to get fresh onion feathers on the windowsill - by germinating the bulbs in water.

Pour water into cups (glasses, jars) so that the onion dropped into the container is immersed in it no more than half. And leave it like that in the water. After two days, the bulb will begin to give a feather. To make the whole composition look beautiful, you can arrange such plantings of onion greens - with decorative materials.

And here's an idea for using eggshells to sprout bulbs. Pour water into the shells. We lower the small bulbs outside and wait for the green harvest.

These are the simple rules for growing greenery in your home on a windowsill or balcony.

Successful sowing and tasty harvest.

Olga Klishevskaya, specially for the site "Family Heap"

to your site.

When planning to master the cultivation of greenery on the windowsill in winter, autumn and spring, lovers of indoor beds consider three indisputable leaders: dill, parsley and green onions.

These plants are suitable as a condiment for many dishes. They gained their popularity due to their ease of care, versatility and taste. How to grow popular and not very well-worn spicy herbs in the kitchen with your own hands, what to look for in order for the crop to please the eye and taste?

1. General recommendations for growing herbs on the windowsill
2. Requirements of different greenery
   • How to grow parsley on the window
   • Features of growing dill in an apartment
   • Fragrant basil on the window
   • Ideal salad variety for home growing
   • How to get green onions quickly in winter
   • Fragrant mint in the home kitchen
3. What else can be grown on a windowsill in an apartment

General recommendations for growing herbs on the windowsill

Almost any greenery can be grown on the windowsill in the apartment. The main thing is to choose the right variety and comply with the plant's requirements for soil composition, air humidity, watering, and temperature conditions.

Important:

• Choose unpretentious varieties, or better hybrids specially bred for indoor conditions. This will make it easier to care for and increase the chances of a crop. If you are not confident in your abilities and want to get a quick result, buy not seeds, but ready-made seedlings in pots.
• Practical greenery pots on the windowsill should be rectangular. Use a wide and shallow dish. Plastic containers are quite suitable, they are lightweight and practical to clean. Ideal for multiple use. Read more about the choice of containers here.
• Buy a light, well-drained soil for your greenery. You can prepare a mixture of vermicompost with coconut fiber. The proportion should be 1: 2. At the bottom of the pot, be sure to pour a layer of small stones, expanded clay, crushed foam or make other drainage.
• If the window is cool or blowing, use plastic hoods to create mini greenhouses. You can buy ready-made or do it yourself from a package.
• The optimal daylight hours for green pets are 10-13 hours. In winter, there is not enough light, especially on the north side.To illuminate the greenery on the windowsill, install lamps, it is better to buy fluorescent or special phytolamps. Regular fixtures will not work.

• Do not neglect top dressing, pick up complexes of mineral fertilizers for watering every 2-3 weeks. But make the solution less concentrated than for open ground.
• Spray green pets every other day or more with a fine spray, especially if the air in the apartment is dry.
• Do not be lazy to turn the pots in different directions to the light so that the plant develops evenly.
• To grow greenery to the apartment, it is better to take a window sill in the kitchen. The bedroom is not the best place for frequent watering, spraying, and fertilizing. In the bathroom, herbs will look ridiculous; other plants are more appropriate for her landscaping.

If you do not want to be limited only to greenery, then study our tips for organizing and decorating a vegetable garden on the windowsill and find out what else you can grow in a city apartment all year round. However, for beginners, it is best start with herbs and indoor pepper. Difficult to cultivate plants can disappoint with the result and discourage the process.

Requirements of different greenery

Before heading to the store for seeds or seedlings, learn how to grow different types of greens on the windowsill, and stop at the simplest and most affordable option for you.

How to grow parsley on the window

To grow parsley in pots, you need a mixture of one part of peat, the same amount of humus and twice the amount of garden soil, disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate. But it's easier to buy a ready-made universal primer.

When choosing seeds, give preference to early, fast-maturing varieties. This information is indicated on the packaging. Low-grade species and curly parsley look beautiful. It is important that the selected variety can easily tolerate frequent pruning, because you will constantly pluck the leaves to decorate dishes.

Optimal varieties for indoor conditions:

• Appetizing;
• Vorozheya;
• Aster;
• Gloria;
• Nastenka;
• Station wagon;
• Russian feast.

To increase the germination of parsley, experienced gardeners are advised to keep the seeds warm in a damp cloth for two or three days. Then you need to squeeze out excess water, place a cloth with seeds in a bag and put in the refrigerator for several days.

Basic rules for growing parsley on the windowsill:

1. Choose containers for planting with a height of at least 15 cm.
2. During planting, be sure to keep the distance between the holes at least 5 cm.
3. Deepen the seeds to a depth of 0.7-1.4 mm.
4. Immediately after sowing, cover the pot with foil or a special plastic greenhouse and place it on a lighted windowsill.
5. Provide a temperature of 17-21 degrees.
6. Moisten crops, but not liberally, otherwise mold will form. Remove the film every day, providing air access.
7. With proper care, parsley shoots will appear in one and a half to two weeks. The film can be removed.
8. Water your greens two to three times a week. Provide supplemental food once a month.
9. The optimum temperature for indoor parsley is 15-18 ° C during the day and 10-12 ° C at night.
10. Make sure that the greens are not attacked by pests. Spider mites are often transferred from other plants to parsley.

When harvesting, try not to rip off the tops, but thin out ranks... This will improve the conditions for further growth.

Features of growing dill in an apartment

When choosing which greens can be grown on the windowsill in winter, pay attention to dill - the second most popular spice in the kitchen.

To enjoy the summer aroma in a month, buy varieties with fast ripening: Gribovsky, Carousel, Early miracle, Aurora, Grenadier. You can plant varieties with different ripening periods on the same windowsill, in order to first use the early ones, and then switch to the later ones, which will just have time to grow up.

1. To select good seeds, soak them in warm water for two days, changing the water to fresh every 12 hours. Throw away everything that comes up mercilessly, and use the rest of the material for planting.
2. Moisten the soil in the pots and make holes 1-1.5 cm deep, leaving gaps of about 4 cm.
3. Cover with soil, sprinkle with water and cover with plastic as described above for parsley.
4. Place in a warm (18 to 20 degrees) place protected from sunlight for a week.
5. When shoots appear, remove the film and place the pot of herbs on the windowsill. If it seems that there are a lot of shoots, thin out, leaving a space of about 3 cm around each shoot.
6. Water as the soil dries. It is better to take a spray bottle as an assistant so as not to damage young seedlings.
7. Turn the pot with opposite sides to the sun so that the dill grows evenly.
8. Fertilize once every 30-45 days.

Fragrant basil on the window

Basil is another popular choice for growing fresh greenery on a windowsill in a city apartment. There are many varieties of basil in nature, but only a few dozen are suitable for human consumption. The leaves of the plant are used in cooking, they are ideal for salads, and for meat dishes, and for marinades.

The best varieties for a room are:

• Marquis - is distinguished by its compactness and beautiful shape of the ball;
• A dwarf is a low bush, there are species with purple tide greens;
• Clove - attracts with a pleasant aroma and high decorativeness.
• Lemon - delicate scent of lemon and crown with beautiful light green leaves.
• Purple is a bright bush with large leaves.

Basil seeds are different long germination... To speed up the process, keep the seed in a warm place for 10-14 days, then soak in warm water for a day. Throw away the floating instances.

1. Make holes in the soil and plant the seeds about 3 cm apart. It is unnecessary to do large intervals, since not all crops will sprout.
2. Make a polyethylene greenhouse to accelerate germination. The plant loves light and warmth - provide a temperature of 25 ° C.
3. Moisten the mini-bed as it dries.
4. When the basil rises, thin out the excess so that there is 5 cm of free space around each plant.
5. Place on a well-lit windowsill and regularly look after the plantings - water, turn, fertilize, loosen the soil. Heat water for irrigation to 30 ° С.
6. Basil loves light, so be sure to install a backlight lamp on the windowsill and provide at least 15 hours of daylight.

For culinary purposes pick off the leaves from the tops of the bush... This will prevent blooms that make the grass unfit for food.

Ideal salad variety for home growing

If you are planning to plant greens on the windowsill for the first time, pay attention to watercress. This is one of the most unpretentious and fastest growing plants. Watercress seeds do not require long soaking, and seedlings are resistant to temperature fluctuations and light. The best varieties: Pepper, Ordinary, Broadleaf, Curly.

1. To get a bountiful harvest, soak watercress seeds in a mild potassium permanganate solution for a couple of hours.
2. Make good drainage at the bottom of the pot and fill it with flower soil from a bag or a mixture of two parts coconut fiber and one vermicompost.
3. Prepare holes 5-10 mm deep, sow basil and sprinkle with soil. Moisten and cover with plastic wrap.
4. The first micro-greens on the windowsill will appear in a week. Keep the pot at 17-20 degrees.
5. The higher the temperature, the more watering should be.

Watercress is one of the most unpretentious plants, it can be grown without land at all. Someone does it right in the water, and someone on foam rubber. But in a pot on the kitchen windowsill, greens look more attractive.

How to get green onions quickly in winter

To grow onion greens at home on the windowsill, you can use two options - in the soil in a pot and in water. The second method is high speed and is well known to everyone from childhood. You just need to fill the glasses with water and place the bulbs in them. Better to take those that have already begun to germinate.

Nuances of growing luka in the water:

1. The water should be warm - about 40 degrees.
2. If the bulb has not yet begun to germinate, it is recommended to cut the top by 1.5 cm.
3. Only the roots should be in the water; the bulb should not be immersed more than one third.

By the way, in the same way, you can grow an avocado from a stone at home and get a beautiful tree.

Instead of jars, it is convenient to use egg packs or special pots for growing onions at home. This is a container with holes for the bulbs. Looks neat and beautiful on the windowsill.

It is longer and more difficult to grow green onions in soil. Use bulbs for planting, as the harvest from the seeds may not wait at all.

See the video for planting bulbs on greens in a bottle.

Fragrant mint in the home kitchen

An excellent choice for home - mint with a wonderful aroma. Mint is a perennial plant that is easy to grow on a windowsill using root cuttings or seeds. The second method will take more time, but it will also bring more pleasure.

For growing mint, peat or loose humus soil with an acidity of no more than 5-6 pH is suitable. Feel free to buy a universal primer in the store and do not worry. The ideal temperature is 18-25 degrees. Plant good lighting required.

1. You need to divide the bush in the fall after the completion of the growing season. Divide the rhizomes carefully so that each portion contains dormant buds.
2. Fill the pots two-thirds full with nutrient soil.
3. Spread out the seedlings carefully and cover them with soil.
4. Drizzle with warm water.

The first leaves should appear in about two weeks.

If you bought a bunch of fresh mint, then try to get planting material using the method cuttings... Simply place a few twigs in the water by dipping them into a root stimulator (root). The roots will appear in 8-14 days. All that remains is to plant the seedlings in pots.

1. Sowing mint seeds for growing on a windowsill is best in mid-spring.
2. Fill the pot with soil, prepare the wells 0.5 cm deep and moisten the soil.
3. Sow the seeds and sprinkle on top with a little of the same soil.
4. Cover with a plastic greenhouse.
5. At a temperature of 19-25 degrees, seedlings will appear a couple of weeks after sowing.
6. Control the moisture content of the ground, avoid drying out and excessive moisture. Water using a spray method to avoid diluting crops.

When growing mint in winter, do not over-water it. Let the soil dry out slightly. Avoid drafts. Water liberally in summer, but protect fresh greens from excess direct sunlight. If conditions permit, use mint to create a fragrant atmosphere in the garden on the balcony.

What else can be grown on a windowsill in an apartment

If you are going to grow greens on the windowsill in winter, you can choose almost any type of fast growing spicy herbaceous plants. Oregano and sage celebrate themselves well in the apartment, they are not demanding of light and withstand partial shade.

Unpretentious fragrant melissa... Lemon balm seeds just need to be sown into the soil to a depth of 0.5 cm without presoaking, watered and moistened regularly. The greens will hatch in days. Melissa loves light, a lack of it reduces the production of essential oils that impart fragrance to the leaves.

It will require care, but it looks very original on the window celery... The easiest way to get celery greens is in water. Just cut the root off the stem and leave it in a container of water in a sunny place. In a few days, new shoots and roots will appear.You can transplant the plant into soil or leave it in water. Cut green leaves as needed and groom if transplanted.

Green seeds cost a penny. Try, experiment with different types and planting options. Create your own spicy mini-garden to delight yourself and the envy of passers-by looking in the windows. And for more effect decorate the pots with your own handsusing our selection of ideas. So you will be able to significantly save on the purchase of containers.

Having made it your hobby to grow herbs on the windowsill at home, you will enjoy, decorate the kitchen and always have spicy herbs on hand for salads and soups. This hobby is ideal for joint leisure activities with children and husband. Have a good harvest all year round!

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In winter, there is a lack of fresh greens and vegetables from the garden. What can be grown on a windowsill to enjoy natural products? The list of crops suitable for apartment conditions is quite wide - from parsley and lettuce to tomatoes and cucumbers.

You can grow greens on the windowsill in winter or summer the same way as in the garden. But it should be borne in mind that some plants are quite demanding. In this article, we'll look at easy-to-care crops.

If you are a novice gardener, and therefore do not know what can be grown on the windowsill, then it is better to start with green onions, watercress, parsley. And spicy herbs - basil and rosemary - not only come in handy in the kitchen, but also spread their aroma throughout the apartment. More experienced hobbyists can start right away by growing cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers.

Children will also like the winter garden. Even a toddler can grow green onions on a windowsill. Caring for plants will not only captivate the child and give him a new and useful experience, but also provide vitamins.

Training

After you have decided what to grow on the windowsill, you need to prepare the pots, soil, seeds. The set is the same for most cultures. Experienced summer residents who know how to grow seedlings on the windowsill already have almost everything they need.

To arrange a vegetable garden on a windowsill, you will need deep boxes or wide flower pots for planting plants. They can be fitted with plastic covers to create a greenhouse effect. For these purposes, you can also use ordinary plastic bags.

Fill the pots with soil from a flower shop or a self-prepared substrate. It is better to refuse to use the land from the garden or vegetable garden, since insect larvae and weed seeds can remain in it. If the ground from the street is not prepared and ignited, then there is a high probability that one weeds can be grown on the windowsill.

You also need to prepare a container for settling water - delicate young plants should not be watered directly from the tap. You will also need a spray bottle or a small watering can.

Foil placed behind the plants to reflect sunlight will also be helpful. If foil is not used, boxes and pots with plants must be turned 180 degrees daily, otherwise they will tilt towards the window and grow crooked.

If the plants are grown in spring and summer (planting in February-March), then they will have enough sunlight from the street. But a winter garden planted in the fall will require additional lighting. Fluorescent lamps are suitable for this.

It should be understood that only undemanding herbs can be grown on a windowsill in winter without backlighting, but you will not be able to get a good harvest of tomatoes without using phytolamps. In winter, on sunny days, you will need additional lighting in the evening, but in cloudy weather, the lamp will have to be turned on for the whole day.

Green onions

How to grow onions on a windowsill is shown to children in kindergarten.This is the easiest crop to grow at home, it does not require much maintenance, grows quickly and is very useful.

For forcing a feather, you can use both large onion sets (samples) and ordinary turnip onions. The feathers from the small bulb are more delicate, but the small head depletes quickly. A large onion produces abundant greens for a longer period.

Not only self-grown onions are suitable, you can also use those purchased in a supermarket or a store for summer residents. The easiest way to plant onions for forcing is in water. To do this, you need to take a small glass and fill it with plain water or nutrient solution. The bulb must be installed so that only the tip touches the surface of the liquid. You need to change the water every day.

When planted in water, the bulb can start to rot and give off an unpleasant odor. This can be avoided, since it is possible to grow onions on the windowsill with planting in the ground. Place the substrate in a shallow plastic box. If there are no drainage holes at the bottom of the container, then it is reasonable to pour a small drainage layer of expanded clay, pebbles, broken bricks, etc. to prevent root decay.

You do not need to deepen the heads, plant it tightly, the bulbs are not afraid of close proximity. Planting must be watered frequently, preventing the soil from drying out. Do not use all the seed material at once, it is better to split it into several portions and plant it with a difference of 2-3 weeks, then there will be enough fresh onions for the whole winter.

Green onions can be grown not only in crates. Forcing onions can be planted vertically. To do this, you can purchase a special flowerpot in a store for summer residents or make holes yourself in a plastic bottle filled with soil.

Watercress

What can a beginner grow on a windowsill? Another simple crop to grow on a windowsill is watercress. It is known for its beneficial properties, and its simplicity makes it one of the most common home-grown salads. Watercress is ready for use in 2-3 weeks after planting. The seeds can be purchased at the gardener's shop.

You don't need a deep container to grow lettuce; a regular tray will do. As a substrate, you can use a thin (about 3 cm) layer of clay or peat soil, folded several times cloth, cotton wool or paper towels.

You need to plant watercress densely so that the young plants support each other. Press the seeds a little into a damp substrate. The plant does not require additional lighting, it is enough to place it on the windowsill.

How to grow salad on a windowsill? The main thing is to prevent the soil from drying out, although you shouldn't pour the salad either. Does not like the plant and heat. The optimum temperature is not higher than 18 degrees Celsius. To avoid overheating in winter, it is enough to move the container with the salad closer to the window.

In order for the green watercress to be present on the table all the time, you need to plant it according to a scheme convenient for you. You can sow a new container every week or two, or add a small amount of seeds every 3-4 days.

Leaf salad

Growing lettuce is already a little more difficult. To know how to grow a salad on a windowsill, you need to take into account the variety of the plant being grown. The varieties Lollo Rossa, Lollo Bionda, Odessa, Vitamin, New Year, Red Credo show themselves best in an apartment.

In the fall and winter, lettuce will need additional lighting. If the room is hot and dry, the plant does not receive enough moisture, then the leaves will become bitter, coarse, and flower stalks form quickly. Lettuce loves moisture, coolness, feels good on a glassed-in balcony until late autumn.

Lettuce is planted in the ground quite tightly, at a distance of 1-2 cm. Before the first shoots, the container is covered to create a greenhouse effect.Over time, thinning will be needed at a distance of 4-5 cm. The plant needs watering and good lighting.

After the bushes begin to release arrows, they become unusable. They can be removed and new seeds can be planted in their place.

Parsley

Many housewives are wondering how to grow parsley on the windowsill. After all, it often takes only a few leaves of this plant, and you don't want to buy a whole package in the store. In spring and summer, parsley can be grown from seed. The plant is light-requiring, so in the winter it will need additional lighting. Seeds germinate rather slowly, but the bush will also serve for a long time. Parsley is not demanding at temperature, it grows well on the windowsill or on the balcony. The plant is hygrophilous, watering is abundant. In winter, water the parsley less often.

It will be possible to cut the first greens only after a month and a half, but it will be possible to do this for a whole year. Before planting, it is better to soak the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate. You can plant parsley in small containers, in peat cups or directly in flowerpots.

How to grow parsley on a windowsill in autumn and winter, because growing from seeds at this time is too long and laborious process? There is another way - forcing from the rhizome. This method is somewhat simpler and better suited for the autumn-winter period. Planting material can be prepared independently on a personal plot or bought at a regular grocery store.

The rhizome should be healthy, without signs of wilting, and the apical bud should be intact. The root crop must be placed in a pot and sprinkled with moist soil. Roots that are too long can be planted obliquely.

The first green shoots will appear within a few days after planting, and the leaves can be cut off in a couple of weeks. Greens will appear on the rhizome within six months.

Basil

What can be grown on the windowsill besides the usual onions, parsley, lettuce? Something more exotic like basil or rosemary.

The type of basil doesn't matter, either green or purple will do. Basil can be propagated using both seeds and cuttings. The plant is thermophilic - the optimum temperature is 20-25 degrees, and it is hygrophilous - good drainage and abundant watering are required.

Cutting is a quick way to grow basil. You can just buy a few twigs from the store, put them in water and after one to two weeks move the seedling with roots into a pot. Young shoots will be ready for cutting in a couple of weeks. It is better to cut off side shoots.

Basil, planted by cutting, grows quickly, but blooms quickly too. As you know, after the beginning of flowering, the plant is unsuitable for food. To have fresh basil on your table all the time, you need to update the planting every 3-4 months.

Planting basil with seeds will take more effort. But such a bush will not bloom for about a year. Seeds need to be soaked, covered, sprouts must be transplanted into pots. It is better to grow basil using seeds in spring, since additional lighting will be needed in winter.

Rosemary

Rosemary in a clay pot on the windowsill will not only decorate the kitchen, but also come in handy when cooking. This plant can be grown in the summer in the country, and in the winter it will feel great at home.

You will need a wide pot in which a thick drainage layer is poured. Rosemary is picky about light and air. He prefers the south side, and in summer, the pot with the plant must be planted in the open ground, taken out on the balcony or out the window, otherwise the leaves will not accumulate a sufficient amount of essential oils.

For planting rosemary, both seeds and cuttings are suitable. The seeds of the plant have poor germination. They need to be soaked for 2 days, then put on the ground, without sprinkling on top, covered with a film and sprayed every day from a spray bottle.If seedlings do not appear after 4 weeks, new seeds are planted. When the seedlings release three or more leaves, they are planted in spacious pots.

It is easier to grow rosemary using cuttings. This requires a stiff plant shoot. It is placed in a container with water or wet sand, and after rooting, it is transplanted into a pot.

Rosemary likes frequent but moderate watering. It is better to overdry the soil than to fill it. With a lack of moisture, the lower leaves of the plant will begin to turn yellow, and with an excess, the roots will rot, which will lead to the death of the plant.

If in winter the plant is provided with a low temperature (up to 5 degrees), then in spring the rosemary will bloom. An adult plant needs to be constantly trimmed to form a bush.

Cucumbers

Growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter is a pretty tempting prospect. This can be done not only by an experienced gardener, but also by a beginner. Cucumbers grow quite quickly, you can get the first harvest in a month and a half.

Not every variety of cucumbers is suitable for growing on a windowsill. First, it must be self-pollinated. During flowering, the bush must be shaken daily for pollination to occur. Secondly, it will be much more convenient if the plant is bushy. Thirdly, an early variety is better suited for home cultivation. Finally, a shade-loving plant is ideal. You can grow cucumbers on the windowsill in the winter of the varieties Connie, Masha, Legend, Debut, Flight, Babylon. Knowing the necessary parameters, you can choose another variety.

Growing cucumbers at home has its own subtleties. After all, providing all the necessary conditions can be difficult. Cucumbers are photophilous, so windows on the south and east sides are suitable for growing them. If there is still not enough light, then additional lighting with fluorescent lamps will be needed.

The temperature in the room should not be lower than 20 degrees, so you should not move the flowerpots too close to the cold window. Cucumbers are very fond of moisture, so you need to make sure that the soil does not dry out. The pot with the plant can be placed in a bowl of water. Leaves need to be sprayed with a spray bottle twice a day.

Tomatoes

It seems to many that growing tomatoes on a windowsill is very difficult and inaccessible to a beginner. But this is not at all true! Moreover, there are special varieties for indoor cultivation.

When visiting a gardener store, note that some seed packages say “Recommended for pot growing”, “Harvest on the window”, “Home garden”. And the names of the varieties themselves are speaking - Room surprise, Balcony miracle, Japanese room. There are also ampelous varieties that will look great in pots - Peruvian home, Cherry, Talisman.

Even if you don't find special indoor varieties, regular ones will do. Please note that these tomatoes should be determinant (undersized, or better dwarf), self-pollinated (for pollination, the bushes are shaken during flowering) and small-fruited. For example, Alaska, Bonsai, Bonsai micro, Pearl (red and yellow), Canada News, Minibel, Pinocchio, etc.

Tomatoes can be planted directly in large pots or pick the strongest sprouts. During flowering and fruit setting, tomatoes should be watered abundantly and the leaves should be sprayed.

The room where tomatoes grow must be regularly ventilated - plants do not like stagnant air. In winter, they need additional lighting. The plant needs to be fed periodically. The first fruits can be obtained in 3-4 months.

Tomato is a perennial plant. At home, with good care, it will bear fruit for several years. After a period of active fruiting, the bush needs to be transplanted into a larger pot and renewed by pruning the branches. In addition, the tomato can be propagated by cuttings. A plant grown from a cuttings will start blooming within a few weeks.

Sweet pepper

How to grow pepper on a windowsill? This is no more difficult than growing tomatoes. True, it will take longer to wait for the harvest - 5-6 months. But pepper is a perennial plant, with good care, annual transplantation and pruning, it will bear fruit for several years. The plant can be propagated not only by seeds, but also by cuttings. Caring for a pepper is also similar to caring for a tomato, but with one significant difference - if the tomato does not tolerate stagnant air, then the pepper is afraid of drafts, so it is better not to settle them on the same window.

Self-pollinated early-ripening varieties are best suited for growing in an apartment - California Miracle, Oda, Jupiter, Patio-Ivo.

Pepper needs good illumination, warmth, loose soil (it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil). This plant is not capricious, and will delight you with its fruits for a long time. Hot peppers can also be grown at home, but these plants should not be in the same room, otherwise cross-pollination will occur.