A spring vegetable garden at home is a million in one: eco-style praised by the Scandinavians, saving on vitamins and entertainment for the whole family. We checked what you can easily grow on a windowsill, and what you’ll have to worry about a lot; where to make do with improvised means, and where it is better not to save; which plants should be grown from seeds, and which ones should be grown from leftovers not included in the salad.

Devices

You can grow fresh herbs at home without any special equipment at all, by planting seeds in packaging trays for vegetables and herbs, yogurt cups or containers from Doshik. However, for beauty and style, it is better to purchase special pots or boxes - wide, but not deep. It is convenient if they are equipped with special lids for creating greenhouse effect, although this can be achieved by simply covering the pot plastic film or by packing it in a transparent bag from the nearest Magnit.

The same principle applies to tools - you can dig in the ground with improvised means, but why, if for a decent mini-shovel and rake at Fix Price they only ask for 50 rubles? You will also need a spray bottle or watering can with a nozzle for “rain” and a bottle for settling the water - watering young greenery with tap water is too cruel.

The most stylish pots and watering cans this spring were seen in, although their prices are not the most affordable (the “Bittergurka” watering can made of white eco-ceramics is 799 rubles, and this is already with a seasonal discount). The very fashionable can also splurge on gardening gadgets - hydroponic beds, aqua farms and mini-greenhouses - you can check the capabilities of the technology, for example, by following the link.

It’s better to go to the store for soil. Digging on the nearest lawn or grandma's dacha is not an option, since the street soil is full of not only weeds, but also insect larvae that have no place in the kitchen. Ideally, buy special soil for home vegetables (30-50 rubles for a five-liter package), but if your nearest store doesn’t have one, soil for indoor plants. You can also spend money on drainage - expanded clay or special pebbles, or you can use crumbled polystyrene foam or cut corks from bottles of eight-martov wine.

Preparation

Having stocked up with everything we need, we choose a place for the garden. Experts recommend a kitchen window sill - it is more humid and warm there than in rooms. However, before you trust expert opinion, decide on a list of plants: some (basil, oregano, spinach) really love light and warmth, while others (marjoram, watercress) need shade and coolness. These can be planted on a glassed-in loggia.

We plant each type of greenery in its own pot - not only because of differences in care and climate, but also because most plants cannot stand close proximity to others. If there is little space, but you want to plant a lot, it is better to use hanging planters or racks.

We fill the bottom of the pots with drainage and then lay out the soil. Its thickness depends on what we plant. The seeds can be soaked in a small amount of water for several hours - usually they are wrapped in gauze and placed in a saucer with water. The optimal moment for planting is when sprouts begin to hatch from the seeds.

Before planting, the soil is loosened, moistened, seeds are planted at the required depth, after which the soil is slightly compacted and watered again. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap until sprouts appear.

To prevent the plant from growing crookedly, leaning towards the window, the “bed” must be rotated 180 degrees daily. An alternative for the lazy is to attach foil to the pot, which will reflect sunlight.

Each gardener decides for himself whether to use fertilizers or not. From effective and at the same time safe - crushed ash banana peel, eggshells or yeast.

Starter level

Grow on a windowsill green onions, watercress or parsley, even a kindergartener can do it. To plant watercress, you don’t even need soil: the seeds are placed in moistened cotton wool or paper towels. You can also do without a pot - a plate or tray will suffice. You need to sow densely so that the plants support each other. Press the seeds into a moist substrate and place on a lighted windowsill. It is important to maintain humidity, but not to flood. Salad does not like heat - the top temperature for it is 18 degrees. The harvest should be expected in 2-3 weeks. To renew the seedlings, you can either plant new seeds every 3-4 days, or sow a new tray every two weeks (this rule works for almost all plants grown from seeds).

Green onions can also be grown without soil. The bulb is placed in a glass of water so that only the root part is in the water. The water needs to be changed daily to avoid rotting. You can also transplant it into the ground - after the roots appear. There is no need to bury the bulbs entirely; you can plant them tightly - one to one. Celery is also grown through roots and water. The basis is not the root (which would seem logical), but the stalk from the leaf. After the roots appear in the water, it is transplanted into a pot and wait a couple of weeks until new leaves appear.

Mint is grown directly from sprigs bought in a store: they are placed in water, and after the roots appear, they are planted in a pot. Only regular watering is important.

Parsley can be grown from both rhizomes and seeds. For the first method, we look for greens in a pot in supermarkets, cut off the leaves, and place the root in moist soil. The first shoots should appear within a few days. To grow not just one bush, but a whole bed, we buy seeds. We plant them in peat cups or directly into the ground. The first harvest will appear only in a month and a half, but will be renewed throughout the whole year. Parsley loves light and water, but is not picky about temperature - it grows equally well on a kitchen windowsill and on an unheated balcony.

It is difficult to spoil a bed of dill. The seeds don’t even need to be soaked - they are immediately planted in moist soil. The main requirement is to ensure frequent watering. Best variety for growing at home - “Gribovsky”.

Marjoram is also unpretentious - it survives on loggias even in winter and germinates well from seeds. It can easily tolerate not only cold, but also lack of light, but you still have to water it.

Explorer level

Once you get the hang of “simple” plants, you can move on to more capricious ones. You don’t have to do anything supernatural - just follow certain conditions.

Basil seeds are planted at a distance of 5-6 centimeters from each other, because otherwise the emerging bushes will be cramped, and the pots are placed in the warmest place in the kitchen, creating an “Italian” familiar conditions. You can also grow it from cuttings by placing store-bought twigs in water and subsequently replanting them in the ground. Spinach and arugula seeds are not planted deep - otherwise there is a risk of not getting a harvest at all. These plants need both sun and plenty of watering. It takes a long time - 3-4 weeks - for oregano to germinate. But here the abundance of water is only detrimental: even a slight stagnation of liquid can lead to the death of the crop.

Leaf lettuce will only be good in humid air - in a dry and hot room its leaves will become coarse and bitter. You need to water it abundantly, but if you overwater it, the roots will rot. But the plant tolerates cold calmly - for glassed balcony will grow until late autumn. For home use, it is better to take the varieties “Lollo Rossa”, “Lollo Bionda”, “Red Credo”, “Odessky”, “Vitamin” and “New Year”. They can be grown from seeds, stalks or rhizomes left in pots from the supermarket.

In winter, you really want something fresh and tasty, since it is in winter that our body especially suffers from a lack of vitamins. Winter has come, you can’t go out into the garden and pick a bunch of dill and a plate of tomatoes to quickly make a salad. Experienced summer residents, of course, have their own preparations from the garden and dried herbs in bottles, but this is not the same...

Of course, modern agriculture does not stand still and you can buy fresh herbs every day in any self-respecting supermarket. However, many will agree that greenhouse greens and vegetables do not have the characteristic taste and smell for which we actually love them.
Unfortunately, not everyone has their own garden and the opportunity to grow crops in open ground, however, it’s no secret that you can grow vegetables even indoors and it doesn’t have to be a greenhouse. What about the window sill of the apartment itself? A vegetable garden on the windowsill can delight you with its fresh gifts all year round, unlike plants in open ground.
You can build a vegetable garden on a windowsill with your own hands at any time of the year; such a vegetable garden is especially relevant in the winter season. Your efforts will pay off and within a few days you will be able to chew fresh dill in your salad, washed down with fragrant mint tea.

We will need:

• Containers or pots with holes in the bottom. You can take boxes with cells in which each plant can grow freely without intertwining its roots with its neighbor. In such containers you can plant different varieties plants, in this way you can not only grow a vegetable garden on the windowsill in winter, but also create special decor, amazing guests with its splendor;
• Purchased soil for plants. It is advisable to choose specialized soils for vegetable seedlings, in which all nutritional elements are optimally balanced. For example, Elite Vegetable Soil is perfect for growing a vegetable garden on a windowsill;
• Bags or caps that help create a special microclimate for plants;
• Spray bottle for spraying plants, watering can;
• Additional lighting;
• Seeds or seedlings cultivated plants.
• Landing rules.

In order to build a home garden on a windowsill, you need to use a special purchased soil mixture, since insect larvae, as well as viruses and fungi that are dangerous to plants, can live in soil taken from the street. Vermion products fully meet all plant growing requirements, guaranteeing high seed similarity and abundant fruiting.
Containers or pots must be filled with soil and watered well so that the water reaches the lowest layer. Scatter the seeds over the surface of the soil and cover the top with a layer of no more than 1-1.5 cm. Next, water with a spray bottle and compact the soil a little.
Containers can be placed in a warm, dark place for several days and covered with a cap or film on top to maintain optimal temperature and humidity. After the first shoots appear, the film must be removed and the container taken to the windowsill.

Rules of care

It is necessary to water the mini garden on the windowsill as the top layer of soil dries out. When watering, you need to monitor the pan: as soon as water appears in it, watering should be stopped, since overwatering can cause plant roots to rot and die. The water must be well defended so that harmful impurities do not enter the soil, gradually concentrating to dangerous levels.
If you use clay pots or your windows face south, the plants will need to be watered more often as they will lose moisture much faster. Additional lighting in spring and summer periods not necessary unless you want to stimulate photosynthesis at night. However, at night it is still better for plants to “sleep”, since photosynthesis, which contributes to the growth of green mass of the plant, occurs in two phases - day and night. IN winter time It is necessary to use special photo lamps that simulate sunlight.

Harvesting Rules

Greenery on the windowsill is a useful thing. It can be harvested when the seedlings exceed 7 cm in length. Experts advise thinning out your greens by cutting plants off at the roots - this way you can start enjoying fresh greens while giving other plants more room to grow and develop. The remaining sprouts do not need to be cut, all you need to do is pick them off lower leaves, leaving the rosette intact and prolific.

How to grow greens on a windowsill

Onion can be planted (or sown with seeds) in any container filled with soil and watered as needed. You can also sow celery, parsley, plant cloves of garlic and then use their young, tender leaves and feathers for food.

Basil, sown with seeds, germinates for a very long time and slowly, it is better to plant it in a pot as seedlings. Basil is great for veal, lamb, and pork. Fresh basil, pureed in a mortar olive oil, Parmesan and pine nuts - this is the famous pesto sauce, the pearl of Italian cuisine.

Marjoram grown at home without much effort: sown in wet soil, it will germinate in a couple of weeks. - an excellent seasoning for bean and pea dishes (soups, stews). Without thyme, it is unthinkable to prepare cassoulet - a signature dish of Languedoc cuisine (white beans baked with meat). This greenery is also added to champignons or fried chanterelles. There is a variety of lemon thyme that goes well with poultry and fish.

Borago (borage) feels very good on the windowsill. It is not demanding on light and is easy to care for. Shoots appear on the 8th day after sowing. This plant tastes like a cucumber.

Rosemary widely used in Provençal cuisine. This is an excellent seasoning for lamb, game, poultry, as well as ratatouille (a dish of stewed eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and paprika). After all the needles have been picked, the tough rosemary sprigs can be used as skewers for kebabs (for example, meat or fish).

Sage improves digestion, so it is often added to fatty, hard-to-digest foods (pork, eel, goose). Sage is very popular in Italy, it is added to gnocchi (dumplings) or saltimbocca (pork medallions with dry-cured ham). Fleshy leaves can be breaded in dough and served as a snack.

Mint traditionally used in desserts (chocolate mousses, ice cream). In British and Arab cuisine, mint is considered a classic herb for lamb. Mint cut into strips enhances the flavor of beetroot, cucumber salad and green pea dishes, and is also an excellent addition to cocktails.

Cucumbers and tomatoes on the windowsill

It's no secret that many of us have already seen or heard somewhere that some summer residents start winter garden on the windowsill for growing cucumbers and tomatoes. The idea itself seems fantastic, because these plants are quite large in size and require special care. However, in fact, these crops are very unpretentious and at home they grow well and bear fruit almost all year round, since they do not need to die off in the fall, having reached the peak of their fruiting.

There are special cucumber seeds that are distinguished by their early ripening and ability to self-pollinate. Tomatoes, unfortunately, will require flower pollination with a brush, but you will be sure that each bud will turn into a plump, ripe tomato in the future.

Love cucumbers and tomatoes high humidity And good lighting, you will have to illuminate the seedlings for 12 hours a day, while avoiding drafts. As they grow, it is advisable to plant the plants in separate spacious pots with large expanded clay at the bottom.

Watercress on the windowsill

Watercress V lately became a real discovery in the world healthy eating. After planting, this plant does not require any additional care other than watering, growing the first harvest within a couple of weeks after hatching. You can plant it in any shallow elongated container on a small layer of soil, scattering the seeds thickly and chaotically. The seeds are usually covered with a layer of soil no more than 1 cm on top. The soil must be nutritious, since this plant is rarely watered with fertilizers and it must take everything it needs from a layer of soil rich in microelements.

Beetroot for greens

Many gourmets love Botvinnik borscht with beet tops, but you can’t always find this product in the summer, let alone in the winter. In order to constantly have fresh beet leaves at home, you do not need to sow the seeds of this root vegetable, since this process It will take a long time, and the leaves themselves will never reach the desired size. It’s easier to buy several large, dense beets and plant them in a container with nutritious soil.

The first leaves will appear in just a few days, and in a couple of weeks you will be able to cook healthy and tasty Botvinnik for the whole family.

Growing cultivated plants at home - perfect solution for those who like to experiment. In addition, if your family has a child, you can create children's garden on the windowsill, with the help of which your baby will learn to care for plants and love wildlife!

How to grow a mini garden at home? Vegetable garden on the windowsill!

When my mother was my age, every summer she traveled by train to the dacha. There were a lot of vegetables in stores back then - you can’t get enough, but you need to feed your family... Nowadays you can buy everything: even in winter, any supermarket has tomatoes and cabbage - I’m generally silent about potatoes.

Therefore, at my mother’s dacha we created a beautiful landscape - flowers, grass, a couple of apple trees. However, I also don’t want to feed my children with out-of-season greenhouse chemicals all year round. Therefore, in the summer we buy everything from our grandmothers, and in the winter we grow it ourselves on an insulated balcony. Enough for salads for a family of 6 people!

Growing containers

They are chosen depending on what kind of space you have. Do you have an insulated balcony? You can buy boxes for balcony flowers (there will be a discount on them for autumn). If you only have one narrow window sill, buy a couple of large flowerpots.

More affordable cut-out bottles and even disposable cups are suitable for onions - look what beauty you can make for children with their help!

Priming

Not all purchased mixtures good quality, so if you have the opportunity to dig up normal soil at your dacha, great. But it is very advisable to heat it in the oven before use, or at least pour boiling water over it thoroughly and dry it. Want to buy?

Some stores offer already collected mixtures for vegetable gardens, while others offer separate turf, compost and peat. Mix them and you're done.

Protection from excess moisture

We plant our flowers in pots with drainage holes and trays. If vegetables grow in a wide box, there is no tray for it. Therefore, it is better to choose a deep box and place more drainage (expanded clay) at the bottom.

It's inexpensive, but very important - drainage will protect the roots of our precious vegetables from rot. By the way, if this is not a box, but a flower pot, drainage can be made from broken eggshells.

Additional lighting

There is someone at home all the time, and in the dark the kitchen light does not turn off in winter, so we don’t buy phytolamps. But if you are at work all the time, it is better to hang an LED above the garden. Yes, not a simple one, but a phytolamp created for our green pets. You can also put flowerpots under it, they will also like it.

Supports and tying

If you want to grow tomatoes or cucumbers, take care in advance about where to direct their tall branches. Remember: you cannot rest the bush on glass; in winter it will be icy and the plant will freeze. Therefore, look around the window - is there room there to place hooks on which you can hook a “rope ladder” for cucumbers?

Or maybe you’d rather buy seeds of low-growing tomatoes, for which a wooden ladder stuck into a pot will suffice?

Shelving

If you don’t have a balcony, and you want to grow as much as possible, you can turn a window into a balcony. Just make a shelving unit on the window (or buy a ready-made one - craftsmen They have been selling them online for a long time). If desired, all shelves can be equipped with lighting.

Seeds

The most important! Even if some vegetables bear fruit well in the country, it is not a fact that the same varieties will grow well in the apartment. So it’s better to look for varieties on sale labeled “balcony” or “for growing in an apartment.” They are low, with shallow roots, and early ripening.

Nowadays, this is a fairly popular product, so you can buy them in many stores.

So, they are already planted... Your actions!

Firstly, in winter the air in the apartment is dry, and most vegetables like high humidity. If your humidifier does not work during the cold season (a good thing, I bought one for the children on the advice of Dr. Komarovsky), just spray your garden.

If you can’t stand dampness, you can build a greenhouse (or buy one - say, Ikea sells the cutest transparent greenhouses for flowers and vegetables in the form of houses). But in this case, you can count on something low-growing - parsley, hot pepper.

In a room with a vegetable garden there should be fresh air. But be careful when ventilating - all vegetables are afraid of drafts. And under no circumstances open the window immediately after spraying.

Get ready for the fact that without fertilizers, even if vegetables begin to produce, it will be very poor. Are you afraid to buy chemicals? You can hide a small bag of granulated chicken manure at home. When your family won't see it, take it out, dilute the granules in water (they don't stink) and water the vegetables, but without fanaticism. You can also use bone meal.

And one last thing. When some of the vegetables are ripe, you need to harvest them very carefully so as not to damage the plant. Do not tear anything, use a knife (sharp) or scissors.

What greens can be grown on a window?

• Dill. The only problem with dill is poor seed germination. Before planting, they need to be soaked for 2 days, changing the water several times. After this, plant them, water them often, keep them in the light, and ventilate the room. Full branches will grow in 30 days.
• Parsley. Its seeds should also be soaked. But as greenery, it is unpretentious, so you can grow it on an open balcony in summer, and on an insulated one in winter.
• Basil. It is a heat-loving culture - on an insulated balcony in winter it can be cold, but in the kitchen on the window it is just right.
• Melissa. Very unpretentious greens. Light and constant watering - and it not only turns green, but also smells throughout the room.
• Mint. Quite capricious.
• Green onions. No seeds are needed here. Place the onion with its nose in a glass of water and it will grow green. Many people fill a 5-liter water bottle with soil, cut a hole in the sides, plant bulbs there and get a lot of green feathers. By the way, in addition to regular onions, you can also grow chives on the windowsill. It is already grown from seeds. Important: this crop should not be allowed to bloom.

Vegetables to grow indoors in winter

cucumbers

This is quite unusual, but more and more of our compatriots are posting photo and video reviews of a cucumber bed in an apartment. Why not? The culture ripens in 2 months and is unpretentious.

Seeds: must be early ripening, self-pollinating. It would also be nice to find bush ones, shade-tolerant varieties, with them you will have the least hassle.

Suitable for you: Seryozha, Tatyana, Claudia, Connie, Masha, Marinda, Legend (all marked F1, which indicates their hybridity and unpretentiousness).

Basic requirements:

• constantly moist soil (but without puddles and swamps),
• warm (from 20 to 24 degrees),
• a lot of light (south or east window or phytolamp).

Tomatoes

Again, it should be a dwarf self-pollinating variety, preferably with small fruits.

Good options: Balcony Miracle, Balcony Red (F1), Bonsai, Japanese Indoor, Florida Petit, Cherry Pygmy, Pinocchio and many others.

However, it could also be hanging plants, such as: Peruvian homemade, Cherry, Yellow pear.

Tomatoes love:

• more light,
• fresh, not damp air (a room in which only tomatoes grow can be safely ventilated - they are the only ones not afraid of drafts),
• rare but abundant watering,
• temperatures are about 23 during the day and 17 at night before the flowers appear, and then about 25 during the day and 29 at night.

Hot pepper

1 pepper bush is planted in a pot; here it can bear fruit for up to 5 years. Only 4 hours of light will be enough for him, and the fruits will appear 2.5 months later.

Glossy leaves, bright fruits - it will also decorate the interior.

Almost all varieties of such peppers will suit you (but still look for bags marked “early” and “self-pollinating”).

Care requirements:

• the brightest window possible,
• constantly moist soil,
• “oily” soil + fertilizing during fruiting,
• Peppers should not be pinched.

Remember: this culture is aggressive towards others. If you grow next to bitter sweet pepper, the pollen of the bitter will fly to the flowers of the sweet, and its fruits will also taste bitter.

Carrot

This crop grows in the house longer than others - 3.5 months. She is considered a bit capricious. But the advantage of carrots is that even the tiniest root vegetables can already be put into a salad.

Take varieties from the mini-series: Granddaughter, Parmex, Sophie, Round baby (the last variety is a funny round carrot).

To be happy, this culture needs:

• airy, light soil,
• a deep pot with drainage holes (even a cut-off soda bottle will do),
• temperature from 14 to 24 degrees,
• diffused sunlight without direct rays,
• frequent watering,
• mulching,
• fertilizing with a small amount of nitrogen.

Other types of vegetables

• Sweet pepper. The culture is good for everyone, but after sowing you will get the fruits 5 months later. But it is perennial: planted once, and the bush will bear fruit for 3 years. The main thing is maximum light and heat, no drafts, loosening the soil.
• Beans. 2 months and you are already stewing young pods. You can buy both climbing varieties (if you have somewhere to put “strings” for them) and bush asparagus varieties. The main thing is to allocate at least 2 liters of soil for each bush, feed the beans with superphosphate and keep them in the light.

Everything written above can fully support and complement this video. Here you will be shown greens grown in the apartment during the off-season. How do you like this garden?

Have you noticed that in winter you really crave summer greens or a fresh cucumber from the garden, or even better, a fragrant tomato. We are so designed that we wish for the impossible... But who said that these dreams are impossible. Even in winter, you can grow many garden plants at home - start a real vegetable garden on your windowsill. Let's talk in more detail about what you can grow on a windowsill in winter.

What greens and herbs can be grown on a windowsill in winter?

When you hear the word greens, the first thoughts that come to mind are growing dill, parsley or lettuce. It's quite easy to grow them at home. To do this you need:

I advise beginning gardeners to start with unpretentious ones to grow: green onions, parsley, watercress. For herbs, you can try rosemary and basil. They will not only be useful as a seasoning, but will fill the apartment with their aroma!

Now let's look at it step by step,

Seed preparation

Before planting, it is better to soak the seeds overnight in warm water, and then put it in pink potassium permanganate for a couple of hours.

Sowing

You can use any suitable container for sowing. From the box and flower pot to the cake box. I like the last option. After sowing, it is convenient to immediately close the mini-vegetable garden with a cake lid and create greenhouse conditions. I remove the lid only after the emergence of full shoots, and before that it needs to be ventilated every day. When sowing in boxes, cover them with plain plastic bags.

Use purchased soil or heat garden herbs to get rid of pests and weeds. You need to water your home garden with settled water. Do not use tap water.

To prevent plants from stretching towards the window, you need to turn containers with plants every day.

How to grow onions for greens at home

Onions on greens in a bottle

For this purpose, turnip onions of early varieties are used. In later long term keeping quality and they will not grow well.

This is the easiest crop to grow on a windowsill. Even children in kindergarten They are trying to grow onions for feathers. It is growing quickly, useful, accessible.

It is better to use larger heads - they will provide you with vitamin greens longer.

The easiest way is to place the onion in water - just make sure that only the tip of the onion touches the water, otherwise it will begin to rot.

You can plant the onions in the ground - close to each other. And water regularly. If you make such a bed once every two weeks, you will provide yourself with greens for the whole winter.

You can expel onion greens in vertical containers. You can make them yourself. Cut holes in a plastic bottle with soil and insert the bulbs into the holes.

What vegetables can be grown on a windowsill in winter?

Homemade tomatoes

Many vegetables grow well on a windowsill if you create the right conditions for them.

You can even grow cucumbers and tomatoes.

Read in detail in the articles "" and "".

What conditions are needed for the growth of cucumbers and tomatoes on the windowsill?

1. Lots of light - be sure to grow on southern, south-eastern windows.
2. Use additional lighting; daylight hours should be more than 12 hours.
3. Fertile soil, mandatory fertilizing with complex and organic fertilizers.
4. Provide a suitable temperature for cucumbers - not lower than +20°C
5. The best results will be if you hide young cucumbers under a film cover.
6. Use only self-pollinating varieties.

Little cucumbers at home

How to grow radishes at home

A few details in the article "". The same lighting requirements must be observed as for all domestic crops. You also need to sow early varieties.

Radishes in a box on the windowsill

Not only vegetables and herbs can be grown on the windowsill in winter. But also exotic plants. For example: tangerines, lemons, mangoes, avocados.

They grow well at home, despite their southern origin. All these plants will not make real trees. But you can get the fruits.

Fruiting lemon at home

Growing food in cities is popular all over the world. So, Britta Riley lives in a tiny apartment in New York. She came up with a hydroponic vertical garden. It takes up little space and brings a good harvest. About her innovation Britta.

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 “nasties”. They were certified, and serious organizations guaranteed their quality. Secondly, organic products are an order of magnitude 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 bioproducts and conventional vegetables and fruits sometimes reaches 1,000%! Therefore, for us, the most eco, bio and organic are products grown with our own hands.

But not everyone has dachas or relatives in the village. What should urban children do, 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 start 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 adapt to the season (we only eat enough tomatoes in July, and apples in September).
3. You yourself can grow a plant from a tiny seed with your own hands, and you can collect the fruits. This is a creative activity that charges with positive energy.
4. You can improve your knowledge of biology, gain useful skills and acquire an exciting hobby.
5. Your children will see how tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables grow, and will understand that they do not miraculously materialize in the refrigerator; growing them is serious work.
6. You can surprise your friends and acquaintances. Imagine showing off your harvest by showing off your window beds. ;)

What you need to grow vegetables and herbs at home

• Place. Usually this is a windowsill or balcony. It's better if they go out sunny side. If not, lamps will be required for additional lighting. If necessary, the window sill can be expanded or shelves can be built for “beds” (the minimum distance between shelves is 50 cm).
• Capacities. The beds for the home garden can be clay or plastic pots, wooden boxes. 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 soil mixtures available for indoor vegetable gardens. As a rule, several layers are made: peat, compost, turf. You can prepare the soil yourself, or you can buy it at 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 forums, read articles on the Internet and find out what seeds to buy.

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

Shelf for plants on the windowsill" data-img-id="363908">

Mobile rack for "beds" data-img-id="363907">

Hanging rack for growing herbs" data-img-id="363910">

A solution for those who do not have a window sill" data-img-id="363913">

Vessels for moisture-loving plants" data-img-id="363914">

We have the inventory, now we need to decide what to plant. Lifehacker has already written about some vegetables that grow beautifully on a windowsill.

Today we will tell you about ten more such plants.

Carrot

DenisNata/Depositphotos.com

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

To grow at home, you need to take miniature varieties of carrots. You can plant in boxes, pots or simply cut plastic bottles with holes in the bottom. The soil should be drained.

The seeds are placed in the ground to a depth of about 7 cm. When the carrots sprout and sprout a few centimeters, they need to be thinned out, leaving the strongest sprouts 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 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 into the tops). It is also very useful to loosen the soil from time to time.

Pepper

Pepper grown on the balcony

Varieties : “treasure island”, “dwarf”, “watercolor”, “swallow” and others.
Temperature : from 25 to 27 ºС.
Harvest : after 100–130 days.

The seeds are first planted in small pots, which are covered with cling film and placed in a warm place. When the first shoots appear (in one to two weeks), several small punctures need to be made in the film. After some time, 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. Root the plant 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 in addition to natural light, lamps with a white spectrum are recommended. It is necessary to protect home-grown peppers from drafts and direct sun rays.

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 produce fruit for up to two years.

Cherry tomatoes

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Varieties : “pygmy”, “bonsai”, “bead” and others.
Temperature : from 23 to 25 ºС.
Harvest : after 90–100 days (depending on the variety).

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

It is important that the plant receives even lighting. To do this, you can hang lamps above the “beds” daylight or regularly turn the containers towards the window.

Water carefully: it’s easy to overwater cherry tomatoes. When the plant grows, it is recommended to loosen and feed the soil from time to time. mineral fertilizers. If necessary, the tomato trunk 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 : in 35–45 days.

For cucumbers you need fairly large containers, at least 6 liters in volume. The soil should be loose, with peat or compost.

Self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers grow well at home. First you need to prepare the seeds: they are poured into a weak brine, those that float up 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.

Watering homemade cucumbers warm water every day, but with caution. The leaves can also be sprayed with a spray bottle. Potassium nitrate is recommended as a top dressing.

When the vines of cucumbers form and grow, supports 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 : in ≈40 days.

It is recommended to plant radishes in wooden or clay containers, but you can also use ordinary ones. plastic cups. You need loose, well-drained soil. Before planting, seeds can be tested for germination, like cucumbers. After which they need to be buried to a depth of 1–3 cm.

After planting, the soil must be watered and covered with film. When the shoots appear, the “greenhouse” is removed. Radishes, as a rule, are not picked. But sometimes they place him in a lower place for two or three days. temperature regime- about 15 °C. This hardens the plant and promotes a better harvest.

Five days after the appearance of the first shoots, carry out organic fertilizer, and two weeks later - mineral. Water the radishes generously as they dry. It is also important that the air in the room where it grows is not dry.

Spinach

Homemade spinach

Varieties : “virofle”, “godri”, “gigantic” and others.
Temperature : 15 ºС.
Harvest : in ≈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 soil mixtures. The main thing is that they contain 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 speed up germination, you can cover the containers with film. Spinach sprouts about a week after planting, then it can be picked.

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

The harvest can be harvested when the spinach reaches 7–10 cm in height.

Basil

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Varieties : “marquis”, “lemon”, “Baku” and others.
Temperature : from 22 to 24 °C.
Harvest : in 50–55 days.

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

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

Green garlic

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Varieties : “Kharkov”, “anniversary” and others.
Temperature : from 18 to 25 °C.
Harvest : in 15–20 days.

As a rule, 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, dealing with garlic will not be difficult. You need to take winter garlic cloves, preferably with sprouted sprouts. You can use 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, you must water it.

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

Mint

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

Mint is quite branched root system, so to plant it you should take a deep and wide container. It is recommended to use peat soil, any variety.

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 them. To create a greenhouse effect, you can use film. Before the emergence of seedlings (after about two weeks), the soil should be sprinkled with water every day. After germination, mint must be planted.

Mint is unpretentious. In summer it should 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 reach a meter in height. As a rule, they have a lot of leaves - there will almost always be mint for tea or homemade mojito.

Strawberry

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Varieties : “autumn fun”, “homemade delicacy”, “garland” and others.
Temperature : from 18 to 20 °C.
Harvest : in ≈30 days.

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

Strawberries can be grown from seedlings or seeds. Both are sold in gardening stores.

The seeds are planted in small containers (for example, plastic cups), 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 or 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 are carried out as the soil dries. Strawberries are easy to pour.

Solutions with a significant iron content are used as fertilizing. During active growth, the strawberry grows tendrils; 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 fun.

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