It is not necessary to have a large plot or greenhouse, you can organize your own small garden on the windowsill.

Cucumbers, peppers, carrots and even strawberries can all be grown on a windowsill.

This article has collected some tips for growing edible plants in winter, in an apartment or house.

There are many types of plants that you can successfully grow indoors.

The most advanced gardeners, of course, no longer use window sills, but special cabinets, similar to a bookcase, which is equipped with special lighting for plants.

Why do people even have such thoughts as growing a vegetable garden on a windowsill?

The point is, you can grow edible plants organically on your windowsill and you know they are safe for you and your family.

Video: How to organize a garden on the windowsill?

What do you need to grow vegetables and herbs at home?

Place. Usually this is a window sill or balcony. It is better if they are on the sunny side. But in any case, most likely you will need lamps for additional lighting.

Pots. The size of the pot and its depth will depend on the type of plant. There should be holes in the bottom of the pot for draining water. Pots are recommended to be placed on pallets.

Land. There are many potting mixes for growing plants. As a rule, they consist of several components: peat, compost, sand, biohumus. You can prepare such a mixture yourself or buy it in a specialized store.

Seeds. Some varieties grow well at home, while others do not even germinate. Therefore, before gardening, it is worthwhile to study what seeds you will need. In addition, you may need fertilizer, a thermometer, and a settling tank to water the plants with water at room temperature and without chlorine.

What you need to know to grow a garden on the windowsill?

In winter and late autumn, when the shortest daylight hours come, plants need additional lighting. The light should be directed not at the plants, but at an angle.

From September to March, when the central heating is turned on in the apartment, you must take care of the optimal humidity.

Your best bet is to buy a humidifier.

However, if you do not have such an opportunity, just place a container full of water next to the windowsill.

If there are pets in the house, especially cats, they should not have access to plants.

Otherwise, you will find an excavated garden bed, crushed plants, because it is very pleasant for cats to lie down on the grass, to become closer to nature.

Therefore, it is best to keep plants out of the reach of pets.

cultivation

Ideally, window sill pots should be rectangular in shape.

As well as, you will need extra light and well-drained soil.

You can prepare a mixture of biohumus with coconut fiber. The ratio should be 1:2.

At the bottom of the pot, be sure to fill in a layer of small stones, expanded clay, crushed foam, or drain more water.

If the window is cold or blowing through, use plastic film to create mini greenhouses.

To illuminate the vegetation on the windowsill, install lamps, it is better to buy fluorescent or special lamps. Regular ones won't work.

Landing method depends on what kind of plant you plan to grow.

In order to grow grass on the windowsill, for example, dill, parsley, you need to take a pot or a long container, fill it three-quarters with soil, if you collected the earth on the street, check that there are no stones and debris in it.

Water the soil with warm "slop" water so that it does not have chlorine in it and the water is at room temperature.

Sow the seeds of your chosen plants into the soil.

All seeds are prepared for sowing in different ways.

Some of them require advance preparation, others do not. Therefore, study this question before you sow anything.

After sowing, you can organize an impromptu greenhouse, for this, the container is covered with a plastic bag, and after germination, the polyethylene is removed.

After sowing, wait for the first shoots by watering the crops daily or every other day.

If you have such situations that you are not at home for several days, purchase an automatic watering system.

It is better to choose drip irrigation, as it offers a more efficient water flow than automatic irrigation with a capillary mat.

It is necessary to water the first shoots of young greens very carefully so as not to damage the small young brittle shoots.

For example, this can be done with a spray gun.

Such watering does not harm the plants, but at the same time helps them grow faster.

When the seedlings are already strong, they can be watered in the usual way.

Tip 1. Do not plant different plants in the same pot.

The fact is that different plants need different growing conditions, in addition, many horticultural crops do not fit together.

If you want to increase the garden space at home, make a special rack built into the window or freestanding, which can accommodate many pots.

You can also use hanging pots.

Tip 2. For cultivation, you will need land, if you plan to harvest land from the street, do not use urban land, as it can be contaminated.

The ideal composition of the earth is sand, earth and humus.

Tip 3. Before the seeds are planted in the soil, the seeds are soaked in water and their readiness for planting can be determined by swelling and if the seeds germinate, the plants can be planted in the ground.

For soaking, use a saucer, chlorine-free water and a damp cloth or napkin in which the seeds germinate.

Tip 4. Seeds are sown in very moist soil at a shallow depth, after sowing the soil is slightly compacted.

Tip 5 For successful cultivation of plants in winter, they need to be provided with lighting.

Phytolamps are suitable for this, the light of which is as close as possible to solar radiation.

Tip 6 Don't forget about drainage, which is easy to do at home.

This is necessary so that the water does not stagnate in the ground, and air exchange occurs.

Drainage prevents the formation of root rot and mold in the soil.

Tip 7. Plants need top dressing, so choose high-quality organic fertilizers, for example, biohumus shows itself very well.

Organic fertilizers will not harm your health.

You can also use wood ash, eggshells, banana peels, or yeast-free sourdough as a fertilizer.

Plants suitable for growing on a windowsill

It is best to choose unpretentious crops that yield quickly and do not require a lot of time and materials.

And there are many such plants, choose according to your taste.

green onion

To grow onions, you will need small bulbs.

You can plant them at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other, deepening the onion into the soil by half or even three quarters.

Onions don't like too much water, so they don't need to be watered every day.

Dill

Dill seeds can be sown in the soil without soaking, the main thing is to ensure regular watering.

So that the dill does not grow, you really have to try.

Parsley

Parsley seeds should be soaked overnight in warm water, then dried and ground with dry sand.

Thanks to this action, the seeds will be hardened, enriched with minerals and will grow faster.

Parsley loves moisture, so water it often and don't let the soil dry out.

Basil

When planting, there should be a distance of about 5-6 cm between basil seeds, as the bushes are very large and freedom-loving.

Place the plant pot in the warmest spot in your kitchen because basil doesn't like the cold.

Spinach

For spinach to germinate faster, its seeds should not be planted too deep.

All you need to successfully grow spinach is sun and plenty of water.

Saffron

This plant reproduces by bulbs planted in moist soil.

After planting the bulbs in a pot, it is kept in the refrigerator for two months until the sprouts grow to 5 cm.

Then you can put the saffron in a sunny and warm place, water it moderately and use this fragrant spice.

Arugula

To successfully grow arugula, you only need to know three things about it.

Its seeds should be planted at a depth of 1-1.5 cm, the plant must be provided with excellent natural or artificial lighting and good watering.

Ginger

Place the ginger root in warm water at 36-38°C for four hours until the yolks grow.

Then place them in a spacious pot up to 3 cm deep and water the soil as it dries.

Provide ginger with good lighting, but not direct sunlight.

It grows for about 5-7 months, after which you can extract the grown roots and eat them.

Watercress salad

Before sowing the seeds, they must first be soaked in water.

Create a greenhouse effect with plastic wrap and place the pot of crops in a semi-dark place.

After a few days, when the seeds begin to germinate, remove the film and do not forget to moisten the soil.

In a week you can harvest.

Celery

Celery does not like moisture and if planted from seed, it grows very slowly, within 2-3 weeks.

But you can grow celery much faster if you cut the purchased celery at the base, put it in water, wait for the roots to sprout and the first leaves appear, and then plant it in a pot.

After two weeks, the leaves will become longer and you can use it for food.

Coriander

If the pot is small, it will be enough to plant 3-4 seeds in it.

Coriander loves generous watering and loose soil.

The first shoots will appear in two weeks.

Hot peppers

Pepper does not need additional lighting.

Germinated seeds are planted to a depth of 1 cm and covered with a film, and when shoots with several leaves appear, each plant is planted in a separate pot.

Peppers can bear fruit for five years.

cucumbers

Seedlings will appear in 2-3 days, and you will need to feed the cucumbers with wood ash.

lettuce leaves

Salad requires additional lighting and abundant moisture.

However, do not overdo it, otherwise the lettuce roots will begin to rot.

leafy mustard

After sowing the seeds, put the pot in a warm and dark place and, as soon as the first shoots appear, provide them with optimal lighting.

After a month, you can already enjoy mustard in a salad.

radish

For planting, choose large brown seeds that are the most viable.

Radishes can germinate on the third day, they like cool temperatures, so the room should be ventilated more often.

Bell pepper

It is enough to plant this plant only once and it will delight you with a harvest throughout the year.

Sweet pepper is a very capricious culture, it does not like drafts and dark places, it requires loose soil and warmth.

Mint

Sprigs of mint should be put in a glass of water, wait for the moment when the roots appear and then it can be transplanted into a pot.

Rosemary

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

Marjoram

It grows well from seeds and easily tolerates lack of light.

Marjoram is ideal for growing in harsh climates.

oregano

This spice is undemanding to the quality of the soil, loves a lot of sun and germinates for a long time, so you will have to wait three weeks for seedlings.

Watering oregano should be moderate, water stagnation should not be allowed.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes with small fruits are suitable for this.

Seedlings are planted in pots with "correct" soil and watered sparingly.

You can grow tangerine, lemon, pomegranate and avocado on the windowsill, but this is a more complex and problematic process.

When country cares are already behind, and winter is about to come, many lovers of working on the ground begin to miss their beds and greenhouses. Therefore, if spring is still far away, and you really want to do your favorite hobby, there is only one way out - to arrange a home garden on the windowsill and think about what you can grow on the windowsill in winter. Such small gardens are very popular now. Moreover, they deliver to their owners not only the pleasure of contemplating them, but also high-quality vitamins in the winter.

For the device of such a mini-garden, you can use a variety of containers: trays, pots, bowls, vases, boxes and even buckets. It all depends on your imagination and the size of the window sill.

The first thing that comes to mind when asked about what can be grown on a windowsill is onions. Even if you just put the bulb in a glass of water (this is called the beautiful word "hydroponics"), green fragrant arrows will appear very soon. And if everything is done according to the rules, then fresh tasty greens will always decorate your table.

Green onions grow quickly, are certainly useful, they contain a lot of vitamin, and even do not require special care. This is just the perfect inhabitant of home gardens on the windowsill.

Small onion sets grow best on the windowsill, which has very soft and tender shoots. For its cultivation, it is preferable to use a shallow plastic box, and regularly bring onions there - every two to three weeks. Then you will always have your own greens on the table.

If you plant pre-sprouted bulbs, the harvest will appear very quickly. If there is no time to mess with distillation, it's okay - the onion will perfectly shoot directly into the ground, you just have to wait a little longer.

There is no need to do any special procedures when growing onions on the windowsill, it is enough to water it abundantly. Bulbs should be planted close to each other, slightly buried in the ground.

The optimum temperature for onions is 20 - 22 degrees. He doesn't like heat.

If you don't have a lot of space on your windowsill, you can get creative with onion growing and try the vertical method. Friends and family members will love it!

At home, in your apartment, dill feels just as wonderful as in the open-air beds. It grows quickly, smells delicious and requires little effort to grow. Just choose dill seeds of some undemanding variety. For example, Grenadier or Richelieu.

The soil for growing dill should be fertile and soft, and the growing container should be deep enough. Drainage must be poured at the bottom.

Before sowing, it is advisable to soak dill seeds for about a day in warm water, and periodically - about once every five hours - change it. Then your seeds will germinate faster.

You can sow dill simply on the ground, without any deepening. You can lightly sprinkle soil on top. Cover the box or pot with a plastic bag and put it away for a week in a dark, cool room. Then put a container with seedlings on a bright windowsill and wait for the harvest.

Periodically, the seeds need to be poured in order to form fresh dill arrows. Dill needs to be watered abundantly and illuminated with a lamp, since this plant loves light, and it gets dark early in winter.

Any variety of parsley is suitable for growing on the windowsill, but if you want to get an early harvest, choose early-ripening varieties - Astra, Gloria, Beads, etc.

Before planting, it is advisable to soak the parsley seeds for 2-3 days, and periodically change the water. You need to plant the seeds in moist soil, shallow - a maximum of 0.5 cm. From above, the seeds can be lightly sprinkled with earth. When the parsley sprouts, the earth should not be allowed to dry out. Parsley loves light, loose and fertile soil.

Parsley likes temperature not very high, not higher than 20 degrees. Then she feels comfortable. And parsley loves airing.

Too often planted seeds should be thinned out, then the greens will be juicier. If you do not do this, then the parsley will stretch too much at first, and then fall to the ground.

Parsley loves light, so in winter, like dill, it should be highlighted with a lamp.

Watercress

Another “record holder” for the ease of growing on window sills in a home garden is watercress. As for taste, this is an amateur culture, like cilantro, but in terms of usefulness it can compete with parsley. And for unpretentiousness in cultivation and growth rate - with onions.

Failure to grow watercress is almost completely eliminated, so even children can cultivate it. It sprouts very quickly, and less than a month after planting it can already be eaten.

It practically does not require light, it grows well even in low winter lighting, and is not at all afraid of the cold. True, the plant loves moist soil, and it must not be forgotten to be watered.

Watercress is also undemanding to the ground; it grows on both sandy and clay soils. If you don't have space on your windowsill, you can sow watercress seeds in a pot of any house plant as a groundcover, it will do just fine there.

If your watercress will still grow on a window, use small trays for it. You can do without soil at all. Put a layer of cotton wool in the trays and wet it. Just make sure that the cotton wool is moist, not wet, because this culture does not like excessive moisture.

Next, place the watercress seeds directly on the wet cotton and place the seed trays on the windowsill. Periodically moisten the cotton wool, ventilate the room in which the trays are located, and after a week you can already enjoy fresh shoots or add them as seasonings.

Some people really like this seasoning with a sharp aroma. It goes amazingly with meat and perfectly complements any dish. Growing cilantro on a windowsill in an apartment is not difficult.

Containers for growing cilantro can be anything. It can be planted in pots, trays, boxes, as long as the earth is loose and moist.

Cilantro prefers diffused light, but may well grow on windowsills, where direct sunlight falls. In summer, it has enough natural light, but in winter, when it gets dark early, boxes with cilantro must be highlighted, otherwise it will grow poorly and slowly.

Also, cilantro is undemanding to temperature changes. This culture grows at both 10 and 30 degrees, except that at higher temperatures flower stalks appear faster.

Seeds should immediately be planted directly into the ground, deepened by 1.5 - 2 cm. Planting cilantro should not be very close to each other, as the bushes grow. It is advisable to cover the container on top with polyethylene so that the earth does not dry out - cilantro loves moisture.

Seeds will sprout in ten days. It is necessary to constantly maintain moisture, make sure that the soil does not dry out. Moreover, cilantro should be watered abundantly enough. If the soil dries out, cilantro will not die, but its taste will deteriorate significantly.

Growing champignons at home

In recent years, growing oyster mushrooms and mushrooms at home has become very popular. However, this is a much more complex and costly process than growing greenery on the windowsill. Although mushrooms grown by you with your own hands cannot be compared with purchased ones.

Before you start growing champignons, you should soberly assess your capabilities. It will take space, materials, mycelium, time and patience.

If you have a basement or cellar, consider that you have a room. Mushrooms grow at a temperature not exceeding 20 degrees, so in the spring they can be safely grown on the street. But in the room you need to maintain about 15 degrees, and the humidity should be moderate.

The main requirement for the successful cultivation of champignons is the substrate. It consists of:

• urea;
• manure;
• alabaster flour;
• straw;
• gypsum;
• chalk;
• superphosphate.

All these substances (except gypsum and chalk) are laid in layers in a compost pit and heated in the sun for a week. Then it is shaken up with a pitchfork for oxygen access, after which gypsum and chalk are added there.

Compost preparation time is about a month. The growth of your mushrooms depends on the quality of the resulting substance.

After that, the compost is laid out in boxes where the mushrooms will grow. After that, making sure that the compost is warm (about 28 degrees), the mycelium is placed in the boxes, deepening it by about 5 cm.

After planting in the room where the boxes with mycelium are located, there should be a fairly high temperature - 24 - 28 degrees. Do not wait for seedlings, because champignons first form a mycelium inside the compost.

Humidity should also be high, but the compost should not be watered. Its surface just needs to be sprayed with water from a spray bottle.

After about two weeks, the mycelium is formed, and then the mushrooms will begin to grow upwards. Therefore, the temperature is reduced, and soil is added to the top of the boxes. Fill it up by about 5 cm.

The soil is made up of:

• loam;
• sandstone:
• sod land;
• peat.

After that, moistening the soil, maintaining a temperature of about 20 degrees and a fairly high humidity, ventilating the room, you can wait for the first mushrooms in about a month. They will grow intensively in 2-3 weeks.

Mushrooms absolutely do not need additional lighting and can grow even in the dark. However, the light does not harm them either.

It is better not to cut the grown champignons with a knife, but carefully twist them out of the ground, holding them by the cap.

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

Growing food in urban areas is popular all over the world. So, Britta Riley lives in a tiny apartment in New York. She came up with a vertical hydroponics garden. It takes up little space and brings a good harvest. Britta spoke about her innovation at TED.

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

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

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

6 reasons to arrange a mini-garden at home

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

What you need to grow vegetables and herbs at home

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

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

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

16 FOOD YOU CAN GROW AT HOME

Today we will talk about ten more such plants.

Carrot

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

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

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

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

Pepper

Peppers grown on the balcony

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

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 a while, the pepper will get stronger, then it can be transplanted into large pots or buckets. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the spine. The plant is rooted by a third, after which it is watered with warm (30 ºС) water.

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

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

Cherry tomatoes

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

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

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

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

Watering should be done carefully: cherry tomatoes are easy to fill. When the plant grows, it is recommended to loosen the soil from time to time and feed it with mineral fertilizers. If necessary, the tomato stem 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 : “room Rytov”, “miracle on the window”, “ant” and others.
Temperature : 21 to 24 ºС.
Harvest : after 35-45 days.

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

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

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

When the lashes of cucumbers form and grow, supports should be built for them so that the plant can trail.

Radish

homegrown radish

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

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

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

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

Spinach

homemade spinach

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

Spinach belongs to vegetable greens and is considered very useful. To grow it at home, you need containers 15-20 cm high. Ready-made soil mixtures can be used. The main thing is that peat is included in their composition.

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

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

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

Basil

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

Basil is one of the most fragrant and favorite spices. At the same time, it is quite unpretentious and grows well on the windowsill.

Basil is planted immediately in large containers (with a volume of at least 1.5 liters). First you need to prepare the soil for planting: pour twice with mineral fertilizers with an interval 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

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

As a rule, garlic bulbs are used in cooking. But the green shoots (arrows) are also suitable for gastronomy: they are suitable for making marinades and sauces.

Varieties of garlic are divided into two groups: winter and spring. The latter usually do not give arrows, therefore they are not suitable for growing at home.

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

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

Mint

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

Mint has a fairly branched root system, so for planting it, you should take a deep and wide container. The soil is recommended to use peat, varieties - any.

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

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

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

Mature plants can 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

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

Ampel remontant varieties of strawberries are suitable for a home garden. They bear fruit all year round and are not too picky about light. Strawberries can be planted in any soil mix. But first, drainage (expanded clay, small pebbles) should be poured to the bottom to protect strawberries from stagnant water.

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

Seeds are planted in small containers (for example, plastic glasses), watered abundantly and covered with cling film. After the appearance of the first shoots, the film is removed and the seedlings are placed in a well-lit place. When three or four leaves are formed, strawberries dive 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 fill.

Solutions with a significant iron content are used as top dressing. During active growth, strawberries become overgrown with mustaches, they need to be tied to supports.

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

Estonian startup offers its own automatic mini-farms for growing greens

Estonian startup Click & Grow is working on the technology of growing greenery right in urban areas. An automatic, refrigerator-sized, vertical smart farm keeps track of the amount of water, nutrients, and lighting that plants need. Minimal maintenance and a drastically reduced amount of water required for growth are interesting features of the farm that can make it popular.

Click & Grow are no strangers to growing plants in cities. A few years ago they had a super-successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, and now they offer "smart pots" and "smart gardens" to everyone. These devices are also designed for growing plants at home. One plant grows in a pot, three in a garden. This is not much, but they also take up space, like a regular flower pot. But, unlike the pot, everything is done automatically.

Smart garden from C&G

Vertical Mini Farm

The unique Smart Soil technology, which Russian scientists also took part in the development of, allows the use of sponge material instead of ordinary earth. It does not compact over time, nutrients are not washed out of it, and it is well permeable to oxygen, which is necessary for plant growth. The smart gardens are equipped with LED lighting, ideal for plant growth, and supply them with just the right amount of water, which only needs to be topped up once a month.

instead of a refrigerator. Vegetarian joy.

While vertical farms are not yet available for general sale, prototypes are already being assembled on order. If it is as simple and cost-effective to operate as the startup's previous products, then the potential for its use is very wide. After all, agriculture is the largest consumer of fresh water, for example, in the United States, farmers use up to 80% of all water consumed by residents. In parts of the world where water is scarce, or in large crowded cities where fresh greens have to be delivered from afar, the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bconserving water, coupled with growing greens "in place" will certainly receive support. After all, even if it is useless to drink yogurt, then no one will argue about the benefits of consuming greens.

Vertical farms in urban areas have long been planned to be built. And they can indeed use 70-80% less water than conventional farms. But their cost, due to the high complexity of the hydroponic system, is tens of thousands of dollars. Smart Farm, on the other hand, the creators promise to deliver at a price of only $1,500. And if not everyone can put themselves such a farm next to the refrigerator, surely large supermarkets will be interested in the opportunity to sell super-fresh greens grown right in the warehouse.

At the end of the autumn season, gardening work is completed. But even when the temperature drops, you can continue your favorite business by moving the garden to the apartment. Most homes are heated to a comfortable temperature range of 18 to 23°C during the winter, ideal for growing many vegetables. The main thing is to choose vegetables that have lower lighting needs and provide them with conditions according to their requirements. But if you can add extra light to your home garden space, your planting diversity will expand and you'll get good results.

Generally, leafy vegetables can handle much less light than root vegetables. Fruit vegetables like tomatoes and eggplant need more light to ensure a good harvest. However, they can thrive in a toasty tanning bed. Sprouts and edible mushrooms don't care much about light, so they can be grown in a garage or basement. Try growing the following plants indoors to ward off the winter blues and gain experience indoors.

1. Tomatoes.

We leave the sunniest corner in our house for tomatoes. We sow the seeds in a deep tray and transplant each tomato seedling into a large pot when it develops 4-5 true leaves. We pinch the tips of small branches to induce flowering. If necessary, we provide additional lighting.
Quick tips: When grown indoors, cherry tomatoes produce better results than larger tomato varieties. If you don't want to bet, grow tomatoes upside down.

2. Sweet pepper.

With enough light, bell peppers can thrive when planted in rich, well-drained soil. And proper pinching and bushy formation of the plant will lead to good fruit set in the future.

Photo: grow in the winter in the apartment

3. Potatoes.

To grow potatoes at home, we need large plastic bags. Fill them with good soil and plant potatoes, leaving a little space on top to add more compost later. Potato plants need 5-6 hours of sunlight to produce a satisfactory crop.
Advice: you can check for baby potatoes and use them in cooking instead of waiting for the tubers to ripen.

Photo: growing in an apartment

4 and 5. Beans and peas.

If there is enough light, beans and peas can produce pods indoors and are best for indoor growing as they are not a hassle. Plant a few plants to get enough food for cooking, or choose high-yielding varieties to improve your chances of a substantial harvest.

6. Carrots.

Carrots can be grown on a windowsill in deep pots with loose, well-drained soil. If you can provide 4-5 hours of bright sunlight or equivalent, you'll get good carrots. But if there is not enough light, the roots will take longer to develop. For growing carrots indoors, it is better to choose seeds of round varieties.
Quick tip: carrots will be sweeter if grown in a cool place.

7. Radishes.

Radishes are one of the healthiest vegetables to grow indoors in the winter. Sow radish seeds in straight rows in deep trays with rich, well-drained soil and a compost mixture, and cover with paper until they germinate. We move to a sunny place when sprouts appear. You can thin out seedlings when 2-3 leaves are formed. Within 25 days, useful tubers are already on the table. And the greenery of the radish adorns the windowsill during its growth.
On a note: thinned sprouts are used in salads as trace elements.

Photo: growing in winter

8. Spinach.

In the garden, spinach does best in partial shade and produces a continuous supply of leaves. The same can be reproduced in an apartment by growing it near a window where it will receive 3-4 hours of sunlight. Choose a cool location, as spinach tends to avoid heat. The first harvest will stimulate the production of new leaves.

9. Salad.

You can grow different varieties of lettuce indoors. In a sunny window, the plant needs no more than 3-4 hours of light exposure. Lettuce is also ideal for cultivation exclusively under artificial light, for a long and continuous harvest.

Photo: garden on the windowsill in winter

10. Kale.

Kale is largely cold hardy, but hard frosts can kill it. Every kale plant needs a large pot and plenty of room to grow and spread. A place where she gets 3-4 hours of bright light will be ideal for growth. Corrugated leaves are a storehouse of vitamin substances, but they do not grow very large indoors. However, they are just as tasty and highly nutritious.

Photo: indoor garden

11. Chard.

Swiss chard requires 4-5 hours of sun to produce long stems in rainbow colors. Indoor chard plants are much smaller, but you can harvest the leaves all winter long. Plus, these colorful plants will be a fun addition to your home decor.

Photo: growing at home

12. Arugula.

This spicy-tasting green lettuce produces high yields even when grown indoors. Large dandelion-like rosettes produce a continuous supply of leaves. The more you cut, the more it grows. Arugula likes to stay cool, but on the lit side. And moist soil reduces the risk of screwing.

Photo: growing on the window

13. Green onions.

This vegetable is grown mainly in order to simply cut off the greens. It tends to grow both in soil and in a container of water, making it easy to plant and provides a regular supply of green onions throughout the winter.

Photo: growing vegetables in an apartment

14. Oregano.

Oregano is a perennial herb that grows well in an apartment at any time of the year. The plant can be quite invasive in the garden, so it's best to keep it in a container. Allocate oregano pots a permanent place on the kitchen windowsill, where they will enjoy the morning sun. Oregano will thrive happily indoors when it's cold outside and will provide you with enough herb for all your culinary needs. Oregano can be grown from seed, but it's best to get a plant grown in a nursery.
Interesting fact: the more you pinch the oregano, the thicker it will be.

15. Mint.

This herb prefers shade, so it is ideal for growing indoors. Mint prefers rich, moist soils. One pot is enough to supply you with plenty of herbs and fill your kitchen with a pleasant aroma throughout the winter.

Photo: growing greens in the kitchen

16. Seedlings.

Sprouts are highly nutritious foods that anyone can grow in their home. To make these crunchy treats, soak the edible seeds in warm water and keep them in a dark and damp environment for 3-4 days, rinsing them in plain water several times during this period to avoid fungal and bacterial diseases. In addition to wheat sprouts, lentil, mung bean, chickpea, sunflower, mustard and flax seed sprouts are also delicious.

Photo: growing in a room

17. Microgreens.

These tiny green plants are renowned for their nutrient richness and high prices in local supermarkets. However, they are fairly easy to grow at home given two simple conditions - a sunny windowsill and a small container. And already in 2-3 weeks from planting, microgreens are ready to move into salads.

Photo: growing vegetables in winter

18. Mushrooms.

Mushrooms can be grown indoors not only in winter, but it's an enjoyable pastime when gardening comes to a halt in cold weather. Growing mushrooms and oyster mushrooms with ready-made kits is very easy. All you have to do is water them and keep them in a cool, dark place. Several crops can be harvested from one mycelium.
Advice: Before proceeding to the preparation of your own mycelium, it is better to gain sufficient experience with mushroom planting kits.

Photo: plant in an apartment

Varieties of seeds for the garden on the windowsill

Manufacturers mark vegetable seeds suitable for growing in an apartment: for balcony use, for growing on a windowsill or for pot growing. It is also advisable to choose shade-tolerant ones.

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

Photo Nadia: “Cucumbers were planted in late January - early February, and the photo is from March 13th. The cucumber is tied up.

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

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

• Among for growing on the windowsill of Sibmama, Pinocchio, Balcony Miracle, Florida Petit, Red and Yellow Pearl are traditionally chosen. The same varieties can also be grown in the country - as seals in greenhouses between tall varieties (for example,) or even in flower beds.

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

Arugula photo from lml now

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

Photo mila1977

Photo of the basilica from Navladiya

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

Home garden lamps

Greens should be grown on the sunniest and coolest window sill. But with early sowing in November-February, you can’t do without a good one.

Photo Marina79

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

Photo mila1977

What should be pots for a home garden?

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

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

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

Photo ard

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

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

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

Photo lml now

When to sow vegetables and herbs for home growing?

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

Agricultural technology for growing vegetables and herbs on the windowsill

There are seven simple rules in total, following which even a beginner can grow vegetables on his balcony or windowsill.

1. Lighting up our garden. In order not to forget to turn the phytolamp on and off in time, a relay will come in handy (I bought it in Ikea). We grow everything on the sunniest windowsill.

Photo ard

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

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

Photo ard- peppers in August.

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

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

Photo ard:“I could not stand it, I cut all the side branches with weak small flowers near the overgrown pepper. All the same, all these flowers will be thrown off, and they spend food. I left about half of the branches.

Cucumbers, of course, tie up. Photo lml now

We sow greens thickly, but then we thin out. Cut can be dried or added to a salad. Photo idea

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

We pinch basil, it grows well again, just like sorrel, lemon balm. Photo K@r@mel

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

Watercress in a jar of water

Eight shares an interesting way to grow watercress:

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

_Elenka_ clarifies: “I planted it like this, only with a hydrogel and a disposable container, then I washed the salad, added it to okroshka (it was in the spring).”