In winter, there is not enough fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden. What can be grown on the windowsill to enjoy natural products? The list of crops suitable for housing conditions is quite wide - from parsley and salad to tomatoes and cucumbers.
Growing greens on the windowsill in winter or summer can be the same as in the garden. But it should be noted that some plants are quite demanding. In this article, we look at easy-to-care cultures.
If you are a beginner gardener, and therefore do not know what you can grow on the windowsill, it is better to start with green onions, watercress, parsley. And spicy herbs - basil and rosemary - not only come in handy in the kitchen, but also spread their aroma throughout the apartment. More experienced amateurs can start right away with growing cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers.
The winter garden will appeal to children. Even the baby will be able to grow green onions on the windowsill. Caring for plants will not only captivate the child and give him a new useful experience, but also provide vitamins.
Training
After you decide what to grow on the windowsill, you need to prepare pots, soil, seeds. The set is the same for most cultures. Experienced summer residents who know how to grow seedlings on the windowsill already have almost everything you need.
To equip the garden on the windowsill, you will need deep boxes or wide flower pots for planting plants. They can be equipped with plastic caps to create a greenhouse effect. For these purposes, you can use ordinary plastic bags.
Pots need to be filled with soil from a flower shop or a self-prepared substrate. It is better to refuse to use land from a garden or vegetable garden, because insect larvae and weed seeds may remain in it. If the ground from the street is not prepared and not calcined, then it is highly likely that one weed can be grown on the windowsill.
You also need to prepare a container for water upholding - delicate young plants should not be watered directly from the tap. You will need a spray bottle or a small watering can.
Foil, which is placed behind the plants to reflect sunlight, will also be useful. If the foil is not used, then the boxes and pots with plants need to be turned 180 degrees daily, otherwise they will tilt towards the window and grow crooked.
If the plants will be grown in spring and summer (planting in February-March), then they will have enough sunlight from the street. But the winter garden, planted in the fall, will require additional lighting. For this, fluorescent lamps are suitable.
It should be understood that you can only grow undemanding herbs on a windowsill in winter without illumination, but you can’t get a good tomato crop without using phytolamps. In winter, on sunny days, additional lighting will be needed in the evening, but in cloudy weather the lamp will have to be turned on for the whole day.
Chives
How to grow onions on the windowsill, show children back in kindergarten. This is the simplest culture for growing at home, it does not require special care, grows quickly and is very useful.
For forcing feathers, you can use both large onion sets (samples) and regular turnip onions. The feathers from the small bulb are more delicate, but the small head is depleted quickly. A large bulb gives abundant greens for a longer period.
Not only self-grown onions are suitable, you can also use bought in a supermarket or store for summer residents. The easiest way to plant onions for distillation is in water. To do this, take a small cup and fill it with ordinary water or a nutrient solution. The bulb must be installed so that only its tip touches the surface of the liquid. Change the water every day.
When planted in water, the bulb may begin to rot and spread an unpleasant odor. This can be avoided, since you can grow onions on the windowsill with planting in the ground. The substrate must be poured into a shallow plastic box. If there are no drainage holes at the bottom of the tank, then to prevent root decay, it is reasonable to pour a small drainage layer of expanded clay, pebbles, broken brick, etc.
You do not need to deepen the heads, do the landing tightly, the bulbs are not afraid of close proximity. Plantings must be watered frequently, preventing the soil from drying out. Do not use all the seed material at once, it is better to divide it into several portions and plant it with a difference of 2-3 weeks, then fresh onions will be enough for the whole winter.
Green onions can be grown not only in crates. Forcing onions can be planted vertically. To do this, you can purchase a special flowerpot in a store for summer residents or independently make holes in a plastic bottle filled with soil.
Watercress
What can a novice grow on a windowsill? Another simple culture for growing on the windowsill is watercress. It is known for its beneficial properties, and its unpretentiousness makes it one of the most common salads for growing at home. Watercress is ready for use within 2-3 weeks after planting. Seeds can be purchased at the store for summer residents.
To grow a salad, you do not need a deep container, a regular tray is also suitable. As a substrate, you can use a thin (about 3 cm) layer of clay or peat soil, several times folded fabric, cotton wool or paper towels.
Watercress should be planted densely so that young plants support each other. Press the seeds slightly into the moist substrate. The plant does not require additional illumination, just put it on the windowsill.
How to grow a salad on a windowsill? The main thing is to prevent the soil from drying out, although pouring lettuce is also not worth it. He does not like plant and heat. The optimum temperature is no higher than 18 degrees Celsius. In order to avoid overheating in winter, it is enough to move the container with the salad closer to the window.
In order for the green watercress to be constantly present on the table, you need to plant it according to the scheme that is convenient for you. You can sow a new container every week or two or sow a small amount of seeds every 3-4 days.
Leaf salad
Growing lettuce is already somewhat more difficult. To know how to grow lettuce on the windowsill, you need to consider the variety of the plant grown. Best of all, in the conditions of an apartment, the varieties Lollo Ross, Lollo Bionda, Odessa, Vitamin, New Year, Red Credo show themselves.
In autumn and winter, leaf lettuce will need additional lighting. If the room is hot and dry, the plant does not get enough moisture, then the leaves will become bitter, rough, flower stalks will quickly form. Leaf lettuce loves moisture, coolness, and feels good on a glazed balcony until late autumn.
Leaf lettuce is planted in the ground rather densely, at a distance of 1-2 cm. Before the first shoots, the container is covered to create a greenhouse effect. Over time, thinning will be required at a distance of 4-5 cm. The plant needs watering and good light.
After the bushes begin to produce arrows, they become unusable. They can be removed, and in their place to plant new seeds.
Parsley
Many housewives are wondering about how to grow parsley on the windowsill. After all, often it takes only a few leaves of this plant, and you don’t want to buy the whole package in the store. In the spring and summer, parsley can be grown from seeds. The plant is photophilous, so in winter it will need additional illumination. The seeds germinate rather slowly, but the bush will also serve for a long time. Parsley is not demanding for temperature; it grows well on a windowsill or on a balcony. The plant is hygrophilous, watering is plentiful. In winter, parsley should be watered less often.
It will be possible to cut the first greens only in a month and a half, but then it will be possible to do this for a whole year. Before planting, it is better to soak the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate. Parsley can be planted in small containers, in peat glasses or immediately in flowerpots.
How to grow parsley on the windowsill in autumn and winter, because growing from seeds at this time is too long and time-consuming process? There is another way - forcing out rhizomes. This method is somewhat simpler and better suited for the autumn-winter period. Planting material can be prepared independently at a personal plot or bought in a usual grocery store.
The rhizome should be healthy, with no signs of wilting, and the apical kidney should be whole. The root crop should be placed in a pot and sprinkled with moist soil. Too long roots can be planted obliquely.
The first green shoots will appear a few days after planting, and you can cut the leaves in a couple of weeks. Greens will appear on the rhizome within six months.
Basil
What can be grown on the windowsill besides the usual onions, parsley, lettuce? Something more exotic, such as basil or rosemary.
The basil variety does not matter, both green and purple will do. Basil can be propagated both with seeds and with cuttings. The plant is heat-loving - the optimum temperature is 20-25 degrees, and water-loving - good drainage and plentiful watering are required.
Cuttings are a quick way to grow basil. You can simply buy several branches in the store, put them in water and after one to two weeks transfer the seedling with roots into a pot. Young shoots will be ready for cutting in a couple of weeks. Cut side shoots better.
The basil planted with the help of the cuttings grows quickly, but also blooms quickly. As you know, after the beginning of flowering, the plant is unsuitable for food. To have fresh basil on your table constantly, you need to update the plantings every 3-4 months.
Planting basil with seeds will require more effort. But such a bush will not bloom for about a year. Seeds need to be soaked, covered, sprouts transplanted in pots. It is better to grow basil with the help of seeds in the spring, since in the winter period additional illumination will be needed.
Rosemary
Rosemary in a clay pot on the windowsill will not only decorate the kitchen, but also come in handy when cooking. This plant can be grown in the summer in the country, and in winter it will feel great at home.
You will need a wide pot, in which a thick drainage layer is poured. Rosemary is demanding on lighting and air. He prefers the south side, and in summer a pot with a plant must be planted in the open ground, taken out to the balcony or put out the window, otherwise the leaves will not accumulate a sufficient amount of essential oils.
For planting rosemary, both seeds and cuttings are suitable. Plant seeds have poor germination. They need to be soaked for 2 days, then put on the ground, not sprinkling on top, covered with a film and sprayed every day from a spray bottle. If seedlings do not appear after 4 weeks, plant new seeds. When the seedlings produce three or more leaves, they are planted in spacious pots.
It's easier to grow rosemary using cuttings. To do this, you need a woody shoot of the plant. It is placed in a container with water or wet sand, and after rooting is transplanted into a pot.
Rosemary loves frequent but moderate watering. It is better to dry the soil than pour. With a lack of moisture, the lower leaves of the plant will begin to turn yellow, and with an excess, rot will rot, which will lead to the death of the plant.
If in winter the plant is kept at a low temperature (up to 5 degrees), then in the spring rosemary will bloom. An adult plant needs to be constantly trimmed to form a bush.
Cucumbers
Growing cucumbers on a windowsill in the winter is a pretty tempting prospect. This can be done not only by an experienced gardener, but also by a beginner. Cucumbers grow quite quickly, you can get the first crop in a month and a half.
For cultivation on the windowsill, not any variety of cucumbers is suitable. First, it must be self-pollinated. During flowering, the bush must be shaken daily for pollination to occur. Secondly, it will be much more convenient if the plant is bush. Thirdly, an early variety is better for home growing. Finally, a shade-loving plant would be ideal. You can grow cucumbers on the windowsill in the winter varieties Connie, Masha, Legend, Debut, Flight, Babylon. Knowing the necessary parameters, you can choose another variety.
Growing cucumbers at home has its own subtleties. After all, providing all the necessary conditions can be difficult. Cucumbers are photophilous, so windows on the south and east side are suitable for their cultivation. If there is still not enough light, then additional illumination with the help of fluorescent lamps will be required.
The temperature in the room should not be lower than 20 degrees, so it is not worth moving the flowerpots too close to the cold window. Cucumbers are very fond of moisture, so you need to make sure that the soil does not dry out. A flowerpot with a plant can be put in a bowl of water. Leaves need to be sprayed from a spray twice a day.
Tomatoes
It seems to many that growing tomatoes on the windowsill is a very complicated and inaccessible thing for a beginner. But this is not at all! Moreover, for indoor cultivation there are special varieties.
When visiting a gardener shop, note that on some packages with seeds it says “Recommended for pot growing,” “Harvest on the window,” “Home garden.” And the names of the varieties themselves are speaking - Room surprise, Balcony miracle, Japanese room. There are ampelous varieties that will look great in pots - Peruvian home, Cherry, Talisman.
Even if you do not find special indoor varieties, ordinary ones will do. Note that these tomatoes must be determinant (undersized, and preferably dwarf), self-pollinated (for pollination, the bushes are shaken during flowering) and small-fruited. For example, Alaska, Bonsai, Bonsai micro, Pearl (red and yellow), Canada News, Minibel, Pinocchio, etc.
Tomatoes can be planted immediately in large pots or picked, choosing the strongest sprouts. During flowering and fruit setting, tomatoes need to be abundantly watered and sprayed with leaves.
The room where the tomatoes grow should be regularly ventilated - plants do not like stagnant air. In winter, they need additional lighting. The plant must be fed periodically. The first fruits can be obtained after 3-4 months.
Tomato is a perennial plant. At home, with good care, he will bear fruit for several years. After a period of active fruiting, the bush needs to be transplanted into a larger pot and updated by pruning the branches. In addition, tomato can be propagated by cuttings. A plant grown from cuttings will begin to bloom in a few weeks.
Sweet pepper
How to grow pepper on a windowsill? Doing this is no more difficult than growing tomatoes. True, it will take longer to wait for the harvest - 5-6 months. But pepper is a perennial plant, with good care, annual transplantation and pruning, it will bear fruit for several years. The plant can be propagated not only by seeds, but also by cuttings. Pepper care is also similar to tomato care, but with one significant difference - if the tomato does not tolerate stagnant air, then pepper is afraid of drafts, so it is better not to settle them on one window.
Self-pollinated early-ripening varieties are best suited for growing in an apartment - California Miracle, Oda, Jupiter, Patio Ivo.
Pepper needs good lighting, heat, loose soil (regularly it is necessary to carry out the procedure of loosening the soil). This plant is not capricious, and will delight you with its fruits for a long time. You can also grow hot pepper at home, but these plants should not be in the same room, otherwise there will be pollination.