A few decades ago, such a kind of greens as spinach was practically not used by the average person. However, the plant is widely used not only in cooking to give taste and color, but also for medicinal purposes. Spinach has a high content of useful substances such as iron, carotene, ascorbic acid and fiber. Therefore, it is highly advisable for yourself to know how to grow spinach on the windowsill.
The benefits of the plant
Before you start breeding greens, first you need to understand how useful this plant is for the human body. Spinach is widespread among people who need to increase hemoglobin and stimulate metabolism. Also, the plant can be prescribed by many doctors for the general strengthening of the body.
It is worth noting separately that keratin and ascorbic acid, which are found in significant quantities in greenery, are very resistant to heat treatment. When exposed to high temperatures, useful substances are not destroyed, which is a very important factor.
Thanks to modern technology, the plant is sold in supermarkets throughout the year. Therefore, many people do not even think about whether it is possible to grow spinach on the windowsill. However, herbs grown in unknown conditions may not have such a huge amount of vitamins.
It is worth noting that this type of greenery grows well not only in the garden, when it is warm and sunny on the street, but also in an ordinary city apartment throughout the year. So, if you want to learn how to grow spinach on the windowsill, you need to know some tricks and features, which will be described a bit below.
What should be the lighting
To grow spinach at home on the windowsill, you must first pay attention to proper lighting. This plant, like everyone else, is quite photophilous and in the absence of proper lighting it can simply wither away, then there can be no question of a good crop.
An ideal option for spinach would be to grow it near a window that faces south. If this is not possible, then it is necessary to create additional lighting.
The most high-quality lighting items are fluorescent lamps or phytolamps. It is necessary to install these devices at a height of 60 cm, do not neglect this rule, since it is this distance that will give the plant the necessary light.
It is worth considering the fact that for good growth spinach needs at least 10 hours a day of good lighting. Therefore, factors of the season should be taken into account. For example, in winter it gets darker and darker earlier, therefore, additional lighting must be turned on at least 4 hours a day. If the weather is cloudy, fluorescent lamps should work all day.
In what capacity can spinach be grown on a windowsill
To the joy of beginning gardeners, this plant is very unpretentious to the capacity in which it will need to grow. For this procedure, ordinary flower pots (plastic, clay or ceramic), boxes and other containers in which there are drainage holes to remove excess moisture may be suitable.
The main thing is to provide culture with the necessary area for growth. One plant needs a piece of land measuring 8 by 8 cm. Therefore, it is most convenient to make seedlings in a box, after dividing it into squares.
A drainage layer must be put on the bottom of the tank, it should be about 3 cm. For this purpose, pebbles or expanded clay can be ideal. In the absence of the above materials, broken brick can be used.
The soil
Land for a good harvest should be fertilized and loose. To achieve the best result, you can independently prepare the soil. It is necessary to take garden soil and humus, then mix in arbitrary proportions and place everything in the oven for at least half an hour. Such a procedure will completely destroy all pests and pathogens.
There is also an easier option - the acquisition of soil, which is intended for seedlings. However, it is necessary to take only the non-acidic type of soil (without peat). Peat oxidizes the soil, and this does not favorably affect the development of the plant.
How to plant a spinach variety
People who are wondering about how to grow spinach on the windowsill at home, in most cases, do not know which variety is ideal for home conditions. Early ripe varieties will be the best option, literally in one month you can already take advantage of the first harvest.
Before planting, the seeds must be soaked in warm water for one day. Then they need to be pulled out and placed in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate for 2 hours, then you can proceed directly to sowing. Thanks to this simple procedure, the ripening process is significantly accelerated.
How to grow spinach on a windowsill: sowing
If everything is done correctly to create the highest quality crop, then sowing seeds should not be done immediately in a box or other container where the plant will develop, but in a special planting box (pot). After sowing the seeds, you need to wait a while, when several mature leaves appear. Only after this spinach can be carefully dive into a permanent habitat.
In the planting container, you need to make small strips with a depth of 1 to 1.5 cm, then carefully lay out the pre-treated seeds. Then the strips should be covered with soil and irrigated using a spray gun. When everything is done, it remains only to create a greenhouse effect, for this the container needs to be closed with a film or glass. Sprouts will appear during the first week, only after that the glass (film) can be removed.
Plant care
This plant is very fond of moisture, so for a good harvest you need to not only regularly water the crop, but also need to irrigate from the sprayer every few days. If this is not possible, then you can put several containers on the windowsill, in which there will be water, naturally, open.
Many people do not know how to grow spinach on the windowsill in the apartment and what the optimal temperature is. With the temperature regime, everything is extremely simple, the ideal temperature for the plant is +15 degrees. At the same time, spinach can freeze if there are less than +9 on the windowsill, and if it is more than +16, arrows appear that make the culture unsuitable for eating.
When can I harvest
How to grow spinach at home on the windowsill is now clear. Now we need to decide when it is possible to collect the fruits of labor. It is believed that greens are completely suitable for consumption when it has grown by 7-8 cm and has about 5 large, dense leaves.
You can pick off the leaves of the plant for 2, and sometimes 3 months (depending on the particular variety). When spinach starts up a flower arrow - this means that it can be removed and plant a new batch of greens.
Conclusion
Now you know how to grow spinach on the windowsill, follow these basic rules, this culture will grow at home throughout the year.