Beautiful and useful: how to grow greens at home all year round. Garden on the windowsill in winter for beginners: practical tips How to plant greens on the windowsill at home in winter

All year round, what is home hydroponics and what devices exist to make it beautiful.

Many people like to plant flowers in the apartment. Sometimes you pass by a house, and in the window you can see a whole meadow of flowers, the entire window sill is full. Or even a balcony. In the house opposite, a woman grows cacti, she has more than a hundred of them. And my neighbor breeds geraniums, in her apartment there is always a heady smell of these flowers.

I think that such love for home plants is a kind of addiction, I want more and more. Take care, water, look for unique specimens, enjoy the first inflorescences. For some reason, all my fresh flowers dry up. Even near the computer withered, I had to give it to a neighbor to save him.

But the flowers on the windowsill are so “feminine”, cute and cozy. After thinking, I found a way out of their situation and began to grow greens at home. It turns out that this is no less interesting!

WHAT TO GROW?

Now there are so many seeds on sale that your eyes run wide. You can grow cucumbers in your home garden, at least.

So, what greens can be grown on the windowsill in winter?
● green onion
● watercress
● lettuce
● parsley
● dill
● basil
● arugula

Here it is a strategic supply of self-grown vitamins. And cheap, and environmentally friendly, and always within reach - you just need to lend a hand. The only thing to grow greens at home is to provide the plants with conditions for growth.

FACTOR FIRST. LIGHTING

Winter is long, and the darker it is in the apartment, the sadder our home garden will be. So that the greenery does not fall into the blues, we will take care of the right light.

The easiest solution is to put a table lamp—not the most correct. An ordinary light bulb gives a lot of heat, so you can not put it close to the plants, otherwise it will burn the leaves. It also lacks the so-called blue spectra, which are necessary for photosynthesis, so the lamps are used only to heat the air in small greenhouses.

If you are serious about growing greens at home all year round, you can buy a phytolamp. It will cost an order of magnitude more expensive, but there are more benefits - different spectra provide:
● good photo- and biosynthesis;
● thicken sowing;
● make plants stronger.

You can also put fluorescent lamps, but they are not easy to figure out, there are so many modes and nuances of use in it.

For those who love turnkey solutions, there are special lamp pots from Aerogarden, Click & Grow and Lightpot for growing greens, they are convenient and practical to use. On Amazon.com, these mini home gardens start at $58.

Note. Green onions do not need additional lighting, they live perfectly in the usual mode of day and night.

FACTOR TWO. THE SOIL

It is easy to disinfect the soil in the oven - steam it slightly. As an option, pour a solution of potassium permanganate, or you can just freeze it.

FACTOR THREE. AIR HUMIDITY

In winter, heating is turned on in the apartments and the air dries up. Particularly affected by dry air, because they are located on the windowsill above the battery.

The way out is to buy a spray gun and spray the greens. Or move closer to the plants.

Note.For additional hydration, you will say "Thank you!" not only basil, on the windowsill, but also your body.

It is easier to monitor air humidity and temperature if the plants are placed in a small greenhouse. These are sold at IKEA. And they can become original for mom or grandmother. Such greenhouses cost approximately from 300 to 920 UAH.

FOURTH FACTOR. REGULAR WATERING

Tap water is harmful to greenery. It is desirable to enrich citric acid or apple cider vinegar. But how to correctly calculate the amount of water for irrigation?

A find for a good gardener is a hydrogel. Colorless balls are dipped in enriched water, then laid out in boxes with seedlings. The balls gradually, dosed give moisture to the roots of plants. More precisely, the plants themselves take as much water as they need. My experiment showed that the yield in boxes with hydrogel was richer.

FIFTH FACTOR. TEMPERATURE CONDITION

Hang the thermometer right on the window. It is colder near the window than in the apartment itself, so you need to monitor the temperature.

If the window sill is cold, raise the seedling box to a small height using a stand. When airing the room, remove the seedlings from the windowsill.

Note. If the selected plant is whimsical and capricious, you can plant it in a glass greenhouse. They can be purchased at IKEA or Butlers.

FACTOR SIX. FEEDING

If you purchased soil in a store, then, most likely, the feed will not be needed at first.

In simple soil, it is desirable to add fertilizer. Mineral complexes for a particular plant will help you choose a seller of a flower shop. Needed here individual approach for every kind of greenery.

AND A FEW MORE SECRETS

A very convenient thing for growing greens is an aqua farm. Absolutely unexpected decision: an aquarium with special trays on top in which greenery grows. Fish waste serves as fertilizer for plants, while plant roots serve as a filter for the water in the aquarium. There is such a toy in the official representative office of the manufacturer in Kyiv, neither more nor less - 3499 UAH. On Amazon.com - a little cheaper, about $50.

Note. On sale there are many ready-made germinated herbs in a pot, or seeds with soil in special vacuum bags (you can ask both in ordinary supermarkets and in those where there are garden-garden departments, for example, in Epicenter). They have already selected the necessary soil and come with a brochure on proper care.

I recently learned about such a wonderful thing as hydroponics. It sounds mysterious, but in fact it is the art of growing flowers and greenery without soil. Research has shown that seedlings and mature plants can thrive without soil, getting everything they need through water.

Using this method, it is not difficult, and the system itself can even be put in a closet or sent into space. Recently, home hydroponics is gaining popularity, because you can make it yourself.

The guys from New York have developed the Windowsfarm hydroponic system, which combines two of the most important eco-trends of the last decade: a vertical garden and a home garden. Such a system is expensive.—one section $129. But it looks absolutely amazing.

To imagine the full aesthetic potential, check out The Last Witch Hunter, which recently hit theaters. One scene features an entire green wall made from Windowsfarm, lit up with fluorescent lights.

IN CONCLUSION

A home garden is not only interesting, but also useful, because we don’t know what quality greens and vegetables are sold in stores. But we can be completely confident in the safety of the crop grown with our own hands.

And do not be afraid to involve children - it will be incredibly interesting for them to mess around with seeds, pots, monitor the illumination and the degree of soil moisture.

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 the hydroponic vertical garden. It takes up little space and brings a good harvest. About his 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 “nasty things”. They have been certified, and serious organizations have guaranteed their quality. Secondly, bioproducts are much more expensive than conventional ones.

In Russia, the 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

You can treat yourself to fresh, vitamin-rich vegetables and herbs all year round.
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).
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.
You can improve your knowledge of biology, gain useful skills and acquire an exciting hobby.
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.
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 ( minimum distance between shelves - 50 cm).
Capacities. Home garden beds can be clay or plastic pots, wooden boxes. 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 fertilizer, top dressing, a thermometer and a vessel for settling water (home plants are watered 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">

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 the windowsill.

Today we will talk about ten more such plants.

Carrot

DenisNata/Depositphotos.com

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 sun rays.

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

Levranii/Depositphotos.com

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 feeding, 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

jamdesign/depositphotos.com

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

fotomod/depositphotos.com

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

martiapunts/Depositphotos.com

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

S.Bachstroem/Shutterstock.com

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 mixture. 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.

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

A winter garden on the windowsill is, perhaps, the little thing that unites an uncompromising city dweller, an amateur gardener and an experienced summer resident. Indeed, in order to break a small bed on the window, there can only be arguments “for”, and it is absolutely impossible to come up with something against.

Gardening on a windowsill in winter is easy!

Aesthetics.

not without reason green color It is considered soothing, and in summer, when the foliage on the trees and the grass on the lawn are in the very juice, no one will even think to complain about its abundance and annoyingness. So a few bushes of greenery or even better - flowering and fruiting plants, at least, will please the eye.

Practicality.

Rationalists and skeptics, making a choice between geranium and parsley, will certainly give preference to the latter - not only beautiful, but also tasty.

Saving.

Greens and fresh vegetables, which are also quite possible to grow on your own window in February, are expensive in winter, but the quality and taste, however, leave much to be desired. Whether it's the fruits of their own labors - both tasty and free, and pleasure in the process and in the result.

Great pastime.

How often, especially among women, on cold winter days, hands itch from the desire to do something or make something. Someone knows how to knit, someone sews, and someone may well find in himself an outstanding experimental gardener who, no, no, and will move, as soon as it gets warmer, from the windowsill to a real garden.

No complications.

No matter how it seems to a novice gardener that growing plants, and even more so food, is the lot of the elite, there really is nothing difficult in regularly harvesting the same green onion. On the contrary, it can be easier and more interesting than growing even the most unpretentious indoor plants.

In order to start breaking up a vegetable garden on the windowsill, you will need the following:

Containers.

The most reliable plastic or clay. Each type of plant should have its own container.

Priming.

It is easier and better for those who decide to do gardening for the first time to buy soil in a specialized store.

Drainage.

Purchased gravel can be used as drainage, or, say, broken brick or small pebbles from the nearest body of water.

White spectrum fluorescent lamps.

Absolutely necessary, especially for the northern winter, to extend the daylight hours for plants at least up to 13-15 hours.

With the listed minimum of devices and a great desire to get the result and enjoy the process, the winter harvest will be inevitable.

Fresh herbs all year round

It is easiest to grow greens not only in summer beds, but also on the windowsill.

The undisputed leader here is the green onion, but there are other tasty plants that are easier to grow on the window:

parsley and dill;
cilantro and basil:
thyme and mint;
lemon balm and spinach;
sorrel and rosemary;
lavender and tarragon;
celery and lettuce, etc.

Each of them has its own nuances in growing, but in general, the process is not difficult.

Onion

Oddly enough, in the first place in the composition of both onion, and his green feather, nothing more than sugar! It is present in the plant in the form of fructose, inulin, maltose and polysaccharide. In the second and third place in the composition of the beloved plant and part-time food product, proteins and ascorbic acid. But the onion gives a specific taste essential oil, which is contained in it in negligible amounts, but creates, nevertheless, all the reputation.

Green onion can be grown in two ways:

in small containers of water
in shallow boxes with earth.

In the first case, only the lower part of the bulb purchased in the usual vegetable department should be in the water, and the water should be changed once or twice a day.

In the second case, only the lower part of the bulb and roots are also in the ground.

As soon as a few long enough green feathers have appeared, you can cut the first crop and enjoy fresh herbs in a salad.

In exactly the same way as onions, you can grow garlic from cloves in which a green sprout has hatched.

Greens from seeds

When planting dill, parsley or, say, cilantro, you need to be patient, because the first harvest will not be earlier than a month later, if you choose early ripe variety, and in almost two months if you choose a late-ripening variety. Experienced gardeners recommend not to be tormented by the choice at all and to plant several varieties of your favorite greens that ripen at different speeds, because each of them has its own taste characteristics, each looks different, which will help to unusually decorate your salads on the festive table.

So, the early-ripening dill varieties "Grenadier" and "Gribovsky" are quite unpretentious and resistant to various kinds of diseases, the mid-ripening varieties "Aelita" and "Richelieu" give more fragrant greenery, and the late-ripening "Kibray" and "Salut" are distinguished by productivity and a higher content vitamins and others useful substances. The same goes for parsley, cilantro (coriander) and other types of greens.

How to grow dill from seed:

Soak the seeds in warm unboiled water for about a day, remembering to change the water every 6-7 hours.
After a day, dry the seeds and plant in well-moistened soil. You can sow in beds, sprinkled with earth to a height of a couple of centimeters.
Next, cover the pot with polyethylene and send it to a dark, warm place for about a week.
After the appearance of the first shoots, gradually reduce the temperature, first for a short while, and then leaving it on the windowsill for longer and longer.

Dill should be watered abundantly and the temperature should be kept at 18-20 degrees Celsius. If you add new seeds every 3-4 weeks, you can provide yourself with fresh dill for several months.

To grow parsley from seeds, you need:

Keep the seeds wrapped in damp gauze for a week in a cold, dark place, remembering to constantly moisten the gauze.
After a week, the seeds should be sown to a depth of half a centimeter.
Then cover with a wet cloth and water 1 time in 2 days in anticipation of seedlings.
When sprouts appear, you need to transfer the box to the windowsill.

Parsley does not like dry land or waterlogged soil, so it is worth watering it once every 3-4 days and maintaining the temperature at 22-24 degrees Celsius.

Parsley, celery and root vegetable salad

It is even easier and faster to start getting a crop, after waiting a minimum of time and spending a minimum of effort, if you use purchased greens in a pot.

In winter, lettuce, parsley and celery are often sold in pots, which most customers throw away after they have eaten the greens. But if you choose a pot with a good intact rhizome a couple of centimeters wide for parsley and about five for celery, plant them, leaving the cut cuttings on the surface, then very soon you can get a new crop of greens.

How to grow vegetables in the winter on the window

Despite the fact that the apartment, it would seem, is the same greenhouse in which tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers bear fruit in the northern latitudes, there is one significant feature that makes growing vegetables in winter (in addition to a short sunny day) significantly difficult, namely limited pot area. Due to the small amount of land provided to the plant, it needs noticeably more attention and care, as well as time in order to begin to bear fruit.

When choosing vegetable seeds for a future garden on a windowsill, you should prefer those that combine all of the following features:

self-pollinating hybrids (among them there will be no empty flowers guaranteed);
undersized (so that the height of the window is enough);
small-fruited varieties (because they ripen faster).

For those who want to grow tomatoes on a windowsill, it makes sense to consider a cherry variety. The well-known tomatoes measuring 2-3 cm in diameter have been cultivated for just over 200 years and were first brought from Peru and northern Chile. Caring for them is no different from other varieties of tomatoes, but the fruits, due to their size, ripen much faster.

To grow vegetables you will need:

a pot with a volume of 3-4 liters for each individual bush;
land purchased in a specialized store;
drainage.

The process of growing a fruiting plant is as follows:

We disinfect the seeds in a pale pink 2% solution of potassium permanganate for 2-3 hours.
After a couple of hours, we take out only the seeds that are at the bottom, and put them on a dry cloth or cotton pad to dry.
Plant seeds in disposable cups. To do this, put up to 5 seeds in the rammed earth, and then sprinkle with earth a layer of 1.5-2 cm.
After germination, we thin out the plants, leaving the strongest, until one bush remains.

After about a month, we transplant the seedlings into large pots. To do this, we overturn the glass, holding the plant with our fingers, and then we put the seedling in a large pot and fill it with earth.

At first, you need to water the plants regularly, but in no case overmoisten. In winter, it is better to leave the ground a little dry than too moist, and with the advent of spring, on the contrary, increase watering.

Daylight hours for plants, regardless of the real sun, should be at least 10-12 hours due to artificial lighting, and the temperature should be at least 20 degrees. Also, the plant must be rotated 180 degrees once a day so that it grows evenly, without bending strongly towards the sun.

Is it possible to grow exotic plants at home in winter?

About cultivation exotic plants at home, there are two opposing opinions: some believe that this is almost impossible, others do not see anything complicated in this and even demonstrate their own grown lemons and grapefruits.

The fact is that citrus trees already traditionally grow in Russian homes, despite the unsuitable climate, and here there is both effective and negative experience. And all because someone is content beautiful tree with fleshy leaves that never fall and saturate the room with the purest air, and someone certainly wants to see ripe fruits and considers their absence an unsatisfactory result.

In fact, from an unprocessed lemon or orange seed bought in a regular store, a beautiful citrus tree will grow with a 90% probability. But in order to ennoble your plant into a so-called cultivated tree and subsequently get a harvest, you need to take into account many nuances and even take advice, or even the help of a specialist.

However, nothing is impossible, and considering how long it takes to develop exotic tree, then its seed can be planted at any time, and what to do later - be content with little or do everything so that it begins to bear fruit - decide over time as it develops.

How to grow a lemon at home from seeds (video)

In order to enjoy the greens all year round both on the window and in the salad, there are absolutely no obstacles. It will take more effort to grow vegetables on your windowsill, but it is also easier to do than it might seem at first. But becoming a real gardener, able to boast of his own lemons, will be a little more difficult, if only because of the more time that will need to be spent, but nothing is impossible here either.

And fruit.

Modern technologies make it possible even for beginners to organize a garden on the windowsill in winter.

For beginners, there is a lot of practical advice from professionals and home gardening enthusiasts.

Having studied the right approach, you can pamper yourself with juicy vegetables and herbs all year round without leaving your home.

To create a home small vegetable garden in the winter, careful preparation will be required:

Plastic containers (cut bottles, glasses will do) or flower pots.
Polyethylene to organize a mini-greenhouse.
High-quality soil and fertilizers that are designed for vegetables and herbs.
UV lamps to create daylight.
Thermometer to control the temperature of the home garden.
A small watering can for watering the garden.

The soil can be purchased at any specialized gardening store. Then they need to fill the prepared containers and water it so that the earth gets wet. Then seeds or seedlings are planted. In the case of seed planting, containers should be placed in a warm place and covered with foil to create a greenhouse effect until the crops begin to germinate.

As soon as the sprouts appear, the polyethylene must be removed to ensure air circulation and transferred to the windowsill, where the plants will have access to daylight.

The key to quality plants and a successful home harvest is timely watering, fertilizing and access to daylight. Since there is little natural light in winter time you will need a fluorescent lamp.

If there is no desire to plant seeds, you can buy already sprouted crops in the store and simply transplant them at home into containers.

Growing greenery

Greens are not only a flavoring seasoning for many dishes, but also a source of vitamins that every body needs, especially in winter. On the windowsill you can grow absolutely any kind of greenery.

Consider the most popular, which are very easy to plant at home.

Onion

You don't have to plant everything at once. It is enough to plant 7-10 heads, after 2 weeks the same number and so on.

Thus, you can provide yourself with green onions all year round uninterruptedly, and without cluttering up all the window sills.

Watercress

Watercress, like green onions, is not whimsical and does not require a lot of attention in a room garden. It grows very quickly, which is important for a home window sill, already 2 weeks after planting, you can enjoy the greenery.

In addition to taste, this type of salad has many useful properties for the body:

improves blood circulation
normalizes blood pressure
contributes to the production of hemoglobin
Saturates the body with vitamins A, B, C, E

Watercress does not require special lighting or temperature regime. For him, a perfect environment is considered to be +15 degrees and above. The main thing is to water it all the time, because the plant dies from a lack of moisture. For a constant crop of greens, portions of seeds are recommended to be planted once a week.

Leaf salad

According to experts, two types are ideal for a garden on a windowsill. lettuce: Lollo Rossa and Lolla Bionda.

But these, unlike onions or cress, require additional lighting.

In order for the leaves to turn out juicy and soft, it is important to adhere to neutral moisture, drought or excessive watering will lead to bitterness.

When the seeds begin to germinate, it is important to break through them at a distance of 1-1.5 centimeters.

When the plants get stronger, the distance between them must be increased to 4 centimeters. In cramped conditions, the lettuce will weaken and produce juicy fruit leaves.

Given the compactness and diminutiveness of the garden, you should not wait until the leaves grow to full size. You can feast on young leaves, cutting them off in time and allowing new leaves to appear.

Parsley

This type of greenery is one of the most not picky and fast-growing. There are several ways to plant parsley:

Sowing seeds. Seeds previously soaked in Guma are sown in a container with moistened and fertilized soil. Then they are covered with a layer of earth from above and placed in a warm place for germination. With the advent of greenery, it can be rearranged on the windowsill. With this planting, you need to know that parsley seeds germinate very slowly.
Planting distillation - pre-prepared roots. This option is a little easier, since you do not need to sow the seeds. Medium-sized roots are planted in moist soil. A plastic box, container or flower pot.

Parsley does not require much watering or lighting. It is enough to moisten the soil, as needed. This plant also does not need thinning.

chives

To the whole winter period chives pleased with a juicy harvest, it is necessary to spend in the fall preliminary training. Onion jackets should be planted in a container and sent to the balcony or basement. When the time comes to plant it on the windowsill, the blanks are brought into a warm room. Feathers grow back very quickly.

As practice shows, two crops can be obtained from one fruit, after which the plant deteriorates. Therefore, several containers need to be prepared for the winter.

It is not necessary to fill the chives with water, but you should not allow the soil to dry out either. When dry, the feathers become bitter, and flower stalks form. For a quality harvest, it is recommended to add a hydrogel before planting in the ground.

Basil

Basil is planted by cuttings or sown by seeds.

Both in the first and in the second case, an excellent harvest is obtained.

At a temperature of +18 and above, the seeds germinate on the 6th-7th day.

Cuttings take root from 10 to 15 days.

In the case of basil, it is better to use the sowing method.

This plant loves loose soil, and in order to create favorable conditions for him, coconut fibers are placed in a container with soil. They can be purchased at garden stores.

You need to water the basil as needed, preventing the soil from drying out. As for lighting, a natural light regime in the winter is quite enough.

Mint

Mint is easiest to grow on a windowsill, as it is not capricious of light, moisture, or soil quality. Different kinds get along well with each other, even if you plant mint platter in one pot.

It is not recommended to sow mint at home with seeds - it is too long. It is better to buy seedlings with roots in a store or on the market. Mint takes root up to 12 - 14 days, and then it begins to grow rapidly, spreading an incredible aroma throughout the apartment.

Rosemary

The rosemary stalk is immediately planted in the ground for rooting. It is not necessary to plant it in water first. From above you need to create a greenhouse - a film or a glass jar will do. The root will get stronger in 2 weeks, then the "greenhouse" must be eliminated.

Drainage should be placed at the bottom of the container with soil. rosemary loves Fresh air, but is afraid of a draft. There are no special instructions for watering this plant, but you need to spray the leaves with water from time to time.

Growing vegetables

In addition to greenery, you can grow it in the garden on the windowsill in winter. For beginners, lighting should be of the highest quality so that there are no problems with plants. Those who have already practiced growing crops already know from their own experience what kind of vegetable, what kind of light is needed.

cucumbers

It seems that growing cucumbers in an apartment is unrealistic. With the right approach and proper care, everything is real! Cucumbers are not very whimsical, so in December and March you can enjoy a fresh salad.

Benefits of planting cucumbers on the windowsill:

it is not difficult, even a beginner can easily cope with this task
already a month and a half after planting, you can enjoy juicy and healthy fruits
all year round you can provide the table with delicious fresh salads

Before breeding in an apartment, it is important to know that not all varieties are suitable for this. It is better to give preference to self-pollinated, bush and shade-tolerant. The following varieties are suitable for this:

F1 legend
Marinda F1
Connie F1
Debut
Athlete
Babylon
Claudia F1

For you need to create favorable conditions so that the plant is quickly saturated with vitamins and soon bears fruit:

Light. Cucumbers are photophilous, therefore natural light they won't be enough. It is necessary to purchase fluorescent lamps to illuminate the plant when it gets dark or cloudy outside.
Warm. For these plants, it is important to provide a mode from +20 to +24 degrees. At a lower temperature, the fruits will ripen for a long time and will not turn out juicy and crispy.
Moisture. Cucumbers do not tolerate drought either in the garden or on the windowsill. It is necessary to strictly monitor the moisture content of the soil.

Bush hybrids are best planted in a plastic container or flower pot (large). Seedlings are planted immediately. You can buy it, or prepare it in advance, since the fall.

You can watch the video on how to grow cucumbers and tomatoes on the windowsill:

Tomatoes

A tomato on the windowsill is the dream of every housewife. Bush indoor tomatoes are not whimsical to moisture and temperature. They need to be watered as the soil dries and keep the temperature from +17 to +24 degrees. The room where the tomatoes are located can be ventilated, since, unlike cucumbers, they are not afraid of drafts. For a home garden, seedlings of the following varieties are best suited:

balcony miracle
room surprise
betta
Bansai
Cherry
Florida
Talisma

As a rule, the seeds indicate that this variety is suitable for growing in an apartment.

In order for the tomato bush to be beautiful and even, and the fruits to ripen evenly, it is recommended to turn the tomato pot daily to the window in different directions.

Sweet pepper

bell pepper one of the easiest vegetables to grow at home.

It does not require special heating or lighting.

But the first fruits appear 6 months after the seed sprouts.

That is, in order to provide yourself with peppers, you can plant several bushes every month, which will result in an uninterrupted harvest.

Indoor varieties:

Patio-Ivo - bright yellow juicy fruits
Jupiter F1 - produces red and green fleshy peppers
Oda is one of the most productive sweet pepper varieties.

Initially, you need to sow the seeds and create a greenhouse for them. After sunrise, the sprouts are moved to a container with fertilized soil for " permanent place residence". Peppers are unpretentious, but require sun and warmth. The best mode for them is + 22-26 degrees. Additional lighting should also be present, since, after all, this is a southern plant.

Better shield Bell pepper from room bitter. Otherwise, hybrid pollination may occur, as a result of which both varieties will deteriorate.

hot pepper

Hot indoor pepper will bear fruit, regardless of the temperature and the presence of light. Enough 3-4 hours a day of the sun or artificial lighting. After sunrise, fruits appear in 8-10 weeks. One plant can bear fruit for up to five years. In addition, bitter pepper is very beautiful and will complement any interior. Varieties that are suitable for the windowsill.