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For those who like to grow plants at home and get fresh herbs to the table in winter, growing chives on the windowsill may be of interest. The culture is unpretentious, does not require much attention, quickly increases its green mass, so it can be increasingly seen in ordinary apartments when there is a winter cold outside.
Chives can be grown at home as an ornamental plant
Varieties of chives for growing at home in a pot
For culinary purposes, greens are used, which are cut as they grow. Feathers are tender, juicy, without bitterness. The sharpness of taste depends on the variety. When grown on a windowsill, choose chives, the most resistant to lack of lighting.
Bohemia
The variety was obtained by Czech breeders at Agrofirma Moravoseed. The foliage is dark green with a waxy coating, subulate, tubular, hollow inside, reaches a length of 45-50 cm. From the first shoots to cutting, 2-3 weeks pass. The taste is mild.
Bohemia chives are disease resistant
Medonos
A perennial variety of chives with a semi-sharp taste. The foliage is dense, tubular, 20 cm high. Growing on a windowsill takes 20 days. The variety is cold-resistant, cutting can be done several times per season.
Chives Medonos are used both fresh and for cooking hot dishes.
Sage
Variety Wise bred in the agricultural holding Poisk, grown in many regions of the country. Refers to high-yielding, early ripening. The collection of greenery begins 20 days after germination. The leaves are thin, green, with a slightly sharp taste. The bush is perennial, can produce greens for five years.
Chives Sage can be added to salads, dried, frozen
Chemal
The variety was obtained at the Siberian Research Institute of Plant Growing and has been approved for cultivation on the territory of the Federation since 1991. The foliage is green, the length of the pen is about 50 cm. The taste is spicy. When grown on a windowsill, up to 200 g of greenery can be obtained from one plant.
Chives Chemal is moderately resistant to powdery mildew
Lilac ringing
Unpretentious mid-season variety. From germination to the first cut takes about 20 days. The foliage is narrow, tubular. The taste is mild.
Chives Lilac ringing grows rapidly and forms a large bush
How to grow chives in a pot on a windowsill
Growing greens and getting tasty, fragrant, vitamin foliage is possible all year round. Chives at home on the windowsill grow quickly and give an excellent harvest in the shortest possible time. Any hostess can cope with the task, since the process is simple, but interesting. The best place to grow is a window to the west, south or east.
Selection and preparation of containers
Bulky pots are not required for sowing, small containers are quite suitable, since the root system does not lie deep. Seedlings give short roots, they are intertwined and form a turf. The underground part of the onion is no more than 5 cm. The optimal shape of the containers is wide containers with holes in the bottom. They should be placed on the windowsill in a pan to collect excess water.
The surface of the container for growing chives is disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate. A drainage layer with a thickness of at least 2 cm is poured onto the bottom. Expanded clay, small pebbles or polystyrene are used, and nutrient soil is on top.
Seed preparation
Onion seeds can be planted dry, but in order for shoots to appear faster and be friendly, they are processed. They operate according to the algorithm:
- Three drops of a growth stimulator (Epin) are added to 100 ml of water.
- Soak the onion seeds in the solution for a day.
- They take away those that have settled to the bottom.
- Place them for 30 minutes in a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
- Washed in running water.
- Dry on a napkin for 2-3 hours and sow.
Seeds do not lose their germination for two years after harvest
Inoculation of onions
You can grow chives on the windowsill not only in winter, but all year round. In cold weather, containers are placed in the apartment, in warm weather – on the balcony or loggia.
Drainage is poured onto the bottom of the prepared boxes, then the soil mixture, which is leveled and moistened. The upper boundary of the soil should not reach the edge of the container by 3-5 cm. Grooves are made 1,5 cm deep with an interval of 4-5 cm. Chives seeds are laid out at the bottom. Sprinkled with earth, moisten the soil again, cover with a film on top and transfer to a warm place (+24 ⁰С).
Caring for chives in a pot
Chives germinate rather quickly, so you need to constantly check the condition of the crops and periodically ventilate so that moisture and condensation do not accumulate on the film. After the appearance of the first sprouts, the shelter is removed, and the container is transferred to the windowsill, where the temperature is lower and the illumination is better. If the seedlings are frequent, they are thinned out, leaving the most powerful ones at a distance of 5 cm from each other for further cultivation.
Temperature and lighting
To grow chives on the windowsill, you need to provide him with daylight hours, lasting at least 12 hours. If necessary, crops are illuminated with the help of special fitolamps or conventional lamps. From March to September, natural light on the windowsill is enough for chives.
For the full development of plants, it is necessary to maintain the air temperature at the level of 18-22 ⁰С. If it falls below 15 ⁰С or rises above +30 ⁰С, the vegetation stops.
Additional fertilizing
Growing chives on the windowsill is impossible without additional top dressing. In order for the greens to grow quickly, be juicy and fragrant, they need nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. The first time fertilizer is applied two weeks after sowing. For this purpose, 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 7 g of potassium chloride and 15 g of superphosphate are dissolved in 3 liters of water and the soil is watered. After 20 days, a second top dressing is introduced, increasing the dose of superphosphate by half.
As a fertilizer, you can use an infusion of wood ash. It is crushed, sieved and 50 g of powder is diluted in 1 liter of water. The frequency of treatments is twice a month.
Nitrogen is needed for chives to form feathers, phosphorus is responsible for heat resistance, potassium affects taste.
Watering
One of the most important points for caring for chives when grown on a windowsill is watering and maintaining optimal air humidity. The soil should not dry out, otherwise the greens will stop growing, become hard, rough, too spicy in taste. With excessive watering, there is a high probability of waterlogging of the soil, rotting of the roots, and the development of fungal diseases. In addition to moistening the soil, plants should be sprayed daily with a spray bottle. By placing a small reservoir of water next to the crops, they maintain the optimum humidity in the room – 70%.
Harvesting
Chives are very productive, especially if you follow the rules of care, timely watering and fertilizing. A week after sowing, the first shoots appear, which grow and develop rapidly. For the first time, the foliage is cut at the age of two months, when it reaches a height of 25-30 cm. During the year, the feather is harvested at least four times. The green mass is quickly restored and after a month and a half reaches its previous length.
To harvest onions, you need sharp scissors. Before use, they are treated with a disinfectant solution. The longest feathers are chosen, taken in hand and cut off, leaving stumps 1-2 cm high. Flowers are also edible. They are used to decorate dishes, added to salads.
Chives flowers have a specific taste, unlike its greens.
Conclusion
Growing chives on a windowsill is an easy and fun activity for those who love and are interested in plants. It can be used as an ornamental crop or used in cooking. In any case, having given quite a bit of time, it is quite possible to get greens in winter, saturated with vitamins and giving ordinary dishes a unique taste.
