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Not only greens: what to grow edible on the windowsill
April, warm, now I would like to go to the dacha. But quarantine. Good for those who live on their own land. And what should the city dwellers do? There is only one answer – to arrange a dacha right in your apartment.
We have already described how to arrange a garden on the balcony. But it turns out that a window sill can also become an excellent bed for itself. Moreover, you can grow on it not only greens, but only flowers and herbs in a glass of water, but also full-fledged vegetables.
Cucumbers and tomatoes
Start with “apartment” cucumbers and tomatoes. They grow quickly, are unpretentious in care, and the fruits will appear on them in a couple of months. The main thing is to choose self-pollinated hybrid and dwarf varieties that tolerate shade well. Experts advise varieties specially designed for indoor cultivation. And on some of them it is indicated: indoor.
Among the cucumbers, “Marinda F1”, “Onega F1”, “Masha F1”, “Connie F1”, “Legend F1” have proven themselves well. From tomatoes it is better to choose Balcony Miracle, Room Surprise, Alaska, Betta, Bonsai, Canadian News, Minibel, Bonsai Micro F1, Pinocchio, Cherry Pygmy.
Water the cucumbers with tomatoes regularly, do not let the soil dry out. Also be prepared for the branches to be tied up, so the best place to place the pots is on the windowsills, where it is easy to attach the rope for the climbing varieties to the cornice.
Pineapple
If you want something exotic, and not some banal cucumbers, try to breed pineapples. Yes, the real ones! To do this, you need to buy one ripe pineapple in the store and carefully turn out the green part with leaves from it. Simply scroll the top of the fruit to the right or left and take out. These leaves need to be placed in a glass of water for about a week for roots to appear. And then plant it in a pot of earth.
Pineapples are unpretentious and do not require frequent watering, the main thing is that they stand on the sunny side. True, you should not expect a quick harvest, the first fruits will appear only in the second or third year.
Ginger
The very expensive ginger, which is now worth its weight in gold, can also be planted in the spring and soon get a rich harvest. Find the sprouting ginger root and soak it in warm water for a couple of hours to awaken the bore. Then prepare a box of loose soil and place your seedlings vertically and shallowly into it. Basically, ginger propagates like potatoes. He does not like a lot of moisture, so he needs to be periodically sprayed with a spray bottle. The pot with ginger can be placed on the balcony, and after a couple of weeks the first leaves will appear in it. It will be possible to dig up fresh ginger by the fall. Turmeric can be germinated in the same way – its branches look amazing and have a delicate aroma.
Beans, peppers and hibiscus
Beans are an ideal plant for the home, they are very unpretentious. The main thing is to choose the right place, because the plant is climbing and will need to be tied up. First, soak the seeds in a mild potassium permanganate solution to kill pathogens. And then place in oblong pots.
For the balcony, it is best to choose sugar or asparagus beans: “Caramel”, “Butter King”, “Saksa 615”. Such varieties will be able to produce pods in a month, and they are also quite hardy.
You can also grow different varieties of hot and bell peppers on the windowsill at home. You can not only feast on them, but also admire them, because pepper bushes look very decorative! Buy any peppers from the store, remove the seeds and dry them before planting. Or buy a bag of regular seeds. The roots of the peppers are quite large, so the pots should be spacious.
In addition, you can grow luxurious hibiscus on your balcony and provide yourself with aromatic tea for years to come. Hibiscus flowers can be dried and brewed with boiling water, making everyone’s favorite hibiscus tea.
By the way
What else to plant at home to grow quickly? Try to plant something at home from a bone, for example, avocado… This exotic tree can bear fruit at home if it grows in a large tub and is constantly in the sun. This is not a quick matter, but how can you be proud of the fruits of your labor! You can also grow from seed lemon or pomegranate.