Rules for growing greenery on the balcony and windowsill

The usefulness of dill, parsley and other herbs does not need to be proven, it is undeniable. Growing greenery on the balcony and windowsill will solve several problems at once: vitamins all year round, decorating the interior with views of lush emerald thickets, and the pleasure of communicating with plants. Plus, this activity is easier than growing vegetables in home gardens.

Home green garden

To grow watercress, you should ensure good watering after planting. The plant is unpretentious and tolerates even insufficient lighting.

Mint will delight you with good shoots, no worse than on the ground. Seeds can be sown in a flower pot. After the shoots appear, place it in a lighted place.

It is very easy to sprout onions. It can be planted in a container with soil or the bulb can be placed in a container with water using cardboard with a hole.

Celery and parsley require a little more effort. In order for parsley seeds to germinate well, they must be prepared for planting. For home growing, early ripening varieties of greens are preferred.

If root celery is sown, then each plant must be provided with space for normal development, the distance between them is six centimeters. Therefore, it is good to plant greenery in containers. Varieties that are used for home gardening: Apple, Gribovsky, Delicatessen.

Dill is suitable for growing greens on the balcony and will definitely delight you with seedlings. When planting, the seeds need to be lightly tucked into the ground; they do not like excessive watering. Can be sown with other plants that require similar care.

Basil, spinach and garlic add variety to the vitamin garden. Basil lovers need to be prepared that it responds to good care: the soil near the plant is kept loose and fertilizing is required. Garlic is sprouted in water before planting in the ground.

How to grow green onions on the balcony?

This is a plant loved by many. Green onions contain a large amount of vitamin C, which helps prevent colds. It also contains zinc, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the musculoskeletal system and the good condition of hair and nails. Like any other greens, onions contain chlorophyll, which helps boost immunity.

Growing green onions at home is absolutely not difficult.

This can be done in two ways:

• In water. This option is simpler, but not as effective as the second. In this case, you need to take water that has stood for a week and a small container. When growing a plant in this way, you must remember that the bulb should not be completely immersed in water, as it will begin to rot. To ensure that the water only reaches the bottom of the onion, you need to take a container with a narrow neck. If it is large and designed for many plants, it can be equipped with a special lid with small holes. As soon as the plant takes root, you need to make sure that the lower part of the bulb no longer touches the water; only the roots should do this. The water in the container must be changed regularly, as microorganisms begin to multiply in it, which can lead to rotting.
• In the ground. If you choose this option, you can get larger and more even shoots of green onions. With this method, you first need to prepare the soil. Under no circumstances should you take ordinary soil from the garden or anywhere else, as it contains a large number of microorganisms. You need to buy special soil in the store: in addition to the fact that it is clean, it already contains all the necessary minerals. As for the container, any container is suitable for onions. You can plant the bulbs in individual plastic cups, or you can use a large pot for several plants. In the second case, you can plant the bulbs almost close to each other. This should be done so that only the bottom of the bulb is underground, there is no need to bury it completely there. The first few days after planting you need to keep the onion in the shade, then it needs good lighting. You need to water the container with the plants as the soil dries out. It should not be allowed to dry out or become waterlogged.

Selection and preparation of containers for planting

The most practical option is plastic rectangular boxes for seedlings with a depth of at least 10cm.
Such containers will fit well into your home interior, and plastic will last for many years, unlike materials such as cardboard or wood. Regular flower pots and boxes are also suitable for planting seeds. The size of the container and its shape depends solely on personal needs and will not affect the yield. To prepare the container for planting, you need to make several drainage holes in it at the bottom of the pot. A layer of expanded clay or fine gravel about 5 cm thick should be poured onto the bottom to retain moisture.

For additional thermal insulation, experienced gardeners advise placing pots with seeds on a foam stand - this material will protect the plant from low temperatures when grown on the balcony.

How to plant dill at home and grow it?

This is no less useful type of green than onions. Dill contains a large amount of essential oils that improve digestion and contribute to the normal functioning of the endocrine system.

This type of greenery can be grown in pots from seeds. Dill is unpretentious, the percentage of seed germination is quite high. As for the soil, any soil for indoor plants is suitable for growing this type of greenery. Almost any container for dill is also suitable.

Before planting the seeds, they should be thoroughly washed and left in wet gauze for one or two days.

Now the prepared dill seeds are planted in the ground to a depth of 1-2 cm, and the container is covered with plastic wrap to maintain a high temperature. Then this pot is removed into the shade. From time to time, the film must be removed to moisten the soil and allow the dill seeds to get air.

When the first sprouts appear, the polyethylene is removed and the pot of dill is transferred to a well-lit place. At the same time, the dill needs to be thinned out, leaving 2-3 cm between plants. Now the main thing is to water and spray the dill on time, and in two to three weeks you can get a harvest.

How to choose seeds?

Dill seeds are divided according to their ripening period into early ripening and late ripening. When choosing, you should give preference to late-ripening varieties of seeds, since early stems are characterized by a small amount of foliage and rapid flowering. Late-ripening varieties of dill have lush, aromatic foliage. They are also resistant to temperature changes and unpretentious to environmental conditions, so late varieties are perfect for growing on the balcony.

Gardeners recommend the following late-ripening varieties of dill seeds:

• Alligator.
• Gourmet.
• Russian size.
• Kibray.
• Firework.

Growing parsley on the balcony

This is an indispensable type of green for any salad. In addition to being delicious, parsley also has a number of beneficial properties. It contains a lot of amino acids, and if you eat little fish, then this type of greenery must be included in your diet. In addition, it contains a large amount of beta-carotene, from which the body produces vitamin A, which is necessary for the eyes. There are also vitamins C and E. Parsley is also rich in macro- and microelements. Most of all it contains iron. Thanks to this, it helps increase hemoglobin.

It is not difficult to grow it at home.

This is done in two ways:

• From seeds. This is a longer option. First, the seeds must be thoroughly washed and then left in wet gauze for 24 hours. Now they can be planted in a pot filled with soil for indoor plants. After planting, the container should be placed in a dark but warm place until sprouts appear. After the parsley has sprouted, it can be moved to a windowsill or balcony where there is good lighting and fresh air.
• From the rhizome. This option will take less time, but finding rhizomes for sale is much more difficult than seeds. Before planting, you need to moisten the soil. When carrying out this procedure, you need to ensure that the apical buds are not covered with soil. Now all that remains is to water the parsley in a timely manner and wait for the harvest.

Soil for growing greens

In order for greenery to feel good on the balcony, you need nutritious soil, saturated with the micro- and macroelements it needs, making up for the lack of those that greenery growing in open ground receives under the influence of sunlight. It is optimal to purchase a universal soil mixture for this and mix it in equal parts with ordinary garden soil.

To prevent water from stagnating in the containers with beds, a three-centimeter layer of coarse-grained sand should be placed on the bottom of each of them. On top of the sand you need to lay the same layer of expanded clay, and then fill the resulting drainage with no less than a ten-centimeter layer of fertile soil.

We grow dill on the windowsill with our own hands

Experienced gardeners recommend installing boxes with soil on foam stands, which, as when using foam plastic in construction, will prevent the greenery from overcooling. If it turns out to be too cold on the balcony in winter, you can also insulate the side surfaces of the containers with polystyrene foam.

Watercress and lettuce on the balcony

Both of these plants are very useful.

Watercress contains rare vitamins such as PP and K, as well as potassium, manganese, phosphorus, copper and selenium. In addition, it has expectorant and choleretic properties (but because of this, this type of greenery may be contraindicated for people with certain diseases).

As for leaf lettuce, it helps reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels. It contains many different macro- and microelements: fluorine, chromium, iodine, manganese, magnesium, copper, zinc, sulfur, selenium, calcium, sodium, iron.

However, caring for these two plants is radically different. While watercress can rightfully be called one of the best crops to grow at home, leaf lettuce will require careful care.

Watercress can be grown in any container. As for the soil, as with other greens, you need to use soil for indoor plants. Watercress germinates quite quickly. The harvest of this crop can be harvested within 14-20 days after the sprouts appear. Apart from timely watering and spraying, watercress does not require anything else.

Leaf lettuce is much more difficult to grow. First of all, you need to choose the right variety, since not everyone is suitable for balconies and window sills. For growing at home, you can choose Vitamin, New Year, Emerald Lace, Lollo Bionda, Lollo Rossa.

You need to plant lettuce in a spacious container with soil for indoor flowers. A week after the emergence of seedlings, the plants need to be thinned out for the first time, leaving a distance of 1-2 cm. The salad is thinned out the second time when 2-3 leaves appear on it. Now this is done at a distance of 4-5 cm. In addition, when growing lettuce at home on a windowsill, it needs to be provided with very good lighting. To do this you need to use lamps. As for temperature, in the heat the leaves very quickly acquire a bitter taste, so in summer it is better not to keep them on the balcony under the scorching sun. The main difficulty in caring for lettuce lies in this: it requires abundant lighting at a cool temperature.

In no case should you forget to water lettuce, as due to the lack of moisture it can also acquire a bitter taste. In addition, it is recommended to regularly spray it with water.

Greens from seeds - from dill to basil

You will create fragrant green beds on your balcony if you decide to grow greens from seeds. This can be dill, parsley, basil, as well as various types of lettuce. Their seed sowing techniques and soil quality requirements are similar. However, each plant has its own characteristics.

Preparation of planting material and soil for sowing

Seeds of dill, lettuce, parsley and basil have good germination rates. However, experienced gardeners do not advise against soaking them in a solution of Epin or a similar product. This will take from 12 to 24 hours. It is worth spending another 2 hours to soak the seeds in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate.

Potassium permanganate solution disinfects seeds

At this time, you can prepare the planting container and soil. Soak pots, containers and boxes in a fungicide solution, rinse and dry. It is recommended to ignite the soil in the oven for 2-3 minutes at a temperature of 200°C and then cool.

Almost any greenery at home requires the selection of loose and nutritious soil. As a base, you can use garden soil or universal soil from the store. Coconut fiber, sand, and vermiculite will help add looseness. To enrich with all the necessary substances, add 1 part of vermicompost to 4 parts of the soil.

Features of sowing herbs on the balcony

To plant greenery, you need to choose a container “for growth”. This is due to the fact that herb seedlings do not dive, as is the case with vegetables. This also determines the peculiarities of their sowing. Thus, the distance between furrows for dill and parsley is usually 4-7 cm. After thinning, a distance of 2-5 cm is maintained between individual plants.

This type of planting requires thinning

For basil and lettuce bushes, which grow well in width, these distances vary from 10 to 30 cm. Under such conditions, it is better to use individual pots of 1-2 liters rather than boxes.

Note! A layer of drainage at least 3 cm thick is placed on the bottom of the planting container.

The seeds are buried 0.5-1 cm into moist soil, sprinkled and additionally moistened with a spray bottle. Warmth-loving basil and lettuce are covered with film during germination, but cold-resistant parsley and dill can do without it. The optimal temperature for germination of green seeds ranges from +20..+26 °C.

Parsley and dill at home

Lovers of greenery often grow parsley and dill in a duet on the balcony. This is due to the fact that they have similar requirements for cultivation conditions. This:

• Regular, but not excessive watering, mandatory loosening of the soil after it.
• Spraying greenery.
• Providing at least 6 hours of daylight.
• Air temperature +18..+20 °C.

There are no special indoor varieties of parsley and dill. There are fundamental differences between representatives of early, middle and late maturation. Early varieties produce sprigs of greenery faster, but there are few of them and they also quickly gain color. This will work to your advantage if you have a quick seasonal harvest coming up. Otherwise, choose herbs that ripen later. The harvest will be more abundant.

Lettuce on the windowsill

When deciding what to plant on your balcony, take a closer look at the many types of lettuce. What varieties are suitable for a balcony?

• Watercress. Germinates even at +8 °C. The first greens are cut 2.5-3 weeks after sowing. Grows even in partial shade.
• Batavia (“Lancelot”, “Geyser”, “Dachny”, “Lifli”). The most unpretentious salad. Withstands short-term lack of moisture in the ground and increased air temperature.
• Baby salads, small-leaved (“Easy-leaf”). They have compact rosettes and delicate crispy leaves.
• Lollo Rosso (“Revolution”, “Eurydice”). Very decorative varieties with curly green and red leaves. They are distinguished by rapid growth, in which cutting of greenery is necessary every week.

Batavia salad can be found in almost any store

Delicate watercress greens

Important! When buying seeds, keep in mind that there are varieties for tearing and for cutting. The former allow you to obtain greens 2-3 times during the growing season, while the latter allow you to cut the rosette only once at the peak of ripening.

With a large variety of varieties, there is a noticeable difference in their growing conditions. The common ones are:

• Love for moisture. With its deficiency, the growth of flower stalks is provoked, and without spraying the leaves become tough and tasteless. Some salads are even suitable for hydroponics.
• The need for daylight is at least 6 hours. In winter, the salad will definitely need lighting. 2-4 hours under lamps is enough.
• Regular loosening of the soil.
• Maintaining air temperature within +18..+22 °C.

Thanks to its decorative appearance and unpretentiousness, lettuce is a favorite green among novice gardeners.

Due to the compact root system, the salad does not require deep containers

Basil - features of choice and care

Basil bushes can be quite spreading, so low-growing and compact varieties are chosen for the balcony. In addition to their size, they differ in color, taste and aroma. The most popular varieties for home use:

• "Citric". It has a pronounced aroma of the fruit of the same name and is widely used in cooking. It grows up to half a meter and has good productivity.
• "Clove". It has a strong spicy taste and aroma. Compact (up to 25 cm), densely leafed. Ideal for a windowsill, but each bush requires individual containers.
• "Greek". With a height of only 20-25 cm and without pinching the crown, it forms spectacular spherical bushes. Early ripening, flowering occurs approximately 60 days after the appearance of seedlings.
• "Ararat". Variety with large purple leaves. The height of the bush reaches 60 cm.

Small leaf Greek basil

The leaves of the Ararat variety are distinguished by their rich color and aroma.

Important! Growing basil from seeds is a long process. But such plants turn out to be more hardened and produce crops for almost a whole year. You can speed up the production of juicy greens by rooting cuttings, but this will only last for 2-3 months.

Regarding the conditions for keeping basil, pay attention to the following points:

• Warm. At any time of the year it is necessary to ensure the air temperature is not lower than +22 °C. If you have an open balcony, remove the basil no earlier than the end of May or beginning of June.
• High humidity. Basil loves spraying and regular watering. In hot weather, the soil is moistened twice a day, and high-quality drainage is important.
• Lighting. To preserve its taste and aromatic properties, basil requires at least 8 hours of daylight.
• Plant formation. To limit growth in height and obtain a densely leafed bush, it is recommended to pinch it - cut off the shoots after 4-5 leaves appear.

In winter, only on an insulated balcony does basil feel comfortable

In a short time, you can grow healthy, pleasing greens on your balcony without any chemicals. This does not require a lot of money and effort.

Growing spinach at home

This is one of the most useful types of greens. It contains a lot of different vitamins: C, D, almost all from group B, P, PP, K. And in terms of protein and amino acid content, spinach is second only to legumes.

It is grown from seeds. Before planting, they need to be thoroughly washed and soaked for two days. They are planted in a pot at least 15 cm high, filled with soil for indoor flowers. The seeds are placed to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. The distance between rows should be 6 cm, between seeds - 4 cm.

Spinach loves cool air and good light. The temperature should be +18 degrees. If the lighting is not very good, then the temperature should be lower - about +16 degrees. Watering spinach should be plentiful. You also need to regularly spray the leaves with water. Under no circumstances should you feed this type of greenery, since spinach accumulates nitrates very quickly when using mineral fertilizers.

Care: how to grow?

1. Watering . Dill is a moisture-loving plant. In the hot season, regular abundant watering is necessary, in winter - as needed. Excess moisture can lead to fungal diseases of the soil. The water should be at room temperature, settled or melted.
2. Temperature . The unpretentiousness of this plant allows you to grow dill at temperatures up to 8 degrees on a glazed balcony. Ideally, the temperature should be kept at 18-20 degrees, otherwise the bushes may turn out sluggish and faded.
3. Light . Growing dill on the balcony provides the plant with enough light. The best time for planting is considered to be from March to August, since at this time there is no need to worry about the amount of light. In the winter season, you need to install fluorescent lamps on the balcony - the plant needs light energy for at least 16 hours per day.
4. Feeding . The nutritional value of the soil can be increased throughout the year through fertilizers - Agrolife (once a month), Biohumus (once every two months), mineral fertilizers for vegetable crops. When using chemical additives, be sure to read the instructions.
5. Maintaining order. Grown bushes must be thinned out so that the distance between them is at least 100 mm. This is necessary so that the plants are not crowded. Inflorescences should be removed as they appear - this procedure will help extend the growing season of dill. Old bushes are replaced with new ones gradually due to the constant planting of new seeds.

Growing Basil at Home

This is a very common type of green, which is often used as a seasoning, as it adds a delicious taste to dishes. In addition, basil has beneficial properties: it has a beneficial effect on the respiratory system and improves heart function.

It can be grown from seeds. After planting, they must be watered and covered with plastic wrap. You need to place the container with basil on the south side - where there is more sunlight. When the plant has 5-6 leaves, the top needs to be cut off. You also need to remove the buds so that they do not take away the strength of the basil, and it produces more leaves.

Several examples of growing greenery on the balcony

How to prepare seeds?

1. For faster seed growth, it is recommended to rinse them with warm water before planting and leave them soaked in rags for 2 days in a warm place. In this case, the water must be changed every 10-12 hours.
2. Immediately before sowing, you need to wash the seeds with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
3. Then the planting material is dried, and it becomes ready for planting.

Read about growing dill from seeds on a windowsill here.

Features of care in winter

It is best to grow dill in winter on insulated loggias or in dry places on the balcony. Window sills must additionally be insulated with foam plastic, the temperature must be maintained at 16-17 degrees. Fluorescent lamps and phytolamps can provide the plant with sufficient light.

Compliance with these conditions is the basis for the appearance of a winter dill harvest. No additional actions (covering the seedlings with cloth or moving them to a warm room) are required.

Thus, dill is an excellent plant with which to start creating a home garden on your balcony. Its unpretentiousness and speed of germination have become key characteristics of the popularity of this greenery among gardeners. Proper preparation for planting, good choice of container and location, maintaining temperature and regular watering - these conditions guarantee the successful cultivation of dill on the balcony all year round.