Experts told how to grow aromatic herbs on the windowsill

1

What could be better than add fresh greens straight from the garden to the salad? Now such an opportunity has appeared even for residents of megacities. You can easily organize your own mini-garden in which greenery will grow on a balcony or windowsill in an apartment. Kateryna Minina, co-founder of the Plants For Friends landscaping project, talked about ways to grow greens at home.

Details

Growing greenery at home on the window is not difficult at all, and anyone who does this can safely call himself a city farmer. Different cultures are suitable for creating a home green garden, but at the same time, they differ in the degree of complexity of cultivation. If you're just starting out on your city farming journey, look out for onions, basil, mint, cilantro, arugula, and lettuce.

Different types of greenery should be planted and grown in different ways. This will not only allow your pets to grow better, but also greatly simplify the growing process. Here are the main methods that you should familiarize yourself with:

Seeds in the soil. You need to add biohumus, loosening agents to the soil, and then plant the seeds in pots, as if in a flower bed. This spring method is suitable for the most patient, since we will not get a large plant immediately, but the process is incredibly exciting.

Ready seedlings in a pot.This option is much simpler, but it is very important that such seedlings are first grown in the soil. For example, greens in a pot from the grocery store are not suitable – they grew on water (hydronic systems) and in the soil such roots have practically no chance to take root.

Livestock.Cuttings are not suitable for all greens, but for example, mint can be propagated by cuttings and not wait for a sprout to appear from the seed (this is a particularly long process in mint). To do this, you need to cut the stem of an already grown plant and put it in water until it gives new roots.

Microgreens.A popular and healthy way to grow greens is to eat the sprouts when they are only a week old. Young sprouts of greens contain a record amount of vitamins, and it is very easy to grow them. Do you remember sprouting peas as a child? Here, the method is similar: we put a coconut substrate on the bottom of the container, pour out the seeds evenly, moisten the substrate with seeds, cover with a lid with holes, take it to a dark place for a day, and then expose it to light. We moisten the substrate every day, but it is important not to overdo it, otherwise mold may appear. A week later, we enjoy aromatic and incredibly useful microgreens.

Home hydroponics. Some types of greens grow perfectly not only in soil, but also on water. A special hydroponic system can be purchased in a miniature version or made independently. Important components of plant life on water: oxygen, micronutrients, bacteria, light, acidity level. In water (as opposed to soil) it is easy to measure all the indicators and create ideal conditions for growing greens.

In order for your green pets to grow, they need a lot of light (try to allocate for them the lightest windowsill or place on the balcony), the presence of a nutrient medium (fertilize with biohumus) and, of course, your attention. It is quite possible to grow real useful and very tasty greens on your own windowsill, you just need to get your hands dirty.