A winter garden on a windowsill for beginners

In fact, starting your own small vegetable garden isn't difficult; all you need to do is buy some simple plant seeds and grow them at home. It's worth noting that some experienced gardeners even start planting real cucumbers and tomatoes in their apartments. The harvest won't be as plentiful, of course, but it's so nice to eat a real home-grown tomato on a winter evening. Before you begin vegetable garden On a windowsill in winter for beginners (photo attached), it is worth learning some rules for growing plants in such a mini-garden.

In such a garden, you can plant bulbs, lettuce, parsley, and dill. Garlic and other light-loving plants that sprout quickly also grow well.

Planting green onions

Every homemaker has probably planted onions at least once in their apartment. They may have been buried in soil or placed in water, allowing the bulbs to sprout. So why not plant these onions on your windowsill, only in larger quantities? These greens will last the entire winter season, and small bulbs can even grow larger. It's best to choose smaller onions, the kind used for planting in the ground in May. You can also choose regular onions, but smaller ones. Small onions produce softer and juicier greens, but they also don't produce fruit for very long. Large onions, on the other hand, produce a large quantity of greens.

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To get a good harvest, it's important to plant the bulbs correctly. To do this, place the onions in a glass or other container filled with water, ensuring the roots are only slightly in contact with the water. It's best to plant each bulb in soil, watering it as needed. To ensure the plants are more resilient, add a little fertilizer to the soil and water regularly to prevent the soil from drying out. If you have access to hydrogel, you should definitely take advantage of it. To ensure a consistent harvest and avoid waiting for the next batch of greens, plant new bulbs in the soil at least every two weeks.

Plant the onion in a box with prepared soil. Don't push the onion deeply into the soil; just press lightly so that the roots and 1/3 of the bulb are buried. Then, water the soil generously and wait for the harvest. If desired, you can also trim off the top of the onion to ensure the first harvest is as soon as possible.

How to plant lettuce

Many beginners considering starting a winter windowsill garden prefer to plant lettuce in the ground. Many people love this green, so a fresh leaf of lettuce is always a welcome addition to a vegetable salad or other dish. However, there are a few things to consider when growing lettuce: for example, daylight isn't enough for this plant, so additional lighting will be necessary. Lettuce also requires constant moisture and shouldn't be kept in a hot room, as the leaves will lose their delicate flavor and become too tough.

But that's not all. When growing lettuce, you'll need to thin the seedlings. It's best to do the first thinning immediately after seven days of planting. After that, thin again when the third lettuce leaf emerges. If the plants are too close together, the harvest won't be bountiful; most likely, all the lettuce leaves will simply die.

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Growing parsley at home

There are two ways to plant parsley. The first involves purchasing parsley seeds and simply sowing them into the soil. The second method involves harvesting the roots and growing the parsley from them. You don't have to harvest the parsley in advance; you can buy it at the store; these roots are perfectly suitable for a good harvest. It's worth noting that the second method will yield a larger harvest and is generally easier to implement.

Once the container with soil is prepared, make furrows in it and sprinkle the parsley seeds in. Cover everything with soil, and all that's left to do is wait for the first shoots to emerge. It's worth noting that parsley thrives on light, meaning it will need additional lighting. Also, parsley seeds take a long time to germinate, so be patient. If there's insufficient light, the plant will stretch, and the harvest will be meager. A plus for this plant is that it thrives on a windowsill even in frosty weather; parsley tolerates cold very well. It also doesn't require excessive watering, but if you use hydrogel, you'll only need to water it infrequently. It's worth noting that with the right lighting, parsley will germinate quickly and yield an excellent green harvest.

How to Plant Chives

The last thing I'd like to mention when creating a winter windowsill garden for beginners is chives. This plant grows well indoors, and with proper care, you can reap an excellent harvest. However, you'll still need to prepare it a bit to ensure a good winter harvest. In the fall, you need to prepare the chives for planting in advance; they'll be used to force the greens out. First, simply dig up small pieces of the chives and plant them in a separate box, where they remain for the entire fall. These boxes are best stored on a balcony or, preferably, in a basement.

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If necessary, simply remove chives from the dark during the winter and place them on a sunny windowsill. These onions are quite easy to germinate, and they have a more delicate and mild flavor than regular green onions. Consider adding them to your winter windowsill garden. Once the onion tops sprout, simply pluck or cut them off. Since one plant can last for a maximum of two harvests, it's best to prepare several pots with seedlings.

It's worth noting that this onion variety needs all the moisture it needs, and it loves water. If it doesn't get enough moisture, the onions will quickly become tough and bitter. In this case, it's essential to use a hydrogel for moisturizing.

In fact, you can plant a wide variety of plants in such a home garden, including fresh radishes, sweet carrots, cilantro, or basil. Some gardeners have even learned to grow various varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers on their windowsills. The main thing is to let your imagination run wild and create a beautiful and healthy garden that will reward you with a bountiful harvest during the winter.

To ensure a good harvest, it's best to purchase high-quality soil from a flower shop, add fertilizer, and then apply hydrogel. This way, the plants will absorb all the nutrients they need from the soil, while the hydrogel will help retain moisture, reducing the need to water too frequently. This type of garden is very profitable, and it will also produce only natural, home-grown produce.