How to grow herbs on a windowsill. Spicy herbs in the country: a breakdown of the kitchen garden and features of growing certain types of herbs
Top list of unpretentious, but very tasty, healthy and beautiful plants Among the huge variety of plants that are grown at home, there is a fairly representative group, to which the well-known maxim "combine business with pleasure" can be safely attributed. These are spicy herbs: they delight the eye and the whole family all year round provided with fresh herbs. Arranging a home garden on the windowsill is, in fact, very simple, even a beginner can handle it: you need to buy grass seeds, purchase special soil, prepare it for planting, acquire beautiful pots, plant the plants according to the instructions on the package, and then provide simple care - water, spray, fertilize, cut off the inflorescences. We have compiled a top list of popular herbs that are very successful and without special efforts can be grown on a windowsill. Watercress. It is the fastest growing and one of the easiest crops to grow on a windowsill. Watercress is so unpretentious that it is often grown in a layer of damp cotton wool or wet gauze folded into several layers. Watercress has a subtle pleasant smell and contains many vitamins and other benefits. To ensure a continuous supply of watercress to the family table, crops are made weekly, and the crop can be harvested when the sprouts reach 5 cm in height. In order for watercress to be juicy and crunchy, it must not only be watered, but also sprayed from time to time. Watercress is consumed raw: added to salads, used in soups and sauces.
If you love fresh herbs in your dishes, grow them at home. Of course, it’s not worth arranging a greenhouse from your apartment, but a few pots of your favorite herbs will fill your kitchen with fresh aromas and will delight you every day. Along with their aromatic properties, many of them are also very beautiful.
There are a lot of spices that you can grow yourself. If you do not like to wait for a long time, buy already grown seedlings in the store. But still, it is much more pleasant to plant seeds in the ground and then watch them turn into magnificent fragrant plants that will bring special comfort to your home.
Where to begin
Choose a place where your herbs will grow. Ideally, this is a bright window sill in the kitchen (so that the plants are always at hand when cooking), but any lighted place with good air circulation, but in no case in a draft, will also work. If you decide to grow them on the windowsill, then you should make sure that the plants are not too cold. My herb pots are growing on corner shelf above the kitchen sink.
Most culinary herbs need at least five to six hours of bright light a day, but mint, parsley, and chives need four. If you are not sure that the plants will receive enough light in winter time place them in the evening under a fluorescent lamp for at least a couple of hours. From May to October, plants grow beautifully on the balcony.
Choosing soil and pots
If you want, grow them in separate pots, or if you want, make a fragrant mix in a wide bowl or a small balcony box.
Any pot with a diameter of more than 15 cm and having drainage holes.
From the possible options, choose the largest - so that the plant can develop well, and you get a good tall and dense bush.
Use special primer for indoor plants- ordinary land from the garden is not very suitable for home conditions: it is not processed and it may contain insect larvae.
We grow and rejoice
This is a very pleasant and trouble-free activity: in fact, all you need to do is rejoice and water. The amount of water depends on the volume of the pot and the material from which it is made, as well as the season and humidity in the apartment. In winter, plants grow more slowly and consume less water, but dry air speeds up their drying. Make sure that the earthen ball does not dry out too much, but it should not be too wet either. The best way to know if a plant needs to be watered is to test the soil with your finger. If you do not feel coolness and moisture, it is better to water the plant.
From about the end of February, when the sun becomes more active, it is worth feeding your plants every four weeks - there are both granular and liquid growth biostimulants. The main thing is to use not mineral, but organic fertilizers.
Another assistant in growing your own garden on the windowsill is hydrogel. It can be added to the substrate: it will absorb excess water during irrigation, and then give it to the roots. You can do it more simply: place the swollen hydrogel in any suitable container and plant seeds on its surface. For planting in this way, watercress, mustard leaf, salad valerianella are suitable. It was noted that the use of the hydrogel brings the harvest time closer by about a week, and allows less frequent watering of the plants. Important: only colorless hydrogel should be used for these purposes.
Choosing herbs
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Basil
A heat-loving plant that can decorate the kitchen with its beautiful green and purple leaves. By planting several multi-colored species in one pot, you can create an interesting color composition. Plucking stimulates the formation of side shoots and the formation of lush bushes.
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Parsley
A spicy herb containing a unique set of amino acids that can be grown both from seeds and by distillation from the rhizome. The second method will give faster results. Conditions for growth - a warm room, plenty of light, balanced watering.
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Rosemary
evergreen shrub very unpretentious and fills the house with an amazing aroma, reminiscent of a complex mixture of camphor, eucalyptus, pine and lemon. Rosemary is included in the classic French spice mixtures "herbs of Provence" and "bouquet garni", and fragrant vinegar is prepared on its basis. Better to buy now young plant in a flower shop. Self-cultivation from seed takes quite a long time.
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chives
Grow it for its delicate, thin, fragrant, dark green leaves. If the leaf is not cut, it quickly coarsens, loses nutritional qualities, as well as during the period of the beginning of the appearance of arrows, flowering and seed formation, it is unsuitable for food. Therefore, it cannot be overridden.
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cilantro
It is called Chinese parsley, it is good to plant seeds. After harvesting, growth does not resume, so it is better to grow in several pots at once.
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Marjoram
An ideal spice for growing on a windowsill. Not only leaves are used in home cooking, but also marjoram flower buds, both fresh and dried or fried, as a seasoning for soups and meat dishes, salads and drinks, giving them a special taste and aroma.
Sage
unpretentious plant, which needs moderate watering and moderate lighting. Many varieties of sage have very beautiful flowers with fruity aroma.
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Thyme (thyme)
Universal noble spice is equally good both in soup and in tea. Before the first shoots appear, it is better to shade the pot a little, in the future this undersized and compact bush will not take you much space or much time for care.
To fully appreciate spicy herbs, they should be grown in your own garden - the good thing is that this is quite feasible! In addition, bright, elegant plants will be a real decoration of the garden.
Basil
Legends of many nations call basil a symbol of love and family well-being. This bright and showy plant will enrich cottage atmosphere southern flavor.
Attention
There are varieties of basil specifically designed for essential oil production. They have a pungent smell of camphor, turpentine, or can give off medicines or perfumes. Such basil is unsuitable for food purposes!What is useful?
All above-ground parts of basil contain a healing essential oil. In medicine, the plant is used as a gastric remedy, for compresses and gargling. In homeopathy, basil is used in diseases of the kidneys and gallbladder. IN traditional medicine- for the treatment of wounds and as an antihelminthic.
How is it used?
Fresh young shoots and leaves are a popular spice salad greens and a component of sauces, first and second courses. For the winter, basil greens are dried or frozen. Dried basil powder is especially good as a spice for minced meat. Green varieties with flavors of lemon (Freshness, Lemon Slices, Lemon), mint (Gourmet Mint, Velvet) and caramel (Pet, Caramel) are used to flavor tea, compote. Also, young shoots and leaves are used in canning and pickling.
Small-leaved basil with compact bushes (Naughty, Basilisk, Troll) is grown as a potted crop in open ground and indoor conditions.
Varieties
Basil comes with green and purple leaves (from light to almost black varieties). By aroma, varieties with pepper, clove, bay, anise, caramel, lemon, mint, cinnamon and other olfactory shades are distinguished.
lovers purple basil with a high content of anthocyanin, you should pay attention to Ararat, Yerevan, Red Rubin, Sharm. Green-leaved varieties Tonus, Russian Bogatyr, Stela are distinguished by a more intense persistent aroma.
Conditions
Basil has higher requirements for heat and light than many southern crops. Seeds germinate only when high temperatures(not lower than +20 °C). Plants must be placed in places protected from cold winds and well lit by the sun. In shaded areas, the yield drops sharply and its quality decreases.A high yield is obtained on fertile black earth, loose loamy and sandy loamy soils with a sufficient amount of humus. Basil is also demanding on moisture, especially during flowering and at a young age (before flowering).
How to grow?
The main secret of success for basil is that sowing or planting seedlings in the ground should be carried out no earlier than mid-May, when the soil and air warm up to a temperature of at least +15 ° C.
With the seedling method of growing, sowing begins 35-45 days before planting in the ground.
Remove flower buds from basil. Author photo: Oleg Elizarov
In order for the plants to be thicker and more magnificent, it is recommended to pinch the tops of the shoots and regularly remove all flower buds. This technique will allow you to collect greens until the frost.
Also during the growing season 1-2 top dressings will be useful. complex fertilizer at the rate of 15-20 g/m 2 .
Flatbreads with cheese and potato filling
Ingredients: milk (or kefir) - 250 ml; wheat flour - 2 cups; a pinch of salt; ground black pepper, ground red Bell pepper(taste); hard cheese (brynza, feta or any other) - 200 g; potatoes - 200 g; herbs and basil to taste; garlic - 2 cloves; butter - 50 g.
Cooking. Knead the dough (a little softer than dumplings) from kefir, salt and flour. Wrap in cling film and leave for 30-40 minutes.
For the filling, boil the potatoes in their skins.
Grate cheese on a fine grater, add crushed garlic, finely chopped dill and basil, other spices and mix. Fold the boiled peeled potatoes there, mash into mashed potatoes and cool.
Divide the dough into balls the size of Walnut. Roll each into a cake and place a portion of the filling on it (also about the size of a walnut). Pinch in the form of a bun, then flatten with the palm of your hand and roll out with a rolling pin to a thickness of no more than 4-5 mm.
Fry in a dry frying pan without oil on both sides. Grease the finished cakes with melted butter and stack them in a pile.
Coriander, or cilantro
Due to the combination of spicy aroma and rich taste, it is always popular among lovers of herbs and spices.
What is useful?
Coriander (cilantro) leaves contain many vitamins, tannins and fatty oils.
How is it used?
Fresh leaves are used as a vitamin seasoning in salads, apple compotes, and for preserving fruits. Greens are added to soups, meat, fish, vegetable dishes.
Coriander fruits are mixed into bread, confectionery, marinades, sauces, sausages, cheeses, meat products. They improve the taste of dishes from peas, beans, lentils, they flavor dishes from cabbage, beets, carrots ... and even applesauce!
Varieties
Coriander Stimulus, Borodinsky, Caribe, Taiga, Shiko differ in high productivity, rich taste of greens and unpretentiousness.
Conditions
For good growth Coriander requires a moderate amount of moisture, heat and light to grow and develop. It is best suited to cultivated fertile soils.
How to grow?
Coriander - precocious culture, it can be sown several times during the season from late April - early May. Interval - 2-3 weeks. Coriander does not cause any particular difficulties for gardeners. The most important thing is to monitor the uniform moisture of the soil and the absence of a crust in the interval from sowing to germination. To speed up the emergence of seedlings, the seeds can be soaked for several days in warm water.
Parsley
It seems that this culture has always been with man. But this is not so: in Europe it began to be cultivated only in the Middle Ages, and in Russia - even from the 18th century. Moreover, for a long time, parsley was considered not a food, but a medicinal plant.
Most essential oils are found in the seeds curly parsley.
What is useful?
Parsley leaves and roots contain vitamins B 1, B 2, C, carotene, potassium, calcium and iron salts, inulin, proteins, essential oils. They can be dried, frozen, salted, and useful properties are not lost even after heat treatment. Fresh leaves, juice, parsley seeds are widely used in folk and traditional medicine, for cooking cosmetics: creams, lotions, nourishing masks.
How is it used?
The young leaves and roots are eaten fresh as a spice or condiment and added to soups and main dishes. The leaves go into sauces, marinades and serve as an excellent decoration.
Varieties
Existing varieties of parsley are divided into several types: root, leafy with an ordinary leaf and curly, universal, forming both a large root crop and a large number of leaves. To date, about 60 varieties of parsley have been zoned. When choosing, you must consider for what purposes it will be used.
Leaf parsley ‘Italian giant’ Author photo: Oleg Elizarov To obtain high yield varieties of early and abundant vitamin greens are best suited: Titanium, Sandwich, Italian Giant, Ordinary Leaf. Varieties Alba, Pikantnaya, Sakharnaya differ in large leveled root crops. To use both tops and roots, sow Bogatyr, Universal, Bubka varieties on your garden bed. Curly parsley leaves will be a wonderful decoration for both the garden and cooked dishes: salads, vegetable, cold cuts, main courses. Attention should be paid to the varieties Kucheryavets, Mooskrause 2.
Conditions
Parsley is a cold-resistant plant, but with early sowing and under the influence of cold weather flowering is possible in the first year to the detriment of leaves or roots. Root crops are relatively frost-resistant and almost always overwinter in the soil in the middle lane, the leaves tolerate light autumn and spring frosts. Shoots withstand up to -9 ° C.
Curly leaf parsley ‘Kucheryavets’. Author photo: Oleg Elizarov
For sowing, choose illuminated areas with fertile non-acidic soil. Placement in the same place is desirable not earlier than after 4 years. Parsley is not grown after parsley, nor after other crops of the celery family.
How to grow?
To obtain a high yield of greens and large root crops, plants require moderate temperatures (18-20 ° C) and a sufficient amount of moisture, especially during the germination period.
When growing parsley, you should pay attention to some important points. Since the seeds are not large, they are buried to a depth of no more than 1.5-2.0 cm, especially on heavy clay soil.
Tender and plentiful ‘Sandwich’. Author photo: Oleg Elizarov
Shoots appear only on the 10-14th day. All this time it is necessary to ensure that there is no soil crust that prevents the emergence of seedlings, the soil must be moistened all the time.
In order not to accidentally damage young sprouts when weeding or loosening, parsley seeds can be mixed with seeds of fast-growing crops: radish, watercress, lettuce, mustard.
In the early stages of life, fragile plants develop slowly. Given the light-loving culture, do not be late with weeding and thinning thickened crops.
Many varieties of leaf parsley grow back well after selective cutting, and can be harvested several times over the summer. But even under optimal conditions, individual branches of parsley are cut only 55-60 days after sowing the seeds. Parsley plants left before winter in the garden will delight you with young early greens next year until the end of May.
In root varieties, to obtain a large root crop, leaves should not be cut or plucked during cultivation.
For lovers of a mini-garden on the windowsill, it is best not to sow parsley with seeds, but to start forcing greens from root crops or leaf parsley plants grown in advance (that is, in summer).
Variety 'Universal': both tops and roots. Author photo: Oleg Elizarov
Oil "Emerald"
Ingredients: parsley, cilantro, basil, dill in approximately equal proportions; vegetable oil (preferably olive).
Preparation: rinse the greens well, dry on a clean napkin and finely chop with a knife (or in a blender). Transfer to a clean, dry jar up to the shoulders, pour oil, mix, compact. Keep in the refrigerator on the coldest shelf (it is stored no more than two weeks, then you can make the next batch). It is used as a seasoning for salads or hot dishes (soups, stews).
Celery
One of the oldest cultivated plants gained fame in Russia only from the 18th century. However, since then, the popularity of this vegetable has been growing all the time. Behind last years recipes for delicious dishes that promote weight loss, recipes for increasing potency and healing are widely distributed among the people - and all this with the use of celery.
Did you know?
Traditional medicine in many countries recommends taking freshly squeezed celery root juice for impotence. It is also recommended for cardiovascular diseases and edema.What is useful?
Celery - valuable vegetable crop, rich in vitamins. In addition, celery has a high content of salts of potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and whole line valuable amino acids. All parts of the plant are rich in essential oils, which give it a specific taste.
Celery is widely used in folk and official medicine. Root vegetables and leaves excite appetite, enhance digestion, stimulate the nervous system, improve sleep, have a mild laxative, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect.
A decoction of leaves, root crops and especially seeds is the first remedy for gout and urolithiasis, has good diuretic and antimicrobial properties, which is important in the treatment of cystitis and urethritis. Celery normalizes the endocrine system, which is why it is indispensable for people suffering from diabetes or obesity. This vegetable is useful to include in the diet for nervous exhaustion, overwork, asthenic conditions.
On a note
Leaf celery can be grown in a container on a windowsill. For this, it is better not to use seeds, but to plant root crops or leaf celery plants grown in advance in the summer.How is it used?
Raw root vegetables are added to salads, fried, and boiled in soups or mashed potatoes - just like potatoes. Celery root is easy to prepare for the future: it can be dried, frozen and canned.
Juicy petioles are eaten raw in salads, included in the first and second courses. The low calorie content gives special value to petiole celery: more energy is expended on chewing and digesting this product than is extracted.
Fresh fragrant celery leaves are used as a spice, added as a seasoning to first and second courses, sauces, pickles and marinades. Petioles and leaves are dried or frozen for future use.
Celery fruits contain a lot of essential oils - this allows them to be used for flavoring in various dishes, as well as in the preparation of sauces, ketchup and marinades.
Varieties
To obtain a large root crop without voids inside and a large number of lateral roots, it is better to stop your choice on varieties: Diamant, Iskander, Strongman, President RZ.
The abundance of delicate greenery, which does not turn yellow and does not coarsen for a long time, will please the varieties Samurai, Vigor, Zakhar, Lekar.
The largest, juiciest and fleshy petioles are formed in the varieties Utah, Groom, Atlant, Pascal.
Conditions
Most readily celery grows on fertile soils with a deep cultural layer. It is best to plant this crop the next year after cabbage, tomato or cucumber, under which a lot of organic matter was added.
How to grow?
IN middle lane cultivation celery root possible only through seedlings. It is advisable to sow seeds from mid-January to mid-March. It is also desirable to grow leaf varieties through seedlings (sowing in February - March), but it can also be sown in open ground as soon as the earth warms up (end of April - beginning of May). Celery seedlings are planted in the ground in early - mid-May.
For optimal development root celery, the distance between plants in a row should be 25-30 cm, and the row spacing should be 40-45. For leaf and petiole celery, a good planting pattern is 25 × 25 cm.
To obtain tender petioles from petiole celery, they are bleached by hilling plants 3-4 weeks before harvesting.
Celery is a late ripening crop. A large root crop is formed in 120-170 days from germination, leaf and petiole varieties are ready for harvesting on the 100-120th day from germination.
Leaf and petiole celery can be harvested at any time once the first leaves have formed. But do not cut off the leaves of the root varieties - otherwise the root crop will grow small.
Leaves and petioles plastic bags in the refrigerator can be stored for a month.
Celery roots are harvested for storage before autumn frosts. Although short-term freezing does not harm the plants, harvesting can be done in early October.
Dried, healthy, without mechanical damage root crops are placed in boxes lined with film from the inside, and sprinkled with wet sawdust or sand. Store celery in a cellar or refrigerator at a temperature of +1 ... +4 ° C.
Salad with petiole celery
Ingredients: petiole celery - 2 pcs.; salad cucumber - 1 pc.; sweet pepper - 1 pc.; green onion- 1 bunch; Chinese cabbage- a small head of cabbage; cheese - 100 g; vegetable oil and vinegar (can be replaced with lemon juice) to taste.
Cooking. Wash and clean vegetables. Chop the cabbage into strips, finely chop the green onion and rub everything lightly with salt. Cut celery into slices, cucumber, pepper and cheese into cubes. Mix everything and salt to taste. In a bowl, beat the vegetable oil with vinegar or lemon juice, dress the salad with the resulting sauce.
Thyme, or thyme
A perennial plant grown as a spicy-aromatic crop from ancient times to the present day.
What is useful?
Thyme essential oil has powerful antiseptic properties. Plants contain flavonoids, tannins, mineral salts and organic acids.
How is it used?
Fresh and dry thyme leaves are an excellent seasoning for various dishes. It is used in the preparation of marinades, sauces, marmalades, and is used to flavor liqueurs and vinegar.
Varieties
The most fragrant and abundant greens are obtained when using thyme Medok, Raduzhny, Bogorodsky Semko.
Conditions
thyme - unpretentious culture. Relatively cold-resistant, drought-resistant. Plants are photophilous, not tolerant of shading. The soil prefers medium-fertile, dry stony, with a neutral reaction. Grows poorly in moist clay soils and loses its aroma.
How to grow?
In the middle lane, thyme is cultivated as an annual crop through seedlings or by direct sowing into the ground in the most early dates. In areas with mild winters, it can be grown as a perennial crop.
For seedlings, thyme is sown in March - April in light neutral soil. Since the seeds are very small, sowing is carried out to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. Shoots appear after 15-20 days; at this time it is very important to keep the area clear of weeds.
Too thickened crops must be thinned out in 1-2 doses, leaving 10-15 cm between plants.
Thyme is practically immune to diseases and pests, making it easy to grow.
Chicken and potatoes with thyme
Ingredients: chicken - 1 piece; mayonnaise - 1 small package; garlic - 1 head; potatoes - about 0.5 kg; ground thyme - 1 tbsp. spoon; salt and pepper fragrant to taste.
Cooking. Mix peeled and crushed garlic with mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Cut the chicken into portions and grease them well with the resulting marinade. Sprinkle evenly with ground thyme.
Cut the peeled potatoes into large wedges and mix with the chicken. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 40 minutes. Put on a baking sheet, put in a preheated oven and bake until cooked.
Tarragon
The second name of this perennial spicy plant- tarragon - came from the Caucasus and is familiar to gardeners from the green lemonade, of which it is a part. Although this plant is most popular among the Caucasian peoples, its homeland is Siberia and Mongolia.
What is useful?
Young tarragon greens contain a large amount of carotene, vitamins B 1 , B 2 and C. In folk medicine, tarragon is used as a diuretic and antiscurvy agent. Tarragon is able to improve appetite, stimulate digestion. Young greens have a calming effect, improve sleep. In addition, it can simply be used as a general tonic.
How is it used?
Tarragon has a delicate spicy aroma and a tart, spicy taste. In small quantities, young greens are added to rice dishes, boiled fish, and light sauces (for example, mayonnaise). Tarragon is also appropriate in salads, soups and seasonings.
Fresh herbs go well with other spices (such as mustard). Its taste and aroma will be more distinct if the dish is lightly sprinkled with lemon juice. Tarragon is a good preservative, so young leaves are added to marinades when canning vegetables, sauerkraut.
Varieties
The most productive and easy to grow: Monarch, Goodwin, Gribovchanin.
How to grow?
In the middle lane, tarragon is propagated mainly by vegetative means: by dividing rhizomes, root offspring and cuttings. But you can sow it with seeds both directly on the garden bed and through seedlings. Since the seeds are very small, do not plant them deep into the soil.
Tarragon is a very cold hardy plant. Its growth begins immediately after the snow melts. It can be planted in the ground in a permanent place as soon as the soil warms up: in late April - early May. At the same time, in a permanent place, the tarragon bush can grow up to 4-5 years, increasing in diameter up to 1.0-1.5 m.
You can start harvesting tarragon greens in the fall in the year of planting, little by little, so as not to weaken the "youth". From the 2nd year, the green mass can be cut off throughout the summer as needed.
Many housewives prefer to grow herbs on the windowsill. This solution reduces costs, it is convenient and provides constant access to vitamins, which is especially important in winter. Plant seeds or sprouts in pots can be bought at specialty stores, markets, or asked from friends. And you can transplant plants from your garden before the onset of frost. For the first planting, it is better to prefer early varieties in order to quickly evaluate the result, such as thyme or basil.
Conditions for growing herbs
Grow container
The beauty of growing herbs is the freedom of creativity and it is possible to create kitchen windowsill kingdom of fragrant greenery. You can deviate a little from the prescribed rules, there will be no harm, there are no strict prescriptions. For example, for growing herbs, you can choose any containers, experiment with shapes and designs.
It can be an old cup, teapot, food packaging.
But there are preferences various kinds greenery. A container is best for growing green onions so that only the rhizome is covered with water. You can also use narrow glass jar. Other plants, such as thyme, dill, coriander, prefer wide, low containers.
Drainage device
For many herbs, such as parsley, dill, thyme, lettuce, and many others, five-liter plastic bottles work well. You can take a bottle of a different size. On one side of the bottle, small holes are cut out in rows for plants. Then a layer of drainage should be poured onto the bottom of the container so that it does not reach about 1 or 2 cm to the first row of holes. For drainage, expanded clay or gravel is usually used, making sure that the layer thickness does not exceed 3-4 cm.
Then a layer of soil is poured onto the drainage up to the first holes and plant bulbs are placed in them (holes) so that the growth point protrudes slightly. Then repeat the procedure until the end of the rows and the bottle is completely filled. But drainage is placed only at the bottom of the bottle.
When using soil, you need to remember the importance of drainage, it helps to form a healthy root system. At the bottom of the container, we lay small pebbles, expanded clay or just a layer of coarse sand in an even layer. Under the ground, there must be either drainage holes, or drainage layer. Although they can be combined.
Seed selection
The process of selecting and planting seeds is a little more complicated, it requires at least minimal experience. The bottle is prepared in the same way, but the seeds are planted immediately in the holes after the bottle is filled. This method is for herbs that do not require much light during the germination period, such as white mustard, dill, thyme, leaf salad, parsley. Before the emergence of seedlings, the holes need to be covered with something to retain heat and humidity.
And in stores, special pots and cartridges for growing herbs are sold, they are already equipped with everything you need, you just need to water them.
Pots or other containers should be placed on a stand to protect the rhizomes from drafts.
Soil selection and fertilization
Most herbs require loose soil with good carrying capacity. The roots will need a lot of moisture and air. It is best to buy soil in the store. Ordinary soil taken from a garden or lawn may contain pathogenic organisms, not possess necessary set minerals and is usually too dense or acidic.
If a suitable soft and loose natural soil is found, and there is no way to purchase a ready-made soil mixture, it is recommended to ignite the earth in an oven to get rid of pest larvae, pathogenic bacteria and pathogenic microflora.
Planting plants is very easy. The main thing is not to bury the seeds deep, just lightly sprinkle them with earth. Prior to germination, care must be taken to upper layer soil was damp, especially if it is thyme.
How to sterilize soil?
To sterilize the soil, you need to take a three-liter glass jar and fill it with prepared soil. No need to tamp it in a container, it must have air access. Then the jar must be placed in any vessel with water suitable for a long stay in the oven.
Next, the entire structure must be placed in the oven, heated to 180 degrees, for an hour and a half. Experienced gardeners recommend after the procedure to water the soil with any liquid fertilizer, to consolidate success and increase the amount of minerals and nutrients.
Soil replacement
Some plants, such as leafy mustard, watercress, or onions, do not require soil to grow. They do best in moist environments. To do this, in a shallow container you need to place a piece of cloth, a layer of cotton or even paper towel, and place the seeds of watercress and leaf mustard on top. The main thing is to constantly keep the base moist. 
Growing green onions is even easier. To do this, place the bulbs in a wide, shallow vessel and fill them with water to a third of the height. Water must be changed regularly to prevent stagnation or the onset of rotting processes.
For some plants, hydrogel can be used instead of soil. It absorbs excess moisture and right time gives them to the roots of the plant. It can be placed in the ground, for the same purpose. For planting on a pure hydrogel, leafy mustard, thyme, watercress, lettuce valerianella are suitable.
Types of plants and their care
There are a number of plants that housewives prefer to plant on the windowsill in the first place. When choosing seeds or sprouts, it is better to pay attention to early varieties, especially if it is dill, thyme, parsley.
Green onions are very easy to grow, the main thing is to pick up bulbs of the same size and remove excess husks from them. If you cut off the top before planting, then the shoots will appear much faster. You can add a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content to it, but this is not necessary.
Watercress is very easy to grow, it is absolutely not picky about the presence of light, the landing site, and so on. Harvesting can be carried out already when they reach a height of 5 cm. You need to sow tightly to each other.
Mustard leaf can be planted in the same container with watercress, they get along quietly and equally do not require special care.
Leaf lettuce requires bright light and heat; without additional illumination, it will not grow.
Dill does not require special care, but it is better to choose early varieties, they give a harvest in just three weeks, otherwise the first shoots will have to wait about 1.5 months.
Parsley requires plenty of light, moderate daily watering, and a warm environment. It is difficult to grow it at home from seeds, but you can try to drive it out of the rhizome. Before planting, the seeds should be soaked for a day in warm water.
Basil requires compliance temperature regime from 25 to 28 degrees. It is better to buy it in the form of seedlings. He demands constant control above the moisture level.
Thyme is a perennial plant. Thyme should be watered sparingly.
Coriander or cilantro is especially demanding on drainage and constant watering.
But rosemary is very difficult to grow on your own. It is better to buy ready-made seedlings in the store, and enjoy the lush growth of a perennial plant.
Watering and fertilizing herbs on the windowsill
All herbs on the windowsill, except for parsley, need to be watered once a week. All plants except watercress, parsley, sorrel, and mustard leaf require good lighting and humidity, for additional lighting, use special phytolamps. Humidifiers will help to increase the level of humidity, which is especially important during the heating season.
Fertilizers for spicy herbs are suitable for any, but it is better to use mineral fertilizers, you need to fertilize every two months according to the instructions. Be sure to regularly ventilate the room, some plants, for example, thyme in winter, can be put on an insulated balcony. When flowering, the inflorescences must be cut off.
Our grandmothers, growing strawberries, or strawberries, as we used to call them, were not particularly worried about mulching. But today this agricultural practice has become fundamental in achieving High Quality berries and reduce crop losses. Some might say it's troublesome. But practice shows that labor costs in this case pay off handsomely. In this article, we suggest that you get acquainted with the nine best materials for mulching garden strawberries.
Mint was used by the Egyptians as far back as 1.5 thousand years BC. It has a strong aroma due to the high content of various essential oils with high volatility. Today, mint is used in medicine, perfumery, cosmetology, winemaking, cooking, ornamental gardening, and the confectionery industry. In this article, we will consider the most interesting varieties of mint, and also talk about the features of growing this plant in open ground.
Looking at the variety of varieties of tomatoes, it is difficult not to get confused - the choice is very wide today. Even experienced gardeners he is annoying sometimes! However, it is not so difficult to understand the basics of selecting varieties “for yourself”. The main thing is to understand the peculiarities of culture and start experimenting. One of the easiest tomato groups to grow are varieties and hybrids with limited growth. They have always been appreciated by those gardeners who do not have much time and energy to care for the beds.
Once very popular under the name of indoor nettles, and then forgotten by everyone, coleuses today are one of the most striking garden and indoor plants. They are not in vain considered stars of the first magnitude for those who are looking primarily for non-standard colors. Easy to grow, but not so undemanding as to suit everyone, coleus require constant supervision. But if you take care of them, bushes of velvety unique leaves will easily outshine any competitor.
Salmon backbone baked in Provence herbs is a “supplier” of delicious pieces of fish pulp for a light salad with fresh wild garlic leaves. Mushrooms are lightly fried in olive oil, and then poured with apple cider vinegar. Such mushrooms are tastier than ordinary pickled ones, and they are better suited for baked fish. Ramson and fresh dill coexist perfectly in one salad, emphasizing the flavor of each other. Garlic sharpness of wild garlic will saturate both salmon flesh and mushroom pieces.
Conifer tree or a shrub on the site is always great, and a lot of conifers is even better. emerald needles various shades decorates the garden at any time of the year, and phytoncides and essential oils secreted by plants not only flavor, but also make the air cleaner. Generally, most zoned adults coniferous plants, are considered very unpretentious trees and shrubs. But young seedlings are much more capricious and require competent care and attention.
Sakura is most often associated with Japan and its culture. Picnics in the shade flowering trees have long been essential attribute meeting of spring in the country rising sun. The financial and academic year here begins on April 1, when magnificent cherry blossoms bloom. Therefore, many significant moments in the life of the Japanese pass under the sign of their flowering. But sakura also grows well in cooler regions - certain types can be successfully grown even in Siberia.
It is very interesting for me to analyze how people's tastes and preferences for certain foods have changed over the centuries. What was once considered tasty and traded lost its value over time and, conversely, new fruit crops conquered their markets. Quince has been cultivated for more than 4 thousand years! And even in the 1st century BC. e. about 6 varieties of quince were known and even then the methods of its reproduction and cultivation were described.
Make your family happy and make themed Easter egg-shaped cottage cheese cookies! Your children will be happy to take part in the process - they will sift the flour, combine everything necessary ingredients, knead the dough and cut out intricate figures. Then they will watch with admiration as the pieces of dough turn into real ones. Easter eggs, and then with the same enthusiasm they will eat them with milk or tea. How to make such original cookies for Easter, read our step-by-step recipe!
There are not so many decorative and deciduous favorites among tuberous crops. And the caladium is a true star among the variegated inhabitants of the interiors. Not everyone can decide to start a Caladium. This plant is demanding, and first of all - to care. But still, the rumors about the unusual capriciousness of the Caladium never justify. Attention and care allow you to avoid any difficulties when growing caladiums. And a plant can almost always forgive small mistakes.
We have prepared a hearty, incredibly appetizing and simply elementary dish for you today. This gravy is one hundred percent universal, as it will suit every side dish: vegetables, pasta, and anything. Gravy with chicken and mushrooms will save you in moments when there is no time or you don’t want to think too much about what to cook. Grab your favorite side dish (you can make this ahead of time to keep it hot), add gravy and dinner is ready! A real lifesaver.
Among the many different varieties of these most popular vegetables, we will talk about three that are distinguished by excellent taste and relatively unpretentious growing conditions. Characteristics of eggplant varieties "Diamond", "Black Handsome" and "Valentina". All eggplants have a medium density pulp. In "Almaz" it is greenish, and in the other two it is yellowish-white. They are united by good germination and excellent yield, but in different time. Everyone's skin color and shape is different.
Agriculture is one of those human activity, the successful outcome of which is not always directly proportional to the efforts made. Unfortunately, nature does not necessarily act as our ally in growing plants, and often, on the contrary, throws up new challenges. Intensified reproduction of pests, abnormal heat, late return frosts, hurricane winds, drought ... And one of the springs presented us with another surprise - a flood.
With the coming of the season dacha works raises the question of growing strong and healthy seedling our favorite vegetables: cabbage, tomatoes, sweet peppers, eggplant and many other crops. Along with this, the question arises - how to grow decent seedlings and get healthy plants and a decent harvest from it in the future? For example, I have been growing seedlings for more than one season and protecting my garden from diseases with the help of biological preparations Alirin-B, Gamair, Gliocladin, Trichocin.
Let me confess my love today. In love with... lavender. One of the best unpretentious, evergreen and flowering shrubs which can be successfully grown in your garden. And if someone thinks that lavender is a Mediterranean or, at least, southern inhabitant, then you are mistaken. Lavender grows well in more northern regions, even in the Moscow region. But in order to grow it, you need to know some rules and features. They will be discussed in this article.
