Good afternoon, my reader. The "vegetable garden" on the windowsill is a great way to supplement the winter diet with fresh herbs, such as lettuce. For beginners, this activity may seem too difficult. In fact, the process of growing lettuce is not only easy but also fun.
Please put your likes and subscribe to the channel "About Fasenda". This will allow us to publish more interesting garden articles.
Selection of salad varieties
Experts recommend that beginners of home "farming" pay attention to the varieties of lettuce, since they are less whimsical to grow in comparison with the head types. In addition, it is advisable to choose crops with early ripening periods, so that the first crop appears on your table in a month and a half.
Among all types of greens, watercress reaches the marketable appearance earlier than others, which does not need additional lighting even in the off-season. An unpretentious and cold-resistant crop grown on a windowsill or balcony can be cut off within a couple of weeks after sowing into the ground.
The best varieties of lettuce suitable for growing at home:
- Vitaminchik;
- Vanka is curly;
- Ducat;
- Abundant.
It also does not require special care and maintenance of leaf lettuce. Early maturing and cold-resistant culture does not need additional lighting. Lettuce reaches commercial maturity 2–3 weeks after sowing.
The best varieties for growing on a windowsill:
- Lunavia;
- New;
- A sandwich;
- Ballet;
- Emerald lace;
- Athlete.
Delicate, juicy and crunchy greens will add variety to your diet, adding a slightly pungent, spicy flavor to the main dishes.
Step-by-step process of planting salad
For sowing lettuce, take shallow containers (cassette ones) with pallets. The bottom of the planting containers should have holes to remove excess moisture. A drainage layer is laid out at the bottom of the containers, consisting of the material at hand. Suitable for this: small pebbles, pebbles, expanded clay or broken brick.
Soil is poured over the drain, which can be purchased at any flower shop. If you wish, you can prepare a fertile soil mixture yourself by mixing in equal proportions:
- sod land;
- humus;
- sand;
- vermiculite.
It is advisable to treat the soil containing garden soil with the preparation "Fitosporin-M" for disinfection. Planting material etched with a weak solution of potassium permanganate is sown in containers with moistened soil to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. From above, the seeds are lightly sprinkled with earth and covered with polyethylene or glass.
The planting container is left warm until the first shoots appear. The air temperature must be at least 18–20 ° С. The polyethylene (glass) shelter is periodically removed for a short time so that the soil is saturated with oxygen.
As soon as the first salad sprouts appear, the container is rearranged on the windowsill, closer to the light. It is desirable that these were windows (balconies) facing the east or west side of the house.
Care
Young lettuce sprouts need light, warmth and moisture for full development. However, do not get carried away with abundant watering. It is enough to moisten the soil with a spray bottle with water at room temperature as needed. In case of an acute shortage of lighting, it is advisable to use a phytolamp.
Growing fresh herbs on a windowsill does not take much time and effort. The very first harvest of juicy, spicy salad will lay the foundation for a new, exciting and useful activity.
Do you know how to grow salad in winter on the kitchen windowsill?
Original articleand many other materials, you can find on ourwebsite.
Read about onion diseases in the following article:Common diseases of onions and garlic