Grow lettuce at home on a windowsill. How to grow lettuce at home

Leaf lettuce is a cold-hardy plant that can be grown all season long. In order to harvest lettuce in winter, it can be planted on the windowsill. To grow leaf lettuce in winter, it needs to be provided with additional water, as well as the right container for sowing and soil composition.

Soil composition

Lettuce grows well in light, fertile soil with a slightly acidic or neutral acid-base balance. The homeland of lettuce is the Mediterranean. This region is dominated by sandy loamy peat soils and a hot climate, so two parts of peat, one part of calcined river sand and a little garden perlite are used to prepare the soil mixture. Additionally, complex mineral fertilizer and wood ash can be added to the soil. To normalize the acid-base balance of the soil, you need to add slaked lime or dolomite flour to the soil.

Salad container

The prepared soil mixture is poured into a previously prepared container. The height of the container must be at least 10 cm.

Use a juice box as a container for planting lettuce. Its interior is covered with foil, which provides additional reflected light illumination for the salad. Make drainage holes in the side of the box and at the bottom to ensure water drainage.

A drainage layer must be placed at the bottom. Pebbles, small stones or broken bricks can be used as drainage. Then the container is filled with soil mixture.

Before planting lettuce, the soil must be watered with a solution of Fitosporin. If you warm the soil before planting, the lettuce seeds will sprout faster, so the solution of the drug must be hot. The soil must be left for 12 hours. When Bacillus subtilis and other possible bacteria are killed, lettuce seeds can be planted.

Sowing lettuce

The seeds are mixed with river sand for easy sowing. They should not be deeply buried in the soil, otherwise the germination of the lettuce will decrease. The maximum sowing depth of seeds is 1 cm. After planting the seeds, the soil is moistened with a spray bottle. Then the container with the seeds is covered with a plastic bag until the first shoots appear. After they appear, the bag must be removed, since the greenhouse effect has a bad effect on the above-ground part of the plants.

In winter, our body often suffers from vitamin deficiency. To fill this gap, you can organize a small vegetable garden on your windowsill. It will allow you to grow any edible greens, rich in nutrients. Lettuce is one of many crops suitable for home growing. To get a good harvest, you need to know and follow some rules of agricultural technology. However, it is worth it - abundant, juicy greenery will delight you all year round.

Variety selection

Before planting lettuce on the windowsill, you should buy seeds of a suitable variety. The most successful option would be early ripening species:

• Snowflake.
• Zorepad.
• Excitement.
• Grand Rapids.
• Golden ball.
• Odessa.
• Raspberry ball.
• Red Credo.
• Lollo biond and Lollo rossa.

Also suitable for growing lettuce on a windowsill are varieties that are resistant to low light levels. These include: ballet, celtic, emerald lace and others.

Selection of container and soil preparation

It is recommended to use large pots (at least 1–2 liters in volume) as planting containers. This crop does not tolerate transplantation well, which means it is better to immediately sow the seeds in a suitable container. It is advisable that it be a plastic pot (clay pots tend to absorb moisture, causing the soil to dry out faster).

If another plant previously grew in the container, then it needs to be thoroughly cleaned. Otherwise, remaining bacteria and pest eggs will destroy the salad over time. Warm water and regular soap will help get rid of most potential threats. You can also wash the container with a solution of one part bleach and nine parts water. Treatment with a soda solution followed by rinsing with potassium permanganate will be no less effective.

If you don’t have suitable containers at home, you can grow lettuce on the windowsill using a thick plastic bag. Place it on a tray, fill it with moistened soil, and make several small holes on the sides (so that excess liquid leaks through). Lettuce grown in a bag will be no different from its counterparts from a pot.

The soil for planting lettuce at home on the windowsill should be as nutritious as possible. You can use a ready-made soil mixture purchased at a specialty store, or make it yourself. In the latter case, you will need: two parts of garden soil, one part of rotted manure, one part of compost and the same amount of peat. To make this mixture more fertile, it is recommended to add 1 kg of river sand and the same amount of wood ash, 1 tbsp. l. urea and 2 tbsp. l. nitrophoska. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

You can use another composition - combine one part of vermicompost and garden soil and add two parts of coconut fiber.

Sowing

The soil on which you are going to grow this crop must be moist all the time. At the same time, stagnation of this moisture is highly undesirable. If there is excess water, the lower leaves and root collar of the plant may begin to rot. Therefore, before planting lettuce in a container, you need to ensure good drainage. Typically, simple pebbles, broken brick, synthetic polyester or expanded clay are used as drainage material. Place a moisture-absorbing layer at the very bottom of the container in which the greens will grow. These materials absorb excess liquid and evaporate it, humidifying the air.

Now fill the containers with soil. Pour it all the way to the top, leaving about 2-3 cm from the edge. Before sowing seeds, moisten the substrate generously. Then make shallow grooves. Maintain a distance of at least 15 cm between adjacent furrows. Sow seeds in them densely, sprinkle them with damp soil on top and lightly press them down. To make the planting material germinate faster, it can be pre-soaked in warm water for 50-60 minutes, and then kept in damp gauze for 24 hours.

As a rule, the first shoots appear quite quickly (after about 4-5 days). Greenhouse conditions will help speed up their germination. To create them, stretch a plastic bag over the container. If the soil is poured to the very edges of the container, you can place arcs of bent sticks or wire. Wrap the frame with transparent film on top. This creates an air space between the soil, young seedlings and covering material. It will protect fragile plants from damage.

Planting care

For further development of lettuce, the average daily temperature must remain between +17 ° and +21 °C. Therefore, during the heating season, do not place pots close to the radiator or other heating devices. Since plants require a lot of light, place containers with seedlings on windows facing the south, southeast or southwest side of the house.

After the shoots emerge, remove the film. If the lettuce has sprouted too thickly, thin out the seedlings. Remove the weakest shoots, maintaining a distance of 7-8 cm between the remaining plants. This will give them enough space for active growth. Do not throw away excess seedlings, but rather plant them in separate containers or eat them - young seedlings are edible and taste very similar to mature leaves.

Be sure to provide the seedlings with good watering (once every couple of days). At the same time, moisten both the soil and the leaves themselves by spraying them from a spray bottle. When the leaves grow, it will be convenient to water the greens from a watering can with a long spout. Use settled tap water or collected rainwater. Remember that drying out the soil speeds up the bolting process of the plant.

When growing lettuce at home on a windowsill, you need to supplement it with special devices (phytolamps, fluorescent lamps, etc.). This is especially important in winter, since during this period the plant does not have enough ultraviolet rays. You can purchase these lamps in specialized stores. If you cannot afford such a purchase, use a regular fluorescent lamp. Place the lighting device at a height of 50-60 cm from the seedlings. Daylight hours for them should last at least 12-14 hours.

Lettuce seedlings should be fed periodically. This is due to the fact that it is considered a fast-growing crop. For this purpose, use mullein solution. Dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:10 and water the plants once a week. Complex fertilizers also give good results. The dosage, method and frequency of use are described in the attached instructions.

If all the above conditions are met, in a month (depending on the variety and variety of lettuce) you will be able to harvest your first harvest. Try to cut off the outer leaves first. In the meantime, internal ones will develop further. After a few weeks, the bushes will stop forming new greenery and will go into arrows. In this case, they must be removed and a new batch of lettuce sown.

To summarize, it should be noted that to obtain fresh greens in winter you will have to make a lot of effort. Before planting lettuce on the windowsill, you will have to select high-quality planting material, a suitable container, arrange drainage and prepare fertile soil. Good care is also important, including timely watering, loosening the soil, thinning, fertilizing and other measures. However, the delicate taste and beneficial properties of home-grown greens are definitely worth it!

The salad contains a huge amount of useful substances. Therefore, many lovers of this greenery want to grow it not only in their summer cottage, but also at home. Is it possible to grow lettuce from seeds on a windowsill at home? This will be discussed further.

Is it possible to grow lettuce on a windowsill?

Lettuce can easily be grown at home. Both in winter and in summer. But this plant at home requires a lot of attention.

For his growth needs a lot of sunlight. On short winter days it needs additional lighting. If there is not enough light, it begins to bloom early. Does not tolerate drought or heat. At the same time, the leaves become bitter. Beginners should not attempt to grow cabbage forms in an apartment. They are very capricious.

This is an early ripening crop. To constantly have greens at home, you need to plant them once every 10 to 14 days.

The best lettuce varieties to grow at home

Batavia is the most suitable variety of salad for an apartment

The most suitable variety for an apartment is considered Batavia. This is what they most often sell in grocery stores.

It grows even without additional lighting. Can withstand short-term drought and high air temperatures.

The most famous varieties for cultivation on the windowsill:

• Lollo Rossa
• Emerald lace
• New Year
• Lollo biond
• Vitamin

Lolla Rossa is distinguished by a brown head of cabbage and curly light green leaves. Counts the most vitamin. Has a delicate taste.

Lolla biond - the most beautiful. The leaves are wavy. Yellow-green color. The taste is pleasant, bitter with a nutty aftertaste.

They also grow in the apartment watercress. This is a moisture-loving plant. The best varieties for the windowsill:

• curly;
• peppery;
• broadleaf;
• ordinary.

Broadleaf Cress

Selecting a container for sowing and preparing the soil

Lettuce roots do not lie deep in the soil. Large containers are not needed for its growth. It is better to choose a plastic pot. The capacity must be volume 1–2 liters. Depth – 10 – 35 cm. Depending on the variety. There should be holes at the bottom of the container.

Soil can be purchased at the store or you can use garden soil. Acidic soil is not suitable for planting. Better option - a mixture of turf soil, humus, sand. Another option is garden soil, coconut fiber, vermicompost. The ratio of the last two is 2:1.

For sowing, it is necessary to use drainage: pebbles, expanded clay, broken bricks, small pebbles.

When using garden soil, the soil should be disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The soil is filled into the pot, not reaching 2.5 - 3 cm to the edges.

Some varieties can be grown without soil. One of them is watercress. For cultivation, improvised materials such as sponge, cotton wool, and paper are used.

Some varieties of lettuce can be grown without soil - on paper or cotton wool

Sowing seeds

• Before sowing, seeds are disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate. Time – 2-3 hours.
• A drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the pot.
• The drainage is covered with earth. Watered.
• They make a groove. Depth - 5 mm. Distance between rows – 10 cm.
• Seeds are placed in the groove. Cover with a small amount of earth. Lightly compact.
• Cover the container with a bag - create a greenhouse effect.
• Place in a dark place.
• When the first shoots appear, the bag is removed. Transfer to the windowsill.

The first shoots can be seen in 4 – 5 days. You need to protect it from direct sunlight. On bright sunny days it is necessary to shade it - the leaves can get burned.

Salad loves warmth. For its good growth, a temperature of 17–21 degrees is required. During a strong drop in outside temperatures, the container with plants should be removed from the windowsill.

Culture needs thinning. This is done 2 times:

1. After 1 week, when the first shoots appear; It is necessary to leave a distance between them of 1–2 cm.
2. When 2 true leaves are formed; Distance – 4–5 cm.

If the lettuce grows thickly, you will not be able to get a good harvest.

The salad needs to be thinned twice

Watering

Watering should be abundant. If the soil moisture is insufficient, arrowheads begin to form earlier than usual. Water with settled water once every 1-2 days.

If the container is on the south side - more often. In winter - less often. You should not over-moisten the soil - the roots and lower leaves will begin to rot. The air in the room should be humidified. The leaves are sprayed with water from a spray bottle.

Top dressing

They feed Once every 1.5–2 weeks. Fertilizers are suitable for indoor plants. This is a fast growing crop. If fertile soil has been chosen for planting, it will grow well without them.

Do not apply large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers - lettuce can accumulate nitrates. If you use potassium iodide-based fertilizer, you can get a plant with a large amount of iodine in its composition.

Lighting

Light-loving plant. In winter, on short autumn - spring days, you need to use additional lighting- fluorescent lamps. They need to be turned on for 2 – 5 hours. Hang at a height of 50 - 60 cm above the plant.

Daylight hours when growing lettuce should last 12-14 hours

In total, daylight hours should last 12–14 hours. You cannot illuminate it during the day. The greens need to rest.

If it is not possible to provide additional light to the plant, it is best to plant it at the end of winter.

Loosening

Lettuce has very fragile, shallow roots. Loosen the ground under the seedlings it is forbidden.

Harvesting

Greenery grows quickly. It can be collected over several weeks. Uproot or tear off outer leaves. After 3 - 5 weeks, arrows form. The plant is removed. Other seeds are sown in its place.

Experienced gardeners plant lettuce once every 10 days. From one plant you get 40–50 grams of greens. But it all depends on the variety.

Leaf lettuce can be grown both in open ground and at home. But when planting it in an apartment, you need to remember that it requires daily care.

1. This is a moisture-loving plant. The soil should always be slightly moist. But excess moisture can kill it.
2. The best place is a window sill on the south, south-east side. It is impossible to grow it at home without sufficient light.

Grows quickly. Doesn't take up much space. But you need to choose the right variety for the pot.

In winter, you need to think about your health, in particular, about proper nutrition. Greens will help enrich your diet with healthy vitamins and microelements. Growing lettuce on a windowsill in winter is not difficult - this crop is quite accessible to grow at home. To get a good harvest of lettuce, you need to know the rules for planting and caring for the plant.

Leaf lettuce has a number of beneficial properties. It contains vitamins and microelements that have a beneficial effect on the body. When consuming the product, the functioning of the heart and nervous system is normalized, blood pressure is reduced, and the immune system is strengthened. It is recommended for people on a diet, children and pregnant women. Being low in calories, the salad contains useful substances – the feeling of fullness lasts a long time.

Greens are used in cosmetology for skin rejuvenation and regeneration. It is used to produce preparations for healthy hair and nails. A salad mask is an excellent tonic and prevents age-related changes in facial skin.

What varieties can be grown on a windowsill?

Before choosing which lettuce to grow at home, you should familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the different varieties. There are several popular varieties that are easy to plant and care for:

Varieties for growing on a windowsill are characterized by unpretentiousness, rapid germination and high yield.

Photo: Lettuce varieties

Requirements for growing lettuce at home

To get a good harvest of greenery in your apartment in winter, you should adhere to the general cultivation requirements:

1. Before planting plants from seeds, the grains need to be soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate for 3 hours.
2. The substrate for greenery should consist of vermicompost and coconut fiber in proportions of 1:2.
3. The soil must have drainage from brick chips, pebbles or expanded clay
4. Additional lighting with phytolamps is required for 2-5 hours.
5. For growing lettuce, containers of 1-2 liters are selected.
6. It is better to moisten the plant with a spray bottle with water at room temperature.
7. Liquid fertilizer should be applied every week while the crop is actively growing.

By following simple rules, you can enjoy tasty and healthy greens in winter.

Features of planting indoor lettuce

Before planting lettuce, you need to prepare everything - planting material, pot, soil, drainage. Planting stages:

1. An indoor garden bed is being prepared. To do this, select a suitable container made of wood, clay, or you can choose old dishes.
2. Drainage is in progress. Experienced breeders recommend using not only pebbles, but also placing padding polyester on the bottom. It absorbs moisture well, and when the soil dries out, it gives it back.
3. The soil mixture is poured. You can buy it ready-made in the store or take it from the garden and mix it with sand. Street soil should be disinfected before planting seeds - heated in the microwave or watered with a solution of potassium permanganate.
4. Sowing grains. The seeds are deepened by 0.5 cm, at a distance of 10 cm. Then they are covered with soil and watered.
5. Next, to create a greenhouse effect, the container is covered with glass and placed in a warm place. After the appearance of the first shoots. Reveals.

Further care of young shoots involves watering, fertilizing and providing additional lighting.

Feedback from gardeners regarding growing lettuce is only positive. Cultivating greens on your windowsill in winter is an excellent option that will allow you to enjoy a healthy product all winter. The culture does not require special care. There are no difficulties in landing. The whole growing process is a pleasure.

If your home is cool in winter and the temperature on the windowsills is below +20 degrees, then the number of options for what kind of greens to grow in pots is sharply reduced. But, for example, lettuce on a windowsill in winter feels great even at low temperatures with a plus sign, so it is not afraid of drafts from old frames, or even life on a glassed-in loggia.

Growing lettuce on a windowsill: where to start

Start by choosing a variety. It is best to grow leafy types of lettuce - they are less demanding, have rapid germination, and will soon produce their first harvest. It is best to take early varieties so as not to delay the appearance of the first full leaves. It makes no sense to give names here - every year new varieties of lettuce are developed, proprietary seeds and hybrids appear, so just carefully read the information on the packaging. It is good if the plant is resistant to various diseases and pests.

Next, select a container for the seedlings. This could be a pot, or several pots, or a box selected to fit the size of the window sill. Holes should be made in its bottom for water drainage, and the box itself should be placed on a pallet. By the way, know-how: if you have wooden vegetable boxes (with large gaps) or plastic ones with a large cell, you can use them too. To do this, insert a bag of the same size into the box and pour soil into it. The walls of the bag will act as a barrier to soil that could spill into cracks and holes. Just make holes in the bag so that excess water can escape.

We pour soil into the box (purchased is best), and don’t forget to put drainage (stones, expanded clay) at the bottom of the box. It is better to pour soil not to the very top - leave a margin of 5-7 cm.

How to grow lettuce on a windowsill in an apartment: a step-by-step guide

Lettuce seeds do not require pre-soaking. They can be sown immediately in shallow grooves made in the ground. Pre-moisten the soil with water from a watering can. Remember to leave enough space between the furrows (minimum 15 cm), otherwise the mature plants will be too crowded and will not produce lush greenery.

Having spread the seeds along the grooves, sprinkle them with damp soil and press the soil down a little so that the soil completely covers the seeds. To prevent the surface of the bed from drying out, making it difficult for seeds to germinate, cover the box with film. Remember how we left some space between the surface of the bed and the edges of the box? This is necessary just so that the seedlings are not blocked. You will need to remove the film after the first shoots appear. You can expect them in 3-5 days.

Video on how to plant lettuce on a windowsill

Seed salad on the windowsill: caring for the seedlings

With the appearance of the first leaves, the salad will need to be watered frequently (but not too much - the water should not stagnate, turning the box into a swamp). You will also have to organize additional lighting using a fluorescent lamp. Otherwise, in winter conditions, the salad will be stunted and will not please you with lush tops.

If the seeds sprouted thickly, be sure to thin them out. This needs to be done twice, two weeks apart. The first time - a week after germination. The distance between neighboring plants should be 7-10 cm. If it’s a shame to tear out plants, replant them in pots or another box. And you will get a double harvest.

When watering, which needs to be done 2-3 times a week, spray the leaves themselves - the salad loves it.

Lettuce should be fed only if the soil is initially not nutritious enough. For fertilizing, complex water-soluble fertilizers are used.

Watercress: growing on a windowsill

This plant is even more unpretentious and produces a harvest a couple of weeks after germination. True, watercress does not live long, so it is worth having three boxes and sowing new portions of seeds there every couple of weeks. This way you will have greens on your table all winter.

The plant is also good because it does not require high temperatures (which do not happen on the windowsill in winter) or a lot of light (which is also usually a problem in the cold season). All it needs is timely watering and sufficient moisture in the air.

Seeds germinate at temperatures from plus seven to plus fifteen degrees. If it’s hotter, the salad will feel bad, so it’s better to take it out to the covered balcony and cover it with film.

Greens that reach 10 cm in height can be safely cut and eaten. Watercress is very rich in a variety of vitamins, which makes it a godsend in the winter season.

Video on how to grow watercress on a windowsill

In winter, there is such a shortage of fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden. What can you grow on your windowsill to enjoy natural products? The list of crops suitable for apartment conditions is quite wide - from parsley and lettuce to tomatoes and cucumbers.

You can grow greens on a windowsill in winter or summer in the same way as in the garden. But keep in mind that some plants are quite demanding. In this article we will look at easy-to-care crops.

If you are a beginner gardener, and therefore do not know what you can grow on the windowsill, then it is better to start with green onions, watercress, and parsley. And herbs - basil and rosemary - will not only come in handy in the kitchen, but will also spread their aroma throughout the apartment. More experienced amateurs can immediately start by growing cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers.

Children will also enjoy the winter garden. Even a toddler can grow green onions on the windowsill. Caring for plants will not only captivate the child and give him a new useful experience, but also provide him with vitamins.

Preparation

After you have decided what to grow on the windowsill, you need to prepare pots, soil, and seeds. The set is the same for most cultures. Experienced summer residents who know how to grow seedlings on a windowsill already have almost everything they need.

To set up a vegetable garden on a windowsill, you will need deep boxes or wide flower pots for planting plants. They can be equipped with plastic covers to create a greenhouse effect. For these purposes, you can also use ordinary plastic bags.

The pots need to be filled with soil from a flower shop or a self-prepared substrate. It is better to avoid using soil from the garden or vegetable garden, as insect larvae and weed seeds may remain in it. If the soil from the street is not prepared and calcined, then there is a high probability that you can grow one weed on the windowsill.

You also need to prepare a container for settling water - tender young plants should not be watered directly from the tap. You will also need a spray bottle or a small watering can.

Foil placed behind plants to reflect sunlight will also be useful. If foil is not used, then boxes and pots with plants must be turned 180 degrees daily, otherwise they will tilt towards the window and grow crookedly.

If the plants are grown in spring and summer (planting in February-March), then they will have enough sunlight from the street. But a winter garden planted in the fall will require additional lighting. Fluorescent lamps are suitable for this.

You should understand that you can only grow undemanding herbs on a windowsill in winter without lighting, but you won’t be able to get a good harvest of tomatoes without using phytolamps. In winter, on sunny days, additional lighting will be needed in the evening, but in cloudy weather, the lamp will have to be turned on for the whole day.

Green onions

Children are shown how to grow onions on a windowsill in kindergarten. This is the easiest crop to grow at home, it does not require special care, grows quickly and is very useful.

To force feathers, you can use both large onion sets (selections) and ordinary onion turnips. Feathers from a small bulb are more delicate, but the small head wears out quickly. A larger bulb produces abundant greens for a longer period of time.

Not only self-grown onions are suitable, you can also use those purchased at a supermarket or a store for summer residents. The easiest way to plant onions for forcing is in water. To do this, you need to take a small glass and fill it with plain water or a nutrient solution. The bulb must be installed so that only its tip touches the surface of the liquid. You need to change the water every day.

When planted in water, the bulb may begin to rot and emit an unpleasant odor. This can be avoided, since you can grow onions on a windowsill by planting them in the ground. The substrate should be poured into a shallow plastic box. If there are no drainage holes at the bottom of the container, then to prevent rotting of the roots, it is reasonable to pour a small drainage layer of expanded clay, pebbles, broken bricks, etc.

There is no need to bury the heads; plant them tightly; the bulbs are not afraid of close proximity. Plantings must be watered frequently, preventing the soil from drying out. Do not use all the seed material at once, it is better to break it into several portions and plant it 2-3 weeks apart, then there will be enough fresh onions for the whole winter.

Green onions can be grown not only in boxes. Onions for forcing can be planted vertically. To do this, you can purchase a special flowerpot at a store for summer residents or make holes yourself in a plastic bottle filled with soil.

Watercress

What can a beginner grow on a windowsill? Another simplest crop to grow on a windowsill is watercress. It is known for its beneficial properties, and its unpretentiousness makes it one of the most common salads to grow at home. Watercress is ready for consumption within 2-3 weeks after planting. Seeds can be purchased at a gardening store.

To grow lettuce, you don’t need a deep container; a regular tray will do. As a substrate, you can use a thin (about 3 cm) layer of clay or peat soil, fabric folded several times, cotton wool or paper towels.

Watercress should be planted densely so that the young plants support each other. Press the seeds slightly into the moist substrate. The plant does not require additional lighting; just place it on the windowsill.

How to grow lettuce on a windowsill? The main thing is not to let the soil dry out, although you shouldn’t overwater the salad either. The plant does not like heat. The optimal temperature is no higher than 18 degrees Celsius. To avoid overheating in winter, just move the container with the salad closer to the window.

In order for green watercress to be constantly present on the table, you need to plant it according to a scheme that is convenient for you. You can sow a new container every week or two or add a small amount of seeds every 3-4 days.

Leaf salad

Growing leaf lettuce is already somewhat more difficult. To know how to grow lettuce on a windowsill, you need to take into account the variety of the plant being grown. The varieties Lollo Rossa, Lollo Bionda, Odessky, Vitaminny, New Year, and Red Credo perform best in apartment conditions.

In autumn and winter, leaf lettuce will need additional lighting. If the room is hot and dry, the plant does not receive enough moisture, then the leaves will become bitter, become coarse, and flower stalks will quickly form. Leaf lettuce loves moisture and coolness and feels good on a glassed-in balcony until late autumn.

Leaf lettuce is planted in the ground quite densely, at a distance of 1-2 cm. Before the first shoots, the container is covered to create a greenhouse effect. Over time, thinning to a distance of 4-5 cm will be necessary. The plant needs watering and good lighting.

After the bushes begin to produce arrows, they become unsuitable for consumption. They can be removed and new seeds planted in their place.

Parsley

Many housewives are wondering how to grow parsley on a windowsill. After all, you often only need a few leaves of this plant, and you don’t want to buy a whole package in the store. In spring and summer, parsley can be grown from seeds. The plant is light-loving, so in winter it will need additional lighting. The seeds germinate rather slowly, but the bush will last a long time. Parsley is not picky about temperature; it grows well on a windowsill or balcony. The plant is moisture-loving and is watered abundantly. In winter, parsley needs to be watered less often.

It will be possible to cut the first greenery only after a month and a half, but it will be possible to do this for a whole year. Before planting, it is better to soak the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate. You can plant parsley in small containers, in peat cups or directly in flowerpots.

How to grow parsley on a windowsill in autumn and winter, because growing from seeds at this time is too long and labor-intensive? There is another way - forcing it from the rhizome. This method is somewhat simpler and better suited for the autumn-winter period. Planting material can be prepared independently in a personal plot or purchased at a regular grocery store.

The rhizome must be healthy, without signs of wilting, and the apical bud must be intact. The root crop should be placed in a pot and sprinkled with damp soil. Roots that are too long can be planted at an angle.

The first green shoots will appear within a few days after planting, and the leaves can be cut off in a couple of weeks. Greens will appear on the rhizome within six months.

Basil

What can you grow on a windowsill besides regular onions, parsley, and lettuce? Something more exotic like basil or rosemary.

The type of basil does not matter; green or purple will do. Basil can be propagated either from seeds or from cuttings. The plant is thermophilic - the optimal temperature is 20-25 degrees, and moisture-loving - good drainage and abundant watering are required.

Cuttings are a quick way to grow basil. You can simply buy a few branches in the store, put them in water and after one or two weeks move the seedling with roots into a pot. The young shoots will be ready for cutting in a couple of weeks. It is better to cut off the side shoots.

Basil planted from cuttings grows quickly, but also blooms quickly. As you know, after the start of flowering the plant is unsuitable for food. To have fresh basil on your table all the time, you need to replant the plantings every 3-4 months.

Planting basil from seeds will require more effort. But such a bush will not bloom for about a year. The seeds need to be soaked, covered, and the sprouts transplanted into pots. It is better to grow basil using seeds in the spring, since additional lighting will be needed in winter.

Rosemary

Rosemary in a clay pot on the windowsill will not only decorate the kitchen, but will also come in handy when cooking. This plant can be grown in the summer in the country, and in winter it will feel great at home.

You will need a wide pot with a thick drainage layer. Rosemary is demanding of light and air. It prefers the south side, and in summer the pot with the plant must be planted in open ground, taken out to the balcony or placed outside the window, otherwise the leaves will not accumulate a sufficient amount of essential oils.

Both seeds and cuttings are suitable for planting rosemary. The seeds of the plant have poor germination. They need to be soaked for 2 days, then placed on the ground without sprinkling on top, covered with film and sprayed every day with a spray bottle. If seedlings do not appear after 4 weeks, new seeds are planted. When the seedlings produce three or more leaves, they are planted in spacious pots.

It is easier to grow rosemary using cuttings. For this you need a woody shoot of the plant. It is placed in a container with water or wet sand, and after rooting it is transplanted into a pot.

Rosemary loves frequent but moderate watering. It is better to dry out the soil than to flood it. If there is a lack of moisture, the lower leaves of the plant will begin to turn yellow, and if there is an excess, the roots will rot, which will lead to the death of the plant.

If you provide the plant with a low temperature (up to 5 degrees) in winter, then rosemary will bloom in the spring. An adult plant needs to be constantly trimmed to form a bush.

cucumbers

Growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter is a rather tempting prospect. This can be done not only by an experienced gardener, but also by a beginner. Cucumbers grow quite quickly; you can get the first harvest in just a month and a half.

Not every variety of cucumber is suitable for growing on a windowsill. Firstly, it must be self-pollinating. During flowering, the bush must be shaken daily for pollination to occur. Secondly, it will be much more convenient if the plant is a bush plant. Thirdly, an early variety is better suited for home growing. Finally, a shade-loving plant is ideal. You can grow cucumbers on the windowsill in the winter of the varieties Connie, Masha, Legend, Debut, Polet, Babylon. Knowing the necessary parameters, you can choose another variety.

Growing cucumbers at home has its own subtleties. After all, providing all the necessary conditions can be difficult. Cucumbers are light-loving, so windows on the south and east sides are suitable for growing them. If there is still not enough light, then additional illumination will be required using fluorescent lamps.

The room temperature should not be below 20 degrees, so you should not move flowerpots too close to a cold window. Cucumbers love moisture very much, so you need to make sure that the soil does not dry out. The flowerpot with the plant can be placed in a bowl of water. The leaves need to be sprayed with a spray bottle twice a day.

Tomatoes

Many people think that growing tomatoes on a windowsill is a very difficult task and inaccessible to a beginner. But this is not true at all! Moreover, there are special varieties for indoor cultivation.

When visiting a gardening store, note that some seed packages say “Recommended for pot growing”, “Window harvest”, “Home garden”. And the names of the varieties themselves are telling - Room Surprise, Balcony Miracle, Japanese Room. There are also hanging varieties that will look great in flower pots - Peruvian Homemade, Cherry, Talisman.

Even if you don’t find special indoor varieties, regular ones will do. Please note that these tomatoes must be determinate (short, or better yet dwarf), self-pollinating (for pollination, the bushes are shaken during flowering) and small-fruited. For example, Alaska, Bonsai, Bonsai micro, Pearl (red and yellow), Canada News, Minibel, Pinocchio, etc.

Tomatoes can be planted immediately in large pots or picked, choosing the strongest sprouts. During the period of flowering and fruit set, tomatoes need to be watered generously and the leaves should be sprayed.

The room where tomatoes grow needs to be regularly ventilated - plants do not like stagnant air. In winter they need additional lighting. The plant must be fed periodically. The first fruits can be obtained in 3-4 months.

Tomato is a perennial plant. At home, with good care, it will bear fruit for several years. After a period of active fruiting, the bush needs to be transplanted into a larger pot and updated by pruning the branches. In addition, tomato can be propagated by cuttings. A plant grown from a cutting will begin to bloom within a few weeks.

Sweet pepper

How to grow peppers on a windowsill? Doing this is no more difficult than growing tomatoes. True, you will have to wait longer for the harvest - 5-6 months. But pepper is a perennial plant; with good care, annual replanting and pruning, it will bear fruit for several years. The plant can be propagated not only by seeds, but also by cuttings. Caring for peppers is also similar to caring for tomatoes, but with one significant difference - while the tomato does not tolerate stagnant air, the pepper is afraid of drafts, so it is better not to place them on the same window.

Self-pollinating early-ripening varieties are best suited for growing in an apartment - Californian Miracle, Oda, Jupiter, Patio-Ivo.

Pepper needs good light, warmth, and loose soil (it is necessary to loosen the soil regularly). This plant is not capricious, and will delight you with its fruits for a long time. You can also grow hot peppers at home, but these plants should not be in the same room, otherwise cross-pollination will occur.

Many housewives think about how to grow lettuce on a windowsill. And this is not surprising, because then there will be fresh greens on the table even in winter. It is added to various dishes, salads and decorated sandwiches. But before you begin the process, you need to decide on the plant variety, as well as learn all the nuances of growing lettuce.

Salad on the windowsill. Growing and care

How to plant lettuce

It is not difficult to grow leaf lettuce on a windowsill. It grows well all year, especially with normal watering and good lighting. The plant is quite tolerant of low temperatures, but does not tolerate heat well. It is best to plant lettuce in the spring, as there is no need for additional lighting. Leaf lettuce on the windowsill in winter needs to be illuminated with electric lamps for several hours.

To set up a mini-garden at home you will need:

• pots or other containers for planting lettuce;
• required amount of soil;
• polyethylene for creating a greenhouse;
• watering can and spray bottle;
• fertilizer;
• lamps to create additional lighting.

All this is needed to grow greens at home. But simply purchasing the necessary equipment from the appropriate store is not enough; you should know the secrets of planting and caring for this useful plant.

How to grow lettuce on a windowsill:

It is necessary to take a responsible approach to the composition of the soil. An excellent substrate is made from 2 parts coconut fiber and 1 part vermicompost. You can also plant lettuce in soil that consists of garden soil, peat, rotted manure and compost soil. All soil components are taken in approximately the same quantities. To quickly grow leaf lettuce, you can enrich the soil with ash, urea or nitrophoska. Many people prefer special soil from their respective stores.

How to grow lettuce on a windowsill. Photo

It is necessary to use as a container for planting large pots, at least 1-2 liters in volume. The fact is that lettuce does not tolerate transplantation well, so it is better to immediately sow it in a suitable container. As for the material, you need to choose a plastic pot. A clay container tends to absorb moisture, which causes the soil to dry out faster.

If another plant previously grew in the pot, it must be thoroughly cleaned. Otherwise, remaining pest eggs and bacteria will destroy the salad over time. Therefore, the container should be washed with soapy water.

The next step is preparation drainage. This is necessary to avoid stagnation of moisture and rotting of the plant roots. Expanded clay, silicone or synthetic winterizer are suitable as drainage for salad. The moisture-absorbing layer must be placed at the very bottom of the container in which the salad will grow. These materials quickly absorb all excess moisture and evaporate it, humidifying the air.

The soil needs to be poured into the pot to the very top, leaving only about 2-3 cm.

Before planting, lettuce seeds must be soaked in potassium permanganate for 1-2 hours. The soil in the pot should be slightly wetted and small depressions should be made. The salad does not need to be sown to a very deep depth, 1 cm is enough. After this, cellophane is placed on top of the container, which is removed when the first sprouts appear.

Growing lettuce on a windowsill. Photo

It is important to ensure that temperature air did not exceed 20 °C. Therefore, during the heating season, it is better not to place it close to the radiator or other room heating devices. The plant should also be frequently water, especially in summer. Leaves from time to time should spray using a spray bottle. Salad loves this “bathing” very much.

Lettuce in a pot can be eaten after 3-5 weeks. After another week, the plant becomes unusable, sending out arrows. In this case, it should be removed and fresh lettuce sown.

Questions and answers

What to do if small lettuce sprouts begin to stretch out and then quickly wither? Abundant watering does not help, nor does additional lighting for 2 hours.

It is necessary to water lettuce in a pot when the top layer of soil begins to dry out. In winter there is very little light for the plant, because there is practically no sun. Therefore, additional light should be left on all day. For this, fluorescent lamps are most often used.

How many seeds are required for a 1.5 liter pot? And how dense should the sowing be?

This container will require 20-30 seeds. They need to be sown very thickly. When sprouts appear, thin the lettuce several times, removing weak and crooked ones. As a result, during the formation of rosettes, 5-6 full-fledged sprouts should remain. During thinning, you can transplant excess healthy shoots into other containers.

Secrets of growing lettuce

Growing lettuce on the windowsill is not difficult, but if you take a few tips into account, you will always have juicy greens. It’s not enough to just sow the seeds and wait for the results. Only by creating the right conditions for lettuce can we hope that it will grow. So, to quickly grow lettuce you need:

A lot of light. This crop will not grow in the shade. In addition, lack of light provokes the formation of flower stalks. Experienced gardeners choose certain varieties to grow this greenery on the windowsill. Therefore, for home breeding, it is recommended to purchase lettuce varieties Lollo Bionda, Emerald Lace or New Year's.

To provide additional lighting and save money, you can use LED lamps. They practically do not emit heat and therefore will not dry out the plant. The distance between the light source and the salad should not exceed 6-8 cm.

To not allow excessive heat and drought soil. Otherwise, the salad will immediately begin to disappear - the leaves will become coarse and acquire a bitter taste. It is especially often necessary to water the lettuce during the period of active growth. To do this, you need a watering can with a thin spout. Water must be settled, especially if it is tap water. An excellent option would be to spray the lettuce leaves. It must be carried out daily until the plant is completely strong.

Check soil condition under the film. The greenhouse effect is necessary for the plant to sprout. For salad it is usually 4-5 days. But from time to time you need to look into the greenhouse and water the soil. As soon as the first shoots appear, the cellophane can be removed and the salad can be placed in the sun.

Often thin out the seedlings. It's best to do this several times. 5-7 days after the emergence of seedlings, they need to be thinned out, leaving a distance of 1-2 cm. The second time the lettuce is thinned out when several leaves appear. The distance between plants should not be less than 4-5 cm. If the lettuce is left in cramped conditions, it will begin to grow upward, and then weaken and disappear.

For the lettuce to grow properly, it needs fertilize. It must be a complex composition. Instead of chemicals, many also use regular mullein. It should be diluted with liquid in a ratio of 1:10. The resulting solution is watered over the salad no more than once a week.

Destroy harmful insects. Even at home, lettuce is attacked by various pests. Most often these are salad aphids that eat the roots of the plant. As a result, the lettuce quickly stops growing and subsequently withers. Therefore, if soil from the garden is used when planting lettuce, it must be pre-treated. If aphids have already infested, you should use an infusion of onion peels or dandelion leaves. It is better not to use chemicals.

Growing head lettuce is even more difficult than growing leaf lettuce. Therefore, it is better to gain experience first. Not many people manage to grow leaf lettuce to full size, but at home this is not necessary.

Picked lettuce does not last long, only about a week. But it cannot be stored at room temperature at all. You can put the salad in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. However, it should not be washed in advance, as the greens will wither even faster. So it’s best to eat greens right away. And so that it is always available, you can plant lettuce at intervals of 5-7 days. Then you won’t have to wait long for the harvest.

Growing lettuce at home is not difficult, especially if you follow the recommendations. And a few weeks after sowing there will be fresh greens on the table. And in this way you can grow greens all year round, enjoying their taste. The main thing is not to forget that this plant requires abundant watering, a lot of light and space for growth.

How to grow lettuce on a windowsill. Video

Leaf lettuce or lettuce is a storehouse of vitamins and the fastest product that can be obtained from seeds. You can delight yourself with healthy and tasty greens all year round, growing them on a windowsill in winter and in open ground during the warm season.

In a greenhouse, these periods are significantly extended, and if it is possible to heat the greenhouse, lettuce is grown all year round. The technology for growing lettuce is simple, but requires simple techniques to obtain a good harvest.

Growing lettuce in a greenhouse in winter and early spring

Required temperature

Leaf lettuce is resistant to cold weather. You can grow it in a greenhouse from early spring, and if it is heated, grow it even in winter. Seeds can hatch at a temperature of 5-6 °C, young shoots can withstand temperatures as low as -2 °C. For good growth and development, the optimal air temperature is 20 °C.

Choose cold-resistant varieties.

Soil preparation

Prepare the soil in the fall. Dig it thoroughly and feed it. For each m², add 40 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium chloride. The addition of organic matter (rotted manure) helps level the acidity level to neutral or slightly acidic. Also add slaked lime if the soil is acidic.

When and how to sow

Level the area. Start sowing when the air temperature inside the greenhouse at night does not fall below 0 °C (in an unheated greenhouse this is approximately mid-to-late March).

• Make rows 10cm apart.
• The seeding depth should be 1-2 cm.
• The weather is changeable, so if there is a threat of severe frost, mulch the soil with fine humus.

The growing process will take about 1 month.

How to care

When the seedlings appear, they should definitely be thinned out, especially if you are growing produce for sale: heavily thickened plantings will produce less quality greenery, the leaves will be small and pale.

How to break through and is it necessary to dive?

Lettuce growing from seeds when to plant and how to care

• Leave a minimum distance of 15-20 cm between plants to obtain large leaf rosettes.
• Many people practice picking lettuce; the plants are actually accepted and soon produce a good harvest. However, it should be noted that you are losing a couple of weeks of precious time.
• It is much easier, faster and more profitable to sow the required area at once and simply break through the extra seedlings than to engage in unproductive picking.

How to water

Not often (1-2 times a week), but abundantly. Use cool water, but do not get it on the leaves. Stagnant water creates a favorable environment for the emergence of diseases.

Remove weeds as necessary and regularly loosen the soil between the rows.

How to feed

Required for good growth. During the growing season, apply a mixture of potassium chloride and ammonium nitrate 2 times: half a tablespoon of each fertilizer per 10 liters of water, but no later than a month before harvest, so that the products are safe and environmentally friendly.

Conditions for growing lettuce in open ground

In summer, leaf lettuce can be grown in open ground. To get fresh greens until autumn, sow every 14 days.

Choose varieties according to ripening time: early, mid, late ripening. Information about sowing and harvesting dates is indicated on the seed package. Each variety has its own characteristics: strictly follow the breeders’ recommendations on sowing dates, so that instead of a green harvest you do not get arrows with flower stalks.

For leaf lettuce, a place in light shade is preferable: the greens will turn out very tender and juicy.

Site preparation is carried out similarly to a greenhouse: autumn digging, fertilization.

When to plant leaf lettuce with seeds in open ground

Sowing dates

You can start sowing lettuce from mid-April, when night temperatures do not drop below zero degrees, the threat of short-term frosts is allowed, but no more than 1-2°C below zero. Loosen the prepared area, break up large lumps and lumps.

Predecessors

Desirable crop precursors are peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, and potatoes. It gets along well next to beans, radishes, radishes, cucumbers, and onions; the latter will repel aphids, the main pest of lettuce.

How to sow

• To make grooves about 1-2 cm deep.
• Sow less often, preferably leaving 1-1.5 cm between seeds
• The distance between rows is 15-20 cm.
• Level the soil and water well.
• To speed up germination, cover the crops with film for the first few days.

Follow standard care procedures (similar to greenhouse ones): water, loosen the soil, remove weeds. When the plants sprout, thin them several times, leaving a total distance of 15-20 cm in the row.

How to sow lettuce in open ground in spring, watch the video:

Planting lettuce seeds in the ground is a simple task that can be entrusted even to children. This will be a good first experience in growing plants, especially when it comes time to collect the young, succulent leaves.

Growing lettuce at home in winter on a windowsill

To get lush greenery in winter, you can arrange a vegetable garden on a windowsill or covered balcony. Growing lettuce indoors is not difficult; even inexperienced gardeners can handle it.

Preparing soil and containers for sowing

Containers are required deep - about 35 cm.

You can buy soil mixture at the store or prepare it yourself. Take soil from the site, add rotted manure, peat, mix in equal proportions. Use nitrophoska and urea as fertilizer.

Be sure to lay a drainage layer at the bottom of the container (you can use expanded clay, small pebbles, walnut shells).

How to sow

• Deepen the seeds by 1-1.5 cm, keep a distance of 15 cm between rows.
• After sowing, carefully sprinkle the furrows with soil, moisten the crops with a spray bottle and cover with film.
• Shoots will appear soon, remove the film.

To ensure that plants develop well, thin out dense plantings to a minimum distance of 8-10 cm between plants.

How to care

Liberally a couple of times a week. In room conditions, the air is dry - daily spraying from a spray bottle will be required.

Carry out loosening from the fourth week of growth: fragile roots of young plants are easily damaged.

The duration of daylight hours in winter is short; it must be extended for salad to at least 12 hours, so artificial lighting will be required.

How to sow and grow lettuce on a windowsill, watch the video: