Vegetables to plant at home
10 Easiest Vegetables to Grow in the Home Garden
If you’re a beginner, it’s helpful to know which vegetables are easiest to grow from seed. Plus, growing from seed is less expensive, offers more variety, and has a higher success rate. Our list below includes vegetable seeds that can be sown directly into your garden soil. Some are also suitable for transplanting.
Should I Grow Vegetables from Seed or Transplants?
There’s nothing wrong with starting your garden from small plants which you purchase (known as “transplants”)—in fact, many people do! In fact, there are a handful of vegetables that can be challenging to grow from seed and are best purchased as young plants from a garden store/nursery (tomatoes, for example, can be finicky to start from seed). Transplants also allow you to get a head start on growing tender vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, which require a long, warm growing season.
That said—unless you have a short growing season—many vegetables are easy enough to start from seed at home.
Here are a handful of the benefits of starting from seeds:
- Seeds are much cheaper, especially in greater quantities. They often keep at least a couple years, and they can be shared with friends and neighbors, too.
- Seeds offer much more variety than the often limited choice of transplants in a nursery. Just take a look at these seed catalogs and let the dreams begin!
- Some vegetables do not survive being transplated from one place to another.
- Starting from seed means that you can sow seeds directly in the garden, which opens the door to growing crops such as corn, melons, squash, beans, and peas, which simply do not grow as well when transplanted from one place to another.
- Starting plants from seed means you can ensure they are healthy and strong right from the start.
This is not a complete list, by any means, but these are considered some of the easiest and most common vegetables that can be grown at home.
1. Lettuce
We’ve never known a garden that cannot grow lettuce.
Lettuce can be sown directly in your garden bed, or started indoors for transplanting. It’s one of the few crops that can be grown all year in our climate, but in hot weather it should be shaded and harvested at smaller sizes. Lettuce growth slows in shade; it is also slower to go to seed, or “bolt,” which means that it can be harvested for longer.
An endless assortment of leaf shapes and shades of green and red means you’ll never get tired of growing new lettuce varieties. Leaf lettuces can be cut as they grow, and you can enjoy several harvests from the same plant by just snipping off what you need each time.
If you want full heads of romaine and head lettuce to develop, thin them. Allow for 8 to 10 inches between plants. As you thin young plants, save the delicate small leaves for salads.
See our Growing Guide for Lettuce.
Pole beans require some sort of structure to climb! Photo by Smereka/Shutterstock.
2. Green Beans
Beans grow even in fairly poor soils, because they fix the nitrogen as they go! Bush varieties don’t require trellising, but pole varieties provide a more extended harvest. In cool areas, snap beans are easiest. In hot areas, lima beans, southern peas, and asparagus beans are also very easy to grow. All bean plants are fast growers and thrive in warm, moist soil.
See our Growing Guide for Green Beans for more information on planting and growing beans!
Peas! Photo by DigiCake/Shutterstock.3. Peas
Plant peas as soon as the soil can be worked—2 weeks before the average last spring frost for your region, if possible. To harvest a continuous supply of peas during the summer, simultaneously sow varieties with different maturity dates. Then sow more seeds about 2 weeks later. Continue this pattern, sowing no later than mid-June.
See our Growing Guide for Peas.
Radishes. Photo by Udra11/Shutterstock.4. Radishes
Radishes can be harvested in as little as 24 days after planting, and can be inter-planted with slower-growing vegetables.
You can plant radishes as soon as you can work the soil in the spring.
Sow each seed 2 inches apart or more, or thin them to this spacing after they sprout. Cover the seeds with about half an inch of compost or soil.
Here’s a tip: Radish seeds are natural companions to carrots. Mix radish seeds with carrot seeds before you sow, especially if your soil tends to develop a tough crust. The quick-to-sprout radishes will push up through the soil, breaking it up for the later-sprouting carrots. As you harvest the radishes, the carrots will fill in the row.
See our Growing Guide for Radishes.
5. Carrots
We’re including carrots only because they’re super easy to grow as long as they’re planted in loose, sandy soil during the cooler periods of the growing season—spring and fall (carrots can tolerate frost). Not all carrots are orange; varieties range in color from purple to white, and some are resistant to diseases and pests.
Many beginners find their carrots are short and deformed.
This is typically due to poor, rocky soil, so it’s important to provide soft, loose soil that drains well. Mix in some sand and really loosen it up. Also, it is essential to THIN carrot seedlings to the proper spacing so that they’re not overcrowded. Be bold! Thin those seedlings if you want carrots to form properly.
Learn more in our Growing Guide for Carrots.
6. Cucumbers
Prepare in advance for cucumbers; amend the soil with a fertilizer high in nitrogen and potassium to support the plant’s large yields. If possible, plant cucumbers in the sun next to a fence. The fence will serve as support for climbing and act as a shelter. Or plant them near corn. The corn will trap the heat that cucumbers crave and also serve as a windbreak.
See our Growing Guide for Cucumbers.
7. Kale
Like it or not, super-nutritious kale is very hardy and can grow in a wide range of temperatures. It can be harvested at many different stages, and the buds and flowers are edible, too! Mustards and collards are closely related to kale and are also easy to grow.
Set out plants any time, from early spring to early summer and kale will grow until it gets too hot. Plant again the fall, especially if you live in the southern United States. Another nice thing about kale is that it only gets sweeter after being hit by a couple frosts. Try kale baked, stir-fried, or steamed. Enjoy in salads, smoothies, omelettes, casseroles, or wherever you’d use spinach.
See our Growing Guide for Kale.
8. Swiss Chard
Swiss chard—or simply “chard”—is a member of the beet family. It does well in both cool and warm weather. It is a nutritional superfood, high in vitamins A, C, and K as well as minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber—plus, its rainbow of colors are beautiful!
See our Growing Guide for Swiss Chard.
Beets. Photo by Darasp Kran/Shutterstock.9. Beets
You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted beets you’ve grown yourself. We mean it! Nothing compares to garden-fresh beets, boiled or roasted until tender.
The quirky seed capsules contain two or three beet seeds, so the seedlings will always need to be thinned.
Sow the seed capsules about an inch deep, and 4 inches apart.
Harvest the roots at any time up until they’re the size of a tennis ball. While you’re waiting for them to plump up, why not try a few of the leaves? They can be used just like spinach, giving you two harvests from one plant.
See our Growing Guide to Beets.
10. Summer Squash (Zucchini)
Summer squash and zucchini like well-composted soil and need plenty of space (plant them 3 to 6 feet apart in warm soil and lots of sun.) Soon enough, you’ll have so many zucchinis, you’ll be leaving them on neighbors’ doorsteps! Always water at the soil level—not the leaves—to avoid powdery mildew.
See our Growing Guide for Squash and Zucchini.
The above crops are some of the easiest vegetables you can grow, but there are many, many more veggies for you to try! Check out our complete library of Growing Guides for advice on planting all the popular vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers.
And now that you know which seeds are easiest to grow, see our Tips to Starting Seeds Indoors!
Free Online Gardening Guides
We’ve gathered all of our best beginner gardening guides into a step-by-step series designed to help you learn how to garden! Visit our complete Gardening for Everyone hub, where you’ll find a series of guides—all free! From selecting the right gardening spot to choosing the best vegetables to grow, our Almanac gardening experts are excited to teach gardening to everyone—whether it’s your 1st or 40th garden.
15 Best Vegetables to Grow
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Fresh vegetables are never better than when they're harvested right from your own backyard. Juicy tomatoes, snappy green beans, and crisp cucumbers are just some of the best vegetables to grow in your garden this year. Best of all, you don’t need a huge yard to learn how to start a vegetable garden! Containers on your patio, deck, or balcony are great homes for your plants too. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can even grow seeds indoors a month or two before you plan on planting them in the ground to get a head start.
To get the best harvest possible, you'll want to make sure your garden or pots receive eights hours of direct sunlight, or they won’t produce. Also, remember that some plants like different temperatures! Peas, for instance, like chilly weather and can be planted in early spring. But if you're wondering how to grow tomatoes, these heat lovers can’t be set out until after the last frost.
(If you’re not sure when that is, check with your local university coop extension service so you won’t put your young plants out too soon!) And if you’re growing plants such as squash, which need pollinators to form fruit, don’t forget to plant some flowers too. There are plenty of spring flowers and even edible flowers to add to your garden!
Now, pull on your gardening gloves and break out your gardening tools for these easy vegetables to grow.
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Lettuce
Gourmet greens often get icky fast in the fridge. Instead of picking them up at the store, plant your own and you can harvest some leaves right before dinner. Lettuce likes cool weather and grows well when planted as seeds. It’s also a great choice for planting in pots and window boxes because the roots are shallow. Keep the plant moist as the seeds sprout, then harvest when leaves are a few inches long. If you like variety, choose a mesclun mix which includes several different types of lettuce in one seed packet.
When to plant: Early spring or late summer for a fall harvest.
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Tomatoes
You can grow heat-loving tomatoes from seed, or if you prefer, you can choose transplants, which you’ll find at local nurseries or online. Pay attention to what type you’re buying: Indeterminate types keep growing and producing until a frost, so their sprawling vines need to be staked—this means they’re not great in containers because they get top-heavy. Determinate types have fruit that ripens in a short period of time—they'll stay about three to four feet tall. Cherry tomatoes are best for beginners, and many new varieties stay nice and compact so they’re ideal for planting in containers.
When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.
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Beans
Beans come in tons of varieties, and they’re prolific (plus, the more you pick, the more they produce!).
Sow seeds directly in the ground because transplants don’t usually do well. Look for pole beans, which need plenty of space and a trellis to climb, or bush beans, which grow in a more compact form, so they'll work in containers. Read the seed label to find “days to maturity” so you know when to harvest specific types—you don’t want to wait too long because they’ll get tough.
When to plant: After the last frost.
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Peppers
Peppers love the heat, and they grow well in beds, containers, or on sunny patios and decks. Transplants are a better choice unless you have time to start them indoors about six to eight weeks before the last frost. Most peppers need staking, so make sure you have enough space.
When to plant: After the last frost.
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Strawberries
Even though strawberries aren't a vegetable, you'll want to plant them in your garden too! Strawberries are a perennial crop, so they’ll come back year after year.
Make sure the type you buy is suited to your USDA Hardiness Zone and is considered ever-bearing, meaning it will produce fruit all summer long. Strawberries are a great choice for containers. There also are new compact, thornless varieties of raspberries and blueberries, which are small shrubs that keep a nice, tidy shape yet yield tons of fruit. Berries are easiest to grow when they're from transplants.
When to plant: Early spring.
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Herbs
Even if you only have a tiny balcony, you can still grow fresh herbs! It’s so much fun to snip off a few leaves for every meal, and it’s much cheaper than buying those pricey packages at the store. Herbs grow equally well in containers or beds. You can grow most from seed, but if you’re in a hurry, they’re not super-expensive to purchase as transplants. Better yet, some herbs, such as chives, sage, and thyme, are perennial and will return next spring.
When to plant: Mid-spring.
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Cucumbers
Most cucumber types are heat-loving vines, so you'll need some space to grow them. You also can provide a cage or trellis for them to climb vertically, which will take up less room in your garden. Look for round, yellow, miniature, or compact varieties. It’s best to plant seeds directly in the ground as transplants can be fussy.
When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.
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Swiss Chard
This beautiful green has long, elegant leaves with brightly-colored ribs of red, yellow, orange, or white. Swiss chard is not only delicious—it looks beautiful! It grows well from seed, so you can plant it directly in your garden. In hot climates, if you give it some afternoon shade, it will produce all the way until the first frost. In the rest of the country, you can pick the outer leaves and it will keep producing throughout the season.
When to plant: Mid-spring.
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Kale
This super-food is incredibly hardy and doesn’t mind the cold one bit. In fact, many types will survive the winter and green up again in the spring. Kale does best in beds, and seeds or transplants are fine (though seeds are cheaper). If you’re tight on space, however, you can plant it in containers and harvest it as baby kale when it’s young and tender.
When to plant: Mid-spring or late summer for a fall harvest.
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Summer Squash
Most squash are super easy to grow—you'll probably end up with tons to share with friends and family! Summer squash comes in a variety of sizes and types, but they mostly grow on vines that need room to spread. They do well when planted from seed or as transplants (though young plants don’t like their roots disturbed when planting, so be careful when setting them out).
Bear in mind that these veggies love heat! Pick them before they get gigantic or they’ll become too seedy.
When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.
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Eggplant
Eggplant is a heat lover, and newer types are more compact and bushy so they can be planted in containers or beds. Look for fun varieties that produce long, slender, or even ball-shaped eggplants. Keep in mind that most need will need staking. It’s best to use transplants unless you’ve started these indoors about eight weeks beforfe the last frost.
When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.
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Peas
Peas prefer chilly weather, so if you get peas in the ground too late, they’ll often grow but won't produce. As soon as the ground can be worked, it’s fine to plant pea seeds. Give them something to climb, and plant successive rows so you’ll be able to harvest them for a few weeks before it gets too hot and the plants fade.
And one last tip: After you yank out the spent peas, plant a different crop in that space to finish out the growing season.
When to plant: Early spring.
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Spinach
Spinach is another cool weather lover, so plant these seeds as soon as the ground can be worked—they don't even mind light frost! But don’t procrastinate: If you sow it too late in the season, it will “bolt” or go to seed in a hurry. If you live in a hot climate, look for more heat-resistant varieties. Pinch off baby leaves from the outside, or let it mature to use for sautéing or in salads.
When to plant: Early spring.
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Garlic
You won’t believe how easy garlic is to grow until you try it! It’s one of the first things to pop up in early spring. There are two basic types. First is softneck, which consists of many cloves and stores longer.
The second is hardneck, which produces curly “scapes” you can harvest in late spring, then bulbs in mid-summer. Plant individual cloves of bulbs in the ground with the pointy-side up in fall. By late spring or early summer of the following year, it’ll be ready to harvest when the greenery has turned yellow and flopped over.
When to plant: Mid to late fall before the ground freezes.
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Scallions
Scallions, or bunching onions, are easy to grow from seed or bulbs (also known as “sets"), which you can expect to mature more quickly. These do better in the ground than in containers. Make sure to plant them a few inches apart to give the bulbs room to form.
When to plant: Early spring.
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12 vegetables that are easy to grow at home / AdMe
Sometimes you want to go out on the balcony, like Jamie Oliver, pick up your own grown vegetables and herbs and make something stunning out of them.
And the balcony, by the way, looks much prettier if it contains not old pieces of iron that it’s time to send to a landfill, but fragrant herbs and vegetables.
ADME has selected some interesting plants that do well on a windowsill or balcony.
Pepper
You can grow hot pepper for diablo pizza on the windowsill. It will need a warm, bright place and varieties suitable for home cultivation: "Carmen", "Flint", "Spark", "Ryabinushka", "Bride", "Indian Summer", etc.
The bushes are very pretty and do not require large pots. Up to 50 fruits can be tied on one plant. The optimum temperature is 25-27 degrees Celsius.
Carrots
For growing carrots at home, it is better to take mini-cultivars like "Parmex", "Sophie", "Vnuchka". They grow up to 80-90 days and do not require a lot of space - they are quite satisfied with a pot or container. You can also take a funny round variety "Round Baby".
The soil for carrots should be light and well drained.
The vegetable can be grown in cut plastic bottles. The optimum temperature is within 13-24 degrees Celsius.
Mint
Mint is a non-capricious and undemanding plant. It can grow on your windowsill or balcony even in winter, if you arrange additional lighting. It can be grown from cuttings and seeds. If it is possible to dig a cutting in the country house of oneself or friends, it is better to use this method. Mint grown from seeds is not accepted as actively, and it will take longer to wait for the harvest.
It is important to remember that the plant likes well-drained soil. And when choosing a place for it, keep in mind that the lighting should be good, but direct sunlight is best avoided. The optimal temperature for mint is 20-25 degrees with a plus sign.
Green Onions
Growing green onions at home does not require much skill. But still, it is worth considering some nuances: the bulb that you will plant should be round, dense to the touch and without traces of rot, the root cup should be well formed.
Immediately after planting, put the onion in a cool, dark place so that the root system is better formed, and only then the feather will need a lot of light. The optimum temperature is 18-20 degrees, you should not overheat, because then the growth of greenery will stop.
Basil
Any variety of basil grows well in pots and boxes. It is better for him to allocate a sunny place, water well, keep warm and provide good drainage. For planting, you can use both cuttings and seeds. At the same time, the cuttings will quickly give the first crop, but will not last long, as they will quickly bloom. You will have to wait longer to harvest from seeds, but such a bush will last longer.
The optimum temperature for basil is 20-25 degrees Celsius. In winter, lighting is required for about 3-4 hours to increase daylight hours.
Cucumbers
To grow cucumbers on the windowsill or on the balcony, you should look at the hybrid varieties that are marked with the F1 icon.
If all conditions are created for the plant, it can produce 3-4 dozen fruits. Here you will have to tinker a little with seedlings, but after transplanting into boxes, you will only need to water and trim the antennae.
Plant the plants in containers of at least 5 liters. It is important to remember that cucumbers are large watermelons and the ground should always be moist. The optimum temperature is 21-24 degrees Celsius.
Tomatoes
Dwarf varieties are usually chosen as home tomatoes: Minibel, Florida Petit, Balcony Miracle, etc. You will have to allocate the most illuminated place in the apartment to this miracle. It will be necessary to start with seedlings, after which they will be planted in containers, tied up, fed and protected from the cold. This is one of the most troublesome balcony crops, but pride in the work done and horticultural talent are attached to the harvest.
It is important to remember that tomatoes, like all plants, love water, but they are easy to flood.
Therefore, watering should be done carefully. The optimum temperature is 23-25 degrees Celsius.
Sorrel
Sorrel, in addition to its wonderful taste, is distinguished by the fact that it calmly tolerates shaded places. It can be grown from the rhizomes of 2-4-year-old plants with buds or from the seeds of such varieties as Maykopsky, Altaisky, Odessa broad-leaved.
It can grow at both 5 and 20 degrees of heat and even withstands slight frosts. So you can keep it on the balcony until the last, and if the balcony keeps heat well, then don’t clean it for the winter. The leaves are cut at a height of 8-10 cm, this must be done carefully so as not to damage the growth buds.
Ginger
Ginger is not only a delicious spice, but also a beautiful plant. If planted at home, sprouts can grow up to a meter in height. Pieces of ginger root are planted, consisting of at least a couple of sections with live buds. If the root is dry, you can hold it in warm water for several hours to wake up the kidneys.
The root should not be planted very deep, and until the first shoots appear, water should be very moderate. Ginger should be kept in the light, but away from direct sunlight. The optimum temperature is 20-25 degrees Celsius.
Pineapple
To grow a pineapple at home, you need to be patient and find a suitable fruit - bought in the warm season and with an intact tail. The tail is cut with a knife, preferably without pulp, dried for 3-4 days in the light, and then germinated in clean river sand. When the roots appear, after about a month, it can be transplanted into a pot with soil.
Pineapple loves light, warmth and sprays. The fruit will appear about 2 years after planting. The optimum temperature is 23-30 degrees Celsius.
Strawberries
Strawberries can be grown at home all year round, in winter you need to arrange lighting. To do this, you should choose remontant strawberry varieties that bear fruit not once a season, but constantly, for example: "Yellow Miracle", "Queen Elizabeth", "Mount Everest".
You can grow strawberries from seeds, but the easiest way is to buy ready-made seedlings. After 3-4 months, a couple of bushes will give new outlets, and your plantation will increase by 3 times. Meanwhile, as with seed germination, you will have to tinker.
Strawberries are afraid of the cold, so they should be taken out to the balcony only when the weather is warm. The optimum temperature is 18-24 degrees Celsius. It is important to remember that since there are no insects at home, you will have to pollinate the flowers yourself with a brush.
Thyme
Thyme is a wonderful herb. It is very fragrant, tasty and extremely unpretentious. In nature, thyme grows in dry areas with poor soil. Therefore, it is not easy to ruin it at home. The most important thing he loves is light. It is not afraid of direct sunlight, and it can be placed even where other plants will die. The only difficulty is watering: in the sun, the soil in a small volume of the pot dries out quickly, and thyme itself does not like waterlogging.
Also, there is no point in overdoing it with fertilizers - thyme will not appreciate this. It can be grown both from cuttings and seeds.
What goodies do you grow at home?
how to grow vegetables and herbs at home
Darya Bolshakova
grows strawberries on the window
Author's profile
Plants on the windowsill or balcony are beautiful.
Not everyone has a plot of land where they can plant beds. However, you can also harvest in the apartment - on the windowsill or balcony. Gardening can no longer be called a grandmother's hobby: according to research, interest in it is also growing among young people.
You can set up a garden with children or for your own pleasure. And during the pandemic, this activity helped people feel less alone and cope with depression. It also gives me joy, especially when I see the result in the form of a harvest.
I'll tell you what plants can really be grown at home for a beginner and what is needed for this.
What is important to know before buying pots and soil
I advise you to calculate your strength and not try to plant a lot of vegetables and herbs at once. All of them require different conditions and can even harm their neighbors, as plants release certain substances. Start simple - greens or legumes. And if you understand that this is yours, then you can plant a vegetable garden on the balcony.
Be prepared for the fact that on the first try, the harvest may not live up to expectations. But if we perceive plant care as an experiment, creativity and meditation, then any result will bring joy.
How to organize space. Consider how much space you will allocate for a vegetable garden. You can put containers with vegetables on the windowsill. Someone occupies the entire loggia or wall and hangs pots and containers on a metal grate. If this is not enough, you can put a rack with additional illumination of the lower shelves.
Ideas for arranging a vegetable garden on a balcony can be found on Pinterest and YouTube.
How to equip a garden on a 2 m² balcony - YouTube
How to equip a balcony garden - YouTube
You can hang shelves on a small window. True, the room will be a little darker. Photo: Tom Jur / Unsplash| Here is a variant of a garden with roof rails and bunk containers. Source: pinterest.ru | Or you can use a pallet for a vertical garden and grow herbs even on a small balcony. Source: pinterest.ru |
Where to get plants. You can buy seeds and sow. It's easy with zucchini, cucumbers, beans and peas. And the price of a mistake is not high: for example, a package of zucchini seeds for 23 R or peas for 35 R is enough for two years. But growing good seedlings of tomatoes or peppers can be more difficult for a novice gardener.
You need to select seeds, sow and dive into a permanent place as soon as the first "real" leaves appear.
There is a simpler option - to buy ready-made seedlings in a store, in markets or on Avito. Of course, there is a risk that the wrong variety will be sold. But the same lottery happens with seeds.
It's good to have familiar gardeners who are willing to share seedlings. I live in Tula, they hold environmental events and free markets where people exchange seeds, seedlings and plants. Ask local environmental activists if there are similar events in your city.
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Course: how to green a house
Quality. Most modern seeds are already treated with special preparations that improve germination and increase disease resistance. This is usually indicated on the packaging. The fact that the seeds are processed can be understood by the color: they are green, blue or pink. If not processed, they need to be soaked for a couple of hours in a special preparation "Epin-extra" or HB-101.
They increase seed germination and plant resistance to diseases.
Follow the recommendations on the seedling packaging and do not plant too many in one pot. Otherwise, plants will compete for nutrients and light, and due to dense planting, they may develop fungal diseases.
I trust private sellers more than garden centers, with which I have a bad experience: many seedlings from Ob and Leroy Merlin did not take root. Source: avito.ruWhat is useful for a home agronomist
Soil. House plants are more demanding on the soil than outdoor plants, so I don’t advise you to collect land at the entrance: it may contain toxic substances, such as heavy metals, oil products. And the fertility of urban soil is doubtful.
Assessment of soil pollution on the example of Moscow
In nature, plants help each other: roots exchange nutrients, stems and leaves release useful elements that accelerate the growth of neighbors. And homemade vegetables are deprived of such a favorable neighborhood and need good soil and top dressing.
Special soil for vegetables costs about 200 R per ten liters - this volume is enough for two tomato bushes.
Drainage. It's easier to buy ready-made expanded clay - pebbles that are placed on the bottom of the container so that the water does not stagnate. A pack of two or three large pots costs up to Rs. It becomes looser, better passes oxygen and water - all this is important for the development of roots. Usually both minerals are used: one part of perlite with vermiculite is mixed with two parts of soil. The price of vermiculite is from 61 R per two liters, perlite - from 51 R per two liters.
Seedling pots. You can buy special collapsible containers, mini-greenhouses with a lid. But experienced gardeners often use any food packaging: sour cream cups, milk or juice tetrapack boxes, plastic trays for semi-finished meat products.
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What houseplants do Russians grow
For example, my mother has such hotbeds for seedlings. She likes that they are with a lid: the seedlings are warm, and the moisture does not evaporate too quickly. Source: market.yandex.ru Some use peat tablets: they put seeds directly into them, water them - and the tablets increase and turn into cups. The grown seedlings are planted directly in them, without injuring the roots. But, for example, my mother refused peat cups: they dry out too quickly, you need to constantly monitor them. Source: ozon.ru These are toilet paper tubes filled with earth. The main thing is to put them tightly on a pallet, otherwise the earth will float away when watering. I haven't used these, but I like the idea of biodegradable cups. Source: YouTube channel Huw Richards Containers for adult plants. Flower pots, tubs, buckets are suitable - most importantly, with holes in the bottom so that excess water goes into the pan and the roots do not rot.
Ceramic pots evaporate moisture faster than plastic pots and may need to be watered more frequently. On the other hand, ceramics are stronger than plastic, which becomes brittle and breaks down in the sun over several seasons.
Containers are best chosen so that they can be easily turned over: the plants should be evenly lit. The size is selected depending on the plants: for lettuce - smaller, for zucchini - more. I'll tell you more later.
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for sugar or even polyethylene from delivery services.
This 12 liter container should be enough for three tomato bushes or a mini-bed of greenery. Source: leroymerlin.ru Volunteers in Uganda came up with the idea of growing in bags to help local residents who do not have their own land to grow at least some kind of crop. A garden in bags takes up little space, but the moisture evaporates faster, so you will have to water more often.
Source: pinterest.ru Tool kit. Small scoop, cultivator, scissors, secateurs - that's all you need at home. The price of the set is about 1000 R.
Watering can. I manage with ordinary 1.5 liter bottles: I pour water in advance so that it settles, becomes warm and less hard. Vegetables don't like cold tap water.
Fitolamp. It will come in handy if you decide to grow your own seedlings of tomatoes or peppers. They are sown in February-March, when the daylight hours are still short. If at this time the seedlings are not illuminated in the evening, they will be frail and will begin to bear fruit later.
/indoor-plants/
Plants are said to improve the air. Truth?
Ordinary white lighting lamps, i.e. "human" lamps, will not work, as they emit light in the entire visible spectrum. Phytolamps consist of red and blue LEDs: the light of these spectra accelerates seed germination and promotes photosynthesis.
The price of a lamp for several plants is from 800 R.
Support. Tomatoes and peppers must be tied up, for example, to bamboo sticks. Otherwise, the plants will collapse and break.
One stick is not enough for cucumbers and peas, it would be nice to buy or make a design with a net that the whiskers will cling to. These cost from 20 to 300 R apiece.
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This height is enough for peas. You can build a similar one yourself: stretch the twine between two sticks. Source: ozon.ru Fertilizers. There are universal complex fertilizers like potassium humate and growth stimulants like HB-101, Epin. They are sprayed with seedlings and adult plants so that they develop faster and do not get sick. Seedlings are treated once, and adult plants are sprayed two to three times per season.
Preparations for protection against pests and diseases. Proper farming practices alone promote the growth of healthy, disease-resistant plants. The main thing is not to thicken the plantings, to prevent waterlogging and strong temperature changes. And if there are signs of fungal diseases or pests, it is better to take biological preparations like "Fitoverm" or "Fitosporin". Both cost up to 50 R. More aggressive substances in an apartment will do more harm than good.
/rassadushka/
What is more profitable: to buy seedlings or grow them yourself
A starter package for a vegetable garden on a balcony will cost 2050 R
| Phytolamp | 800 R |
| Container | 250 R |
| Primer | 250 R |
| Fertilizers | 200 R |
| Vermiculite and perlite | 150 R |
| Expanded clay | 100 R |
| Tool kit | 100 R |
| Support | 100 R |
| Preparations for the protection against diseases and pests | 100 R |
phytolap
800 r
Container
250 R
soil
250 R
fertilizers
200 R
Vermiculite and perit
150 R
Ceramzit
100 r
Tool set
100 R
Support
100 R
Diseases and pests
100 Р
What vegetables and berries will grow on the windowsill
23
In the list of plants, I will go from simple to complex: first - those that require minimal care, at the end - vegetables for "agronomists" with experience who are ready to take care of pets every day.
Option 1
Spicy plantsMint, lemon balm, rosemary, thyme, monarda, oregano - all this will grow on the window almost without your participation. They can even be combined in one pot.
Varieties. You won't have to look for special varieties: almost all of these species are undersized - do not exceed 40-50 cm. The exception is rosemary, which can grow up to a meter. But this is on the street, at home there will be no such scale on the window.
In the center of my window garden there is a disheveled rosemary: I rarely use it for food and do not form a bush. In the summer I plant it in the country, and in November I bring it to the apartment, as it may not survive the frost Sowing time: At home spices can be sown in any month. Just keep in mind: if you grow through seedlings, it's a long time. So, my thyme from seeds turned into a five-centimeter bush only after a few months. It’s easier to buy a ready-made seedling, the price for Avito is from 100 R.
What kind of greens to grow on the windowsill: from arugula to mint All herbs love the sun and grow well on the west or south side.
Care. These plants are more afraid of waterlogging than drought, so water when the ground is dry. I check the ground with my finger.
Do not be afraid to cut small branches for food - plants grow back quickly.
Option 2
PeasVarieties. Choose low-growing varieties of sugar peas, such as "sugar girlfriend" or "baby sugar". Price - from 35 R.
Sowing time: from March to August, but can be grown all year round in a warm room with additional lighting. For a consistent feast on peas, plant them in small batches every two weeks.
Conditions. Peas need a lot of light, so if you grow them on the dark side or a tree-shaded balcony, it is better to use a phytolamp in addition. In theory, peas are afraid of drafts, but in my experience, even in an open area, a good harvest is obtained.
Care. Peas are a moisture-loving crop, so before flowering it is watered about once or twice a week, during flowering and harvesting - three to four times. These recommendations are conditional and depend on the temperature, the brightness of the sun and the number of plants in the pot, so I advise you to check the humidity with at least a finger. If the soil seems dry, it's time to water.
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It is advisable to feed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer a couple of times during flowering with a break of two weeks.
Harvest time: two months after emergence.
Option 3
Green beans Varieties. There are no special low-growing varieties for windows, any will do. I recommend curly beans: they yield more than bush beans and look more interesting. In order not to lose crops due to diseases, choose varieties that are resistant to fungal infections, such as Turkish.
Usually they write about sustainability on the packaging with seeds. Price — from 20 R.
Sowing time: April-June.
Conditions. With up to 12 hours of daylight, it yields faster, but is also quite suitable for growing in the far corner of a balcony or on the east side.
/garden-magic/
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Care. Beans do not like waterlogged heavy soil, so once a week is sufficient, or even less often if the soil remains wet. And be sure to loosen after each watering.
For all the time it is worth feeding with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers three times: when the first true leaves appear, at the beginning of flowering and during fruit ripening.
If the vines grow too large, some of the leaves can be trimmed.
When will the harvest be: two to three months after sowing.
Option 4
Courgettes and squashVarieties. Shrub plants will take up less space than creeping plants, but even they will extend out of the container by about twice. For containers, self-pollinating or parthenocarpic varieties are suitable - these are those that do not need pollination at all: F1 openwork and F1 cavili, tsukesha or round tondo, piancenza, orange. The price of such seeds is from 23 R.
Sowing time: can be grown all year round in a closed balcony where the daytime temperature does not fall below +20 °C. If the daylight hours are shorter than six hours, you will have to turn on the phytolamp.
Conditions. Loves warmth and sun, grows well on closed balconies and loggias. It is important not to put close to the glass, otherwise you can burn the leaves. One plant needs a lot of space - a container up to 15-20 liters. To save space, you can sow parsley and dill in the same container.
Or plant one pea seedling, it will provide the zucchini with nitrogen.
Care. It is necessary to water as the topsoil dries, but strictly under the root: drops of water on the leaves can leave burns on them and provoke fungal diseases. It is also not worth pouring, otherwise the fruits will rot.
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Feed once a month with a calcium fertilizer. Calcium deficiency is the cause of fruit blossom end rot.
Yellowing leaves must be cut off, as well as extra side shoots: they prevent the fruit from ripening on the main stem.
If zucchini is not self-pollinating, you will have to work as a bee - transfer pollen from male flowers to female flowers with a brush. They are easy to distinguish: women's already have small ovaries, men's don't have them.
When will the harvest be: in two months. The fruits grow fast, so check them every day to make sure they don't turn into baseball bats.
Option 5
CeleryVarieties. Celery is leaf, petiole and root. The easiest way to grow a leaf. Suitable leaf varieties are “vigor”, “zahar”, “tender”, petiole - “golden” and “malachite”, root - “diamond”, “apple”. Price - from 7 R.
Sowing time: March. Before sowing, the seeds are kept for five days in a damp cloth, and then the same amount - in the refrigerator, in the vegetable compartment.
Another option is to plant a celery stalk from the store in the ground or hold it first in water until it roots. It is worth doing this at the end of summer or autumn, then the greenery will be all winter.
Conditions. Likes the sun and humid air, so it is better not to place it near the battery.
Care. Requires frequent watering in summer - a couple of times a week.
It is also good to spray or put an open container with water next to it.
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When will the harvest be: greens can be harvested in two months, the roots will be ready in four.
Option 6
CucumberVarieties. It is better to take early-ripening parthenocarpic varieties and hybrids that form fruits without pollination: "regatta", "photon", "room Rytov", "tandem", shade-tolerant "claudia F1". Price — from 45 R.
Sowing time: April-June. If the seeds are not processed, that is, not colored, soak them for a couple of hours in Epin-Extra. It is better to immediately sow two or three seeds per hole in a permanent place, then remove excess plants with scissors.
After sowing, it is necessary to sprinkle with a layer of earth one and a half centimeters and cover with a film until sprouts appear.
Conditions. Prefer a sunny place without drafts, that is, away from open windows.
Needs a minimum 5-8 liter pot, plenty of space and a trellis or ability to tie to curtains or ceiling.
Care. You will have to water every other day, and in sunny weather and when the fruits appear - every day. And just as often spray. You can feed with liquid organic and complex fertilizer once a week.
Now I'll tell you how to form a bush. When the first five or six full leaves appear, the lateral ovaries and shoots are removed. This helps to strengthen the roots. Then they do not touch the ovaries, but pinch the side shoots above the second or third leaf. The top of the main vine is cut off when the cucumber reaches about the height of the window. Yellow or diseased leaves are removed immediately.
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When will the harvest: one and a half to two months after sowing.
Option 7
TomatoVarieties. Early ripening dwarf varieties are suitable: "button", "bonsai", "balcony miracle", "minibell" and others. Don't just take cherry tomatoes, they can grow up to two meters. The packaging should say "for growing in pots" or "balcony grade". Price — from 15 R.
Sowing time: January-March. If you want to eat your tomatoes from June to October, sow at several times.
Sprinkle tomato seeds with a centimeter layer of earth, moisten with plenty of water from a spray bottle, cover with a film and put in a warm place, for example, on a battery. The main thing is not to dry out the soil: if no drops are visible on the film, then it's time to spray the ground again.
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Grown plants with one or two full leaves are transplanted to a permanent place.
Conditions. Tomato loves light and warmth, so it is better to grow it on southern or western windows.
Care. A pot of at least five liters is required per plant. If you want to grow several pieces in a container, calculate the volume accordingly. Basil can be planted with tomatoes: it improves the taste of the fruit.
Water every three to four days, depending on soil moisture and air temperature. Once every ten days, you can feed with complex fertilizers for tomatoes and peppers - that's what they are called.
Special indoor varieties do not have to be pinched and pinched like tomatoes in a greenhouse. But it is necessary to remove yellowing and excess lower leaves.
Tomato stalks and leaves exude a caustic coloring juice when touched, so it is better to work with gloves and clothes that you don't mind getting dirty.
/list/dangerous-plants/
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When will the harvest be: four to five months after sowing.
Even dwarf varieties require support. Tie a tomato to a stick when it reaches 15-20 cm. Photo: Tom Jur / UnsplashOption 8
PepperHot pepper is more often grown in an apartment: it looks bright on the windowsill, bears fruit for several seasons, you can harvest from one bush , which is also enough for neighbors. And sweet peppers will only yield a couple of salads. You should not place bushes of hot and sweet peppers nearby, otherwise they will all become spicy.
Varieties. It is necessary to take compact varieties, on the packaging of which it is written that they are suitable for a balcony, containers, pots. For example, spicy - "phoenix" or "queen of spades", sweet - "darkness". Price - from 33 R.
Sowing time: February-March.
Like tomatoes, peppers are first sown on seedlings to a depth of 1-1.5 cm, the containers are covered with foil and placed in a warm place, for example, on a battery. It is important to periodically moisten the soil with a spray bottle so that it does not dry out.
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It is better to highlight seedlings with a phytolamp: this way they will develop faster. When a couple of true leaves appear, you can plant them in larger containers.
Conditions. Loves the sun, heat and high humidity, is afraid of drafts - it is better to put it near a closed window or cover it with a film.
Each pepper needs a pot up to five liters.
Pepper treats neighbors well: parsley, lettuce, spinach, thyme, marigolds, nasturtium. In this photo, he is adjacent to strawberries. Photo: Social.cut / Unsplash Care. Abundant watering every three to four days and fertilizing with complex fertilizer every ten days.
If the air in the room is dry, you can put a container of water next to the pot. And do not forget to spray from a spray bottle once every couple of days.
An adult plant must be tied to a support.
Harvest time: four to five months after sowing.
Variant 9
StrawberryVarieties. It is better to take remontants, that is, those that bear fruit several times a year. Price — from 155 R.
Ampelous varieties that are grown in hanging pots look decorative: you can hang a planter with strawberries as a decoration. Source: Henry & Co. / UnsplashSowing time: Mar. Using tweezers, spread the seeds on the surface of the earth and spray liberally. It is not necessary to water: the seeds are small and may go too deep. Cover the pot with cling film and place in a warm place. Seedlings may appear in two to three weeks.
If you bought ready-made seedlings, take them out of the pot, straighten the roots and sprinkle with earth, but so that the growing point from which new leaves appear is on the surface.
