In winter, parsley or dill is more difficult to find on sale than in the summer, and the cost of greens will be significantly more expensive. In order to preserve vitamins in your diet and avoid the need to go shopping in search of fresh and inexpensive greens, you can arrange a mini-garden directly on your own window sill. This solution will not only save you money, but will provide you with fresh herbs for the whole winter.
How to grow dill on a windowsill?
Growing green on the windowsill is easy. You will need an elongated pot that will conveniently be placed along the window, a small amount of light soil rich in humus and dill seeds, for example, Gribovsky or Kaskelen. Seeds are sown in prepared soil, abundantly watered, and after the emergence of shoots require thinning for the subsequent rich harvest. You can sow dill every month, recommended fertilizing with liquid fertilizers for better growth once every two weeks. Such "window" beds are convenient, do not take up much space and allow the harvest of dill to be collected several times during cold months.
Parsley on the windowsill
The greens on the windowsill in winter not only enrich your diet with vitamins, but also pleases the eye, recalling the approach of spring and the coming sunny days. For a mini-garden, parsley can be grown in two different ways: sowing seeds or forcing root crops.
For those who decided to start with seeds, there is a small cunning, which allows to significantly accelerate their germination. Wrap the seeds in gauze, hold them under a stream of warm water for half an hour, and then soak for another 24 hours. Before emergence, the pot with the future parsley is better to be taken to a dark place and moderately watered every other day. As soon as the seeds ascend, it is necessary to thin them, leaving 3-4 centimeters between the rows, put the pot on the illuminated window sill. Fertilizing "beds" with any flower fertilizer will allow it to be used more than once, and the first harvest you will get in a month and a half after emergence. The most suitable parsley seeds for sowing are Sugar or Harvest, they give most of all the greens.
Root cropping is the easiest way to get parsley on your own window. Choose thick, short roots, which have petioles. They should be planted at a distance of 3-4 centimeters from each other and until the growth of the roots begins, it is better to put the box in a cool place and regularly moisten it gently. The first harvest can be collected in a month, and regular feeding will allow you to get parsley greens more than once. Over time, the roots need to be replaced, you will understand that it's time to do this when you notice a smaller crop compared to the previous one.
Spices on the windowsill
For cultivation on the windowsills are suitable not only dill and parsley. You can put on the "beds" basil or thyme, celery or salad, rosemary or oregano. In principle, any greens used in food as a seasoning, feels great in a small capacity, with a minimum of light. It is important to regularly water your window garden, and, of course, a sufficient amount of light guarantees the splendor of greenery.
It is worth noting that the "potted" herbs will not grow as lush and juicy as in the beds, but the process itself is much more important. A bunch of greenery, grown by itself and collected in the middle of January, will be much tastier than dill or parsley, which are sold in the store.