“You are what you eat” - today, with the dominance of chemistry in the food industry and the spread of genetic modification, this phrase of Hippocrates is more relevant than ever. You can feel completely safe, perhaps, only by growing vegetables and fruits on your own. Of course, the products grown in the city cannot be called environmentally friendly, but they are always at hand, pleasing to the eye with greenery, and sometimes flowers, and give pleasant moments of communication with nature. And, secondly, in the current economic situation, this will help save on products.
Fortunately, growing food at home is quite simple and very exciting. You don’t even need seeds, because many plants can be grown from their own remains.
To begin with, a very inspiring example of how you can grow 2,700 kg of food per year on just 400 m2 (4 acres), provide food for 4 adults and earn an income of $ 20,000 per year! How a family of 4 became almost completely resource independent of the System. Of course, not everyone has 4 acres of land, but this example is very revealing, it can show perspective and expand your views on the opportunities that you have or that you can find. Further in the article there will be many examples of how you can grow food in your apartment, on a balcony, on a house adjoining site in the city, in flower beds, etc.
For those people who do not have their own plot, or there is not enough space on the plot to grow vegetables, there is a great idea - growing food in an apartment on a balcony or on a plot near the house.
You will probably be surprised, but even in a city apartment, on the balcony you can grow a lot of various food.
Pensioner Zinaida Chistopolova has been growing greens and vegetables on the balcony in a high-rise building for 17 years:
But such a garden in the city was arranged by Heinrich Galustyan:
Vegetable gardens planted on the roofs of Paris (news):
THE CUBA ORGANIC GREEN REVOLUTION (about the urban gardens and gardens of Cuba). CUBA IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE WORLD THAT DID NOT HAVE OIL! The gardens and orchards being created in Cuba are an example of how you can create a gardening system aimed at feeding all people without harming the environment, how everyone (every family) can independently provide for their own food.
Washington. Urban gardening in the American capital:
Grower from Toronto. On the roof of a modest three-story house in Toronto's Parkdale neighborhood, the caring hands of city dweller Gayla Trail are growing a little paradise. When Gayla isn't tending her plants, she posts her thoughts on her You Grow Girl website. Its goal is to change people's attitude towards gardening. Gala inspires many people to grow plants in the city on free places She started a whole movement.
"Gangster Gardener Ron Finley and Guerrilla Gardening in South Central". Ron Finley is a revolutionary gardener from Los Angeles. He grows vegetables and fruits right on his front lawn and plans to open a chain of restaurants healthy eating countrywide.
His perspective on the production of natural products in his own hands is interesting, and his experience in this area deserves attention and repetition on a global scale.
He is a great speaker and is often invited to take part in various events. One of Ron's speeches took place recently at the TED site in California and immediately became an event, and individual quotes from his speech turned into motivators.
He managed to convey to the audience the depth of the problem of healthy eating in cities and offer his own version of its solution.
Gardens on the roofs of houses and in courtyards are Venezuela's anti-crisis plan proposed by the country's president.
An important note about planting plants in the city : plants that you plan to eat are best planted and collected in places far from highways and other places where there is a large accumulation of exhaust gases. Substances from exhaust gases settle on plants and soil (this is the entire periodic table), and all these substances, when these plants are eaten, will enter your body, which is undesirable and even dangerous for your health!
Another great example of how you can grow food on the balcony of a city apartment is shown by Mikhail, the owner of a very prolific balcony garden and the blog "Garden on the Balcony", in which he shares his experience and knowledge in the field of balcony gardening.
You can see what Mikhail's balcony garden looks like in this video:
Here is a short interview of Mikhail for the site www.my-dream-garden.ru:
- Mikhail, please tell our readers, first of all - what is a "garden on the balcony"?
- First I want to note - on the balcony you can grow absolutely any fruit and vegetable crops, from fruit trees - to mushrooms and herbs and herbs. The main thing: you need to choose the right agricultural technology and create optimal climatic conditions - light, day length, watering, temperature and humidity. And also prepare the right substrate and choose the right size containers for growing certain crops.
When should you start preparing for the new season? This year, of course, it's too late, but next year our readers will already be fully armed!
- I start preparing for the new season in February. I drive on garden shops and centers, I buy pots, substrate, fertilizers and, of course, seeds. There are still few people in these departments, although the assortment is also not as large as in the season. But you can always buy something later.
Each plant has its own growing season, sowing time and planting seedlings. Strawberries need to be sown early - in early February, and tomatoes - on the contrary, closer to April, when there is already enough light. And greens and cucumbers can be sown in the summer. Also, such a factor affects the timing of sowing - when exactly can you transfer the garden from the windowsill in the apartment to the balcony? If the balcony is glazed, then they sow earlier, if not, then it is better to wait. Based on these dates, you need to determine the time of sowing. I mark out on paper in advance which crops will grow and where, in what containers. Based on this, I form the procurement budget.
What is the minimum size of a balcony to grow an acceptable amount of vegetables? What is the best position for a balcony?
— Minimum size balcony can be anything, from 1-2 square meters. You can grow vegetables on the windowsill, but these are still extreme conditions for most vegetables, so it is better to plant on the balcony. It is desirable that the sun illuminates the balcony for most of the day. In the latitudes of Moscow, this is the southern, southeastern or southwestern side. It is advisable to place all landings closer to the wall of the house, since this is the most illuminated part of the balcony.
How to choose the right varieties of vegetables for planting?
On the balcony, I prefer to grow full-fledged varieties and hybrids for open ground and greenhouses, rather than mini versions. In pots of 5-7 liters in size, tomatoes and eggplants, bell peppers and cucumbers normally grow and bear fruit. BUT, the substrate must be rich in nutrients, and you need to feed regularly.
It is advisable to sow early ripe varieties and hybrids, such plants will begin to bear fruit faster and are more likely to get a crop before the onset of heat or the appearance of pests and diseases. You also need to take into account the size of the balcony and the area of \u200b\u200bglazing. For 1 sq. meter, it is desirable to plant no more than 4 tomato bushes, since dense planting, together with a limited supply area and one-sided lighting, are not the best agrotechnical conditions. At the same time, you can actively use compacted plantings: for example, under a tall tomato, you can put a pot with a mini-tomato or herbs. You need to experiment, not being afraid to break the rules and regulations, but the decision should still be based on common sense.
- Here, of course, many readers will have doubts - will it not turn out that growing vegetables in small containers on the balcony will require an excessive amount of fertilizer?
- Since the volume of the substrate is limited, then proper feeding for getting good harvest just needed. I use mineral fertilizers, I prefer Fertika - this is the former Kemira. I breed in a container of 250 ml, and then I add this solution in the proportion of 250 ml per 20 liters of irrigation water when watering every 2 weeks.
You can use any fertilizer, mineral and organic, it's just convenient for me to work with such a fertilizer, I know the exact dosage and I'm not afraid to overfeed. In general, when growing vegetables in containers, it is better to underfeed the plants than to overfeed them. The use of fertilizers is absolutely safe for humans, naturally, within the limits recommended by the manufacturer.
- Mikhail, how is the issue of watering solved in your garden? Still, in small containers, the soil dries out very quickly. And if people want to go on vacation for a couple of weeks?
- I water my vegetables only in the pan, so I'm not afraid of overflows, the plants take as much moisture as they need. The top layer of the substrate is always dry, there is no mold, fungi, midges. The substrate remains loose, and the roots do not lack air. The lump of the substrate does not seize, remains loose and evenly filled with moisture. So I recommend watering all crops on the balcony, even decorative flowers.
You are right, unfortunately, you can’t leave the garden for a long time, I water it almost every day in the evenings during the season. But if you install an automatic irrigation system, it is better to drip (for example, this option) - then you can leave the planting of the day for 3-4. It is possible to extend the period without watering by increasing the volume of the substrate, adding agrogel, organizing wick watering, etc. In any case, the gardener makes the final decision.
You can see what harvest Mikhail is harvesting in his balcony garden
One more example - garden on the balcony in Moscow
At Lelya Zhvirblis in Krylatskoye in Moscow, strawberries, basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, chard, lavender grow on the balcony.
The trays are made from pallets by her husband Andrei Zhvirblis. Such a wonderful eco-family comes from EcoLoft on Pyatnitskaya.
This mini-garden is a shady balcony overlooking a noisy street, which Lely has been decorating for the third year.
In balcony boxes bacopa, begonia, mountaineer (I think capitate), davallia, ficus pumila, ivy. Seeds planted something and curly parsley.
A pallet from a supermarket nearby, knocked together and processed by Andre and Lely. There is all sorts of yummy: oregano, strawberries, rosemary, thyme and salads incl. purslane covering the roots.
In the corner lives and winters girlish grapes with ivy-shaped bud.
The corner with pots turned out quite by accident (freaked out): hydrangea, teacher Lely's beans - Eckart and other edible ones from Germany (chard, salads, spinach).
Here is such a variegated balcony garden!
Now the garden is very fragrant, and bright-smelling plants such as lavender / thyme / oregano and the same marigolds drive away pests.
More Mini Garden Ideas
9 balcony garden ideas:
To increase the amount of space for planting plants, you can use the option of a vertical garden. This is very a good idea for planting various herbs.
Here are examples of vertical beds and gardens:
How to make a vertical garden on the balcony with your own hands you can see here:
Garden-anti-crisis in bags, pots, packages - 7 options:
How to create a home garden (in English, but everything is clear and so on the video series):
How to turn a lawn into a self-sustaining vegetable garden in 60 days
Photographer Luke Keegan decided to plant vegetables on his lawn and photographed the whole process of becoming beds. As a result, there were so many crops that Luke had to give away part of it for free. Inspired by the results, all the neighbors followed suit.
Luke, an ordinary wedding photographer from Oakland, USA, at some point decided to become a gardener. After several consultations at the local farming club and some wise advice from friends well versed in sustainable agriculture, he decided to start his own vegetable garden.
With typical meticulousness for a photographer, he began to document his every move.
From the lining of the shed, he knocked together warm raised beds, the neighbors gave him soil and compost for free.
All of his plants were grown from seeds. An irrigation system was laid to the beds.
“You can’t imagine how many people, having seen my beds, began to stop and communicate with me. They started bringing me seeds from different crops, I got to know my whole area,” says Luke.
For two years, the beds have produced a bountiful harvest with no signs of slowing down. Luke put up a "Vegetables Free" sign at his place to hand out vegetables to neighbors.
You can find out more about Luke on his page at Facebook.
"Princess Gardens": how to create a garden in the city with the help of the townspeople
More than twenty years have passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall, but the capital of Germany still amazes with an abundance of undeveloped wastelands. One of these places in the Kreuzberg region attracted the attention of two enthusiasts who decided to turn a piece of land abandoned for several decades into blooming garden. “Princess Gardens” (Prinzessinnengärten), as Marco Clausen and Robert Shaw called their project, in just three years became extremely popular not only in Berlin, but throughout the world.
The idea arose during a trip to Havana, where part-time farms within the city are quite common. But if Cubans are driven to this by difficult economic conditions and food shortages, then the garden in the center of Berlin has become more of a socio-educational experiment.
“City dwellers have lost contact with the ground. Both adults and children, unfortunately, are only familiar with vegetables packed in cellophane from the supermarket. We want to show people how vegetables grow and how they can be grown healthy,” says Marko.
It turned out that finding like-minded people is easy. After the publication of a short article in the Zitty magazine (an analogue of the Moscow Afisha), a hundred volunteers came to help clear the wasteland from debris.
Today, more than 50,000 people visit the Princess Gardens every year. Diversity useful plants strikes the imagination. On a plot of 6 thousand square meters. m grows more than 260 varieties of vegetables and berries, many of which you will not find in a regular store. And that's not to mention the usual cucumbers, peas, cabbage, corn, strawberries ... “There are even very exotic things, such as Japanese herbs and vegetables that our friends from Japan grow. One Russian woman breeds Siberian tomatoes, which are very resistant to climate change. We only have twenty varieties of mint, and sixteen varieties of potatoes, they are not even in the supermarket! That is, we try to grow as many things as possible, even things that people have never tried, ”says Robert.
Princess Gardens does not use any chemical fertilizers or pesticides, only organic matter, and the soil and seeds have a so-called "bio-certificate". Adapted for beds plastic containers from under bottles and bags, for seedlings - packages from under milk and juice familiar to all of us. This decision was forced, because on the one hand, it is very difficult to plow a wasteland in the city center and prepare the soil for planting, and on the other hand, the whole project was originally conceived as a kind of “mobile garden”, which can be taken and moved to another place at any time . This was due to the lease, which was concluded with the city authorities for only one year and has already been extended three times.
Apart from donations, Princess Gardens does not receive any financial assistance so we have to earn our livelihood ourselves. There are not so many opportunities, but apparently, they are quite enough for a successful existence and development. Gardeners sell vegetables, seedlings and soil, and there is also a small bar and cafe where you can drink coffee and try dishes prepared with products from the neighboring garden. In addition, the guys are engaged in various educational projects with children and youth, which are partially funded.
In general, the social and educational component is the key to this whole story, and organic tomatoes are rather secondary. Princess Gardens turned out to be a place that brought together hundreds of people. The main principle is good neighborliness, work not only for yourself, but for everyone. Any resident of the city can come here to plant seeds, weed the garden or harvest. Only 13 people work here on a permanent basis, but last year alone, about 800 volunteers took part in the general work absolutely free of charge. Robert, Marco and their associates help everyone to organize gardens and orchards in the urban space, hold seminars and workshops on urban gardening, participate in migrant integration programs and exhibitions, including EXPO 2010 in Shanghai.
In addition, a lot of time is devoted to working with children. "Gardens" cooperate with district kindergartens and schools, giving even the smallest opportunity to see with their own eyes where vegetables come from, how they grow and ripen. Here you can take patronage over the garden or arrange an off-site biology lesson, and if your own schoolyard seems gray and dull, then Princess Gardens will help fix it.
In a word, the creators of "Gardens" are trying to convey to everyone a simple idea: to improve the space around everyone. It is not at all necessary to wait until the authorities find money to ennoble an abandoned territory. You can and should act on your own.
But despite its extraordinary success and popularity, the Gardens have recently run into unexpected difficulties. The Berlin Senate announced plans to sell the land to investors for development. And although the garden was originally conceived as mobile, it seems that no one is going to move. The petition in support of the Princess Gardens was signed by 23,000 people in just a month and a half. “Biotope and sociotope in one”, “mini-utopia”, “laboratory of the city of the future”, “paradise instead of a wasteland” - this is how journalists wrote and write about the project. Whether the authorities will heed the voice of the public remains to be seen.
Vegetable plot near the house. 4 tips from Shauna Coronado
This small multi-colored lawn of vegetables near the house helps its owner to harvest up to 70 kg of crops. Shawna Coronado demonstrates that landscape design can be not only beautiful, but also edible. With her results, she tries to inspire people to create a sustainable economy near their home. And she has a lot to learn.
4 tips for success in organic farming
1. Soil - For three years I have been creating soil on my site. I added a mixture of manure, compost and saturated organic soil. Quality soil is soil rich in strong microorganisms that interact with plants, as well as soil with a high water and moisture retention capacity.
2. Mulch - I mulch my yard every year. Mulch helps retain moisture in the soil, and eventually decomposes into the soil, connecting with the complex soil system. I prefer to mulch no more than 5 cm of beds and I primarily use natural products for mulching; leaves and pieces of wood. This year I added pine bark to the mulch and it retains moisture very well.
3. Watering - this year I added a special hose system to my garden for the first time. I usually use rain water, but it didn't rain and the rain barrels didn't fill up. I have two overhead sprinklers that have helped keep the plants going. I noticed that no matter how much I watered through the hose system, the garden did not grow significantly until a good rain came and wet the ground. So some of my tropical plants are a little stunted. In general, however, everything was fine.
To prevent evaporation from watering, I water before 10am and after 6pm. The main thing is to do this regularly so that the plants can build deeper root systems. You don't have to water every day, but a big sip of water helps the roots grow deeper and stronger.
4. Organic Additives - In the spring I add groundbait to attract worms, they help to loosen the soil and it absorbs water better. During planting, I give supplements to better interact microbes with the roots and thereby strengthen the plants. I also use organic fertilizer twice during the summer.
My best advice for all gardeners - start with the soil, strengthening the soil you strengthen the plant. Imagine having vitamins in the ground that help your organic vegetables grow strong and healthy. Especially in drought conditions, properly prepared soil and mulch will go a long way in helping you get a good harvest.
Use my advice when creating beds in the next gardening season and feel the difference.
Growing food for yourself is very dangerous! …
It threatens to gain freedom!
Another cute mini garden:
Garden planning. Ideas and rules:
And now in more detail how and what edible plants can be grown at home on a balcony or windowsill.
On the balcony, not even glazed, in the summer you can grow spices: various types of thyme, mint, sage. They are unpretentious, decorative, practically do not compete with each other. Leaves various kinds have different colors, and by combining them, you can create very beautiful compositions. The spice garden is suitable even for very small balcony, it can be made very compact. By placing a corner for relaxation nearby, you can enjoy the unique aroma of herbs for the whole summer.
Starting an elegant green bed on the windowsill is as easy as planting it in the garden. First of all, you need to buy the "right" seeds: all varieties must be early ripe, with a short ripening period and determinant (i.e. undersized). Then you need to take care of the ground (it is best to take soil like "Violet"). Planting is very simple: first pour hot water on the ground, then crush it, make grooves (a little tighter than indicated on the package), fill them with seeds and pour another centimeter of earth on top. Water every other day - in two doses and in small portions. Thus, parsley, dill, celery, watercress, lettuce, spinach, arugula, basil, mint, lemon balm, coriander, rosemary, mustard, radish can be grown on the windowsill.
Some arrange non-waste production on their farm and use natural bio-fertilizers to feed their fruit-bearing vegetable garden: sleeping tea, eggshell infusion, etc. then a month. Therefore, it is better to plant new “bookmarks” according to the conveyor principle: while one has matured and is used, a new shift is growing up.
An interesting idea is to plant seeds of exotic fruits at home according to the principle of "ate - and planted." Thus, lemon, orange, tangerine and grapefruit trees appear in the homes of apartment gardeners (sometimes they even bear fruit), luxurious coffee bushes (which, by the way, bloom very beautifully) and even a tropical avocado, which does not bear fruit in an apartment, but looks very effective.
Green onion, leek, shallot and fennel
To grow these indispensable plants in cooking, you can use either the bottom with roots (the white lower part that we usually cut and throw away) or the whole bulb. To do this, you need to put them in glass jar with a little water and put on the windowsill, where the onion will receive the sunlight it needs.
After a while, the first feathers will appear, which, as they grow, can be cut off and added to food. Thus, you will always have fresh herbs at hand - the main thing is not to forget to add water to the jar once a week.
Onions love the sun, so choose a warmer place for them. Garlic is also easy to grow: take one or two cloves with roots and stick them into the ground in a warm, bright place. When the root system is strengthened, garlic will give the first shoots. They need to be trimmed in a timely manner so that they do not interfere with the formation of the bulb.
Celery, bok choy, romaine lettuce and cabbage
These vegetables can be grown from the remains of their hard, thickened stems. To do this, you need to pour water into a shallow cup and place the stump in it with the roots down. Celery, bok choy, romaine and kale are very moisture-loving, so be sure to add water to them. After a few days, you will notice that roots and new leaves will appear, and after another week, the plants can be planted in the ground.
To grow ginger at home, you need a piece of fresh and smooth ginger root with a couple of live buds. If the root is too dry, you can soak it in warm water for a while. It is necessary to plant ginger in a pot or box with earth with the kidneys up. Ideal conditions for this plant are a warm, humid, bright place, but without direct sunlight. In addition to the fact that ginger is tasty and healthy, it is also beautiful (somewhat reminiscent of reeds), so it can be grown even for decorative purposes.
Cymbopogon
The aromatic citrus spice cymbopogon or lemongrass is essentially a perennial herb, so it should be grown like any other herb. After using the stem, do not throw away the root - place it in a jar of water and expose to light. After a week, the cymbopogon will sprout, and it must be transplanted into the ground, for example, into a flower pot. When the sorghum stalk grows to about 30 cm in length, it can be cut and dried.
Potato
Many citizens simply cringe at the phrase "plant potatoes" - it's easier to buy than to go to the dacha all summer and "hump" in the garden. And in vain, because this vegetable can be grown right at home. To do this, you will need one small potato with "eyes". It must be cut into several parts and left for a couple of days. room temperature so that it dries up and does not rot in the ground after planting. It is recommended to plant potatoes in well-fertilized soil. At the same time, it must be buried to a depth of at least 20 cm, so make sure that the planting dishes are large and deep enough.
Growing garlic is very simple: take one or two cloves with roots and stick them into the ground in a warm, bright place. When the root system is strengthened, garlic will give the first shoots. They need to be cut in a timely manner so that they do not take away "energy" and do not interfere with the formation of the bulb.
The rules for planting and growing sweet potatoes are almost the same as regular ones. We take a tuber and send it to moist soil. After a week, the sweet potato will sprout, and when the leaves reach 10 cm, they can be cut, and next, at a distance of 25-30 cm, plant another plant. Just make sure that slugs do not start on the whips - they are very fond of sweet potatoes. And then in 4 months you will have juicy sweet potatoes.
Mushrooms are difficult to grow at home, as they need special conditions - high humidity, special temperature, ventilation and lighting. Mushrooms reproduce by spores, therefore, their planting requires the so-called mycelium, that is, germinated spores of fungi. The mushroom picker is placed in a substrate (a mixture of oats, millet, rye, barley and other cereals), where it takes the form of thin white threads, from which mushrooms then grow.
Attention: for successful growth, mushrooms need 95% humidity and a temperature of no more than 20ºС, in addition, during ripening, mushrooms emit a strong allergen into the air, so experts do not recommend growing mushrooms in an apartment. The ideal option is a plot near the house or, in extreme cases, a balcony.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes grow well on a balcony or loggia. Having successfully selected varieties, you can get several beautiful red or yellow fruits of various shapes and sizes every day from the beginning of summer to late autumn.
To get started, take care of the seeds, pots or containers for seedlings, film. Tomatoes come in different varieties: some bushes can grow above 1 meter, while others are stunted. For a balcony, it is better to pick up bushes no more than 40 cm in height.
Seeds should be planted to a depth of about 0.5 cm, then carefully pour water at room temperature and carefully cover with foil. The first sprouts should appear in 3-5 days. Seedlings, when a little older, should be thinned out.
Transplant the grown seedlings into separate pots so that the plant has room to grow. Pay more attention to young sprouts, do not forget to pamper and loosen the ground, water and feed. Universal fertilizers are suitable for this, but it is much better to purchase those that are specially prepared for tomatoes. This also applies to the choice of land on which you will grow tomato seedlings. Now you can buy a special prepared substrate, with trace elements and natural minerals.
Tomatoes love an abundance of light, so they need to be grown in a place where the sun's rays freely fall. In a couple of months you will see the first fruits.
Small cherry tomatoes grow and ripen well. You can enjoy your harvest for about 5 months, if you're lucky and longer.
Tomato seeds (preferably varieties such as Malyshok, Verlioka, Anastasia, Swift, Lastochka, Rusich) are prepared for planting with a strong solution of potassium permanganate: soaked and then washed with water. Of course, both for the period of growth and fruiting, cucumbers and tomatoes need to be provided with uninterrupted lighting, abundant watering and top dressing.
Cucumbers also grow well on a glazed balcony. When choosing a variety, give preference to self-fertile greenhouse hybrids. The pot for the plant must be at least five liters. Be sure to lay drainage at the bottom: expanded clay, clay shards. The soil should be loose, fertile and not acidic. It is advisable to pre-soak the seeds, and then sow one by one in a pot.
Cucumbers do best on the east side. In the south you can not do without protection from the scorching rays of the sun. They also like high humidity air. To do this, you can put water containers on the windowsill, and on hot days, humidify the air from the sprayer.
You need to start feeding the plant with special fertilizers a month after planting.
Experienced owners advise choosing varieties of cucumbers for sowing that do not need pollination (“April”, “Zozulya”, “Moscow greenhouse”), and for more fast germination seeds before planting, warm them up and germinate in wet gauze.
Both sweet and hot peppers can be grown in the loggia. But in this case, they should be planted at different ends of the loggia, at a distance of 3-4 m, otherwise Bell pepper will become bitter. Before sowing, the seeds are soaked in a cloth moistened with warm water and kept in a warm place for a couple of days. Then pots measuring 12 by 12 cm are filled with the same soil mixture as for tomatoes, spilled with boiling water and after a few minutes swollen seeds are sown - two or three in each pot.
Then they are put in a warm place until shoots appear, which germinate slowly up to 12 days. During this period, it is necessary to water the soil with warm water every couple of days. When shoots appear, the pots are placed on the windowsill.
When the first 5 leaves are formed, one or two stronger plants are left in each pot, while the others are removed or planted. Care for peppers is the same as for tomatoes. But it should be remembered that dressing solutions and water for irrigation should have elevated temperature— up to 30°C. This contributes to the very rapid development, flowering and fruiting of pepper.
You can grow red hot peppers. There are seeds in stores decorative pepper, but it is not nearly inferior to ordinary hot pepper, on the contrary, it seems to me that it is even hotter than ordinary. It grows very well, as it is intended specifically for home conditions, and it looks very personal on the window, small peppercorns look very original and pretty, as if such an original flower. Such pepper can be added to adjika or other dishes in which you prefer to put it. Yes, and you can just leave it on the window, let it grow as a decoration for your window!)))
Peas are always indispensable in various salads and dishes. To get started, buy pea seeds (I personally bought Dinga peas), remove them from the package, wrap them in gauze and put them in some water (so that the water covers them to the top). Change the water periodically (so it doesn't stink) and check the peas. You need to get it when you already see that sprouts have appeared. After that, plant it in a small pot and water it periodically. After a while, when sprouts appear, transplant them into separate large pots (you can have several branches in one big pot). And when the first tendrils appear, stick some kind of support into the ground, along which they could trail. And keep watering. Peas from the very "childhood" must be taught to fresh air(since the city has dirty air, take it out to the balcony for a while). And if it trudges well along the supports, if enough sun hits it, then after a while it can put out the first pod (in the future it may grow and the peas may not be able to hold it, so make a small support for the pod ). When it ripens, you need to carefully cut it with scissors and eat it.
Dill is also an integral part of various dishes. It will be easier with dill than with peas, because the main thing here is to buy good seeds and a good big pot. Pour the earth into a pot and plant seeds at a depth of 1-1.5 cm. And then carefully sprinkle with earth and water. And after a certain time you will see the first shoots. At good lighting dill will grow better and more beautiful, while it should be periodically watered with settled water. And when the dill is already quite large, you can tear it. It is best to tear the dill with a knife, carefully cutting it. Then you will not tear out and do not damage the root of the plant.
Since lettuce is a cold-resistant plant, it can be sown quite early, from April 15-20. You can sow immediately in boxes on the loggia or balcony.
To grow lettuce on the balcony and loggia, it is better to use square-shaped boxes. Since this plant has a shallow root system and a large leaf mass, it needs an increased amount of moisture, and in narrow boxes the soil dries out very quickly. The optimal size of the boxes is 60 by 60 centimeters with a height of 10 -12 centimeters.
Until seedlings appear, keep the box in the shade, spraying the soil daily. When shoots appear, the box must be put in a bright permanent place. Caring for lettuce is pretty easy. There is no need to do any dressing. The main thing is to water the salad often, after 1 - 2 days.
Strawberry
Strawberries can be grown in pots and boxes. The only condition is the presence of a hole for draining excess water. If you approach the choice of varieties wisely, and plant early, mid-season, and late-ripening varieties, then the harvest will delight you all season.
A balcony on the south side or one that is lit by the sun in the afternoon is optimal. On such balconies, strawberry bushes will bear fruit until the first frosts, and strawberries - until the end of the year. It is best to arrange flower boxes and pots by hanging them from the inside of the balcony, because. These plants do not like the wind.
Do not forget about abundant watering and top dressing. You can use special fertilizers for strawberries or strawberries, or you can use a regular mineral complex. An important point is the removal of the first flower stalks in order to ensure the good development of young plants.
Strawberry whiskers should be trimmed only if they are in the shade. For the winter, with the onset of persistent frosts, the plants are completely covered with sawdust. On warm days they are aired, and in early March they are released from shelter.
strawberries
Many people love strawberries, especially their enchanting smell. Of course, it will be harder to grow it than peas, but it's worth it.
First, buy strawberry seeds, or you can immediately sprouts. I can advise you "Golden Strawberry", it is sweeter than red strawberry and its smell is stronger. Prepare a long pot in which it will grow. Pour the earth there and at a depth of about 2 cm, pour the seeds evenly and sprinkle on top of the earth. Then pour settled water. Provide strawberries sunlight(you can’t deprive her of this, as it will grow badly), but you don’t need much either, as it can begin to dry out. Water it periodically, and then it will take you well. It is best to immediately plant strawberries in a large and pancake pot, since then it may not withstand transplanting. Only if you already have large strawberries grown, then this can be done. At least once every six months, strawberries should be transplanted to another land. Since from the previous earth it draws many different minerals into itself, while weakening the earth. Or you can just add fertilizer to the pot. And now, when it starts to bear fruit with you, you can carefully remove the fruits and eat calmly, realizing that you grew it yourself without any GMOs.
In apartment conditions, you can even grow pineapple. It is enough to cut off the top with leaves, before that do not forget to clean the pulp, otherwise the plant will rot. After - place the top in a glass of water. Soon roots will appear on the outlet, which means that the pineapple is ready for planting.
Remove a few lower leaves and stick the socket into the ground about 2-3 centimeters. This fruit is quite unpretentious - it easily tolerates direct sunlight and high temperature. The main thing is not to forget to water regularly. After 1-2 months, young sprouts will appear on the pineapple - this means that the cutting has taken root, and in a couple of years you can harvest the first crop.
Kiwi is just a magical fruit, it is both tasty and healthy. But growing it is very difficult. First you need to buy kiwi seeds, it is best to buy frost-resistant kiwi, as they will endure the cold on the balcony. Hardy kiwis are considered one of the best varieties, as they can withstand the cold. But there is one drawback, the fruits of this kiwi are not as big as ordinary kiwis. But they are still edible. After buying the seeds, they need to be mixed with not very wet sand. Then after 3-4 weeks you can plant in pots. When filling the pots, you need to put expanded clay on the bottom, this must be done. Pour in the earth, and mix the upper ball with the sand in which the seeds are located.
It is best to sprinkle the earth every day, but not too much, and water at room temperature. Then cover the seed pot with glass and place it in the sun or in a bright, warm place. But at least once a day, the glass must be removed so that the earth is ventilated and at the same time sprinkle it. When the first sprouts appear, be sure to transplant each sprout into a separate large pot. But transplant carefully, as the horse system is very delicate.
Then choose a place where the kiwi will grow, but keep in mind that this is a large vine and she will need a place. Then, when the fruits appear, you can safely pick them from the tree, peel and eat. And one more thing, all types of kiwi shed their leaves for the winter, so there is no need to be afraid of this.
From fruits, lemons and tangerines are also quite often grown. Lemons really grow very large, half a room is occupied by a lemon tree.
When growing vegetables and fruits at home, it is imperative to provide them with access to light and regular watering. Another very important thing is that they must all be self-pollinating (there are no bees in the house, and naturally there will be no one to pollinate them). Therefore, during flowering, it will be necessary to shake the plants a little so that the pollen in the flowers is mixed.
Both gardens from monocultures and from different types of vegetables look good. Usually varieties bred for growing in a small area grow well together, but there are a number of subtleties that must be considered when planting a balcony garden. For example, peppers are easily pollinated, so only bitter or only sweet varieties should be preferred within the same balcony.
Your success in home gardening depends on many factors - weather, soil, the quality of "seedlings" and, of course, your efforts, how carefully and carefully you will treat your green "pets".
Throwing everything out
Plant breeders have such a concept - distillation. This is when plants are grown not from a seed, but from a root crop or even from a branch. It is this method that is most often used when growing vegetables on the windowsill. The simplest is, of course, greens. Which of us in childhood did not plant an onion in a jar of water, in order to then pick off fresh green “arrows” from it?
You can also plant onions in a box with earth: just place it with the bottoms on the damp earth. Until the first shoots (they, by the way, cannot be broken off), the box must be kept warm, and only then put on the windowsill. You can also expel parsley and celery from root crops (when buying planting material in the store, make sure that the apical buds from which the shoots will grow are not damaged). It is recommended to plant in well-moistened soil in rows every 6-8 cm, with a slight slope. With moderate watering and fertilizing with special fertilizers, such a bed will last 1.5-2 months - after that you need to lay a new one.
Ordinary beets are planted in the same way (at least for the purpose of obtaining leaves): medium beets are planted in pots and half covered with earth. To make the leaves bright, they must be artificially highlighted during forcing. If you take care in advance, you can prepare various root crops yourself for their subsequent planting in boxes (you need to store them in a cool place). It can be the roots of all the above plants from your garden or the roots of wild plants (for example, dandelion, chicory, burdock). A plant such as linden is also expelled to obtain vitamin greens: an ordinary branch is placed in water, and then fresh leaves are “eaten up”.
How to organize a garden on the balcony?
You can grow vegetables and herbs as usual. flower pots, and in wooden boxes (the most optimal length is 40-50 cm, width - 20-25 cm, height - 12-15 cm, wall thickness - 20-40 mm). It is necessary to put drainage at the bottom - broken brick, gravel, coarse river sand. It is desirable that your greenhouse is located on the south or south-west window, but if this is not possible, the lack of light can always be supplemented with the help of special lamps (for normal growth, plants need light for 12-16 hours a day).
Some people use such an unusual container as an old aquarium for growing greenery (they, by the way, come with backlighting, which is very useful). It turns out something like a mini-greenhouse behind glass, which looks very decorative, and in addition, creates additional protection. Observe temperature regime very important: plants equally dislike both cold and heat.
So that the mini-garden does not freeze, you should take care that the glass does not freeze (it is recommended to rub them on the inside with a mixture of one part of glycerin and 10 parts of denatured alcohol, and put salt containers between the frames). And the dry heat from the battery can be reduced with a protective shield and a humidifier (or just cover the battery with a wet cloth).
Containers for growing vegetables and fruits on the balcony
Let's look at the main aspects for choosing and using various containers for growing vegetables on the balcony. It would seem that a simple thing - plant in whatever you want, but nevertheless there are nuances. First of all, you need to pay attention to the following capacity parameters:
Choosing the optimal container volume
Tank height
The choice of material from which containers are made
Tank color selection
Choice of container shape
The volume of the growing container is perhaps the most important parameter. The amount of substrate for the development of the root system is the most important limiting factor when growing vegetables on the balcony. After all, all other conditions are easily observed (well, or almost observed, with the exception of lighting). Substrate moisture, temperature, nutrients - all this can be maintained in optimal ratio. And the capacity is permanent home for our plants.
There are no scientific rules here, the optimal volume can only be selected based on personal experience and agricultural technology. If someone cannot water often, then there should be more substrate, someone is limited by the space of the balcony, then the volume of the pot is needed less. There is a certain objective minimum in the size of the pot, less than which, in my experience, it is better not to choose.
For mini-tomatoes and mini-peppers, a volume of 2-3 liters is enough
For determinant tomatoes, bush peppers, eggplant, 5 liters are enough
For cucumbers, zucchini, watermelons and melons, for indets - you can use 7-8 liter pots
The height of the container is another important parameter. Most regular pots are as high as or slightly larger than the diameter, but there are tall pots up to two diameters high. There are also very low ones - half or a third of the diameter of the pot.
Growing root crops in a low pot will cause root deformation, rose and raspberry grow normally in tall pots and may be oppressed in regular ones. Solanaceae grow well in ordinary pots, and greens and herbs can be safely grown in low ones, saving on the substrate.
The choice of material from which the container is made is influenced by the gardener's habit and agricultural practices. Materials are porous and inert. Porous - wood, clay, inert - plastic, glass. It is usually more convenient to work with plastic pots, as they have obvious advantages - low price (for processing pots), long service life, light weight, do not absorb salt and fertilizers, they are easy to clean, do not evaporate water through the walls and do not absorb irrigation water. Wood rots quickly, and clay pots made of unglazed clay absorb salt into their pores, they are difficult to wash, they are fragile and break, heavy. Yes, and they are not cheap with a volume of 5-8 liters.
The color of the container affects the aesthetic perception of the garden. Some people want colors to be fun. But there is more important point- containers of different colors heat up differently in the sun. The lighter, the less they heat up (an important point!), And if the root overheats, serious diseases can appear in plants. Therefore, dark pots need to be wrapped with light material, for example, use paper.
The choice of container shape is perhaps the last important parameter when choosing. You can grow vegetables on the balcony in round and square pots, in bags, in long boxes, etc. Square pots for seedlings economically take up space on the windowsill. In a permanent place, you can plant plants in round pots - they are easier to buy. It is inconvenient to grow in bags on the balcony, since it is almost impossible to move them from place to place without disturbing the root system. And this, with an unglazed balcony, needs to be done often - frosts, plant growth, wind, etc.
There is quite a lot of information on how to arrange a garden on a balcony, window sill or on a plot near the house. So you can easily find it.
15 life hacks for gardeners (not all tips are successful, but in general you can extract useful information from the video):
We wish you Health, Love and blooming gardens!
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Artem Luchko
Growing food yourself is already forgotten, but incomparable pleasure. In conditions when fruit and vegetable products from the EU countries, as well as the USA, Australia, Canada and Norway are banned, we risk being left without our favorite vegetables, fruits, salads, herbs and other things. To prepare for the fact that the government will ban the import of anything else, we decided to figure out how to provide ourselves with food and whether it is possible to conduct subsistence farming in an apartment. The absence of a suburban area, extra time and a suitable climate does not mean at all that you cannot grow vegetables, fruits, salads, mushrooms, and even edible insects.
Grow Your Own Pizza
The Grow Your Own Pizza Kit will help you to use only the freshest ingredients in your Italian dishes during the sanctions without any fuss and fuss. Simply place the three prepared pots in a sunny spot and water them. After a while, you will have the main ingredients for pizza: tomatoes, peppers and basil grown by your own hands.
Woolly Pocket is a device that can create an eternal spring in the space of your home. The area of our apartments does not allow organizing a full-fledged greenhouse, but hanging modular pockets solve the problem, turning the inner walls of the house into hanging gardens. Woolly Pocket are well ventilated, but do not let water through. The miracle material from which they are made is created from recycled plastic bottles.
The Auxano hydroponic system is specially designed for city dwellers who want to grow vegetables and fruits within a limited space. Auxano is a practical solution that mounts directly on the window frame from the inside, allowing plants to have access to sunlight and turning unused space into a vertical garden. The built-in Oxygenating system keeps the water circulating without being connected to the mains.
Click and Grow is another simple system for growing cherry tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, basil, coriander and more at home. An electric smart pot eliminates the need for owners to water and feed their plants. It is enough to activate the built-in cartridge, and Click & Grow will automatically measure the necessary parameters and will accurately give the plants dosed access to the right amount of water, fertilizer and air, depending on their needs. The Palo Alto-based company raised funds on Kickstarter last year to launch its second device, the Smart Herb Garden. The new model is distinguished by the presence of LED-backlight.
The AeroGarden system will allow you to grow herbs, vegetables, lettuce thanks to aeroponic technology that directly feeds the roots of plants with water, oxygen and fertilizer. The tabletop garden is equipped with automatic lighting and a display that will prompt you when to top up water or add nutrients. It will be enough for you to install the seeded pots and observe the growth of plants. The AeroGarden comes in several sizes, and in addition to it, you can buy cartridges for growing different plants.
Open Source Bug Farm Kit
Insects are a great source of protein, and they have a chance to become part of our diet soon. UN representatives a couple of years ago came up with a report in which eating insects was called a real way to combat hunger in the world. Now everyone has a chance to taste the food of the future. , developed by Tiny Farms, allows you to create a personal farm with everything you need to start growing edible flour beetle larvae at home. The kit costs $114 and includes two main containers, a mounting frame, a breeding kit and an incubator. The company also offers free access to all the drawings so that you can assemble the same farm on your own.
The Kitchen Mushroom Garden
The Kitchen Mushroom Garden is a simple kit for growing mushrooms in your own kitchen. The $19.99 kit includes everything you need to harvest fresh oyster mushrooms in two weeks. To do this, you just need to add water to the box. Mushrooms grow in a compact container filled with coffee grounds. As Mushroom Garden producers say, after harvesting ripe mushrooms, nutritious compost remains, which is sure to come in handy as a top dressing for indoor plants.
To grow these indispensable culinary plants at home, you can use either the bottom with roots (the lower white part, which we usually cut and throw away), or the whole bulb. To do this, you need to place them in a glass jar with a little water and put on the windowsill, where the onion will receive the sunlight it needs. After a while, the first feathers will appear, which, as they grow, can be cut off and added to food. Thus, you will always have fresh herbs at hand - most importantly, do not forget to add water to the jar once a week.
Cymbopogon
joshuagarr/Flickr.comThe aromatic citrus spice cymbopogon or lemongrass is essentially a perennial herb, so it should be grown like any other herb. After using the stem, do not throw away the root - place it in a jar of water and expose to light. In a week, the cymbopogon will sprout and it will need to be transplanted into the ground. When the sorghum stalk grows to about 30 cm in length, it can be cut and dried.
Celery, bok choy, romaine lettuce and cabbage
AnastasiaR/Flickr.com These vegetables can be grown at home from the remains of their hard, thickened stems. To do this, you need to pour water into a shallow cup and place the stump in it with the roots down. Celery, bok choy, romaine lettuce and are very moisture-loving, so do not forget to add water to them. After a few days, you will notice that roots and new leaves will appear, and after another week, the plants can be planted in the ground.
Ginger
Fluffymuppet/Flickr.com To grow at home, you need a piece of fresh and smooth ginger root with a couple of live buds. If the root is too dry, it can be kept in warm water for a while. It is necessary to plant ginger in a pot or box with earth with the kidneys up. The ideal conditions for this plant are a warm, humid, bright place, but without direct sunlight. In addition to the fact that ginger is tasty and healthy, it is also beautiful (somewhat reminiscent of reeds), so it can be grown even for decorative purposes.
Potato
1sock/Flickr.com Many townspeople simply twitch at the phrase “plant potatoes” - it’s easier to buy than to “hump” in the country all summer. And in vain, because this vegetable can be grown right at home. To do this, you will need one small potato with "eyes". It must be cut into several pieces and left at room temperature for a couple of days so that it dries and does not rot in the ground after planting. It is recommended to plant in well-fertilized soil. At the same time, it must be buried to a depth of at least 20 cm, so make sure that the planting dishes are large and deep enough.
Garlic
Crispin Semmens/Flickr.com Growing garlic is very simple: take one or two cloves with roots and stick them into the ground in a warm, bright place. When the root system is strengthened, garlic will give the first shoots. They need to be cut in a timely manner so that they do not take away "energy" and do not interfere with the formation of the bulb.
Onion
Alice Henneman/Flickr.com Oddly enough, at home it is quite easy to get a crop of a “tear” vegetable: take an onion, cut off the bottom with roots and plant it in moist soil. loves the sun, so choose a warm place for him.
Sweet potato
goatling/Flickr.com
The rules for planting and growing sweet potatoes are almost the same as for regular ones. We take a tuber and send it to moist soil. After a week, the sweet potato will sprout, and when the leaves reach 10 cm, they can be cut, and next, at a distance of 25–30 cm, plant another plant. Just make sure that slugs do not get on the whips - they are very fond of sweet potatoes. And then in 4 months you will have juicy sweet potatoes.
Mushrooms
Karen Neoh/Flickr.com
It is difficult to grow at home, as they need special conditions - high humidity, special temperature, ventilation and lighting. For their planting, the so-called mycelium is needed, that is, germinated spores of fungi. The mushroom picker is placed in a substrate (a mixture of oats, millet, rye, barley and other cereals), where it takes the form of thin white threads, from which mushrooms then grow. Attention: for successful growth, mushrooms need 95% humidity and a temperature of no more than 20 ºС. In addition, during ripening, mushrooms release a strong allergen into the air, so experts do not recommend growing mushrooms in an apartment. The ideal option is a plot near the house or, in extreme cases, a balcony.
A pineapple
shawnleishman/Flickr.com But turning your home into a tropical "island", on the contrary, is quite simple. It is enough to cut off the top with leaves (do not forget to clean out the pulp, otherwise the plant will rot) and place it in a glass of water. Soon roots will appear on the outlet, which means that the pineapple is ready for planting. Remove a few lower leaves and stick the socket into the ground about 2-3 centimeters. This fruit is quite unpretentious, it easily tolerates direct sunlight and high temperatures. The main thing is not to forget about regular watering. After 1-2 months, young sprouts will appear on the pineapple - this means that the cutting has taken root, and after a couple of years you can harvest the first crop.
Your success in home gardening depends on many factors - weather, soil, the quality of "seedlings" and, of course, on how carefully and carefully you will treat your green "pets". You may get bored very quickly with all these pots on the windowsill, but it's still worth a try - let your children see with their own eyes how onions, cabbage and potatoes grow.
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Sometimes I want to go out on the balcony, like Jamie Oliver, pick up my own grown vegetables and herbs and stir up something stunning from them. And the balcony, by the way, looks much prettier if there are not old pieces of iron that are stored there, which it’s time to send to the landfill, but fragrant herbs and vegetables.
website chose some interesting plants that take root well on the windowsill or on the balcony.
Pepper
On the windowsill you can grow a hot pepper for pizza diablo. It will need a warm, bright place and varieties suitable for home growing: "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.
Carrot
For growing carrots at home, it is better to take mini-varieties such as "Parmex", "Sophie", "Granddaughter". They grow in 80-90 days and do not require much space - a pot or container will suit them just fine. You can also take a funny round variety "Round Baby".
The soil for carrots should be light and well drained. Vegetables can be grown in pruned 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 stalk in the country at home or with friends, it is better to use this method. Mint grown from seeds is not as actively accepted, and it will take longer to wait for the harvest.
It is important to remember that the plant loves well-moistened soil. And, when choosing a place for it, keep in mind that the lighting should be good, but direct sunlight is best avoided. The optimum temperature for mint is 20-25 degrees with a plus sign.
green onion
To grow green onions at home, special dexterity is not required. 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, it is worth putting 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 flower pots and boxes. He better highlight 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. Harvest from seeds will have to wait longer, 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 take a closer 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.
Planted plants in containers with a volume of at least 5 liters. It is important to remember that cucumbers are large watermelons and the earth must always be moist. The optimum temperature is 21-24 degrees Celsius.
Tomatoes
Dwarf varieties are usually chosen as homemade tomatoes: Minibel, Florida Petit, Balcony Miracle, etc. You will have to take the most illuminated place in the apartment to this miracle. It will be necessary to start with seedlings, then plant them in containers, tie them up, feed them and protect them from the cold. This is one of the most troublesome balcony crops, but pride in the work done and horticultural talent is attached to the harvest.
It is important to remember that tomatoes, like all plants, love water, but they are easy to pour. 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 seeds of varieties such as Maykopsky, Altaisky, Odessa broad-leaved.
It can grow at both 5 and 20 degrees Celsius and even withstands slight frosts. So you can keep it on the balcony until the last, and if the balcony keeps heat well, then do not 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. Plant pieces of ginger root, 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.
Plant the root should not be very deep, and until the first shoots appear, water should be very moderate. Keep ginger in the light, but away from direct sunlight. The optimum temperature is 20-25 degrees Celsius.
A pineapple
Today, space food is delivered to the ISS from Earth, and all space expeditions are supplied with food from the spaceport. But the day is not far off when the astronauts' food will be produced right in space. Already today, active research is underway on the cultivation and production of food in space. Ahead of us is a long-term expedition to Mars, perhaps even its colonization, so the issue of growing food in space is extremely relevant.
Story
The space industry is very young. The conquest of space began only in the second half of the 20th century, but developed by leaps and bounds during the space race. Today, China, Japan and even France have joined space exploration. Such a group of countries, led by space powers - Russia and the United States, continues to explore space. Much has changed since the time of the first manned flight into space, including the nutrition of astronauts. But one thing has remained unchanged - food for astronauts was delivered from Earth, and is still being delivered.
Astronauts from different countries live permanently on the ISS, and the issue of their food is always decided from the Earth. Delivery of 1 kilogram of food costs about 5-6 thousand US dollars. But this is not the main argument in favor of growing food in space. The main argument is the limited capacity in terms of transportation volumes. And if today we can regularly deliver food to the ISS in batches, then in the case of long expeditions, for example to Mars, it is important to figure out how astronauts can supply themselves with food on their own.
Since astronauts are completely dependent on the Earth, there are also unpleasant moments in the history of the ISS related to food. A few years ago, a space carrier carrying cargo for Russian cosmonauts failed to reach orbit. Most of the cargo was food. It was another portion of space food, designed to replenish stocks of already running out of food. The situation was further complicated by the fact that the next launch of a rocket with food for astronauts could be carried out only after a long time. This was due not only to the peculiarities of space flight, but also to the need to find out the reasons for the fall of the first rocket, and the re-mission equipment. The situation was resolved smoothly - ground-based space services were able to resolve all difficulties in time. But the real precedent gave a definite impetus to the development of research on the topic of growing food in space.
Current state
NASA has conducted two successful food growing experiments on the ISS. For this, the ISS was created special system growing plants, called Veggie. Both times lettuce was grown, and both times the experiment was a success. The first harvest was sent to Earth for detailed study. The second crop, in August 2015, was eaten on the ISS under the camera lenses live. You can see the recording of this event on the video:
Experiments have shown that lettuce grown in space is no different from earthly lettuce in terms of its nutritional properties. The speed of its growth and other indicators - also corresponds to the earth. But this experiment showed that growing food in space with the current level of technology is an irrational exercise.
It takes to grow food in space a large number of energy as well as space. As a result, today it is easier and more profitable to deliver food from Earth. But the first steps have been taken, and important data has been obtained. For example, that special lamps are needed to grow green plants. And although the plants artificial conditions can grow without sunlight, but for the usual color of plants, it is necessary to add special lighting. And most importantly, the answer to the most exciting question was received - yes, it is really possible to grow food in space.
The astronauts really ate the second space harvest, but there was no talk of fully providing themselves with food. Lettuce leaves were grown at an enormous cost of energy and took 33 days to grow. It should be added here that there is a limited amount of space on the ISS, so it is simply impossible to solve the issue of subsistence by increasing the "sown" areas. But the experiment showed that under conditions of weightlessness, plants can grow not only in the horizontal "ground". In space, plants do not care what projection the "soil" is in. In addition, experience clearly illustrates that growing food in space requires as much water as on Earth, and that H2O cannot be replaced by any substance.
The ISS grows not only food, but also flowers. At the end of 2015, the aster bud opened for the first time on the ISS. This was another proof that growing plants in space is a reality.
Future
Scientists around the world are working to grow enough food in space to feed 100% of astronauts. Today it is impossible to talk even about 1%, but after some time we are waiting for long expeditions and colonization of planets. The future is growing food in space.
The next long flight is scheduled for 2030 by NASA's expedition to Mars. The flight will take between 150 and 300 days, and in this flight, people will certainly need a source of food produced on board. The capacity of the spacecraft is limited, and so is its ability to carry cargo. Seeds, or young plants, take up less space and are lighter in weight. Scientists have to find optimal solution to ensure the conditions for the growth of crops. The question is not only in the "soil", but also in watering the plants. Scientists have not yet managed to learn how to replace water. Even in the NASA experiment, the amount of water used to grow lettuce was the same as on Earth. And water in space is no less valuable resource. The conversion of water into food, in a limited space - so far is happening at a disadvantageous rate. But this issue will be resolved.
From the nearest plans - to grow on the ISS not only lettuce, but also other plants. Next in line are the following crops - green pepper, radish, onion, cabbage and potatoes. The set is not random, these vegetables are potential candidates for growing in the space "gardens" of the future. As you may have noticed, scientists are planning to grow crops whose fruits are not only above the ground, but also root crops - radishes and potatoes. For this, a different type of apparatus is being developed, different from the Veggie salad apparatus.
Growing food in space is being worked on not only in Russia and the United States, but also in China. The Chinese space agency plans to build a lunar station by 2030. It has a separate place given to the cultivation of food. At the station "Lunar Palace-1" (temporary name), it is planned to allocate 58 square meters. meters for growing food. This is an unprecedentedly large room for growing plants in space, and even more than a module for the life of astronauts on a future lunar station. So far, Chinese scientists have only tested an analogue of the lunar station on Earth, and the experiment was successful. Based on the results of this experiment, it became clear that the project was viable, but Chinese scientists made adjustments to the space module for growing food. By 2030, perhaps we will see it in action.
The good news is that experiments to grow food in space are not only continuing, but are becoming more and more frequent. We hope that in the near future astronaut food, at least partially, but will be produced in space. This will reduce dependence on the Earth and open up new horizons for space expeditions.