You can save a lot of money by growing these foods at home.

Growing plants from seeds is correct and logical, but it is truly unusual to grow vegetables and fruits from their remains. Does it take more time? Yes. Does it make going to the store easier? Definitely! Let's get started then?

Level 1: beginner gardener

Green onions are the easiest thing you can grow at home. Change the water every day, and you will see the result in a week.

2. You can grow garlic sprouts (they are edible) from a garlic clove.

Or you can use just the garlic itself after it has grown.

3. You can grow a variety of romaine lettuce from the bottom.

Lettuce does not require soil to grow, but if you do grow it in soil, its leaves will be twice as large. By the same principle, you can grow cabbage.

4. Try sprouting carrot tops using only the top of the carrots.

At first glance, it looks more like a school experiment than what you're about to eat. carrot tops may be slightly bitter, but you can chop some garlic into it, add vinegar and honey to sweeten it.

The supply of basil can be literally endless. Change the water as often as possible so that the plant does not become covered with mucus.

Level 2: Confident Amateur

6. Lemongrass also grows from the bottom of its stem...

The bottom of the lemongrass stem is too hard to cook, so it can be used to grow new stock without having to throw away half of the plant. Leave the lemongrass pieces in the water for about three weeks. When you see that the roots have appeared, then transplant them into the soil and place them on a sunny windowsill.

7. ... like celery.

Looks strange, right? Leave part of the celery in the water for three days, then be sure to transplant it into the soil.

8. But the onion germinates from the bottom of the bulb.

It seems strange that you can just cut off part of the bulb, plant it in the soil, and after a while, something magical will happen.

It is grown in the same way as celery.

Level 3: Experienced Gardener

10. A small tree grows from an avocado seed.

A stone can only germinate from a ripe fruit, but before planting, the stone must be removed from the fruit. Growing avocados requires a lot of attention. In order for the first avocados to germinate, the plant will need from 5 to 13 years. If you are confident and have a lot of free time, then why not?

For this:

1. Wash the seed. Using three toothpicks, insert them into the part of the seed that is not in the water.
2. Place it in a warm place with direct sunlight and change the water as needed. You will see the roots and stem grow in about two to six weeks.
3. When the base is 15-17 cm long, cut it to about 7-8 cm.
4. When the roots are thicker and the base has green leaves, transplant it into a pot of humus-rich soil, planting only half the seed.
5. Water the plant frequently. Generally, the soil should be moist, but not wet. Yellowish leaves are a sign that there is too much water. If this happens, then stop watering the plant for a few days.
6. The more sunlight, the better.
7. If the leaves turn brown and dry at the tips, this indicates that too much salt has accumulated in the soil. In this case, pour some water and let it soak into the soil for a few minutes.
8. When the base has grown to 30 cm tall, cut it back to 15 cm to allow new shoots to grow.
9. Don't expect your indoor plant will bear fruit. Although this does happen sometimes, it usually requires transplants. A plant grown from seed will take 5 to 13 years to flower and fruit. Fruit on trees grown from seed is rarely suitable for consumption.

11. Sweet potatoes sprout from which new fruits will appear.

Sweet potatoes grow from shoots, not from seeds or potato pieces like white potatoes do. Sweet potatoes can be grown in both water and soil (only half of the tuber should remain in the soil).

To grow in water, place the tuber in a cup of water, but poke wooden sticks (you can use toothpicks) on both sides and then it will begin to grow faster. You can put a cup, both on the window and on the refrigerator - there will be no difference in the growth of the plant. When grown in water, you can get about 50 shoots from one tuber.

Over time, he will need much more space.

In the soil, potatoes also grow quite quickly. It is much more convenient to grow potatoes in the garden. If the regrown potato leaves lie in the soil for a long time, then later they can also bear fruit. These leaves can be eaten, because. they are edible and you can find recipes for making them. But when growing outside, don't forget that potatoes are very sensitive to cold.

Shoots can germinate only after a few months and only after a year expect a harvest, but at least this venture will not require special expenses.

Prepare a few rhizomes that already have buds. You will notice greenish shoots at the tops of the rhizomes. Roots should be large and healthy. Cut them into pieces so that each of them has a process. If they dry out, they most likely won't germinate. Soak ginger in water overnight.

Fill the pot with soil and plant the rhizomes upside down. Lightly press the rhizomes into the soil and pour some water. If you live in a cold climate, then put the pot on the sunny side, and sat in a hot climate, then on the shady side. Ginger is a tropical plant and loves the heat, but it does not tolerate too much sun in this climate.

Water the plant periodically and be patient. It may take quite a long time (from 3 months) before the first sprouts appear.

13. Try growing a pineapple from its top.

That's right, you can grow a pineapple right at home, but it will take about 3 years.

Step 1. Purchase a mature pineapple from any grocery store that has healthy, green leaves (not yellow or brown) and a golden brown skin. Your best bet is to try and grow two pineapples just in case one of them doesn't germinate. If you decide that you bought too many pineapples than you can eat, then just cut them and freeze them. Frozen pineapples taste great!

Prepare the top. Take the whole top with all the leaves and twisting try to pluck it with a small part of the stem (If you just cut off the top, you will have to remove all excess fruit pulp, otherwise the rotting processes can kill the whole fruit). After separating the stem, carefully slice off small, horizontal sections from the bottom of the top until you see the root buds, which look like small dots or circles on the cut surface. Cut as little as possible to avoid cutting off the base, which should then sprout. Once the top is done, let it dry for a couple of days before moving on to the next step.

Let the roots grow from the top. Place the top in a clear glass vase of water and change the water every few days. Place the vase further away in a neutral temperature location (not too hot or too cold), such as on top of a refrigerator. After three weeks, you should be able to see the germinating root.

Step 4 As soon as the roots appear, transplant the pineapple into a clay pot filled with potting soil, with perlite on the bottom. clay pot 45 cm in diameter with drainage system would be ideal for this. The layer of perlite should be approximately 5 cm at the bottom of the pot before adding the mixture.

The soil should always be slightly damp (not wet, which will start rotting, and not dry). It will take 6 to 8 weeks for the stem to emerge and strong roots begin to sprout. Don't speed up this process.

Over time, you will begin to notice that the leaves that were originally on the pineapple will begin to die off and turn brown, but new ones will grow to replace them. Cut off dead leaves throughout the year, and water the pineapple no more than once a week. If they grow, then everything is going as it should. As soon as a year has passed, the plant will need to be transplanted.

Step 5. Transplant.

When transplanting, avoid getting soil between the leaves. As the pineapple and its roots grow, it will also need to be transplanted into an even larger pot.

In winter, pineapple stops growing, but with the onset of spring, growth should resume. If this does not happen, then gently pull it out of the soil and check the roots. Change the soil mixture if necessary.

Pineapple is a tropical plant and cold temperatures can easily kill it.

Pineapples need at least 6 hours of bright light each day. AT summer time, put the plant on the sunny side of the windowsill or even in the garden.

food… at the present time it is exchanged by means of money with its producers for our services. if our countries are covered just a shadowBP in the form of financialcrisis, then real values this world will be valued several times higher. food is real. nowhere else)..
survival sites regularly offer hunting and gathering options. grazing is a little serious when it comes to survival duringdecades. hunting in the not so numerous Ukrainian forests, the population of wild animals will be quickly reduced to nothing, at least in my area.hence my conclusion - learn to grow food yourself.
getting one kilogram of plant food requires several times less cost than one kg of meat. besides, you won't get meat without plant food.hence my conclusion - learn to grow food yourself.

knowing the principles of business is much more important, simpler, more reliable than knowing the rules, ways, recipes, tricks and tricks. this is true for ANY area of ​​life: engineering, construction, physical, military training, self-defense - any. knowing the principles, you yourself will figure out the rules, recipes, tricks .... now to the point:

PURPOSE of cultivation. - according to a further application, food is grown for the sake of: consumption by people, livestock, the earth itself for the sake of maintaining fertility.

- in terms of the effectiveness of body parts, food is grown for the sake of: seeds, tubers, flowers, stems with leaves.

- in terms of caloric content and content of protein, trace elements and vitamins, the most valuable are seeds, then tubers, then flowers and stems with leaves. in the fruits of peas and beans, the protein content is about 8 times, and in wheat and buckwheat 4-5 times higher than in the tubers of potatoes, carrots and Jerusalem artichoke.

- some crops are economically profitable to grow for seeds, others for tubers and stems with leaves. no one grows plants for the sake of flowers, but they can be collected by 1) thinning the beds, 2) collecting wild plants.

SEEDS. Most crops are grown from seeds. but some - potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke - are much more profitable to grow by planting tubers. and some - onions, garlic - are grown in a mixed way: for the first year, small bulbs are obtained from seeds. in the second year, large bulbs are obtained from them. although garlic can only be grown by planting cloves from full-weight heads.

- if crops grown from seeds - tomatoes, peppers, cabbage - require long term growth, then it is more profitable to grow them in seedlings.

- on average, seeds can remain viable for a couple of years. the cooler and drier the storage conditions, the longer the germination lasts. in a dry, ventilated room at a temperature of 7-10 °, the germination of seeds of onions, dill, parsley, carrots, eggplants and peppers lasts two to three years; cabbage, radish, radish, turnip, beetroot, lettuce, spinach - up to four; legumes, pumpkin and tomatoes - up to five to seven years. cucumber seeds, if stored at a temperature not lower than 15 °, do not lose their germination for up to ten years.

growing conditions. TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY. Seeds germinate with sufficient heat and moisture. if there is not enough heat and enough moisture, the seeds rot. the cold-resistant culture, the longer it can lie in damp ground without rotting, waiting for heat.

- if the seeds have awakened to growth, there is no turning back: they either develop further or disappear. so be careful and respectful of the seeds. therefore, be aware of the germination temperature of the main crops. refers to the temperature of the earth:
rye, winter wheat - 1-2 C. peas, beans, parsley, carrots, onions, garlic, many salads, sorrel, dill - 3-5 C. These crops tolerate spring frosts without problems.
potatoes - 5-6 C. beets, buckwheat - 6-8 C. These crops are worse, but they tolerate spring frosts. beans, corn, zucchini - 9-12 C. cucumbers - 15-18 C. They die during frosts.

- at these temperatures, these crops have very different germination times: from a couple of days for wheat, rye and peas to three weeks for carrots and parsley. all mentioned cultures germinate at 18-25 degrees and grow several times faster than at germination temperature.

Crops vary greatly in their moisture requirements. As a rule, root and heat-loving crops require more moisture than cereals and cold-resistant crops.
- there are two ways to maintain a sufficient level of moisture: by bringing rain or hands from the outside and by mulching the soil. about it - a little lower.
growing conditions. THE SOIL. - the soil is the "place of registration and residence" of cultivated plants, as well as the "processing shop, kitchen and pantry", from where they regularly take food and water for themselves. if we plant in “anyhow” land, then it will grow with us either “anyhow”, or “almost nothing” and we will ask ourselves “how is that? we planted, worked, watered.

- three factors of the soil must be at a sufficient level: mechanical composition or friability, nutritional value or fertility, moisture supply. As a rule, the more heat-loving the plants, the better the culture requires in all three parameters. tubers are more demanding in these parameters than cereals.

- soil fertility and friability are providedthree ways: natural, accelerated and perverted. natural way: plant bodies fall and die on the surface of the soil, being processed into nutrients by soil bacteria and worms, and thus serving subsequent generations of plants.

fast track: plant bodies or fed to animals and returned to the soil as manure or piled up in compost heap and return to the soil in the form of humus. in the latter case, decay can be accelerated by a factor of 10 if we attack the heap with a special unit "EM team fighters". about the accelerated path, with reference to my story about these daring fighters, I already wrote: “ .

perverted way: by introducing mineral fertilizers into the soil. they are like khachiks, they do not allow local bacteria and worms to conduct business normally and are constantly “roofed” by the owners, whose goal is to “cut down” the crop in a couple of seasons, and then at least the grass does not grow. Learn more about it in the video below.

growing conditions. LIGHT. for the flow of photosynthesis, i.e. processes of saturating themselves with nutrients from receiving light, plants require different duration and intensity of illumination. according to this parameter, they are divided into light-loving, shade-tolerant and shade-loving. as a rule, the lighter the leaves of the plant, the more light-loving it is. salads are more shade tolerant than cucumbers and beans, potatoes are even more resistant. and onions and parsley, with their dark green leaves, are even more shade tolerant.

PESTS. - there are two types: vegetable, better known under the nickname "weeds", and animals. weeds "survive from the territory" green manure. I already wrote about this: "".

- against insect pests, the most reliable way is to mask the smell. idea: the eyesight of these smallest creatures is useless. they follow the scent. if in the garden 1) a mixture of different crops grows and 2) rotting mulch lies, which brings its own - quite powerful - wave into the Babylonian pandemonium of smells, then insects will not fly there.

Certain insects also dislike certain smells. for example, the carrot fly does not like the smell of onions, and onion pests do not like carrots. conclusion: plant carrots and onions mixed.

- monthly cycles are not only for lovely ladies, but also for insects. wisely adapt to them. for example, if you plant carrots either 1) early in the spring, or - even better - 2) in the middle or end of June, then the carrot fly 1) will fall on the root crops that have already grown stronger, or 2) will not find anything in late May or early June, when she is very active.

- the most harmful booger for 4 years of gardening was definitely a bear. Smell disguise doesn't work against her. if we don’t want to poison with poison or we don’t have it, then we do this: in early October we allocate a couple of places in the garden, where we bring about half a bucket of fresh horse dung. and sprinkle with herbs to maintain the smell and heat. Medvedka rushes from these aromas and under this heap of holes will dig herself to spend the winter. when frosts come, you need to open this pile, throwing the earth from above with a shovel. and the bear will die. and for the same reason it is not necessary to leave heaps of rubbish and grass in the garden.

HARVESTING. « not the crop that poly has, but that sho in komori". Ukrainian proverb.
- when our crop is almost ripe, they begin to threaten it: various birds, bugs and boogers, moisture and specific diseases. the less we allow a ripe crop to stand, the less risk there is. in principle, cereals can also ripen when cut, feeding on stems and leaves. it won't work for root crops. if we remove the root crops ahead of time, they will be stored worse.

- signs of ripeness of root crops: potatoes - yellowing and dying off of tops. its ripening can be accelerated by mowing the tops 6-10 days before harvesting, this also contributes to the formation of a rough crust on the tubers, which increases their resistance to mechanical damage during collection and transportation. garlic - yellowing of the lower and tips of the remaining leaves, straightening arrows with boxes. if harvested when the boxes began to open, then the garlic will be stored worse, if the heads of garlic in the hands break up into cloves - the garlic is overexposed in the ground. onion - lodging and yellowing of the feather, dried thin neck.

I RECOMMEND TO WATCH this 24-minute video
« Fundamentals of organic farming».

Nowadays space nutrition is delivered to the ISS from Earth, and all space expeditions are supplied with food from the cosmodrome. 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 live permanently on the ISS different countries, and the question 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 limited opportunities by volume of transportation. 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 space food, designed to replenish stocks of food that is already running out. 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 harvest, in August 2015, was eaten on the ISS under camera lenses in 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 a lot of energy and space to grow food in 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 plants in 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. On her separate place dedicated to food production. 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.

Cucumbers, peppers, carrots and even strawberries! All this can be grown on a balcony or windowsill and all year round there are fresh, organic, and most importantly, free vegetables and fruits. Right now we will tell you how to set up a mini-garden in a city apartment.

Growing food in urban areas is popular all over the world. So, Britta Riley lives in a tiny apartment in New York. She came up with a vertical hydroponics garden. It takes up little space and brings a good harvest. Britta spoke about her innovation at TED.

In the West, if a product is labeled eco, bio or organic, it means two things. Firstly, these products are grown, harvested and processed in accordance with environmental standards, that is, without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, growth stimulants and other “nasty things”. They have been certified, and serious organizations have guaranteed their quality. Secondly, bioproducts are much more expensive than conventional ones.

Our market for "clean food" is just emerging. The biocertification and control systems have not yet been formed. And the difference in prices between bio-products and ordinary vegetables and fruits sometimes reaches 1,000%! Therefore, for us, the most eco, bio and organic are products grown by our own hands.

But not everyone has dachas and relatives in the village. What should urban children do, who are used to seeing potatoes washed and in nets, and greens in vacuum packs? Grow vegetables and fruits right on the balcony or windowsill.

6 reasons to arrange a mini-garden at home

1. You can treat yourself to fresh, vitamin-rich vegetables and herbs all year round.
2. Saving. Vegetables and fruits are expensive, especially in winter. With a home garden, you no longer have to adjust to the season (we eat plenty of tomatoes only in July, and apples in September).
3. You yourself can grow a plant from a tiny seed with your own hands, you can collect fruits. This is a creative activity that charges with positive energy.
4. You can improve your knowledge of biology, gain useful skills and acquire an exciting hobby.
5. Your children will see how tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables grow and will understand that they do not miraculously materialize in the refrigerator, their cultivation is serious work.
6. You can surprise your friends and acquaintances. Imagine how you will brag about the harvest, showing the window "beds". ;)

What you need to grow vegetables and herbs at home

• Place. Usually this is a window sill or balcony. It is better if they face the sunny side. If not, lamps for additional lighting will be required. If necessary, the window sill can be expanded or shelving for "beds" can be built (the minimum distance between the shelves is 50 cm).
• Capacities. The beds for the home garden can be clay or plastic pots, wooden boxes. The main thing is that there are holes in the bottom for draining water. Containers are recommended to be placed on pallets.
• Priming. There are many potting mixes for indoor gardens. As a rule, several layers are made: peat, compost, turf. You can prepare the soil yourself, or you can buy it in a specialized store.
• seeds. Some varieties of tomatoes or cucumbers grow well at home, while others do not even sprout. Therefore, before you start indoor gardening, you need to sit on the forums, read articles on the Internet and find out which seeds to buy.

In addition, you may need fertilizer, top dressing, a thermometer and a vessel for settling water (home plants are watered with water at room temperature, separated from chlorine).

We have the inventory, now we need to decide what to plant. Lifehacker has already written about some vegetables that grow beautifully on the windowsill.

16 FOOD YOU CAN GROW AT HOME

Today we will talk about ten more such plants.

Carrot

Variety : "Amsterdam".
Temperature : 15 to 25 ºС.
Harvest : after ≈70 days.

For growing at home, you need to take miniature varieties of carrots. Can be planted in boxes, pots or simply cut plastic bottles with holes in the bottom. The soil should be taken drainage.

Seeds are placed in the ground to a depth of about 7 cm. When the carrots sprout and germinate a few centimeters, they need to be thinned out, leaving the strongest shoots at a distance of about 2 cm from each other. It is not recommended to keep the beds in direct sunlight.

You need to water carrots at home often, but you need to make sure that there is not too much moisture, otherwise the root crop will rot. From time to time, you can feed with fertilizers with a low nitrogen content (if there is a lot of it, all the growth will go to the tops). It is also very useful to occasionally loosen the soil.

Pepper

Peppers grown on the balcony

Varieties : "treasure island", "dwarf", "watercolor", "swallow" and others.
Temperature : 25 to 27 ºС.
Harvest : after 100-130 days.

Seeds are first planted in small pots, which are covered with cling film and placed in a warm place. When the first shoots appear (in one to two weeks), several small punctures need to be made in the film. After a while, the pepper will get stronger, then it can be transplanted into large pots or buckets. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the spine. The plant is rooted by a third, after which it is watered with warm (30 ºС) water.

In the future, pepper can be watered every day. This plant loves light, so in addition to natural light white spectrum lamps are recommended. It is necessary to protect home-grown peppers from drafts and direct sunlight.

You can fertilize with nitrogen fertilizers, but potassium salt and potassium chloride will destroy the roots of the plant. With proper care, pepper on the windowsill can delight with fruits for up to two years.

Cherry tomatoes

Varieties : "pygmy", "bonsai", "bead" and others.
Temperature : 23 to 25 ºС.
Harvest : after 90-100 days (depending on the variety).

The soil, as in the case of pepper, is more convenient to buy ready-made. It is recommended to take a cylindrical container: it is better filled with the root system.

First, the seeds are germinated in small pots: buried to a depth of 1.5 cm, covered with cling film and left in a warm place until the first sprouts. When the tomatoes have risen, they dive into a larger and deeper dish.

It is important that the plant receives uniform lighting. To do this, you can hang fluorescent lamps above the "beds" or regularly turn the containers to the window.

Watering should be done carefully: cherry tomatoes are easy to fill. When the plant grows, it is recommended to loosen the soil from time to time and feed it with mineral fertilizers. If necessary, the tomato stem can be tied to a support (wooden skewer or pencil). It is also important to ensure that pests do not appear on the tomatoes.

By the way, not only cherry tomatoes grow well in home gardens, but also ordinary tomatoes.

cucumbers

Cucumbers grown on the window

Varieties : “room Rytov”, “miracle on the window”, “ant” and others.
Temperature : 21 to 24 ºС.
Harvest : after 35-45 days.

For cucumbers, rather large containers are needed, with a volume of at least 6 liters. The soil should be loose, with peat or compost.

At home, self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers grow well. First you need to prepare the seeds: they are poured into a weak saline solution, those that have surfaced are thrown away. Then, suitable seeds are soaked for 20 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate, after which they are washed on wet gauze and planted in the ground (under the film). When the seedlings sprout and grow up, they can be planted in large containers.

Water homemade cucumbers with warm water every day, but with caution. Leaves can also be sprayed with a spray bottle. Potassium nitrate is recommended as top dressing.

When the lashes of cucumbers form and grow, supports should be built for them so that the plant can trail.

Radish

homegrown radish

Varieties : "carmen", "white fang", "celeste F1" and others.
Temperature : 18 to 20 ºС.
Harvest : after ≈40 days.

It is recommended to plant radishes in wooden or clay containers, but you can also use ordinary ones. plastic cups. Loose, well-drained soil is needed. Seeds can be checked for germination before planting, like cucumbers. After that, they need to be buried to a depth of 1-3 cm.

After planting, the soil must be watered and covered with a film. When shoots appear, the "greenhouse" is removed. Radishes, as a rule, do not dive. But sometimes they put it for two or three days in a lower temperature regime- about 15 °C. This hardens the plant and contributes to a better harvest.

Five days after the appearance of the first shoots, organic top dressing is carried out, and two weeks later - mineral. Water the radish abundantly as it dries. It is also important that the air in the room where it grows is not dry.

Spinach

homemade spinach

Varieties : "virofle", "gaudry", "gigantic" and others.
Temperature : 15 ºС.
Harvest : after ≈40 days.

Spinach belongs to vegetable greens and is considered very useful. To grow it at home, you need containers 15–20 cm high. You can use ready-made soil mixtures. The main thing is that peat is included in their composition.

It is recommended to soak the seeds in water for a day before planting. Sowing is carried out to a depth of 1–2 cm. To accelerate germination, containers can be covered with a film. Spinach germinates about a week after planting, then it can be dived.

In winter, when the heating is on in the apartment and when the daylight hours are short, it is recommended to illuminate the plant with lamps and spray it with a spray bottle (in addition to watering).

The crop can be harvested when the spinach reaches 7–10 cm in height.

Basil

Varieties : "Marquis", "lemon", "Baku" and others.
Temperature : from 22 to 24 °C.
Harvest : after 50-55 days.

Basil is one of the most fragrant and favorite spices. At the same time, it is quite unpretentious and grows well on the windowsill.

Basil is planted immediately in large containers (with a volume of at least 1.5 liters). First you need to prepare the soil for planting: pour twice with mineral fertilizers with an interval of five days. The seeds are deepened by 1–1.5 cm. Until the plant sprouts, it must be watered every two days. Further watering is carried out daily, preferably in the morning.

green garlic

Varieties : "Kharkiv", "anniversary" and others.
Temperature : from 18 to 25 °C.
Harvest : after 15-20 days.

As a rule, garlic bulbs are used in cooking. But the green shoots (arrows) are also suitable for gastronomy: they are suitable for making marinades and sauces.

Varieties of garlic are divided into two groups: winter and spring. The latter usually do not give arrows, therefore they are not suitable for growing at home.

For those who have ever grown onions on a windowsill, garlic will not be difficult to deal with. You need to take winter-grade garlic cloves, preferably with sprouted sprouts. Any soil mixture can be taken. Each clove is planted to a depth of 2-3 cm and at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other. Once planted, be sure to water.

The container with garlic should be kept on the most lit window in the house. Water as the soil dries out. From time to time, you can feed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

Mint

Temperature : 20 to 25 °C.
Harvest : after ≈60 days.

Mint has a fairly branched root system, therefore, for its landing, you should take a deep and wide container. The soil is recommended to use peat, varieties - any.

There are two ways to plant mint: seeds and cuttings. The latter is shown in the video below.

To grow mint from seeds, you need to plant them in the ground to a depth of about 5 mm and water. To create a greenhouse effect, you can use a film. Before germination (about two weeks later), the ground should be sprinkled with water every day. After germination, mint must be planted.

Mint is unpretentious. In summer, it must be protected from direct sunlight, and in winter from lack of light and excessive watering. From time to time, the plant can be fed with organic mixtures.

Mature plants can reach a meter in height. As a rule, they have a lot of leaves - there will almost always be mint for tea or homemade mojito.

Strawberry

Varieties : "autumn fun", "home delicacy", "garland" and others.
Temperature : from 18 to 20 °C.
Harvest : after ≈30 days.

Ampel remontant varieties of strawberries are suitable for a home garden. They bear fruit all year round and are not too picky about light. Strawberries can be planted in any soil mixture. But first, drainage (expanded clay, small pebbles) should be poured to the bottom to protect strawberries from stagnant water.

Strawberries can be grown from seedlings or seeds. Both are sold in gardening stores.

Seeds are planted in small containers (for example, plastic glasses), watered abundantly and covered with cling film. After the appearance of the first shoots, the film is removed and the seedlings are placed in a well-lit place. When three or four leaves are formed, strawberries dive into larger containers.

This plant loves light. When days are shorter than nights, artificial lighting should be used. Watering and spraying are carried out as the soil dries. Strawberries are easy to fill.

Solutions with a significant iron content are used as top dressing. During active growth, strawberries become overgrown with mustaches, they need to be tied to supports.

As you can see, growing vegetables, herbs and even berries in a city apartment is not difficult and even exciting.

Estonian startup offers its own automatic mini-farms for growing greens

Estonian startup Click & Grow is working on a technology for growing greens in urban areas. An automatic, refrigerator-sized, vertical smart farm keeps track of the amount of water, nutrients, and lighting that plants need. Minimal maintenance and a drastically reduced amount of water required for growth are interesting features of the farm that can make it popular.

Click & Grow are no strangers to growing plants in cities. A few years ago they had a super-successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, and now they offer "smart pots" and "smart gardens" to everyone. These devices are also designed for growing plants at home. One plant grows in a pot, three in a garden. This is not much, but they take up space, as usual flower pot. But, unlike the pot, everything is done automatically.

Smart garden from C&G

Vertical Mini Farm

The unique Smart Soil technology, in the development of which Russian scientists also took part, allows the use of sponge material instead of ordinary earth. It does not compact over time, nutrients are not washed out of it, and it is well permeable to oxygen, which is necessary for plant growth. The smart gardens are equipped with LED lighting, ideal for plant growth, and supply them with just the right amount of water, which only needs to be topped up once a month.

instead of a refrigerator. Vegetarian joy.

Bye vertical farms not yet available for general sale, but prototypes are already being assembled on order. If it is as simple and cost-effective to operate as the startup's previous products, then the potential for its use is very wide. After all, agriculture is the largest consumer of fresh water, for example, in the United States, farmers use up to 80% of all water consumed by residents. In parts of the world where water is scarce, or in large crowded cities where fresh greens have to be delivered from afar, the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bconserving water, coupled with growing greens "in place" will certainly receive support. After all, even if it is useless to drink yogurt, then no one will argue about the benefits of consuming greens.

Vertical farms in urban areas have long been planned to be built. And they can indeed use 70-80% less water than conventional farms. But their cost, due to the high complexity of the hydroponic system, is tens of thousands of dollars. Smart Farm, on the other hand, the creators promise to deliver at a price of only $1,500. And if not everyone can put such a farm next to the refrigerator, surely large supermarkets will be interested in the opportunity to sell super-fresh greens grown right in the warehouse.

Click on the picture to enlarge the image and try to guess what the queue is in the photo. It is unlikely that anyone will succeed if they have not seen this photo before. Below I will explain what it is and how it relates to the header.

For the second year now, I have been tirelessly trying to convey to everyone: there will be a big and long crisis, we must learn to survive, there will not be enough reserves, we must have land and feed ourselves from it, because there will not be enough wages for food. At first, few people believed in it, now, however, they believed in the crisis - and it’s hard not to believe when it is already in front of your eyes, but most still believe that this will not last long, in a year or two it will settle down. Well, somewhere in the third or fourth year of the crisis, they will begin to guess that this is more serious than they thought before. And they will rush to look for a piece of land somewhere nearby. Yeah, two months ago they also rushed to buy dollars at 78 rubles, now they bite their elbows. The same thing will happen to the land around megacities - they will buy at exorbitant prices and curse themselves for not doing it sooner.

This photo is especially for stubborn optimists: look at what is happening today in other countries, and tomorrow it may happen here. This is the grocery line in Caracas, Venezuela. Literally kilometers. Despite the fact that the authorities forbid spending the night in queues, and in general, each citizen is allowed to stand in them only 2 times a week - on other days they simply won’t sell anything to him.

But Ukraine is very close, and we still have to go through the crisis and disasters that are taking place there - I just hope that we will not have a war. We are just 2-3 years behind them in terms of economic ruin, so there is still a long way to go.

The inevitable global crisis will spur the decline of our economy, the decline in living standards, and the growth of unemployment. People will save literally on everything, including food, but you still want to eat every day. And here the further development of the situation is possible according to two scenarios.

The first is the one you see in the photo. If populist socialists come to power, they will keep prices low for products, and as a result they will simply be swept off the shelves. As it was under Brezhnev. And as it is now - in a hypertrophied form - in Venezuela.

The second is what is happening in Ukraine now. If the liberals remain in power, for whom the invisible hand of the market and the right to private property are above all else. Store shelves will literally burst with goods, but people simply will not have money for them.

Something similar happened during Khrushchev's time, when salaries were still relatively low. The stores had everything, and no queues. People looked at this abundance, but bought mainly bread, milk and margarine. The poorest - combiner (there was such a mixture of animal fats for frying). Butter cost 3.20-3.50 and not everyone could afford it. So that it does not disappear, it was added to sour cream - then all sour cream was 30% fat. Bored salesgirls, having nothing to do, lined up huge pyramids of canned food on shelves and showcases: stew, condensed milk, cream, saury and other delicacies.

Then, dear Leonid Ilyich, in order to make the people love him more, he began to raise wages at a rate exceeding the growth in the production of consumer goods. The shelves were empty, sour cream was "lowered" to 15% (the people were very indignant), the pyramids were built from unnecessary seaweed. Of course, there was no hunger, but in order to fill the refrigerator, it was necessary to spend many hours in lines. Particularly passionate battles flared up for sausage.

And so the people beckoned from behind the hillock with an abundance of this very sausage, like a donkey with a carrot. And the people were seduced, and sank their teeth into this sausage, and turned a blind eye to the plundering of the country, to gangster grabbing, to sweet speeches about capitalist happiness. And now this same sausage is being taken away from him again, capitalist happiness turned out to be short-lived. But then everyone was still at school explained: crises are the inevitability of capitalism.

Well, we have already passed a few minor inevitability, we are used to it. But now the ninth wave is coming, it will sweep away everything. Hoping for government help is stupid. The socialist state was obliged to help the people, and did this, although at the expense of the people themselves: it did not pay the hard workers in full, but supported the poor. There were no particularly rich, just as there were no particularly poor. Leveling.

And now we have a capitalist state, and we already know from past crises who it helps: bankers and oligarchs. Billions of dollars are spent to support banks and monopolies, and the people get a penny. Therefore, the salvation of drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves. If you don’t take care of personal food (and not only) security today, no one will do it for you.

Stocks will run out, money will burn in the fire of inflation. And only the land will give a harvest to its owner every year. Growing a crop is like printing money for the same amount as it is worth. To sew a dress is also to print money for the cost of this dress in the store. Knitting socks or a sweater is the same. Print money at home to reduce your dependence on external adversity. This is the only way to survive in the coming years, and maybe even decades. The more money you print, the less government money you need. Anyone can print their own. To get government, you must at least have a job, and not everyone will have it. Social payments (pensions, benefits) will be negligible.

And the last. Printing your own money (growing food, sewing, knitting, crafting) is not as easy as it might seem. You have to be able to do this, and to be able to do it, you have to learn. And you need to study now, then it will be late and hard, and without the right to make a mistake.