Spinach: growing from seed on a windowsill
Content
Spinach varieties
The cultivation of any crop begins with the choice of seeds, since the quality, quantity and time of harvesting to a certain extent depends on the varietal characteristics. Among the variety of varieties of spinach greens, for planting on the windowsill, you should choose high-yielding hybrid varieties, as early as possible and with good taste characteristics:
- Victoria. Differs in small, rounded leaves with barely noticeable small pimples, collected in a dense small rosette. The variety is not early maturing (the ripening period is 25-40 days), however, the compactness of the bush allows planting the plant on a windowsill.
- Strawberry (berry). The leaves of this variety are characterized by a light strawberry aroma, and its peculiarity is that you can eat not only greens, but also fruits. This is a very early ripening variety - it is harvested in the early spring on the garden bed, and on the windowsill the first greens can be cut 2-3 weeks after planting.
- Matador. Late high-yielding variety with juicy, smooth, grayish leaves that look like sorrel. The ripening period is 40-50 days. Matador is highly resistant to cold, disease and other adverse factors, as it is a hybrid and well-adapted variety.
- Gigantic. Medium-sized leaves of a light green shade form a dense rosette, which is recommended to be cut off completely. Greens have a delicate taste, are often used for baby food, canning. The ripening period of the culture is up to 30 days.
- Fatty. Mid-season variety with slightly embossed leaves, collected in a small rosette 20-30 cm in diameter. Ripening period is 30-40 days.
The above are several varieties that have been bred recently, the cultivation of which at home is the most popular. These species are distinguished by the compactness of the leaf part and good adaptation to growing conditions, however, any of the varieties you like can be used for sowing on the windowsill.
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Demonstration video with the necessary recommendations.
Agricultural technology of cultivation
To sow spinach with seeds on the windowsill, it is necessary to prepare the seed, soil mixture and containers in which the greenery will be grown. The preparation of seeds involves soaking them for a day in warm water, and then for a few more hours in a solution of potassium permanganate - this procedure is needed to disinfect the material.
Next, you need to prepare the soil for growing crops. Spinach grows well in a light, nutritious and permeable soil mixture with neutral acidity, which can be prepared from 2 parts of coconut fiber and 1 part of vermicompost. When planting, it is imperative to use drainage, since the culture loves abundant watering, but at the same time stagnation of moisture is harmful for it.
When choosing a container in which you plan to plant spinach, immediately decide how the greens will be grown: in this very pot, or with subsequent picking into separate containers. If transplanting seedlings is not expected, then it is better to immediately take a large pot or plastic box. If young sprouts dive, then the capacity may be small, since excess plants will still be removed.
After the drainage is laid in the pot and the substrate is filled up, the seeds can be planted. Before sowing the seeds, the soil must be well moistened, then small depressions must be made in it, into which the planting material must be sealed by 1-1.5 cm. It should be borne in mind that each plant requires 8-10 cm of usable area. After sowing the seeds, the container is covered with glass until the first shoots appear.
Spinach is a cold-resistant plant and its seeds can germinate even at a temperature of +6 ° C, however, if the culture is kept on a windowsill, the optimum temperature is + 15-17 ° C. Under such conditions, the first shoots appear in about a week. When the plants have 2-3 leaves, they can be dived into separate pots.
Care
Further cultivation of spinach greens on the windowsill is to create conditions that are as close to natural as possible. Illumination plays a big role in culture. If spinach is sown in spring, and the window on which it grows faces the sunny side, then we can assume that the light regime is provided for it. If the plants had to be planted in winter, additional lighting is indispensable. Artificial lighting in winter or cloudy time should be at least 2 hours a day.
The temperature regime is no less important for the growth of greenery. Temperatures above 20 ° C accelerate the growth of the green mass and lead to the rapid release of the peduncle. To prevent this from happening, you must always maintain an optimal degree and monitor the humidity of the air. In indoor conditions, spinach should be sprayed with water daily, and in hot and dry periods, several times a day.
Watering is carried out regularly, but as needed, since both drying out and excessive moisture are equally detrimental to plants. After watering, the soil should be slightly loosened. Considering that the cultivation of spinach greens lasts no more than 2 months, feeding during the growing season can be omitted. However, if the re-sowing of the culture is to be carried out in the pot, then any organic fertilizing must be added to the soil. If there is no organic matter in urban conditions, then in a flower shop you can buy fertilizer with humates.
Collection and storage
Spinach begins to be harvested when the plant has 5-7 leaves - in early maturing varieties this happens about 3-4 weeks from the moment the seeds are sown. Leaves can be plucked all at once, leaving only the middle of the outlet, but experienced gardeners recommend removing about half of the greenery at a time - this technique allows you to extend the harvest period by several weeks. Spinach leaves must be carefully broken off or cut off - you cannot pull and tear off, as this can damage the entire bush. Harvesting is best done in the morning or late evening, as the greens harvested during the day will wither quickly. Also, do not pick spinach during or after rain - wet leaves rot faster. Like all herbal crops, spinach greens are harvested until the time when flower stalks form on the bush - after flowering, the leaves become tough and bitter.
Fresh spinach can be stored at 0 to +1 ° C for 5-8 days. In this case, the leaves laid for storage must be dry. However, it should be borne in mind that in the refrigerator, greens lose their nutritional properties over time, so it is advisable to use them as soon as possible in food.
In many supermarkets, you can find vacuum-packed spinach leaves - this method allows you to keep the greens fresh for longer. But in this case, you need to open the vacuum package immediately before use. For longer storage, fresh spinach greens can be frozen, dried, salted, canned and mashed.
Freezing is the easiest and most useful way of harvesting, since all nutrients and vitamins are preserved during freezing. And the simplicity of the process lies in the fact that the leaves just need to be washed well, dried a little, cut off the roots, and, if desired, cut - however, it is easier to freeze the whole leaves. Some housewives blanch the greens before freezing, and only after that they are placed in the freezer.
Herbs in the form of mashed potatoes can be preserved as well as frozen. To do this, rinse the leaves, dry, then grind in a blender until puree. If freezing is supposed, then the spinach mass is poured into portioned containers, and then placed in the cold. For canning, spinach puree is blanched, then poured into sterilized jars and covered with lids. Alternatively, blanched puree can also be frozen.
Until now, there are housewives who, in the old-fashioned way, grease all the greens for the winter. This method consists in the fact that fresh prepared greens, laid in layers in jars, are sprinkled with salt. Such blanks are stored only in a cold place, and not for very long. Like any greens, spinach leaves can be dried. Before that, they need to be washed, dried on a towel, cut, then placed in a dry, shaded place in the open air, and covered with gauze. After a couple of days, the dried herbs are put into jars or cloth bags for further storage.
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