How to grow and care for parsley from seeds on a windowsill in winter

Many gardeners argue: how to grow parsley on the windowsill in winter. It grows well in the garden, but whether it will work out at home is a question.

Spicy grass is an unpretentious and cold-resistant crop. It grows on loose soils with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. It does not require special conditions (except for regular watering). And he regularly supplies greens to the table.

The summer season ends. The gardener dreams of continuing to grow something on the windowsill. The conditions in the apartment are far from street conditions. But parsley is a special plant. She yields on the windowsill no worse than on the garden bed. The gardener should put in some effort.

What varieties of parsley are suitable for the windowsill

The climate of the rooms is different from the outdoor one. It is influenced by:

• heating (increases the dryness of the air);
• shading of window sills (illumination is reduced hundreds of times).

Old houses have wooden frames. They let outside air pass, making the climate more suitable for parsley. Plastic double-glazed windows reduce the efficiency of growing spices in such a home environment.

Manufacturers take into account the interest of summer residents in vegetable gardens on window sills. They offer whole lines of seeds. Breeders mark the bags with the words: “Balcony miracle”. Such planting material allows you to harvest parsley in conditions of high dryness and low light.

Some gardeners prefer to plant early-maturing parsley on their windows. They explain this by the desire to get marketable greens 7-10 days ahead of schedule. An excellent result on the windowsill is shown by the following varieties:

• Vorozheya;
• Morning freshness;
• Curly Sue;
• Emerald lace;
• Fragrant alley;
• Beads.

With competent agricultural technology, gardeners receive the first fresh greens 3 weeks after sowing... Parsley pleases with harvest during all winter months.

The choice of capacity and soil preparation

Gardeners will grow marketable parsley in limited capacity. Under natural conditions, the root system of the spice takes nutrients and moisture from the soil. Conditions on the windowsill are different. The success of the entire enterprise depends on the choice of capacity and soil preparation.

Many gardeners grow a rooster in a clay or plastic pot. Greens prefer breathable soil. Earthenware has pores and allows air to flow to the roots. But the soil in it dries out faster: the frequency of watering increases.

In the apartment, gardeners want to have not only fresh parsley, but also beautiful window sills. When planting, plastic pots are often used. They mask the flow of water.

Sometimes summer residents make a box for parsley from boards. It is impregnated with a moisture-resistant composition. Several holes are drilled in the bottom to drain excess water.

Parsley loves neutral or slightly acidic soil. Gardeners can easily compose the soil on their own. To do this, take:

• mature compost - 1 part;
• sod land - 1 part;
• sand with coarse fractions - 1 part;
• high-moor peat - 1 part.

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Be sure to supplement the composition with a mineral complex. In the absence of components, ready-made soil for violets is suitable.

Self-prepared potting soil must be decontaminated. The easiest way is to freeze it for 5-7 days. Then the thawed soil should be watered with a light pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Growing parsley from seeds

When landing on a windowsill, you should follow the sequence of actions:

1. At the bottom of the container, pour a layer of expanded clay for drainage with a thickness of 2-3 cm. In its absence, it is recommended to take finely chopped ceramic tiles.
2. Fill dishes with soil. 2 cm should remain to the top edge. Tamp the ground.
3. Make grooves at a distance of 2-3 cm from one another. Moisten with warm water (preferably with potassium humate).
4. Scatter seeds. Sprinkle with soil on top with a layer of 0.5-1 cm.

Parsley is a cold-resistant culture. For germination, a temperature above 4 degrees Celsius is enough for it. The container with seeds should be placed on the windowsill. It is important to keep the topsoil moist before germination... Planting with pre-soaked seeds will speed up germination.

Growing parsley from root vegetables

In winter, on the windowsill, it is perfectly possible to distill greens from root crops. Suitable for those grown in the summer in the country or bought on the market. Attention should be paid to the presence of a growth point: some vendors cut it off to keep the parsley fresh. The spine should be 5 cm long and 2-3 cm thick.

You can plant root crops in the ground close to each other. The growth point (upper part) must be left on the surface. Moisten the soil.

For germination, a temperature of 4-10 degrees Celsius is required. For this, the plants should be taken out onto a heated balcony or placed between glass frames (in old houses). After the emergence of shoots, the container must be placed on the windowsill and ensure the temperature is 15-20 degrees. Be sure to moisten the soil.

Advantage of the method: accelerated receipt of fresh herbs to the table. But there is also a drawback. Parsley is a biennial plant. When forcing, it will try to throw out the peduncle. At the same time, the quality of the cut will decrease (the leaves will become rough, dry).

Follow-up care

Subject to the rules of agricultural technology, parsley at home gives an excellent harvest of juicy greens. It grows beautifully. Planting in limited containers on the windowsill is developing rapidly. Gardeners in winter have a fresh aromatic spice to the table.

Temperature

Cutting regularly requires parsley to grow at an optimal temperature. 15-20 degrees Celsius will provide greenery with a completely comfortable existence. When it drops to 8-10 degrees, the plant will slow down. With an increase in temperature, it will stop growing and drop the long-awaited foliage.

If the batteries are very hot, it is recommended to move containers with plants close to the glass and isolate them from the hot air source with a transparent screen.

Many gardeners arrange winter gardens on the windowsills. It is easy to create the optimum temperature and humidity for parsley there.

Watering

The plant will delight with fragrant greens only with normal soil moisture. Watering should be done when the top layer dries. The water should pass to the sump. You should not dry out the soil too much: the parsley will turn yellow. When waterlogged, the plant will rot.

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When watering, it is recommended to use settled (for purification of chlorine) water at room temperature. The plant should not be stressed when hydrated. The watering can should be placed on a windowsill near containers with herbs.

Lighting

Adequate amount of light is the key to a successful harvest on the windowsill. Parsley is a long day plant. After sprouting, hang the agrolamp at a height of 50-60 cm from the soil surface. The plant needs to provide daylight hours for 16-18 hours.

Top dressing

The fertilizers applied during planting are usually enough for the entire period of plant growth on the windowsill. But when the parsley is weakened, it should be fed. It is possible to determine the need for feeding by the leaves: yellow and weak ones speak of suppression of the culture.

It is recommended to introduce the complex (nitrogen: potassium: phosphorus) only after cutting: it is allowed to eat greens not earlier than 2 weeks after fertilization. A good result is given by watering dissolved in water potassium humate (according to the instructions manufacturer). Feed the plantings with special fertilizers together with watering.

Humidity

Heating is constantly working in the room in winter. The air becomes dry. Parsley loves humid air. Watering does not solve the problem: with excess water, rotting of the root system is possible.

Some gardeners are trying to normalize the situation by placing containers with water on the windowsill next to the plantings. When evaporated, water vapor saturates the air. The plant feels more comfortable. When the bowls are filled with snow or crushed ice, the temperature drops. The melting of the contents simultaneously humidifies the air.

Sometimes summer residents create a miniature winter garden for parsley. A round aquarium is placed on the windowsill. Its volume should fully accommodate the plant pot. Expanded clay is poured onto the bottom with a layer of 5-7 cm. It is moistened. Then a container with herbs is placed. The neck of the aquarium is closed with glass. For fresh air access, it is slightly shifted. In such an original garden, it is very easy to control air humidity and temperature..

Terms of the first germination and harvesting

The parsley on the windowsill develops in accordance with the quality of care. The first shoots appear faster when planting:

• root crops;
• pre-soaked and treated in a growth stimulator seeds.

The first cut is carried out at a stem height of 12-15 cm. In this case, it is imperative to leave 2-3 cm hemp: then the parsley grows thicker and healthier.

Do not plant too densely: green crops prefer free space. It is recommended to weed out excess plants. The distance between the bushes when grown from seeds should be 3-5 cm.When forcing greens from root crops, it is reduced to 1-1.5 cm.