Spinach has a pleasant taste, contains many nutrients, helps in the treatment of diseases.
To get a harvest of fresh herbs all year round, you can grow spinach at home - on the most common window sill of the apartment.
From the article offered to your attention, you can learn how to choose the seeds of a suitable variety and grow seedlings from them; we will talk about the rules of planting and how to competently take care of plants.
Can I plant a plant in an apartment?
Many growers grow spinach on the windowsill, balcony or loggia. With proper maintenance, the plant develops safely at home.
Spinach feels good on the window sill of the south window. In the autumn-winter period it is necessary to organize the lighting of the phyto-lamp.
Important. The ambient air temperature should be in the range from +14 to + 18 ° С. Values from +7 to + 10 ° С are acceptable, but leaves grow slower in such conditions.
Spinach does not tolerate dry air. In the winter, greens should be protected from the effects of heating devices and more often spray leaf sheets from the spray gun.
Seed breeding
Variety Selection and Seed Treatment
Varieties differ in sowing time, leaf size and taste. Experienced growers recommend growing early-ripe varieties at home that tolerate greenhouse conditions well. The most suitable are:
Gigantic. The socket consists of leaves of medium size. Ripens a month after the first shoots. It has a delicate flavor and is recommended for feeding children.- Stoic. It has leaves of medium size. The period from germination to technical maturity takes 14-20 days.
- Leafy. It is characterized by fleshy leaves with a relief coating. Ready to harvest in 35-40 days after the appearance of the first shoots.
- Victoria. Round leaves form a compact outlet. The early ripe grade, ripens in 25-40 days.
- Strawberry. Ready to eat in two to three weeks after the first shoots. Edible not only leaves, but also fruits.
Gigantic. The socket consists of leaves of medium size. Ripens a month after the first shoots. It has a delicate flavor and is recommended for feeding children.If spinach is grown for the first time, it is recommended to plant seeds of several varieties.
Before planting, seeds should be soaked in warm water for a day. . The procedure will accelerate the germination process and increase the percentage of seed germination. After soaking, place the planting material for two to three hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. Then remove and dry with a paper towel.
Step by step algorithm of action, how to properly plant
- Prepare the soil and capacity.
- Calcify the soil in the oven for about half an hour or process the solution of potassium permanganate.
- At the bottom of the pot pour drainage - expanded clay or pebbles.
- Place the treated substrate on top.
- On the surface make small grooves with a depth of one and a half centimeters.
- Arrange the seeds in the grooves, leaving intervals of two to three centimeters.
- Sprinkle with a small amount of earth.
- Lightly moisten the soil with a sprayer.
- Cover the container with glass or plastic wrap.
- Keep in a warm place.
- When the first shoots seem, remove the shelter. Usually the first shoots appear after a week and a half after sowing.
Then you can watch a useful video on how to plant spinach seeds on a windowsill or balcony of a city apartment:
Do I need to sow?
After harvesting the first harvest, it is recommended to sow new seeds in the vacated space. This measure ensures the continuous growth of greenery.
How to grow seedlings?
Seedlings can be grown independently:
Prepare spinach seeds, cassettes and universal soil for seedlings.- Seed one by one placed in the cell cassettes at a depth of one centimeter.
- Moisten the soil using a spray gun.
- Cover crops with a film.
- Keep at temperature from +18 to + 20 ° С.
- After 8-10 days, when the first shoots appear, remove the film.
- Provide an ambient temperature of + 18 ° C and high-quality lighting. If necessary, arrange additional illumination with phytolamp.
- When young specimens grow out of the cells, transplant to pots.
Prepare spinach seeds, cassettes and universal soil for seedlings.When and what to expect to harvest?
Harvest when outlets will have five or six large leaves formed. Early ripening varieties ripen in 28-36 days after sowing. The taste of home spinach is not inferior to the garden.
How to care?
Temperature
Important.The minimum temperature at which spinach produces crops is in the range from +7 to + 10 ° С. In such conditions, the leaves develop slowly.
The maximum growing temperature is + 20 ° C. If the figures rise above this mark, the peduncle appears too early.
The optimum temperature is from +14 to + 18 ° C.
Watering and moisture
Requires regular moderate watering. Drying the soil is detrimental to spinach. Each new watering is carried out with drying of the top layer of the earth.. For the procedure using distilled water at room temperature. After watering the substrate is slightly loosened.
The air must be humid, otherwise the early formation of peduncles will begin. Sheet plates are sprayed once a day with water at room temperature, in the heat of the event held twice.
Lighting
Young specimens need to pritenyat noonto protect from sunlight. Otherwise the leaves will get burned.
In winter, the light day for spinach crops is increased with a special lamp for at least 2 hours in the morning or in the evening.
Light day should last 10-12 hours. The lamp must be installed at a height of 50-60 centimeters above the tank.
In cloudy weather, the lamp for additional lighting of spinach is allowed to turn on for 14 hours.
Priming
Attention! Spinach soil is contraindicated with the addition of peat. The substrate should not have a high acidity.
You can purchase universal soil in the store or prepare your own soil.by mixing biohumus and coconut fiber in a 1: 2 ratio. Coconut fiber is allowed to replace perlite or vermiculite.
Top dressing
Are they required? Which is better to make? After the emergence of the first shoots, you can make a liquid feed. At home use hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, Fitosporin. If the sowing of seeds was carried out in fertile soil, spring seedlings do not require additional feeding.
Capacity for green
For growing spinach on the windowsill or balcony, long, low, wide containers are suitable. Each sprout needs eight by eight centimeters of living space.. Material tank does not matter.
Greens develop well in wooden or plastic boxes, as well as in ordinary flower pots made from clay, plastic, and ceramics. At the bottom of the tank must be a drain hole for the drain of moisture.
Thinning
After the formation of the second permanent sheet proceed to thinning shoots. Excess copies are removed, leaving intervals of 10-15 centimeters. After the procedure, pour spinach plentifully.
Do I need to rearrange the container on the windowsill?
The boxes or pots on the windowsill are rotated 180 ° daily, providing the spinach with uniform illumination.
Features care on the balcony
If spinach is contained on an unglazed balcony, young greens must first be covered, protecting them from the spring sun and daily temperature drops. When the air temperature drops to + 9 ° С, the containers should be moved to the apartment.
Spinach can be grown not only in the garden, but also at home. In order to have fresh greens on your table all year round, you have to work hard. It is necessary to choose the right variety, follow the sowing technology, maintain optimal conditions for the plants and harvest in time.
