Growing food. basics

To grow these indispensable plants at home, you can use either the roots with roots (the lower white part, which we usually cut and discard), or whole bulbs. To do this, you need to place them in a glass jar with a small amount of water and put them on the windowsill, where the onion will receive the sunlight it needs. After a while, the first feathers will appear, which can be cut off and added to food as they grow. Thus, you will always have fresh herbs at hand - the main thing is, do not forget to add water to the jar once a week.

Cymbopogon

The aromatic citrus seasoning Cymbopogon or Lemongrass is essentially a perennial herb and should be grown like any other herb. After using the stem, do not discard the root - place it in a jar of water and place it in the light. After a week, the cymbopogon will sprout and will need to be transplanted into the ground. When the stem of the sorghum grows to about 30 cm in length, it can be cut and dried.

Celery, bok choy, romaine lettuce and cabbage

These vegetables can be grown at home from the remnants of their hard, thickened stems. To do this, 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 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.

Ginger

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, you can soak it in warm water for a while. It is necessary to plant ginger in a pot or box with the soil, buds 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.

Potato

Many townspeople simply cringe from the phrase "plant potatoes" - it's easier to buy than to "hunchback" in the country all summer. And in vain, because this vegetable can be grown right at home. To do this, you 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 up and does not rot in the ground after planting. It is recommended to plant in a well-fertilized soil. In this case, it must be buried to a depth of at least 20 cm, so make sure that the dishes for planting are large and deep enough.

Garlic

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 firmly established, the garlic will give its first shoots. They need to be pruned in a timely manner so that they do not take "energy" and do not interfere with the formation of the bulb.

Onion

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 warmer place for him.

Sweet potato

The rules for planting and growing sweet potatoes are almost the same as those of regular sweet potatoes. We take a tuber and send it to moist soil. A week later, the sweet potato will sprout, and when the leaves reach 10 cm, they can be cut, and another plant can be planted nearby, at a distance of 25–30 cm. Just make sure that slugs do not start on the lashes - they are very fond of sweet potatoes. And then after 4 months you will have juicy sweet potatoes.

Mushrooms

It is difficult to grow at home, as they need special conditions - high humidity, special temperatures, ventilation and lighting. For their planting, the so-called mycelium is needed, that is, germinated spores of mushrooms. The mycelium 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 a humidity of 95% 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. An ideal option is a plot near the house or, in extreme cases, a balcony.

A pineapple

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 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 some of the lower leaves and stick the rosette about 2–3 centimeters into the ground. 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 stalk 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 the "seedlings" and, of course, on how carefully and carefully you will treat your green "pets". You may very quickly get bored 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 onto 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 nicer if it does not store old pieces of iron, which it is time to send to the landfill, but aromatic herbs and vegetables.

site chose several interesting plants that take root well on the windowsill or on the balcony.

Pepper

On the windowsill, you can grow a hot pepper for diablo pizza. It will require a warm, bright place and varieties suitable for home cultivation: "Carmen", "Flint", "Ogonyok", "Ryabinushka", "Bride", "Indian Summer", etc.

The bushes are very cute and do not require large pots. Up to 50 fruits can be set 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", "Vnuchka". They grow in 80-90 days and do not require a lot of space - they will be fine with a pot or container. You can also take a funny round variety "Round baby".

The soil for the carrots should be light and well-draining. The vegetable can be grown in cut plastic bottles. The optimum temperature is in the range of 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 there is an opportunity to dig up a stalk in the country at home or from friends, it is better to use this method. Mint, grown from seeds, is not taken as actively, and it will take longer to wait for the harvest.

It is important to remember that the plant loves well-moisturized soil. And when choosing a place for it, keep in mind that the lighting should be good, but it is better to avoid direct sunlight. The optimum temperature for mint is 20-25 degrees with a plus sign.

Green onions

Growing green onions at home does not require any special dexterity. But nevertheless, it is worth considering some nuances: the bulb that you will plant should be round, firm to the touch and without any signs 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 kind of basil grows well in flower pots and boxes. It is better for him to allocate a 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 harvest, but they will not last long, since they will bloom quickly. You will have to wait longer to harvest from seeds, but such a bush will also last longer.

The optimum temperature for basil is 20-25 degrees Celsius. In winter, backlighting 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 a plant, it can give 3-4 dozen fruits. Here you will have to tinker a little with the seedlings, but after transplanting into boxes, you will only need to water and cut the antennae.

Plants are planted in containers with a volume of at least 5 liters. It is important to remember that cucumbers are large water loaves and the ground should always be moist. The optimum temperature is 21-24 degrees Celsius.

Tomatoes

Dwarf varieties are usually chosen as home-grown tomatoes: Minibel, Florida Petit, Balcony Miracle, etc. You will have to take the most illuminated place in the apartment for this miracle. You will need 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 gardening talent is attached to the crop.

It is important to remember that tomatoes, like all plants, love water, but they can be easily poured over. Therefore, water 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 areas. It can be grown from rhizomes of 2-4-year-old plants with buds or from seeds of such varieties as "Maikop", "Altai", "Odessa broadleaf".

It can grow at 5 and 20 degrees Celsius and even withstands small frosts. So you can keep it on the balcony until the last, and if the balcony keeps heat well, then you can 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 seasoning, but also a beautiful plant. If you plant it at home, the shoots can grow up to a meter in height. Pieces of ginger root are planted, 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.

The root should not be planted very deeply, and until the first shoots appear, it should be watered very sparingly. Keep ginger in the light, but away from direct sunlight. The optimum temperature is 20-25 degrees Celsius.

A pineapple

Text

Artem Luchko

Growing food yourself is a forgotten, but incomparable pleasure. In conditions when fruits and vegetables from the EU countries, as well as the USA, Australia, Canada and Norway were 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 a subsistence economy in an apartment. The lack 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

With the Grow Your Own Pizza kit, you can help sanctions use only the freshest ingredients in your Italian cuisine without the hassle or fuss. Just place 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.

The Woolly Pocket is a device that can create eternal spring in your home space. The area of ​​our apartments does not allow us to organize a full-fledged greenhouse, but the problem is solved by hanging modular pockets that turn the inner walls of the house into hanging gardens. Woolly Pocket is well ventilated but water resistant. The wonder material they are made from is made from recycled plastic bottles.

The Auxano hydroponic system is specially designed for townspeople who want to grow vegetables, fruits within a confined space. Auxano is a practical solution that mounts directly to the window frame from the inside, allowing plants to access sunlight and converting unused space into a vertical garden. The built-in Oxygenating system maintains water circulation 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. The electric smart pot eliminates the need to water and feed the 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 metered access to the right amount of water, fertilizer and air, depending on their needs. The Palo Alto company raised the money on Kickstarter last year to launch its second device, the Smart Herb Garden. The new model features LED backlighting.

The AeroGarden system will allow you to grow herbs, vegetables, lettuce thanks to aeroponic technology, which directly feeds the plant roots with water, oxygen and fertilizers. The tabletop garden is equipped with automatic lighting and indication on the display, where prompts will appear on when to top up water or add nutrients. It will be enough for you to install the sown pots and observe the growth of the plants. The AeroGarden comes in several sizes, and in addition, cartridges for growing different plants can be purchased.

Open Source Bug Farm Kit

Insects are an excellent source of protein and will soon have a chance to become part of our diet. A couple of years ago, UN representatives gave a report in which eating insects was called a real way to fight 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 raising edible meal beetle larvae at home. The kit costs $ 114 and includes two main containers, a mounting frame, a selection kit, and an incubator. The company also offers free access to all the blueprints 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 the producers of Mushroom Garden say, after picking ripe mushrooms, there remains nutritious compost, which will definitely come in handy as a top dressing for indoor plants.

Nowadays, space food is delivered to the ISS from Earth, and all space expeditions are supplied with food from the launch site. But the day is not far off when food for astronauts 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, possibly 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 it developed by leaps and bounds during the space race. Today, China, Japan and even France have joined space exploration. Such a company of countries, led by the space powers - Russia and the United States, continues to explore space. Much has changed with the time of the first manned flight into space, including the nutrition of the astronauts. But one thing remained unchanged - food for the astronauts was delivered from the Earth and is still being delivered.

Astronauts from different countries permanently reside 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 that's not the main argument for growing food in space. The main argument is the limited possibilities 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 some unpleasant moments in the history of the ISS related to food. Several years ago, a space carrier with a cargo for Russian cosmonauts was unable to reach orbit. Most of the cargo was food. It was another portion of space food, designed to replenish the supply of food already running out. The situation was further complicated by the fact that the next launch of a rocket with food for the 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 space services were able to resolve all difficulties in time. But the real precedent gave a certain impetus to the development of research on growing food in space.

Current state

NASA has conducted two successful food-growing experiments on the ISS. For this purpose, a special plant growing system called Veggie was created on the ISS. Both times lettuce leaves were grown, and both times the experiment was successful. The first harvest was sent to Earth for detailed research. The second crop, in August 2015, was eaten on the ISS under the lenses of cameras live. You can see the recording of this event on the video:

Experiments have shown that lettuce grown in space is no different from terrestrial lettuce in its nutritional properties. Its growth rate and other indicators also correspond to those of the earth. But this experiment showed that growing food in space with the current level of technology is an irrational exercise.

Growing food in space requires a lot 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 have been obtained. For example, special lamps are needed to grow green plants. And although plants in artificial conditions can grow without sunlight, 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 cosmonauts really ate the second space harvest, but there was no question of fully providing themselves with food. The lettuce was grown at a tremendous 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 feeding by increasing the "cultivated" areas. But the experiment showed that under zero gravity conditions, 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 the same amount of 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, an aster bud opened on the ISS for the first time. This was further proof that growing plants in space is a reality.

Future

Scientists from all over the world are working to grow enough food in space to feed 100% of astronauts. Today we cannot even speak of 1%, but after some time long expeditions and colonization of planets await us. Growing food in space is the future.

The next long flight is scheduled for 2030 by a NASA expedition to Mars. The flight will take between 150 and 300 days, and on this flight, people will most likely need a source of food produced on board. The spacecraft's capacity 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 the optimal solution to ensure the growing conditions for agricultural crops. The question is not only in the "soil", but also in the watering of plants. Scientists have not yet managed to learn how to replace water. Even in NASA's experiment, lettuce germination used the same amount of water as on Earth. And water in space is an equally valuable resource. The conversion of water into food, in a confined space, is still going on at an unfavorable rate. But this issue will be resolved.

From the nearest plans - to grow on the ISS not only lettuce, but also other plants. The next crops are the following - green peppers, radishes, onions, cabbage and potatoes. The selection 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.

They are working on growing food in space not only in Russia and the United States, but also in China. The Chinese space agency plans to create a lunar station by 2030. On it, a separate place is given to the cultivation of food. At the station "Lunny Palace-1" (temporary name), it is planned to allocate 58 sq. meters for growing food. This is an unprecedentedly large space for growing plants, and even more than a module for the life of astronauts on the future lunar station. So far, Chinese scientists have only tested an analogue of a lunar station on Earth, and the experiment has been successful. From the results of this experiment, it became clear that the project was viable, but Chinese scientists have made adjustments to the space module for growing food. By 2030, we may see it in action.

I am glad that experiments on growing food in space are not only continuing, but 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 missions.

knowing the principles of business is much more important, easier, 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 - whatever. knowing the principles, YOURSELF can figure out the rules, recipes, tricks ... now to the point:

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

- according to the efficiency of body parts, food is grown for the sake of: seeds, tubers, flowers, stems with leaves.

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

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

SEEDS... - most of the 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: in 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 heads.

- if crops grown from seeds - tomatoes, peppers, cabbage - require a long growth period, 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 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, beet, lettuce, spinach - up to four; legumes, pumpkin seeds 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... - with sufficient heat and moisture, the seeds germinate. if there is not enough heat and enough moisture, the seeds rot. the more cold-resistant a culture, the longer it can lie in moist soil without decay, 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. meaning 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 easily tolerate spring frosts.
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. when frosts die.

- at the indicated 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 the above cultures germinate and grow several times faster at 18-25 degrees than at the germination temperature.

- Crops vary greatly in terms of 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 moisture level: by bringing it in from the outside by rain or by hand and mulching the soil. about it - just below.
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, it will grow in 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 looseness, nutritional value or fertility, provision of moisture. as a rule, the more thermophilic a plant is, the better the crop requires in all three parameters. tubers are more demanding in these parameters than cereals.

- fertility and looseness of the soil are ensuredin three ways: natural, accelerated and perverse... the natural way: the bodies of plants fall and die on the surface of the soil, being processed into nutrients by soil bacteria and worms, and thus serving the subsequent generations of plants.

fast track: the bodies of plants are either fed to animals and returned to the soil as manure or piled up in a compost heap and returned to the soil as humus. in the latter case, decay can be accelerated 10 times if we attack a bunch of special forces "EM team fighters". about the fast track, with reference to my story about these daring fighters, I already wrote: “ .

perverse way: the introduction of mineral fertilizers into the soil. they are like khachiks, do not allow local bacteria and worms to do business normally, and are constantly “covered” by their owners, whose goal is to “cut down” the harvest in a couple of seasons, and there - at least the grass will not grow. more details about it - in the video below.

growing conditions. LIGHT... for photosynthesis, i.e. processes of saturating oneself 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 a plant, the more light-requiring 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" by green manure. I already wrote about this: "".