First, let’s choose the right vegetables for forcing greens: onions, witloof chicory, parsley, and celery. We plant the bulbs and roots of these crops in a soil mixture in boxes. We also sow salad greens and dill, while cucumbers and tomatoes go into separate containers—like pots or buckets. For a winter garden, select the brightest spot—an east or south-facing window. Parsley, onions, and celery can tolerate some shade, so western windows will work for these crops. However, for forcing witloof heads, no light is necessary. Plant the root vegetables deeply in a box filled with sand. Place it in a warm room and water it. To ensure the heads are tender and flavorful, cover them with sand and keep them in the dark.
Now, let’s prepare the soil mixture: take 2 parts peat soil, 2 parts compost, and 1 part topsoil, adding half a part of wood shavings or river sand. If peat is unavailable, the mixture can consist of 1 part topsoil, 1 part compost, and 1/5 part river sand. For every bucket of soil mixture, add 2/3 of a matchbox of potassium nitrate, 2 matchboxes of superphosphate, 1 matchbox of potassium chloride, 1 matchbox of potassium-magnesium, and 1 matchbox of wood ash. Care involves maintaining optimal soil moisture. It’s best to water with warm water once or twice a week.
Growing Greens. For cucumbers, use containers with a capacity of 7-12 liters. These can be large pots, plastic buckets, wooden barrels, etc. Not all varieties are suitable for growing indoors. The best options are long-fruited types that do not require pollination, such as “Moscow Greenhouse” and “Cucumbers.” If these varieties are unavailable, you can use others, but you’ll need to pollinate the flowers manually.
The soil mixture for cucumbers should consist of 5-6 parts non-acidic peat, 2-3 parts fertile soil, and 2-3 parts compost. For each bucket of this mixture, add 2 matchboxes of superphosphate, 2 matchboxes of potassium nitrate or urea, 1 matchbox of potassium sulfate, 1 matchbox of magnesium sulfate, and 2 matchboxes of wood ash. Mix everything well and fill the container. Sow the germinated seeds to a depth of 1-1.5 centimeters. Each pot should contain no more than 1-2 plants. To support the vertical growth of the vines, create a trellis using wooden sticks or wire and attach it to the container.
As the plants grow, tie the stems to the support. Remove the lower five buds before the flowers open. The remaining buds will produce the main harvest. Pinch off the side shoots above the 2-3 leaves.
A month after planting, we’ll start fertilizing. For this, take 1 matchbox of urea, 1 matchbox of potassium sulfate, and a third of a matchbox of magnesium sulfate per bucket of water. Before fertilizing, water the plants lightly, then apply the fertilizer solution at a rate of 1-2 liters per week until fruiting begins, and 3-4 liters per week during fruiting.
Using a chicken manure infusion diluted 1:15 or 1:20 yields excellent results. Alternate mineral fertilizers with organic ones. Water moderately, preferably with warm water (68-77°F), and only when the soil dries out—about twice a day. If you follow this agricultural technique, you can harvest 8-10 kilograms of cucumbers (25-40 fruits) from a single plant.
You can also grow tomatoes on your windowsill. Keep in mind that this crop is sensitive to light and heat. Growing tomatoes in pots is particularly interesting because they can be perennial plants, producing fruit for several years under favorable conditions.