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Artem Luchko

Growing food yourself is already forgotten, but incomparable pleasure. In conditions when fruit and vegetable products from the EU countries, as well as the USA, Australia, Canada and Norway are 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 subsistence farming in an apartment. The absence 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

The Grow Your Own Pizza Kit will help you to use only the freshest ingredients in your Italian dishes during sanctions without any fuss and fuss. Simply place the 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.

Woolly Pocket is a device that can create an eternal spring in the space of your home. The area of ​​our apartments does not allow organizing a full-fledged greenhouse, but hanging modular pockets solve the problem, turning the inner walls of the house into hanging gardens. Woolly Pocket are well ventilated, but do not let water through. The miracle material from which they are made is created from recycled plastic bottles.

The Auxano hydroponic system is specially designed for city dwellers who want to grow vegetables and fruits within a limited space. Auxano is a practical solution that mounts directly on the window frame from the inside, allowing plants to have access to sunlight and turning unused space into a vertical garden. The built-in Oxygenating system keeps the water circulating 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. An electric smart pot eliminates the need for owners to water and feed their 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 dosed access to the right amount of water, fertilizer and air, depending on their needs. The Palo Alto-based company raised funds on Kickstarter last year to launch its second device, the Smart Herb Garden. The new model is distinguished by the presence of LED-backlight.

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

Open Source Bug Farm Kit

Insects are a great source of protein, and they have a chance to become part of our diet soon. UN representatives a couple of years ago came up with a report in which eating insects was called a real way to combat 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 growing edible flour beetle larvae at home. The kit costs $114 and includes two main containers, a mounting frame, a breeding kit and an incubator. The company also offers free access to all the drawings 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 Mushroom Garden producers say, after harvesting ripe mushrooms, nutritious compost remains, which is sure to come in handy as a top dressing for indoor plants.

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

Cymbopogon

The fragrant citrus spice cymbopogon or lemongrass is essentially a perennial herb, so it should be grown like any other herb. After using the stem, do not throw away the root - place it in a jar of water and expose to light. In a week, the cymbopogon will sprout and it will need to be transplanted into the ground. When the sorghum stalk 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 remains of their hard, thickened stems. To do this, you need to 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 do not forget 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, it can be kept in warm water for a while. It is necessary to plant ginger in a pot or box with earth with the kidneys up. The 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 twitch at the phrase “plant potatoes” - it’s easier to buy than to “hump” in the country all summer. And in vain, because this vegetable can be grown right at home. To do this, you will 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 and does not rot in the ground after planting. It is recommended to plant in well-fertilized soil. At the same time, it must be buried to a depth of at least 20 cm, so make sure that the planting dishes 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 strengthened, garlic will give the first shoots. They need to be cut in a timely manner so that they do not take away "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 warm place for him.

Sweet potato

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

Mushrooms

It is difficult to grow at home, as they need special conditions - high humidity, special temperature, ventilation and lighting. For their planting, the so-called mycelium is needed, that is, germinated spores of fungi. The mushroom picker 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 95% humidity 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. The 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 out 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 a few lower leaves and stick the socket into the ground about 2-3 centimeters. 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 cutting 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 "seedlings" and, of course, on how carefully and carefully you will treat your green "pets". You may get bored very quickly 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.

Cucumbers, peppers, carrots and even strawberries! All this can be grown on a balcony or windowsill and there are fresh, eco-friendly, and most importantly, free vegetables and fruits all year round. Right now we will tell you how to set up a mini-garden in a city apartment.

Growing food in urban areas is popular all over the world. So, Britta Riley lives in a tiny apartment in New York. She came up with a vertical hydroponics garden. It takes up little space and brings a good harvest. Britta spoke about her innovation at TED.

In the West, if a product is labeled eco, bio or organic, it means two things. Firstly, these products are grown, harvested and processed in accordance with environmental standards, that is, without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, growth stimulants and other “nasty things”. They have been certified, and serious organizations have guaranteed their quality. Secondly, bioproducts are much more expensive than conventional ones.

Our market for "clean food" is just emerging. The biocertification and control systems have not yet been formed. And the difference in prices between bio-products and ordinary vegetables and fruits sometimes reaches 1,000%! Therefore, for us, the most eco, bio and organic are products grown by our own hands.

But not everyone has dachas and relatives in the village. What should urban children do, who are used to seeing potatoes washed and in nets, and greens in vacuum packs? Grow vegetables and fruits right on the balcony or windowsill.

6 reasons to arrange a mini-garden at home

1. You can treat yourself to fresh, vitamin-rich vegetables and herbs all year round.
2. Saving. Vegetables and fruits are expensive, especially in winter. With a home garden, you no longer have to adjust to the season (we eat plenty of tomatoes only in July, and apples in September).
3. You yourself can grow a plant from a tiny seed with your own hands, you can collect fruits. This is a creative activity that charges with positive energy.
4. You can improve your knowledge of biology, gain useful skills and acquire an exciting hobby.
5. Your children will see how tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables grow and will understand that they do not miraculously materialize in the refrigerator, their cultivation is serious work.
6. You can surprise your friends and acquaintances. Imagine how you will brag about the harvest, showing the window "beds". ;)

What you need to grow vegetables and herbs at home

• Place. Usually this is a window sill or balcony. It is better if they face the sunny side. If not, lamps for additional lighting will be required. If necessary, the window sill can be expanded or shelving for "beds" can be built (the minimum distance between the shelves is 50 cm).
• Capacities. Clay or plastic pots, wooden boxes can serve as beds for a home garden. The main thing is that there are holes in the bottom for draining water. Containers are recommended to be placed on pallets.
• Priming. There are many potting mixes for indoor gardens. As a rule, several layers are made: peat, compost, turf. You can prepare the soil yourself, or you can buy it in a specialized store.
• seeds. Some varieties of tomatoes or cucumbers grow well at home, while others do not even sprout. Therefore, before you start indoor gardening, you need to sit on the forums, read articles on the Internet and find out which seeds to buy.

In addition, you may need fertilizer, top dressing, a thermometer and a vessel for settling water (home plants are watered with water at room temperature, separated from chlorine).

We have the inventory, now we need to decide what to plant. Lifehacker has already written about some vegetables that grow beautifully on the windowsill.

16 FOOD YOU CAN GROW AT HOME

Today we will talk about ten more such plants.

Carrot

Variety : "Amsterdam".
Temperature : 15 to 25 ºС.
Harvest : after ≈70 days.

For growing at home, you need to take miniature varieties of carrots. You can plant in boxes, pots or just cut plastic bottles with holes in the bottom. The soil should be taken drainage.

Seeds are placed in the ground to a depth of about 7 cm. When the carrots sprout and germinate a few centimeters, they need to be thinned out, leaving the strongest shoots at a distance of about 2 cm from each other. It is not recommended to keep the beds in direct sunlight.

You need to water carrots at home often, but you need to make sure that there is not too much moisture, otherwise the root crop will rot. From time to time, you can feed with fertilizers with a low nitrogen content (if there is a lot of it, all the growth will go to the tops). It is also very useful to occasionally loosen the soil.

Pepper

Peppers grown on the balcony

Varieties : "treasure island", "dwarf", "watercolor", "swallow" and others.
Temperature : 25 to 27 ºС.
Harvest : after 100-130 days.

Seeds are first planted in small pots, which are covered with cling film and placed in a warm place. When the first shoots appear (in one to two weeks), several small punctures need to be made in the film. After a while, the pepper will get stronger, then it can be transplanted into large pots or buckets. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the spine. The plant is rooted by a third, after which it is watered with warm (30 ºС) water.

In the future, pepper can be watered every day. This plant loves light, so white spectrum lamps are recommended in addition to natural light. It is necessary to protect home-grown peppers from drafts and direct sunlight.

You can fertilize with nitrogen fertilizers, but potassium salt and potassium chloride will destroy the roots of the plant. With proper care, pepper on the windowsill can delight with fruits for up to two years.

Cherry tomatoes

Varieties : "pygmy", "bonsai", "bead" and others.
Temperature : 23 to 25 ºС.
Harvest : after 90-100 days (depending on the variety).

The soil, as in the case of pepper, is more convenient to buy ready-made. It is recommended to take a cylindrical container: it is better filled with the root system.

First, the seeds are germinated in small pots: buried to a depth of 1.5 cm, covered with cling film and left in a warm place until the first sprouts. When the tomatoes have risen, they dive into a larger and deeper dish.

It is important that the plant receives uniform lighting. To do this, you can hang fluorescent lamps above the "beds" or regularly turn the containers to the window.

Watering should be done carefully: cherry tomatoes are easy to fill. When the plant grows, it is recommended to loosen the soil from time to time and feed it with mineral fertilizers. If necessary, the tomato stem can be tied to a support (wooden skewer or pencil). It is also important to ensure that pests do not appear on the tomatoes.

By the way, not only cherry tomatoes grow well in home gardens, but also ordinary tomatoes.

cucumbers

Cucumbers grown on the window

Varieties : “room Rytov”, “miracle on the window”, “ant” and others.
Temperature : 21 to 24 ºС.
Harvest : after 35-45 days.

For cucumbers, rather large containers are needed, with a volume of at least 6 liters. The soil should be loose, with peat or compost.

At home, self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers grow well. First you need to prepare the seeds: they are poured into a weak saline solution, those that have surfaced are thrown away. Then, suitable seeds are soaked for 20 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate, after which they are washed on wet gauze and planted in the ground (under the film). When the seedlings sprout and grow up, they can be planted in large containers.

Water homemade cucumbers with warm water every day, but with caution. Leaves can also be sprayed with a spray bottle. Potassium nitrate is recommended as top dressing.

When the lashes of cucumbers form and grow, supports should be built for them so that the plant can trail.

Radish

homegrown radish

Varieties : "carmen", "white fang", "celeste F1" and others.
Temperature : 18 to 20 ºС.
Harvest : after ≈40 days.

It is recommended to plant radishes in wooden or clay containers, but ordinary plastic cups can also be used. Loose, well-drained soil is needed. Seeds can be checked for germination before planting, like cucumbers. After that, they need to be buried to a depth of 1-3 cm.

After planting, the soil must be watered and covered with a film. When shoots appear, the "greenhouse" is removed. Radishes, as a rule, do not dive. But sometimes they put it for two or three days in a lower temperature regime - about 15 ° C. This hardens the plant and contributes to a better harvest.

Five days after the appearance of the first shoots, organic top dressing is carried out, and two weeks later - mineral. Water the radish abundantly as it dries. It is also important that the air in the room where it grows is not dry.

Spinach

homemade spinach

Varieties : "virofle", "gaudry", "gigantic" and others.
Temperature : 15 ºС.
Harvest : after ≈40 days.

Spinach belongs to vegetable greens and is considered very useful. To grow it at home, you need containers 15-20 cm high. Ready-made soil mixtures can be used. The main thing is that peat is included in their composition.

It is recommended to soak the seeds in water for a day before planting. Sowing is carried out to a depth of 1–2 cm. To accelerate germination, containers can be covered with a film. Spinach germinates about a week after planting, then it can be dived.

In winter, when the heating is on in the apartment and when the daylight hours are short, it is recommended to illuminate the plant with lamps and spray it with a spray bottle (in addition to watering).

The crop can be harvested when the spinach reaches 7–10 cm in height.

Basil

Varieties : "Marquis", "lemon", "Baku" and others.
Temperature : from 22 to 24 °C.
Harvest : after 50-55 days.

Basil is one of the most fragrant and favorite spices. At the same time, it is quite unpretentious and grows well on the windowsill.

Basil is planted immediately in large containers (with a volume of at least 1.5 liters). First you need to prepare the soil for planting: pour twice with mineral fertilizers with an interval of five days. The seeds are deepened by 1–1.5 cm. Until the plant sprouts, it must be watered every two days. Further watering is carried out daily, preferably in the morning.

green garlic

Varieties : "Kharkiv", "anniversary" and others.
Temperature : from 18 to 25 °C.
Harvest : after 15-20 days.

As a rule, garlic bulbs are used in cooking. But the green shoots (arrows) are also suitable for gastronomy: they are suitable for making marinades and sauces.

Varieties of garlic are divided into two groups: winter and spring. The latter usually do not give arrows, therefore they are not suitable for growing at home.

For those who have ever grown onions on a windowsill, garlic will not be difficult to deal with. You need to take winter-grade garlic cloves, preferably with sprouted sprouts. Any soil mixture can be taken. Each clove is planted to a depth of 2-3 cm and at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other. Once planted, be sure to water.

The container with garlic should be kept on the most lit window in the house. Water as the soil dries out. From time to time, you can feed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

Mint

Temperature : 20 to 25 °C.
Harvest : after ≈60 days.

Mint has a fairly branched root system, so for planting it, you should take a deep and wide container. The soil is recommended to use peat, varieties - any.

There are two ways to plant mint: seeds and cuttings. The latter is shown in the video below.

To grow mint from seeds, you need to plant them in the ground to a depth of about 5 mm and water. To create a greenhouse effect, you can use a film. Before germination (about two weeks later), the ground should be sprinkled with water every day. After germination, mint must be planted.

Mint is unpretentious. In summer, it must be protected from direct sunlight, and in winter from lack of light and excessive watering. From time to time, the plant can be fed with organic mixtures.

Mature plants can reach a meter in height. As a rule, they have a lot of leaves - there will almost always be mint for tea or homemade mojito.

Strawberry

Varieties : "autumn fun", "home delicacy", "garland" and others.
Temperature : from 18 to 20 °C.
Harvest : after ≈30 days.

Ampel remontant varieties of strawberries are suitable for a home garden. They bear fruit all year round and are not too picky about light. Strawberries can be planted in any soil mix. But first, drainage (expanded clay, small pebbles) should be poured to the bottom to protect strawberries from stagnant water.

Strawberries can be grown from seedlings or seeds. Both are sold in gardening stores.

Seeds are planted in small containers (for example, plastic glasses), watered abundantly and covered with cling film. After the appearance of the first shoots, the film is removed and the seedlings are placed in a well-lit place. When three or four leaves are formed, strawberries dive into larger containers.

This plant loves light. When days are shorter than nights, artificial lighting should be used. Watering and spraying are carried out as the soil dries. Strawberries are easy to fill.

Solutions with a significant iron content are used as top dressing. During active growth, strawberries become overgrown with mustaches, they need to be tied to supports.

As you can see, growing vegetables, herbs and even berries in a city apartment is not difficult and even exciting.

Estonian startup offers its own automatic mini-farms for growing greens

Estonian startup Click & Grow is working on a technology for growing greens in urban areas. An automatic, refrigerator-sized, vertical smart farm keeps track of the amount of water, nutrients, and lighting that plants need. Minimal maintenance and a drastically reduced amount of water required for growth are interesting features of the farm that can make it popular.

Click & Grow are no strangers to growing plants in cities. A few years ago they had a super-successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, and now they offer "smart pots" and "smart gardens" to everyone. These devices are also designed for growing plants at home. One plant grows in a pot, three in a garden. This is not much, but they also take up space, like a regular flower pot. But, unlike the pot, everything is done automatically.

Smart garden from C&G

Vertical Mini Farm

The unique Smart Soil technology, in the development of which Russian scientists also took part, allows the use of sponge material instead of ordinary earth. It does not compact over time, nutrients are not washed out of it, and it is well permeable to oxygen, which is necessary for plant growth. The smart gardens are equipped with LED lighting, ideal for plant growth, and supply them with just the right amount of water, which only needs to be topped up once a month.

instead of a refrigerator. Vegetarian joy.

While vertical farms are not yet available for general sale, prototypes are already being assembled on order. If it is as simple and cost-effective to operate as the startup's previous products, then the potential for its use is very wide. After all, agriculture is the largest consumer of fresh water, for example, in the United States, farmers use up to 80% of all water consumed by residents. In parts of the world where water is scarce, or in large crowded cities where fresh greens have to be delivered from afar, the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bconserving water, coupled with growing greens "in place" will certainly receive support. After all, even if it is useless to drink yogurt, then no one will argue about the benefits of consuming greens.

Vertical farms in urban areas have long been planned to be built. And they can indeed use 70-80% less water than conventional farms. But their cost, due to the high complexity of the hydroponic system, is tens of thousands of dollars. Smart Farm, on the other hand, the creators promise to deliver at a price of only $1,500. And if not everyone can put such a farm next to the refrigerator, surely large supermarkets will be interested in the opportunity to sell super-fresh greens grown right in the warehouse.

You can save a lot of money by growing these foods at home.

Growing plants from seeds is correct and logical, but it is truly unusual to grow vegetables and fruits from their remains. Does it take more time? Yes. Does it make going to the store easier? Definitely! Let's get started then?

Level 1: beginner gardener

Green onions are the easiest thing you can grow at home. Change the water every day, and you will see the result in a week.

2. You can grow garlic sprouts (they are edible) from a garlic clove.

Or you can use just the garlic itself after it has grown.

3. You can grow a variety of romaine lettuce from the bottom.

Lettuce does not require soil to grow, but if you do grow it in soil, its leaves will be twice as large. By the same principle, you can grow cabbage.

4. Try sprouting carrot tops using only the top of the carrots.

At first glance, it looks more like a school experiment than what you're about to eat. Carrot tops can be slightly bitter, but you can chop some garlic into them, add vinegar and honey to sweeten them.

The supply of basil can be literally endless. Change the water as often as possible so that the plant does not become covered with mucus.

Level 2: Confident Amateur

6. Lemongrass also grows from the bottom of its stem...

The bottom of the lemongrass stem is too hard to cook, so it can be used to grow new stock without having to throw away half of the plant. Leave the lemongrass pieces in the water for about three weeks. When you see that the roots have appeared, then transplant them into the soil and place them on a sunny windowsill.

7. ... like celery.

Looks strange, right? Leave part of the celery in the water for three days, then be sure to transplant it into the soil.

8. But the onion germinates from the bottom of the bulb.

It seems strange that you can just cut off part of the bulb, plant it in the soil, and after a while, something magical will happen.

It is grown in the same way as celery.

Level 3: Experienced Gardener

10. A small tree grows from an avocado seed.

A stone can only germinate from a ripe fruit, but before planting, the stone must be removed from the fruit. Growing avocados requires a lot of attention. In order for the first avocados to germinate, the plant will need from 5 to 13 years. If you are confident and have a lot of free time, then why not?

For this:

1. Wash the seed. Using three toothpicks, insert them into the part of the seed that is not in the water.
2. Place it in a warm place with direct sunlight and change the water as needed. You will see the roots and stem grow in about two to six weeks.
3. When the base is 15-17 cm long, cut it to about 7-8 cm.
4. When the roots are thicker and the base has green leaves, transplant it into a pot of humus-rich soil, planting only half the seed.
5. Water the plant often. Generally, the soil should be moist, but not wet. Yellowish leaves are a sign that there is too much water. If this happens, then stop watering the plant for a few days.
6. The more sunlight, the better.
7. If the leaves turn brown and dry at the tips, this indicates that too much salt has accumulated in the soil. In this case, pour some water and let it soak into the soil for a few minutes.
8. When the base has grown to 30 cm tall, cut it back to 15 cm to allow new shoots to grow.
9. Don't expect your houseplant to bear fruit. Although this does happen sometimes, it usually requires transplants. A plant grown from seed will take 5 to 13 years to flower and fruit. Fruit on trees grown from seed is rarely suitable for consumption.

11. Sweet potatoes sprout from which new fruits will appear.

Sweet potatoes grow from shoots, not from seeds or potato pieces like white potatoes do. Sweet potatoes can be grown in both water and soil (only half of the tuber should remain in the soil).

To grow in water, place the tuber in a cup of water, but poke wooden sticks (you can use toothpicks) on both sides and then it will begin to grow faster. You can put a cup, both on the window and on the refrigerator - there will be no difference in the growth of the plant. When grown in water, you can get about 50 shoots from one tuber.

Over time, he will need much more space.

In the soil, potatoes also grow quite quickly. It is much more convenient to grow potatoes in the garden. If the regrown potato leaves lie in the soil for a long time, then later they can also bear fruit. These leaves can be eaten, because. they are edible and you can find recipes for making them. But when growing outside, don't forget that potatoes are very sensitive to cold.

Shoots can germinate only after a few months and only after a year expect a harvest, but at least this venture will not require special expenses.

Prepare a few rhizomes that already have buds. You will notice greenish shoots at the tops of the rhizomes. Roots should be large and healthy. Cut them into pieces so that each of them has a process. If they dry out, they most likely won't germinate. Soak ginger in water overnight.

Fill the pot with soil and plant the rhizomes upside down. Lightly press the rhizomes into the soil and pour some water. If you live in a cold climate, then put the pot on the sunny side, and sat in a hot climate, then on the shady side. Ginger is a tropical plant and loves the heat, but it does not tolerate too much sun in this climate.

Water the plant periodically and be patient. It may take quite a long time (from 3 months) before the first sprouts appear.

13. Try growing a pineapple from its top.

That's right, you can grow a pineapple right at home, but it will take about 3 years.

Step 1. Purchase a mature pineapple from any grocery store that has healthy, green leaves (not yellow or brown) and a golden brown skin. Your best bet is to try and grow two pineapples just in case one of them doesn't germinate. If you decide that you bought too many pineapples than you can eat, then just cut them and freeze them. Frozen pineapples taste great!

Prepare the top. Take the whole top with all the leaves and twisting try to pluck it with a small part of the stem (If you just cut off the top, you will have to remove all excess fruit pulp, otherwise the rotting processes can kill the whole fruit). After separating the stem, carefully slice off small, horizontal sections from the bottom of the top until you see the root buds, which look like small dots or circles on the cut surface. Cut as little as possible to avoid cutting off the base, which should then sprout. Once the top is done, let it dry for a couple of days before moving on to the next step.

Let the roots grow from the top. Place the top in a clear glass vase of water and change the water every few days. Place the vase further away in a neutral temperature location (not too hot or too cold), such as on top of a refrigerator. After three weeks, you should be able to see the germinating root.

Step 4 As soon as the roots appear, transplant the pineapple into a clay pot filled with potting soil, with perlite on the bottom. A clay pot 45 cm in diameter with a drainage system would be ideal for this. The layer of perlite should be approximately 5 cm at the bottom of the pot before adding the mixture.

The soil should always be slightly damp (not wet, which will start rotting, and not dry). It will take 6 to 8 weeks for the stem to emerge and strong roots begin to sprout. Don't speed up this process.

Over time, you will begin to notice that the leaves that were originally on the pineapple will begin to die off and turn brown, but new ones will grow to replace them. Cut off dead leaves throughout the year, and water the pineapple no more than once a week. If they grow, then everything is going as it should. As soon as a year has passed, the plant will need to be transplanted.

Step 5. Transplant.

When transplanting, avoid getting soil between the leaves. As the pineapple and its roots grow, it will also need to be transplanted into an even larger pot.

In winter, pineapple stops growing, but with the onset of spring, growth should resume. If this does not happen, then gently pull it out of the soil and check the roots. Change the soil mixture if necessary.

Pineapple is a tropical plant and cold temperatures can easily kill it.

Pineapples need at least 6 hours of bright light each day. During the summer, place the plant on the sunny side of a windowsill or even in the garden.