In winter, there is a shortage of vitamins, and fresh fruits and vegetables during this period are quite expensive. There is a good way out of this situation - to grow them at home on the windowsill. The easiest way to grow onions at home. There are several ways to grow onions. In this article we will look at how to grow onions in plastic bottle at home.
In order for onion cultivation to go as expected, you need to prepare for this process in advance. First you need to select the following set of tools and ingredients:
- plastic bottle. For planting onions, it is recommended to use a volume of 3 or 5 liters. It is necessary to use only those left after food products;
- fertile land. It can be bought in winter at any specialized garden store. Fertile soil can also be harvested from your own garden plot in the fall. But in this situation it needs to be disinfected to avoid infecting the plant in the future;
- water;
- sharp, clean scissors or other sharp object;
- directly onion.
In order to properly prepare the bottle, you need:
- First, you need to cut off the neck of a plastic bottle. The resulting hole should be of such a size that the bow can easily fit into it;
- then holes are made on the side. These holes should be slightly smaller than the size of the bulbs. They will act as plugs, preventing soil from falling out of the container. Holes are made using scissors or pierced with a heated iron sharp object;
- After making the side holes, pour fertile soil into the bottom of the bottle to the level of the lower holes. Then you need to put the bulbs through these holes and cover them again with earth to the level of the next holes. The onion should be planted in such a way that the growing point looks outward from the hole. The procedure is repeated until they reach the top hole.
As a result, this method of growing onions in a bottle allows you to place the soil with onions in layers and on small area growing right away is quite a large number of bulbs, which will significantly increase the yield of green feathers. Watering the onions in a bottle should be done in layers, and after planting in a plastic container is completed, watering should be done at your own discretion. At the end of all the manipulations described above, you can return the neck of the bottle to its original place. This technique will greatly simplify the watering procedure.
The resulting container with bulbs must be placed on some kind of pallet and placed on a balcony or windowsill. Do not forget that such onions should be watered periodically. Excess water will flow out of the container into the tray. Therefore, you should monitor the presence of water in it and pour it out in a timely manner, otherwise it will simply begin to overflow over the edges. After some time, green onion feathers will appear from the holes in the bottle. Now you can add vitamins to your winter dishes.
In order to make the structure you built for planting onions more practical and durable, you should adhere to the following tips:
- Do not cut the holes very low, otherwise the water remaining after watering will flow out of the container;
- You need to cut the holes sequentially, each time checking the size of the bulbs to avoid their loss in the future;
- This simple technique will greatly facilitate the process of cutting holes - pour water into the bottle, approximately 1/3 of its volume. Then the container with water needs to be exposed to frost. After the water in it freezes, you can start cutting holes;
- All the above-described manipulations should be done over a basin or sink to avoid contamination of both the floor and your clothes.
When it is not possible to use fertile soil, then toilet paper or paper napkins are placed in a plastic bottle instead. You can also use vermiculite or sawdust as a soil substitute. The use of such substrates will eliminate the appearance of infections and midges, both in the soil and on the plants themselves. Moreover, such a substrate will save you from the need to take preventive measures and disinfect the soil.
By observing the above step by step instructions, you can easily create a correct and durable structure from a plastic bottle, and after a short time you will enjoy greens, and your dishes will become more healthy.
Disadvantages and advantages of this method
Like any growing method, this method has its advantages and disadvantages.
The disadvantages of growing bulbs in plastic bottles include:
- painstaking work, since when cutting holes you need to compare their sizes with the existing bulbs;
- The cutting process is quite labor-intensive, especially if you cut with scissors. This can be avoided by using a hot iron rod, but you should be very careful not to get burned;
- when creating such a bottle structure, even despite all the precautions, you will still get dirty, since you need to water each layer with bulbs. The larger and taller the bottle, the more layers you will have to make;
- you need to constantly monitor the water level in the pan, otherwise you risk contaminating both the window sill and the floor.
But despite these disadvantages, this method has a lot of advantages:
- in a small area (window sill, balcony) you can grow a large number of bulbs. In the case of growing onions for sale, even at home, you can easily create a large plantation;
- The method is very economical and does not require large financial costs. Plastic bottles can be found in abundance in any apartment;
- appearance the created design is much better than when onions are grown simply by placing them in a container of water;
- you can use bottles of various sizes: 1.5, 2, 5, 6, 10 l. It all depends on your needs and growing goals.
This method of growing onions is very beneficial at home, since it allows you to get a good harvest with minimal financial and physical costs. At the same time, the windowsill will be clean, you will not find insects in the house, and there will always be fresh and nutritious greens on your table.
Video “Growing onions in a plastic bottle”
In this video you will find step-by-step instructions for growing onions in a plastic bottle. In this way, you can grow a large amount of greenery in a minimal area.
In our family, everyone, even the children, loves different herbs - parsley, spinach, onions. There is especially a lack of vitamins on the table in winter. So we decided to try growing them ourselves. Tell me how to make a garden in a bottle on the windowsill?
In winter, I really want to pamper myself with vitamins! You can buy greens, but they will not be as tasty and healthy as homemade ones. Or you can easily grow it at home, because there is nothing complicated in this process. All you need is a few plastic bottles, soil, seeds and a light windowsill. Such a garden will not take much time, but the results will be, as they say, obvious - all winter long fresh herbs straight from the garden to the table. So, how to make a garden in a bottle the most in a simple way and what can you grow on it?
Multi-tiered onion bed
Such a garden will not take up much space and will allow you to get more greenery than just growing onions in a pot. To create a multi-tiered bed you will need a plastic bottle. You can take a two-liter bottle, but if there are a lot of people who like to crunch green feathers, it is better to use a five-liter bottle. Onions for planting can be pre-sprouted.
Further manufacturing technology is as follows:
- Wash and dry the plastic bottle well. The main thing is that there are no traces of sweet water or other drinks in it, as they will contribute to the development of mold and destroy the future harvest.
- Cut out the bottom of the bottle (only the central part) - earth will be poured inside through it.
- Next, cut off the top around the neck - it will serve as the bottom.
- Make holes around the entire circumference of the bottle for landing. The size of the holes depends on the desire and method of planting. If you use large bulbs, cut the openings for them accordingly. When planting small bulbs, make holes in a circle with a hot nail. In subsequent rows, place the holes in a checkerboard pattern. You should not make them too close to each other - this will ruin the stability of the structure.
- Place the prepared base upside down in a pot, support it well with pebbles and fill in the drainage. If you wish, you can not turn the bottle over, but place it as usual - on the bottom. Then top part Near the neck there is no need to cut it off at all or simply not cut it all the way so that you can open it slightly and fill it with soil.
- It is advisable to also lay out a drainage layer at the bottom of the mini-vegetable garden.
- Filling the bottle with soil for seedlings also depends on the choice of bulbs. When planting large bulbs, fill the bottle completely with soil at once, making sure that it sinks well. The bulbs themselves will then need to be stuck into the holes made from the outside.
- The technology for planting small bulbs is somewhat different. First, pour a 5 cm layer of earth, lightly compact it. Place the onions in a circle, placing the tails in the small holes made with a nail. Next, sprinkle them with soil and plant the next layers-rows in the same way.
- You can also plant one large or several small bulbs at the top of the garden.
- Fill well with water and place on a bright windowsill.
The garden is ready; further care for it includes regular watering. Also, as the green feathers are extended, the bottle is periodically turned towards the sun.
Mini herb garden
The easiest option for planting spicy herbs such as dill and parsley is to sow them in a cut-off plastic bottle or other plastic container. To do this, make holes at the bottom for drainage, fill the bottle with soil and sow the seeds.
Cover the top of the bottle cling film. After the shoots appear, remove the film. You can plant basil, mint, spinach and even radishes in the same way.
Video on how to grow onions in a plastic bottle
What attracts the most attention is the original tall composition with mysterious exotic plants. Only by looking closely can you determine that an unusual plant is the most common one. green onions, only grown in a very unusual way.
An original way to grow green onions
Onions grow quickly and are not very demanding in terms of temperatures and growing conditions. It has long been grown at home, on window sills and balconies. But the whole problem with forcing green onions indoors is the lack of space to place trays or jars of onions. But a very ingenious way was invented to grow green onions on the windowsill. This is a kind of vertical garden that fits in a regular plastic soda bottle.
When planting, a natural phenomenon was used - heliotropism, or the tendency of all plants to grow upward, towards the light and sunlight. In this case, the sprouts of the onion lying on its side will still try to rise vertically. Using a similar principle, vertical column gardens are set up, where vegetables, strawberries and flowering plants are planted. The results are very decorative and useful compositions that take up very little space, but have enormous returns. In the case of creating a miniature vegetable garden from a plastic bottle, the design is very similar, but a monoculture is used - green onions. When all the greenery grows, a mysterious and funny structure appears on the windowsill - either a postmodern sculpture, or an exotic plant, or an alien from outer space. In fact, this is an absolutely utilitarian and simple structure designed to supply the whole family with green onions during the winter. What needs to be done and how to grow green onions in a plastic bottle?
Creating a frame
To create an original column garden you will need:
- A plastic bottle for any carbonated drinks.
- Sustainable flower pot.
- Land for seedlings.
- Drainage.
- Onion sets or selections, large sprouted onions for the top.
A plastic bottle can have a capacity of 1, 1.5 or 2 liters, it all depends on your desire, the amount of onions available for planting and the width of the window sill. The more space you have, the larger the bottle can be, and the more flavorful onion feathers you'll get.
The bottle and flower pot must be thoroughly rinsed and dried. If there are remains of drinks in the container, they will “bloom”, mold will spread in the soil and ruin your entire endeavor. Remove the cap from a cleanly washed bottle; it will not be needed, and cut off part of the bottom so that the rounding at the transition from the wall to the bottom remains intact. The center portion of the bottom of the bottle is actually cut out. We will fill the soil through this hole.
Read the continuation on the next page by clicking its number below.
Onion house on the windowsill. How to grow onions in a plastic bottle (master class)
To grow onions for greens, you need onion sets, soil for indoor plants and a 5-6 liter plastic bottle.
Preparing the onion house
At the first stage, you need to prepare a house for growing onions on the windowsill. For this we take plastic bottle, in the sides of which holes are made for the heads of the onions. Holes are burned out in the plastic by something hot.
In my case, I was given a handle from an old soldering iron for burning. If you don’t have an old soldering iron at hand, you can take pliers and use them to hold some kind of nail with a head. The diameter of the hole should be larger than the neck of the onion. It is necessary to make it so that the onion grows freely into this hole.
She sat down in the kitchen near the gas stove and began methodically making holes in the bottle. It is most convenient if the bottle has horizontal ribbed stripes. We burn holes in a circle at the same distance from each other.
Don't make my mistake. I made very thick holes in the first bottle, and the onion sets were not very small. That is, it is necessary to calculate the distance between the holes so that a couple of onions are placed side by side, side by side, and their necks lie opposite the holes.
Planting onions in a bottle
To plant, you need to prepare the onions - cut off the necks of the heads of each onion for better germination.
After the onion house has been prepared, you need to pour soil up to the level of the first row of holes, tamp it down and place the cut side of the onion sideways opposite each hole.
Now fill the soil again to the level of the holes in the second row and repeat the procedure of laying out the bulbs.
And so on to the top of our onion house.
And I’ll notice right away. There is no need to fill the soil all the way up. The onion sprouts and raises the ground; it is better to let the ground level be just below the edge of the bottle.
It’s warm on my loggia, so my green onions grow on the windowsill and feel great!
And this is how beautiful it is a week later.
And the eye rejoices from green plants and green onions in the house.
And I also planted onions in the cut-off bottle caps:
Onions in caps are on the windowsill in the kitchen, which is why there is such a big difference in the plants.
This is how I got an onion house and growing onions for greens.
.......2 weeks have passed. And today my onion house looks like this:
Try making a similar onion house. Not difficult at all
Found on the website - dachnica.com
– not only a delicious seasoning for soup, but also a flavorful, fortified addition to salad. When you don’t have your own garden plot, but want fresh herbs, people usually turn to the market or a specialty store. But no one knows how long these greens lay on the counter.
It’s another matter when you can simply tear the grown feathers and, after washing them, eat them. Growing green feathers at home is not as difficult as it seems; you can plant onions in a plastic bottle step by step while performing the necessary steps. The results will not take long to arrive.
Before organizing an onion planting event, you should decide on the type of tear vegetable. In addition, take a large bottle of drinking water, and also prepare the soil for planting.
Do not use containers where chemicals or household chemicals were stored for planting. In this case, the plant will not be able to grow and develop properly. It is best to use jars that contain food or water inside. The volume of the future flowerpot can be any - from 1.5 to 10 liters.
Optimal option: 5-liter container.
The first stage of preparation involves preparing the bottle. You need to make holes in it in a random order. They can be cut with scissors or a knife, but after that they must be burned with fire or, better yet, with a soldering iron. The latter will do its job neatly and without unnecessary expansion of the holes. The perimeter of the hole must be made of such a size that the onion sprout can freely penetrate and grow in breadth. If you leave sharp edges, young feathers will rub against them, thereby damaging them.
It is convenient if there are horizontal stripes on the bottle. Thanks to them, the holes are at the same level. They need to be placed so that the bulbs can be placed side by side, and their necks evenly look out into the open gap. Each next row is staggered to facilitate the germination of feathers so that they do not shade each other. The holes must be located not at the very bottom, but from the second level. This is necessary for watering - stagnant water does not cause the bulbs to rot.
Be sure to make holes in the bottom to allow excess moisture to drain out after watering. It is also necessary to remove part of the bottle from above. It is necessary for ease of planting inside the container and for filling the upper part with seedlings. After performing all the manipulations with the container, you should pay attention to the soil where the heads will sit. The easiest way to purchase garden greens is at a flower shop. It already contains all the nutrients and minerals that stimulate rapid growth of sprouts.
You can also make it yourself. For this you will need garden soil, humus and peat. All ingredients must be mixed in the following proportions:
- 7 parts – peat
- 2 parts – humus
- 1 part - garden soil
The main thing is that you should not use clay soil for planting, as the vegetable will not grow in it. It is necessary to lay drainage at the bottom of the flowerpot.
There are no specific species preferences for planting. This process is based on the gardener's preference. However, when choosing sprouts, it is worth considering that some varieties do not tend to produce green leaves, but are designed to enlarge the bulb.
You should also pay attention to how long it takes for the heads to release their feathers, as well as what kind of care they require. It is best to take a closer look at early ripening varieties.
The most popular varieties for feather forcing are as follows:
- Leek (pearl) - the appearance of its leaves is close to garlic greens, but they are quite wide. The taste of feathers has an interesting aftertaste. It is characterized by high productivity. The type of onion is also known as Tartarian, Fillet, Winter or Sandy.
- Slime - emits a smell when touched. Its foliage is wide and flat, but it has a very delicate structure. Its characteristics are pleasing with a long period of fruiting, as well as rapid ripening. If the heads are located in open ground, then forcing the greenery ends with the first frost. And indoors, splinters are capable of all year round fledge.
- – its leaves have very long feathers, reaching almost 50 cm. They withstand long periods in their original state without turning black or dull. In terms of productivity, it exceeds all types, and also does not require special care.
- – has large yields, is not fussy to care for, and is more suitable for such plantings. Its quantity of produced greens exceeds all other types;
- Egyptian (Canadian) is the most unpretentious species, not afraid of low temperatures.
To grow and get good greens, any variety will do; it is important to choose multi-primed types that have many nests for growth. These include the following varieties: Timiryazevsky, Bessonovsky, Soyuz Chernigovsky, Rostovsky, Spassky.
Thus, the choice of bulb variety depends only on the wishes of the gardener. Highlight for good growth– provide proper conditions for forcing feathers.
Planting onions in a prepared container is not difficult. Drainage is laid out at the bottom - expanded clay or broken bricks are perfect. It is necessary so that the water does not stagnate, but easily seeps through the stones. Next, the fertile substrate is laid. It should be compacted before the first holes begin.
The bulbs are laid out on the poured soil, after cutting off the growing point.
This way it will begin to produce green leaves faster. The cut end should be placed exactly into the hole made. The splinters serve as a kind of plug; the earth does not have the opportunity to fall out. Next, soil is poured until a new layer of holes is formed. The process is repeated until all the holes are completely filled with onions and the space between them with soil.
After planting, the flowerpot should be placed on a deep tray. It is needed to ensure that moisture does not overflow over the edges after watering. There are no deadlines as such. Planting can be done at any time of the year, due to the fact that such plantings will be located and grow at room temperature, in most cases unchanged throughout the year.
Onions do not require special care. Its main whim is periodic watering and good lighting.
- In the first week, it is recommended to place the planted root crops in a well-lit, warm place. This light regime will allow the plants to develop intensively and firmly establish themselves in their place. If the tear vegetable was planted in winter, then it is necessary to highlight it with special ones. Recommended daylight hours are at least 12 hours.
- The temperature for active germination needs to be quite high +25+27 C. In such conditions, the leaves of certain varieties have the opportunity to stretch up to 35 cm and higher.
- The plant responds well to complex feeding. It should not be done very often, once every 4 weeks is enough. diluted according to the instructions and carefully injected into the land with a syringe.
- If the feathers have turned pale, then the cause should be sought in too hot a climate in the room or in cold water when watering. When watering, you need to take only settled water at room temperature. If you take slightly warmed water, the green leaves will grow more intensively. But the best temperature for active growth is not exceeding +17+20 C. Under these conditions, the feathers will have the appearance of a dark green color with a juicy and dense structure.
You can harvest as the leaves grow. But you need to remember that the bulbs are not capable of bearing fruit for a long time; they will need to be replaced. It is also necessary to constantly monitor the color of the greenery. It signals the health of the plantings.
After planting, the first harvest can be carried out within 14 days.
The main point is that you need to control that the leaves do not become overripe - they become lethargic and dull. Thus, properly grown greens can decorate any holiday and remind you of the hot summer. The main thing is to withstand all growing conditions and periodically change the splinters after harvesting.
Over a long period of planting, gardeners have developed a number of advantages and disadvantages of planting in such an unusual container:
- The bottle is a fairly compact flowerpot. Unlike a tray located horizontally, germinating bulbs in a bottle are formed in a horizontal position - in a column, therefore they take up less space and can produce many times more yield.
- Caring for such green pillars is much easier than other growing methods.
- The light spreads over all plantings from all sides, the bottle can be easily turned the right way or hidden from direct sunlight.
- Harvesting is faster and better quality, since all the feathers are clearly visible.
- The plant is less susceptible to disease since the soil is not saturated big amount moisture, and the feathers have the opportunity to be thoroughly ventilated without rotting.
Among the disadvantages, it is necessary to highlight the lengthy process of preparing the container. A painstaking method of cutting holes and matching them to the volume of the bulbs. When cutting, you need to control the entire procedure so as not to cut yourself on sharp edges.
The disadvantages include dirty work with the ground and plastic structure. To keep the window sill clean, do not pour water into the flowerpot so that it splashes out.
However, no matter how many disadvantages one might look for, there are many more advantages for growing in this way. This is not only a fast, but also a useful method. This is especially noted in the spring, when nutrients and vitamins are so necessary.
More information can be found in the video:
