Photo:Press service of Yulia Mikhalkova Start with a couple of packets of seeds. Since childhood, I remember how my granny planted vegetables, made them, which we then ate all winter. She still has a vegetable garden, and my mother grows carrots, beets, and greens at her dacha. I decided to create my own beds after I, together with like-minded people, organized a series of exhibitions in my native Sverdlovsk region, where farmers presented their harvest. There we distributed seeds of popular agricultural crops. I brought a few packets home and thought: why shouldn't I try to grow greens? Learn from my elders. My granny, of course, was my main advisor. She suggested that the soil should be fertilized, for example, with peat. And loosened well. And even better, rub the lumps of earth with your hands, so to speak, prepare a soft "bed" for the seeds. Some scientist friends from the Sverdlovsk Agricultural Institute gave me several scientific recommendations. They explained how to set up a drainage system by putting a layer of expanded clay (a porous building material made of clay. — Ed. "Antenna") on the bottom of the box, which will ensure water circulation. It will not stagnate, and the seeds will not rot. Proper care. I bought seedling boxes made of environmentally friendly material that is resistant to weather conditions. I chose multi-colored ones, which creates a good mood. I installed the boxes on the balcony, planted the simplest things - cilantro, dill, parsley and corn salad. The greens sprouted well, but I had to tinker with the salad. It turned out that it needs to be planted in rows, the distance between which is about 15 centimeters, and the depth is no more than 1.5 cm. You can sow chaotically, but then you will have to carefully thin out the seedlings. After sowing, the soil needs to be watered a little with warm water, and if we want the seedlings to appear faster, then cover with film. You should not water the roots in the sun, so as not to burn the greens, and you need to loosen the soil after the "shower", otherwise a thick crust will form. You need to wait 2-3 weeks for the harvest. Calculate the savings. Investments in a home garden are small. In fact, you need to buy a shovel and seeds, and spend money on fertilizers. All this will more than pay off with the pleasure you get when you collect the first harvest. If before I spent about 100-150 rubles a week on greens, now the expenses are about 60 rubles (I buy extra what I do not grow)! After the first successful experience, I want to plant carrots, beets, onions. I am also thinking about strawberries. Maybe I will buy seedlings next year. I recommend everyone to get such beds. Garden with children - it is very unifying.
