What are the balcony spinach growing techniques? A step-by-step guide to growing spinach
Winter is coming soon, and many people want to eat fresh green vegetables. In fact, besides buying them at the market, you can also learn to grow spinach yourself on the balcony, so what are the balcony spinach growing techniques? When is the best time to plant?
1. When to grow balcony spinach?
Spinach is divided into two types: pointed-leaf and round-leaf. Among them, pointed-leaf spinach is also called Chinese spinach or winter spinach. It has a relatively good taste, strong cold resistance, and slightly weaker heat resistance. It is suitable for autumn and winter cultivation, and its fruit has angular spines.
Spinach is generally sown from September to October (it can be sown in all four seasons, but the quality of autumn and winter cultivation is better; when growing it in winter in the north, attention must be paid to keeping it warm).
2. Balcony spinach growing techniques
1. Seed soaking: Soak the vegetable seeds in warm water for about 3-5 hours, or in cool water for about 20 hours.
2. Germination: Put the seeds in a wet towel, keep the towel moist, then place them in a spot with a suitable temperature to germinate, and wait until the seeds sprout small white shoots.
3. Sowing: Scatter the seeds in the vegetable-growing pot, then cover them with soil 2-3 times the thickness of the seeds.
4. Watering: It is best to use a spray bottle to spray mist-like water, spraying frequently in small amounts.
5. Fertilizing:
(1) Base fertilizer: Before sowing, mix organic fertilizer and soil evenly in a 1:5 ratio, then evenly fill the mixed soil into the middle and lower part of the soil held in the pot;
(2) Top dressing: We should apply organic fertilizer once a month. The amount of fertilizer depends on the size of the pot. Choose a spot in the pot about 3cm away from the vegetable roots, dig a hole, bury the organic fertilizer in the soil, then water.
3. Precautions for growing spinach on the balcony
1. First of all, spinach seeds are relatively difficult to germinate, so they need to be soaked for 24 hours first.
If you feel this is still not safe enough, you can try the “paper towel germination method”. Take a saucer, put a piece of paper towel on it, place the seeds in the paper towel, and cover with another piece of paper towel. Wet the paper towels, preferably so they are moist but not dripping. Then cover the outside with a layer of film. Or put it in a bag. In this way, over a day, the paper towels can be kept moist.
2. Remember to uncover the outer covering every day to let the seeds breathe for a while. Also, be sure to control the temperature for growing spinach well; it must not be too high or too low, to prevent the spinach seeds from being unable to germinate and grow.