Plant these two vegetables on a small balcony and harvest a crop every 15 days; you can't buy them for 200 yuan, a real money-saver
Gardening friends often have this worry: with a balcony the size of a palm, what exactly is best to grow? Take a look at these recommendations from Huahua: fast-growing, highly nutritious, and reportedly not cheap either!
Crystal ice plant
Crystal ice plant, also called ice plant or ice grass. Because its body is covered with transparent bubbles, under the sunlight they look like ice crystals all over its surface. And the liquid in these bubbles also contains salt, so you don't even need to add salt when cooking!
Growing tips
1. Sowing
Just make sure the soil is loose. You can use special seedling soil, or worm castings and the like. Before sowing, level the soil and water it, then scatter the seeds on the soil surface.
Because the ice plant
's seeds are very small, we only need to cover them with a thin layer of soil. After covering with soil, spray water mist evenly and wait for germination.
2. After-sowing care
The temperature for ice plant seed germination is best kept between 20 and 25°C. Last month the temperature was too high, and many gardening friends' seeds did not germinate.
For water, observe at all times; when you find the soil has dried, water promptly. Once the seedlings grow 4 true leaves, they can be transplanted into a larger flower pot.
In everyday care, note that the ice plant is fairly drought-tolerant, so we can wait until the soil is dry before watering, and appropriate drought helps the formation of the ice crystals!
Harvesting
Generally, after transplanting, we can harvest in 1 month. Its branching ability is especially strong; once the side branches grow to more than 15cm, we can use scissors to cut 10cm below the stem tip.
The ice plant can be harvested multiple times, meaning we can keep picking, and over time you will find that it can also bloom with white flowers, and after the flowers fade you can harvest seeds too.
Cooking recommendation
Wash the harvested ice plant clean, soak it briefly in clean water, drain the water, mix peanut butter with warm water until smooth, pour it evenly over the ice plant, then add a few drops of white vinegar. It melts in your mouth, absolutely a delicacy.
Andrographis paniculata
The Andrographis paniculata mentioned here is not the medicinal kind, but the one commonly seen on dinner tables in recent years, which is actually the heartleaf ice plant we usually grow. Its leaves are edible. I wonder if any gardening friends grow this plant at home?
Growing tips
1. Cuttings
If you want to grow Andrographis paniculata at home, it is actually not that troublesome. We can buy some from the vegetable market, keep one or two before cooking, and just stick them in as cuttings.
Generally choose relatively thick top branches, cut the stems into cuttings about 8cm long, and insert them into relatively loose soil.
2. After-cutting care
After cutting, slowly water thoroughly and place in a cool, ventilated spot. Under normal conditions, they become seedlings in 1 month; their growth speed is super fast.
In everyday care, give it plenty of light, avoid scorching sun in summer, and provide enough water, but be careful not to let water accumulate.
Harvesting
Generally you can harvest 1 week after pinching. Choose tender tips about 7cm long, leave 3 to 4 leaves at the lower part, and once the plant grows larger, we should harvest often.
With each harvest, as long as the temperature is suitable, it can quickly grow new branches, and supplying once every half a month is absolutely no problem.
Cooking recommendation
Wash the harvested Andrographis paniculata clean, blanch it in boiling water until cooked, rinse with cold water, take it out and drain the water, add minced garlic, salt, vinegar, sugar, and chicken essence, mix well and it is ready to eat; it is a very good cold salad.
Two vegetables recommended to everyone
If you are tempted too
then hurry up and take action
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