What vegetables are suitable for growing on a balcony in spring, and what soil is best?

Besides helping to cultivate the mind and character, tending flowers and plants can also help retirees pass the time, and for housewives they are of course a source of pollution-free vegetables. Spring is the season for vegetable growth, so today we recommend a plant suitable for growing on the balcony; each pot can serve as a plant and also as a vegetable.

Spinach

Spinach is one of the easiest vegetables to find on the market. Grown at home, its leaves take on an umbrella shape and are actually very pleasing to the eye. In terms of nutritional value, it contains vitamin A, vitamin C, chlorophyll, potassium, dietary fiber and folic acid, making it quite suitable for people with anemia and for pregnant women. Sowing starts from March to May, when the temperature is suitable, and spinach can generally be harvested in about 1 month.

For care, spinach is a fairly cold-tolerant vegetable; it can still germinate even when winter temperatures drop below 4°C. As for soil, it prefers slightly alkaline soil, and it is recommended to mix 3 parts garden soil with 1 part coarse river sand as the growing medium. For watering, whenever the soil is slightly dry, water it thoroughly. After sowing, once the plants grow to 20-25 cm they can be picked and eaten.

Baby bok choy

Baby bok choy, also called Shanghai bok choy or chick-feather greens, is rich in vitamins, minerals and vitamin C. Eating it often can promote skin cell metabolism, prevent rough skin and delay aging. Once the baby bok choy is grown, it also forms a big green potful, giving a great sense of accomplishment.

For care, it likes sunlight, and its growing temperature is above 15°C. When sowing, be careful to cover the seeds with about 1 cm of thin soil; this prevents the seeds from being washed away when watering and also prevents birds from stealing and eating the seeds. After the seeds sprout, watering should mainly keep the soil moist. When the seedlings grow to 3-4 leaves, they need to be watered once a week with diluted fertilizer water.

Cilantro

Cilantro is an annual herbaceous plant of the genus Coriandrum in the family Apiaceae, and it is commonly seen in flower markets in spring and autumn. Its unique fragrance after growing can increase appetite, and it is one of the commonly used side ingredients in cooking. It is recommended to buy seeds from the market in spring; after the temperature gradually rises, this is most favorable for seed germination and seedling growth. If you want to save effort, you can also directly buy ones with roots from the market, and they can also be kept alive.

For care, the suitable growing temperature is 17 to 20°C. For soil, ordinary garden soil is all that is needed, and for watering afterward, follow "water when dry, stop when wet."

\