Watching something grow is fascinating. Of course, this is especially true of children. With only a few resources and money you can create a small garden for yourselves on the windowsill, in which you can sow seeds together. This increases the anticipation for summer!
Gardening isn’t about right or wrong, it’s about trying things and learning new things. Mistakes can also be made. It is not primarily about being able to harvest as much as possible later on. When the lettuce sprout and the strawberries smell sweet, that is of course still motivating.
Which seeds are suitable?
For small gardeners, for example:
- strawberries
- cress
- radish
- Nasturtium
- snow peas
- spinach
- zucchini
These plants are ideal for beginners because they are quite undemanding and uncomplicated and almost always thrive quickly and magnificently.
Make seed trays yourself
The best time for gardening on the windowsill is around February. The sun should shine in from outside strongly and long enough for the small plants to grow so that you can later place them as young plants outside in a flower box on the balcony or terrace or even in a garden bed. Here they continue to grow until they are ready to be harvested or delight you with their blooms.
What you need:
- potting soil
- growing pots/bowls
- seed
- scissors or cutters
- Pen, wooden spoon handle
- if necessary, balloon shower or small watering can
Upcycle instead of throwing away!
You can easily make the seed trays yourself. For example, from undyed egg cartons . Simply cut off the top and fill both the pack and the top with soil and sow. Place the boxes on a saucer so that the window sill doesn’t get wet, because the boxes will soak through a bit.
Tip: So that the seeds are not immediately washed out again when watering, a so-called balloon shower is well suited, because it releases the water in several fine jets.
Cardboard toilet paper rolls are also great: cut the roll in half. To prevent the soil from falling out again at the bottom, make four short cuts on one open side. Now fold the resulting four flaps inwards to form a kind of floor. Fill the small growing pots on a waterproof saucer with soil and sow your favorite vegetables.
Milk cartons are also great for use as seed trays. Here, however, a cutter or sharp knife is required for cutting open. Lay the empty milk carton on its side and almost completely cut out one of the wide sides. Now you have a kind of bowl. Poke small holes in the bottom so that the water can drain and there is no waterlogging. After planting, place your seed tray on a plate and then put it on the sunny windowsill!
