Preferring vegetables is an important aspect of cultivating crops in Central Europe. Many species cannot be sown early enough outdoors, as there is a risk of late frosts such as the Ice Saints. If, on the other hand, they are brought forward, the seedlings can grow protected for a while and can be planted outdoors from the end of spring or the beginning of summer. There are numerous suitable types of vegetables to grow on your own windowsill and enable an effective start to the season.
time
Before deciding on different types of vegetables for your windowsill, you need to consider one important element: timing. The date for sowing decides when the seed is placed in the substrate so that germination can then begin. Most types of vegetables are sown on the windowsill from February to May so that they can be planted out after the Ice Saints at the latest. This is especially true for plants that have a long germination period ahead of them. Within a month there are four timeframes that are eligible for sowing:
- beginning of the month
- middle of the month
- end of the month
- over the entire month
This makes it easier for you to set a precise date for sowing. Numerous types of vegetables are presented below with the time of sowing. This will give you an overview of the possible date.
Please note: the time of sowing depends heavily on where you live, which can affect the germination time of the seed. If you live in a southern region of Germany, you can prefer light germs much faster than in the north or other regions that have less sun and are therefore better suited for dark germs.
location
Before you can start sowing, you need to choose and prepare the site well. You can't just put the seed pots on every window sill because they have to meet certain characteristics. Above all, the amount of light is crucial here, as there are light and dark germs. The location should be as follows:
- Temperature: warm
- air not too dry
- Avoid drafts
- Light requirement: bright
The individual planters should always be supplied with sufficient light. This is the case even with dark germs. Although the seed does not need light, the seedlings do. At the latest from the first visible seedling, dark germs should be moved to a bright location. Light germs can be positioned from the start. Another conversion is not necessary. Warmth is just as important, but it must not be too dry. Heaters under the window sill should be avoided at all costs. If you don't have a conveniently facing south or west window available, the use of plant lamps is necessary.
Tip: If you are struggling with a dry air, all you have to do is sprinkle a little water with the spray bottle near the growing pots. Over time, this regulates the humidity, which has a positive effect on germination and vegetation until planting out.
Prefer vegetables on the windowsill
When looking for suitable types of vegetables for the windowsill, the choice is not always clear for many garden owners. There are numerous plants that tolerate a warm window sill and start germinating excellently. Others, on the other hand, are hardly suitable for this measure, as they only thrive poorly in planters. An example of this is radishes or carrots. Nevertheless, there are 25 types of vegetables that can easily be grown behind glass and for which no greenhouse or the like is necessary.
Tip: In addition to vegetables, it is worth growing herbs on the windowsill at the same time, which means that the time for sowing and planting overlaps. Parsley, thyme, marjoram, sage, savory, garden cress, mugwort, basil, garden cress, coriander, chives, borage and chervil are particularly suitable for the windowsill.
February: 8 suitable vegetables
February starts the season for pulling up on the windowsill. For this month, only vegetables that have a long germination period ahead of them and depend on warm temperatures are used. A large number of nightshade plants (bot. Solanaceae) are included, as these are not typical of Central Europe and therefore take significantly longer to be ready. Compared to the vegetables that are sown later, these have to cope with less light, which may require the use of a grow lamp.
It is also important to take care of the seedlings regularly, as they can dry out very quickly. At this time of year, the heaters are still running at full blast. The following 8 types can be brought forward from February:
1. Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)
- Type of germination: light germ
- Sowing date: mid-February to late February
- Planting: from mid-May (after Eisheiligen)
Solanum lycopersicum
2. Eggplants (Solanum melongena)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: early February to late February
- Planting: from the end of May
3. Peppers (Capsicum annuum)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: mid-February to late February
- Planting: from mid-May (after Eisheiligen)
4. Hot peppers and chillies (Capsicum frutescens/Capsicum annuum)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: mid-February to late February
- Planting: from mid-May (after Eisheiligen)
5. Celery (Apium graveolens)
- Type of germination: light germ
- Sowing date: mid-February to late February
- Planting: from mid-May (after Eisheiligen)
6. Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: mid-February to late February
- Planting: mid-April
7. Beetroot (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: mid-February to late February
- Planting: early June
8. Onion (Allium cepa)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: early February to late February
- Planting: March to April
Allium cepa
March: 8 suitable vegetables
From March you can already look forward to a variety of vegetables that grow at home and therefore do not have to be sown so early. These are some that even tolerate frost very well and can therefore be planted outdoors, under the polytunnel or in a greenhouse before the ice saints. Tomatoes are pricked out at this point and can move into their own containers until planted out. The following list gives you an overview of 8 suitable vegetables that can be sown from March:
1. Leek (Allium ampeloprasum)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: early March to late March
- Planting: from the end of March
2. Chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: early March to late March
- Planting: from April
3. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: mid-March to late March
- Planting: mid-May to late July
4. Salads (Lactuca sativa species)
- Type of germination: light germ
- Sowing date: early March to late March
- Planting: from April
5. Cape Gooseberry (Physalis peruviana)
- Type of germination: light germ
- Sowing date: early March to late March
- Planting: mid-May (after the ice saints)
6. Artichokes (Cynara cardunculus)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: early March to late March
- Planting: mid-May (after the ice saints)
Cynara cardunculus
7. Parsnips (Pastinaca sativa)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: mid-March to late March
- Planting: mid-May (after the ice saints)
8. Radishes (Raphanus)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: early March to late March
- Planting: April to August
April: 6 suitable vegetables
April is the time for all kinds of cabbage and squash. As the days get warmer, these species receive enough light, which allows them to germinate quite quickly. Since these are the species that take up quite a lot of space, you must ensure that there is sufficient space on the windowsill and only select the strongest specimens when pricking out. Especially with the numerous pumpkin varieties, the available space can be used up quite quickly, even with young plants. The following 6 types are suitable for this:
1. Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: mid-April to late April
- Planting: end of May
2. Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: mid-April to late April
- Planting: end of May
3. Pumpkin (Cucurbita species)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: early April to late April
- Planting: mid-May (after the ice saints)
4. Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo convar. giromontiina)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: early April to late April
- Planting: mid-May (after the ice saints)
Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo convar. giromontiina
5. Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: early April to late April
- Planting: mid-May (after the ice saints)
6. Head cabbage (Brassica oleracea convar. capitata)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: mid-April to late April
- Planting: end of May
May: 3 suitable vegetables
May is the last month in which it is worth growing vegetables on the windowsill. Sowing outdoors is preferable from June. Since many of the plants grown will be planted outdoors from May, you will have enough space available that you can use for other species. The last 3 species presented to you in this article do not really need long to germinate and can also be planted out. These include:
1. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: early May
- Planting: Beginning of June to August
2. Kidney Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: early May to late May
- Planting: mid-May to mid-June
3. Sweetcorn (Zea mays)
- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: early May to late May
- Planting: early June to late June
Zea mays
Prefer vegetable types: procedure
Once you've decided on a type of vegetable, all you have to do is follow the right steps to successfully grow the plants from seed. The following guide will help you:
- Fill the cultivation vessels with substrate
- sow seeds
- Sprinkle light germinator with a thin layer of substrate
- Press dark germs into substrate (depth depends on species)
- moisten well
- cover with plastic wrap
- optional: use mini greenhouse
- Moisten the substrate regularly during the germination period
- Drought is harmful
- Wait for the first pair of leaves after germination
- then prick out plants
- plant in pots with a suitable substrate
- Substrate dependent on species
- maintain until the planting date
Choose a good quality growing medium. Since the vegetables only have to make do with the nutrients in the potting soil until they are planted out or repotted, better quality is significantly more effective for the vitality of the seedlings. With the growing vessels, on the other hand, you can rely on your personal preference. The procedure turns out to be quite simple if you have selected one of the top types of vegetables to prefer on the windowsill.