Prefer on the windowsill: 25 suitable vegetables

Prefer vegetables is an important aspect when cultivating useful plants in Central Europe. Many species cannot be sown early enough outdoors because of the risk of late frosts like the ice saints. If, on the other hand, they are preferred, the seedlings can grow protected for a while and be planted outdoors from the end of spring or the beginning of summer. There are numerous suitable types of vegetables to enjoy on your own windowsill and enable an effective start to the season.

time

Before deciding on different types of vegetables on your windowsill, you need to consider one important element: the timing. The date for sowing decides when the seeds are put into the substrate so that germination can then begin. Most vegetables are sown on the windowsill from February to May so that they can be planted out after the ice saint at the latest. This is especially true for plants that have a long germination period ahead of them. Within a month there are four possible time frames for sowing:

• beginning of the month
• middle of the month
• End of month
• throughout the month

This makes it easier for you to set a precise date for the sowing. Below you will find numerous types of vegetables with the time of sowing. This will give you an overview of the possible appointment.

Please note: the time of sowing depends heavily on where you live, which can affect the germination time of the seeds. If you live in a southern region of Germany, you can germinate light much faster than in the north or other regions that have less sunshine and therefore better for dark germs are suitable.

Location

Before you can start sowing, you need to choose and prepare the site well. You cannot just put the nursery pots on every window sill, as 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 enough light. This is the case even with dark germs. The seeds do not need light, but the seedlings do. Dark germs should be moved to a light location at the latest from the first visible seedling. Light germs can be positioned right from the start. No further repositioning is required. The warmth is just as important, but it must not be too dry. Heaters under the window sill should be avoided in any case. If you do not have a conveniently aligned south or west window, the use of plant lamps is necessary.

Tip: If you struggle with dry air, all you need to do is sprinkle a little water with the spray bottle near the nursery 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 can take a warm window sill and are great starters to germinate. Others, on the other hand, are hardly suitable for this measure, as they do not thrive well in planters. An example of this are radishes or carrots. Nevertheless, there are 25 types of vegetables that can be easily grown behind glass and that do not require a greenhouse or the like.

Tip: In addition to vegetables, it is worthwhile to give preference to herbs on the windowsill at the same time, which puts the timing of sowing and planting on overlapping dates. Parsley, thyme, marjoram, sage, savory, garden cress, mugwort, basil, garden cress, coriander, chives, borage and chervil are particularly good for the windowsill.

February: 8 suitable vegetables

February starts the early season on the windowsill. Only vegetables that have a long germination time ahead of them and are dependent on warm temperatures are used for this month. A variety of Nightshade family (bot. Solanaceae) are part of it, as these are not typical for Central Europe and therefore take significantly longer to be ready. Compared to the vegetables that are sown later, they have to cope with less light, which may make the use of a plant lamp necessary.

It is also important to take care of the seedlings regularly, as they can dry out very quickly. At this time of year the heating is still running at full speed. The following 8 types can be preferred from February:

1. tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)

• Type of germ: light germ
• Sowing time: mid-February to the end of February
• Planting: from mid-May (after Eisheiligen)

2. Eggplant (Solanum melongena)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: beginning of February to end of February
• Planting: from the end of May

3. paprika (Capsicum annuum)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: mid-February to the end of February
• Planting: from mid-May (after Eisheiligen)

4. Hot peppers and chillies (Capsicum frutescens / Capsicum annuum)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: mid-February to the end of February
• Planting: from mid-May (after Eisheiligen)

5. celery (Apium graveolens)

• Type of germ: light germ
• Sowing time: mid-February to the end of February
• Planting: from mid-May (after Eisheiligen)

6. Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: mid-February to the end of February
• Planting: mid-April

7. Beetroot (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: mid-February to the end of February
• Planting: early June

8. onion (Allium cepa)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: beginning of February to end of February
• Planting: March to April

March: 8 suitable vegetables

From March you can look forward to a multitude of vegetables that grow in the 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 polytunnels or in a greenhouse even before the ice saints. Tomatoes are pricked at this point and can move into their own containers until they are planted out. The following list gives you an overview of 8 suitable vegetables that can be sown from March onwards:

1. leek (Allium ampeloprasum)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: beginning of March to end of March
• Planting: from the end of March

2. Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: beginning of March to end of March
• Planting: from April

3. broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: mid-March to the end of March
• Planting: mid-May to late July

4. Salads (Lactuca sativa species)

• Type of germ: light germ
• Sowing time: beginning of March to end of March
• Planting: from April

5. Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana)

• Type of germ: light germ
• Sowing time: beginning of March to end of March
• Planting: mid-May (after the ice saints)

6. artichokes (Cynara cardunculus)

- Type of germ: dark germ
- Sowing date: beginning of March to end of March
- Planting: mid-May (after the ice saints)

7. parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: mid-March to the end of March
• Planting: mid-May (after the ice saints)

8. Radishes (Raphanus)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: beginning of March to end of March
• Planting: April to August

April: 6 suitable vegetables

April is the time for all kinds of cabbage and pumpkins. As the days get warmer, these species get enough light, which allows them to germinate quite quickly. Since these are the species that take up a lot of space, you must ensure that there is enough space on the windowsill and only select the strongest specimens when pricking out. With the numerous pumpkin varieties in particular, the space available can be used up very 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 time: mid-April to the end of April
• Planting: late May

2. Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: mid-April to the end of April
• Planting: late May

3. pumpkin (Cucurbita species)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: beginning of April to end of April
• Planting: mid-May (after the ice saints)

4. zucchini (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo convar. giromontiina)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: beginning of April to end of April
• Planting: mid-May (after the ice saints)

5. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: beginning of April to end of April
• Planting: mid-May (after the ice saints)

6. Head cabbage (Brassica oleracea convar. capitata)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: mid-April to the end of April
• Planting: late May

May: 3 suitable vegetables

May is the last month in which it is worth putting vegetables on the windowsill. From June onwards, sowing outdoors is preferable. Since many of the plants that have been grown will be planted outdoors from May onwards, you will have enough space available again, which you can use for other species. The last 3 species presented to you in this article don't really take long to germinate and plant out too. These include:

1. fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: beginning of May
• Planting: early June to August

2. Haricot beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: beginning of May to end of May
• Planting: mid-May to mid-June

3. Sweet corn (Zea mays)

• Type of germ: dark germ
• Sowing time: beginning of May to end of May
• Planting: early June to late June

Prefer vegetables: procedure

Once you have decided on a type of vegetable, all you have to do is proceed in the right way to successfully cultivate the plants from the seeds. The following guide will help you:

• Fill the growing vessels with substrate
• Sow seeds
• Sprinkle light germs 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 the plants
• Put in pots with a suitable substrate
• Substrate depending on type
• Maintain until the planting date

Choose a good quality substrate for growing. Since the vegetables only have to get by with the nutrients in the potting soil until they are planted or repotted, better quality is significantly more effective for the vitality of the seedlings. With the cultivation containers, on the other hand, you can rely on your personal preference. The process turns out to be quite simple if you have selected one of the vegetables above to be preferred on the windowsill.