You can grow these two kinds of vegetables on a palm-sized balcony and eat a crop every 15 days. You can’t buy them even if you spend 200 yuan!

Crystal Ice Vegetable

Crystal ice plant, also known as ice plant and ice grass. Because its body is covered with transparent bubbles, under the sunlight, they look like ice crystals hanging all over the body. And the liquid in these bubbles also contains salt, so you don’t need to add salt when cooking!

Planting Tips

1. Planting

The soil just needs to be loose. You can use special soil for seedlings, or earthworm soil, etc. Level the soil and water it before sowing, and then sprinkle the seeds on the soil surface.

Because the seeds of ice plant are very small, we only need to cover them with a thin layer of soil. After covering the soil, spray water evenly and wait for germination.

2. Post-sowing management

The temperature for the germination of ice plant seeds is best controlled between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. Last month, the temperature was too high and the seeds of many vegetable friends did not germinate.

As for water, you need to observe it at all times. If you find the soil is dry, water it in time. When the seedlings grow 4 true leaves, you can transplant them into a larger pot.

In daily maintenance, we should pay attention to the fact that ice plant is a relatively drought-resistant plant. We can wait until the soil is dry before watering it, and appropriate drought is conducive to the formation of ice crystals!

Harvest

Generally, we can harvest it one month after transplanting. Its ability to divide is particularly strong. We wait until the side branches grow to more than 15 cm, and then we can use scissors to cut them off 10 cm below the tip of the stem.

Ice plant can be harvested many times, which means we can pick it continuously, and after a long time you will find that it can bloom white flowers, and the seeds can be harvested after the flowers fade.

Cooking Recommendations

Wash the picked ice plants, soak them in clean water, drain them, mix the peanut butter with warm water, pour it evenly on the ice plants, and then add a few drops of white vinegar. It tastes delicious and is absolutely a delicacy.

Andrographis paniculata

The Andrographis paniculata mentioned here is not the kind used for medicinal purposes, but the one that has become common on the dining table in recent years. It is actually the Chlorophytum comosum that we usually grow. Its leaves are edible. I wonder if any flower lovers have planted this kind of flower at home?

Planting Tips

1. Cutting

If you want to grow Andrographis paniculata at home, it is actually not that troublesome. We can go to the vegetable market to buy some, leave one or two before cooking, and then directly plant them by cuttings.

Generally, choose the thicker top branches, cut the stems into cuttings about 8 cm long, and insert them into relatively loose soil.

2. Post-insertion management

After cuttings, slowly water them and place them in a cool and ventilated place. Under normal circumstances, seedlings can be grown in 1 month. Its growth speed is super fast.

In daily maintenance, it is necessary to give it sufficient light, avoid exposure to the summer sun, and provide sufficient water, but be careful not to allow water to accumulate.

Harvest

Generally, it can be harvested one week after pinching. Choose the tender tips about 7 cm in length, leaving 3 to 4 leaves at the bottom. When the plant grows up, we need to harvest frequently.

Each time it is harvested, as long as the temperature is right, it can quickly grow new branches, and it is definitely fine to supply it once every half a month.

Cooking Recommendations

Wash the picked Andrographis paniculata, blanch it in boiling water, rinse it with cold water, take it out and drain the water, add minced garlic, salt, vinegar, sugar, and chicken essence, mix well and eat. It is a very good cold dish.