Breeders have tried hard and developed special varieties of cucumbers that provide the opportunity to harvest indoors all year round. Among them, the Balcony F1 cucumber deserves special attention.
Features of indoor cucumber varieties
In all respects, growing indoor cucumbers resembles the procedure for growing indoor flowers. The main conditions are the level of illumination, timely watering and fertilizing. The Balcony indoor cucumber is no exception; it is a medium-branched plant.
Fruiting and flowering of cucumbers take a very long time, for which this species has earned the love of connoisseurs of indoor crops. Productivity is maintained at a very high level. Up to 8 fruit ovaries can be formed from one node. Interestingly, F1 Balcony can be grown not only indoors, but also in open ground.
The main advantages of indoor cucumber varieties:
- ability to self-pollinate;
- good yield;
- early ripening;
- sweetish taste of fruits;
- presentation of Zelentsy.
A beautiful crunch will look appetizing both in a salad and in a jar as a preserve.
No particular deficiencies were identified. As evidenced by reviews from gardeners, the result is very good both when grown indoors and when planted in garden beds. Of course, it is inappropriate to compare it with varieties for open ground, but in its category of indoor cucumbers it is the undisputed leader.
Recommendations for growing cucumbers
The peculiarity of the Balcony F1 cucumber, which is not much of a hassle to grow on a window, is that the variety does not tolerate drafts. This condition is a priority so that the plant can actively grow and develop.
When growing seedlings on a balcony, you need to worry about its insulation in advance. Protection from harmful insects will be required. For this purpose, the balcony is covered with polyethylene or glazed. The whole procedure will not take much time, but the benefits will be tangible.
Balcony F1 cucumbers, which are grown on a window, need protection from insects that can penetrate through open windows. They must be covered with mosquito nets in advance. Direct sunlight is also harmful to indoor cucumbers. Rooms with a large window opening are ideal.For normal growth of one Balcony cucumber bush, you will need a container with a volume of at least 8 liters.
Preparing seeds for sowing
Proper pre-sowing treatment of indoor cucumber seeds can significantly increase yield. It is usually carried out in the second half of winter. The procedure helps to increase the number of female inflorescences, which increases the amount of future harvest.
Sequencing:
- Cucumber seeds should be dried in an oven preheated to 60 °C.
- After this, they are placed in fabric bags and soaked in a special solution consisting of a liter of water, 10 g of superphosphate, 5 g of potassium nitrate, 2 g of zinc sulfate, 10 g of potassium permanganate.
- After soaking is completed, the seeds are placed in the refrigerator and kept there for 5 hours. The temperature should not be lower than -2 °C.
- Germinate the prepared seed on a damp cloth for 2 – 3 days. At this time, it is possible to discard defective seeds that do not show signs of life and do not try to sprout. If they get into the ground, they most likely will not germinate either.
Soil preparation
Indoor cucumbers grow well in loose and fertile soil. Each bush requires at least 6 liters of soil. In this case, the roots will develop well and there will be enough nutrition.
You can not only buy ready-made soil in the store, but you can also prepare it yourself. Experienced gardeners do not trust the store-bought option and do everything themselves. To get the desired result, you just need to mix in equal proportions:
- soil;
- sand;
- ash;
- humus;
- rotten sawdust.
The next step will be disinfection. This is done easily by heating it in a preheated oven.Small insects that were in the soil die, and young plants will be safe.
If it is not possible to prepare the soil, you need to purchase a universal substrate in the store. A good option is soil for growing pumpkins.
Selection of capacity
The ideal container for growing indoor cucumbers would be pots or boxes designed specifically for this purpose. Plants can be sown in a box more densely than in pots. The container must certainly have drainage holes, and the drainage itself must be placed on its bottom.
The containers are filled with a soil mixture in which pre-prepared seeds are planted, and placed on the windowsill. After a couple of months, you will already have a real living curtain, from which you can also harvest a delicious harvest.
Fertilizing and caring for cucumbers
Balcony cucumber requires fertilizer when fruit begins to form. Mineral fertilizers should be applied once every ten days. Natural ingredients are also excellent as fertilizers: tea, wood ash, eggshell infusion.
In order for indoor plants to grow and develop well, you need to monitor the temperature. The most optimal temperature is considered to be between +20 – 22 °C. A decrease in this indicator leads to cucumbers stopping growth or freezing.
With the appearance of the first sprouts of indoor cucumbers, you need to take care of additional lighting. If it is not possible to move the seedlings to a brighter room, you will need to install a fluorescent lamp designed specifically for growing seedlings and flowers.
It must be turned off at night, because otherwise the indoor cucumbers will stretch out and will not rest at all.
Basic care consists of timely watering. Ideally, at the correct temperature, plants are watered once a day.. The amount of water depends on the composition of the selected soil mixture. Under no circumstances should the soil be allowed to dry out or become excessively waterlogged. If there is insufficient moisture, the seedlings die, and if there is excess moisture, the root system begins to rot. If there is a lack of moisture, yellow leaves may appear and fall off over time. In this case, the fruits become bitter and lose their taste.
Pest Prevention
Even when growing cucumbers indoors, you need to be prepared for pests to attack them. Perhaps the main one is the spider mite. To prevent its occurrence, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment with garlic tincture. To do this, take 1 head of garlic per 1 liter of water, chop it and leave for 45 minutes. After this, filter, add a little soap and spray the indoor plants daily.
WITH aphids on indoor cucumbers Tobacco decoction helps to cope. You can get it from a pack of cigarettes, then add a liter of water and boil for 10 minutes. Then add another 0.5 liters of water. To make the aphids disappear, you only need to treat the plants with the resulting mixture once. If you prepare a stronger decoction (from 1.5 packs of cigarettes), you can also deal with whiteflies.
As you can see, growing cucumbers indoors is no more difficult than indoor flowers. Despite the presence of a large garden, indoor vegetable growing makes it possible to eat fresh fruits, if not all year round, then at least at a time when they are still very expensive on the market and there is a risk of buying a product with a high content of substances harmful to the body.The activity is very exciting, not particularly troublesome, and useful.
