The summer season, when a lot of vegetables and fruits grow in the garden, is not as long as we would like, so many people prefer to plant vegetables at home. The main thing is to choose the right drainage. Growing cucumbers on the balcony of a house is practically no different from cultivating a crop in an open area.
The best varieties for growing at home
Not all varieties of cucumbers are suitable for growing on a windowsill. Only those cucumbers that pollinate themselves are suitable. Most often, these are hybrids. They can be grown in pots, plastic bottles or containers.
The following varieties are suitable for growing cucumbers on the balcony in plastic bottles:
- Khutorok
The hybrid variety Khutorok is suitable for growing cucumbers on the windowsill. Although this variety is pollinated primarily by bees, it can also be planted at home. During flowering, you just need to brush a brush over all the inflorescences so that the pollen gets to the female flowers. Medium sized cucumbers. About 10 cm long. Delicious, crispy cucumbers. Well suited for preparing light salads.
- Shchedrik
Balcony conditions are quite suitable for cultivating this variety. The length of the vegetables is about 15 cm. The harvest is good. The hybrid refers to varieties with early ripening of vegetables. The root system is developed. The ripening period is no more than one and a half months. The bush is not tall. Ideal for growing on a windowsill. You can make salads with cucumber or pickle them.
- Khrustik
One of the most productive varieties that are suitable for cultivation on the windowsill. From one bush you can collect about 45 ripe vegetables. The ripening period is from one and a half to two months. The hybrid is self-pollinating. As a rule, 5–7 cucumber ovaries are formed in one ovary.
- Onega F1
Refers to self-pollinating varieties that are suitable for growing cucumbers on the balcony. You can harvest the crop two months after planting cucumber seeds in open ground.
- Emelya
The bushes of this variety are tall, so it is advisable to plant it in large pots. Cucumbers are large. The weight of one vegetable can reach 155 grams. From the moment of sowing the seeds until the appearance of the first fruits, about 55 days pass. You can also plant it outside. The variety has good resistance to cold weather. Vegetables are versatile in cooking.
How to plant cucumbers in the soil
In order for cucumbers to grow healthy, it is necessary to create favorable conditions.Before sowing, planting material must be disinfected.
You can do this as follows:
- Dilute 10 grams in warm water. potassium permanganate.
- Pour the seeds into the water and leave for 45 minutes.
- Then pour out the water and dry the planting material until it becomes free-flowing.
- After this, you can begin planting the seeds in the soil.
It is also important to choose the size of the pot. It shouldn't be too small. If the root system does not have enough space, the plants will become sick or not grow at all.
To increase the germination rate, you can germinate the seeds in advance before planting. To do this you will need gauze, a saucer and warm water.
Wet gauze with warm water and place seeds in it. Cover with a second layer of gauze. Place the saucer in a warm and dark room (possibly on a radiator). After a few days of gauze, the first sprouts will appear. Then you need to plant the germinated seeds in the drainage.
If space allows, you can grow cucumbers in bags on the balcony. It is important to prepare the soil for seedlings. The soil must be nutritious. You can mix manure or chicken droppings with regular soil. If the soil is taken from the garden in the cold season, then before planting it needs to be warmed to room temperature.
The second substrate option for cucumbers includes peat, wood ash, sawdust and turf soil. Mix all ingredients. Place drainage at the bottom of the pots and then cover with soil.
How to grow cucumbers on the balcony
Before planting cucumbers on the balcony, you need to carefully inspect it. Since cucumbers love warmth and sunlight, the windows should face south. If the plants do not have enough sunlight, they will grow poorly and will not set fruit. It is also not advisable for there to be strong drafts in the room.
Growing plants on a windowsill takes place in several main stages:
- Choosing a container for planting seedlings;
- Preparing land for cucumber seedlings;
- Growing seedlings;
- Transplanting seedlings to a permanent place;
- Application of fertilizers;
- Care;
- Pollination;
- Harvesting.
For cucumber seedlings grown at home, special conditions must be created. The container for seedlings should be spacious so that the cucumbers have enough space.
Planting times may vary. Depending on the time by which the cucumber harvest is planned, the loggia should be well heated if the vegetables are grown in the cold season.
Many at growing cucumber seedlings at home I am interested in the question “how much light do seedlings need”? In order for seedlings to grow normally, they need at least 12 hours of sunlight per day. In winter there is practically no sun, so you need to think about artificial lighting. You can place lamps next to the drawers and turn them on regularly.
Cucumber seeds are usually planted in separate peat pots and then transplanted to a permanent place. The seedlings grow quite quickly. You can replant it after the first pair of full leaves appear.
On the balcony, cucumbers are planted in plastic bottles, and not just in containers. Bottles with a volume of 5 liters are suitable for this. You need to make small holes in the sides of the bottle and plant seedlings there (no more than 2 pieces). Cut small holes near the hole and tie strong threads to them. Secure the other end to the window.
Large containers can be used as containers for planting cucumbers.You will also need to tie ropes to them so that the cucumber mustaches can rise up and not lie on the surface of the windows. Containers must have a volume of at least 5 liters.
Pots with cucumbers must be tied up. If this is not done, then those bushes that will lie on the ground may begin to rot. Also, in such conditions, various diseases can begin to develop.
How much care do cucumbers need at home?
Growing cucumbers on the balcony will not be successful without proper care of the plants. The soil should always be loose. This will provide oxygen access to the root system, which in turn will have a beneficial effect on the growth and formation of fruits in cucumbers.
It is better to loosen the soil immediately before watering.
Tips for caring for cucumbers:
- The ovaries should be formed so that they do not stretch and the stems are thick enough. To do this you can pinch cucumbers. This measure will also allow for an increase in yield. Side shoots are also pinched, leaving 2-3 shoots. The growth point should be left on the 10th sheet.
- It is possible to achieve good results in growing cucumbers only if mineral and organic fertilizers are regularly applied to the soil. The first feeding is carried out 15 days after germination. After another 10 days, a second feeding is carried out. For this purpose, you can use complex fertilizers, which are available in any gardening stores. Manure, chicken droppings, mullein or wood ash are also suitable.
- Bushes need to be watered frequently. For irrigation, it is advisable to use only warm water. If you water plants with cold water, various fungal diseases may appear.
- To prevent diseases, bushes are sprayed several times a month with a solution of laundry soap and soda.
The bushes should be constantly monitored. Very often, when cultivated at home, the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry out. The reason for the appearance of yellow leaves may be improperly organized watering or the development of diseases.
This can also happen when watering with cold water. You need to water the bushes no more than 3 times a week. If the soil does not have time to dry out, then you can water less often. You can also spray cucumber leaves to prevent them from drying out.
If the room with containers has dry air, this can also negatively affect the health of the leaf mass. To solve this problem, you need to place a cup of water next to each drawer.
The second reason that often occurs is the appearance of insects. Along with the soil for planting cucumbers, you can bring aphids from the site. These insects prefer to overwinter in the soil, and with the onset of warm weather they begin to become more active.
In order to get rid of aphids and other parasites, cucumbers can be sprayed with water and laundry soap. Another effective remedy against insects on cucumbers is acetic acid. Dilute a small amount of vinegar in water and spray the cucumbers with the resulting solution several times a week.
It is undesirable to use various chemicals to kill insects on cucumbers at home, since this can negatively affect the health of those people who live in the apartment.
