In recent years, self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers for greenhouses have become extremely popular. More and more gardeners are looking for species that are indifferent to careful care and bear a lot of fruit. With the development of gardening, manufacturers offer new technologies for growing various garden crops. Cucumber has increased attention to itself. This vegetable is always desired at a festive feast. It is enjoyed as food both fresh and canned.
Balcony - a new alternative to a vegetable garden
Older people love to grow vegetables on their balconies. Their honorable age does not allow them to occupy large plots of land. Such a hobby helps to occupy your free time and at the same time get the maximum benefit. Growing cucumbers on a windowsill is a real chance to get fresh vegetables.
Another important nuance in such an activity is what varieties of cucumbers are most suitable for growing on the balcony? This important point significantly affects the number of fruits.
Breeders worked hard and managed to grow many species. The crops happily live in enclosed spaces and surprisingly manage without bees.
The most common options
Self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers for the balcony:
- "Zozulya";
- "April".
These species can be grown on a balcony, on a window, and even on a kitchen table. But vegetables are not without their drawbacks. But they don’t bear fruit for long and are not immune to common diseases. Such fruits are not designed to be preserved; it is better to eat them exclusively fresh.
It is possible to extend the harvest time. It is necessary to maintain an interval of 2-3 weeks. If you distribute the cucumber crops correctly, you will be able to enjoy fresh cucumbers throughout the season.
For the balcony
To grow cucumbers designed for rolling in cold weather, it is recommended to consider gherkin hybrids. The ones that stand out the most are “Balcony” and “Urban Cucumber”. These varieties of cucumbers for growing on a windowsill are compact. One sinus produces several pieces at once.
The main difference between gherkins is their compact size.However, this does not in any way affect the excellent taste characteristics. Vegetables remain crisp even after pickling and canning. They are chosen for harvesting for the winter.
The varieties of cucumbers for the windowsill “Vyuga” and “Swallowtail” are characterized by the fact that they quickly produce a harvest. Planting new plants will produce a lot of large greens and, as a result, an excellent harvest. “Emerald Stream” and “Berendey” are cucumbers for balconies, suitable for places where there is a lot of excess space. They are distinguished by excellent green seedlings. They bear fruit over a long period of time. The length of the lashes is small, so they do not allow you to get too many cucumbers.
If the balcony is deprived of sunlight, you should choose from shade-tolerant species. For such conditions the following are most suitable:
- "Prestige";
- "Tricky";
- "Kosinsky";
- "Masha."
Whatever varieties of cucumbers you choose for your balcony, all without exception require good care. We are talking about regular hydration and feeding. Greenhouse varieties are not as demanding in this regard, unlike those that grow in confined spaces.
Balcony varieties of cucumbers require a special earthen mixture, which is sold in a flower shop. If you feed the plants regularly, you will eventually get a bountiful harvest.
Hikmet
“Handsome Hikmet” is a cucumber hybrid distinguished by its unique properties. Grows well on balconies, loggias and window sills. Refers to self-pollinating varieties. The early-ripening vegetable tolerates shaded areas. The first cucumbers may appear within a month after germination. A whole batch of cucumbers ripens at once.
By growing Hikmet, there will always be fresh vegetables on the table every morning for a whole year.
Fruits need to be planted by seeds in the ground or through seedlings.To obtain seedlings, self-pollinating cucumber seeds for open ground are sown in the spring. The depth in the soil should not exceed 2 cm, and the temperature should not exceed 25 degrees. Further transplantation of seedlings into the ground is carried out after all frosts have passed.
If seeds are planted directly into the soil, it is necessary that the soil be warmed to 15 degrees. The best time for this is the end of May. Plant to a depth of 1.5 cm. After this, the crops must be covered with film.
In order for self-pollinating cucumbers to produce a good harvest, they must be regularly watered with warm water and fed at least 2 times every 7 days. Carefully monitor that weeds do not grow. Be sure to pick ripe fruits so that the yield does not decrease in the future.
Planting on balconies - nuances and care
Most often, people living in huge cities do not have the opportunity to grow fresh vegetables in a greenhouse. But I really want to please myself and my loved ones with cucumber and other vegetables.
An alternative option is to buy them, but the taste and aroma of vegetables can differ significantly from homemade ones. Maybe you should try growing your own vegetables? Even the most inexperienced gardeners can equip their apartment for this task.
Early varieties of cucumbers for the greenhouse are very demanding. Despite this, a person has the opportunity to create optimal conditions under which the culture will feel good. The varieties created by breeders have been successful for several decades. They do not depend on the place of cultivation, even if the space is very small.
Self-pollinating cucumber varieties for greenhouses differ from garden crops. First of all, it lies in the leaves. They are small in size, and the internodes on the stem are not too long.This approach made it possible to make the culture compact, with good roots.
Balcony varieties grow very slowly. Their stalks are elongated, and their nodes are designed for a huge number of ovaries. Similar in appearance to a bunch of grapes. Cucumber greens never outgrow.
Very similar to thin fingers. They are usually called gherkins. These hybrids differ from garden hybrids in pollination. In the first case it is not there at all. The finished fruit is devoid of seeds.
Requirements for balcony varieties
If the loggia or balcony is located in the sunny side, it is possible to easily organize a small summer cottage. You don't need a full-fledged garden. The characteristics of growing crops in such conditions are different. Before choosing self-pollinating cucumber seeds for greenhouses, you must consider the following requirements:
- the culture is contraindicated to react painfully to small amounts of light and moisture;
- cucumbers should be equipped with short internodes, have small leaves and a good root system;
- It is necessary to have a long stem that will branch well;
- first, you should plant early-ripening varieties, then replace them with analogues (in this way you can maintain good yields);
- It is better to choose bush cucumbers;
- give preference to bouquet or bunch fruiting (there should be several pieces in one node at once);
- pick ripe greenhouse cucumbers for the appearance of new ovaries;
- To maximize the yield, choose self-pollinating cucumbers of the female flowering type.
But not every variety meets such requirements. First of all, we are talking about salad hybrids: they are good for making pickles and are enjoyed fresh. The storage period is short-term.
For open ground
Cucumbers that have the ability to self-pollinate are the real pride of breeders. As many years of experience show, people are most interested in early varieties, and then later ones. Early ripening species are grown using old technologies. First of all, this is of great importance, since such varieties are excellent for planting in midland soils. The cold climate does not threaten them, and residents of the northern regions can safely buy them.
The best self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers for open ground:
- "Zozulya";
- "Ant f1";
- "Urban Cucumber";
- "Gerda."
"Zozulya"
When considering high-yielding, self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers for open ground, one cannot forget about these early-ripening hybrids. The harvest ripens 5 weeks after planting. In addition to this feature, vegetables boast other advantages. A person will not be able to find varieties for open ground similar to Zozulya, since this vegetable is immune to many types of diseases.
The cucumber also stands out for its size. The length ranges from 20-24 cm. The weight of some specimens reaches 300 g. The fruits are of a classic dark green color. Each cucumber is covered with very large pimples.
This type of cucumber is also valued for its versatility. It is eaten in various forms. Large dimensions do not interfere with picking 3 or 5 pieces of fruit from a node at a time. Self-pollinating cucumber seeds for open ground are sought after by professional and amateur gardeners.
"Ant f1"
Growing this type of fruit is practiced by almost all gardeners. Characterized by rapid fruit ripening. They can be planted earlier than the season begins. The advantage is that the crop will be available for consumption 37 days after planting.
The plant branches slightly and corresponds to the bunch type of flowering.In terms of size, the fruits can be called medium, because the length almost never goes beyond 12 cm. Each fruit has the appearance of a tube of a completely even shape. Hybrids are resistant to a large number of many diseases. Anyone can buy seeds at kiosks selling garden crops.
"Gerda"
In terms of speed of maturation they are somewhere in the middle. If you plant according to all the requirements, then after 5 weeks you can enjoy delicious fruits, the length of which will not exceed 10 cm.
Late varieties of cucumbers do not give such results. From one ovary of the gherkin variety you can collect anywhere from 3 to 5 fruits. You can use cucumbers to make any dish, from salads to pickling.
"City Pickle"
Early varieties of cucumbers, self-pollinating for open ground, can be easily grown in loggias and on balconies. Before planting, preference is given to flower pots. The diameter of the cucumbers is 2.5 - 3.2 cm, the length reaches 12 cm. There is no need to try to collect the cucumbers on time. Fruits suitable for planting in the middle zone will remain straight and not curl for a long time.
Growing principles
There are no specially developed principles for cucumbers grown in open ground. Thanks to their good endurance, vegetables can withstand any weather conditions. In this case, only two nuances should be noted - watering and fertilizing.
Watering
Growing cucumbers in the garden requires a constant supply of moisture, but do not forget about the danger of waterlogging. Excess water can cause rot.
To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to install special drainage grooves.Self-fertile cucumbers are recommended to be watered using grooves or by sprinkling.
Top dressing
This process must take place according to the instructions that come along with the means specially developed for this matter. These are not greenhouse cucumbers, but sometimes they can be watered with mineral fertilizers. An acceptable period is once every 2-3 weeks. There is one very effective method for foliar feeding.
To prepare the fertilizer you will need:
- water – 10 l;
- superphosphate – 10 g;
- ammonium nitrate – 5 g;
- potassium sulfate – 8 g.
Combine all ingredients in water and stir well. The resulting composition is usually enough to fully feed one large bed. You can prepare the mixture yourself or purchase a ready-made product in a store.
Cucumbers grown using this simple technology have excellent taste characteristics. They can be harvested as they ripen - this means that the crop bears fruit regularly over a long period of time. Perfect for preparing light summer dishes. They are readily prepared for the winter using the method of pickling or canning, as evidenced by positive reviews from satisfied gardeners.
Conclusion
Self-pollinating cucumber seeds for greenhouses can be purchased in stores that specialize in this matter. Growing cucumbers is a labor-intensive process that can make choosing the right variety for planting much easier. It is impossible to give a definite answer to the question of which variety of cucumbers is better, since each person prefers something different. Many years of study have allowed summer residents to determine which cucumbers are the most productive.
If you take the best varieties of cucumbers for open ground, then if all conditions are met, you can achieve an excellent harvest of cucumbers. It’s difficult to decide which varieties of cucumbers to choose, but armed with the information provided, the result will still be pleasing.
