Quite a lot of vegetable growers have heard that some varieties of fruit-bearing crops can be grown on windowsills. However, not everyone knows that cucumbers can be grown in the same way. Growing cucumbers on the balcony is a rather complex process for which you need to prepare in advance.
Variety selection
In order for growing cucumbers at home on the windowsill to bring a good harvest, you need to choose varieties that can be grown in this way. There are several varieties of cucumbers that grow well in pots.
April
This variety is distinguished by compact, low bushes. It is because of this that such cucumbers are most often grown on the window. April cucumbers are an early-ripening vegetable, as they ripen 50 days after the first sprouts appear. The main advantage of April cucumbers can be considered their fruits. They are quite large and grow up to 25-30 cm in length. The weight of one cucumber reaches 300 grams.
Courage
The Kurazh variety is excellent for growing cucumbers on the balcony. Such cucumbers are suitable for lovers of early-ripening vegetables, since they can start collecting the first ripened fruits 35-40 days after planting. The main advantage of Courage cucumbers is their resistance to many diseases that kill most other varieties. The plant has good resistance to:
- root rot;
- mosaic;
- spotting;
- powdery mildew.
Debut
When choosing cucumbers for growing on the balcony, you need to pay attention to Debut. This is one of the most productive varieties that can be grown on a windowsill in an apartment. The first cucumbers begin to set 45 days after the first bushes appear. The fruits of Debut cannot be called too large. Their length is 10-15 cm, and their weight is 80 grams. The advantages of the variety include its resistance to powdery mildew and spotting.
Stresa
To grow cucumbers at home and get a good harvest, it is recommended to plant Stresa cucumbers. This variety was specially created for indoor cultivation.
Stresa's bushes grow quickly and therefore will have to be tied to special supports. Such a cucumber cannot be classified as an early-ripening plant, since it begins to ripen only after 100-120 days.
Ginga
Such cucumbers were bred by domestic breeders relatively recently. They can only be grown in greenhouse conditions or on a loggia. If you create optimal growing conditions, the first harvest can be harvested 50 days after planting. Ripe fruits have a cylindrical shape and slight ribbing. The average length of one cucumber is 14 cm, and its weight is 80 grams.
How to grow cucumbers on the balcony
Before growing cucumbers on the windowsill, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of this process.
Seed preparation
To grow healthy cucumber seedlings on a windowsill, you need to prepare planting material in advance. Quite often, balcony cucumbers die from various diseases. You can protect the plant from diseases by pre-disinfecting the seeds with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. To prepare it, add 3 grams of the substance to a small glass of water. The finished mixture should turn a bright purple color. If the liquid has a purple or pink tint, you will have to add another 2 grams of potassium permanganate.
During processing, cucumber seeds are placed in the solution for half an hour. Then they are taken out from there, washed with clean water and dried thoroughly.
Soil preparation
Before planting cucumbers at home, you need to learn how to properly prepare the soil mixture. If you plant seeds in unsuitable soil, the growing bushes will begin to wither due to a lack of nutritional components.
In order for seedlings to grow well, it is recommended to use sandy or loamy soils.They have a low level of acidity, which has a positive effect on yield. Before planting, fertilizer must be added to the soil. First, the soil is mixed with fresh manure. After a few days, mineral fertilizers are added to it.
Selection of capacity
It is very important to choose the most suitable container in which to plant cucumbers. You can grow cucumbers in boxes, flowerpots and pots. To get a little speed up the growth of indoor cucumbers, it is recommended to choose larger containers for cucumbers. The root system will develop better in them and thanks to this, seedlings in a greenhouse or on a windowsill grow much faster. You should not use pots that are too small for planting, as the plants will dry out in them.
How to plant seeds
Planting cucumber seeds yourself is quite simple. First you need to slightly warm up the previously prepared soil mixture. Its temperature should be at least 20 degrees. Then the soil is distributed into planting containers.
Each pot contains 2-3 holes for planting seeds. The distance between the seeds should be about 5 cm and therefore the holes should not be too close to each other. We plant two seeds in each hole. When all the seeds are planted, the holes are sprinkled with soil and spilled with warm water.
Care
When planting cucumbers is completed, you should think about caring for the seedlings. Caring for cucumbers on the balcony must be done, as the quality of the harvest depends on it. Before you start caring for cucumbers on the windowsill, you need to study the features of growing cucumbers.
How to pinch cucumbers on a windowsill
Pinching and shaping cucumbers is a mandatory procedure, as this plant grows quite quickly.If the formation of the bush or its pinching is not carried out in a timely manner, this will reduce the yield several times.
Pinching cucumbers on the balcony is quite simple. To do this, it is enough to remove all unnecessary side shoots that begin to move away from the main stem of the plant. To simplify pinching, the plant should be tied to a support in advance. For the first time, pinching is carried out when the main stem grows to 50 cm. In this case, you will have to pinch off all the lower inflorescences, ovaries and shoots.
Some people are interested in Is it necessary to cut off the mustaches of cucumbers? during pinching. It is recommended to trim them regularly, as sometimes the main stem of the plant begins to be compressed due to the tendrils.
How often to water seedlings
In order for the fruits to grow large and juicy, it is necessary to water the cucumbers regularly. Watering cucumbers must be done correctly, since excessive dryness of the soil or waterlogging can negatively affect the condition of the soil and the cucumbers being grown. Before flowering, it is enough to moisten the soil once a week. During flowering and fruiting, the amount of watering doubles. During this period, the plant needs moisture and if the required amount of water is not spent on the seedlings, then it gradually withers and dies.
For watering, it is recommended to use warm and settled water, as too cold water can damage the roots.
How to feed cucumbers
There are times when bushes dry out due to insufficient nutrients in the soil. Therefore, you need to care for the grown bushes and feed them regularly.
Fertilizer application should be carried out in several stages.In the first weeks after planting, all bushes are fed with nitrogen, since at the initial stage of the growing season the plants lack this substance. When the first lashes begin to appear on the plant, the cucumbers need potassium and therefore it must be added to the soil.
How to pollinate cucumbers
When growing seedlings on the balcony, artificial pollination of cucumbers. Therefore, to obtain fruits, you will have to study some of the features and secrets of hand pollination.
You can pollinate a plant yourself in several ways:
- With a brush. More often, indoor cucumbers are pollinated using a brush with natural bristles. To do this, you must first collect pollen from the flower. In this case, you need to make sure that it sits tightly on the brush. After this, the pollinated female flowers are smeared with a brush.
- Flower. This method is used a little less frequently than the previous one. In this case, you will have to pick a male flower and touch the pistils with it.
Garter
Many people are interested in why cucumber seedlings fall. This problem appears if the bushes are not tied to supports.
To tie up the bushes, a special support is installed in each pot. Most often, an ordinary wooden plank is used for this, to which the bushes will stick. It is recommended to tie them to the support with wide strips of fabric that will not squeeze the stem.
Conclusion
Many people who like to make salads with fresh cucumber in winter grow this vegetable on the balcony at any time of the year. To get a harvest from bushes grown in this way, you need to become familiar with the features of growing cucumbers on a windowsill and caring for them.
