Cucumber varieties for home cultivation all year round. The best varieties of cucumbers for growing on a windowsill

In winter, there is a lack of tasty and healthy vegetables and fruits. Of course, you can buy greenhouse vegetables at the market or in stores, but a more original way out is to plant cucumbers in containers on a windowsill in an apartment or balcony. However, before starting the process, you should find out the technology for growing cucumbers at home.

Features of growing cucumbers on the windowsill

Sowing cucumber seeds on the windowsill and further growing a vegetable does not require special training or special knowledge of care (everything is the same), so even novice amateur gardeners can cope with growing at home.

Another thing is that you have to create certain conditions for the growth of cucumbers in an apartment or on a balcony in order to get a decent harvest.

When can you grow cucumbers in an apartment: the optimal sowing time

Naturally, it is most convenient to sow and grow cucumbers on the windowsill with the onset of spring, in other words, when daylight hours begin to grow.

However, if you can create artificial conditions (by additional lighting), then home cucumbers can be grown all year round, including in winter.

What varieties are suitable for growing in an apartment

For planting and growing on a windowsill (window) in an apartment or on a balcony, they are suitable as the most common (extremely early) parthenocarpic(in other words, not requiring pollination, hybrid - marked F1) varietiesand special balcony varieties (they either have a name that hints at the growing conditions, or the instructions clearly state this).

Important! For growing in an apartment, on the windowsill, should take only parthenocarpic varieties.And here on the balcony - this is optional, because there they can be pollinated by pollinating insects.

Also, a variety for growing at home should be shade-tolerant, in other words, tolerant of lack of light (for obvious reasons). It is also very important that the variety was not vigorous, and optimally - weak or medium-sized (with not very actively developing side shoots). If you plant a highly branched variety, then it will simply fill the entire space on your window or balcony.

The following varieties of cucumbers for home cultivation on the windowsill in the apartment are distinguished: Openwork, Athlete, Courage, Kustovoy, Connie, Real Colonel, Our Masha, Mertus, Merenga, By the pike's command, At my will, Prestige, Premium, Talisman, Clean Ponds Pharaoh, Room, Room miracle, Miracle on the window, Balcony, City gherkin and many others.

Thus, by choosing the right varieties for growing at home, you can independently plant cucumbers in an apartment and get a rich harvest in the cold winter months.

Video: especially growing cucumbers on a windowsill - choosing seeds, sowing and care rules

How to sow cucumber seeds in an apartment: basic rules for growing and step by step instructions for direct sowing

Before you start sowing, you need to choose the right place for growing, as well as create optimal conditions (temperature and light).

The choice of capacity, soil and pre-sowing preparation of cucumber seeds for direct planting is also important.

Location: lighting and temperature

Growing cucumbers in winter is quite common. For these purposes, all kinds of greenhouses are used. But if the apartment has a free window sill, or even better, an insulated balcony or a glazed loggia, where you can equip a cucumber farm, then why not grow them at home.

Idea! Place the pot of cucumber away from the door, in the very corner of the balcony, be sure to put at least 12-15 cm thick foam under it (the roots should be warm). Glue or place cardboard with reflective foil on the walls.

Video: growing cucumbers on the balcony - from seeds to fruits

The place for placing containers or pots of cucumbers must be selected preferably on the south side(but not at all, you still have to illuminate with lamps) , after all, the plant is sensitive not only to sunlight, but also to heat. If the window is cold, for example, you have old frames, then by all means seal all the cracks.

With normal supplementary lighting, of course, cucumbers can be grown on the north window (balcony), especially on the west or east (you still don't have to shade them from direct sunlight).

The winter sun is not long, and sunshine is important for cucumbers. Therefore, in order (especially in late autumn, winter and early spring), it is recommended to highlight the seedlings special phytolampsproviding 12-16 hour daylight hours. You can also illuminate with the help conventional (or better full-spectrum) LED lamps.

Advice! Lamps should be turned on in the morning and in the evening (let's say that the light was from 7-00 to 23-00) and kept at a distance of 5-10 cm from the plant.

The best temperature for fast and active growth of cucumbers at home is +20 .. + 23 degrees. Note that at a temperature of + 16-17 degrees, growth stops.

Important! The most important thing when growing cucumbers on a windowsill is absence of drafts and sudden temperature changes (including night and day).

Planting capacity

Naturally, you will need suitable containers to grow your own cucumbers. Fit like wide containers (balcony boxes)for several plants and single large pots.

Important!You should not grow too many plants in one container, as they will press against each other - they will begin to compete for food, and this will not allow actively developing and increasing mass.

Note! The roots of cucumbers do not spread in depth, but along the surface of the earth. Therefore, the wider the area around the cucumber stem, the better!

Naturally, the container must have drainage holes for excess moisture to escape. You also need to remember that a cucumber is a plant with a developed root system, which means that for the plant to be comfortable, the container must be sufficiently voluminous. (at least 5 liters per plant).

Interesting! An unusual way to grow cucumbers at home is to plant them in bags. From above and below, make holes for sowing, watering and draining excess liquid (drainage), and put the bag with earth on a tray where excess water will flow.

A well-known gardener blogger tells in more detail in the following video:

Video: growing cucumbers in a bag on the window

Note! You can grow cucumbers in an apartment as with a pick, and immediately in a large container. If you want to transplant, then first plant in small containers (for example, cassettes or 100 ml cups). Then, when the first true leaf appears, dive into a slightly larger container (500 ml), and after that (when 2-3 true leaves appear) into a permanent pot (1 plant per 5 liters).

Suitable soil

For high-quality growth of cucumbers, it is required that the soil is fertile and loose, good moisture and air permeability. These properties are possessed by purchased primer for indoor flowers or special substrate for growing pumpkin crops.

But the best soil for growing indoor cucumbers will be a soil substrate made by yourself. For cooking, you will need the following components: peat, river sand or vermiculite, humus and wood ash (optional, for feeding).

Attention! After mixing, the resulting fertile substrate still needs disinfect. Moreover purchased soil it is also better to disinfect, just in case. It should be baked in the oven for 20-30 minutes, and then spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate or. Such preparation measures have a beneficial effect on the elimination of pathogenic bacteria and fungi hiding in the ground.

Seed preparation

Before sowing cucumber seeds into the soil, it is advisable to carry out their pre-sowing preparation, namely germinate on a wet cloth or cotton pad. Take one wet disc, sprinkle seeds on it, cover with another (also wet), put it in a cup and close it with a lid so that the moisture does not evaporate quickly. Typically 1-2 days are sufficient at room temperature.

Do not allow the tissue (cotton pad) to dry out or, on the contrary, excessive moisture (so that the seeds "bathe" in water).

Worth knowing! The seeds of hybrids, as a rule, have already been disinfected and selected (calibration has been carried out), so it makes no sense to keep them in potassium permanganate or soda / saline solution.

Direct landing

Step-by-step instructions for sowing cucumber seeds:

In general, the procedure for sowing cucumbers is similar to sowing seeds for seedlings of any green crop, although cucumbers are usually not grown through seedlings.

Apply a small drainage layer using expanded clay or other moisture-retaining material.
Fill the planting container with soil, but not up to the top (about 2/3).

This is done so that in the future it will be possible to add soil, which in turn will allow the cucumbers to additionally build up the root system and will have a very positive effect on the growth strength of the bush.

Pour plenty of water over the soil just before sowing.

The procedure is necessary for subsidence of the earth. If you plant the seeds in a dry and too airy soil, then when watering the seeds will deepen more than required.

Pre-prepared cucumber seeds are placed to a depth of 1.5-2 cm.

Note! It is better to sow several seeds at once, and then remove the weakest shoots. Or grow with a pick,but remember that 1 plant should have 5 liters of soil. Or sow so that the seeds are 30-35 centimeters apart (for example, only 2 plants in one middle balcony box 60-70 cm long).

Fall asleep with soil.
Watering again.
The container is covered with glass or covered with foil.

This is necessary to create greenhouse (greenhouse) conditions for rapid germination and the emergence of young shoots.

The container is placed in a dark and warm place (the temperature for germination is at least +25 degrees, and even better +27).
After the appearance of the first sprouts, the film should be immediately removed and the container should be rearranged to a bright, slightly less warm place, i.e. the temperature drops to + 20 ... + 23 degrees.

Video: technology for growing cucumbers on the balcony at home

How to care for cucumbers on a windowsill or balcony

The activities for caring for cucumbers grown in an apartment are similar to those that you carry out when caring for plants in an open field or a greenhouse.

Watering

Watering is necessary only in the morning, so that by the evening the soil can dry out slightly. Remember that wet soil cools more.

Undoubtedly, watering should be carried out as the soil dries up.

Cucumbers are very fond of moisture, which means that they should be sprayed periodically (only in the morning). It is all the more important to do this in an apartment, especially in winter, when the air is dry due to batteries.

By the way!While the sprouts are still small, it is better to moisten them through a syringe so as not to provoke leaching of the roots.

Watering itself is carried out only with settled water at room temperature.

Top dressing

For feeding cucumbers on the windowsill, it is optimal to use complex mineral fertilizers, for example, Fertika (1/2 tablespoon per 10 liters - use with every watering) or Agricola-Forward.

If you are a supporter of organic feeding, then you can use chicken droppings (prepare the solution according to the instructions).

Or you can apply Biohumus, which is created on the basis of the vital activity of earthworms (sold both in bottles and in bags). Again, you need to prepare a liquid selection (according to the instructions).

As a rule, it is worth feeding "apartment" cucumbers a little more often than street ones. at home, they lack food more.

The feeding scheme is standard (as well as):

for a set of green mass (before flowering) - nitrogen fertilizers;
during flowering - nitrogen-potassium-phosphorus (more potassium);
fruiting - potassium-phosphorus (more potassium).

In general, you can use any suitable fertilizer, and both water at the root (more often), and spray on the leaf, making foliar feeding (less often).

Shaping (pinching) and garter

Common cucumber varieties (not parthenocarpic) pinch along the main stem, in the region of 5-6 leaves, thus forming a lush bush.

But this cannot be done with parthenocarpic varieties, since they have flower ovaries along the main stem. As a rule, it is better to form them into 1 stem, and when it grows to the ceiling, then pinch the top.

Do not forget as you grow quickly trim the mustache. They tend to draw out a large amount of nutrients (they take all the juice), preventing the plant from fully developing and pouring fruits.

Yes, it is convenient for cucumbers to cling to a mustache, but it will be much more effective if you tie them up by hand.

It is imperative to implement a garter of lashes (so that the plant does not fall over). Each lash must be carefully guided and tied to a trellis or stretched string.

By the way! If you want to get an earlier harvestthen it follows remove upper ovariesleaving only the lowest ones. Wherein the fewer there are, the earlier the fruits will ripen.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that all lower ovaries up to 5 leaves also need to be removed.

Well, do not forget to destroy the barren flowers (male flowers).

However, it is worth considering that when you allow all the very first cucumbers to tie and ripen, it often happens that all subsequent ovaries turn yellow and fall off. This is because, due to early fruiting, the growth of the root system has stopped and the plant simply does not have enough nutrition. Therefore, if you want to get good and long-lasting yields, then all the first flowers must be cut off, not allowing the cucumbers to tie. And when your bushes develop a powerful root system, as well as the aboveground mass (the lashes will stretch high), then the ovaries will go along the entire length of the vines.

Pollination

Since for growing in an apartment it is recommended to sow exactly parthenocarpic varieties that do not require pollination,then, as a rule, there should be no problems. If the ovary falls off without pollination, then you can just do it by hand: you need to take a barren flower (male flower), cut off the petals from it, get the stamen and touch (pollinate) it to the female flower (there is a small cucumber on it behind).

Video: caring for cucumbers on the balcony - watering, feeding, pinching and pollination

Problems arising from growing cucumbers at home

If seedlings stretched out, it means that she lacks light,and you need to add some potting soil. It is recommended to add it 2-3 times a month.
If you have the lower leaves dry, then this is probably due to too high temperature and low humidity in the room.
If a the lower leaves turn yellow, then the seedlings of cucumbers need feeding potassium, phosphorus and magnesium.
If wound up mite, then to combat it it is better to use biological products (fitoverm, bitoxibacillin). Spray generously on both sides of the leaf, and remove the oldest and most affected leaves.
If you notice the appearance powdery mildew - Spill the earth and spray the leaves.
If cucumbers started to taste bitter, this means that a lot of cucurbitacin has been developed in the fruits, which occurs when unfavorable growing factors: sudden temperature changes, severe cold snap or, conversely, heat, lack of watering.

Advice! Plant those varieties of cucumbers that have the phrase "genetically without bitterness" in the description. Such cucumbers will never (under any circumstances) be bitter.

Terms of germination and harvesting of home cucumbers

The germination time depends on each variety separately. In most cases, seedlings will appear within 3-5 days after sowing, if you previously germinated the seeds. Or after 5-7 days if you sowed them dry.

The duration of ripening is determined by the specific variety (its ripening period). Some are able to give the first full harvest in 40-55 days.

Attention!For harvesting, you need to focus on the volume of cucumbers. If the size of the fruit reaches 8-10 cm, then it can already be plucked. By quickly collecting the crop and not letting it overgrow, you can get another (repeated) crop.

Many varieties grown during the winter months are suitable not only for eating live, but also for salting. But, of course, you should not rely on harvests from the windowsill in order to successfully do seaming during the winter 🙂

Advice! Be sure to watch the next video, in which the author shows photographs of all stages of growth of cucumbers in an apartment.

Video: cucumbers in 50 days on the windowsill

If you are too lazy to watch a long enough video, then you can limit yourself to a shorter video:

Thus, do not miss the opportunity to sow cucumbers in your apartment by the window and get fresh vegetables in the middle of winter. Of course, to grow successfully, you will have to work hard to ensure good care and plenty of light. But if you try (set a goal and go to it), then even novice amateur gardeners can grow cucumbers at home, on the windowsill.

Video: planting and growing cucumbers on the windowsill in 3 parts

In contact with

At one time, we cannot enjoy cucumbers for long, since their season ends quickly, especially if the summer was dry. Therefore, many who like to eat this vegetable fresh are trying to get cucumbers on the windowsill in winter. The lifespan of cucumbers grown in this way is about two months after the first harvest - this is quite enough to enjoy the vegetable to its fullest.

It is known that cucumber propagates only by seeds, since it cannot be obtained by cuttings. They absolutely cannot stand dry air and lack of moisture - this is worth remembering when growing cucumbers on the balcony. As soon as such homemade cucumbers bloom, the ground should be constantly moderately moist. You will need to put saucers of water under the pots, which will help prevent the earth from drying out. Also, indoor cucumbers, in addition to watering, require spraying, at least twice a day. And when flowering begins, the bush needs to be shaken once a day for better pollination.

When growing cucumbers on the window, do not forget about the pinching, which is done after the appearance of 3-5 leaves - this will add splendor and density to the plant. Pinching the shoots not only halves the length, but also makes the bush twice as lush - that is, instead of one lash, two short ones are obtained. To the point of pinching, the ovary is removed, and only the one that is above the pinching point is left.

In order for the cucumbers on the windowsill to delight you with their harvest as long as possible, it is better to pick the fruits as they ripen and not wait until all the cucumbers become large - this contributes to less depletion of the bush and will save the loss of excess juices from the plant.

Cucumbers on the windowsill - what do you need?

Initially, you need to start choosing seeds - these should be self-pollinated hybrids, from which it is better to choose early-maturing varieties. Give preference to bush varieties if you are going to grow cucumbers in an apartment. In general, you need to prepare:

special seeds;
biohumus and coconut substrate;
3-4 liter pots, depending on the number of seeds;
a sprayer for daily plant refreshment;
a lamp to create additional light.

So how to grow cucumbers on the windowsill and where to start? Prepare a good substrate from vermicompost and coconut fibers: mix one part of vermicompost with two parts of coconut fiber. The containers for filling can be standard three-liter pots. Seeds can be planted either directly in permanent containers or by picking, then transplanting the plants into large pots. How to cultivate cucumbers on the windowsill, everyone chooses individually, but with the help of picking, you can transplant stronger and more tenacious plants into pots, thus providing yourself with a reliable harvest.

The seeds of hybrid cucumbers need to be well prepared for planting, for which they are dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate at room temperature for a couple of hours, and then taken out. It is worth noting that those seeds that have sunk to the bottom are good, and those that have surfaced are best discarded, since their germination rate is low. Let the seeds drain, and later you can plant them (only in dry form).

When planting with a pick, they are initially planted in small cups with a capacity of 100 ml, filled with a special earthen mixture. You need to lay out 5 seeds in a glass, and then, having tamped the ground, water. After a week or two, you can observe seedlings, which are necessarily thinned out, leaving two of the most powerful plants. After a week, the final thinning is carried out, and one strong sprout remains in the glass.

A few secrets of a good harvest

When transplanting plants into large pots with a capacity of 3-4 liters, the earth is not poured to the edges by about 4 cm. The transplant is done 3 or 4 weeks after germination. The seedling in the glass is turned over onto the palm, gently passing it between the fingers. A sprout with a lump of soil is inserted into a prepared permanent pot, sprinkled with soil on top until the cotyledon leaves.

In large pots, dived sprouts require constant watering. In the first month of life, cucumbers at home are watered constantly, but in moderation. At the initial stage, it is important not to overflow the seedlings, as they can start to hurt. In winter, there is little sun and heat, and therefore not much moisture is required for plants. From the end of March, more moisture is required if the cucumbers are still able to bear fruit.
The cucumber also needs a support, which can be in the form of a net or any other support.
The following procedure would also be useful: once a day, rotate the pot of seedlings around its axis by 180 degrees so that the plants receive light and heat not only from one side.
And for the long life of the whole bush, once every two weeks, you can carry out top dressing: add a teaspoon of agrolife to the top layer of the earth, or pour fresh vermicompost into the pot once a month.
Cucumbers require a proper amount of light - at least 12 hours, which can be provided with artificial lighting.

If you are thinking about how to grow cucumbers at home in winter without picking, then plant the seeds in large pots, without adding soil 5 cm to the edge. After spreading the seeds, add a layer of 1.5 cm of soil, and add the remaining soil after about a month - this will replace the dive.

Correct pollination of cucumber hybrids

How to grow cucumbers at home, because there is no one to carry out pollination, unless, of course, you breed flying insects at home? Without proper pollination, the ovaries will simply fall off. Try on the role of a bee!

In order for the fruits to set for sure, you need to separate the female and male flowers. Females have a pistil, consisting of an ovary and stigma, while males do not.

It is advisable to carry out pollination in the morning, when the pollen is sticky - pick the male flower by cutting off the corolla, and put it into the female one so that the pollen gets on the stigma. This is how bees pollinate plants. But it is better to use self-pollinated varieties, they do not require pollination at all.

Having properly grown cucumbers, you can collect up to 15 medium-sized fruits from a bush. At the same time, they will have a real taste, not comparable to store ones. The windows or balcony on which the plants are located should be warm, and it is advisable that they face south or southeast.

Protect homemade cucumbers from drafts and enjoy their crispy fruits!

How tempting it is to go to your window and pick a couple of cucumbers that grow in the room for breakfast. To grow them, you need little: seeds, capacity, soil and your desire. And you can learn the necessary knowledge from this article.

If you want to get a good harvest in an apartment, pay attention to the following seeds and cucumber hybrids. Their main advantage is that they are parthenocarpic. Simply put, they don't need pollination, as they have a female flowering type. It is better that the plants are bushy or medium-growing, then they have enough space on the windowsill or balcony. Pay attention to the following hybrids and varieties:

Masha;
Claudia F1;
Room;
Marinda F1;
Home;
Rytov;
Marfinsky;
Bianca.

Sowing dates for cucumbers at home

If you want do-it-yourself gherkins on the New Year's table, then you need to plant cucumber seeds at the end of October. If you want to get the first greens in March, plant the seeds in January. From germination to the beginning of fruiting, on average, 45-50 days pass.

In both cases, when sowing cucumbers at home in autumn or winter, the whips must be provided with additional lighting and placed on the southern or eastern window, where there is no draft and the temperature is within +17 - + 22 ° degrees at night and +22 - + 26 ° during the day.

It's even easier to grow cucumbers at home in summer than in winter., it is enough to start preparing and planting seeds in early April. At this time, the day is already noticeably increasing and the seedlings do not need to be supplemented. By mid-April, they can be placed on a glazed loggia, where there is enough end light and heat.

Growing indoor cucumbers: preparing and planting seeds

After you have decided when you want to get crops, prepare the seeds on time. This procedure will not take much of your time. Please note that if the seeds are in a shell, then they are planted dry in prepared containers. If not colored, disinfect them in pink potassium permanganate solution for 15–20 minutes, rinse. Prepare small containers. You can take special seedling cups or use containers for yogurt, ice cream, sour cream. They should be 6 x 8 centimeters in diameter. The root system of cucumbers is superficial, so low capacities are suitable.

Make 3 holes at the bottom of each cup using a knife or scissors. Pour broken brick, coarse sand or expanded clay at the bottom of the containers. Then moisture will not linger at the bottom of the pot, and the roots of the plant will not rot. Fill cups with a light, nutritious earthy mixture that's rich in rotted organic matter. The best option is to buy a ready-made potting soil mixture for growing cucumber seedlings at home.

Pour hot water over the soil, let it cool to a warm state, and put cucumber seeds on the surface of the soil. Cover them with a cloth or bandage folded in half. Place in a warm place, keep the material moist all the time.

After 3–4 days, small roots will appear. Then in the center of each container, make a hole 2 cm deep, lower the seed into it with the root down, cover it with soil. Place the glass in a high tray or jellied meat container so that its edges are higher than these vessels. To prevent moisture from evaporating, cover the soil with plastic wrap or a transparent cake lid.

Cucumbers grow

The sprouts will appear pretty soon, so put the tray with the pots in a warm, bright place right away. When seedlings appear on the surface of the soil, remove the film. If you grow cucumbers in an apartment during a short daylight hours, then the first 5 days you need to do this at a low above-zero temperature. During the day it should be +15 - + 17 °, and at night +13 - + 15 °. Then the seedlings will not stretch.

If you grow them from the second half of spring on a glazed balcony, make sure that the temperature there is not higher than +25 degrees. Otherwise, it can also lead to stretching of seedlings. To avoid this trouble, you can hang a light tulle on the glass, which will scatter the bright sun. This should be especially remembered in hot summer, otherwise the plants will suffer from overheating.

While the cucumber seedlings are still small, do not water them too often. Do this only when the soil is dry. Then the seedlings will not stretch, they will grow squat and strong.

Transplanting home cucumbers

When the plants have three true leaves, they need to be transplanted. It is necessary to prepare large containers where a sufficient amount of earth will enter. These can be balcony boxes 15 × 20 cm high. Large flower pots with a diameter of 25 cm or more will do. One plant is planted in them. You can plant 2 × 3 in a box, the main thing is that the distance between them is at least 25 × 30 cm. For this purpose, buckets are also suitable, in each you can plant no more than one cucumber.

At the same time, try to act very carefully so as not to injure the root system, otherwise the seedlings may not take root. You need to hold this event on a cloudy day, putting the pots on the floor in a room or loggia, or shading them for 2? 3 days.

Home cucumber care: watering, feeding, shaping, garter

When ovaries begin to form in the leaf axils, feed the plants. To do this, place 100 grams of ash in a liter of hot water, stir, and leave for a day. Pre-water the plants with water and then fertilize.

If lateral processes appear on the central lash, pinch them at the base. One cucumber should have no more than two lashes. They need to be tied up. This can be done in several ways. Pull a transparent mesh (for example, construction) with large cells over the frame of a window glass or loggia. Then the vine will cling to them with its antennae. You can tie one end of the rope to the bottom of the cucumber lash, and the other to the top of the window or to the ceiling on the loggia. Then the liana will tenaciously hold on to such a support.

Some home gardeners use a very interesting way. They put a stool near the window or glass of the loggia, on it - a bucket with a plant. One edge of a homemade small ladder is lowered into the bucket, the other edge is raised up. Gradually, the cucumber vine wraps around the stairs and feels very comfortable with such a support.

It is very important to irrigate with warm water, the temperature of which is +27 - + 30 °. After setting cucumbers, water the plants when the top layer of the earth dries up in the evening or early in the morning. An excess of moisture can lead to root rot, and a lack of moisture can lead to fruit bitterness. Collect greens without letting them outgrow. Then the next fruits will form and grow faster.

In the middle of spring, sow lettuce, radish, dill on the loggias. Then you can pick a cucumber, fresh herbs at the moment and enjoy a vitamin dish, the ingredients for which were grown with your own hands, with love, without the use of chemicals.

Video with tips for growing cucumbers in an apartment on a north-facing balcony:

Is it possible to grow cucumbers on a windowsill all year round? Alas, you will have to take a break, but only if you do not want to bother with fluorescent or helium lighting. The last days of February, when daylight hours begin to gradually increase - it's time to plant cucumbers.

A cucumber is a fairly shade-tolerant plant, but there will still be little light for it on the windowsill, especially in the spring-autumn period. Therefore, you need to grow cucumbers only on the southern or southeastern windows. The plant does not like drafts, make sure that there are no cracks in the window frames.

It makes sense to grow cucumbers on the windowsill only if the temperature in the apartment does not drop below 20 degrees. This thermophilic plant stops growing at temperatures below 16 degrees.

The cucumber loves high air humidity, in winter it will not be very easy to provide it with such conditions, you will have to cover the home heating batteries with wet towels. Simple spraying of the leaves will not help in this case.

If you are able to organize suitable conditions for the plant, then you can easily grow cucumbers at home on the windowsill. From one bush, on average, it will be possible to collect from 10 to 15 good medium-sized cucumbers.

Varieties and seed preparation

In order to grow cucumbers on the windowsill, parthenocarpic hybrids or. Unless, of course, you want to pollinate them yourself. If you choose the wrong variety, the non-pollinated cucumber ovaries will turn yellow and fall off. Recommended varieties: F1 Window-balcony, F1 Gift of the East, F1 Ekaterina, F1 Marathon, F1 Faust and many others.

If you are going to grow cucumbers for the first time, then it is best to get seeds of shade-tolerant varieties that are not afraid of temperature changes.

A cloth or cotton pads will be required to germinate the seeds. We moisten them and place them on a saucer, spread the cucumber seeds on top. Do not allow the fabric to dry out. After just a couple of days, the seeds will hatch. That's it, they can be planted in pre-prepared soil about a centimeter deep.

What is the best way to grow cucumbers on the windowsill

Cucumbers are quite freedom-loving, so the pot for growing them must be large enough. One plant will need a five-liter vessel. It can be a simple flower pot, or even better, a homemade box that will perfectly fit several bushes at once. The most economical way is to take five-liter water bottles and cut off the top of them along with the neck. Alternatively - double cellophane bags. Just do not forget that no matter what container you choose, it is imperative to make holes in its bottom to drain excess water.

What soil should be used to grow cucumbers on the windowsill

It will be easier for novice gardeners to purchase ready-made soil in the store. For those who have a desire to cook it themselves, you can offer several options:

Mix 4 parts of garden soil, 1 part of humus and 1 part of peat. For 5 liters of the mixture add 100 grams of ash, a teaspoon of magnesium sulfate and a tablespoon of "full" fertilizer.

Mix 2 parts of garden soil, humus, peat and one part of sawdust. For 5 liters of soil add 100 grams of ash, a teaspoon of magnesium sulfate and a tablespoon of "full" fertilizer.

Mix vermicompost and garden soil in equal proportions, add 5 tablespoons of wood ash for every 5 liters of soil.

In principle, it is possible to grow cucumbers on a windowsill in any soil, no one will be left without a crop, just in a properly selected land, the harvest, which is quite natural, will be much higher. Well, you still have to fertilize unprepared soil.

How to plant cucumbers on a windowsill

In addition to soil and containers for planting, you will need twine for future support for the cucumbers and glass or plastic caps to cover the seedlings.

We fill the pot with soil 3-4 cm below the edges. We spread the germinated (if not, then dry or wet) seeds in the amount of 3 pieces at a distance of about two cm from each other. Sprinkle them with earth.

Water the seedlings well, let the water absorb.

To create a greenhouse effect, cover the seedlings with a plastic or glass container. We put the pots in the warmest place in the apartment. Most often this is the top of the kitchen cabinets. After the sprouts appear, the "greenhouses" are removed, and the pots are placed permanently on the southern or southeastern window sills.

When real leaves are formed, choose the most powerful and beautiful plant, remove the rest.

How to grow cucumbers on a windowsill

Prepare a support for the cucumbers in advance. It can be either a twine or a thick nylon thread, or a long peg, to which cucumber lashes will need to be tied. In the case of the peg, all mustaches that appear on the cucumber must be removed.

After the appearance of 5-6 internodes, the cucumber must be pinched. Lateral shoots are also pinched over the second leaf.

Growing cucumbers on a windowsill without feeding is a waste of time. Once every two weeks, and when cucumbers appear and once every 10 days, it is necessary to feed. 1 tsp can be added to the topsoil. "Agrolife" or pour a cap "Rosta" diluted in two liters of water. You can just add fresh biohumus once a month.

Tip 3: How to get the first, early cucumber on the windowsill

Today, the stores sell cucumbers all year round, but still, a grown cucumber on its window will bring more pleasure. These cucumbers have a pronounced cucumber aroma and amazing taste. They are more nutritious than their purchased cousins. The quality of the salad made from the cultivated cucumber will pleasantly surprise your family.

Instructions

To cultivate cucumber on the windowsill, we choose self-pollinated seeds (parthenocarpic), otherwise you will have to pollinate flower stigmas by hand, which is difficult and not always of high quality. For cultivation in indoor conditions, such varieties are suitable: Claudia, Marinda, Mashenka, Zozulya, April. To begin with, the seeds are etched in a solution of "Zircon" and placed in a container with a damp cloth, where the seeds will germinate. Seeds hatch at a germination temperature of 25 to 30 degrees.

It is difficult to prepare a soil mixture for cucumbers; it is better to use purchased soil. But if you decide on the independent production of the substrate, then it is prepared taking into account the high fertility: equal parts of manure humus, sod land, high peat, rotted sawdust are taken.
Thoroughly mix the whole mixture and heat the wet one in the oven for 15-20 minutes at a temperature of 180 ° C. On a bucket of cooled soil, add 1 glass of wood ash, 1 tablespoon of nitroammophoska.

We choose a container for sowing with a depth of 15-20 centimeters with holes for draining excess water, fill it with soil 1/2 the depth of the container. In the future, during the growing season, you will have to pour soil into the container more than once. After filling the container with soil, pour abundantly the entire soil layer with hot (40 - 50 ° C) water. In the center we make a shallow hole and put the germinated cucumber seed into it, fill it with loose, moist soil. Without watering the planting, we build a greenhouse and set it, before the sprouts appear, in a warm room, where the temperature should be kept within 23-25 \u200b\u200b° C. When the seedlings appear, we place the container on a light, warm windowsill, avoiding drafts. The air temperature when growing a cucumber should fluctuate in the aisles: daytime - 20-22 ° C and nighttime - 15-16 ° C.

Cucumbers are very thermophilic and light-loving; for the cultivation of this culture, windows of the southern, south-western and southeastern directions are chosen. If the sowing of the cucumber culture fell on an earlier date, it is necessary to additionally illuminate it with fluorescent lamps. Illumination is carried out from the moment of germination, including the lamp not 8-10 hours from 7-8 in the morning. Watering daily with top dressing after 12 days.

Timely garter and proper culture formation will bear a considerable amount of fruit. Formation is carried out in one stem, all forming whiskers are cut out as unnecessary. Lateral shoots coming from the axils of the first order leaves are plucked out, with the second order shoots they do the same. The shoot of the third and fourth order is broken out at a height above the emerging ovary with a leaf. Further, the shoot of the fifth and sixth order is broken out above the appeared second leaf and the second ovary. And so they do with the next shoots, gradually increasing the length of the shoot by one leaf and one ovary. At a height of 1.5 m from the container, break out the top of the main stem. During the fruiting period, the cucumber is fed every 6-8 days with a solution of "Ideal", "Humat" or. Do not forget to arrange a shower from a spray bottle, a cucumber likes high humidity, but does not like a draft. As the plant grows and develops, roots begin to appear on the surface, they are sure to fall asleep. By adding soil, additional roots begin to form at the stem, and this is an additional supply of food for the plant. Do not forget to rotate the seedlings 180 degrees, for an even increase in mass.