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How not to pour cucumbers on the window. Cucumbers on the window: a fragrant green delicacy in the middle of winter. Container for growing cucumbers at home

October 12, 2016
Specialization: philological education. Experience as a builder - 20 years. Of these, for the last 15 years he led a brigade as a foreman. I know everything about construction - from design and the zero cycle to interior design. Hobbies: Vocal, psychology, quail breeding.

Greetings, my dear readers!

In urban conditions, we eat only those vegetables that we buy in the market and in the store. However, those who have a persistent desire to treat themselves and their households with fresh produce “just from the garden”, and in the metropolis will find the opportunity to grow cucumbers on the window with their own hands.

They can also be planted on the loggia / balcony. At the same time, in material terms, you will get a good harvest of vegetables, and spiritually, the joy of interacting with living plants.

Term No. 1: optimal conditions for the success of the enterprise

In order for your attempt at gardening to be successful, you must take into account the special conditions that develop on the balcony.

Location of the garden

Not every loggia or balcony is suitable for growing cucumbers.

The most important condition for this crop to develop, grow and bear fruit without problems is a constant temperature regime. During the day - over +18 degrees, at night - over +15 degrees.
Cucumbers do not tolerate drafts. With a high degree of probability, you will not collect a more or less decent crop on a balcony that is not protected from the wind.
This southern culture is very fond of light. Even having equipped an additional one, you are unlikely to achieve acceptable fruiting, in the case when the loggia (balcony) is located on the north or west side of the building.

Based on the foregoing, cucumbers should be grown with your own hands on a necessarily glazed balcony. In addition, it should be well lit by the rays of the sun and located on the south, southeast or east side of the house.

If you manage to make the most of the sunlight and heat on the loggia, you can safely proceed to the selection of seeds.

What varieties are suitable

Loggia and balcony have a very limited volume.

Based on this, hybrid cucumbers with a compact habit are optimal for growing on them: short internodes and small leaves.
Branching of plants does not matter: it can be both strong and weak.
It is best to choose non-bush, that is, tall varieties of vegetables.
With reduced soil and air humidity, as well as insufficient lighting, shade-tolerant and drought-resistant cucumbers with a powerful root system grow better than others.

Now on sale there are many varieties of seeds that are specifically designed for sprouting on the balcony.

When choosing seeds, carefully read their label. It should be written there that the variety is hybrid, shade-tolerant, has small fruits, does not need pollination and can be grown in a balcony.

Yes, on this moment agricultural breeders have bred a group of special varieties of cucumbers, they bear the common name "Balcony". It includes the following hybrids:

F-1 "City Gherkin";
F-1 "Balcony";
F-1 "Berendey";
F-1 "Swallowtail";
F-1 "Calendar";
F-1 "Balagan";
F-1 "Courage";
F-1 "Hummingbird", etc.

In addition to these analogues, there are other varieties of cucumbers for the balcony, well adapted to closed ground, not capricious and stable. For planting indoors, it is best to choose parthenocarpic hybrids (which do not require pollination), For example: Barnaulets, Balcony Miracle, Dragonfly, Matrix, Sail, Dubrovsky.

Analogues "Zozulya", "Kukaracha" and "April" can bear fruit without pollination by bees. However, nothing terrible will happen if insects take part in their fertilization.

If you prefer pollinated window-balcony varieties of cucumbers, choose the Ladoga, Olimpiada, Frigate, Gribovsky hybrids. Please note that you will have to take care of artificial pollination when they bloom.
For male flowers, plant the Ermine or Hercules varieties. They have mixed colors. Because of this, they can be used as pollinators and independent hybrids.
For fertilization, the instruction prescribes to cut off the male flower (with stamens) and attach it to the female counterpart (with pestle). In this case, the pollen from the stamens will fall into the pistil. If you do not do this, then the female color does not form an ovary, but simply disappears.

I want to separately mention for you the mysterious labeling of varieties "F-1". It means that these are the seeds of hybrid cucumbers. To grow such a crop, agricultural technicians cross 2 different varieties of vegetables.

The seeds collected in the end are hybrids in the first generation. This is indicated by the marking “F-1” (the letter “F” is an abbreviation for the Italian word “filli”, that is, “children”, and the number “1” means the first generation).

I want to warn you right away that the main drawback of such hybrid cucumbers is the fact that it is useless to collect seeds from them. They are not viable and simply will not germinate.

What to grow

Cucumber seeds are planted from the second half of April to the beginning of May. If you do this earlier, then the buds will appear prematurely - before the cucumbers can be placed on the balcony. Here there is a risk of falling off the ovaries. In addition, due to insufficient light, the lashes of vines will grow too actively.

You can use a variety of containers for growing cucumbers: plastic containers for flowers, pots, flowerpots, and even double plastic bags (tucking the edges at the “bottom”). The best option if the containers will have a double bottom. In the upper one there will be drainage holes for draining excess water, and the lower one will play the role of a pallet.

I warn you that cucumbers love water, therefore, they should be watered in excess. As the lashes grow, their roots will reach through the holes in the top bottom to the bottom bottom. From there, on hot days, they will actively “drink” water.

The soil will not be waterlogged. This is important because the roots of cucumbers do not tolerate excess soil water, it interferes with their breathing.

Soil composition

Before planting the seeds, fill the containers for them with soil. Do this without adding about 5 cm to their top. During the growing season, the soil will begin to settle, and you will add it to the desired level.

The volume of soil per plant should be at least 5 liters. Otherwise, it will dry out during fruiting.

Any well-structured and loose soil is suitable for cucumbers, but not dense clay or podzolic-soddy soil. Compost, lowland or highland peat, as well as various soil-peat mixtures are also suitable.
The acidity of the substrate should be 6.6-6.8 pH (from its aqueous extract). This indicator can be found using a pH meter. You can buy it at a hardware store.
If the soil is acidic, it should be limed. To do this, add dolomite flour, lime or finely ground chalk to it. Cost rates of dolomite powder per 10 liters of peat: if it is lowland, then 10 grams, transitional - 15-20, riding - 20-30.
Soil substrates, which contain only a fraction of peat or it is completely absent, have different levels of acidity.

When the acidity of the water extract is 6.2-6.5 pH per 10 liters of soil, 5-10 grams of dolomite powder should be added. The norms for adding lime and chalk are 3-7 grams.

The best option for a beginner balcony gardener is to use a ready-made soil substrate. Such soil is sold in stores already filled with fertilizers and limed. The price of such a substrate is low. Moisture-retaining additives (for example, agricultural gel) can be added to it.

Term number 2: agricultural cultivation

When growing cucumbers at home, carefully follow all agrotechnical requirements. Little things should not be here.

Seed preparation

If the seeds you purchased have a colored shell, then they can not be processed from harmful microorganisms.
Otherwise, they should be disinfected in order to prevent various diseases. Dip the seeds for 15-20 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (1 g of potassium permanganate per 100 ml of water). Then rinse them with running water.

In the photo - germinated seeds.

Then you can start germinating the seeds. Wrap them in cheesecloth and keep it slightly damp. After two days, the seeds will hatch.

I want to warn you about one of my curious agrotechnical experiments: sprouted seeds were placed in 5 cups for seedlings, and unsprouted seeds were placed in 5 other containers. The result of the experiment was that in cups with unsprouted seeds, the sprouts hatched a day later than with germinated seeds.

And one more important circumstance that I understood: do not neglect germination when preparing cucumber seeds. You can run into an unsimilar "embryo" (for example, an F-1 hybrid) and then waste time in vain. It happened to me - out of five seeds, two were not viable.

How to grow seedlings

Prepared seeds can be planted in a container for flowers. Make holes along its midline (2 cm deep and 40 cm apart). For insurance, you can plant two seeds in each hole.

Cover the sowing with plastic wrap and put it in a well-lit place. The best option is if it is a warm window sill.

The best volume of seedling containers is 200-300 milliliters. If it is larger, the lump of soil will crumble when transplanting cucumbers to a permanent place. In other words, the roots of the soil will not be able to braid tightly. With smaller dimensions, the soil will dry out quickly.

Therefore, it is convenient to plant seeds for seedlings in disposable cups. Popular and growing in plastic bottles with cut necks.
As I already wrote, the soil substrate can be bought at the store or prepared on your own. For example, mixing wood dust, peat, humus and earth in equal proportions.
Fill the soil with fertilizer: add a glass of ash (200 g), two teaspoons of nitrophosphate and a teaspoon of urea to its bucket (10 l).
Disinfect containers before planting seeds: rinse with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or hold over steam.
Make holes in the bottoms of the cups so that the water does not stagnate in them. Then fill them with a substrate and plant a seed in each container to a depth of 1.5-2 cm.

The optimal temperature regime for germinating cucumber seeds is +24/+26˚.

When the weather is stable and warm in spring, on open balconies / loggias, both the seedless method (direct sowing of germinated or dry seeds into permanent containers) and seedlings can be used.
If the weather is cool and unstable, seedlings should be planted.
In the Central zone of the Russian Federation, cucumber seedlings are planted on open loggias / balconies from about May 10, if they are glazed - from the end of April. Landing must be completed before the second decade of June.
The best home seedlings are those with two or three true leaves and a hypocotyl that has not yet stretched out (the region of the stem from the ground level to the cotyledons). Older plants will take root worse.

When sprouts hatch in the containers, they should be provided with sufficient lighting. From their appearance to the formation of two or three true leaves in ordinary varieties of cucumbers, it takes from 10 to 20 days.

Growing seedlings of the varietal group of hybrids "Balkonny" has its own characteristics.

In ordinary cucumbers, seedlings begin to outgrow and lie on their side in the phase of 5-6 true leaves (then the first tendril is formed).
Balcony hybrids have small leaves and strong stems. Thanks to this, "teenagers" stand upright even at the age of 6-8 true leaves.

Therefore, you can plant older cucumbers of the Balkonny varietal group in a permanent place without compromising their survival rate. So you will contribute to a stronger run of seedlings in development and speed up the start of fruiting.
So, keep in mind - if there is a protracted cool weather, then the age of the hybrid seedlings can be safely brought up to 6 true leaves (this is 25-30 days).

About temperature

Temperature during seed germination environment should be + 24-26 degrees.
When sprouts appear, maintain the air temperature: during the day + 20-24 degrees, at night 18-19, and the soil temperature + 20-24. A hotter ambient temperature will cause the seedlings to stretch too much.
After 4-5 days, you can increase the air temperature during the day in sunny weather to + 24-26 degrees, if it is cloudy - up to + 20-24 degrees. At night, bring it to + 19-21 degrees.
The temperature of the seedling soil should not be less than + 18-20 degrees. Otherwise, cucumbers will grow slowly and be weak. Another reason why seedlings do not grow is that the leaves of neighboring sprouts should not shade each other.

Regulating the temperature regime on the balcony is quite difficult. As a result, it will be easier for you to move the sprouts from it to the room and back. So you can achieve the required temperature. For example, picking up the most illuminated area during the day.

We feed and water the sprouts

In addition to the main fertilization of the seedling substrate, the sprouts should be fed. This is done 2 times.

The first dressing is done a couple of weeks after the emergence of sprouts (the phase of two true leaves).
The second is carried out after another seven days (the age of three true sheets).

About how to feed seedlings of cucumbers on the window.

For this, you can take any complex mineral fertilizer that is soluble in water (concentration 2-3 g per 1 liter of water).
The nutrient mixture can be prepared by mixing about a tablespoon of urea in 6 liters of water.
Feed the seedlings under the roots with it until the seedling container is completely moistened (about one glass of nutrient solution).

Cucumbers love water. Their sprouts should be watered every day. In this case, the water should be separated and have room temperature. When the seedlings are additionally illuminated, they should be watered 2 times a day.

Term number 3: transplant to a permanent place

The signal for transplanting sprouts to a permanent place is the formation of 3-6 (depending on the variety) of true leaves in them.

Containers for growing vegetables should have a volume of 5-8 liters. You can use 5-liter plastic water bottles with a cut-off neck, flower containers and boxes, pots and vases made of ceramic or plastic bags. Containers should be equipped with holes for moisture drainage.
Pour drainage from fine expanded clay, brick chips or crushed stone onto the bottoms of the container.
Fill the containers with the same potting soil that was used for the seedlings. Do it not to the top. Leave 4-5 cm on top of the container free. When the roots become bare during the growth of cucumbers, you can add soil.
Immediately before planting seedlings, disinfect the substrate by watering it with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Remove the seedlings from the cups along with the soil clod and, in this form, plant them in "adult" pots.

plant care

Now about how to care for growing cucumbers. This task mainly consists in their timely watering. Your wards should not experience a lack of water.

Moisturize not only the soil, but also the air.
To this end, place a container of water (bucket, basin) on the loggia / balcony and top it up regularly.
In the evening, give the plants a "shower" - spray them with water from a spray bottle.
In addition, add moisture to the bottom pan. From there, the roots that have sprouted through the drainage holes will drink it.
At high humidity air cucumbers can be watered two to three times a week. In dry climates - daily.
Water must be used at room temperature and pre-settled.

In case of excessively hot weather outside (more than + 30˚), protect cucumber leaves from direct sunlight, otherwise they will burn.

At night in August it is already cool for southern plants. Wrap containers with them with burlap in the evening. So you save the roots from hypothermia.

And finally - in the process of growing cucumber vines, change the points of their tying.

Whip tying

Before you grow cucumbers, keep in mind that they are, in fact, a vine. Based on this, her whips should be tied up:

Each creeper, in the process of its growth, wraps around a vertically stretched twine, fixed on top to a stationary support (trellis). It is usually a rigid horizontally stretched wire.
Stationary supports are stretched along the wall or along the sides of the loggia / balcony. In small rooms, the trellis wire is placed at the level of the hand raised up - this is 2.1-2.2 meters.

When containers with growing cucumbers are placed not on the floor of the balcony, but on stands (for example, on pedestals), the distance from the soil level to the trellis is reduced. This will negatively affect your harvest, because. the number of stem nodes will be less.

Based on this, when the lashes of vines in the process of growth closely "crawl" to the support wire, carry out the technique of agricultural technicians "twine allowance". Untie all the twine from the trellis, lower it from the pedestals to the floor of the room, lengthen the twine and tie it back to the support wire.

You may have difficulty with the arrangement of stationary balcony trellises. Then you can use a different method of growing, providing for mobile supports for cucumber vines. Then, in each container, fix a vertically located rigid support. Creepers of cucumbers will curl along it.
The third method of growing cucumber lashes on a loggia / balcony is to use flower pots. That is, in baskets or pots suspended from the ceiling.

pinching vines

Most of the hybrid cucumbers of the Balcony varietal type have abundant branching and do not grow much in length. Therefore, they are ampelous plants. That is, you can not pinch them or pinch only the growing tips of the shoots. Fruit set with this method remains high.

But when the lashes unnecessarily hit the growth, at the age of 10-12 leaves they should be pinched.
Form, if possible, creepers of cucumbers in one lash (stem). To this end, regularly cut off the antennae on them.
About when to pinch. The main lash should be shortened when it has grown to its full height, which the conditions of the balcony allow. For example, it will reach the trellis.
The shoots on the sides must be cut off so that the excessive amount of green mass does not take away the vitality from the vine. They will be needed for the formation and ripening of fruits.
Tear off other shoots or cut off above the ovary. Leave one sheet behind.

Top dressing of adult plants

Growing cucumbers on the window provides for their regular feeding. This is especially necessary for plants when they begin to bear fruit. Once every 7-10 days, feed the cucumbers with mineral fertilizers.

Start feeding cucumbers after 2 weeks, as sprouts appear. For them, use the following nutrient solution: per 10 liters pure water 15 g potassium, 5 g ammonium nitrate, 3 g superphosphate and 5 g magnesium. Water the plants with fertilizer, so that it does not fall on the leaves.
For adult plants, use another fertilizer: take an aqueous solution of mullein (proportion 1:10) and stir 15 g of potassium sulfate and 20 g of superphosphate in it.
Cucumbers also love natural nourishment: infusion of tea or egg shells, wood ash.

About pests and their destruction

Not only we love fresh cucumbers. Prepare for the fact that they will be attacked by a variety of pests. Having identified the enemy, start fighting with him. In this case, it is better not to use chemicals.

Here are the most common cucumber lovers and how to deal with them.

Aphid. Tobacco decoction will help get rid of it. Gut 20 cigarettes and fill them with one liter of water, put on fire. Bring the product to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Next, add another 1 liter of water to the composition. When it cools down, put it in a spray bottle and spray cucumber leaves with it.
Whitefly. The same tobacco decoction can destroy it, however, it is stronger (30 cigarettes per 1 liter of water). You can collect the pest from the leaves and a vacuum cleaner running at low power.
Spider mite. Garlic tincture will help to destroy it. Chop a head of garlic in 1 liter of water. Infuse the mixture for 1.5-2 hours. Then strain the tincture and dissolve in it 15 g laundry soap. Next, fill the composition into a spray bottle and spray the affected plants with it.

What to do in winter

Growing cucumbers on a loggia / balcony in winter is also possible. However, keep a few things in mind here.

Heating dries out the air, which is harmful to plants. Based on this, you will have to additionally humidify the air in winter.

Place pallets filled with gravel under the creepers and moisten it periodically.
Use a humidifier.
Put wet gauze on the radiator, moisten it regularly.

In the winter season, cucumbers can be grown on a loggia / balcony only if they are glazed, heated and well insulated. A water heating radiator or an installed electric heater will help to ensure a constant temperature of + 24-26˚ there. Do not forget balcony windows insulate for the winter, and tighten the vents with polyethylene.

Indoors, cucumbers often lack natural light, especially during the winter months. This can be seen from the fact that their leaves turn yellow.

Therefore, when the seedlings hatch, so that it does not weaken, it should be additionally highlighted from 8 am to 4 pm.
The best solution is to use special phyto-lamps for this. However, conventional luminescent counterparts can also be used.
Hang the lamps above the seedlings at a distance of about 15 cm from them. Having transplanted the sprouts to a permanent place, move the lamps as they grow, maintaining the sounded distance.
Starting in March, 4 hours of additional illumination will be enough for cucumbers.

About the cycle of cucumbers in nature

The fruiting period for balcony hybrids lasts about 3 months. When it is over, cut the lashes of the vines and dig up the roots of the plants.

Shake out the remaining soil substrate from the containers into plastic bags. This soil can be used in next year, as a basis, supplementing it with the same volume of a new substrate.

Do not throw away containers for cucumbers, as well as twine and trellis. All this will come in handy next season.

Output

Many houses and apartments have indoor plants and flowers. However, you can decorate your home with other green and useful plantings. Want to learn how to grow cucumbers on a windowsill? This process is simple and can become a real hobby for your whole family.

Cucumbers on the windowsill - varieties

If you want to treat yourself to a fresh cucumber grown by yourself at home, then, first of all, you need to choose the right varieties of cucumbers for the balcony and windowsill. Indeed, at home, with a lack of lighting, not every plant will be able to develop properly and produce a crop. Varieties of cucumbers for growing in the house should have the following properties:

shade tolerance is especially important, because even on the southern windowsill, plants will receive less light than in a greenhouse or on the street;
unpretentiousness - important quality for indoor plants, because the radiator under the windowsill and cloudy weather outside the window will not make the plant strong and strong;
good branching ability will allow you to harvest a larger crop of cucumbers.

There are many different varieties of cucumbers for growing in an apartment. You can buy seeds of parthenocarpic, that is, self-pollinating, hybrids. Here are some of them:

F1 Window-balcony, has a fragrant and sweetish taste;
F1 Elizabeth - with rare tubercles on cucumbers;
F1 Patty, F1 Primadonna - the fruits do not have bitterness;
F1 Russian style - with pimply cucumbers, starts fruiting very early.

F1 Relay, F1 Olympiad, F1 Marathon have a female type of flowering and require hand pollination;
F1 Athlete has a bundle arrangement of ovaries, resistant to diseases;
F1 Faust, F1 Forward - tall hybrids, have increased shade tolerance, recommended for early sowing (in mid-February);
F1 Flagman and F1 Arbat are sown in March, these are early ripening and productive varieties.

How to plant cucumbers at home on the windowsill?

Many novice gardeners are interested in learning how to plant cucumbers on the windowsill. To harvest these crunchy vegetables, you need to follow certain rules:

windows facing south, southeast or southwest are best suited for placing boxes of cucumbers in an apartment;
in autumn and winter, it is necessary to organize the illumination of cucumbers with fluorescent lamps, for this you can use reflectors, mirrors and even simple foil, gluing it so that the light falls on the grown plants;
cucumber does not like drafts, so you need to carefully ventilate the room.

How do cucumbers grow on a windowsill?

To grow cucumbers at home on the windowsill, their seeds must be germinated. This will speed up the emergence of shoots. We wrap the seed in a cloth or place it between several layers toilet paper and spray regularly, preventing the fabric from drying out. Germinated seeds should be put in a warm place where the temperature is about + 28 ° C. After about two days, small shoots will appear. After that, we plant the seeds one at a time in plastic cups, deepening 1-2 cm into the ground. So you will grow seedlings, which later will need to be transplanted into a more spacious dish.

For growing cucumbers on a windowsill, a box or pot with holes for drainage is suitable. At the bottom of it, you need to pour brick chips or gravel with a layer of 2 cm, and then - soil, which you can buy in a store or cook yourself. The soil mixture for planting cucumbers should consist of the top fertile layer of earth, peat, humus. For 5 kg of such soil, it is recommended to add 1 cup of ash and 1 tablespoon of chalk.

In the container prepared in this way, we plant grown cucumbers, which already have 3-4 leaves each. In this case, it is necessary to pinch the tip of the root, which will contribute to the formation of new shoots on the plant. If you do not want to grow seedlings, you can sow cucumber seeds directly in a box of earth, cover it with foil and put it in a warm place. With the advent of seedlings, the container with the seedlings should be placed on the windowsill, after laying any warming material under it. Next to the plants, you need to install a peg to which you will tie the cucumber lash.

How to grow cucumbers on a windowsill?

At this stage, the care of cucumbers on the windowsill should be very thorough:

you need to water every day, using only settled water at room temperature;
in the morning, several times a week, it is recommended to spray the plants, since drying out can lead to shedding of the entire ovary;
if the roots of plants are shown on the surface of the soil, then they must be sprinkled with earth;
once a week, cucumbers are fed with mineral supplements;
pluck ripe cucumbers on time, without bringing the plants to exhaustion.

How to pollinate cucumbers on the windowsill?

Bee-pollinated hybrids of domestic cucumbers need artificial pollination. It is better to do it in the morning. Having plucked a male flower (empty flower), one must carefully move it along the female pistil (its perianth looks like a small cucumber). With the help of one male flower, 2-3 female flowers can be pollinated. In order for pollination to be of better quality, you can plant one pollinator plant of the F1 Hercules variety or, for example, F1 Gladiator next to your cucumbers. Thanks to this cultivation of cucumbers on the windowsill, after two weeks the first fruits should appear on the plants.

How to pinch cucumbers on the windowsill?

As practice shows, it is possible to grow a cucumber at home on a windowsill, subject to all agrotechnical measures. Male flowers or barren flowers grow on the main cucumber stem, and female flowers form on lateral shoots. In order to stimulate their growth, pinching cucumbers is used. This procedure begins to be carried out when 4-5 leaves appear on the plant:

pull and fasten the trellis at the top, to which you will tie the growing cucumber stems;
to form lateral lashes, it is necessary to cut the bush above 6 leaves, leaving only three shoots on it (for hybrids) or one (for other varieties);
all weak and withered leaves must also be removed.

How to tie cucumbers on the windowsill?

Novice home growers should know how to care for cucumbers on the windowsill and how to tie growing cucumber lashes. It's easiest to pull on window frame a grid with large cells, and then the plant will weave, clinging to the support with its antennae. If you dug a peg into the ground when planting seedlings of cucumbers, then you can tie one end of a thin rope to it, and fix its other end at the top of the window. Can be used for garter cucumber lashes and a light rope ladder.

How to water cucumbers on the windowsill?

Sometimes those who decide to grow vegetables at home may have a question about how often to water cucumbers on the windowsill. These vegetables really need regular watering, but you need to know that on sunny days you can even moisten the plants twice a day, but on cloudy days they need to be watered less often. It is best to water cucumbers in the evening or in the morning. This should be done carefully, the water jet should not be too strong so that the roots of the plants are not washed away.

Top dressing cucumbers on the windowsill

Growing cucumbers on the windowsill cannot do without feeding them. But for this you need to know how to feed the cucumbers on the windowsill. Start fertilizing these plants about 2 weeks after they are planted. You can use, for example, or an infusion of wood ash in hot water. Before fertilizing, the plants must be watered, which will protect their roots from possible burns. The next top dressing is carried out during and one more - during flowering. When flowers appear, the plants are fed with ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate.

Diseases of cucumbers on the windowsill

Cucumbers grown at home get sick much less than those grown in a greenhouse or garden. However, growing cucumbers on a windowsill cannot be done under ideal conditions. There are several reasons that cause diseases of cucumbers on the windowsill:

violation of the regime of air humidity and temperature;
watering with very cold water;
depleted land was chosen for growing cucumbers;
when working with a plant, tools are used that are not disinfected.

Why do cucumber leaves dry on the windowsill?

If your plants have begun to dry leaves, then perhaps growing cucumbers on the windowsill is not done correctly. In addition, some diseases and pests of the plant can lead to the drying of the leaves:

Often there are cases when seedlings of cucumbers on the windowsill turn yellow. This happens for various reasons:

low-quality seeds, seedlings from them grow frail and weak. If this is found, it is better to reseed the cucumbers;
unsuitable, depleted soil, it must be replaced and the seeds resown;
insufficient or excessive watering can lead to drying of seedlings;
Violation of the temperature regime and drafts is another reason for the yellowing of cucumber seedlings.

Withering cucumbers on the windowsill

If homemade cucumbers on the windowsill begin to wither, then most likely they do not have enough moisture. In a hot period, they must be sprayed from a spray bottle. At night, the air temperature in the room should not be lower than +15°C. You may not be watering your plants enough. So, you need to adjust the watering. If the sun is too bright during the daytime, you need to shade the plants by attaching foil or even plain paper to the window.

Cucumbers are the most popular among lovers of home gardening. Almost anyone can do this. If you have homemade flowers in pots on the windowsills, then this experience is quite enough for working with cucumber. Special skills are not needed here. The main thing is to know the basic requirements of culture and some features.

Conditions for growing cucumbers at home

For cucumbers, the main requirements for indoor cultivation are a sufficient amount of heat, light and moisture, both in the soil and in the surrounding air. This is very important to learn so that efforts are not wasted in vain.

To achieve the fulfillment of all necessary conditions, you should equip a balcony, loggia or window sill with intelligence and love.

Wash the windows, insulate and seal the cracks, because. cucumbers do not tolerate drafts and cold air. So the rooms with cucumbers are not ventilated.
Pots with cucumber plants are placed on window sills, on balconies, loggias, preferably east, south or southeast.
If the light is still not enough, then worry about additional lighting.

Varieties of cucumbers for growing at home

The next condition for the success of work in obtaining delicious crispy greens is right choice varieties. The main thing here is not to make a mistake, otherwise you can be left without a harvest or try just a couple of fruits. When buying seeds, carefully read the description on the bag.

Requirements for varieties of cucumbers for home cultivation:

designed specifically for closed ground: in a room (balcony, window sill) or in a greenhouse,
capable of long, at least 5-6 months, fruiting,
cross-pollinated varieties require manual pollination (this process is quite laborious),
parthenocarpic form fruits without pollination of flowers by pollen. In such varieties, there are almost only female flowers on the stem, from which cucumbers are formed. So don't worry about the lack of male specimens. These fruits do not contain seeds.

If you only have seeds for open ground, then remember that at home you can get a little bit of a crop only with very late sowing - April-May and artificial pollination.

Parthenocarpic cucumbers for home growing:

Room Rytov - well adapted to the lack of lighting and other factors, for which we are very fond of our gardeners.
Regatta, Photon - early maturing;
Moscow greenhouse,
Tandem,
Voyage,
Window-balcony F1;

Such old varieties, which are recommended to be sown in February - March, have not lost their relevance.

April,
Cucaracha,
Marinda.

Shade-tolerant cucumbers for home growing

For rooms with insufficient light, shade-tolerant varieties and F1 hybrids are suitable:

Serezha,
Legend,
Tatyana,
Zozulya,
Babylon,
Claudia;

Light-loving cucumbers for home cultivation

Among the light-loving varieties can be called:

Stella,
Thumb boy
Mazay.

Photo: cucumber variety Window-balcony F1

Planting cucumbers at home

For the successful planting of cucumbers at home, you need to select seeds, set suitable dates, prepare nutritious soil and choose convenient containers. Cucumbers in cartered conditions can be grown in the usual way through seedlings, or in a seedless way. In any case, you need to grow seedlings without picking - young cucumber plants are very tender and cannot stand transplanting.

Planting dates for cucumbers

Establish optimum landing times

If everything is provided in the apartment the necessary conditions so you can start planting at any time.
In the absence of additional lighting, it is better to start sowing at the end of February, when there is sufficient daylight hours.
If you sow at the end of January, then by March 8 you can surprise guests with fresh fruits from your home garden.

Soil for planting cucumbers

Getting homemade cucumbers largely depends on what kind of soil to prepare for them.

The easiest way out is to buy ready-made land for cucumber and other pumpkins in the store,
Use pre-harvested garden soil, evenly mixed with rotted manure and humus,
Mix peat and sand in a ratio of 1:1.

It should be noted that the earth must be disinfected before use by any means suitable for this procedure. Very often, various insects, harmful and not so, are found in the harvested land, which thaw along with the soil in warmth. Then you can not wait for green sprouts.

To make young cucumber seedlings feel better, add a little top dressing when preparing the soil: 1 tbsp. superphosphate and ground chalk, and a glass of ash.

Containers for planting cucumbers

Take seriously the choice of containers that will house your cucumber plants. Not the last role in the choice of pots and tubs is played by design and fitting them into your interior.

A prerequisite for them is the presence of drainage holes.
Cucumber creepers will feel great in buckets, tubs, pots with a volume of at least 8-10 liters.
Drainage of about 3 cm must be poured at the bottom: coarse gravel, expanded clay or broken brick, which prevent stagnation of water in the soil and provide air access to the roots.

Seed preparation before planting cucumber

If there is confidence in high quality seeds, there is no need to carry out any additional processing. You can soak the seeds in a saturated solution of potassium permanganate or Epin. The necessary measures for this are no different from similar preliminary work when growing cucumbers in open ground.

You can grow good strong cucumbers by immediately sowing the seeds in a ready-made container with soil, bypassing the seedling period. To be sure of the result, you can pre-germinate the seeds.

Growing cucumber at home in a seedless way

Seeds (preferably 2-3 pieces) are sown on the ground previously spilled with warm, preferably settled, water. The soil level should be 5 cm below the top edge of the pot. Seeds are sprinkled on top with dry earth by 1.5-2 cm and lightly slammed by hand.
To create the most favorable conditions it is advisable to cover the container with glass or film from above, because. for successful seed germination, a temperature of at least 22-26 ° C is recommended.
It is important that the top soil layer did not dry up.
As soon as you see green leaves on the surface of the soil, the pots should be opened and placed in the most well-lit place.
If several seeds sprouted at once in one small container, select the most powerful sprout, carefully cut or break off the rest.

For the normal development of plants and the formation of a good harvest, it is necessary to provide them with a sufficient amount of soil, at least a bucket. If the plants start to overgrow quickly, move them to a darker area for a while.

Young shoots are contraindicated in direct sunlight. Laying foil under the plant pot will help increase the intensity. sunlight.
After germination, the temperature should immediately be reduced to 16-18 ° C during the day and not higher than 12 ° C at night.
Watering is necessary daily if the room temperature is high, and every other day at a lower one.
Watch the temperature of the water for irrigation, do not use cold water to avoid root rot and disease.

Growing cucumber at home through seedlings

If you decide to grow cucumbers through seedlings, then planting in large pots should be carried out in the phase of 2-3 true leaves (about 20-25 days after germination).

Rinse the seedlings well with warm water. At the same time, try to act as carefully as possible, do not destroy the clod of earth at the roots.
Make the powder up to the cotyledon leaves, i.e. slightly higher than in seedling pots.
Up to the top edge of the pot, there should be room for gradual pouring of soil during the growth of the plant. This will contribute to the formation of additional roots.

Cucumber care at home

The principles of care are the same as in the greenhouse and in the open field. Cucumbers love moisture, need garter and shaping. You can not neglect top dressing at home and be sure to alternate different types and types of fertilizers. Special care will be required for plants during the fruiting period. Care and attention will help cucumbers to give a big and tasty harvest.

Cucumber dressing

After transplantation and engraftment, after 5-6 days, cucumbers must be fed.

Use complex mineral fertilizers recommended for cucumber.
Stir 2 tsp. fertilizer in 3 liters of water.
Until you see cucumber ovaries, water with this solution 1-2 scans a week.
As soon as fruiting begins, immediately increase the nutrient watering by 2 times.

The development of plants will tell you when to feed it. Alternate fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers twice a month. So the "diet" will ensure a regular vitamin harvest of cucumbers. Spraying the leaves gives good results: 15 g of urea / 10 l of water.

cucumber highlight

Particular attention should be paid to additional lighting.

In order for the bush to grow well and bear fruit, it needs light for 12-14 hours a day.
Lights should be switched on from 6 am until 8 pm, when daylight is already fading.
In cloudy weather, additional light should be on all day.
If it is not possible to provide a home garden with full lighting, grow mainly shade-tolerant varieties.
In the summer, when the day is much longer than in winter, light-loving varieties can also be used.

Now there are many fixtures and lamps for installing the necessary additional lighting. Commonly used lamps daylight as more accessible.

Alternative lighting methods successfully used by the population in their home "beds":

reflective film,
foil,
mirrors installed in a special way opposite the plants.

Formation of cucumbers

A very important success factor in a window garden with cucumbers is the formation of plants. It is similar to this process in greenhouse and soil plants. The main thing is to indicate the direction that is needed. The cucumber will do the rest by itself, stretching up to the required height. There are several different ways to shape a cucumber.

Formation should begin as soon as you count 5 good full-fledged leaves on the stem.
First of all, pinch off all the whiskers, flowers and shoots at the level of the 2nd-3rd leaf on the plant. This will allow the stem to grow stronger without wasting its strength.
The vine prepared in this way must be tied up to a rope stretched upwards or wrapped around a stick stuck in advance into the pot.
Next, let the vine branch, pinching each shoot as it grows upwards after the 5th node.
Then pinch off the very top at the level you set or at the height of the window block.

Modern breeding hybrids do not always need to form a vine. They grow upward with little or no side shoots. It will be enough to pinch such plants at a level limited only by the possibilities and height of your window.

Care during fruiting

Don't forget cucumbers love moisture. Spray your "pets" regularly. This procedure will stimulate additional fruit formation on your plants.

To create the required humidity regime, you can use the following technique:

place a container of water next to the pot,
dip a homemade “wick” there (you can use gauze),
lay the free end in a circle around the stem in a pot and sprinkle with soil,
make sure that there is always water in the vessel.

Plant pots should be watered daily with warm, settled water. Do not allow the soil to dry out and water to stagnate in containers.

picking cucumbers

You should make regular collections of young fruits, without waiting for their strong overgrowth. The most delicious young sweet cucumbers 4-5 days old.

The cultivation of vegetables on the free area of balconies and window sills is most often carried out by those who do not have their own gardens. There are special varieties on the market that are recommended for home planting. Sellers often recommend hybrids. How to grow delicious cucumbers on the windowsill in winter for beginners and experienced vegetable growers will be discussed in the article.

The conditions for good growth are the place where a vegetable with a rich organic composition will be grown. If we are talking about a balcony or loggia, then, of course, they must be glazed. The culture will not tolerate sub-zero temperatures: a warm microclimate is important for all annual vegetable plants. Additional conditions will be required in the form of highlighting (in the period November-February / March). Some growers increase lighting by installing reflective elements (mirrors, foil, etc.)

Seed material for planting

Hybrid parthenocarpic varieties do not require pollination of female flowers by male ones, therefore such cucumbers bear fruit stably and abundantly. The ovary and development of the fruit goes on as usual, so there is no need to worry about how to pollinate cucumbers on the windowsill. The "regular" varieties need more careful care and observation: it is important not to miss the time for pollination. Otherwise, the culture will simply bloom beautifully.

Knowing the technology of how to grow cucumbers on the windowsill at home, it is important to choose the material that is appropriate in quality and characteristics. Recommended seeds:

Khutorok F1;
Balcony;
City Gherkin F1;
Berendey F1;
Shchedryk F1;
Crunch F1;
Moscow Nights;
Masha F1;
April;
Shanghai fellow F1.

Acquired or self-saved seed should be disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate. Limited space does not allow for surplus, so it is recommended to germinate the seeds first.

Dates of sowing planting material

The time when planting cucumbers on the windowsill is best is not strictly indicated. After the end of the summer season, you can start cultivating vegetables further. When there is a desire, a place, seeds, conditions - that is when it is best to grow cucumbers in pots on a windowsill or loggia. But it should be remembered that in short daylight hours (and especially in cloudy weather), young and mature plants need additional lighting.

Optimal soil option

Many note that the technology for growing cucumbers on the windowsill depends on the soil mixture in which the plant will develop.

Culture prefers fertile land, characterized by porosity. Loose earth needs at least five liters per plant. Based on this recommendation, many plant seeds in large water bottles. This option does not require finding an answer to the question of when to transplant cucumbers into a pot on a windowsill or glazed balcony. It is permissible to plant two plants in 12-15-liter containers.

Each liter of soil mixture must be of high quality, have high performance fertility: cucumbers have a well-branched root system, so nutrients will be absorbed even from the lowest layer.

You can grow cucumbers in pots on the windowsill based on the following composition:

1 part of the land (garden or forest);
1 part sand;
1 part of humus;
1 part of rotten sawdust;
1 part ash.

It is advisable to warm the soil in the oven or choose another suitable way disinfection. If desired, the soil mixture can be purchased at the store. In this case, it is recommended to choose a universal soil or soil for gourd plants(pumpkin and cucumber belong to the same family). The planting container must have holes and a small drainage system so that excess water has a free exit and does not stagnate. Before planting the seed material, the land is well watered to assess subsidence.

Development of an adult plant

After planting the seeds, I want to quickly see the germ layers. When personally observing germination to answer the question of how long cucumbers sprout on the windowsill, many vegetable growers note that seed soaking plays a key role in accelerating germination. Another way to make life easier for the future plant: do not plant the seed too deep into the soil. Sufficient depth - one and a half centimeters.

The first shoots of cucumbers

Germination data:

dry seeds germinate up to 4 days;
soaked hatch in 1-2 days.

Growing cucumbers at home on the windowsill will require knowledge of caring for the first shoots. When the first leaves appeared, the plants are freed for "free" life: the artificial shelter is removed, the container is placed in a sunny place. A rule that makes it easier to grow cucumbers on a windowsill in winter: a young plant should be grown in cooler conditions - at a temperature of about 20 degrees.

Transplanting cucumbers from a plastic cup into a large container

Cucumbers are planted on the windowsill by planting grown seedlings in prepared containers with soil. There is an opinion that the culture in question does not tolerate relocation to new soil at all, therefore, it is recommended that beginner vegetable growers abandon picking and plant seeds in advance in those containers where the plant could develop in full force.

Step-by-step instructions on how to plant cucumbers at home on the windowsill in a large container from a plastic cup:

it is good to water the ground with the plant;
crush the container on all sides;
carefully remove all the contents (all parts of the plant with soil) from the cup;
Carefully insert into a new prepared container.

As a rule, the culture tolerates such a picking well, since damage to the plant, if it occurs, is insignificant. Transplantation is best done up to 5-6 leaves.

How to form a beautiful bush?

Continuing to consider the step-by-step cultivation of cucumbers on the windowsill, one cannot ignore the correct formation of plants. If you do not follow the situation, then soon you can see not beautifully curly cucumbers, but a shapeless mass of leaves, among which there will be few desired greens.

Tips on how to grow cucumbers on the windowsill in the apartment in the form of a beautiful bush:

pinch the growing point after 4-5 leaves;
the main lashes should be 2-3, pinch over 10-11 sheets;
follow and pinch off extra lashes;
do not overload the plant.

Grown up cucumbers on the windowsill in winter, as well as in summer, are perfectly weaving, constantly releasing new tendrils in search of a support suitable for the bush. Side shoots tend to have more greens than the main stem, so don't grow it too big. By creating a strong and shaped frame, it is possible to ensure that the growing plant forms a beautiful bush that will delight not only with abundant fruits, but also aesthetically.

mature plant care

At each stage of cucumber growth, you should be very careful with its leaves. These organs are necessary for proper nutrition plants. And, of course, violation of this recommendation will lead to partial loss harvest.

Basic rules for growing cucumbers on a windowsill in good light:

tying;
watering;
top dressing.

Tying will help the plant feel comfortable and not waste energy holding the fruit. If possible, you can create a support for large vegetables before the time of their removal. The tendrils are not as important part of the plant as the leaves, so they can be carefully trimmed.

Feeding will help to speed up the cultivation of cucumbers at home on the windowsill and get a bountiful harvest. Even if the soil mixture had best performance in terms of composition, it is not worth refusing special funds. Organic top dressing of cucumbers on the windowsill is the minimum that every vegetable grower should do. You can prepare fertilizer yourself from the fermented infusion of banana peels (you need to water it with a composition diluted 10 times).

Watering is recommended to be carried out with settled water. It does not need to be additionally heated. Boiled water should not be given to plants. At sunny days cucumbers can be watered every day, when cloudy - water is offered twice as rarely.

Mini-secrets of a good harvest

Before planting cucumbers at home on the windowsill, you should make sure that the surface itself, on which the containers with plants will stand, is not cold. If there are gaps, then the boxes with soil should be placed on foam plastic or a thick plank.

Cucumbers, as greenhouse plants, love not only light and heat, but also humidity, so it is important to increase this figure by all means. For example, put a container of water next to it. The option of spraying the leaves is also good (it is allowed to use water, composition with ash, banana tincture). At night, you can even cover with a film, if the area allows.

If small plants are stretched, then the reasons for such growth should be sought in the existing climatic conditions. There is little sunlight in the autumn-winter-spring period, so a few hours of additional light is required. Overflow and cold can negatively affect. If possible, the technology for growing cucumbers on the windowsill should be worked out independently through experimentation.

If the bush is small, then the plant is allowed to be turned over so that every day the sun illuminates different sides. According to reviews, in the absence of enough light, the plant may completely refuse to bear fruit.

Organic fertilizer in the form of dry leaves and even banana peels is recommended to be laid in a layer closer to the drainage. Mulching the soil under the considered cultivation conditions is not advisable, as everything can rot and infect the plant.

If the greens are tied, but do not grow to their full potential, then you can try to feed the bush with iodine. Recommended proportion: one and a half liters of water and 5-6 drops of a chemical element.

Harvesting cucumbers on the windowsill at home

Proper cultivation of cucumbers at home on the windowsill allows you to harvest already 35 days later (depending on the planted variety) after the appearance of cotyledon leaves. Such a desired crop is recommended to be harvested every day. Thus, the plant will not spend energy on ripening fruits, but will build up new greens.

Growing cucumbers on the windowsill and harvesting a good harvest is quite realistic. Caring for a plant in winter will take more time and effort than in summer - a thermophilic culture needs certain conditions. But with the correct implementation of all the recommendations and tips for growing cucumbers at home, you can get ripe and juicy fruits for the dinner table.

Growing cucumbers on the windowsill at home all year round: where to start

Usually cucumbers do not tolerate extreme heat, they love water and the sun. But the requirements for plant care may vary depending on the variety, the microclimate in the room and the composition of the soil.

Cucumber is a plant belonging to the gourd family.

The roots of cucumber lashes are located near the surface. The soil for the window sill should be mulched in the same way as for plants on the street.

Choosing a variety of indoor cucumber

When choosing a seed variety, it is better to focus on those that are intended specifically for our purpose. To grow cucumbers on a windowsill in winter, the planting material must be seasonally appropriate, unpretentious and disease resistant. Can be used . They are resistant to weather changes, and are not very demanding in care.

The ripening period is desirable to choose medium or short. For this reason, it is not uncommon to take. Preference should be given to self-pollinated or parthenocarpic - not requiring pollination - plants. You can take bee-pollinated ones, but you will have to tinker with them additionally.

For growing in room conditions the cucumber seeds described in this are suitable.

The most suitable varieties for planting in winter:

"F1 Ekaterina"- smooth long cucumbers, ripen in about 45 days. Flowers do not require pollination, they endure heat and low light;

Cucumber variety "F1 Ekaterina"

"F1 Faust"- fruits of medium length with a pronounced characteristic taste and thin skin. The plant begins to bear fruit in 50-55 days, does not require pollination, is resistant to powdery mildew and cucumber mosaic virus;
"F1 Crunch"- parthenocarpic, early maturing, generous in yield and resistant to common diseases. Cucumbers are short and medium, tasty and crispy;

Cucumber grade "F1 Khrustik"

"F1 Gift of the East"- the plant does not require pollination, is not affected by powdery mildew, has low climbing and bears fruit for a long time. From planting to the appearance of the first cucumbers, 50-53 days pass. The fruits are small, suitable for pickling and fresh consumption.

If you are unable to make your own choice, consult a dealer at a specialized store. Note that you need a variety suitable for growing on a windowsill during the cold season.

Landing dates

There are no fixed dates for planting cucumbers on the windowsill. From November to February, in any case, the plant will need additional lighting; growing a crop is not tied to the weather or the length of daylight hours.

Be guided in this matter only by your own needs and desires. If you want to serve fresh homemade cucumbers on the New Year's table, you need to sow the seeds in the last days of October. If you plan to harvest in early spring, you need to start cultivating the plant from January 1-5.

Planting time for cucumbers depends on your needs and desires.

Location selection

The room in which you plan to place the cucumber pots should be warm and bright. No drafts or significant temperature fluctuations. It will be better if the windows of the room face south. It is best to put the plants on the windowsill in the kitchen or next to the bathroom. Humidity is higher there, the air is not overdried by heating devices.

When growing a cucumber in an apartment, it is necessary to select a place with high humidity and not overdried air.

To protect seedlings from winter cold, place foam or wooden blocks under the pots.

How to grow houses on the window: planting features

For planting each plant, you will need a 5-liter container with holes for water. The same goes for . It is filled with moist soil, holes are made in the ground by about 1.5 cm and seeds are laid there - pre-sprouted or not. Before germination, it is better to cover the pot with a film and place it in a room where the temperature does not fall below 25 °. As soon as the first sprouts appear, the covering material is removed and the container is moved to the windowsill.

To begin with, seeds can also be sown in small pots or cups, and then transplanted. But in this case, you will have to wait until the seedlings take root, and hope that none of them die.

Initially, cucumbers can be grown in small cups, but later the plant will need to be transplanted.

Soil preparation

The easiest way to plant cucumbers is to buy ready-made land - universal or designed specifically for pumpkin. If there is none, the soil is prepared as follows:

Humus and forest or garden fertile turf are mixed in a ratio of 1: 1. After that, a handful of sand, ash, rotten black sawdust are added to 5 liters of the mixture. The resulting loose earth needs to be fed with mineral fertilizers - a matchbox for 5 liters of soil. These can be additives designed for growing cucumbers or all pumpkin crops, or nitrophoska.
They take 2 parts of garden soil, mix into it 1 part of rotten sawdust, sand, humus and ready-made soil for growing seedlings. The mixture is disinfected, and then supplemented with ash, manure, crushed eggshell and chalk at the rate of a glass per 5 liters of earth and chicken manure - 0.5 cups per the same volume.

Different types of soils

Read more about fertilizers and feeding cucumbers.

Homemade soil must be disinfected so that the seedlings do not get sick and are not eaten by flies. To do this, the soil is heated at high temperatures - in the oven or on the stove.

Before planting seeds, 2-3 centimeters of drainage from coarse sand, small pebbles or broken bricks are poured onto the bottom of the container, and soil is laid on top. The day before sowing, the soil must be watered.

Read how to prepare the soil for planting cucumbers in greenhouse conditions.

Seed preparation

Buy seeds for growing cucumbers on the windowsill should be at least a month before planting. Then they are put in a warm, dry place so that they dry out properly in 30 days. After planting material is sorted out, darkened or damaged seeds are thrown away, and good ones are disinfected. This is done using a weak pink solution of potassium permanganate: the grains are wrapped in gauze and soaked in liquid for 15-20 minutes. Also, the seeds can be put overnight in a solution of ash, aloe juice, or according to the instructions in growth stimulants.

If you plan to use the planting material immediately, it must be dried again within 1-2 hours. But it is best to germinate seeds in advance for winter crop cultivation. To do this, they are placed on a cotton pad or a napkin dipped in water and left in a warm place for 2-3 days, moisturizing if necessary. As soon as the sprouts hatch, the cucumbers are planted.

Seeds must be germinated before planting.

Seeds in the shell do not require germination and disinfection. Keep in mind that they rise a little later than usual. If you want to grow cucumbers for a specific event, sow them a week earlier.

Care

The plant on the windowsill in the cold season is deprived of sunlight, moisture and temperatures that contribute to the development and formation of cucumbers in the garden. Caring for home seedlings is to recreate these same conditions.

Watering

Like garden varieties, cucumbers on the windowsill love water. Immediately after planting, the seeds are watered about once every two days. Do this as needed - the soil should be slightly moist, not dry and not too flooded.

Already developed plants are watered more often. If lamps are installed above the seedlings, the soil is gradually moistened twice a day. If there is no additional light, once a day is enough. Water for irrigation is used at room temperature, preferably filtered or at least settled.

Depending on the variety, cucumbers are watered from 2 times a day to 4 times a week.

To make it easier to care for cucumber lashes, pull the rope over the container every 7-12 centimeters. So climbing plant will receive more light, and the fruits and ovaries will not be damaged.

Temperature

The optimum temperature for growing cucumbers on a windowsill is above 18° and below 26°. You need to keep it at about the same level. To do this, the windows are maximally insulated and close all the cracks - a winter draft can deprive the crop or delay fruiting for more late deadline even in a warm room.

Light

In order for the plant to develop properly, it needs 10 hours of daylight. In winter, the window sill will have to be equipped with additional lamps - special phyto- or fluorescent. They are placed above the containers at a distance of 15-20 centimeters with the ability to raise a little higher when the lashes are extended.

When growing cucumbers at home, they need additional illumination with fluorescent lamps.

Also from the side of the room near the plants, you can fix the foil. It will reflect light and increase the illuminated area.

Humidity

Too much watering can cause black leg disease. To prevent this from happening, it is better to add water a little at a time and maintain high humidity around the plant. Optimal Level- 85-90%. To humidify the air, you can use special devices or sprayers, put a saucer of water next to the cucumbers in the old fashioned way, or put a wet towel on the radiator under the windowsill.

How to properly water cucumbers is described.

top dressing

Cucumber seedlings on the windowsill are fertilized twice. The first top dressing is carried out approximately 2 weeks after seed germination. As an additive, ready-made mineral fertilizers for cucumbers are used or they are independently kneaded from superphosphate, ammonium nitrate and magnesium sulfate. Each ingredient is taken in 5 grams and dissolved in 5 liters of water. The liquid is poured over the roots of the plant. 1 glass needs to be stretched for 5 seedlings.

To obtain a large amount of yield, add mineral and organic fertilizers to the soil

The second feeding of domestic cucumbers is carried out 7-10 days after the first. For irrigation use the same mixture, distributing a glass of fertilizer to 2 plants. If you do not want to use mineral fertilizers, you can use organic matter in the second top dressing. To do this, take peels from 5 bananas, pour a liter of water and insist for a week. The resulting concentrate is diluted with another 2 liters of water and used for root irrigation.

Try not to "save" the harvest. Remove the cucumbers as soon as they stretch 8-10 centimeters. The more often you pick, the longer and more abundant the plant will bear fruit.

Disease prevention

To prevent cucumbers from getting sick, it is important to follow the care recommendations, disinfect the soil and seeds, and use bactericidal solutions from pests.

Tobacco decoction helps against aphids and whiteflies. 30 grams of tobacco is poured with a liter of water and boiled for 8-10 minutes. The cooled liquid is diluted with another liter of water and the plant is sprayed with it. Most often, cucumber aphids are found on cucumbers in greenhouses, and read how to deal with it.