What cucumbers to plant on the window. Cucumbers on the window: a fragrant green delicacy in the middle of winter. Development of an adult plant

During the long winter, gardeners dream of something new. summer season and upcoming harvests. You can brighten up the wait for spring by growing several cucumber plants in your room, which will delight you with lush greenery and fragrant fruits.

Varieties of cucumbers for growing on a windowsill

For an apartment, you need to select greenhouse self-pollinating hybrids, since there are no pollinating insects at home, and transferring pollen from stamens to pistils with a brush is tedious. The hybrid must be short-stemmed, resistant to lack of light and dry air, and produce salad-type fruits.

Suitable varieties of cucumbers on the windowsill:

Abatova;
Adventure;
Excitement;
Aksinya;
Diamond;
Alliance Plus and others.

There are several hundred varieties suitable for indoor growing. If the bag of seeds indicates that it is a parthenocarpic salad-type hybrid intended for protected soil, feel free to buy it and plant it.

Preparing for landing

You can sow cucumbers on the windowsill at any time of the year. In winter, plants will have to be illuminated with fluorescent lamps, as they will not have enough natural light. If you do not want to waste energy, it is better to sow later - in March.

Priming

Pumpkin plants love neutral or slightly acidic soil. It is easier to purchase soil of the required acidity in the store. The bag should be marked “Neutral”. The industrial substrate contains all the nutritional elements necessary for cucumbers in a balanced ratio.

You can prepare the soil yourself by taking:

garden land 1;
humus 0.3;
sand 0.3;
wood ash 0.01.

It is difficult to grow cucumbers on a windowsill without ash - it will remove the acidity characteristic of most natural soils and protect against bacterial diseases, to which cucumbers on the windowsill in winter are very prone due to lack of light and overflow.

Each plant will require a separate container with a volume of at least 2 liters. A standard seedling box will fit 5-6 vines. There must be holes at the bottom of the cucumber house to drain excess water.

Place

A well-insulated window will do sunny side apartments. Heat-loving cucumbers do not tolerate drafts and cold. If it is expected winter growing cucumbers on the windowsill , it needs to be insulated by placing wooden stand or polystyrene foam.

It is useful to equip slopes with mirrors or reflective film so that the plant gets more outside light. In summer, cucumbers can be grown on a regular or glassed-in balcony, where they will thrive, taking advantage of the abundance of light and space.

Seed preparation

Greenhouse cucumber seeds are often sold already processed. Take a closer look at the seeds. If they are red, blue or green, then they just need to be sown in the ground - there is a film on their surface that protects them from harmful microorganisms.

Untreated seeds will have to be prepared for sowing yourself. They always contain spores of fungi and bacteria, which can damage the delicate seedling, and then there will be no germination.

Ordinary potassium permanganate will help get rid of the infection. The seeds are immersed for 20 minutes in a pale pink solution. If you have scales, you can measure the exact dose of manganese - 1 g of powder is required per liter of water.

After disinfection, the seeds are thoroughly washed in clean water. There should be no traces of processing left on their surface. Permanganate remaining on the seed coat will hinder germination.

Planting cucumbers on the windowsill

After disinfection, the seeds are immediately sown in pots, 2 pieces in each container to a depth of 1.5 cm. The sown soil is watered with warm water separated from chlorine.

Indoor maintenance of cucumber vines is not particularly difficult, even for beginners. The plant requires no more careful care than geranium or any other popular indoor flower. The color and elasticity of the leaves will tell you about defects in care.

Watering

Cucumbers are afraid of cold water, reacting to it with root rot and spots on the leaves. The temperature of the liquid should not be lower than 22 degrees. If the room is colder in winter, the water needs to be slightly heated. The easiest way is to get a special plastic watering can and pour it into it. tap water in advance so that it has time to settle and warm up before watering. The vessel can be placed directly on the heating radiator.

The soil in a pot of cucumbers should always be slightly moist, but not wet. As soon as upper layer becomes completely dry, water the plants sparingly, so that excess moisture leaked onto the pan. Then be sure to drain it. Stagnation of water leads to freezing of roots and an outbreak of infectious diseases.

Cucumbers are tropical inhabitants. The air of their homeland is saturated with water vapor. The vines on the windowsill will be grateful for frequent spraying from a spray bottle.

In a critically dry atmosphere, even with frequent spraying, the tips of the leaves dry out. A tray with expanded clay or pebbles will help correct the situation. The pots are placed directly on the stones and a little water is poured onto the bottom of the tray so that the evaporating moisture envelops the plants and creates a zone around them high humidity.

Top dressing

The prepared soil contains all the nutrients that cucumbers need. Fertilizers are required situationally - when the plant outwardly shows that it lacks certain elements.

With a lack of nitrogen the leaves become pale, the stems become thin, the greens become twisted. Plants take on a frail appearance. In such cases, urea will help - add 5-6 balls of fertilizer per liter of water and water the plants as usual. After 2-3 such feedings, the leaves will acquire a natural dark shade.

Nitrogen fertilizing should be done with caution - it increases the amount of nitrates in fruits. The same rule applies to organics. Manure, compost and chicken droppings are not used in rooms for sanitary and hygienic reasons. But if you add them to the soil, the cucumbers will be saturated with nitrates in the same way as when watered with mineral water. Therefore, fertilizers (organic and inorganic) are applied when the plant clearly shows that it lacks nitrogen.

Phosphorus and potassium fertilizing can be carried out more freely. They do not deteriorate the quality of fruits and do not make them hazardous to human health.

About excess phosphorus pale necrotic spots that appear between the veins are signaled, and the deficiency is signaled by the falling of flowers and ovaries, dry spots on the lower leaves. You need to add several granules of superphosphate into the soil, using a thin peg to make indentations around the perimeter of the pot to a depth of at least 10 cm. Place 1-2 balls into each hole.

With excess potassium the leaves become hard and break off easily. Potassium is important for cucumbers. If there is a deficiency, light stripes appear on the plates, running from the petioles to the tips. Over time, the markings become wider and the leaves break, wither and die, or become dome-shaped.

Getting rid of potassium deficiency is easy. Potash fertilizers, unlike superphosphate, are well diluted in water:

Buy potassium sulfate or chloride.
Fill a quart jar with water.
Throw a pinch of fertilizer into the water.
Stir until completely dissolved.
Water the plants.

In order not to apply phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen fertilizers separately, it is better to use complex formulations specifically designed for growing cucumbers, for example, Agricola for pumpkin. Fertilizer is applied under the roots or along the leaves according to the instructions printed on the package.

Backlight

Cucumber is neutral regarding day length. There is an exception - a few short-day varieties that require less than 12 hours of daylight. Information about this will be indicated on the seed package.

Such cultivars can be sown only in the first half of the year, when the days lengthen. To start bearing fruit, they need short days at the beginning of the growing season. In the second half of the growing season, day length no longer affects plant development.

Conventional varieties do not respond to the duration of illumination; they grow with equal success at 10 and 16 hour days. The intensity of the light flux is important. If the leaves do not have enough photons, they will not be able to provide a full filling of greens. As a result, the flowers and ovaries will begin to fall off, and only single fruits will remain on the branches.

To correct the situation in window opening install fluorescent lamps or phytolamps. The backlight can be placed both from above and from the side.

Topping

Shaping is the most difficult operation in caring for indoor cucumbers, but you can’t do without it. Thickened plants will not give the expected harvest, since their strength will be spent on the formation of new vines to the detriment of fruiting.

The formation of indoor cucumbers differs from greenhouse cucumbers in the scheme.

Carrying out:

In the lower three nodes, the side shoots and ovaries are removed.
Starting from the 4th node, the plant is allowed to branch, pinching each lash after 5-6 nodes - the vine formed in this way does not grow long, but gives a decent harvest.

What are cucumbers afraid of on the windowsill?

Pumpkin plants in the room are afraid of wet and at the same time cold soil. The roots of the plant must be kept warm, so the pot is insulated from plastic window sill, installing on a stand that does not allow low temperature. In winter, the window must be kept closed - the flow of cold air, even if it is an imperceptible gap between the frames, will freeze the plant.

Seedlings can be damaged by blackleg. Diseased specimens will have to be thrown out and the soil changed or disinfected in the oven.

Adult plants in the room do not suffer from common garden pests: aphids, caterpillars. The development of fungal diseases is unlikely, but just in case, it is better to immediately tear off all suspicious leaves with spots and throw them away.

When to expect the harvest

Cucumber vines begin to bear fruit 45-50 days after the first leaves appear and set greens for 1.5 months. If you need to receive products constantly, seeds are sown in batches every 30-40 days.

Cucumbers are most popular among home gardening enthusiasts. Almost anyone can do this business. If you have homemade flowers in pots on the windowsills, then this experience is quite enough for working with cucumbers. No special skills are needed here. The main thing is to know the basic requirements of the culture and some of its 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 your efforts do not go in vain.

To get everything done necessary conditions, you should wisely and lovingly arrange your balcony, loggia or window sill.

Wash the windows, insulate them 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, balconies, loggias, preferably in an eastern, southern or southeastern direction.
If there is still not enough light, then worry about additional lighting.

Cucumber varieties for growing at home

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

Requirements for cucumber varieties for home grown:

designed specifically for closed ground: in a room (balcony, window sill) or in a greenhouse,
capable of long-term, at least 5-6 months, fruiting,
cross-pollinated varieties require hand pollination (this process is quite labor-intensive),
parthenocarpic produce fruits without pollination of flowers by pollen. These varieties have almost only female flowers on the stem, from which cucumbers are formed. So don't worry about the lack of male specimens. These fruits have no seeds.

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

Parthenocarpic cucumbers for home cultivation:

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

Old-time varieties that are recommended to be sown in February - March have not lost their relevance.

April,
Cucaracha,
Marinda.

Shade-tolerant cucumbers for home cultivation

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

Seryozha,
Legend,
Tatiana,
Zozulya,
Babylon,
Claudia;

Light-loving cucumbers for home growing

Among the light-loving varieties are:

Stella,
Thumb Boy
Mazai.

Photo: cucumber variety Window-balcony F1

Planting cucumbers at home

For successful landing To grow cucumbers at home, you need to select seeds, set appropriate dates, prepare nutritious soil and choose convenient containers. Cucumbers can be grown in garden conditions in the usual way through seedlings, or they can be grown without seedlings. In any case, seedlings need to be grown without picking - young cucumber plants are very tender and cannot tolerate transplanting.

Cucumber planting dates

Should be installed optimal timing landings

If everything in the apartment is provided the necessary conditions, then you can start sowing 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.
If you sow at the end of January, then by March 8 you can surprise your guests with fresh fruits with home garden.

Soil for planting cucumbers

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

The easiest way out is to buy ready-made soil for cucumbers and other pumpkin plants in the store,
Use pre-prepared garden soil, evenly mixed with rotted manure and humus,
Mix peat and sand in a 1:1 ratio.

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

To make young cucumber seedlings feel better, add a little fertilizer 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. Design and how they fit into your interior play an important role in choosing pots and tubs.

A prerequisite for them is the presence of drainage holes.
Cucumber vines will feel great in buckets, tubs, and pots with a volume of at least 8-10 liters.
You should definitely add about 3 cm of drainage to the bottom: coarse gravel, expanded clay or broken brick, preventing stagnation of water in the soil and providing air access to the roots.

Preparing seeds before planting cucumbers

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

Grow good ones strong cucumbers You can immediately sow the seeds in a prepared container with soil, bypassing the seedling period. To be sure of the result, you can pre-germinate the seeds.

Growing cucumbers at home without seedlings

Seeds (preferably 2-3 pieces) are sown on soil previously spilled with warm, preferably settled, water. The soil level should be 5 cm below the top edge of the pot. The seeds are sprinkled on top with 1.5-2 cm of dry soil and lightly slammed down with your hand.
To create the most favorable conditions, it is advisable to cover the container with glass or film on top, because For successful seed germination, a temperature of at least 22-26 °C is recommended.
It is important that the top soil layer does not dry out.
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 have sprouted at once in one small container, select the most powerful sprout, carefully cut or break off the rest.

For normal development 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 begin to quickly outgrow them, move them to a more dark place for a while.

Straight lines are contraindicated for young shoots. Sun rays. Foil placed under the plant pot will help increase the intensity of sunlight.
After emergence, the temperature should be immediately reduced to 16-18 °C during the day and not higher than 12 °C at night.
It is necessary to water daily if the room temperature is high, and every other day if the temperature is lower.
Monitor the temperature of the water for irrigation; do not use cold water to avoid root rot and the appearance of diseases.

Growing cucumber at home through seedlings

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

Water the seedlings well with warm water. Try to do this as carefully as possible, do not destroy the clod of earth at the roots.
Apply the powder up to the cotyledon leaves, that is, slightly higher than in seedling pots.
There should be room left up to the top edge of the pot to gradually add soil as the plant grows. This will promote the formation of additional roots.

Caring for cucumber at home

The principles of care are the same as in a greenhouse and in open ground. Cucumbers love moisture and need staking and shaping. You cannot neglect fertilizing at home and be sure to alternate different types and types of fertilizers. Plants will require special care during the fruiting period. Care and attention will help cucumbers produce a large and tasty harvest.

Feeding cucumber

After transplantation and establishment, after 5-6 days, the cucumbers need to be fed.

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

Plant development will tell you when to feed it. Alternate fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers twice a month. This way the “diet” will ensure that you receive a regular vitamin-rich harvest of cucumbers. Good results gives spraying of leaves: 15 g of urea / 10 l of water.

Cucumber backlight

Particular attention should be paid to additional lighting.

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

Now there are many devices and lamps for installing the necessary additional lighting. Fluorescent lamps are usually used as they are more affordable.

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

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

Forming cucumbers

A very important factor for success 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 itself, stretching up to the required height. There are several in various ways how to shape a cucumber.

Formation should begin as soon as you count 5 good full leaves on the stem.
First of all, pinch off all the tendrils, flowers and shoots at the level of the 2-3rd 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 to a rope stretched upward or wrapped around a stick inserted in advance into the pot.
Next, let the vine branch, pinching each shoot as it grows upward 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 require the formation of a vine. They grow upward with virtually no formation of side shoots. It will be enough to pinch such plants at a level limited only by the capabilities and height of your window.

Care during fruiting period

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

To create the required humidity conditions you can use this method:

place a vessel with water next to the pot,
lower a homemade “wick” there (you can use gauze),
Place the free end in a circle around the stem in the pot and sprinkle with soil,
Make sure there is always water in the vessel.

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

Picking cucumbers

Young fruits should be collected regularly, without waiting for them to overgrow. The most delicious young sweet cucumbers are 4-5 days old.

Do you know that cucumbers can be grown not only in the garden, in a greenhouse or in open ground, but also in a pot on a windowsill, balcony or loggia? This growing method extends the season for consuming fresh, aromatic produce. correct selection modern varieties and hybrids and observing sowing dates, you can enjoy fresh, crispy greens all year round without leaving the apartment. Provide the cucumbers with the necessary conditions, arrange a windowsill and boldly plant the seeds, starting in February.

Conditions for growing cucumbers on a windowsill

You can grow cucumbers at home quite successfully by following simple recommendations.

For the most early landings hybrids are selected on the windowsill that can actively grow and bear fruit in conditions of low light and short day.
We do not recommend growing cucumbers on open balconies V major cities, especially in houses located near highways, as greens will accumulate heavy metals.
No more than 3-4 cucumber plants are placed on a 1.5 m wide window.

Good cucumber harvests room conditions happen when the volume of soil per plant is at least 5 liters .
The smaller the volume of the substrate, the more often it is necessary to water and the more difficult it is to maintain the necessary water-salt regime, since the soil dries out faster and at the same time the concentration of the soil solution increases.

It must be remembered that cucumber plants consume a large number of water: in summer, in sunny weather, in greenhouses during fruiting, one cucumber plant can consume up to 6-8 liters of water per day.

Soil drought and salt stress significantly reduce the yield and quality of greens.
On the other hand, excessive waterlogging of the soil causes the roots to die.

When growing a cucumber on a windowsill, a wire (trellis) is stretched above the window, to which twine (string) is tied. The stem is wrapped around the twine as it grows. Plants are formed in the same way as in greenhouses.

When sowing at the earliest possible times:

completely remove side shoots and female flowers in the lower 4-6 nodes of the main vine,
in subsequent nodes, the side shoots are pinched above the 1-2nd leaf, and in the upper part of the main lash - above the 2-4th leaf.
The top of the plant is carefully wrapped 2-3 times around the trellis wire, lowered down and pinched at a height of 30-50 cm from the window sill.
From the upper nodes of the stem, not one, but two shoots can be lowered down.

When growing spring parthenocarpic hybrids, as well as winter bee-pollinated hybrids in late culture:

only the lower 3-4 nodes of the main lash are completely blinded,
further formation is carried out according to the method described above.

Shaping a cucumber helps speed up stem growth:

in the lower 3–4 nodes, the ovaries and side shoots are completely removed;
in the next 1–2 nodes the ovaries are left and the side shoots are pinched;
Higher up the stem, side shoots are left, pinching them to the middle of the height of the trellis by 2 leaves, and higher by 3–4 leaves.

This technique accelerates the growth of the stem in height and enhances the filling of greens.

Since the first lower leaves of young plants usually form weak and small, and the stem in the lower part is thin with elongated internodes, when the plants reach the trellis wire, you can lower the twine to half the height of the window, carefully laying bottom part stems on the windowsill. In this part of the stems, all side shoots are removed. Subsequently, the cucumbers are formed according to generally accepted methods.

In bee-pollinated hybrids, it is necessary to manually pollinate the female flowers.

To do this, they pick freshly blossomed male flowers (barren flowers), tear off their corolla petals and touch the female flowers (also freshly blossomed) with their stamens.
One male flower you can pollinate 2-3 female flowers.
For high-quality pollination on the window, one pollinator plant is enough.

pollinator

Gladiator F1.

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Growing cucumber seedlings on a windowsill

It is advisable to grow cucumbers through seedlings if it is possible to harden off young plants (for example, move the seedlings to a cooler windowsill for several days).

Soil for cucumber seedlings on the windowsill

Place drainage material in a 2 cm layer at the bottom of flowerpots, boxes or double plastic bags, and then fill them with fertile soil with an acidity of pH 6.3-6.8, without adding 5 cm to the top edge.
Add 2 tbsp per 10 liters of substrate. crystallina or 2 tbsp. nitrophoska, adding in each case 1 tsp. magnesium sulfate.

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The task will be made easier by ready-made substrates specially designed for growing vegetables at home, for example the nutrient Microgreenhouse soil from the Buysky Chemical Plant. Seedlings can be grown directly in the bag. The nutrient mixture contains a complete balanced composition of micro- and macroelements, which are so lacking in conditions unusual for plants. Therefore, they take root better, flowering and fruit set are enhanced.
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Hardening off cucumber seedlings on the windowsill

Hardening is carried out for 7-10 days before planting.
This increases the cold resistance of plants, prevents them from stretching and at the same time prevents the tendency to topping (i.e., stopping growth) when there is a lack of light.
When hardening, the air temperature should be 15-17°C. Drafts are contraindicated for cucumber.

Planting cucumber seedlings on the windowsill

Seedlings are planted in containers at the age of 2–3 true leaves.
After planting, the plants are well watered, the soil surface is mulched with cut straw, decorative chips or bark with a layer of 2–3 cm to maintain moisture and isolate the soil from external influences.
You can immediately install a support to which the cucumber lashes will be attached.

Growing cucumbers on a windowsill without seedlings

At summer growing You can sow seeds directly into the box.
After sowing, for better seed germination, the pot must be covered with film.
The container should be placed in a warm, sunny place oriented to the east or southeast.

Cucumber varieties for growing on a windowsill

Not all varieties and hybrids are suitable for growing cucumbers in containers or pots at home, but only parthenocarpic, shade-tolerant and resistant to temperature changes. These qualities are inherent in salad-type varieties:

Window-balcony F1(has elongated fruits, up to 14–16 cm),
Mustafa F1(fruits 18–20 cm long),
Gift of the East F1(distinguished by bunch fruit formation (up to 4–5 greens 8–10 cm long per node).
Spring whim F1(gives fruits up to 20 cm long, very fragrant, juicy, with thin, delicate skin).
Ekaterina F1 And Elizabeth F1 They produce longer fruits (up to 25–30 cm), but when grown in a window, it is better to harvest them at a size of 10–12 cm.

Some names indicate the great popularity of cucumbers of this type in Asian countries, where they are added to a variety of dishes and even served as dessert. In Europe, “salad” cucumbers are also popular, but, unlike “Asian” ones, they have large and sparse tubercles.

During the period of mass fruiting, 15–25 beautiful, uniform, smooth (without tubercles or thorns), shiny cucumbers without bitterness in taste are formed on one plant almost simultaneously.
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Growing cucumbers in containers will allow you to get your favorite juicy fruits, even if you do not have a greenhouse or do not have enough space on your site. Try, experiment, delight yourself with delicious and healthy products grown with your own hands!

Growing garden crops at home allows you not only to save money on buying vegetables, but also to receive environmentally friendly pure product. People often grow cucumbers on their windowsill in winter. Our article today will tell you about all the nuances that are worth remembering in this situation.

Preparing for landing

It is quite possible to create a small garden of cucumber bushes on the windowsill of your apartment. But for this you need to properly prepare.

This procedure includes the following points:

selection of good planting material;
preparation of high-quality substrate;
selection of containers for planting;
choosing a place for growing (the window sill should be well lit, since cucumbers require at least 3-4 hours of light per day).

Remember that the further growth and development of cucumber bushes directly depends on how correctly the preparatory stage was carried out. In this case, the first harvest can be harvested just 1-1.5 months after the appearance of the first shoots.

The answer to the question of how to grow cucumbers at home on a windowsill in winter always begins with choosing suitable planting material. In this case, it is worth giving preference to early ripening and bush varieties. This the best varieties which will give a good and tasty harvest. It is recommended to use only self-pollinating hybrids. Otherwise, without bees, which are in the apartment in winter period there is no question, it will be impossible to get a harvest.

Second no less important point preparatory stage is the choice of a quality substrate. It can be purchased at a specialty store. But many gardeners recommend preparing the soil yourself. To do this, you need to mix 2/3 coconut fibers and 1/3 vermicompost. Both components can be easily found over the counter. The result is an ideal substrate for growing cucumbers indoors in winter.

Growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter is carried out in flower pots. Absolutely any container can be chosen. The main requirement is a volume of at least three liters.

It is also recommended to use a container made of food grade plastic. It definitely won’t release into the soil harmful substances during its operation. The bottom of the pot must have drainage holes for effective removal excess moisture. If these holes are not there, then there is a high risk of rotting of the plant’s root system.

After choosing planting material, preparing the soil and pot, at this stage it is necessary to prepare the seeds for planting. Their preparation for landing is carried out as follows:

The seeds should be placed in a plate and poured with a warm and weak solution of potassium permanganate. They should stay in this solution for several hours;
During this time, some of the seeds will float. They need to be removed, as they definitely won’t germinate;
the seeds that remain in the solution are ready for planting.

Now you can begin the actual planting.

Video “How to grow cucumbers at home”

In this video you will learn all the secrets of growing cucumbers on the windowsill.

Landing technology

To get cucumbers on the windowsill, a special growing technology is used, which is carried out in two ways:

The classic technology for planting cucumbers at home is as follows:

Fill the prepared container halfway with soil;
We place the seeds in the soil, which we sprinkle on top with a layer of earth (1-2 cm);
After the first shoots appear, soil must be added to the pot. It should not reach the edges by about 2-3 mm. Otherwise, watering the seedlings will be inconvenient;
Due to the addition of soil, not all shoots will be able to re-break through it.

After emergence of seedlings, care for plants to obtain good harvest, must be implemented correctly.

The technology for growing bushes in winter at home through picking is carried out as follows:

Whatever method of growing cucumbers in the house in winter is used, the emerging shoots need proper care.

In winter, watering with cucumber is reduced. This is due to the short daylight hours. In this regard, it is in winter that overwatering will be most dangerous for plants. Here it is better not to add water than to overfill it and lose the harvest because of it. With the arrival of spring (late March), the intensity of watering is gradually increased. During the summer period, when the bushes bear fruit, the soil in the pot should not be allowed to dry out. During this period, water evaporates quite quickly due to the formation of ovaries and fruits. Therefore, in summer it is believed that dry soil is more harmful to cucumbers than waterlogged soil. Watering is carried out daily with water room temperature. It is also recommended to regularly spray the bush.

Another nuance of growing on the window of this vegetable crop is to create an optimal light regime for the bushes. Remember that plants on the windowsill should warm up evenly, while receiving the optimal amount of light.

To do this, the pot with the plant must be rotated 180 degrees every day. Optimal time The turnaround time is noon. This procedure should be done daily, at the same time. Otherwise, the shoots will begin to stretch greatly, becoming ugly and twisted.

Features of cultivation

In addition to watering, caring for cucumbers grown at home should include the following equally important points:

If you want to get a good harvest, you must add fertilizer to the pot. It is recommended to add vermicompost to the soil monthly. You can also use various special fertilizers (for example, “Growth” and “agrolife”) as top dressing. Seedlings need to be fertilized every 2 weeks. When the seedling appears, another feeding is carried out a week later. For watering, you need to prepare a special solution: 1 tbsp. l. Dissolve urea in 6 liters of water. For one seedling you need to use 1 glass of this solution. Once every 10 days, plants are fertilized with mineral fertilizers.

If the care of home cucumber plantings was correct and complete, then the first harvest on the bushes will appear in 1-1.5 months. Young cucumbers need to be picked from the bush every day so that the harvest is formed continuously.

Diseases and pests

At home, cucumbers can suffer from the following diseases:

powdery mildew. The disease is caused by a fungus. It manifests itself as a white coating that forms on the leaves. If they are detected, it is necessary to immediately take measures to combat it, otherwise the plant may die;
anthracnose or copperhead. Here, too, a fungus acts as a pathogen. But it already affects not only the leaves, but also the fruits. On them, the fungus appears as brown spots;
root rot. The disease is difficult to diagnose, since it affects the underground part of the plant;
sclerotinia or “white rot”. It appears on leaves, stems and fruits with a white coating.

In addition to diseases, homemade cucumbers often suffer from attacks spider mite, whiteflies and aphids. Insecticides should be used to control them.

As you can see, growing cucumbers in your apartment is not so difficult. The main thing is to choose the right one planting material and take care of the bushes, and they will delight you with a tasty and abundant harvest.

Video “Caring for cucumbers”

In this video, experienced gardeners will share their secrets on how to choose the right seeds and how to care for them.