Cucumbers on summer cottages grown by many - this vegetable has been very popular for decades. Caring for it is not too difficult, and if you have a good greenhouse, you can reap excellent harvests. But few people know that cucumbers can also be grown at home on the windowsill. All you need to do is choose the appropriate variety, plant the seeds in tubs and create good conditions for the growth and fruiting of cucumber bushes.
The harvest can be harvested 2-2.5 months after planting the plant: for example, if you want to see fresh cucumbers on the New Year's table, you need to plant them in late September - early October.
There are many varieties suitable for home use. Cucumber varieties that do not require pollination are called parthenocarpic hybrids.
Parthenocarpic hybrids are modern varieties, which were obtained as a result of the work of breeders. They have only female flowers and are self-pollinating. There are no seeds inside the fruits that grow on bushes of parthenocarpic varieties. These cucumber varieties are good not only because they do not require pollination - they grow well and produce rich harvests.
For growing at home, you can also choose one of the varieties that usually grow in the garden and are pollinated by bees. Shade-tolerant cucumbers are better suited for planting in winter.
It is more advisable to plant light-loving ones in the summer, although if you organize good lighting, they will give good harvests and during the winter months.
| Qualities | Variety | Photo |
|---|---|---|
| Shade-tolerant hybrids producing medium-sized fruits | Claudia, Legend, Tatiana, Seryozha | |
| Large-fruited shade-tolerant hybrids | Zozulya, Ragtime, Babylon | |
| Light-loving varieties of cucumber | Stella, Mazay, Thumb |
This is far from full list- there are a great many varieties that are suitable for germination at home.
Detailed advice can be obtained from a competent seller in a seed store. Tell him that you need cucumbers for winter growing on the windowsill, and he will select suitable options for you.
You can use ready-made soils for plants or prepare the soil yourself. In the first case, you can take universal soil or soil for pumpkin plants. If you prepare the soil yourself, you can make a mixture of peat and sand in a 1:1 ratio; it is well suited for growing cucumbers.
Another option is to mix in equal proportions upper layer garden soil, peat and humus.
The soil must be sterile. To disinfect it, it must be heated in the oven. If this is not done, young seedlings may be eaten by various flies and insects present in the ground. They can thaw in the warmth, even if the soil was brought in from the cold.
In order for cucumbers to grow better, it is better to add fertilizer to the soil. For one bush you will need:
You will also need some fine gravel to place at the bottom of the containers in which you will grow cucumbers. Gravel can be replaced with brick chips.
It is better to plant cucumbers in several separate containers with drainage holes - one for each bush. Another option is to use one common large tub. In this case, the distance between the bushes should be about 3 cm. 5 liters of soil will be enough for one bush. Wooden pegs must be stuck into the ground, to which the plant stems will subsequently be tied.
At the bottom of the tub you need to lay gravel in a layer of 1-3 cm, and then fill it with soil. It is better to place them on a window that faces south so that the plants receive more sunlight. Although you still can’t do without additional lighting with a fluorescent lamp or incandescent lamp in winter.
In order for the bush to grow well, it needs at least twelve to fourteen hours of light per day. Therefore, in winter, when the days are short, it is necessary to use a lamp for illumination. Ideally, it should be located 30-40 cm above the plant. It is better if you can change the height of the lamp over time, as the bush grows. In order to provide the maximum amount of light, some people attach foil or mirrors above the lamp or on the sides of the pots.
The seeds should first be disinfected; a saturated solution of potassium permanganate is good for this; it should not be dark red or pale pink.
The seeds need to be kept in it for two hours. It’s better to throw away those that float right away - they don’t sprout well. The rest should be dried a little on a cloth or napkin, and then sown.
If you bought already disinfected seeds, you do not need to soak them - they are planted immediately dry. After the seeds germinate, the excess shoots will need to be removed so that there is only one bush left in each tub.
Plastic cups with a capacity of about 100 ml are perfect for growing seedlings. They need to be filled with prepared soil, lightly tamping it and leaving 2-3 cm to the edges. After this, seeds are poured on top, 5 pieces in each glass, they are sprinkled with a layer of earth, which is again pressed down a little so that 1 cm remains to the edge.
After one or two weeks, the sprouts are thinned out, leaving the two strongest ones. After another week, it is necessary to carry out a second thinning, after which only one seedling will remain.
If you use separate containers and plant seeds in them immediately, without first planting seedlings in cups, the soil level should be 5 cm below the top edge of the pot. Plant 2-3 seeds in each pot. You can plant more - 4 or 5 pieces. Before planting, moisten the soil, then make 1-2 cm furrows or depressions in it, place the seeds in them, sprinkle with a 1 cm layer of soil and compact the soil.
The emergence of seedlings will take from several days to two weeks - depending on the chosen variety, as well as how favorable the conditions are. The best temperature for the emergence of seedlings is 22 degrees, and for the development of the bush after the sprout emerges from the ground - 20 degrees.
As the seedlings germinate, they will also need to be thinned out in two stages, so that in the end only the strongest remains. After 5 leaves appear on the sprouts, all tendrils should be removed. A month after sowing, you need to add another 3 cm of soil; this procedure will replace picking.
To make the seedlings germinate faster, the seeds can be pre-germinated. To do this, they need to be wrapped in cloth and constantly sprayed so that it is always damp. At a temperature of 27-30 degrees, the roots will appear in 2 days.
Cucumbers should be watered every day, but little by little, so that the soil is moist. If you do not pay proper attention to watering, the fruits will be bitter. Another important condition For good growth of this plant - humidity. You are unlikely to want to turn your apartment into a greenhouse, so spray the bushes every day with a spray bottle.
Another important condition for good growth is proper feeding. It should be started after the first leaf appears. You need to use mineral fertilizers for it.
Basic feeding rules:
If you have chosen more than one of the parthenocarpic varieties, pollination must be carried out after flowering begins. The female flower has a pistil, and the male flower has stamens. For fertilization to occur, pollen from the male flower must land on the female flower. In nature, it is carried by bees, but at home you will have to perform this simple operation yourself.
It is better to do this in the morning - at this time the pollen sticks well. Pick the male flower, cut off the corolla and place it in the female flower so that the pollen lands on the stigma.
When the first greens appear, you need to pinch the top of the stem and all the side branches. If roots appear on the surface, add some soil to the tub.
The fruits can be collected one and a half to two weeks after pollination. Do it in time so that the bush does not become depleted. The more often you harvest a plant, the better it will bear fruit. At good care from one bush you can get one or two dozen fruits. The bush can live up to two months from the date of the first harvest. Cucumbers do not reproduce by cuttings, so after the old plants die, you will have to sow the seeds again.
Of course, in order to reap a good harvest, you will have to tinker. But all the efforts will pay off - after all, cucumbers from the store cannot compare with homemade cucumbers grown with your own hands. They grow very well on the windowsill, and if you do everything right, you can count on excellent harvest. Try growing cucumbers yourself at home and please yourself and your loved ones with them.
Some people grow indoor flowers on their windowsills, while others have a real vegetable garden there. At the right approach in the apartment you can harvest not only greens, but also cucumbers throughout the year. This option is suitable for those who do not have their own dacha, but really like to tinker in the ground.
Thanks to selection, so many hybrid varieties have been created, adapted not only to greenhouse conditions, but also to cultivation in ordinary apartment. Now anyone can become a gardener. The main thing is to follow all the rules of home agricultural technology.
From the beginning of spring, summer residents begin. Classically for culture this is the most optimal time development. But if you sow in early February, you can get a cucumber harvest by festive table on March 8th.
What repents summer period, here they use greenhouse growing technologies followed by transferring the bushes to the balcony in the summer. Starting in March and sowing seeds monthly, you can be with cucumbers until late autumn.
September-November are also suitable seasons for picking cucumbers on windowsills. To do this, they begin to sow cups from the beginning of August. But it should be taken into account that from the second autumn month the daylight hours decrease significantly. Therefore, the main attention at this time is paid to additional lighting.
Submit to New Year's table fresh harvest of cucumbers grown with my own hands without leaving home is quite possible. To do this, it is important to observe all the basic conditions - heat, light, humidity, as well as choose the right varieties.
To grow on a window, it is better to look for special parthenocarpic cucumbers, created specifically for window sills and closed balconies. But many hybrids used in greenhouses are also quite suitable.
| Name of the hybrid (with prefix F1) | Peculiarities |
| "Window-balcony" | The name itself determines the place where this hybrid is grown. Self-pollinating variety with medium maturity |
| "Rytov's Room" | It became popular due to its unpretentiousness to growing conditions. The main requirement is crown formation |
| "Voyage" | Refers to early ripening varieties. Resistant to unfavorable growing conditions, has immunity to many diseases |
| "Karapuz" | A productive variety of gherkins with a long fruiting period. Grows well even in the shade |
| "Well done" | A precocious hybrid that can withstand temperature changes. Gives tasty, juicy fruits |
| "Regatta" | Early ripening variety home grown gives high yields. Resistant to diseases common to cucumbers |
| "Photon" | Already 1.5 months after planting the seeds, you can enjoy the delicious fruits. It’s possible to get up to 45 cucumbers from one bush |
Of the varieties grown in open ground, it is worth paying attention to the hybrids “Marinda”, “Masha”, “Prestige”, “Shchedrik”, “Courage”, “Primadonna”, “Secret of the Firm” and others. Shade-tolerant varieties “Faust”, “Forward”, “Flagman”, “Arbat” feel comfortable on the winter windowsill.
But in order to get good harvests of the hybrids “Marathon”, “Manul”, “Olympiad”, “Relay”, the home gardener will have to play the role of a pollinator. Or plant the Phoenix variety nearby. Of the self-pollinating ones, “Berendey”, “Orpheus”, “Amur”, “Alliance” are also interesting.
Of course, a windowsill is not a garden bed where everything is suitable conditions, . And the cold season is not quite a standard period (in the biological sense) for the development of a crop such as cucumbers.
In order to get green fruits in an ordinary apartment, the owner will have to try hard to create the necessary microclimate.
The most optimal parameters are 18-22 degrees Celsius. More high temperature it is not advisable to maintain - the plants will wither and require increased humidity, which will lead to the development of fungal diseases.
But you should not lower the thermometer below +18. Even if the bushes continue to grow, the owner is unlikely to see any ovaries.
The length of daylight hours for cucumbers should correspond to the summer regime. It’s good if the apartment has south windows. Then in daytime you can be content natural light, including fluorescent lamps only in the evening hours, and in winter also in the morning. On other window sills, as well as on cloudy days, the lamps will have to be kept on constantly.
Containers with cucumbers will be placed on the windowsill, under which, of course, there is a heating radiator. Modern gas systems They dry out the air, but the culture doesn’t like that. It's good if you have a humidifier in your house. In the absence of it, it is recommended to place containers of water next to the cucumbers. You can spray the air with a spray bottle, trying not to get it on the plants.
During the heating season, using only settled (or better yet, filtered) water room temperature. Water moderately, without waterlogging the soil. Water should also not stagnate in the trays.
If you don't water the plants enough, they will dry out. If the soil is too wet, the root system will rot.
Vegetable crops located on artificial cultivation, additional power will be required. Experienced gardeners suggest using the following fertilizers:
You can buy complex mineral fertilizer for cucumbers and follow the instructions included there. You should not be overzealous with the amount of chemicals - their excess is harmful to plants and can lead to food poisoning of people.
The qualitative development of plants directly depends on the starting points. Pay attention to soil selection, seed preparation and proper planting.
Those who have a dacha often use the land with garden plot, mixing it with humus or rotted manure. Others add pine needles, wood ash, bird droppings, sawdust, sand, etc.
It is better for beginning gardeners to use vermicompost in combination with coconut fiber in a 1:2 ratio. This substrate can be purchased at flower shop. Or purchase a ready-made soil mixture specifically for cucumbers.
You can use any available means - plastic buckets, bottles, flower pots. The main thing is that they have drain holes for water. Drainage is laid at the bottom - expanded clay, broken brick(red), river pebbles and so on. Its layer should be 5 cm. Then the prepared soil is poured into the container and watered. The vegetable bed is ready.
Only hybrid seeds that have a special color coating (usually red or green) do not require preliminary preparation. This planting material has already undergone all the necessary processing. With the rest you will have to do the following manipulations:
Then the seed is laid out on cotton pads to absorb excess water.
The planting process is not much different from working in a garden bed. But for this it is necessary that the container be at least 8 liters in volume. If you plan to grow cucumbers through seedlings, then it is better to use plastic cups and then transplant the seedlings into a large container.
Sowing is done as follows:
When the leaves hatch, remove the film and begin caring for the sprouts.
The conditions for growing cucumbers on a windowsill were mentioned above. Since these are the basics of crop care, it is worth focusing on other points.
From May to September, containers with cucumbers are watered daily using warm filtered water. In the cold season, you can reduce watering by doing it every other day. In this case, you need to monitor the condition of the soil - it should be slightly wet.
As soon as shoots appear in the container, the cucumbers are transferred to the most illuminated place. It is advisable to have blinds on the windows - in summer it is better to diffuse the bright rays of the sun. In winter, in addition to fluorescent lamps, you can also use foil as a screen. This will help redirect the rays directly to the sprouts. The timing of turning the lamps on and off should correspond to sunrise and sunset in the summer.
The nutrition of growing seedlings is described above. As for fruit-bearing bushes, they need fertilizer every 2 weeks. In this case, the addition of mineral water and organic matter should be alternated.
After waiting until the sprout has 5 full leaves, to do this, the lateral shoots and flowers need to be pinched. This will make the trunk stronger.
Do not forget about the liana-like nature of the bush. Therefore, you need to think through the growth system in advance by building a trellis on the window. The gardener helps make the first connection with the plant's tendrils. Then the shoots themselves will choose the direction they need.
When the vine reaches maximum height, the tops are pinched, suspended in this way further growth stems. But this will give the opportunity to develop side shoots and lead to an increase in the number of fruits.
You should not grow large fruits on the windowsill - this weakens the bush (and it is not always possible). Maximum size The cucumber should be no more than 12 cm. The more often you pick the fruits, the more you can collect. Freed from the harvest, the plant directs its energy to new flowering.
To become experienced gardener, it takes practice. It is natural that beginners will make mistakes in their experiments. Although they say that it is better to learn from your own mistakes, you should not ignore the advice of the pros:
Even if the first experience is unsuccessful, you should not despair. To understand where mistakes were made, it is recommended to keep a diary in which you note all the main points. And then in the next round you can wait for the fruits to appear. To see how others do this, it’s worth watching videos that can be found on the Internet.
Cucumbers grown with your own hands are always tastier than store-bought ones. Growing fruits on a windowsill (or balcony) is a fascinating hobby worthy of respect. And also a reason to surprise your friends with an original home greenhouse, with which cucumbers are served at dinner table. The main thing is to be patient, put in a lot of effort and attention. Then everything will definitely work out.
To get cucumbers on the windowsill in winter, you need to have good land, hybrid seeds and arrange the possibility of sufficient lighting, not only natural, but also with the help of phytolamps. In a month and a half after proper care, cucumbers can produce a good harvest.
We can’t enjoy cucumbers for long in due time, since their season ends quickly, especially if the summer was dry. Therefore, many who like to eat this vegetable fresh try to get cucumbers on the windowsill in winter. The lifespan of cucumbers grown in this way is about two months after the first harvest - this is quite enough to enjoy the vegetable to its fullest.
It is known that cucumber reproduces only by seeds, since it cannot be obtained by cuttings. They absolutely cannot tolerate dry air and lack of moisture - this is worth remembering when growing cucumbers on the balcony. As soon as such homemade cucumbers bloom, the soil should always be moderately moist. You will need to place saucers of water under the pots to help prevent the soil from drying out. Also, indoor cucumbers, in addition to watering, require spraying at least twice a day. And when flowering begins, the bush needs to be shaken once a day for better pollination.
When growing cucumbers on the window, do not forget about pinching, which is done after 3-5 leaves appear - this will add splendor and density to the plant. Pinching the shoots not only reduces the length by half, but also makes the bush twice as magnificent - that is, instead of one lash, you get two short ones. Before the pinching point, the ovary is removed, and only the one that is located above the pinching point is left.
In order for the cucumbers on the windowsill to please you with their harvest for as long as possible, it is better to collect the fruits as they ripen and not wait until all the cucumbers become large - this will reduce the depletion of the bush and prevent the loss of excess juices from the plant.
Initially, you need to start choosing seeds - these should be self-pollinating hybrids, from which it is better to choose early-ripening varieties. Give preference to bush varieties if you are going to grow cucumbers in an apartment. In general, you need to prepare:
So, how to grow cucumbers on a windowsill and where to start? Prepare a good substrate from vermicompost and coconut fibers: mix one part of vermicompost with two parts of coconut fiber. Standard three-liter pots can serve as containers for filling. You can plant seeds either directly into permanent containers or with the help of picking, then replanting the plants into large pots. Everyone chooses individually how to grow cucumbers on a windowsill, but with the help of picking, you can transplant stronger and more tenacious plants into pots, thus providing yourself with a reliable harvest.
The seeds of hybrid cucumbers need to be well prepared for planting, for which they are dipped in a potassium permanganate solution at room temperature for a couple of hours and then removed. It is worth paying attention that those seeds that sank to the bottom are good, and those that float up are better to throw away, since their germination rate is low. Let the seeds drain, and later you can plant them (only in dry form).
When planting by picking, they are initially planted in small cups with a capacity of 100 ml, filled with a special earthen mixture. You need to place 5 seeds in a glass, and then, compact the soil, water. After a week or two, you can observe seedlings, which must be thinned out, leaving two of the most powerful plants. After a week, final thinning is carried out, and one strong sprout remains in the glass.
When replanting plants into large pots with a capacity of 3-4 liters, the soil is not filled to the edges by about 4 cm. Replanting is done 3 or 4 weeks after germination. The seedling in the glass is turned over onto the palm, carefully passing it between the fingers. The sprout with a lump of soil is inserted into the prepared permanent pot, sprinkled with soil up to the cotyledon leaves.
If you are wondering how to grow cucumbers at home in winter without picking, then plant the seeds in large pots without adding soil 5 cm to the edge. After laying out the seeds, add a layer of 1.5 cm of soil, and add the remaining soil after about a month - this will replace diving.
How to grow cucumbers at home, because there is no one to carry out pollination, unless, of course, you raise flying insects at home? Without proper pollination, the ovaries will simply fall off. Try on the role of a bee!
In order for the fruit to set for sure, it is necessary to separate the male and female flowers. Females have a pistil consisting of an ovary and stigma, while males do not have a pistil.
It is advisable to carry out pollination in the morning, when the pollen is sticky - pick the male flower, cutting off the corolla, and place it in the female one so that the pollen gets on the stigma. This is how bees pollinate plants. But it is better to use self-pollinating varieties; they do not require pollination at all.
By growing cucumbers correctly, you can collect up to 15 medium-sized fruits from a bush. At the same time, they will have a real taste, incomparable to store-bought ones. The windows or balcony on which the plants are located should be warm, and it is advisable that they face the south or southeast.
Protect your homemade cucumbers from drafts and enjoy their crunchy fruits!
In winter, there is especially a shortage of fresh vegetables and fruits. Although they can be bought on the market, paying exorbitant prices for them, the quality of the fruit, most often, leaves much to be desired. It is much healthier to grow vegetables at home.
Cucumbers can be grown on an insulated loggia, glassed balcony or windowsill. It is important to arrange a place for active growth of bushes with good lighting where there are no drafts. It is advisable that this be on the south side. We create conditions as close to natural as possible.
Young plants require not only a lot of light, but also heat. It is optimal to place pots with cucumbers where there is heating. With sufficient lighting, the stems will not stretch much and the fruits will not have an ugly shape. If you want to grow cucumbers on a windowsill, insulate the window, provide additional thermal insulation, and eliminate drafts. To protect root system to prevent hypothermia, we place containers for cucumbers on a heat insulator.
In winter, daylight hours are short, and for rapid growth of cucumbers it is necessary daylight. Therefore, we provide additional lighting for seedlings, artificially increasing the length of the day to 12-14 hours. For this we use special phytolamps, fluorescent or infrared lamps, including them above the bushes.
The optimal temperature for seedling growth is 20 degrees above zero. If the room temperature is higher, monitor the soil moisture.
Seedlings can be grown in small disposable cups filled with special soil or in peat cups. We make several holes at the bottom. For cucumbers, it doesn’t matter what container they are planted in:
The container should be large enough with holes at the bottom to allow excess moisture to escape and for ventilation. It should be remembered that cucumbers have a developed root system. We take the volume of a flowerpot or box at least 4 liters so that the cucumber sprout feels comfortable. We put drainage at the bottom: small pebbles, brick chips, crushed stone or expanded clay. You can pour a layer of sand at least 5 cm thick. Pour soil on top and cover with mulch.
The soil in which vegetables will grow depends on their accelerated growth and fruit ripening. It should be loose, rich useful substances, allow air and water to pass through well. Stores sell ready-made soil for indoor plants and for pumpkin crops, which has the listed characteristics. It is better to prepare the soil substrate yourself by mixing the following ingredients:
Received soil mixture disinfect. First, we bake it in the oven, setting the temperature to +200 degrees, then pour it with a solution of potassium permanganate. This will destroy harmful bacteria and insects that might be present in the soil.
For planting, breeders have developed a large number of self-pollinating, fast-growing, high-yielding varieties, mostly hybrid species. They are marked with the symbol F1, meaning that the varieties are heterotic. Such crops do not require bees to pollinate flowers; they have the ability to form fruits on their own on female flower stalks. These hybrids are called parthenocarpic.
The following varieties of cucumbers are suitable for growing on a windowsill in winter:
Among the varieties suitable for growing at home are Miracle on the Window, Nasha Masha, Courage, Prestige, Room Miracle, Claudia, Marinda. Cucumbers of the Nasha Masha variety ripen in 30-40 days, the Marinda variety is characterized by high yield and simultaneous ripening of all fruits. When choosing a variety, pay attention to whether it is suitable for growing in an apartment.
Theoretically, seeds can be planted at any time, taking into account that the plant will bear fruit in 2-2.5 months. The best time The best time for planting is February, when daylight hours increase significantly, this simplifies the care of cucumbers. In spring, the sun shines brighter and warms better. When packaged, purchased seeds undergo appropriate processing. To test them for germination, place them in a saline solution: dilute half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water. Seeds that have sunk to the bottom are considered suitable for planting; those that float to the surface are not suitable; we throw them away.
We sow the seeds either in a seedling box or in a container without subsequent transplantation. Before landing we conduct preparatory activities. Place the seedlings in a solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. Then rinse and place in a saucer on cotton fabric or cotton swabs. Place the dishes in a warm, dark place with a temperature of +25 degrees. Make sure that the fabric does not dry out. When sprouts from 5 to 10 mm long appear, transplant them into a container with soil. Before planting, we dry the germinated seeds a little, this promotes the active growth of seedlings.
We plant the planting material in pre-soaked soil. If planted in dry soil, then after watering the seeds will sink too low. We bury the germinated seeds 1.5 cm into the soil. Cover the container with plastic wrap to create greenhouse effect so that seedlings grow faster. We place the containers in a well-lit place. We maintain the temperature in the room at least 20 degrees. As soon as the first shoots appear from the ground, we remove the film to prevent fungal diseases that may arise due to condensation under the film. We regularly water and fertilize the seedlings.
After the first true leaves appear, transplant the seedlings into large containers, making every effort not to damage the root system. If the seedlings were grown in peat cups, we plant them in the ground without removing them from the cups.
To successfully grow cucumbers at home, you need to follow the basic rules:
We water newly transplanted seedlings moderately, without flooding the roots. If the roots are exposed, add soil. Watering young seedlings can be done using a syringe, deepening it into the ground, this will prevent the root system from being washed out. Watering the cucumbers boiled water, which must stand for at least 3 hours. We water every day; if additional lighting is installed, you may have to water twice a day.
Watering is especially important during flowering and fruit ripening. In the summer, we spray the plants on the balcony with water; this will not only humidify the air, but will also provide additional nutrition for the cucumbers.
We regularly fertilize the plants:
If the plants are weak, we carry out foliar feeding from mineral fertilizers with the addition of microelements. We prepare the solution as follows: to 10 liters of water add 10-20 g of double superphosphate, 5-15 g of urea, 10 ml of a mother solution of microelements or 1-5 g of magnesium sulfur. Prepare the solution 24 hours before use. After stirring, filter the solution through 4 layers of gauze. It is advisable to spray the bushes with the resulting mixture in the afternoon. Wash off the remaining salt from the leaves clean water. Feeding recommendations for each variety should be taken into account. It is important not to overdo it with fertilizers.
After the first 4-5 leaves appear, we do the first pinching: we break off the upper growing point. This is necessary for the plant to send out lateral shoots. Leave 3-4 lashes. When 6 leaves appear, we make a second pinch. Next, let 11 leaves grow and pinch the main stem. In the future, we remove the lateral shoots, which take away strength from the plant and interfere with the growth of fruits. Place one leaf above the ovaries. We tie up the regrown lashes to provide sufficient lighting and support the plant. We stretch strong threads or twine and tie the shoots to them.
You can install meter-long supports and tie bush lashes to them. We remove excess tendrils, as they take a lot from the plant. nutrients necessary for fruit growth. To form a beautiful bush, the pots should be rotated regularly so that the plants stretch evenly.
Cucumbers love moisture very much, so we spray the stems 2-3 times a week with a spray bottle. We spray the plants in the same way as we water them, with settled water at room temperature. We water regularly, preventing the top layer of soil from drying out. Do not over-moisten the soil, as excess moisture can lead to rotting of the root system and death of the bush. Plants placed on a windowsill may lack moisture due to dry air. To maintain the required level of humidity, place containers of water next to the cucumbers or place the pots in large containers filled with water.
For good plant growth in winter period We provide additional lighting to extend daylight hours. At night we turn off the lamps. We protect cucumber bushes from drafts and cold air. If varieties require pollination, we do it manually when the flowers appear.
Without proper care, the following diseases of green vegetables are possible:
It is important to identify the disease in time and fight it by spraying with special chemicals. If you do not fight, the disease will affect the entire plant and the bush will die. In addition to diseases, whiteflies can harm bushes, spider mite and aphids. If there are few insects, you can remove them by hand. At large quantities you will have to spray the bushes chemicals against pests. If control measures are applied in time, it is easier and faster to overcome the disease and destroy pests; the main thing is to observe the plant’s reaction.
The timing of ripening and harvesting of fruits depends on the variety of cucumbers. Mostly sprouts appear 1-2 days after planting. The duration of bush growth differs for each type of cucumber. The most early ripening varieties produce the first fruits in a month, for others it takes 40-50 days before the first harvest appears. We determine that a cucumber can be picked by size. If the fruit reaches 10 cm in length, pick it. We collect fruits every day to remove the load from the bush, which has to supply food to the ripened fruit. If you pick cucumbers in time, the plant can begin to bloom again and bring in an additional harvest.
Some varieties for growing on a windowsill are suitable not only for fresh consumption, but also suitable for pickling. But on bountiful harvest From the windowsill you shouldn’t count on making a stock of preserves for the winter. Putting effort into caring for green vegetables is better and healthier for the sake of getting fresh vegetables.
Is it possible to grow cucumbers on a windowsill? all year round? Alas, you will have to take a break, but only if you don’t want to bother with fluorescent or helium lighting. The last days of February, when daylight hours begin to gradually increase, is the time to plant cucumbers.
Cucumber - enough shade-tolerant plant, but there will still be not enough light for it on the windowsill, especially in the spring-autumn period. Therefore, you need to grow cucumbers only on southern or southeastern windows. The plant does not like drafts, make sure that window frames there were no cracks.
It makes sense to grow cucumbers on the windowsill only if the temperature in the apartment does not drop below 20 degrees. This heat-loving plant stops growing at temperatures below 16 degrees.
Cucumber loves high humidity air, in winter it will not be very easy to provide him with such conditions; you will have to cover the home heating radiators with wet towels. Simple spraying of leaves in this case will not help.
If you are able to organize suitable conditions for the plant, then you can easily grow cucumbers at home on the windowsill. On average, you can collect from 10 to 15 good, medium-sized cucumbers from one bush.
In order to grow cucumbers on a windowsill, you need parthenocarpic hybrids or. Unless, of course, you want to pollinate them yourself. At wrong choice varieties, unpollinated cucumber ovaries will turn yellow and fall off. Recommended varieties: F1 Window-balcony, F1 Gift of the East, F1 Ekaterina, F1 Marathon, F1 Faust and many others.
If you are going to grow cucumbers for the first time, then it is best to purchase seeds of shade-tolerant varieties that are not afraid of temperature changes.
To germinate seeds, you will need a cloth or cotton pads. We moisten them and place them on a saucer, laying cucumber seeds on top. Do not let the fabric dry out. After just a couple of days, the seeds will hatch. That's it, they can be planted in pre-prepared soil about a centimeter deep.
Cucumbers are quite free-loving, so the pot for growing them must be large enough. One plant will need a five-liter container. It could be simple flower pot, better - homemade box, in which several bushes will fit perfectly at once. Most economical way- this is to take five-liter water bottles and cut off their top part along with the neck. As an option - double cellophane bags. Just don’t forget that no matter what container you choose, you need to make holes in its bottom to drain excess water.
It will be easier for novice gardeners to purchase ready-made soil in the store. For those who want to cook it themselves, you can offer several options:
In principle, you can grow cucumbers on a windowsill in any soil; no one will be left without a harvest; just in the right soil, the yield, which is quite natural, will be much higher. Well, you still have to fertilize unprepared soil.
In addition to soil and containers for planting, you will need twine for future support for the cucumbers and glass or plastic caps to cover the seedlings.
Prepare a support for the cucumbers in advance. This can be either twine or a thick nylon thread, or a long peg to which the cucumber lashes will need to be tied. In the case of a peg, all whiskers that appear on the cucumber must be removed.
After 5-6 internodes appear, the cucumber must be pinched. Side shoots also pinch over the second leaf.
Growing cucumbers on a windowsill without feeding is a waste of time. Once every two weeks, and when cucumbers appear, once every 10 days, it is necessary to fertilize. You can add 1 tsp to the top layer of soil. "agrolife" or water it with a cap of "Rosta" diluted in two liters of water. You can simply add fresh vermicompost once a month.
