Varieties of cucumbers for growing on a windowsill in the winter. How to grow cucumbers all year round at home? Cucumbers on the window all year

Cucumbers on the windowsill in the winter is no longer a myth, but a reality that avid gardeners organize at home. But this is possible only when using special varieties of cucumbers for growing in the winter in the apartment and following all the rules for caring for them.

Varieties of cucumbers for windowsill

Thanks to the intensive work of breeders, today every gardener can acquire seeds of cucumbers that are able to grow and bear fruit even in room conditions. Among these cucumbers for growing on a window in winter, include:

cucumbers "Courage" - a variety that has a fast ripening period (the minimum ripening period when grown in a greenhouse is 36 days), good fruiting and large green leaves (up to 15 cm in length and 3 cm in diameter);
variety of cucumbers "Shchedryk" matures within 45 days from the time of sowing seeds, from 5 to 8 green leaves are formed on each node of its bush, each of which is up to 12 cm long; when grown indoors, each bush gives up to 20 greenhouses;
variety "Khutorok" refers to the fastest ripening, as the first fruits from it can be harvested 30 days after sowing; Zelentsy is characterized by a length of 10 cm and the presence of black spikes, as well as excellent taste;
cucumbers of the Khrustik variety ripen late enough - 50 days after sowing, however, even when grown on a windowsill from one bush, it is possible to collect up to 40 fruits, however, when sowing this variety, keep in mind that it is very tall, therefore it will require a lot of space;
grade "Masha" also early ripening - the first Zelentsy can be collected 35-40 days after sowing; the bush of the plant is formed quite thick, on each shoot 5-7 green leaves about 11 cm long are formed;
cucumbers "Prestige" in addition to their early maturity and excellent palatability, they are characterized by a length of 8-10 cm and are characterized by non-simultaneous ripening of fruits, due to which fruiting can last for a month.

Important! For sowing on the windowsill, you can choose other early ripening varieties of cucumbers, consider only that they should be parthenocarpic. It is about the ability to bear fruit without pollination and self-pollination.

Capacity for growing cucumbers at home

Cucumbers will feel good when grown in separate pots and in large boxes, which are usually used for sowing seedlings. Keep in mind that there must be a hole in the drawers to allow excess moisture to escape.

When sowing seeds in boxes, consider that no more than 5 bushes of cucumbers should be placed at a distance of 70 cm. The box should be wide enough, since this plant has a fairly strong root system. This will make the plantings quite light, and also protect young shoots from excessive stretching.

For the normal growth of cucumbers on the windowsill, the volume of the pot should be about 4 liters per plant. When preparing boxes and pots, note that their depth should be sufficient for laying out at the bottom of the drainage layer. Since the thickness of the drainage for cucumbers can reach 3 cm, the capacity should not be too shallow.

Soil for growing cucumbers

Good growth of cucumbers can be achieved only when they are planted in loose and fairly fertile soil. For this purpose, you can buy soil substrate in a flower shop (for planting cucumbers suitable universal or specially prepared for growing pumpkin plants soil).

If possible, it is better to prepare the soil mixture for cucumbers on your own, mixing in equal volumes:

soil from the garden;
soil from the forest;
humus;
sand (preferably coarse, then the soil will be more loose and better to let moisture pass);
wood ash;
sawdust (it is desirable that they have time to overgrow and turn black).

Before sowing seeds, it is important to decontaminate it in the prepared soil, for which it is placed for 20 minutes in the oven, heated to + 200 ° C. Due to this, neither larvae of insect pests nor bacteria that can cause various diseases of cucumbers will remain in the soil.

Important! Before sowing seeds, the soil should be laid out in boxes and pots a few days before the intended planting. Due to this, he will have time to sag, and the seeds after sowing will not deepen and seedlings will appear faster.

Cucumber Seed Preparation

Most varieties of cucumbers can be sown dry directly in the open ground. However, in this case, the first seedlings will appear on about 2-3 days, and the crops themselves will have to be made thickened, in order to later seedlings.

Since there is not so much seedling seedlings at home, it is recommended to germinate the cucumber seeds first, which can be done as follows:

Soak the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
We lower the seed material for another 2-3 hours in water with a temperature of no more than +35 ˚С.
Having taken still warm seeds, we wrap them in burlap moistened with water and cover them with sawdust. In this form, they must be placed in a place where the temperature regime is kept at +30 ˚С.
After 1-2 days, shoots appear. They will be ready for planting almost immediately, since it must not be allowed for the root length to grow by more than 1 mm. It is very important to dry them a bit before planting.

Did you know? To increase the resistance of the cucumber bushes to the cold, they can be quenched even in the form of seeds. For this purpose, the seeds are first soaked in warm water, and then in a swollen form they are wrapped in cloth and placed in the refrigerator (preferably under the freezer itself) for 1-2 days. After that, they can be planted, and the resulting seedlings can be kept even on window sills with a temperature of +17 ˚С.

Sowing Cucumber Seeds

Sowing seeds can be carried out at different times, but it is best to do this in stages, so that fresh greens constantly ripen in the house. The stages of sowing depend on the rapid growth of cucumbers on the windowsill.

If the variety is precocious - it can be sown every 20 days. However, keep in mind that during the period from November to February, the bushes of cucumbers will not have enough natural light, since the days in these months are short, and the sun does not appear so often.

When planting germinated seeds, they should be immersed in the soil to a depth of not more than 1.5 cm, and it should be moist. Until the seedling of the cucumber appears above the ground, the containers with it should be kept under the film and at a temperature not lower than +25 ˚С.

When the first shoots hatch above the ground, the film should be removed, and the box with them should be rearranged on the windowsill, where the temperature will be cooler - about + 20 ˚С.

There is another nuance in sowing cucumber seeds. Many gardeners sow them for seedlings in separate small pots, then to dive seedlings in large containers.

This option is quite acceptable, however, during transplantation, small seedlings are very often damaged. To prevent this, during transplantation it is better to transship the soil from a glass along with seedlings. In this case, both the roots and leaves of the plant will remain intact.

We create conditions for growing cucumbers at home

In order for the cucumbers on the windowsill to show good growth, they should be placed only on the south side, since this plant is sensitive not only to heat, but also to light. Even better, if you have a heated balcony on the south side of the house, into which light enters immediately from three sides.

Under such conditions, the bushes of cucumbers will grow quite strong, and their leaves will have a dark green color, as in the beds.

Lighting

To cucumbers enough light, they are always highlighted. To do this, you can use special biolamps, or ordinary fluorescent lamps (it is not necessary that they are turned on all day, just calculate the time of their activation so that the light day for cucumbers lasts up to 15-16 hours a day).
To enhance the effect of the lamps, you can install reflectors around the cucumbers - a mirror or foil. Do not forget about tying weaving bushes, which will allow each shoot to receive the maximum amount of light.

Temperature

As for the temperature regime for growing cucumbers, from the moment of the appearance of the first shoots, the plant should be kept at a temperature of +20 ˚С. If the temperature in the apartment is higher, then the cucumbers will need to be provided with regular watering and spraying so that the moisture from the bushes does not evaporate too intensely.

Important! When growing cucumbers on a windowsill, keep in mind the fact that a box with plants, as well as their roots, can cool down from a cold window sill. In this case, cucumbers may begin to fade or stop growing. In order to avoid hypothermia of the roots, it is recommended to lay small pieces of polystyrene under the pots and boxes with cucumbers.

Cucumber care at home

Cucumbers on the windowsill, in cultivation and care are no less demanding than when planted in open ground. It is very important to arrange the growth of the bushes so that they do not stretch, and each of their shoots remains thick enough.

The formation and garter bushes of cucumbers

The question, “How to properly form cucumbers on the windowsill?”, Is very important, since the strength of the crop will depend on this. You need to understand that even if there is a large amount of ovary on the bushes, with excessively dense growth of shoots and poor lighting, they can completely crumble and give no fruit.

For this reason, it is important to tie cucumbers, giving each shoot the opportunity to grow along its individual trajectory.

In this regard, a support for cucumbers on the windowsill is also a useful subject, since it is not always convenient to carry out a garter with laces, and not aesthetically.

In addition, it is important to immediately decide for yourself whether to pinch cucumbers on the windowsill. In fact, it is this procedure that allows you to achieve good yields. You need to pinch the cucumber bush when 4-5 leaves appear, due to which the growth of the main shoot will stop, but lateral ones will develop, on which the main part of the crop will form.

You can also pinch the side shoots, leaving them in the amount of 2-3 pieces, and also stopping their growth on the 10th sheet. When pruning and tying, it is very important not to damage the leaves of the plant, which are its main source of nutrition. But the antennae can be removed periodically.

Watering and feeding

Cucumbers are watered regularly, preventing the soil from drying out by more than 5 cm, although it is equally important for the bushes spraying procedure, due to which the air humidity will increase in the apartment.

If cucumbers were sown in specially prepared soil for them, then fertilizing it is not necessary. Only on very gloomy winter days can you pour bushes with infusion of fermented banana skins, only dilute it first to reduce the concentration of infusion. The amount of such top dressing for the entire growing season of early ripening varieties of cucumbers should not exceed two.

Did you know? Cucumbers are very responsive to foliar feeding using milk. However, if you add to it (per 1 liter) 20 g of laundry soap and 30 drops of iodine, you can get an excellent prophylactic against various diseases.

Cucumber Harvest

Tearing ripened greenbacks from bushes on the windowsill is recommended immediately after their maturation. Firstly, this way you will not allow excessive overgrowing of fruits, and secondly, accelerate the growth of still unripened greens.

If you do not allow cucumbers to grow to more than 10 cm, then the bush is likely to bloom once more (or at least the lateral shoots will bloom), which will allow you to get another crop.

It is noteworthy that most varieties of early ripe cucumbers for the windowsill are ideal not only for fresh consumption, but also for salting. However, yields on the windowsill are rarely so generous as to allow them to roll up the crop.

But still, you should not give up the opportunity to grow fresh cucumbers in the midst of a fierce winter right on the windowsill. It is only important to provide the plants with enough light and not to forget about regular watering. Thanks to this, you can get a fresh crop of cucumbers almost every month.

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Kira Stoletova

Many gardeners grow cucumbers in summer cottages. In this case, the culture of its harvest only in the summer and early fall. Growing cucumbers at home will allow you to feast on them at other times of the year.

If you create the proper microclimate, the culture will feel good on the windowsill. The presence of a loggia with heating or a glazed balcony will allow you to successfully grow vegetables in other places.

Description of indoor cucumbers

Starting the agrotechnical process at home is with the choice of variety. Not all types are suitable for growing cucumbers in an apartment. It is better to choose self-pollinated hybrids (parthenocarpic). Among them are the following:

Masha;
Claudia F1;
Indoor;
Marinda F1;
Home;
Rytova;
Martha
Bianca

These varieties are with a female type of flowering; they have no male flowers. Well suited for planting on window sills, because they have the appearance of bushes and are medium-braided. Their height is 1.5-2 m, grow well on verticals. Resistant to disease.

The fruits have a size of 15-25 cm. They are distinguished by high palatability. From the emergence of seedlings to the beginning of fruiting takes about 45-50 days. Productivity is high - with proper care, one bush can produce 30-40 fruits. Ripe vegetables must be collected on time, so new ones will be tied faster.

You can cultivate varieties that require pollination. First, male flowers appear, female ones later and less. Their crops alternate from self-pollinated. To pollinate the cucumbers yourself, you need to pick a male flower and touch the middle of the female.

Growing conditions

In the autumn-winter period, indoor plants do not have enough light, which should be provided for 14-15 hours a day. Therefore, they are illuminated with a lamp. In cloudy weather, it can be turned on all day. It is better to grow cucumbers at home on windows that face south.

Daytime room temperature should be 21-24 ° C, night - 18-19 ° C. In apartments in the winter it is maintained at this level. If there is not enough heat, use heating devices.

Under the vessels that stand on the windowsill, set the board. Then the roots will not freeze. Culture does not like cold air. This must be taken into account when blowing from windows. In such cases, it is better to cover them with plastic wrap or insulate. When ventilating the premises, make sure that the bushes do not stand in the draft.

Seedling cultivation

The process of growing cucumbers in winter is composed of several stages. Following the rules of each of them, you can get a good harvest.

Soil preparation and tanks

Cucumbers prefer loose soil. Soil mix can be bought at the store. It is also prepared at home this way:

4 parts of compost;
3 parts of peat;
2 parts of turf land;
1 part of sawdust.
1 matchbox of urea per 10 l of the mixture;
2 matchboxes of potassium sulfate and superphosphate for the same amount.

To prevent disease, the mixture is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate while stirring. Then it is moistened with warm water and placed in vessels, 5 cm upwards left unfilled.

Seedlings are best grown in cups or pots. They can be shallow, since the root system of cucumbers is superficial. It is worth processing them with hot water (about 60 ° C). At the bottom put drainage - stones, broken brick. 3 holes are made below. This is done in order to remove excess moisture so that the roots do not rot.

Seed preparation and planting

If the selected seed is coated, it is planted dry. Uncoated seeds are soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 15-20 minutes.

To grow cucumbers at home, you first need to sprout the seeds. For this, the earth is watered with hot water. Let it cool. Seeds are laid on top and covered with a bandage folded in two layers (gauze, cloth). Keep warm, moistening all the time.

After the petioles appear (after about 3-4 days), one seed is planted in each cup. Deepen by 2 cm. Petiole should be directed down. All vessels are placed in one box so that their edges protrude. Cover with a film.

Seedling Care

It is necessary to create optimal conditions under which seedlings will quickly develop and grow. The temperature in the room should be 25 ° C. After emergence, the film is removed and rearranged on the illuminated window sill. The temperature should be lower (about 20 ° C) so that the seedlings do not stretch out.

Watering seedlings is carried out sparingly. If it is provided with artificial lighting, then moisturize 2 times a day. Without additional light - 1 time per day. Water for irrigation should be settled and have a temperature of 23-25 \u200b\u200b° C.

To grow high-quality seedlings for cucumbers, you need to feed it 2 times during the winter:

The first time fertilizer is applied 2 weeks after emergence. Take 1 tsp. 3 liters of water, dose 1 cup per sprout.
The second time - a week after the previous one. Top dressing is prepared as follows: 1 tsp. nitrofoski, 1 tbsp. l wood ash is bred in 3 liters of water. Contribute 1 cup to 1 plant.

Transfer

The process of growing cucumbers at home involves moving seedlings to deeper containers. This is done when 3 real leaves appear in the sprouts. For transplanting, boxes, pots are suitable, the main thing is that enough land should be placed there. 2-3 bushes can go into the box, the distance between them must be maintained 25-30 cm. The containers should be decontaminated with a solution of potassium permanganate or vitriol.

Fruit growing

To grow cucumbers in the winter at home, you need to create the necessary conditions. Let's consider them in more detail.

The choice of mixture after transplantation

Moving seedlings in large containers, you need to take care of their filling. It is possible to grow cucumbers in winter in the soil mixture or hydroponics. The mixture is prepared as follows: ¾ part of sod land, 1 part humus, 0.5 l of wood ash. At the bottom put drainage.

If seedlings are transplanted using hydroponics, gravel 8-10 cm thick is taken. It is poured into a can. A vessel is placed on top without a bottom or with holes. It is filled with moss, sawdust, peat. Sawdust must be steamed. Gravel is poured with full mineral fertilizer. Its solution is absorbed by filling from the vessel. Fertilizer is constantly being added. Once a week replaced.

Complete fertilizer can be prepared at home. To do this, take 25 g of urea, 60 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium salt. It is necessary to take 1.5 g of the mixture.

This method allows you to cultivate cucumbers even in the basement, in which all conditions are met. And the lighting is provided with energy-saving lamps.

Bushes care

How to grow cucumbers so that in winter fresh vegetables delight in their taste? Secrets of agricultural technology are as follows:

bush formation;
garter;
watering;
top dressing.

Formation

When 4-5 leaves appear on plants, you need to pinch the top. Then the side shoots will start to grow, which will give more fruit. They leave 2-3 pieces. When the lashes grow to 10 leaves, they also pinch. Then new whips will begin to form. It turns out a bush that will give a high yield.

Garter

For the proper development of plants, it is necessary to create a garter with such a project: at a height of 1.5-1.8 m above the vessels, a wire is pulled, bushes are tied to it with twine. This is done a week after transplanting seedlings. Plants are wrapped in a circle of twine, which is pulled in two strands. The top of the bushes are allowed between them.

Watering

Watering cucumbers in the winter should be 2-3 times a week. To do this, use settled water with a temperature of 27-30 ° C. When the fruits are tied, watering is performed as the top layer of the soil dries. Watering should be moderate so that cucumbers are not bitter.

Top dressing

It is necessary to look after plants, feeding them during vegetation. The first time fertilizers should be applied 15-20 days after planting. Take 1 tsp. urea in 10 liters of water. Consumption - 0.5 liters per 1 bush. The second - 7-8 days after the previous one. Prepare a solution: 2 tbsp. l drug "Effekton" in 10 liters of water. Pour 0.5 liters into each plant.

Diseases and Pests

Growing cucumbers at home can not protect plants from various diseases. Aphids, whiteflies or spider mites can infect a culture. It is dangerous to use insecticides at home. Therefore, to combat pests, it is worth resorting to folk remedies:

tobacco infusion will be effective against aphids and whiteflies;
tincture of garlic with the addition of antibacterial soap to deal with spider mites.

Dangerous for cucumbers is a sprout fly. Yellow leaves of plants may be a sign of damage. For the purpose of prevention, it is necessary to disinfect the soil, because the pest larvae are stored in it. If you notice it during the growth of culture, you need to change the soil.

Other problems may arise during the agricultural technology of vegetables at home. The reason for this is improper care of plants. For example, excessive watering can provoke root rot.

Conclusion

Growing cucumbers on the windowsill, you can have fresh fruits at home all year round.

Garden on the windowsill - Cucumbers in 50 days on the northern balcony

Growing cucumbers on the windowsill. Proven Method. // Oleg Karp

SUPER METHOD! GROWING CUCUMBERS IN A PACKAGE ON A WINDOW!

Growing seedlings of cucumbers at home

If you follow all the rules of caring for the plant, there is an opportunity to get a generous and healthy crop.

In the long winter, gardeners dream of a new summer season and upcoming crops. Waiting for spring can be brightened up by growing several cucumber plants in the room that will delight lush greens and aromatic fruits.

Varieties of cucumbers for growing on the windowsill

For an apartment, you need to select greenhouse self-pollinating hybrids, since there are no pollinating insects at home, and it is tiresome to transfer pollen from stamens to pistils. The hybrid should be short-stemmed, resistant to a lack of light and dry air, give fruit salad type.

Suitable varieties of cucumbers on the windowsill:

Abatova;
Adventure;
Passion;
Aksinya;
Diamond;
Alliance plus and others.

Varieties suitable for residential cultivation, several hundred. If it is indicated on a bag with seeds that it is a partenocarpic salad-type hybrid intended for protected ground, feel free to buy and plant.

Preparation 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 do not have enough natural light. If there is no desire to spend electricity, it is better to sow later - in March.

Priming

Pumpkins love neutral or slightly acidic soil. It’s easier to buy the right acidity primer in the store. On the bag should be marked "Neutral". The industrial substrate has all the nutrients 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 the windowsill without ash - it will remove the acidity inherent in most natural soils and protect against bacterial diseases, which cucumbers on the windowsill are very prone to in winter due to lack of light and overflow.

Each plant will require a separate capacity of at least 2 liters. In a standard seedling box fits 5-6 lianas. At the bottom of the cucumber house, holes are required for the outflow of excess water.

A place

A well-insulated window on the sunny side of the apartment will do. Heat-loving cucumbers do not tolerate drafts and cold. If winter cultivation of cucumbers on a windowsill is supposed , it must be insulated by laying a wooden stand or polystyrene.

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

Seed preparation

Greenhouse 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 - on their surface there is a film that protects against harmful microorganisms.

Raw seeds will have to be prepared for sowing on their own. They always contain spores of fungi and bacteria that can damage a tender seedling, and then there will be no seedlings.

Normal potassium permanganate will help get rid of the infection. Seeds are immersed for 20 minutes in a pale pink solution. If there is a scale, you can measure the exact dose of manganese - 1 g of powder will be required per liter of water.

After disinfection, the seeds are thoroughly washed in clean water. No traces of processing should remain on their surface. Permanganate, preserved on the seed peel, makes germination difficult.

Planting cucumbers on the windowsill

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

In the housing of cucumber creepers there is no particular difficulty even for beginners. The plant requires no more thorough care than geraniums or any other popular indoor flower. The cucumber will tell you about defects in care by the color and elasticity of the leaves.

Watering

Cucumbers are afraid of cold water, reacting to it with root rot and stains 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 warmed up. The easiest way is to get a special plastic watering can and pour tap water into it in advance so that it can settle and warm up before irrigation. The vessel can be put directly on the heating battery.

The soil in the pot with cucumbers should always be slightly moist, but not wet. As soon as the top layer becomes completely dry, water the plants without sparing water, so that excess moisture flows out onto the pallet. 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. Vines on the windowsill will be grateful for the frequent spraying from the spray.

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

Top dressing

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

With a lack of nitrogen the leaves become pale, the stems become thin, the greenery twisted. Plants take on a frail appearance. Urea will help in such cases - 5-6 balls of fertilizer are added per liter of water and the plants are watered as usual. After 2-3 such dressings, the leaves will acquire a natural dark shade.

Nitrogen dressing should be carried out with caution - they increase the amount of nitrate in the fruit. The same rule applies to organics. Manure, compost and chicken droppings are not used in rooms for hygiene reasons. But if you add them to the soil, cucumbers are just as saturated with nitrates as they are when watering with “mineral water”. Therefore, fertilizers (organic and inorganic) are used when the plant clearly shows that it lacks nitrogen.

Phosphoric and potassium top dressing can be carried out more freely. They do not impair the quality of the fruits, do not make them dangerous to human health.

About excess phosphorus signal pale necrotic spots that appeared between the veins, and the lack of falling flowers and ovaries, dry spots on the lower leaves. A few granules of superphosphate must be introduced into the soil, making a thin peg of the recess along the perimeter of the pot to a depth of at least 10 cm. 1-2 balls are put into each hole.

With an excess of potassium leaves become hard, easily break off. Potassium is important for cucumbers. With a deficiency, light strips appear on the plates, going from the petioles to the tips. Over time, the marks become wider, the leaves break, wither and die, or take the form of a dome.

It’s easy to get rid of potassium deficiency. Potash fertilizers, unlike superphosphate, are well diluted in water:

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

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

Backlight

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

Such cultivars can be sown only in the first half of the year, when the day lengthens. To switch to fruiting, they need a short day at the beginning of the growing season. In the second half of the growing season, the length of the day no longer affects the development of plants.

Ordinary varieties do not respond to the duration of lighting; 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 greenhouses. As a result, flowers and ovaries will begin to fall off, only single fruits will remain on the branches.

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

Topping

Formulation is the most difficult operation in the care of indoor cucumbers, but you can not do without it. Thickened plants will not produce the intended crop, since their strength will be spent on the formation of new lashes to the detriment of fruiting.

The formation of indoor cucumbers differs from the greenhouse scheme.

Conduct:

In the lower three nodes remove lateral shoots and ovaries.
Starting from 4 knots, the plant is allowed to branch, pinching each lash after 5-6 knots - the liana formed in this way does not grow long, but gives a decent harvest.

What are the cucumbers on the windowsill afraid of?

Pumpkins in the room are afraid of wet and at the same time cold soil. The roots of the plant should be warm, so the pot is isolated from a plastic window sill by installing on a stand that does not allow low temperatures. In winter, the window must be kept closed - a stream of cold air, even if it is an inconspicuous gap between the frames, will frostbite the plant.

Shoots can damage the black leg. Sick specimens will have to be thrown out, and the soil should be 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, all suspicious leaves with spots are better to pick and discard immediately.

When to wait for the harvest

Cucumber creepers begin to bear fruit 45-50 days after the appearance of the first leaves and tie greenery for 1.5 months. If you need to receive products constantly, seeds are sown in batches every 30-40 days.

Not everyone is the happy owner of a summer cottage, but at the same time many want to try themselves as gardeners. It is quite possible to do this if you start growing vegetables on the windowsill of a city apartment, especially if the windows face the sunny side.

The experience of thousands of growers has already proven this. To pick juicy pimply cucumber at home, you need varieties with certain characteristics suitable for cultivation under similar conditions. It is also necessary to carefully observe agricultural technology.

You can grow cucumbers in the apartment on the windows of the south, east and south-east orientation, where in certain hours direct sunlight falls.

Window sills of the northern and western windows are not suitable for this purpose. In this case, fruiting will not be possible even with the use of backlighting.

There should be no drafts in the room, keep this in mind if you are used to regularly open windows for ventilation. You can grow cucumbers on a glazed and insulated loggia.

Since culture loves heat, the temperature should be maintained at 18 degrees and above during the day and at least 15 degrees at night.

On cloudy days, cucumbers need additional lighting. For this, a fluorescent lamp, LEDs or phytolamp with a special emission spectrum favorable for plants can be used.

In those days when the window is cold (due to severe frost on the street), preference should be given to halogen lamps that heat the air near you and will serve as an additional source of heat.

Not all varieties of cucumbers are suitable for home growing. It is best to choose parthenocarpic hybrids of the first generation. These plants do not need additional pollination and form only female flowers on the bushes.

The variety must meet the following requirements:

be premature or mid-season;
have increased yields;
to form short fruits (up to 25 cm);
differ in shade tolerance and resistance to temperature extremes.

Some also try to plant bee pollinated varieties, but in this case, additional efforts will be required to obtain a crop.

The following varieties of cucumbers are popular with lovers of home vegetable growing:

April F1. Parthenocarpic hybrid with early ripening. The variety is resistant to weather and diseases, pleases with friendly fruiting, easy to care for. The first cucumbers appear 1.5 months after the seeds have sprouted. The size of the fruit is 15-25 cm. The skin is tuberous, with slight pubescence.
Benefit F1. A mid-early hybrid, from seedlings to fruiting, takes a little more than 1.5 months. It does not require pollination. Productivity is high. The plant gives a lot of side shoots, it needs to be formed. The size of the fruit is 10-13 cm. The skin is finely tuberous, bright green. The pulp of greens is juicy, sweet, does not contain bitterness. Benefit resistant to disease. It requires a rare fit, because it loves space.
Zozulya F1. A hybrid characterized by early ripening. The bush does not need to be formed. Fruiting at 42-48 per day from the time of emergence of seedlings. It is characterized by a high rate of yield. The length of the fruit is up to 24 cm. On the soft thin skin are pimples and spikes. To taste, greens are sweet, with a pleasant aroma. The pulp contains few seeds.
Goosebump F1. Hybrid with early fruiting. Harvesting will be possible after 35-40 days from the moment of emergence of seedlings. The size of the fruit is 11-13 cm. The plant is resistant to disease, at home can bear fruit all year round. Harvest friendly, plentiful. The thin skin of the fruit is covered with medium-sized tubercles.
Sail F1. A hybrid plant that produces high quality fruits. Has a female type of flowering. Zelentsy tuberous, with rare pubescence. Cucumbers of this variety bear fruit on day 46-50 from the moment all the seeds have sprouted. Differs in friendly return of a crop. The fruits have a universal purpose.
Regina. Mid-season high-yielding variety of parthenocarpic type. Resistant to disease. The size of greens is 10-12 cm. The fruits have a tuberous surface. The pulp is tasty, without bitterness.
Crunch F1. High-yielding hybrid with a long fruiting period. Fruits are 8-10 cm in size. The pulp is unusually juicy, crunchy, without a bitter aftertaste. The plant is highly resistant to disease.

On a note! Late-ripening hybrids of cucumbers for growing at home are not suitable.

In principle, cucumbers can be grown at home all year round. If you want to get a crop for a specific date, you need to consider the timing of the variety's vegetation. This information can be read on the packaging with seeds.

To get fresh cucumbers for the New Year, they will need to be sown at the end of October.
Sowing produced in January will yield crops in March.
It will be possible to grow cucumbers for the May holidays by planting in mid-February.

Of course, for a timely harvest, it will be necessary to ensure the correct light and temperature conditions, regular watering of plants.

Preparatory work before sowing

After a variety is selected and seeds are purchased, you will need to prepare everything you need for sowing. Together with the seed material in the garden center, you can also buy land. If there are no suitable containers at home, they will also need to be purchased.

Soil mix selection

For planting cucumbers, universal soil or substrate for growing pumpkin crops is quite suitable. The land bought in the store goes through all the necessary preparation at the factory and is completely ready for planting.

You can make the soil yourself according to the following recipes:

Mix an equal amount of peat and humus. Add a glass of wood ash to 1 bucket of soil.
Take 1 part of garden soil, turf and compost. Add a little river sand, rotted sawdust, ash to the mixture.

Self-prepared soil must be decontaminated. For this purpose, you can use calcination in the oven, treatment with boiling water and a solution of potassium permanganate, freezing.

The above procedures relieve the soil of pathogenic microflora and pest larvae. Processing is carried out several days before planting. A certain amount of time is needed so that beneficial soil bacteria can recover.

Initially, you have to grow seedlings, which are later dived into containers of a suitable size.

For seedlings use wooden boxes, plastic containers, large peat tablets or cups with a volume of 200-300 ml.Before using the container or box, they are washed with a brush and laundry soap, scalded with boiling water.

Peat tablets are placed in a common container and poured with warm water for swelling. As soon as they increase in size several times, it will be possible to land.

Growing cucumbers in a package on a window - video

Sowing Cucumber Seeds

When preparing for sowing, try to guess so that the planting date falls on favorable days according to the lunar calendar.

First, the seeds are etched in a solution of potassium permanganate, then washed and wrapped in a damp cloth for swelling. Such seeds will germinate faster.

Planting is carried out in rows with an interval of 2-3 cm to a depth of 1 cm. If sowing is carried out in individual containers, 2 seeds are immediately planted in the hole for safety.The weaker seedling is later removed.

After sowing, the soil is moistened with a spray gun and covered with a film to create greenhouse conditions. Now the seedlings need to be placed in the brightest place and kept at room temperature until seedlings appear.

The optimal age of seedlings for a dive is when it forms 2-3 real leaves and a compact, unstretched stem.

A feature of varieties for home cultivation is the presence of small leaves and a strong main shoot, so plants do not fall even at the stage of appearance of 6-8 leaves.

Such bushes can be transplanted to a permanent place, without worrying that they will not take root well.

Any container is suitable for growing vegetables at home.

It can be a clay or plastic pot, a bucket, a wooden tub. The main thing is that the capacity is at least 5 liters, because cucumbers have a powerful root system.
Some have adapted to use a 5-liter plastic bottle with a cut neck for this purpose. A drainage hole must be made in the bottom to drain excess water after irrigation.

As the bottom layer, a drainage is certainly laid. The soil should be taken the same as for seedlings. The capacity is filled with earth not to the edge, but below this level by 4-5 cm.

In the future, when the roots of the cucumbers begin to grow bare, it will be possible to top up the soil without problems. The substrate for planting seedlings must also be disinfected.

Features of the care of cucumbers on the windowsill

For your cucumbers to bear fruit, they need the right move, taking into account all the needs of the culture. The following points should be noted.

Cucumbers are very fond of moisture, but they do not tolerate stagnation of water in the pot, a sufficient amount of oxygen should flow to the roots. Water them regularly, preventing the soil from drying out.

For large bushes in dry air, daily watering is required, with high humidity you can do this 2-3 times a week.

When the plants grow strong roots, they will be able to drink the water poured into the pan. Sometimes you can use this method of watering. To increase air humidity, install a humidifier in the room, or place containers with expanded clay on the windowsill, into which you will regularly add water.In the evenings, cucumber leaves can be sprayed from a spray bottle.

On a note! Water for irrigation should be settled and have room temperature.

To ensure that the crop is not scarce, cucumbers must be regularly fed with fertilizers. Feeding during fruiting is especially important.

Adult plants are fed every 7-10 days with industrial mineral fertilizers.

A mixture of mullein infusion (at a concentration of 1:10), superphosphate (20 g) and potassium sulfate (15 g) is well suited.

Like cucumbers and top dressing folk remedies: infusion of tea, wood ash, yeast, eggshell, iodine.

The first top dressing is applied under plants at the age of 2 weeks. The composition is prepared from the following components:

10 l of water;
15 g of potassium;
5 g of ammonium nitrate;
5 g of magnesium;
3 g of superphosphate.

Fertilizers are thoroughly dissolved in water and irrigated under the root, trying not to get on the seedlings.

According to the type of growth, cucumbers are vines; their lashes at home can grow up to 2 m in length. In each container, you will need to fix a vertical rigid support, along which the growing shoots will curl.

Most hybrids for home growing do not grow too tall, but they branch out a lot.

Some pinch the main shoot when the height of the window no longer allows the vine to grow up. Lateral shoots are removed, leaving 1-2 sheets.

On a note! If the bush is not formed, it will increase an excessive amount of leaf mass to the detriment of fruiting and, moreover, will take up a lot of space.

Without tying, the bushes are poorly ventilated and obscure each other. The lashes are tied with a nylon cord or twine to a vertical support located in the pot.

You can build a trellis by screwing a metal ring to which the cord is tied to the window slope, the second end of the twine is fixed on a wooden peg stuck in the pot. As the lashes grow back, they are tied up, or attached to the cord with special plastic clips.

On a note! Some vegetable growers fix a plastic mesh in the window opening. Varieties with a mustache will be able to cling to the cells themselves, bezusy varieties will need to be tied.

Parthenocarpic cucumbers do not need artificial pollination. If you planted a bee-pollinated variety, you will have to participate in the transfer of pollen from male flowers to female specimens. It is necessary to do the procedure throughout the flowering period. For this purpose, you can use a soft brush for painting or a cotton swab.

Male flowers form at the base of the stem. Most often they form an inflorescence of 5-7 buds. It is their experts who call them empty flowers. Female flowers grow solitary, at the place of their attachment to the peduncle, you can notice a small tubercle, from which the fruit is subsequently formed.

When transferring pollen, make sure that it has settled on the brush. In this case, a yellow coating will be visible on the villi. For one female flower, it is better to transfer pollen from 2-3 male flowers. This increases the chances of successful pollination.

On a note! It is best to pollinate the flower on the second day after it has opened.

In 35-40 days from the moment the shoots appeared, it will be possible to feast on the first, personally harvested, cucumbers. While the bush is growing, you are harvesting fruits that have formed in the axils of the main stem.

If the bush is not formed, after the crown rests against the slope of the window and pinch it, second-order shoots will begin to develop on the plant.

Now cucumbers can be collected already from these lashes. The main thing is to do this as soon as the next greenback ripens. The faster you remove the ripened fruits from the bush, the more willingly the new ovaries will begin to develop and the yield will be higher.

Possible problems when growing cucumbers on the windowsill

For inexperienced vegetable growers, the process of growing cucumbers in an apartment does not always go smoothly. The leaves will suddenly turn yellow, the ovaries will fall off, or for some reason flowering will not occur. Yes, and in the early stages you can run into problems.

Most often, the reason is not quite suitable conditions and errors in care:

During winter cultivation, seedlings often do not have enough light, and the stems are stretched, and the foliage turns yellow. Highlight plants additionally from 8 am to 4 days. Starting in March, the backlight can be turned on for only 4 hours a day. In low light, plants may also refuse to bear fruit.
If the ovaries form, but do not grow, perhaps the cause is a lack of iodine. Prepare top dressing from 1.5 liters of water and 5 drops of iodine tincture and pour the plant along the edge of the pot. Fertilizing next to the stem can cause root burns. The second reason for ovary falling may be a lack of moisture.
Sometimes when grown in an apartment, cucumbers are attacked by whiteflies and spider mites. At the first signs of pests, spray the plants with a solution of laundry soap. Repeat processing if necessary. Do not use chemicals in the house - it is dangerous to health.
So that the bush does not grow ugly and crooked, it must be rotated 180 degrees daily, then the plant will receive light evenly.
If the leaves turn yellow and partially die off, it means that cucumbers lack nutrients. The reason may be an insufficient amount of soil, its poor quality, irregular top dressing. Try to correct the situation by urgent application of mineral fertilizer.

Growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter: video

Growing cucumbers on a windowsill in the winter has its own characteristics that must be reckoned with. In conditions of limited planting area, dry air and insufficient lighting in the room, all stages of planting and care must be strictly observed, otherwise the plants will lag behind in growth or even die. If you do everything right, you can only enjoy the freshness of juicy crisps that have grown thanks to your diligence and care.

Growing cucumbers on the windowsill in the winter is a fascinating, interesting business, in addition, hanging young cucumbers will delight not only the owners, but also the incoming guests with their beauty. In addition, home-made cucumbers on the windowsill are environmentally friendly cucumbers, and everyone can grow them. Also, cucumbers in the winter on the windowsill will give a feeling of summer and a pleasant aroma.

If you think it’s possible to grow cucumbers in an apartment in winter, website says yes! But to grow cucumbers on the windowsill in winter, the following conditions must be observed.

In winter, plants require additional lighting in the form of artificial lighting. You will need. If it is not there, then you should start growing cucumbers no earlier than mid-February, and the room temperature for growing this plant should be at least 20-22 ° during the day and 18 ° at night. It is desirable that your window is facing south or southeast, on the northern windowsill it will be dark even with the illumination of plants. In addition, cucumbers do not like cold and drafts, choose a protected landing site.

To grow cucumbers on the windowsill for the New Year, they need to be planted in early November

Varieties of cucumbers for the windowsill

So, you should choose a suitable variety of seeds or hybrid. You can choose the so-called parthenocarpic (self-pollinating varieties), which do not require pollination, such varieties are still recommended for cultivation in greenhouses. Also on the back of the bag with seeds indicate:

that this variety or hybrid is suitable for growing on a balcony;
able to grow in the shade;
has small compact fruits.

But the varieties that show cultivation in the open field should not be grown at home.

Popular parthenocapical hybrids of cucumbers for home growing on the windowsill, balcony in the apartment:

F1 City Cucumber
F1 Balcony
F1 Balagan,
F1 Berendey,
F1 Courage,
F1 Manul.

We plant cucumbers on the windowsill

First you need to buy a fluorescent lamp to extend the light of the day. You can start sowing seeds from mid-January. In this case, the plant will bear fruit somewhere in early April. For a soil mixture, turf and humus soil should be mixed in equal proportions. As a mineral dressing, add a glass of wood ash to 1 bucket of this mixture. Then fill the pots with this mixture, leaving a little space to the brim, then pour it and then put all the pots in boxes.

Before planting the seeds, they should be selected by pouring them into a solution of sodium chloride (1/2 teaspoon per glass). All pop-up seeds are not used. Then they should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and left in a warm moist environment for germination. After pre-sowing preparation and seed treatment, they should be planted one in each pot to a depth of 1 cm and watered. For good drainage, holes should be made at the bottom of the pot and a layer of expanded clay should be laid.

In advance, you can prepare seedlings, then to plant young plants. In this case, in a wide pot filled with soil mixture, plant the seeds, and then cover with a film. After 3 to 4 days, the emerged shoots are allowed to grow and transplanted into pots.

Temperature mode

To germinate, the temperature in the apartment must be above 20 - 22 °. Sprouted sprouts should be rearranged in a very bright place, or placed under a lamp. So that the seedlings do not stretch, the backlight must be turned off at night, so they will also rest.

It should be regularly ventilated, but at the same time protecting plants from drafts. Cucumbers really do not like drafts, and therefore the box with pots should be removed from the windowsill.

Watering

In winter, cucumbers should be watered on the windowsill with warm water - 22-24 °, so that the soil is sufficiently moist, every day or every other day. Humidify the air with a spray from time to time, because cucumbers are demanding on air humidity - 85-90%.

Top dressing

Feeding cucumbers with mineral fertilizers can begin at the age of two weeks. For these purposes, a solution of 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 10 g of double superphosphate and 8 g of magnesium sulfate should be mixed with 10 liters of water. Such top dressing should be used at the rate of 1 cup of solution for 5 plants. After 10 days, feeding should be repeated, but already use 1 glass for two plants.

Transplanting seedlings

So that the plants do not interfere with each other, you need to conveniently arrange them. Transplanting seedlings into large pots should be when 3-4 of these leaves appear on them. To do this, pour a small layer of earth at the bottom of the tank, plant a plant in the center, and then sprinkle with earth, leaving a little space for adding. Tie a cucumber seedling to a peg 70-80 cm high. Put pots with plants in a pan with water poured into it. This will help moisturize the soil.

Bushes

When 3 real leaf appears, it must be plucked (see also: →). Thus, the appearance of lateral shoots will be stimulated. And when already 5 -6 leaves appear on the lateral shoot, you should pinch the top again. In order not to waste useful substances on some mustaches, they are removed, leaving the most necessary shoots.

Fruiting Care

When the first fruits appear on the branches of indoor cucumbers, they should continue to be fed every 7 to 10 days. You can use the same fertilizer, but its amount should be increased to 0.5 liters per plant. Harvesting is a pleasant activity for the gardener when growing cucumbers on the windowsill in the winter. You should only remove young cucumbers on time. With good care, from each bush plants can be removed from 10 to 30 cucumbers.