What plants should be grown on the windowsill so that the flowers are beautiful, the leaves refresh the air with oxygen, and the fruits can be used to make salads? Moreover, to have all this all year round? This miracle plant is called cucumber. In order to have the expected effect, you need theoretical knowledge, a small practical experience growing any indoor plants And great desire. This article is intended for those readers who, after receiving new information, do not forget it, but try to use the theory in practice. What do you need to know to have cucumbers on the windowsill all winter?

Let's start with pure theory. To produce fruit, the vast majority of flowers must be pollinated by insects, this natural process has many features and differences. In the rooms, as you might guess, flies, bees, butterflies and other insects do not fly in swarms. Especially in winter.

Conclusion. To grow on a windowsill, you need to take only special hybrid varieties of cucumbers that do not require natural pollination. Such plants are scientifically called parthenocarpic; they do not need pollination. This is a very important factor; do not even try to grow ordinary cucumbers intended for growing in beds on the windowsill. Whatever yield you are promised on the bag of seeds, in your apartment it will be zero.

In stores you can find quite a few varieties of cucumbers intended for growing in indoors, it’s not worth listing them. Pay attention to this feature when purchasing.

When to sow seeds

This issue should be discussed in more detail. The fact is that you want to have cucumbers all winter, and not just a few days. And for this, theoretical knowledge will again be useful.

Approximately 45–50 days pass from germination to the start of fruiting; the fruiting period of one plant is approximately a month to a month and a half. This means that one-time sowing of cucumbers is not enough. If you want to have fresh fruits for 4–5 months, you will have to plant seedlings at least four times. The gap between sowings is a month and a half. As soon as the first wave stops bearing fruit, the “second wave” begins to bear fruit, and so on.

We figured out the timing and frequency of sowing, great. But now you need to take into account the “number of window sills” for placing cucumbers. If one bush is enough for each “queue”, then there should be no problems. You can always place 5-6 cucumber bushes in an apartment. And if you want to collect a relatively large number of cucumbers, then one bush for each “queue” is not enough. Here you will have to choose between the amount of short-term cucumber harvesting and the duration.

Practical advice. One standard box for indoor plants, 70 centimeters long, can accommodate no more than 6 cucumber bushes. Keep this in mind when performing calculations total number bushes and sowing periods.

You can sow seeds from September. In this case, the first fruits will appear already at the end of October and beginning of December. Then, after one and a half to two months, new plants are planted again. At the same time, you need to know that daylight hours for cucumbers should last at least 14–15 hours, in winter period You can’t do without artificial lighting.

Temperature conditions and watering during cultivation

The temperature in the room during the day should be between +21–24°C, at night +18–19°C. In most apartments this temperature is maintained during the winter. If not, you need to warm the plants a little using any devices, including incandescent lamps. They will illuminate and heat at the same time. As for energy losses, there are no problems here. It will always take less energy to heat a windowsill with cucumbers than to heat the entire room. Of course, it is advisable to place plants on the south side.

Soil moisture has a significant impact not only on yield, but also on plant health. Not enough moisture - there are few cucumbers and they appearance wishes the best. A lot of moisture, and even at insufficient temperatures, will certainly lead to rotting of the horse system and the death of cucumbers. The plant should be watered in a timely manner, but without excessive fanaticism. It should also be borne in mind that the soil on the windowsills quickly loses moisture; this is unacceptable for cucumbers. Experienced plant growers strongly recommend spraying the leaves daily with clean warm water. And to prevent the roots from rotting, all containers must have an effective drainage system.

Land requirements

The best option is to purchase a ready-made universal mixture in specialized stores. This is clean land, its fertility is excellent for cucumbers.

You can also prepare the mixture yourself.

Self-prepared soil must be disinfected. This can be done by heating in the oven to +120°C for 30–40 minutes or using liquid solutions. A weak solution of potassium permanganate or any purchased chemicals will do. Some gardeners recommend pouring boiling water over the soil, but this method is not effective enough, and cucumbers are very afraid of pests and diseases in the soil.

Preparing and sowing seeds

If you bought expensive seeds, they have special shells made of nutrients, underwent etching and growth stimulation. They can be sown immediately; no additional preparation is required. If the seeds are ordinary, then they should be prepared for germination. Preparation consists of several stages.

1. Disinfection. You can use a solution of potassium permanganate Pink colour. The seeds are soaked in it for 2–3 hours. No potassium permanganate - use hydrogen peroxide or boric acid. A solution of 3–4% concentration is made from them, soaking time is up to thirty minutes. Disinfection compounds are sold in stores, and you can use them too. After the procedure, the seeds are washed with clean running water.

   

2. Stimulating growth. You can buy a special composition in the store, or you can make it yourself from aloe juice. To do this, dilute 20 ml of juice in 100 ml of water. The seeds should remain in the solution for approximately 4–5 hours.

   

3. Soak. Experienced plant growers recommend not skipping this operation. It will take little time, but the result will be very positive. Thanks to soaking, it is possible to select the strongest sprouts and completely eliminate the sowing of non-viable seeds. In addition, soaking allows you to avoid picking, which plants react negatively to. Diving significantly slows down growth, small roots are necessarily damaged.

   

Sowing seeds

You can sow both sprouted seeds after soaking and ordinary seeds. First, let's look at the technology for sowing germinated seeds.

After small roots have appeared on the seeds, they can be replanted in the ground. Make small holes in the ground about two centimeters deep, place the seeds root side down and gently sprinkle them. It goes without saying that the soil should be moist, and after sowing it should be watered with a sprinkler. Cover the container with film or thick cloth and place in a warm place for germination.

Without soaking, the seeds are sown in this way, only in one hole you need to plant at least two pieces. No one knows how many seeds will ultimately be viable; there is no point in risking time and re-sowing in case of problems.

After two true leaves have appeared, add two to three centimeters of soil in the pots. This operation improves the conditions for the development of the root system.

Growing cucumbers

At the stage of 5–6 leaves, you need to think about supports for the stems. For this you can use something like wooden stairs, tie ropes or use any available material.

How they are made:

Very important. Do not under any circumstances tighten the knot on the stem; the distance between the rope and the plant should ensure its unhindered growth.

Cucumbers are sprayed twice a day with clean, settled water. When the plants bloom, it is recommended to shake the bushes a little to improve pollination.

One more nuance. A cucumber can have a stem up to two meters long. Such a plant cannot be placed on a window, and this negatively affects the yield. To give the bush density and regulate the length of the shoots, cucumbers need to be pinched; this should be done after the first five leaves appear. By pinching, it will be possible to approximately halve the length of the shoots and double the number of fruiting shoots; the bush will become lush. Instead of one long lash, two much shorter ones grow. During pinching, the ovary is removed up to the pinching point, everything above is left.

Features of watering and fertilizing

During the growing season, plants require moisture to varying degrees and respond to disturbances in watering regimes. During the first months of growth, cucumbers need a constant amount of moisture, but react extremely negatively to its excess. If seedlings are overwatered, various diseases may appear, the most dangerous of which is blackleg. This disease always stops the development of cucumbers, and in many cases causes their death.

When the growing season slows down a little, the intensity of watering should be reduced. During this period, you need to use the rule: it is better to underfill than to overfill. Of course, underwatering should not cause the death of the plant. With the appearance of flowers, watering increases slightly, and the appearance of the ovary becomes a signal for a sharp increase in the amount of moisture. Fruits significantly increase water consumption, its lack has a Negative influence on their development, appearance and quantity. In extreme cases, the ovary may crumble, experienced gardeners Cucumbers never reach such a sad state.

To increase the fruiting time, cucumbers need to be fed. It is better to buy fertilizer in specialized stores; the price is affordable for absolutely all consumers, and in terms of quality and balance of nutrients it is fully suitable for cucumbers. The methods and frequency of feeding are indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging; there is no need to invent anything, you need to follow the instructions exactly. If you try to feed the plants yourself with various organic and mineral fertilizers, it will be very difficult to calculate the dose. Excess quantity mineral fertilizers deteriorates the quality of the fruit.

Video - Cucumbers on the windowsill

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 fluorescent lamps, since 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 inherent in most natural soils and protect against bacterial diseases, to which cucumbers on a windowsill in winter are very prone to due to lack of light and overwatering.

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 you plan to grow cucumbers on a windowsill in winter , 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 regular or glassed balcony, where they will feel great, 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. Potassium fertilizers, unlike superphosphate, are well diluted in water:

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

In order not to introduce 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. Intensity is important luminous flux. 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:

1. In the lower three nodes, the side shoots and ovaries are removed.
2. 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.

Many enterprising city residents have long adapted their home window sills for growing herbs, but not everyone dares to plant vegetables. Some of them consider the idea crazy and hopeless, others are simply afraid of difficulties, but any of these opinions is wrong. IN room conditions For example, crispy, aromatic cucumbers grow beautifully. Moreover, caring for them is so simple that collecting excellent harvest from an improvised garden bed, even a beginner who has had nothing to do with it before will be able to dacha affairs. But what a pleasure it is to please guests and loved ones with a vitamin salad made from real, summer-scented greens! And let the tasteless and odorless overseas cucumbers wither on store shelves!

Timing of work

Cucumbers are grown on the windowsill all year round, regardless of the season. In well-created conditions, they feel comfortable and bear fruit no worse than in garden bed. In addition, the harvest can be planned and timed to coincide with a specific date. So that the cucumbers grow to New Year's holidays, sowing is carried out in the second half of October, and cucumbers sown in January will arrive exactly in time Women's Day. From the moment timid green leaves emerge from the ground until the first harvest is harvested, no more than 45–50 days usually pass.

Choosing a variety for the windowsill

• Masha is one of the most popular hybrids. Delicious crispy greens ripen quickly and uniformly, and after 40 days you can harvest the first harvest. The bushes are very responsive to care.
• Photon is a highly productive hybrid crop, very unpretentious to the conditions of detention. The vigorous bush is characterized by high resistance to disease and long-term fruiting, which occurs 48–50 days after seed germination. The harvest from one plant is 40–45 fruits.
• Indoor Rytova is a self-pollinating variety that has proven itself in home growing. It tolerates low light and dry air well, and is highly resistant to pests and diseases. Fruits well, but needs shaping.
• Prestige – very compact mid-early hybrid variety, which begins to bear fruit 42–45 days after emergence. The cucumbers are smooth, with large tubercles cylindrical shape and weight 65–90 g. They grow to 8–10 cm in length.
• Courage is a promising hybrid, perfect for winter growing. The finely tuberous, spiny fruits grow up to 15–20 cm in length and reach a weight of 140–160 g, tolerate transportation well and remain fresh for 10–12 days.
• Claudia is a parthenocarpic hybrid of medium maturity. From germination to the first harvest, 42–48 days pass. The weight of smooth greens, covered with a small number of tubercles, varies from 60 to 100 g.

Seed processing and germination

Purchased seeds must undergo mandatory testing after purchase. pre-sowing preparation, which includes several stages:

• Testing for germination - cucumber seeds are poured into a glass and filled with salt water (0.5 teaspoon/200 ml). Those pacifiers that float to the top can be thrown away, but the full-bellied ones are subjected to the next test.
• Disinfection - the seed is soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate for 20–30 minutes, after which it is thoroughly washed in large quantities clean water.
• Germination - the treated seeds are wrapped in wet gauze or a napkin and, placed in a shallow bowl, left warm until germination.

Sowing begins when the seeds sprout - after about 2-3 days.

Soil for cucumbers

It is now not difficult to purchase a good soil mixture in the store; when purchasing, it is recommended to give preference to a light nutrient mixture intended specifically for growing cucumber seedlings. And yet, it is more reliable to prepare the substrate yourself, because the cause of the development of most fungal infections is often poor-quality, depleted or already contaminated soil. The following mixtures are considered the most suitable in composition for cucumbers:

• garden soil, peat, humus (4:1:1);
• humus, peat, garden soil, fermented sawdust - equally;
• vermicompost, garden soil (1:1).

After preparation, the resulting mixture must be sterilized in any convenient way - soak for 40–50 minutes in a water bath or in a preheated oven, pour boiling water over it or strong solution potassium permanganate. Soil disinfection helps prevent the development of pathogens, harmful insects and their larvae in the soil. At the end of the procedure, the disinfected mixture is placed hot into cups, watered (if dry disinfection was carried out) and used for sowing after it has cooled.

Sowing technology

Provided that all preparatory measures have been carried out in full - the seeds have sprouted, the planting containers are filled with a damp soil mixture, sowing homemade cucumbers in the ground will take a matter of minutes:

• In each cup, make a small hole in the center of the soil, about 1 cm deep.
• Place 1 sprouted seed in each hole and lightly sprinkle with soil.
• Glasses with crops are placed in a common deep tray and covered with glass or cling film.
• Until the seedlings emerge, the dishes with germinating seeds are kept in the dark and warm. To provide the crops with bottom heating, the tray can be placed on hot battery, placing a terry towel, a thick magazine or a piece of plywood under it so that the seeds do not fry.

The appearance of the first green shoots from the ground will be a signal that it is time to remove the shelter and place the tray with seedlings on a well-lit windowsill.

Conditions for keeping seedlings

For quick and quality development The seedlings are provided with the most favorable conditions:

• As the surface layer of soil dries, the seedlings are watered with warm, pre-settled water. In order not to wash away the crops, it is recommended to water from a spray bottle.
• In cloudy weather and evening hours, the plants are given additional light so that they do not stretch too much. For these purposes, it is recommended to equip the place where they are kept fluorescent lamps or special phytolamps.
• The elongation of seedlings is also prevented by a drop in temperature to +15–17° C during the daytime and to +13–15° C at night.
• If the air is extremely dry, which is often observed in winter due to operating heating devices, it is recommended to periodically moisten the air around the plants using a spray bottle and cover hot radiators with wet towels.
• If the window sill chosen for keeping cucumbers is not too warm, it is recommended to place the box with seedlings on a piece of foam plastic to avoid overcooling the root system.

As the root system develops, seedlings begin to feel the need to increase the feeding area, therefore, when the plants form 2-3 true leaves, they are transplanted into flower pots volume 4–5 l or spacious wooden box. Picking is prescribed on a cool, cloudy day, so the plants can more easily withstand the stress of replanting. The procedure is carried out as follows:

• The planting containers are half filled with the substrate, having previously laid drainage.
• After abundant watering, make a hole in the soil.
• The seedlings are carefully removed from the old glasses, without destroying the earthen ball, immersed in the hole up to the cotyledon leaves and pressed with soil.

After the procedure, the pickled cucumbers are shaded with thin paper or light fabric, which contributes to the adaptation of plants in a new place.

Bush formation

Indoor cucumbers are usually formed into 1–2 vines, so all excess lateral shoots developing on the central shoot must be pinched. In addition, growing cucumbers need a garter - a coarse mesh one is very convenient in this regard. construction mesh, stretched over the window, along which cucumber lashes will climb, clinging with tendrils. A similar plant “curtain” looks like home interior fresh and original.

Watering mode

Before flowering, plantings are watered no more than 2-3 times a week, waiting until the top layer of soil dries. As soon as the flowers begin to bloom, watering is carried out more often and the portions of water are increased. The procedure is carried out in the early morning hours or in the evening. Irrigation water should be warm – +28–30° C, and it is useful to let it stand for 1–2 days before use.

For cucumbers, even and regular watering is a vital condition. Overmoistening of the soil often causes the development of dangerous fungal diseases, and from a lack of water, the fruits will acquire an unpleasant bitter taste.

Top dressing

Homemade cucumbers are fed for the first time when the first fruit ovaries form on them. For this purpose in hot water dissolve wood ash (100 g/1 l) and a day later water the soil under the plantings with the resulting infusion.

Subsequent feedings are carried out at intervals of 15–20 days. Cucumbers respond especially well to the application of solutions of bird droppings (1:25) or mullein (1:11). As for mineral fertilizers, it is useful to include nitrophoska or “Kristallin” in the plant diet, which are diluted with water (2 teaspoons/3 l) and used for watering cucumbers, using 1–2 cups of the resulting solution for each bush. At the first signs of a lack of nutrients (slow growth, unnaturally light color of the lower leaves), the dose of fertilizing is doubled.

Diseases and pests of domestic cucumbers

Fungal infections are by no means uncommon for domestic cucumbers. The reasons for their development, as a rule, are violations of agricultural technology - watering cold water, planting plants in depleted soil, sudden temperature changes. Most often, cucumbers suffer from diseases such as:

• Powdery mildew - the disease is easily recognized by a bluish coating, similar to flour scattered on the leaves. The whitish spots gradually turn brown and the leaves dry out. The development of the disease is promoted cold watering and a sharp decrease in ambient temperature.
• Anthracnose - signs of the disease are fragility and brittleness of the leaves and brown spots on their surface, as well as ulcerative formations on the fruits.
• Root rot - the development of the disease can be recognized by leaves that are limp like rags, a yellowed and cracked base of the stem, and rotten roots.

In the early stages of the development of fungal diseases, plants are sprayed with Zaslon, Skor, Topaz and other copper-containing fungicides. In case of severe infection, the diseased bush must be removed, and neighboring plantings should be treated with a solution for preventive purposes. copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture. If the diseased plant grew in a common box, the hole from under it should also be watered with 2 liters of copper sulfate solution.

Ripe cucumbers are removed selectively, trying not to damage the vines. It is undesirable to keep them on the plant for too long: the fruits will outgrow and delay the development of the new batch. In addition to high-quality, even greens, unsuccessful specimens should also be removed - crooked, underdeveloped, spoiled, if any, so that the plant does not waste energy and nutrition on them.
As it turned out, growing cucumbers on a windowsill is not at all difficult. Try it! You will definitely succeed!

Hello, dear friends!

The story in this article will be about growing cucumbers in at home, as well as on balconies and loggias.

If you sow cucumber seeds no later than February 1, you can get the first fruits already at the end of March - beginning of April. To grow cucumbers at home, you need to choose the right varieties and hybrids. Hybrids are good for this. “Marinda F1”, “Claudia F1”, “Bianka”, “Masha”. All these hybrids are self-pollinating and have a female type of flowering (there are no male flowers - barren flowers). They are distinguished by their tall growth and good productivity. The fruits of these hybrids have excellent taste. Size - 15 - 25 centimeters.

Sowing seeds:

Before sowing seeds, they must be prepared. You can read more about preparing cucumber seeds for planting.

Preparing the soil mixture:

To grow seedlings, you need to prepare the right soil mixture. To do this, you need to take 1 part of turf soil, 1 part of manure humus, 1 part of small sawdust, 1 part peat. To a bucket of this mixture you need to add 1 tablespoon of nitrophoska, 1 glass of wood ash and 1 teaspoon of urea. All this must be mixed well.

After this, you need to take small glasses and fill them with the mixture. A few minutes before sowing the seeds in cups, they need to be watered hot water(60 - 70 degrees). Sow one seed into each glass. Sowing depth is 1.5 - 2.0 centimeters. After sowing, the cups should be placed in a warm place where the air temperature is 23 - 25 degrees.

To avoid the appearance of a pest - the germ fly, the sides of the cups can be lubricated with some ointment with a pungent odor. I use “Star” balm for this.

How to care for cucumber seedlings

When seedlings appear, the cups should be placed on a bright windowsill. Before doing this, carefully seal the cracks in the frames to prevent drafts. During the day, the temperature on the windowsill should be 20 - 22 degrees, and at night not lower than 15 degrees.

In order for the seedlings to be of high quality and fruiting to begin earlier, you can use lamps daylight or energy-saving lamps. They need to be placed above the plants at a height of 5 centimeters. The lamps should be gradually raised as the plants grow. Lighting can be installed from the moment shoots appear. Lamps must be turned on during the day, starting at 8 a.m. Illumination duration is 6 - 8 hours. The lamps must be turned off at night.

Seedlings in cups should be watered moderately. Without additional illumination - 1 time, with additional illumination - 2 times. Holes must be made in the bottom of the cups so that water does not linger in them. Water for irrigation must be settled. The water temperature should be 23 - 25 degrees.

When growing cucumbers at home, seedlings need to be grown for 20 - 25 days. During this time, the seedlings need to be fed 2 times.

Feeding No. 1: carried out 2 weeks after emergence. For 3 liters of water you need to take 1 teaspoon of urea. Consumption - 1 glass per plant.

Feeding No. 2: carried out a week after the first. In 3 liters of water you need to dilute 1 teaspoon of nitrophoska and 1 tablespoon of wood ash. Consumption - 1 glass per plant.

Transplanting seedlings to permanent place

The boxes should be 40 - 45 centimeters wide and at least 15 centimeters high. The length of the boxes is up to 100 centimeters. The boxes must first be filled with soil mixture of the same composition as when sowing seeds in cups. When growing cucumbers on a balcony or loggia, the boxes should be placed in the corners to reduce the impact of wind on the plants.

The boxes need to be poured with a hot solution of potassium permanganate (1 gram per 10 liters of water) or a solution of copper sulfate (1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water).

About 2 hours before planting, the seedlings should be watered with warm (30 degrees) water. Next, you need to make a hole in the middle of the box, remove the seedlings from the cup and plant them in this hole.

Cucumber care

For the correct vertical growth of our cucumbers, it is necessary to stretch the wire at a height of 1.5 - 1.8 meters above the boxes. A week after planting, the plants need to be tied to this wire with twine. The end of the twine must be carefully attached to the stem in one knot and the plant must be twisted around the twine. To prevent unwinding, the twine should be pulled into 2 threads and the top of the plant should be passed between them.

Periodically, every week, the mustaches of cucumbers need to be removed. The plant must be formed into one stem. To do this, the top of the main stem must be pinched when the plant rises to the height of the wire, and the side shoots that come from the axils of the leaves must be pinched when they reach a length of 20 - 40 centimeters.

During their growth and development, cucumbers need to be watered 2-3 times a week, depending on the air temperature. Water for irrigation should be settled and warm. Make sure the soil is constantly moist.

Growing cucumbers at home , they need to be fed. Feeding in this case is the same as for tomatoes. You can read about this.

See you later, dear friends!

Winter is a time of sleep and rest for all plants, but gardeners have learned to deceive nature even today. If you want to enjoy green and crisp cucumbers all winter, you need to carry out sowing work in several stages. To get the fruits own production To New Year's table, seeds must be sown in early October. Then at the beginning of January the peak of fruiting will occur. If you sow cucumbers at the beginning of December, then at the end of February you can already harvest the first fruits. By March 8, the greens planted in early January will be ripe.

• Cucumbers are heat-loving plants. They do not tolerate extreme heat and love moisture. For successful fruiting in the room, they need to create conditions close to the natural environment.
• The root system of plants lies close to the soil surface, so it is advisable to cover cucumber bushes with mulch not only in the garden, but also on the balcony or windowsill.
• The more often you harvest cucumber bushes, the better they will bear fruit.
• Daylight - necessary condition for fruit set. For a full growing season, the plant needs 10 hours of light. In winter, it is necessary to control the plants so that they do not stretch out and grow ugly-shaped fruits.

on the windowsill in winter is a simple science and even a novice gardener can master it. In order to avoid important mistakes that will lead to loss of harvest, you must follow the recommendations and tips that will tell you how to grow cucumbers at home in winter and get a rich harvest.

• The soil for sowing seeds and planting must be sterile. Today, among experienced gardeners, a popular method of growing vegetables is hydroponics. It is especially relevant in winter time years, but it must be used carefully so as not to exceed the dosage of mineral fertilizers.
• When buying seeds, you need to consult with the seller and inform him that seed material is needed for winter cultivation.
• Before sowing, it is advisable to disinfect and treat the seeds. If the manufacturer has taken care of this and they are covered with a special film, then there is no need for processing.
• Seeds with protective coating require a lot of moisture and germinate a week later than usual.
• It is better to plant cucumbers in separate small containers with 2-3 seeds per one. After germination, excess plants are removed and one bush is left.
• You can save money planting material and germinate cucumber seeds before planting. Select the largest seeds and soak them in a soft cloth for 12 hours. Those that are suitable for planting will swell. They can be sown in pots.
• A 1:1 mixture of peat and sand is suitable for sowing cucumbers.
• Small depressions up to 2 cm or furrows are made in moist soil and seeds are placed in them at a distance of 1 cm.
• If sowing is carried out in the general large capacity, then the distance between plants should reach about 3 cm. Thanks to this technique, seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent place with big lump soil and do not damage the roots.
• After sowing, the holes and furrows are compacted with the palm of your hand or a spatula, and the container is placed in or covered with a transparent film to maintain moisture in the soil.
• The ideal temperature for the friendly emergence of seedlings is 22 degrees.
• The first shoots appear from several days to two weeks, depending on the type of seeds and temperature conditions.
• At this time, it is necessary to spray, since many sprouts cannot get rid of the seed film on their own. It is also advisable to reduce the temperature to 20 degrees and increase daylight hours to 12 hours so that the plants do not stretch.
• Full watering is carried out after the appearance of the first true leaf. At this time, you can begin to use microelements and fertilizers.
• The third true leaf is a signal that the bush needs to be transplanted into a permanent container. It must be selected so that at least three liters of space are used for one plant.
• To plant seedlings, it is advisable to use a mixture of turf soil and humus (1:1), and. It's good if there is vermiculite. Then another liter of vermiculite is added to three liters of this mixture. Cucumber plants love to eat, so the soil for them should be nutritious and loose. With the help of peat based on sphagnum moss, you can increase the breathability of the soil.
• Before asking the question of when to plant cucumbers on the windowsill, you need to remember that it is winter outside and the plants need bottom heating, a distance from the window, and a lot of sunlight.
• The tension mesh will help solve the problem of maintaining a distance from a cold window and will serve as an excellent support for cucumber shoots. The main thing is to correctly place the shoots on the mesh and adjust the load.
• Varieties with two types of flowering need to be pinched on the central shoot to increase the number of female flowers on the bush.
• During flowering, shake the bush or support net several times a day to speed up the pollination process.
• It is very important to maintain a high percentage of humidity and prevent the soil from drying out. The temperature should not fall below 20 degrees.
• You need to be very careful about watering. In case of overwatering, the plant may get blackleg. It is better to water every day in small doses.
• During the flowering period, cucumbers need feeding. During this period, a tincture made from wood ash is best suited: 1 glass of ash from linden, maple (not oak) per 10 liters of water. Fertilizing cucumbers with microelements also promotes better fruit set. Fertilizers can be applied no more than once every two weeks.
• Daily harvesting of fruits will prolong the life of the cucumber bush and increase its productivity several times.

The right approach to growing cucumbers in winter will help experienced and novice gardeners get a rich harvest of juicy and crisp fruits. And so that all efforts do not go down the drain, it is also necessary to choose the right variety suitable for growing indoors in winter.

The best varieties of cucumbers for growing on a windowsill in winter

To obtain good harvest, you need to choose the right varieties of cucumbers for growing on a windowsill in winter.

It is best to sow self-pollinating hybrids that set fruit on their own.

Among the great abundance, one should highlight such hybrids as “Marinda F1”, “Masha F1”, “Legend F1”, “Moscow Greenhouse F1”, “Romance F1”. These plants are characterized by high productivity, are undemanding to living conditions and are resistant to diseases.

When choosing a variety, you need to focus on the type of flowering, the growth capacity of the vine and the time of entry into fruiting. At indoor growing Early ripening bush hybrids of cucumbers with a female type of flowering have proven themselves well.

Among the varieties with two types of flowering, cucumbers of the “Boy with Thumb” variety are best suited for balconies and windowsills. Whatever variety you prefer, you should understand that without care and maintenance, the cucumber vine will not bring the desired result.

Video about growing cucumbers on a windowsill