How to grow cucumbers on a windowsill in an apartment in winter?

In winter, there is a lack of tasty and healthy vegetables and fruits. Buying plastic vegetables at the market or in stores is not something that you do not want, it is not recommended. The original way out is to plant cucumbers in containers in an apartment on a windowsill or balcony. But before starting the process, you should find out the technology of growing at home and the timing of harvesting.

Features of growing on a windowsill

Planting cucumber seeds on the windowsill does not require special training or special knowledge of care, so even novice amateur gardeners can cope with growing at home.

Important! When planting cucumbers at home, you need to check that there are no drafts anywhere. This cold air intake adversely affects young shoots. It is imperative to ensure that there is an optimal temperature for the germination of seedlings.

Do not overdo it with watering. Excessive irrigation leads to the appearance of fungi in the soil, which infect not one, but all young cucumber sprouts.

When preparing for the rooting of planting material, you need to purchase high-quality cucumber seeds. They must meet the following parameters:

1. It is recommended to choose a bushy plant, you should not take the vine. It will trail along one side, and the bush variety will stand in a lush ball.
2. When choosing a variety pay attention to the yield - Careful care and a small harvest can permanently discourage the desire to plant cucumbers in winter.
3. The unpretentiousness of the view - if the plant is overly demanding to care for, then it has every chance of not surviving on the windowsill. The main advantage of varieties of cucumbers for winter germination at home is the absence of high requirements for light and watering.

Such features of germination of young cucumber seedlings are optimal for growing in an apartment.Fulfilling not difficult conditions, you can get a high-quality harvest even in winter.

What varieties are suitable for growing in an apartment

Growing cucumbers in winter is quite common. All possible greenhouses are used for these purposes. But if the apartment has a heated balcony or a glazed loggia where you can equip a cucumber farm, then why not grow them at home.

Reference! For planting, breeders have developed a large number of different varieties. Usually, they are represented by hybrid species. They do not need help in pollination by bees, they tend to independently form fruits on female peduncles. Such hybrids are called parthenocarpic.

There are the following varieties of cucumbers for home cultivation on the windowsill in the apartment:

1. Khutorok - the first cucumbers can be picked within 30 days after the first shoots. This species is considered super fast. The fruits on it reach a length of 10 cm, on which black thorns are located. They require help with pollination. It is required to pick a male flower (barren flower) and transfer its pollen to a female one. Only in this case can ovary occur.
2. Shchedryk - ripens 1.5 months after planting. Cucumbers hang in an ovary in 6-8 pieces. In length they stretch to 11-12 cm, are presented in a rich green color with a dark shade. Growing it on the windowsill, up to 20 fruits can be removed from the bush.
3. Khrustyk - relatively fast view. Not earlier than in 50 days, the first fruits will appear on it, which can be used for food. Its plus is that it is completely self-pollinated. The variety is rich in harvests. With good care, its fertility reaches up to 40 pcs. from one bush.

Also among the best varieties of cucumbers for growing on the windowsill are: Courage, Our Masha, Prestige, Room miracle, Miracle on the window.

Thus, you can plant cucumbers yourself in an apartment and get a rich harvest in the cold winter months, you just need to choose the right varieties for growing at home.

How to plant and grow in an apartment - features, conditions and step-by-step instructions

Before starting planting work, you need to choose the right place for active growth. It is imperative to choose the optimal volume of flowerpots for certain varieties, into which you need to fill up the soil. The latter plays an important role in the rooting of green vegetable species.

Of no small importance is the specific preparation of cucumber seedlings for direct planting. And rooting work should also be carried out according to the instructions, according to which it is required to accurately measure the planting depth. Otherwise, the seedlings will not grow, but will rot in the ground.

What should be the place

A place for placing flowerpots with cucumber seedlings must be selected only on the south side. Young seedlings are sensitive not only to sunlight, but also to heat.

Important! The best option is a windowsill located on the south side, or even better a heated balcony or loggia. This arrangement will provide the plantings with illumination from all 3 sides throughout the day.

Video: growing cucumbers on the balcony

The winter sun is not long, and sunshine is important for cucumbers. Therefore, it is recommended to highlight the seedlings. special phytolampswhich will provide continuous lighting for 14-16 hours a day.

The best temperature for the rapid and active growth of cucumbers is +20 C. If the temperature in the room exceeds this level, then the humidity of the soil substrate should be constantly monitored.

What container to plant

Cucumbers are unpretentious in the containers in which they will grow. Fit likedeep flowerpots for mass placement of seedlings, and single pots.

Important! It is necessary that no more than 5 pieces of young sprouts are placed on 70 cm. A large number in one flowerpot will not allow to actively develop and increase the mass.

The pot is selected with holes for excess moisture to escape, as well as a fairly wide volume. It must be remembered that a cucumber is a plant with a developed root system. In order for a green vegetable sprout to be comfortable, the container must contain at least 4 liters.

What kind of soil

For high-quality growth of young cucumber seedlings, it is required that the soil is fertile and loose, well permeable to liquid and air. These properties are possessed by purchased primer for indoor flowers or substrate for growing pumpkin breeds.

But the best soil for growing indoor cucumbers is a self-made soil substrate. Suitable for cooking:

1. Soil from the forest;
2. Garden soil;
3. Humus;
4. Ash (wood);
5. River sand;
6. Old, rotted sawdust, dark shade.

Attention! After mixing all the parts, a fertile substrate is obtained. It should be calcined in the oven at a temperature of +200 C for 20-30 minutes. And then spill with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Such preparation measures have a beneficial effect on the elimination of pathogenic bacteria and pests hiding in the ground.

Preparing seeds for planting

The varieties are pre-processed during packaging so that they can be sown directly into the soil without specific preparation. But then the planting will have to thicken and the germinated seeds dive into separate flowerpots.

To bypass this process, it is recommended to follow certain steps to prepare cucumber seeds for planting at home on a windowsill or balcony:

1. The seeds are placed in weak solution of potassium permanganate lasting half an hour. Floated empty seeds are removed, they still will not sprout. Then the seeds are rinsed in warm liquid.
2. Next 3 hours seedlings kept in a liquid with a temperature of +35 C.
3. Removing moist warm seedlings, place in wet sacking, neatly wrapping them and covering them with sawdust. In this form, they are laid out in a room where the temperature should be about +30 C.
4. Germination duration varies within 1-2 days. After the appearance of the first rudiments of roots, the seeds are immediately planted in the soil prepared in advance.

Before planting, it is worth pulling out the planting material from moisture and drying it. This process has a beneficial effect on the active growth of future seedlings.

Direct landing

Before the very planting of indoor cucumbers, the soil in the containers is spilled with liquid. The procedure is necessary for subsidence of the earth. If the seeds are planted in dry, airy soil, then when watering, the seeds deepen more than required.

Pre-prepared cucumber seeds are placed to a depth of 1.5 cm. Top covered with well-moistened soil.

Important! The container is covered with glass or covered with foil. This is necessary to create greenhouse conditions for the rapid germination of young shoots. The temperature for germination is +25 C.

After the appearance of the first timid shoots, the film is immediately removed. This is required so that it does not create condensation that provokes the onset of fungal diseases. Further temperature drops to +20 C, but at the same time, the stay on the sunny side increases.

Video: how to grow cucumbers on a windowsill at home

How to care after planting and before harvest - tips

Watering freshly planted plants are carried out in moderation without flooding the roots. It is best to supply young boring borers with liquid through a syringe, deep into the soil. This will not provoke root washout. Irrigation is carried out only with boiled water, settled for several hours.

Attention! Top dressing only organic composition should be applied. An infusion on banana peel (fermented) has an excellent effect on planting. It is diluted 10 times and fertilized at least once every 2 weeks.

After the appearance of 4 or 5 leaves, the upper point of growth should be broken off. It is necessary for the plant to release lateral shoots.Of these, no more than 3 lashes are left. They are allowed to grow up to 10 full-fledged leaves, after which they are pinched again. Thus, a lush bush is formed.

Mustache during sprawl it is recommended to delete. They tend to draw out a large amount of nutrients, preventing fruits from fully developing.

It is imperative to carry out garter lashes. Each lash must be carefully guided and tied to the trellis. The fruits should not be thickened, this will allow them to develop well and receive a sufficient amount of sunlight.

Diseases and pests

In order for the shrub to bear fruit well and not get sick, the plant should be constantly monitored and well looked after. Otherwise, the following diseases may appear on the leaves of cucumbers:

1. Powdery mildew - a fungal disease, manifested by a white bloom on the leaf plates;
2. Anthracnose - the causative agent is a fungus. Both leaves and fruits suffer from it;
3. Root rot - manifested by the wilting of the entire bush. The roots suffer from the disease, which are constantly filled with liquid;
4. White rot - white bloom appears on fruits, foliage and stem.

Important! If you do not take action, then the diseases grow with unprecedented force, completely affecting the plants. The fight is carried out by spraying with chemical insecticides.

In addition to diseases, shrubs can be attacked spider mites, aphids and whiteflies. When they first appear, they can be removed by hand. With an increase in numbers, you will have to seek help from drugs that kill parasites.

The main thing is to monitor any reactions of the plant. If you carefully monitor the condition of the pet, you can avoid a strong proliferation of diseases by eliminating everything at the first stages of formation.

Germination dates and harvest

The germination time depends on each variety separately. In most cases, all plantings appear within 1-2 days after rooting. The duration of growth is determined by the types of cucumbers. Some are able to give the first harvest in 1 month. Others take up to 45-50 days to mature.

Attention! For harvesting, you need to focus on the volume of cucumbers. If the size of the fruit reaches 10 cm, then it can already be plucked. If you do not provoke the overgrowth of vegetables, then the plant can bloom again, giving another crop.

Many varieties grown during the winter months are suitable not only for eating live, but also for salting. But do not rely on harvests from the windowsill to successfully do seaming during the winter 🙂

Thus, do not miss the opportunity to plant cucumber seedlings in your window and get fresh vegetables in the middle of winter. During germination, you need to provide good care and an abundance of light. Then you can collect a sufficient number of cucumbers from the bush right at home. Even novice gardeners can grow cucumbers at home on the windowsill.

How to grow cucumbers on a windowsill in an ordinary city apartment, recommendations for novice gardeners.

Cucumber varieties for growing on the windowsill

For growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter, only parthenocarpic hybrids of an early ripening period with small lashes are suitable. Bush cucumbers are also unacceptable, as they require a large area of ​​food that cannot be provided on a windowsill.

Parthenocarpics have a predominantly female or only female flowering type and do not require pollination. Bee-pollinated cucumbers are categorically unsuitable for winter cultivation, and self-pollinated varieties need the pollen to somehow get on the pistil. Since there are no insects or wind on the windowsill in winter, it is necessary to artificially pollinate each flower when growing such cucumbers.

Long-leaved cucumbers are also not suitable for growing on windowsills. Their whips are 3 or more meters, and they will have nowhere to develop.In addition, long-leaved cucumbers tend to grow longer and begin bearing fruit later. With winter cultivation at home, it is necessary to get a harvest of zelents as soon as possible. This saves a lot of time and money.

Growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter, tips for beginners

Cucumbers, with proper care, can be grown all year round. The cultivation of crops in greenhouses is based on this feature. You can grow cucumbers in winter and on the windowsill in an ordinary apartment.

Seed sowing dates

In winter, cucumbers can be grown on the windowsill in 3 terms.

1. Sowing in December. Zelentsy appear by the beginning of February
2. Sowing in January. Harvest in late February and early March.
3. When sown in February, the first cucumbers appear at the end of March.

But in reality, the best options for planting are January and February. In December, cucumbers do not have enough light for normal development, and they will grow only with prolonged illumination.

At home, you can plant cucumbers in September-October, but with a decreasing daylight hours, it is impossible to get a good harvest of zelents.

To get a very early harvest, cucumbers are planted on the windowsill in March-April, but this method is suitable for those who do not have a summer cottage, as well as those who grow early cucumbers for sale. At this time, everyone else's windowsills are occupied by other seedlings and there is no time for cucumbers.

How to grow cucumbers on the windowsill

Cucumbers in the apartment are grown only in a seedless way. Seeds are sown in prepared containers. The root system of the culture is rather weak, but when planted in a common seedling box, each plant needs a feeding area of ​​at least 100 cm2, and a depth of at least 15 cm.

Therefore, it is better to grow cucumbers at home in individual containers. Large plastic cups with a volume of at least 1 liter, plastic bottles, flower pots are suitable for this. At the bottom of the container, a drainage hole must be made to drain excess water.

Peat pots are suitable for cucumbers in the initial period of growth. When the plants grow up, they, together with the pot, are placed in a larger container and covered with earth. With this method, the roots of the culture develop evenly, do not braid with an earthen ball, and, therefore, do not suffer from a lack of nutrition and moisture.

Soil preparation

For the cultivation of cucumbers, highly fertile, loose, water and air-permeable soil mixtures with a reaction of the medium of 5.5-6.5 are needed. Plants can grow well on slightly acidic soils with a pH of 5.1-5.4, but the yield in this case decreases, albeit slightly.

Peat soil mixture is the best suited for planting cucumbers, provided that such soil has a low acidity and a sufficient humus content. In winter, if the land has not been prepared since autumn, cucumbers are grown on purchased soil mixtures with a peat content of no more than 50%.

If possible, you can prepare the ground yourself. The soil mixture is prepared from peat, humus and fine-grained river sand in a ratio of 3: 3: 1. The sand can be replaced with coconut flakes.

Coconut shavings have a neutral reaction (pH 7.0), retain moisture very well, loosen the soil well and allow air to pass through. To prepare the soil, pour coconut flakes with water according to the instructions. After 1-2 minutes, the shavings will begin to absorb moisture and swell strongly. After 30-40 minutes, the soil will be ready and can be added to the soil mixture.

Cucumbers can also be grown in pure coconut soil, but it is necessary to slightly acidify it before sowing the seeds. To do this, the chips are soaked in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate.

To remove spores of diseases and hibernating pests, the earth is frozen. Freezing is preferable to calcining, since at high temperatures the fertilizers applied to the soil mixture decompose, and at low temperatures they are preserved.The earth is taken out into the street or in a room with subzero temperatures and left for 5-7 days, then brought into the house. The earth must completely thaw and warm up, then it is again taken out into the cold. The procedure is repeated 3-4 times.

Fertilizers are applied to any self-prepared soils:

• ammonium nitrate or urea 1 tbsp / kg;
• superphosphate 1 tbsp / kg;
• potassium magnesium or potassium sulfate 3 tbsp / kg.

You can apply liquid or solid complex fertilizers according to the instructions.

The soil must be warmed up before sowing. At ground temperatures below 17 ° C, the seeds will not sprout. To warm up, the earth in bags or boxes is placed on a battery and kept for several days.

2-3 before sowing, the soil is disinfected by spilling it with a warm pink solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin. Instead of Fitosporin, it is possible to add Trichodermin to the soil, but they cannot be used together, since these are different types of microflora, and they will only mutually destroy each other. If the soil is purchased and biological products have already been introduced into it, then it is not necessary to additionally disinfect it.

Preparing seeds for planting

Cucumbers are usually warmed up before sowing. This is done to increase the production of female flowers. However, all modern hybrids have a predominantly female type of flowering, a small amount of male flowers are formed, or they do not appear at all. Therefore, it is not necessary to warm up such seeds.

Before sowing, the seeds are soaked for 1-2 days. If they are old, then growth stimulants (Gibbersib, Gibberellin, Zircon) are added to the water. Although it is written on the bags with the seeds of the hybrids that they are sown without preliminary treatment, experience shows that then their germination is much worse.

To prevent black leg, the seed is immersed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. The skin of the cucumbers is sensitive and, if the solution is too strong, they can be burned. The seed is always processed, even though it has already been processed. The period of protective action of fungicides is several months and by the time of sowing, as a rule, it has already expired.

1-2 days after soaking, the seed is dried, without waiting for it to peck, and sown.

Sowing seeds

After soaking, there is no need to wait for the seeds to peck. After a maximum of 48 hours, they are dried and sown. Sprouted cucumber seeds (and pumpkin seeds in general) do not germinate well, since the root that appears (and it is it that germinates) breaks off very easily when covered with earth. Damage to the seedling root means the death of the seed. It will be better if the seeds are swollen, but not yet germinated.

Cucumbers are sown immediately in the container in which they will grow. The prepared warm earth is well spilled and 3-4 seeds are sown in each pot. Sprinkle them with a layer of 1.5-2 cm dry earth. After sowing, the soil is not moistened, otherwise the seeds will go deep into the soil. The pots are covered with foil and placed on a battery until shoots appear.

As a rule, 1-2 cucumbers sprout in one pot. But even if everyone sprouts, it will be possible to choose the most powerful one, cut the rest off the ground.

Care for cucumbers on the windowsill

• If the ground is warmed up, seedlings appear quickly - for 4-6 days.
• At a soil temperature of 18-20 ° C, sprouts appear in 10-12 days.
• At soil temperatures below 17 ° C, cucumbers will not sprout.

As soon as the plants have sprouted, they are placed on the windowsill, where the temperature is at least 20 ° C. The culture tolerates partial shading well, and in the southern regions, where there are enough sunny days in January-February, cucumbers can be grown on the eastern and even northeastern windowsill. In northern areas, with sufficient light, the east side is suitable, but the south and west windows are more suitable for growing.

Temperature

Immediately after germination, the temperature cannot be lowered, since at this stage the cucumbers are very sensitive to cold. Until 2-3 true leaves appear, the plants are kept on a warm windowsill (temperature is at least 20 ° C, and preferably 23-25 ​​° C).And only after the appearance of a few true leaves can the temperature be reduced. But this is extremely undesirable, since for fruiting the plant needs to collect the amount of active temperatures. In winter, this can only be done with artificial heating.

If it is cold on the windowsill, the plants are additionally heated, otherwise there will be no harvest. In winter, soil cooling often occurs on the window. Cucumbers stop growing, leaves turn yellow. For heating, boxes with containers are placed on a battery for several hours, and in order to keep heat in the future, each pot is covered with foam.

Backlight

In winter, plants must be illuminated. Cucumbers need at least 13-15 hour daylight hours to grow. But in winter, when there is not enough light, the backlight should be more intense. Therefore, before the formation of lashes, they are supplemented by at least 17-18 hours in December-early January, 15 hours in February-March. To increase the illumination, reflective materials are placed on the windowsill: foil, mirrors.

For the beginning of flowering and fruiting, a cucumber needs a shorter daylight hours. Therefore, as soon as the lashes are formed, the additional lighting is reduced. If the culture bears fruit in December, then supplementary lighting should be at least 16 hours. This is due to the fact that in December it is almost always cloudy, and the sun lamps will not be completely replaced anyway. If December is sunny, then the cucumbers are illuminated for 15 hours.

In January-February, for the formation of buds, plants are illuminated for 12 hours.

Watering cucumbers

Water the cucumbers only with settled warm water (not lower than 20 ° C). Cold water in winter, especially when there is a lack of heat, can provoke the death of roots.

Cucumbers are very demanding on moisture. Watering is carried out as the soil dries up. If the ground is damp to the touch, but does not leave marks on the hands, it is necessary to water, if the hands get dirty, watering is not required. Drying out has a detrimental effect on plants.

When growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter, water them in the morning, or in the afternoon, but not in the evening. The culture evaporates the largest amount of moisture in the morning. Therefore, when watering in the evening in the morning, there will be droplets of moisture on the leaves and the window, since plants saturated with water begin to release water. Such intense evaporation in the dry air of an apartment is highly undesirable and does not occur when watering in the morning and afternoon. Wet leaves and moist soil are a source of fungal infections.

Cucumbers are watered only at the root.

Air humidity

A culture for normal growth requires an air humidity of 80-85%. In winter, the humidity in the rooms is 40-50%, which is bad for cucumbers. At low humidity, the lower leaves begin to turn yellow and dry in the plants, the stem is gradually bare. Seedlings on the windowsill can dry out without producing true leaves.

Therefore, immediately after the emergence of seedlings, cucumbers are sprayed at least 1 time in 2-3 days. Water containers are placed on the batteries under the windowsills.

Feeding cucumbers in the apartment

If the soil was filled with fertilizers during sowing, then fertilizing begins only when the first true leaf appears. They are carried out during the entire growing season with an interval of 5-6 days.

When growing cucumbers in winter, you need to feed them more intensively than in summer. They are very fond of fresh manure (except for pork). But when grown on a windowsill, due to a persistent unpleasant odor, this method is excluded. Those who keep birds in cages (or chickens in the yard) are in a more advantageous position.Cage bedding soak in hot water for 20-30 minutes, until the droppings get wet, then filter. The resulting solution is diluted 1:10 and the cucumbers are fed. Bird lovers are usually less sensitive to odors in the room.

Plant residues from indoor plants (broken twigs, wilted and fallen leaves, potato peels, banana peels) are suitable for preparing herbal infusion.Plant residues are poured into a saucepan, poured with water and insisted for several days. Then the solution is filtered, diluted 1: 3 with water and the cucumbers are fed.

Ash infusion... Ash is now sold in garden stores, so it's easy to find it even in winter. Prepare the infusion according to the instructions on the package. The finished solution is diluted with water and top dressing is done.

Humates and liquid fertilizers for cucumbers used only if there are no other organic fertilizers. 1 cap (5 ml) is diluted in 10 liters of water, the cucumbers are fed with the resulting solution.

Complex mineral fertilizers this is the worst feeding option. But when growing cucumbers in winter, in the absence of other fertilizers, you have to use it. For cucumber, those fertilizers are suitable where there is a sufficient amount of nitrogen, and the dose of potassium exceeds the dose of phosphorus. But on some mineral fertilizers, the cultivation of cucumbers in winter is impossible. During the growing season, there should be at least 4 organic dressings.

It must be remembered that organic matter improves soil fertility, while mineral water affects plants. Cucumbers need not so much food as high soil fertility.

When feeding, you should not abuse nitrogen. Zelentsy easily accumulate it and become dangerous for humans.

But a lack of nitrogen leads to a decrease in yields.

• Cucumbers gain a lot of green mass, but bloom poorly - an excess of nitrogen.
• Cucumbers are weak, their whips are thin, the greens that have been tied up are crumbling (with proper watering) - a lack of nitrogen.
• In order not to disturb the balance of elements, fertilizing containing nitrogen is alternated with ash, which does not contain it.

After the first week of fruiting, cucumbers, if they were previously fed with mineral water, need intensive organic feeding, since during this time they consume all the substances introduced into the soil before.

Forming cucumbers on the windowsill

Strong-leaved cucumbers always lead to one stem. It is impossible to feed several stems on a windowsill in winter; neither the plant nor the owner can pull it. Cucumbers definitely need a trellis to curl. On a bare windowsill, the lashes will be too cold and dry. All emerging lateral shoots are pinched.

Weak varieties can be led in 2-4 stems. A small lash is unable to produce a large number of cucumbers, especially when grown in winter. The main stem is pinched after 3-4 leaves. From the appeared lashes of the 2nd order, 2-3 the strongest are chosen, which are allowed to go along the trellis or tied up. When grown in winter, the plant cannot feed more than 3 short strings. So that the lashes do not get confused, they are sent in different directions. Each lash should have its own support.

After removing the first cucumbers in winter, the lower leaves of the culture begin to dry very quickly. This is a normal process. The plant cannot feed all the leaves, flowers and greens at the same time, therefore it gets rid of unnecessary "freeloaders". If the lower leaves turn yellow, they are removed.

Harvesting rules

Early varieties of cucumbers (and others are not grown on the windowsill in winter) begin to bear fruit 40 days after germination. At this time, the plants have not yet matured. Therefore, the first set fruits are plucked at the ovary stage.

The first zelents for culture are the most difficult. A plant that is not yet fully formed gives them all the strength, which inhibits its growth and further development. Thus, having given the lashes to grow stronger, in the future they collect a much larger harvest than if the first-borns are raised to a normal full-fledged state.

Zelentsy is removed every 2-3 days. On the windowsill, the borage can be viewed every day and take off full-fledged fruits. If the crop is not harvested in time, the growth of further ovaries and the formation of new fruits are noticeably inhibited. One overgrown cucumber in winter stops the growth of the entire lash. If this is allowed, then in winter conditions on the windowsill the plant can generally complete its development.

In winter, cucumbers do not grow to the same condition as in a greenhouse. Such a fruit in winter conditions with a lack of all growth factors is an overgrowth and inhibits further fruiting. This is especially true in the cultivation of cucumbers in December-January. Zelentsy shoot smaller in winter than in summer.

Diseases and pests of cucumbers in the apartment

Pests

When growing cucumbers at home in winter, they are not threatened by any insects, most of which have a dormant period at this time. But in indoor conditions in the spring and late autumn, mushroom mosquitoes are active. They are omnivorous and cucumbers will not be ignored either.

Mushroom mosquitoand these are the same indoor midges that annoy so much in autumn and spring, when supplies of vegetables appear in the house. The midges themselves, apart from aesthetic discomfort, are not harmful. Plants are affected by their larvae, which live in damp earth. They eat up the roots. Even minor damage is dangerous for cucumbers. They mainly attack plants in October and from mid-March.

Midges and their larvae do not tolerate dry air and insufficiently moist soil. But when growing cucumbers on a windowsill, you can neither reduce the intensity of watering, nor reduce the humidity of the air. Therefore, the only way out is to water the plants with insecticides: Mukhoed, Zemlin, Aktara, Bazudin.

Diseases

There are also few diseases in cucumbers on the windowsill. In the premises, with all diligence, the air is dry enough, so pathogens practically do not develop. The only thing that can seriously threaten cucumbers during winter cultivation is a black leg. It can appear at any stage of development, but most often it affects seedlings and young plants with 1-2 true leaves.

If the stem is thinned near the ground, and a constriction has formed, the plant is removed, the rest are watered with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Mistakes in the winter cultivation of cucumbers

All of them are associated with the inability to create favorable conditions for plants on the windowsill.

1. Seeds do not germinate. If they are fresh, then there are no shoots due to the cold ground. Cucumbers need a soil temperature of at least 18 ° C for germination. It is necessary to warm up the ground and re-sow.
2. Seedlings are stretched. Insufficient lighting. To gain green mass in winter, the culture must be supplemented. Although it grows well in the shade, light is necessary for normal development.
3. Cucumbers do not bloom for a long time. Excessive lighting. 35-40 days after germination, the plants are illuminated for only 12 hours a day. Then they will move on to flowering and fruiting.
4. Plants shed their ovaries. Lack of nitrogen. Organic feeding should be done.
5. The culture is powerful, actively growing, but blooms poorly and forms few greenbacks. Excess nitrogen. It is necessary to reduce the nitrogen component and increase the dose of potassium in the top dressing.
6. Leaves dry. Air is too dry. It is necessary to increase the humidity. Cucumbers are regularly sprayed.
7. Only the lower leaves dry, otherwise the cucumbers are healthy and bear fruit well. Normal phenomenon. Culture pays all attention to the Zelensk people. She lacks the strength to feed the extra "freeloaders". The yellow and dry leaves are removed.

In early varieties, fruiting ends 30-35 days after the appearance of the first cucumbers. Further feeding and other favorable conditions cannot change the situation. Plants have given up everything they could and their potential has been exhausted.

Conclusion

Growing cucumbers at home in winter is extremely troublesome.

1. First, it is very expensive. The costs of growing several dozen zelentz far exceed the costs of buying finished products in the store.
2. Secondly, the process is very time consuming. Cucumbers on the windowsill constantly need to be given a sufficient amount of time and effort. If this is not possible, then there is no harvest.
3. Thirdly, the taste of zelents is not up to par. They taste like cucumbers grown in greenhouses, that is, there is practically no cucumber smell and taste.

If you have the opportunity and desire to get fresh cucumbers for the holiday, you can try to grow them. Unlike tomatoes and peppers, they are easier to care for, but the culture takes up much more time.

Technologies for year-round cultivation of cucumbers at home have been tested for a long time, are not particularly difficult and are successfully used by thousands of amateurs.

Cucumbers are grown on the windowsill, on the balcony, loggia and even in the basement.

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Growing cucumbers in an apartment: seeds, varieties, place, containers

Let's describe in detail all the stages of how to grow cucumbers at home in winter?

The right seeds

For growing cucumbers in the winter at home, the seeds must meet stringent requirements. Homemade cucumber should be:

• Short-fruited, with a length of zelents from 6 cm to 25 cm.
• Shade tolerant, not afraid of temperature changes.
• Early or mid-season, with a fruiting period of 4 to 6 months.
• Harvest.

Parthenocarpic F1 hybrids are preferred... These self-pollinating plants only have female flowers. Early and ultra-early are the most popular for growing cucumbers at home:

• April;
• Benefit;
• Zozulya;
• Carmen;
• Goosebump;
• Sail;
• Regina;
• Shchedryk;
• Crunch.

Of the mid-early varieties of cucumbers for growing at home, the following are preferable:

• Athlete;
• Full house;
• Balagan;
• Bianca;
• Berendey;
• Urban;
• Far Eastern;
• Claudia;
• Courage;
• Marinade;
• Masha;
• Pallas' cat;
• Romance;
• Solar.

IMPORTANT! Late ripening cucumber hybrids are not suitable for home cultivation.

Bee-pollinated cucumber hybrids, in indoor and greenhouse cultivation, require manual pollination.

The process requires certain skills and additional investment of time.

But despite this, vegetable growers grow at home bee-pollinated cucumber hybrids:

• Gribovsky 2;
• Zarya;
• Pallas' cat;
• Surprise;
• Khutorok;
• Relay race.

Grow and bee-pollinated varieties of cucumbers:

• Room Rytov;
• Marfinsky.

Advice! Manual pollination of cucumbers is carried out in the morning... With a cotton swab, a soft brush, they transfer pollen from a male barren flower to flowers with an ovary (female). You can touch the pistil of a woman with a male flower with torn petals.

Female single flowers grow separately. The males form groups in the leaf axils.

Pollination of cucumbers continues throughout the entire flowering period, up to the appearance of the first ovaries. To increase the yield of cucumbers experienced amateurs advise pollinating female flowers with pollen of different varieties.

Seat selection

It's better to grow cucumbers in an apartment on warm bright balconies, loggias, verandas, windows oriented south, east, west.

The north side is not suitable for cultivation. There should be no drafts in the room.

What to grow?

There are many options: hanging baskets, buckets, containers, boxes, flower pots, tubs. The main thing is that the volume of the container is at least 5 liters.... Drainage is laid out on the bottom - small pebbles, pieces of expanded clay, large sawdust. Holes are made to remove excess water.

Advice! To save money, they cut off large plastic bottles, use double cellophane garbage bags.

How to grow cucumbers in an apartment: step by step instructions

Landing dates

Timing depend on the selected variety of cucumbers, growing conditions. They take into account the area of ​​the room, the ability to provide optimal temperature and light conditions, air humidity, and climatic zone.

Cucumbers planted at the end of October will ripen to the New Year's table. From January plantings, they begin to harvest in March. The average time for the onset of fruiting from the appearance of the first shoots is 40-50 days... February seedlings ripen by the May holidays.

Soil preparation

In the store they buy universal soil or mixture for growing pumpkin crops.

They prepare themselves according to proven recipes:

1. Equal shares of peat, humus. A glass of wood ash on a bucket of mixture.
2. 1/3 of the turf, garden soil, compost with the addition of a small amount of calcined river sand, ash, rotten sawdust.

The earth is disinfected in one of the following ways:

• Steamed.
• Spill hot (+ 90 ° C) solution of potassium permanganate of dark pink color.
• Warm up in the oven.
• Process special industrial preparations.
• Apply nitrophosphate or complete complex fertilizer. Poured into containers, spilled abundantly, left for a day to seal.

Sowing

1. Cucumber seeds etched for 20-30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate... Washed out. Dry. Leave for 2-3 days to swell in a saucer with warm water, wrap in wet gauze, spread on cotton pads. Learn more about preparing seeds before planting.
2. Hatching cucumber seeds sow to a depth of about a centimeter... Plant 1-2 seeds per liter volume at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other. Watering.
3. Exposed to a bright place... Maintain a temperature of + 22-25 ° С during the day, + 16-18 ° С at night.
4. To maintain the required humidity covered with foil, glass.
5. When cucumber shoots appear, the shelter is removed. A weak sprout is removed. Additional lighting is started.

Advice! To eliminate the danger of hypothermia of the root system of cucumbers, a sheet of foam plastic, drywall, thick plywood is placed under the containers with plantings.

Lighting

It is impossible to grow cucumbers at home in winter without lighting.... Daylight hours should last 12-14 hours. In the central zone of Russia, in the Urals, in Siberia, from December to February, supplementary lighting is carried out from 16 to 20 hours.

Lighting devices for supplementary lighting (energy-saving, luminescent, LED) are fixed at a distance of 30-40 cm.

To enhance the effect, light-reflecting foil sheets and mirrors are installed.

Temperature

Until the plants form lashes, the temperature is maintained not higher than + 16 ° С... After the formation of lashes, the temperature on sunny days is maintained at + 24-26 ° С, in cloudy weather and at night + 18-20 ° С.

Watering

Water in sunny weather every day, in cloudy - every other day... Water must be defended, brought to room temperature. Several times a season they are watered with a weak pinkish solution of potassium permanganate.

It is useful to spray the plants twice a day, but the leaves should dry out by night. Watering cucumbers is carried out at the root or water is poured into trays.

Advice! To increase the humidity in the room, cover the heating batteries with wet towels. They put dishes with water next to the cucumber bushes. Includes humidifiers.

Support

Home-grown lashes reach heights of up to two meters and require a garter... The garter is made with a sliding loop. Use twine or nylon cord.

Bush formation

After the appearance of the fifth true leaf, pinch the top to form a bush in two stems. When the next five leaves grow, the procedure is repeated.

The pinching of the lateral lashes is carried out in the lateral lower nodes above the 1-2-3 sheet.

Top dressing

The first feeding is carried out after the appearance of two true leaves... They are fed with a solution of 3-4 g of nitrophoska per liter of water. The consumption rate for a plant is a glass.

Can be used solution of one teaspoon of urea in 5 liters of water... Feed once every 2 weeks.

With the advent of zelents, the plant is fed every week, alternating mineral and organic fertilizers. As organic additives, 20% solutions of chicken manure or superphosphate are used. For mineral water, dissolve 30-40 g of nitrophoska in a bucket of water, add a teaspoon of Agrolife or 2 caps of the Growth preparation together with watering.

Alternatively, after a week, feeding cucumbers with biohumus agents... The bushes are sprayed twice with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Advice! An excellent organic solution is a solution of fermented chopped banana peels and rye bread.

Diseases

Cucumbers grown in the apartment suffer from spider mites and whiteflies.Spraying with soapy water helps, it is dangerous to use insecticides in the apartment.

Harvesting

Zelentsy harvested every day, preventing them from overgrowing... This promotes the formation of new ovaries, lightens the load on the lashes, prevents plant depletion, deterioration of the palatability of cucumbers.

Growing in a private house

Does not differ in agricultural technology from growing cucumbers in an apartment. However, villagers and cottage owners have more opportunities to successfully grow cucumbers in heated greenhouses all year round.

Features of greenhouse agricultural technology

• Stop choosing greenhouse varieties cucumbers.
• When planting seedlings, be sure to add at least a bucket of well-rotted compost or manure to the hole, with the addition of 10 g of phosphorus, 5 g of nitrogen, 15 g of potassium per 1 m².
• When landing place seedlings of cucumbers at a distance of 40 cm from each otherleaving a meter between the rows. Water abundantly.
• Equip trellises, supports.
• The cucumber bush is formed as if grown at home.
• Remove yellowed and deformed leaves.
• First feeding after 4 weeks. For each plant, 1-2 liters of 0.3% aqueous phosphorus-potassium solution are consumed. During the fruiting period, feeding is carried out every week.
• At the optimum air temperature, watering is carried out at the rate of 2-3 liters of water per bush.

Disease prevention and control

• Should change the soil annually... Develop beneficial microflora. Introduce preparations such as Fitosporin M, rotted manure, nettle infusion.
• Observe the ventilation mode.
• To combat spider mites, whiteflies, ants, the soil is disinfected. Once every 5 days, the bushes are sprayed with karbofos.
• Dill, mustard, coriander, garlic, basil, tobacco are planted between rows.... They repel pests of cucumbers.
• Aphids and whiteflies are washed off with a stream of cold water. Wipe the cucumber leaves with soapy water.

Can you grow in a basement?

In an equipped basement, up to 200 kg of cucumbers are removed from 1 m².

The main costs are for ensuring optimal light and thermal conditions.

Requirements for the basement for growing cucumbers

• Temperature should not drop to minus indicators throughout the year.
• Absence of rodents, mold, fungus.
• Tightness, protection from drafts, penetration of groundwater.

Basement equipment

• Insulate the floor and walls insulating materials.
• Install heaters, thermal and lighting devices. Mercury arc lamps or incandescent lamps are the most suitable luminaires. For convenience, a time relay is used.
• Organize a ventilation system.
• Choose a growing medium: hydroponics or soil.
• The soil requirements are the same as for growing cucumbers at home and in greenhouses.

Hydroponics is more effective for basement gardening. Use quartz, granite granules with a diameter of 50-20 mm and a nutrient solution with a high content of nitrogen, potassium, calcium, phosphorus. The nutrient solution can be purchased at a store or prepared by yourself.

Growing features

• The seedling method is cultivated.
• Seedlings of cucumbers planted at any time of the year.
• They comply with the general requirements of cucumber agricultural technology.
• To fight insects, rodents, dust, smoke bombs, traps with poisoned bait, special paints with insecticides are changed.
• From fungal diseases, mold, moss primed walls with compounds with antifungal additives.

Advantages and disadvantages of basement growing

The undoubted advantages include high yield, obtaining cucumbers regardless of the season, weather conditions... Reduced time from emergence of cucumber seedlings to harvest. Already two months after planting the seedlings, the first greens ripen.

The main disadvantage is the high cost of cucumbers.

Is it possible to grow cucumbers at home in winter? If you wish, you can grow cucumbers all year round.From a home-grown bush, enthusiasts get 35-40 cucumbers.

Useful materials

Explore other helpful articles on caring for cucumber seedlings:

• Tips for growing in various containers, in particular in peat pots and tablets.
• The reasons why the seedlings are pulled out and the leaves turn yellow?
• All the secrets of picking young shoots and planting them in open ground.

Useful video

Personal experience of how cucumbers were grown in 50 days on the northern balcony:

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

If you are thinking whether it is possible to grow cucumbers in an apartment in winter, says yes! But to grow cucumbers on a windowsill in winter, the following conditions must be met.

In winter, plants need additional lighting in the form of artificial lighting. You will need seedling lights. 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 advisable that your window faces south or southeast; it will be dark on the northern windowsill, even with supplementary lighting of the plants. In addition, cucumbers do not like cold and drafts, choose a protected planting 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

To grow cucumbers at home, you should choose the right seed variety or hybrid. You can choose the so-called parthenocarpic (self-pollinating varieties), which do not require pollination, such varieties are still recommended for growing in greenhouses. Also on the back of the seed bag indicate:

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

But the varieties that are shown to be grown in the open field should not be grown at home.

Popular parthenocapic hybrids of cucumbers for home cultivation on a windowsill, a balcony in an apartment:

• F1 City gherkin,
• 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 the soil mixture, sod 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, so that you can add it later, and then put all the pots in the boxes.

Before planting seeds, they should be selected by pouring them into a solution of table salt (1/2 teaspoon per glass). All floating seeds are not used. Then they should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and left in a warm, humid environment for germination. After pre-sowing preparation and seed treatment, they should be planted one at a time 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.

You can prepare seedlings in advance so that you can plant young plants later. In this case, plant seeds in a wide pot filled with soil mixture, and then cover with foil. After 3 - 4 days, the emerging seedlings should be allowed to grow and transplanted into pots.

Temperature regime

For cucumber seeds to germinate, the temperature in the apartment must be above 20 - 22 °. Sprouted shoots should be rearranged in a very bright place, or placed under a lamp. To prevent the seedlings from stretching, the backlight must be turned off at night, so they will also rest.

You should regularly ventilate the room, but at the same time protecting the plants from drafts. Cucumbers do not like drafts very much, 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, you can every day or every other day. From time to time, humidify the air with a spray, because cucumbers are demanding on air humidity - 85-90%.

Top dressing

Feeding cucumbers with mineral fertilizers can be started 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. This top dressing should be used at the rate of 1 cup of solution for 5 plants. After 10 days, you should repeat the feeding, but already use 1 glass for two plants.

Transplanting seedlings

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

Formation of bushes

When 3 real leaves appear, you need to pinch it (also read: → how to pinch cucumbers). Thus, the appearance of side shoots will be stimulated. And when 5-6 leaves appear on the lateral shoot, the top should be pinched again. In order not to waste useful substances on some mustache, they are removed, leaving the most needed shoots.

Care during fruiting

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 experience for the gardener when growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter. You should only remove young cucumbers on time. With good care, from 10 to 30 cucumbers can be removed from each plant.

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