Do you want to extend the cucumber season, but there is no greenhouse or garden at all? There is a solution - to grow cucumbers at home. Vegetables on the windowsill - this is no wonder.
Of course, the process has its own subtleties, which we will talk about.
Suitable varieties of cucumbers for growing at home
To get a crop on the windowsill, you can’t just plant the seeds in the soil, which were taken in the middle of nowhere. You can’t wait for the fruits. The fact is that at home, special varieties of cucumbers are grown.
In the open ground, you can plant any varieties of this vegetable, as in the fresh air they are pollinated by bees. But in the room, and even in winter, there is no one to pollinate them. Therefore, breeders have developed special varieties that do not need pollination - parthenocarpic. Mostly female flowers develop on them, the crop is always stable and good. Such varieties are suitable for greenhouses and indoor conditions.
Recommended varieties of cucumbers:
• "Courage". New early ripening variety, the first fruits ripen on day 40 after germination. Zelentsy up to 15 cm long.
• "Shchedryk." The plant is a bouquet type. On each node, up to 8 cucumbers are formed. The room gives up to 20 fruits from the bush.
• "Farm". Ripen a month after sowing seeds. They have a great taste.
• "Crystal". Tall hybrid. The room gives up to 40 fruits from the bush. It requires a lot of space.
• "Prestige." Fruits do not ripen at the same time, the fruiting period stretches for a month.
• "April". Early ripe hybrid, bears fruit on the 45th day after planting. Fruits up to 20 cm.
• "Boy with a thumb." Zelentsy are small, up to 8 cm, dark in color, with pimples. Bushes are vigorous.
As you can see, the selection of varieties is good. If it is difficult to get these, then take any grade for greenhouses. Consider only the growth power of the bush.
Planting and growing cucumbers at home
Before you start planting seeds, you need to prepare a suitable container, soil and seeds.
For home plants, choose a large capacity or container for seedlings. Drainage holes must be made in it. In one pot, only one seed is planted. You can sow 5 pcs of seeds in a container 70 cm long. But at the same time, the width of the container should be sufficient for the root system. The roots of the bush grow powerful.
Important! For 1 plant, you need a pot of at least 4 liters. Drainage thickness 3 cm.
It is important to pay attention to the soil in which cucumbers will be grown. At home, they use nutritious, loose earth. It is purchased in a store, suitable soil for seedlings of vegetables. But it is better to make the soil mixture yourself, it includes:
• garden land;
• forest soil;
• humus;
• coarse sand;
• wood ash;
• rotted sawdust.
Mix all the ingredients in equal proportions. Disinfect the soil before planting in any way possible. Spread the soil across all containers and leave for a few days to shrink.
Seeds are sprouted before planting. To do this, they are pre-soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, then washed in clean water. Germinate in wet sawdust or burlap. When the seeds hatch, they immediately need to be planted.
Cucumbers are planted in stages, so that fresh greens arrive on the table regularly. But from November to March they will need additional coverage. The seed planting depth is 1.5 cm. Before germination, the pot is kept under the film.
How to create suitable conditions for growing cucumbers in the house
In winter, plants are located only on the south side. A window sill, a heated loggia or a bright room will do. For plants, it is important not only warmth, but also light. The daylight hours of cucumber culture is 16 hours. If there is not enough natural light, you will have to illuminate with lamps. The temperature in the room is maintained at +20 ° C. Plants are regularly watered and sprayed.
Only vegetables are grown on a trellis. It is cooked on its own. Each lash is tied so that it is better lit, and allow it to grow freely.
In summer and autumn, cucumbers can be grown on the balcony. The main thing is that the plants receive enough light and are protected from draft. In hot weather, pots shade.
Cucumber care at home: growing and forming a bush, watering and feeding + photo
Cucumbers are watered as necessary, but allow the soil to dry by 5 cm. In addition, the bushes are regularly sprayed to increase the humidity around the plants.
Indoor cucumbers are fed 2 times for the entire period. Use an infusion of banana peel. As foliar top dressing take whey. If you add a few drops of iodine to it, you will get a prophylactic for diseases.
Experienced gardeners use mineral mixtures for top dressing. You can use a mixture for flowering and nitrophos. Fertilize for the first time on day 15 from seedlings, after which additional nutrition is added every 20-25 days.
To collect a good crop, it is important not only to properly care for the plants, but also to form bushes, to normalize the number of fruits. Pinch the main shoot over the 5th leaf, then the side lashes will begin to grow, on which the main crop will form. Pinch the side lashes over 10 sheets. 2-3 lashes are left on one plant, the rest are removed. At home, the bush does not have enough strength to feed all the shoots.
Advice! On one branch, leave up to 10 greens, pluck the rest.
What sick cucumbers if they are grown at home
Diseases of cucumbers and the appearance of pests are associated with improper care. Spider mite settles on the leaves of the plant from dry air. A thin cobweb is noticeable on the back side of the leaf, it is difficult to detect an insect, since it has a hidden lifestyle. To get rid of the pest, you need to conduct a series of treatments using the drug Fitoverm. This is a biological product that is not toxic to humans.
Growing cucumbers at home, carefully monitor the temperature, do not allow drafts. With sharp fluctuations in temperature, the bushes begin to hurt. More common in home culture:
• powdery mildew;
• root rot;
• fusarium;
• anthracnose.
In the room it is allowed to use the biological drug "Fitosporin".
Fruit picking
In the room, Zelentsy tear off immediately as soon as they have reached the right size. Do not let the fruits grow more than 10 cm. If you collect young cucumbers, the growth of the ovary will increase, the bush will bloom again.
Most greenhouse varieties are suitable not only for fresh consumption, but also for salting. If you follow all the rules, the harvest will be rich. Almost all winter you can enjoy fresh cucumbers.
