Features of growing cucumbers in boxes on the balcony

Growing cucumbers on the balcony is an enjoyable and entertaining experience. If you do not have a garden plot, you can easily, following the recommendations, create a green vegetable garden on the loggia.

Basic rules for growing

Before getting down to work, you need to consider the location of the balcony, because cucumbers, like all plants, love sunlight. The north side is not suitable for planting this crop; it is better to choose the southeast or east. In addition, the shoots do not like drafts, so a glazed balcony is suitable for them.

The cultivation process begins with the selection of seeds, because not all varieties are suitable for this purpose.

You need to pay attention to the following factors:

• the size of the fruits obtained;
• shade tolerance;
• no need for pollination;
• a note on the possibility of growing in a city apartment.

For growing cucumbers at home, hybrid varieties have been bred that adapt to balcony conditions:

• F1 "Balcony Miracle";
• F1 "Courage";
• F1 "Balagan";
• F1 "Claudia";
• F1 "City Cucumber".

Sowing seeds for the summer period should be in late April - early May. If you start the germination process early, then the stems can be very elongated due to insufficient supply of sunlight. Also, the formation of buds will occur before the establishment of warm, suitable weather, and they can dry out and fall off.

In the cold season, you need to provide plants with certain conditions.

1. Add additional light sources to increase day length, which is shorter in winter.
2. Additionally, insulate the balcony or loggia with special materials.
3. Supply heaters to maintain optimal growing temperatureand also to avoid freezing the plant at night.
4. Provide good ventilation for draft-free fresh air.

Growing technology

To get a good harvest and delicious cucumbers in an apartment, you must follow the technology of growing a vegetable step by step. It includes:

• soil preparation;
• planting seeds;
• creating conditions for the development of seedlings;
• picking seedlings and moving them into larger pots;
• mineral dressing;
• leaving until the last cucumber is picked.

Soil preparation

The soil, saturated with trace elements and nutrients, is the key to intensive, healthy growth of all sown seeds. It is prepared by mixing several ingredients in a certain proportion.

1 way

It is the most time consuming, because the soil is made from 5 different components, which are taken in the same quantity - half of a 10-liter bucket.

You will need:

• turf;
• compost;
• peat;
• ash;
• sawdust.

They need to be poured into a large container or into a film spread on the ground, mixed and moistened with a solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect the soil.

If it is not possible to prepare the soil yourself at home, you can purchase it in a specialized store.

2 way

This cooking method uses the same ingredients, for 1 bucket of which you need to add:

• 10 - 15 g of nitrophoska;
• 8 - 10 g of urea.

Thorough mixing contributes to an even distribution of substances throughout the entire mass of the prepared soil.

3 way

Take:

• turf and compost - half a 10-liter bucket each;
• ash - 400 g;
• lime - 50 g;
• fertilizer complex - 15 g.

Stir these ingredients until a homogeneous mass is obtained, transfer the resulting mixture to a bag and bury it at a shallow depth. After 7-10 days, the rotted mass will become crumbly and suitable for planting.

For the prevention of viral and infectious diseases affecting plants, the resulting soil should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. You need to dilute it, following the recommendations on the package.

How to sow seeds correctly

The choice of seeds is not the main stage in the cultivation of cucumbers, it is more important to sow them correctly.

1 way - germination.

1. Place the seeds in a pinkish potassium permanganate solution and let sit for 15–20 minutes.
2. Fold the cheesecloth soaked in warm water in several layers and put the seeds in it.
3. Place the hatched specimens in prepared containers.

Method 2 - planting dry seeds.

1. Make small indentations in prepared pots (holes in elongated containers are made at a distance of 30–35 cm from each other).
2. Place 2 seeds in each one to get seedlings exactly.
3. Deepen the seeds by 1.5 cm.
4. Moisten the soil slightly and cover with foil.

Advice

For seedlings, it is necessary to purchase special containers that have a double bottom, which prevents the accumulation of moisture and decay of roots, and drainage holes. Such a container for growing cucumbers on the windowsill can be made at home on your own.

The recommended temperature is 23-25 ​​° C, at which the plant grows within normal limits. If, when planting dry seeds, 2 sprouts appeared at once, cut the weakest of them with a sharp knife.

The soil in pots should not remain dry, the surface should be regularly moistened (it is more convenient to do this with a spray bottle once a day).
After 3 full-fledged leaves appear, you can proceed to the stage of seedling hardening. It takes place in several stages.

1. Removing the film for several hours.
2. Sunbathing near the open window in the pre-lunch hours.
3. Carrying out to the balcony after the end of frost.

Seedlings are fed twice before transplanting:

• 14 days after germination;
• in 7-10 days after 1 treatment.

The soil is completely moistened with a mineral solution after the appearance of 2-3 leaves, 1 glass of diluted fertilizer is spent on 1 plant.

Transplanting seedlings

At this stage of growing cucumbers at home, you need to purchase long plastic containers measuring 60 × 30 × 20. The prepared soil is poured into each of them with a 7-cm layer.

If the sprouts have sprouted in peat pots, then the seedlings should be placed in a box without removing them. Cover with earth, lightly tamp and moisten the surface.

Seedlings, sown in plastic cells, are transplanted with an earthy clod. To do this, fill the plant with warm water, push a clod of earth through the drainage hole with your index finger and carefully pull out the sprout. Distribute the seedlings on the container at a distance of 35–40 cm from each other.

A long stage begins when proper care for cucumbers allows you to harvest a rich harvest.

Leaving means:

1. pinching to form a cucumber whip;
2. antennae removal once every 10 days;
3. maintaining optimal humidity by spraying dried soil;
4. loosening the soil around the plant;
5. systematic feeding with potash and phosphorus fertilizers (once every 2 weeks);
6. foliar processing of shoots for the prevention of diseases and pests (once every 2 weeks);
7. a lash tie to prevent brittleness.

Growing cucumbers in the cold season

Many consider the cultivation of cucumbers in winter almost a miracle, but the technology for germinating and planting seeds is the same for any season. The differences are only in the conditions of detention.

• Indoor plants need additional moisture during the heating period. Growing cucumbers on the windowsill implies daily watering. To humidify the air around the cucumbers, place a container of water next to it.
• Provide additional lighting because cloudy days predominate and plants lack light.
• In the absence of frost, you can open the window to ventilate the room.

How to grow cucumbers in plastic bottles

This option is recognized as the most economical, since no one has a shortage of plastic containers. You can sow seedlings in 1.5-liter and 5-liter bottles. For such purposes, there are special varieties - F1 "Khrustik" and F1 "Shchedryk", which ripen quickly and are distinguished by high yields.

The 1.5 liter containers take up less space and provide optimal moisture for the sprout.

1. Cut the bottle in half.
2. Pour soil into the upper part without closing the neck with a lid.
3. Plant a seed.
4. Pour water into the bottom.
5. Insert half of the earth into the water tank so that the water covers the neck.

With this method, the water is changed daily.

In 5-liter plastic bottles, pre-cut in half lengthways, holes are made to drain excess liquid when watering.

Window-grown cucumber seedlings are caring for a familiar pattern.

Growing cucumbers on the windowsill and on the loggia is not a bit of a hassle, but the result is worth it. You can plant vegetables both in winter and in summer, observing the conditions of detention, because indoor cucumbers require additional lighting and moisture.

Flower pots and containers are used for planting, and cucumbers can also grow in plastic bottles and wooden boxes equipped with good drainage.