Growing cucumbers at home
Many gardeners grow cucumbers in their summer cottages. In this case, the crop with its harvest only in summer and early autumn. Growing cucumbers at home will allow you to feast on them at other times of the year.
Growing cucumbers at home
If you create the right microclimate, the culture will feel good on the windowsill. The presence of a loggia with heating or a glazed balcony will allow you to successfully grow vegetables in other places.
Description of indoor cucumbers
It is worth starting the agrotechnical process at home with the choice of a variety. Not all types are suitable for growing cucumbers in an apartment. It is better to choose self-pollinated hybrids (parthenocarpic). Among them are the following:
- Masha;
- Claudia F1;
- Room;
- Marinda F1;
- Home;
- Rytov;
- Marfinsky;
- Bianca.
These varieties have a female flowering type, they do not have male flowers. Well suited for planting on windowsills, because they look like bushes and are medium-sized. Their height is 1.5-2 m, they grow well on verticals. Disease resistant.
Fruits are 15-25 cm in size. They are distinguished by high taste. From emergence to the beginning of fruiting, it takes about 45-50 days. Productivity is high - with proper care, one bush can give 30-40 fruits. Ripe vegetables must be picked on time, so new ones will be tied faster.
You can cultivate varieties that require pollination. They have male flowers first, female flowers later and less. Their crops alternate from self-pollinated. To pollinate the cucumbers yourself, you need to pick the male flower and touch the middle of the female one.
Growing conditions
In the autumn-winter period, indoor plants do not have enough light, which must be provided for 14-15 hours a day. Therefore, they are illuminated with a lamp. In cloudy weather, it can be turned on all day. It is better to grow cucumbers at home on windows that face south.
The daytime temperature in the room should be 21-24˚С, nighttime - 18-19˚С. In apartments in winter, it is maintained at this level. If there is not enough heat, heating devices are used.
A board is installed under the vessels that stand on the windowsill. Then the roots will not freeze. Culture doesn't like cold air. This must be taken into account when blowing from the windows. In such cases, it is better to cover them with plastic wrap or insulate them. When ventilating the premises, care must be taken that the bushes do not stand in a draft.
Cultivation of seedlings
Stick to the rules
The process of growing cucumbers in winter consists of several stages. Observing the rules of each of them, you can get a good harvest.
Soil preparation and containers
Cucumbers prefer loose soil. You can buy potting soil at the store. It is also prepared at home in this way:
- 4 parts compost;
- 3 parts of peat;
- 2 parts of sod land;
- 1 part sawdust.
- 1 matchbox of urea per 10 liters of the mixture;
- 2 matchboxes of potassium sulfate and superphosphate for the same amount.
To prevent diseases, the mixture is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, stirring. Then it is moistened with warm water and placed in vessels, 5 cm upwards is left unfilled.
Seedlings are best grown in cups or pots. They can be shallow because the root system of the cucumber is shallow. It is worth treating them with hot water (about 60˚C). Drainage is placed at the bottom - stones, broken brick. Make 3 holes at the bottom. This is done in order to remove excess moisture so that the roots do not rot.
Seed preparation and planting
If the selected seed is coated, it is planted dry. Untreated seeds are soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 15-20 minutes.
To grow cucumbers at home, you first need to germinate the seeds. For this, the earth is watered with hot water. Let it cool down. Seeds are placed on top and covered with a bandage folded in two layers (gauze, cloth). Leave warm, wetting all the time.
After the petioles appear (after about 3-4 days), one grain is planted in each glass. Deepen by 2 cm. The petiole should be directed downward. All vessels are placed in one box so that their edges protrude. Cover with a film.
Seedling care
It is necessary to create optimal conditions under which the seedlings will develop and grow rapidly. The room temperature should be 25 ° C. After the emergence of shoots, the film is removed and rearranged on a lighted windowsill. The temperature should be lower (about 20 ° C) so that the seedlings do not stretch out.
Watering the seedlings is done in moderation. If it is provided with artificial light, then it is moistened 2 times a day. Without additional light - once a day. Water for irrigation should be settled and have a temperature of 23-25˚С.
To grow high-quality seedlings for cucumbers, it must be fed 2 times during the winter:
- The first time fertilizer is applied 2 weeks after germination. Take 1 tsp. for 3 liters of water, 1 glass is dispensed per sprout
- The second time - a week after the previous one. Top dressing is prepared as follows: 1 tsp. nitrophosphate, 1 tbsp. l. wood ash is diluted in 3 liters of water. Add 1 glass per plant.
Transfer
When the third leaf appears, the plant needs to be transplanted
The process of growing cucumbers at home involves moving the seedlings into deeper containers. This is done when the sprouts have 3 true leaves. Boxes, pots are suitable for transplanting, the main thing is that a sufficient amount of earth is placed there. 2-3 bushes can go into the box, the distance between them must be kept 25-30 cm. The containers should be disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate.
Growing fruits
To grow cucumbers at home in winter, you need to create the necessary conditions. Let's consider them in more detail.
Choosing a mixture after transplanting
When moving seedlings into large containers, you need to take care of filling them. You can grow cucumbers in winter in potting mix or hydroponics. The mixture is prepared as follows: ¾ part of sod land, 1 part of humus, 0.5 liters of wood ash. Drainage is placed at the bottom.
If transplanting seedlings using a hydroponic, take gravel 8-10 cm thick. Pour it into a tin can. A vessel without a bottom or with holes is placed on top. It is filled with moss, sawdust, peat. The sawdust must be steamed. Gravel is poured with full mineral fertilizer. Its solution is absorbed by the filling from the vessel. Fertilizer is constantly added. Change once a week.
Complete fertilizer can be prepared at home. To do this, take 25 g of urea, 60 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium salt. You need to take 1.5 g of the mixture.
This method allows you to cultivate cucumbers even in the basement, in which all conditions are met. And the lighting is provided with energy-saving lamps.
Bush care
How to properly grow cucumbers so that fresh vegetables will delight you with their taste in winter? The secrets of agricultural technology are as follows:
- bush formation;
- garter;
- watering;
- top dressing.
Formation
When 4-5 leaves appear on the plants, you need to pinch the top. Then the side shoots will begin to grow, which will give more fruit. They are left by 2-3 pieces. When the lashes grow to 10 leaves, they are also pinched. Then new lashes will begin to form. It turns out a bush that will give a high yield.
Garter
It is necessary to properly tie up the plants
For the correct development of plants, it is necessary to create a garter with such a project: at a height of 1.5-1.8 m above the vessels, a wire is pulled, bushes are tied to it with twine. This is done a week after transplanting seedlings. Plants are wrapped in a circle of twine, which is pulled in two strands. The top of the bushes is allowed between them.
Watering
Watering indoor cucumbers in winter should be 2-3 times a week. For this, settled water with a temperature of 27-30 27C is used. When the fruits are tied, watering is carried out as the topsoil dries out. Watering should be moderate so that the cucumbers do not taste bitter.
Top dressing
It is necessary to take care of the plants by feeding them during the growing season. The first time fertilization should be applied 15-20 days after planting. Take 1 tsp. urea per 10 liters of water. Consumption - 0.5 liters per 1 bush. The second is 7-8 days after the previous one. Prepare a solution: 2 tbsp. l. preparation "Effekton" for 10 liters of water. Pour 0.5 l for each plant.
Diseases and pests
Growing cucumbers at home cannot protect plants from various diseases. Aphids, whiteflies or spider mites can infect the culture. It is dangerous to use insecticides at home. Therefore, to combat pests, it is worth resorting to folk remedies:
- infusion of tobacco will be effective against aphids and whiteflies;
- tincture of garlic with the addition of antibacterial soap to cope with spider mites.
A sprout fly is dangerous for cucumbers. Yellow leaves of plants can be a sign of damage. For the purpose of prevention, it is necessary to disinfect the soil, because the larvae of the pest are preserved in it. If you notice it during the growth of the culture, you need to change the soil.
Other problems may arise when farming vegetables at home. The reason for which is the improper care of the plants. For example, over-watering can cause root rot.
Conclusion
By growing cucumbers on the windowsill, you can have fresh fruits at home all year round.
If you follow all the rules for caring for the plant, it is possible to get a generous and healthy harvest.