Winter cultivation of cucumbers on the windowsill
It is not necessary to have greenhouses or purchase sophisticated agricultural equipment to get a crop in the cold season. Home farming will delight you not only with fresh vegetables in winter, but will also develop into an exciting hobby. How is cucumber growing on the windowsill? Let's take a look at the main secrets that are important for beginners.
Winter cultivation of cucumbers on the windowsill
Where to begin
In a city apartment, not only decorative flowers, but also garden plants develop well. When starting cultivation, one should not expect that there will be a lot of products obtained. Any "indoor" farming is always a hobby, not a way of providing food.
Seed material
When growing cucumbers on a windowsill, the first thing to pay attention to is the variety of vegetables. Plants for open ground are not suitable for home conditions. Varieties adapted for apartments do not need pollination, therefore they bear fruit perfectly indoors. When choosing a bag of raw materials, pay attention to the following marks on the package:
- the presence of compact fruits;
- adaptability for development in the shade;
- early maturity;
- suitability for cultivation on the balcony.
Each farmer has his favorite seed varieties for growing at home. The most popular hybrid is Dynamite F1, which has excellent disease resistance and rapid maturation (up to 50 days). Compact Balcony F1 does not take up much window space and will delight you with a good harvest.
Those wishing to deal with cucumbers on the windowsill throughout the year are recommended to buy the Prestige F1 variety. With proper planting and care, an early maturing plant will bear fruit for as long as possible. April and Berendey hybrids have the shortest ripening period - 6 weeks.
You should not experiment with Chinese varieties at home, which can be outwardly recognized by their long fruits. The capricious and unpredictable variety does not germinate well even outdoors. If you plant a plant in an apartment, it will be difficult to achieve the slightest positive result.
A place to grow
A light-loving culture will not grow in unsuitable conditions. The abundance of the sun on the window is dangerous because burns may appear on delicate leaves. The best option would be rooms whose windows are covered from direct rays with an old curtain or shaded with baking paper.
A heat-loving plant will die on a cold windowsill. Experienced farmers put polystyrene or a thick board under containers with cucumbers. The presence of cracks provokes the appearance of a draft, which becomes the cause of the death of the culture. Old frames are pasted over with paper, after having sealed the holes with cotton wool.
Another enemy of the vegetable liana is dry air from heating appliances. The soil quickly loses moisture, which affects the general condition of the crop. A wet blanket lying on top of the battery, or a tray of water under the pot, helps to correct the situation.
Cucumbers on the windowsill will bear fruit only under the condition of 10-hour daylight hours.In winter, it gets dark very early and the sun does not appear so often in the sky. To achieve flowering and development of ovaries, artificial lighting is necessary. A phytolamp would be an ideal option, but if it is absent, a regular table lamp will do.
Soil and dishes
You can make the soil for plants yourself
Vegetable vine loves loose and oily soil, in such conditions it forms well and bears fruit. If the roots lack nutrition, the plant will be weak and painful. When buying soil in the store, preference is given to the universal type or varieties for pumpkin seeds. For self-production of the mixture, mix in the same parts:
- garden or deciduous soil;
- sand;
- black sawdust;
- ash;
- humus;
- peat.
After all the components are connected, the raw materials for disinfection are heated in the oven. In any "street" land insects can be present, so it is better to secure future seedlings in advance. For fungi and infections, it is advised to water the soil with the Maxim Dachnik dressing agent.
Cucumbers on the windowsill grow in a large bowl in winter. For each plant you need a pot that can hold at least 5 liters of soil. When growing in a private house by the seedling method, special boxes with cells or disposable plastic cups are needed. Before planting, the dishes are thoroughly washed with detergent, after which they are rinsed with a solution of potassium permanganate.
How to plant
The seeds of hybrids do not need to be treated with any drugs for diseases. The producers themselves took care of the safety of the seed and carried out all the procedures. Varietal raw materials collected from our own vegetables must be soaked in any dressing agent (Fitosporin, Maxim).
Growing seedlings of indoor cucumbers on the windowsill is no different from other crops. First, the raw material is checked for germination, leaving it on a damp cloth for a couple of days. Sprouted seeds are planted in the ground to a depth of 1.5 cm, covered with a film on top. The seedling glasses are removed to a shaded warm place where the temperature does not fall below 25 ° C.
After three days, shoots appear, after which the plants are transferred to a brighter and cooler place (temperature - at least 20 ° C). After 4 leaves grow, you can plant in a permanent place. The roots and stalks of cucumbers are very delicate, so damage cannot be allowed. It is advised to perform manipulations by the transfer method.
For planting vegetable creepers at home, the season does not matter. The plant germinates well both in spring, in March, and in autumn, in November. Lack of natural sun on a cloudy day and on the north window is easy to fix with a regular office lamp.
Care
To get a harvest of cucumbers, you must adhere to the requirements of the technology. For beginners, the process seems very boring, so they often try to make the work easier.
Formation
To stimulate the development of lateral shoots in seedlings, you need to pinch the growing point. After the plant has thrown out the fifth leaf, the top is removed. Three extreme lashes are left, which are cut off above the tenth bud. The creepers will begin to form outgrowths from the sinuses and after a few weeks the fruits will ripen.
Cucumber needs shaping
If the culture is stretched out, the cucumbers need to be tied to the ropes: they will get more light, and the bush will look more presentable. During the procedure, you cannot injure the foliage, otherwise photosynthesis, which is responsible for proper nutrition, will be disrupted. Excess antennae are carefully trimmed or pinched with fingers.
It is better to pick fruits 10-12 cm in size. So the plant will have the opportunity to bloom again, and as a result, the yield will increase.
Watering
Care and cultivation of cucumbers on the windowsill in winter means regular irrigation. The delicate plant reacts painfully to temperature changes in the house, so the water should be taken slightly warm.Experienced gardeners warm up a bottle of liquid on a battery, after which they begin the procedure.
Despite the fact that the culture loves moisture, a "swamp" at the roots is contraindicated for it. Before watering, the soil must have time to dry. Stagnant water provokes soil acidification, the lower parts of the plant begin to rot, and fungal diseases arise. Before each irrigation, it is advised to loosen the soil with a small stick.
How often should the seedlings be watered? If the cucumbers are planted in 5-liter pots, 2 times a week is enough. Seedling cups are allowed to be moistened after 3 days. The plantation is recommended to be sprayed daily from a spray bottle.
Top dressing
Without regular fertilization, it is difficult to grow and it is impossible to achieve a harvest. Plants on "starvation diet" shed their buds and ovaries, and pale foliage cannot cope with photosynthesis. To provide the seedlings with normal nutrition, regular applications are necessary.
The land is fertilized at least once every 10 days. Before the procedure, be sure to water the soil, after which a chemical solution is used. Pouring liquid into dry soil can burn the roots.
Cucumbers are fed with any mineral preparation intended for this type of plant. Fans of organic farming are advised to use infusion of orange peels. Fermented fruit residues are rich in nitrogen and useful microelements, so the solution is added to water for irrigation.
Possible problems
Novice farmers are faced with the fact that in winter the leaves of seedlings often twist. Eliminate an unpleasant symptom only after correct diagnosis. A symptom can be a manifestation of various problems, so we will analyze the most common ones.
Poor watering provokes a change in the shape of the greenery. Carelessness or excessively dry air from the battery quickly dries up the soil, to which the culture responds instantly. A complete restoration of the water balance will help to fix the problem. An excess of liquid provokes the occurrence of root rot and powdery mildew.
To grow cucumbers on the windowsill, you need to watch out for any transformations in the leaves. Insects rarely attack in winter, but parasites can be found in the ground. Plastics curl, change color and often fall off due to various pests. The plant and the ground are sprayed with any insecticidal preparations (Aktara, Inta-Vir).
If the stems stretch, and the leaves curl inward, wither and turn yellow, the problem lies in a lack of nitrogen. Unfolding the edge of the greenery upwards indicates a potassium deficiency in the soil. The culture is fed with special preparations that contain the necessary elements.
Vegetables take root well in a private house and apartment. With minimal maintenance, the plant will delight the owner with tasty and aromatic fruits.