Growing cucumbers on the balcony in plastic bottles
The summer season, when a lot of vegetables and fruits grow in the garden, is not as long as we would like, so many people prefer to plant vegetables at home. The main thing is to choose the right drainage. Growing cucumbers on the balcony of a house is practically no different from growing a crop in an open area.
The best varieties for growing at home
Not all cucumber varieties are suitable for growing on a windowsill. Only those cucumbers that are self-pollinated are suitable. Most often, these are hybrids. They can be grown in pots, plastic bottles, or containers.
The following varieties are suitable for growing cucumbers on the balcony in plastic bottles:
- Khutorok
For cultivation of cucumbers on the windowsill, a hybrid variety Khutorok is suitable. Despite the fact that this variety is mainly pollinated by bees, it can also be planted at home. During flowering, you just need to brush over all the inflorescences so that the pollen gets on the female flowers. Medium-sized cucumbers. About 10 cm long. Delicious, crispy cucumbers. Well suited for light salads.
- Shchedryk
Balcony conditions are quite suitable for the cultivation of this variety. The length of the vegetables is about 15 cm. The harvest is good. The hybrid belongs to varieties with an early ripening of vegetables. The root system is developed. The ripening period is not more than half a month. The bush is not tall. Ideal for growing on a windowsill. You can make salads or salt them with a cucumber.
- Khrustyk
One of the most productive varieties that are suitable for cultivation on the windowsill. You can harvest about 45 ripe vegetables from one bush. Ripening period from one and a half to two months. The hybrid is self-pollinated. As a rule, 5–7 cucumber ovaries are formed in one ovary.
- Onega F1
Refers to self-pollinated varieties that are suitable for growing cucumbers on the balcony. You can harvest the crop two months after planting the cucumber seeds in open ground.
- Emelya
The bushes of this variety are tall, so it is advisable to plant it in large pots. The cucumbers are large. The mass of one vegetable can reach 155 grams. From the moment of sowing the seeds to the appearance of the first fruits, it takes about 55 days. You can plant it on the street. The variety has good cold snap resistance. Vegetables are versatile in cooking.
How to plant cucumbers in soil
In order for cucumbers to grow healthy, it is necessary to create favorable conditions. Before sowing, the planting material must be disinfected.
This can be done as follows:
- Dilute 10 grams in warm water. potassium permanganate.
- Pour the seeds into the water and leave for 45 minutes.
- Then pour out the water, and dry the planting material to a loose state.
- After that, you can start planting seeds in the soil.
It is also important to choose the size of the pot. It shouldn't be too small. If the root system runs out of space, then the plants will hurt or not grow at all.
To increase the percentage of germination, you can germinate the seeds in advance before planting. To do this, you need gauze, a saucer and warm water.
Wet gauze with warm water, place seeds in it. Cover with a second layer of cheesecloth. Put the saucer in a warm and dark room (you can use the battery). In a few days, the first sprouts will appear with gauze. Then you need to plant the germinated seeds in the drain.
If space permits, then on the balcony you can cultivate cucumbers in bags. It is important to prepare the soil for seedlings. The soil must be nutritious. You can mix manure or chicken droppings with regular soil. If the land is taken from the garden in the cold season, then before planting it must be warmed up to room temperature.
The second option for cucumber substrate includes peat, wood ash, sawdust and sod land. Mix all ingredients. Put drainage on the bottom of the planter, and then cover with earth.
How to grow cucumbers on the balcony
Before planting cucumbers on the balcony, you must carefully examine it. Since cucumbers love warmth and sunlight, then the windows should also face south. If the plants do not have enough sunlight, they will not grow well and will not give ovaries. It is also not desirable that there are strong drafts in the room.
Growing plants on a windowsill takes place in several main stages:
- The choice of container for planting seedlings;
- Preparation of land for seedlings of cucumbers;
- Growing seedlings;
- Transplanting seedlings to a permanent place;
- Top dressing;
- Care;
- Pollination;
- Harvesting.
For home-grown cucumber seedlings, special conditions must be created. The seedling container should be spacious so that the cucumbers have enough space.
Planting times may vary. Depending on what time it is planned to harvest cucumbers, the loggia should be well heated if vegetables are grown in the cold season.
Many with growing cucumber seedlings at home interested in the question “how much light is needed for seedlings”? In order for the seedlings to grow normally, they need at least 12 hours of sunlight per day. In winter, there is practically no sun, so you need to think about artificial lighting. Lamps can be placed next to the boxes and switched on regularly.
Cucumber seeds are usually planted in separate peat pots and then transplanted to a permanent location. Seedlings are growing pretty quickly. You can transplant it after the first pair of full-fledged leaves appear.
On the balcony, cucumbers are planted in plastic bottles, not just in containers. For this, bottles with a volume of 5 liters are suitable. In the bottle, you need to make small holes on the sides and plant seedlings there (no more than 2 pieces). Cut small holes near the hole and tie strong threads to them. Secure the other end to the window.
Large containers can be used as a container for planting cucumbers. You will also need to tie ropes to them so that the cucumber whiskers can rise up and not lie on the surface of the windows. Containers must be at least 5 liters in volume.
Cucumber pots must be tied. If this is not done, then those bushes that will lie on the ground may begin to rot. Also, in such conditions, various diseases can begin to develop.
How much care do cucumbers need at home
Growing cucumbers on the balcony will not be successful without proper plant care. The ground should always be loose.This will provide oxygen access to the root system, which in turn will have a beneficial effect on the growth and formation of fruits in cucumbers.
It is better to loosen the soil immediately before watering.
Cucumber care tips:
- The ovaries should be shaped so that they do not stretch and the stems are thick enough. For this you can pinch cucumbers... This measure will also increase yields. The lateral shoots are also pinched, 2-3 shoots should be left. Leave the growth point on sheet 10.
- It is possible to achieve good results in the cultivation of cucumbers only if mineral and organic dressings are regularly introduced into the soil. The first feeding is carried out 15 days after germination. After another 10 days, a second feeding is carried out. For this purpose, you can use complex fertilizers that are available in any gardening store. Dung, chicken droppings, mullein, or wood ash will also work.
- You need to water the bushes often. It is advisable to use only warm water for irrigation. If you water the plants with cold water, then various fungal diseases can appear.
- To prevent diseases, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of laundry soap and soda several times a month.
The bushes should be constantly monitored. Very often, when cultivated at home, the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry. The reason for the appearance of yellow leaves may be improperly organized watering or the development of diseases.
This can also be observed when watering with cold water. You need to water the bushes no more than 3 times a week. If the soil does not have time to dry, then watering can be less frequent. You can also spray the cucumber leaves to keep them from drying out.
If the air in the room with containers is dry, then this can also negatively affect the health of the deciduous mass. To solve this problem, you need to place a cup of water next to each drawer.
The second reason that is often found is the appearance of insects. Along with the land for planting cucumbers, aphids can be brought from the site. These insects prefer to hibernate in the soil, and with the onset of warmth they begin to activate.
In order to get rid of aphids and other parasites, cucumbers can be sprayed with water and laundry soap. Another effective insect repellent on cucumbers is acetic acid. Dissolve a small amount of vinegar in water and spray the cucumbers with the resulting solution several times a week.
It is undesirable to use various chemical preparations for the destruction of insects on cucumbers at home, since this can negatively affect the health of those people who live in the apartment.
