For the manifestation of gardening skills do not necessarily go out of town to the country. You can plant a balcony, but at the same time you can arrange the cultivation of delicious green leaves directly on the window. Balcony cucumber, storehouse of vitamins, at any time at hand. The technology is simple, but it has some features that will be discussed in this article.
Table of contents
Is the cucumber, balcony and window opening compatible?
For a long time, enterprising owners use a balcony and a window under a small garden. Dill, parsley and other greens come to the table directly from an improvised bed. And to cook a salad of freshly picked cucumbers is not a problem at all, it is worth making a little effort and adhere to the recommendations of experts. Selection is the key to success.. You should not choose a super productive variety. Preference is better for species that meet the following requirements:
- belonging to the family of pumpkin crops;
- heat loving;
- annual plant;
- moisture resistance (likes abundant watering and high humidity).
Description and characteristics of urban varieties Balcony f1
Balcony Hybrid was obtained in 2007 by the breeders of the agricultural firm Manul. The purpose of breeding was to obtain a plant adapted for cultivation at home.The results achieved exceeded expectations - cucumbers grow beautifully both indoors and outdoors. And the regions recommended for use are not limited to the middle band, the plant develops well in the northern regions.
Cucumber balcony f1 different unpretentious. The dimensions of the whip are compact, the branching is average, the internodes are shortened. The variety is self-pollinated. In one sinus formed up to 8 ovaries. The type of flowering is predominantly female. Fruits are oval-cylindrical in shape, color is saturated green. Mature greens reach a length of 6-8 cm and weighs 75-90 grams. Features of the appearance are short white stripes and weak ribbing. Tastes meet the standards, the taste is slightly sweet without a hint of bitterness.
The main conditions for growing
In order that the efforts are not wasted, it is recommended to follow the simple rules of growing cucumbers on the balcony.
- As a container for the ground, wooden boxes or metal pots are more often used. A good alternative is plastic containers of dark color.
- Before sowing, the seeds are sorted, soaked (in a weak solution, potassium permanganate is kept for 20 minutes) and warmed up (to be kept in the sun or a battery for several days).
- To install the pots, choose the sunny side of the window (the southern arrangement or the south-east one is ideal).
- Do not place other plants near the cucumbers..
- During the growing season, it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature regime: during the day - above 18 °, at night - from 14 ° C.
- Do not allow drafts in the room with seedlings.
- Timely irrigation, aeration, to introduce complementary foods.
Suitable time for landing
Planting can begin as early as February.. It is also appropriate to do the cultivation of balcony cucumbers in March and April. The terms are determined on the basis of temperature conditions on the loggia or balcony. When at night the thermometer stops dropping below 12-14 ° C, the time has come. For earlier fruits, the hosts use a seedling method. In late January - early February, seeds are sown in paper cups and stored in an apartment. For this, a well-lit room with an air temperature of no more than 18-20 ° C will do.When using utility rooms where there are no large window openings, it is recommended to install a special lamp above the boxes.
Care of the first shoots
Before the emergence of seedlings, the containers with planted seeds are covered with film or glass.. After the greenness appears on the surface of the ground, the coating must be removed. Further care is necessary for the development of young shoots. At this stage, many are faced with the problem of the death of sprouts, so it is important to ensure proper conditions.
Lighting
The vegetative process requires good lighting. If the window is in the shade of trees or on the north side, you need to install fluorescent lamps as an additional source.
Watering
Watering is carried out with settled water at room temperature. Irrigation is needed daily, and when using additional lighting - 2 times a day. Cucumbers though belong to moisture-loving plants, it is necessary to ensure that the water does not stagnate in the cups, otherwise the roots will rot.
Top dressing
Complementary food for seedlings is introduced twice: 2 weeks after the emergence of shoots and a week later. A solution of water (6 l) and urea (a tablespoon) is used as the nutrient fluid. One seedling consumes a glass of fertilizer.
Transplanting seedlings in boxes
After forming 2-3 sheets on the stem, it is time to transplant seedlings to a permanent place. The capacity for one bush should be 5-8 liters with a hole in the bottom to drain excess water. The bottom is filled up 5-10 cm with a drainage layer (pebble, expanded clay, crushed stone). As a substrate, a mixture of equal portions is prepared:
- nutritious soil;
- peat;
- humus;
- wood sawdust.
- Before planting seedlings, the soil is fertilized with a liquid composition from:
- water (10 l);
- nitrophosphate (2 tsp.);
- ash (glass);
- urea (1 tsp.).
Grade Care
Sort Balcony unpretentious, but still needs attention.
Garter
Scourge plants are actively growing, which requires timely garters. Above the capacity with a seedling pull the wire at a height of about 170 cm.From it, the twine is lowered to the pot, wrapped (not tight!) Around the stem several times and again raised to the wire, fixing the connection. This method will protect the plant from damage.
Pinch
Cucumber whip form into one stalk. For these purposes, you must periodically remove the mustache. After reaching the wire height, pinch off the end. Also side shoots are removed, it will give strength to the main stem for development. With the rest of the processes, the pinching is done over the ovary and one sheet is kept, which one - which one you decide is probably the largest.
Watering and feeding
Irrigation of seedlings is carried out 2-3 times a week. It should also moisten the whip by spraying. Water for irrigation is pre-settled and heated under the sun to a temperature of at least 17 ° C.
After transplanting seedlings to a permanent place, fertilizers should be introduced every 10 days.. Suitable mineral complex prikormki or wood resin, infusion of tea leaves, eggshell.
Home Cucumber Gardener Reviews
Lyudmila, St. Petersburg
Last season I tried to grow cucumbers on the window, I chose Balcony variety.The plant is compact unpretentious, it is a pleasure to look after it. From 5 bushes I took a harvest of 14 kg.Antonina, Oryol
I have been growing cucumbers on the window for 3 seasons. This year for the first time planted Balcony variety. Immediately noted the good germination of seeds, yield. Fruit picking is still ongoing, but the total weight has already exceeded 10 kg.Ivan Valentinovich, Moscow
Loved the sort of balcony for home cultivation. All summer we eat salads exclusively from vegetables collected directly on the loggias. The biggest record of the harvest was removed last year - 22 kg were collected from 7 bushes.Rimma, Saratov region
My window is located on the south side, so from the abundance of the sun came up with glass shading from the thin tulle. Also installed a humidifier near the windowsill. It helped to survive the hot season without losing the harvest.Vladimir, Ufa
Seedling cucumbers for growing fruits on the balcony begin to sow in January. At the end of February, I transfer the roots to individual pots. Already in mid-April, he began to shoot the first cucumbers. The Balcony variety is ideal for home cultivation.
Taking into account the advice of experienced gardeners, and adhering to the principles of technology,A balcony or a window can be beautifully planted and a good harvest of fruits made. At the same time, it will be possible to enjoy the taste of summer before the first frosts.