How to grow cucumbers in plastic bottles on the balcony, planting dates. Growing cucumbers on the balcony from a to z Planting cucumbers on the balcony in plastic bottles

Planting cucumbers in plastic bottles is a simple matter, very convenient and profitable. Cucumbers in this way can be planted in beds, in a greenhouse or simply on a balcony / windowsill. Cucumbers are usually planted in 5 liter bottles - this way the plants are more spacious, although a good harvest can also be obtained from smaller containers.

Growing cucumbers in plastic bottles begins with the preparation of nutrient soil and a “landing site”. Everyone has their own soil recipe. It is important that it be loose, porous, well passed air to the roots. Alternatively, you can purchase ready-made soil for growing vegetables or seedlings in the store. If you decide to prepare the soil for planting bottled cucumbers yourself, you can use this recipe:

• 1/4 - turf land (suitable from the garden),
• 1/4 - leaf ground (rotted leaves from any tree except oak and willow),
• 1/4 - peat,
• 1/4 - drainage mixture.

As a drainage, you can use sphagnum moss, husks from sunflower seeds or grains, eggshells. Cucumbers will thank you for a rich harvest if you introduce birch ash into the composition of the soil.

Now about the preparation of the bottle. If it is planned to grow cucumbers on the balcony in plastic bottles, then you need to take a suitable container and cut off the top, and fill the resulting pot with prepared soil. It is better not to throw away the cut tops of the bottles, they can cover the seedling in the cold season, creating a kind of greenhouse.

If we are talking about planting cucumbers in open ground or a greenhouse, then you will also need to cut off the bottom to make a kind of rim. It will need to be "drowned" in the garden by 1/3. The resulting container is also filled with soil, a little short of the edge. In each such pot, 2-3 germinated cucumber seeds or a couple of seedling bushes are planted.

Growing cucumbers in bottles outdoors offers a number of benefits:

• irrigation savings. All water gets to its intended purpose and does not spread over the garden;
• the plastic rim of the bottle recessed into the ground protects the roots of cucumbers from the bear;
• weeds do not interfere with the growth of cucumber;
• Every year, fresh, disease-free soil is prepared.

Cucumbers on the windowsill in plastic bottles are not a myth. True, in order to get a good harvest from the windowsill, cucumbers will have to be fed. Do not forget about active regular watering, as cucumber is a moisture-loving plant.

Growing cucumber seedlings in plastic bottles is also a profitable and convenient option. You can use both large plastic bottles and small ones. In a plastic bottle, as in the previous version, you can cut off the top and get a plastic cup or pot, depending on the size of the container. You can cut the bottle in half and insert the top into the bottom with the cap down. Pour water into the bottom of the bottle so that the neck of the top reaches it - you get a pot with automatic watering. So you can be sure that your seedlings will not die or get sick from a lack of moisture.

The third option is how to plant cucumbers in plastic bottles: you need to put the bottle on its side and cut off one side, you get a kind of boat or shoe that is filled with soil and then seeds or seedlings are planted if necessary.

Seedlings of cucumbers in plastic bottles cut horizontally are not desirable, since cucumbers do not like transplants and are extremely poorly adapted, it is better to plant cucumber seeds in peat tablets or pots, which can then be immediately planted in the ground without damaging the roots.

Cabbage, parsley, tomatoes, petunias and other annual flowers grow well in polyethylene bottles cut horizontally.

How to plant cucumbers in 5 liter bottles on the balcony

To do this, you need to prepare the container in one of the above ways, then fill it with soil and plant cucumbers. Cucumbers love warm soil, but do not tolerate exposure to open sunlight. Therefore, a place on the balcony should be chosen slightly shaded or artificially created. By providing sufficient watering and top dressing, you can count on getting a good harvest.

On a note

• you can plant cucumbers under a plastic bottle directly on a prepared warm bed in open ground in order to get an earlier harvest, and also cover it with covering material on top,
• growing cucumbers in plastic bottles is no different from growing cucumbers in a greenhouse or garden, first of all they need moisture, heat and light,

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

Basic growing rules

Before you get 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, shoots do not like drafts, so a glazed balcony is suitable for them.

The growing process begins with the selection of seeds, because not all varieties are suitable for these purposes.

You need to pay attention to the following factors:

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

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

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

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 stretched due to insufficient sunlight. Also, the formation of buds will occur before the establishment of warm, suitable weather, and they may dry out and fall off.

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

1. Add additional light sources, which will increase the daylight hours, which are shortened in winter.
2. Additionally, insulate a balcony or loggia with special materials.
3. Put heaters to maintain, as well as to avoid freezing the plant at night.
4. Provide good ventilation to supply fresh air without drafts.

Growing technology

To get a good harvest and tasty cucumbers in the apartment, you need to follow the technology of growing vegetables step by step. It includes:

• soil preparation;
• planting seeds;
• creation of conditions for the development of seedlings;
• picking seedlings and moving them to larger pots;
• mineral supplement;
• care until the last cucumber is harvested.

Soil preparation

Earth saturated with microelements 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 amount - half 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, it can be purchased at 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 the uniform distribution of substances throughout the mass of the prepared land.

3 way

Take:

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

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

To prevent viral and infectious diseases that affect 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

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. Put the seeds in a pinkish solution of potassium permanganate and soak for 15-20 minutes.
2. Fold the gauze soaked in warm water in several layers and put the seeds in it.
3. Plant hatched specimens in prepared containers.

Method 2 - planting dry seeds.

1. In prepared pots, make small indentations (in elongated containers, holes are made at a distance of 30-35 cm from each other).
2. Put 2 seeds in each to accurately sprout.
3. Deepen the seeds by 1.5 cm.
4. Lightly moisten the soil and cover with foil.

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

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

1. Film removal for several hours.
2. Sunbathing near the open window in the pre-dinner hours.
3. Take out to the balcony after the end of the frost.

Seedlings are fertilized twice before transplanting:

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

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

Seedling transplant

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

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

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

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

Care means:

1. for the formation of cucumber lash;
2. removal of antennae 1 time in 10 days;
3. maintaining optimal humidity by spraying dried soil;
4. loosening the soil around the plant;
5. systematic top dressing with potash and phosphorus fertilizers (1 time in 2 weeks);
6. foliar treatment of shoots for the prevention of diseases and pests (1 time in 2 weeks);
7. garter lashes to prevent breakage.

Growing cucumbers in the cold season

Many consider growing cucumbers in winter almost a miracle, but the technology for germinating and planting seeds is the same for any time of the year. The only difference is in terms of content.

• Indoor plants during the heating period need additional moisture. means daily watering. To humidify the air around cucumbers, place a container of water next to it.
• Provide additional lighting, because cloudy days prevail and the plants do not have enough 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 one and a half liter and five liter bottles. For such purposes, there are special varieties - F1 Khrustik and F1 Shchedryk, which ripen quickly and are characterized by high yields.

The 1.5 liter containers take up less space and provide optimum wetting to 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 the half with the earth into the water tank so that the water closes the neck.

Water with this method is changed daily.

In 5-liter plastic bottles, previously cut in half lengthwise, holes are made to drain excess fluid during irrigation.

Care for cucumber seedlings grown on the window is carried out according to a familiar pattern.


Growing cucumbers on the windowsill and on the loggia brings a lot of trouble, 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.

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

Many residents of city apartments tend to use the balcony a little for other purposes. Someone grows flowers on the balcony, and someone turns it into a real greenhouse. In addition to other useful crops, cucumbers are also grown on the balcony. Their presence often harmoniously fits into the balcony interior.

In addition, cucumbers on the balcony can be successfully combined with other plants, both ornamental and vegetable crops. But, first you need to figure out which varieties of cucumbers are suitable for growing on the balcony. This is what we will do next.

Characteristics of cucumbers

• annual plant;
• belongs to the pumpkin family;
• loves moist soil and air.

Varieties of cucumbers for the balcony

Breeders have taken the trouble to develop special varieties of cucumbers for growing on a balcony or loggia:

• Dubrovsky;
• Gribovsky;
• Sail;
• Cucaracha;
• Balcony Miracle;
• Stresa;
• Courage;
• Barnaul;
• Biryusa;
• Matrix.

As for greenhouses, for growing on a balcony, you need to select either self-pollinated or parthenocarpic varieties of cucumbers. They do not need pollination by insects, so they are more suitable for growing indoors, such as balconies or loggias.

Particular attention should be paid to the Balcony Miracle variety. Despite the fact that he was brought out relatively recently, he has already earned the recognition of balcony gardeners. The variety is early maturing and self-pollinating. Forms bright green greens with small tubercles up to 7 cm in length. There is no bitterness in such cucumbers. Once again, we remind you that the Balcony Miracle does not require pollination by bees.

The technology of growing cucumbers on the balcony

Sowing seeds

First you need to grow seedlings, and after transplanting them into pots or planting boxes. Seeds are sown in paper cups so that they can be easily removed before planting seedlings in pots.

The time for sowing seeds for growing cucumbers on the balcony is from February to April.

The sooner you sow the seeds, the faster your balcony will bring the harvest. Thus, you can speed up the cultivation of cucumbers on the balcony.

Before sowing, the seeds are treated in a solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. This is quite enough. After processing, the seeds are laid out on a damp cloth and kept there for 1-2 days until sprouts appear, after which they are planted in cups.

You can do without soaking the seeds. In this case, immediately after treatment in potassium permanganate, they are sown in cups.

Soil for seedlings

As for any other varieties of cucumbers, seedling soil can be prepared according to the following recipe:

• 1 part peat;
• 1 part small sawdust;
• 1 part manure humus;
• 1 part of sod land;
• 1 tablespoon of nitrophoska;
• 1 teaspoon of urea.

5 minutes before sowing the seeds, the soil in cups is poured over with hot water at a temperature of 50-600C. After this time, 1 seed is sown in each cup to a depth of 1.5-2.0 cm. All cups must be placed in a place with a temperature of + 25C before germination.

sprout care

Lighting. After the first shoots have appeared, the cups should be placed in a well-lit place. For this, a window sill is best suited. It is necessary to monitor the absence of drafts.
The use of additional lighting will help improve the quality of seedlings and speed up the fruiting of balcony cucumbers.

Watering seedlings should be carried out 1 time per day, provided there is no additional lighting. If it is used, then the seedlings are watered twice a day. In both cases, settled water at room temperature is used for irrigation.

Holes must be made in the bottoms of the cups to ensure drainage.

Top dressing. During the cultivation of seedlings, and this is about 25 days, it is necessary to fertilize 2 times. The first top-dressing is made in 14 days from the moment of emergence of shoots. Feed with an aqueous solution of urea at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 3 liters of water. After a week after the first feeding, the procedure is repeated.

Transplanting carried out in containers with a height of at least 15 cm, pre-filled with soil of a similar composition, which was used for growing seedlings. The soil is pre-watered with warm water.
When planting, the seedlings are carefully removed from the cup along with the soil clod.

Optimal growing conditions for balcony cucumbers can be achieved by placing containers next to a wall or in a corner. This measure allows you to save the plant from exposure to winds and drafts.

Caring for balcony cucumbers

A week after landing in a permanent place, seedlings of balcony cucumbers are tied with twine to a wire specially stretched for this. The distance at which the wire is stretched is approximately 1.7 m from the top edge of the container. The twine is tied to a wire and wrapped neatly around the top of the plant.

With a frequency of once a week, the antennae are removed from the cucumbers. We must not forget that the balcony cucumber, like any other cultivated plant, needs periodic loosening of the soil.

As the plants reach the height of the wire stretched for them, pinching becomes necessary. Pinch off the top, thereby forming one stem. Pinching of lateral shoots is carried out to a length of 25-45 cm.

Watering cucumbers on the balcony is carried out 2-3 times a week, taking into account the air temperature. Cucumbers are watered with water at room temperature, moistening both the soil layer and spraying the aerial part of the plant from a spray bottle.

It is necessary to ensure that the soil is constantly moist, if necessary, increasing the number of waterings.

Growing cucumbers on the balcony in plastic bottles

The technology is practically no different from the one described above. Only seedlings of balcony cucumbers are planted in plastic bottles. On their preliminary preparation, we become more detailed.

To grow cucumbers on a balcony in a plastic bottle, you need to cut off the upper conical part. All actions apply both to 5 liter bottles and to their smaller counterparts with a capacity of 1.5-2.0 liters. So, it turned out a kind of pot. The cut tops of the bottles can be used as caps for plants when cold air temperatures set in.

In plastic bottles, cucumbers can be grown both in open ground and in greenhouses. To do this, it will be enough to cut off the bottom and chain the pot approximately 1/3 into the soil.

Otherwise, growing cucumbers in plastic bottles is no different from growing ordinary balcony cucumbers.

Getting high yields of cucumbers on the balcony at home is not a myth, and is available to everyone. It is quite simple to create conditions for fruiting cucumbers on the balcony. To do this, just select the appropriate variety of cucumber and follow the recommendations listed above.

...

If you are a real gardener, love to farm and there is no way to buy a garden or garden plot, do not worry. There is a great opportunity to turn your desires into reality - to equip a full-fledged garden on your balcony. To do this, you need to make an effort and have a little patience, stock up on useful information, and grow not only flowers or ornamental plants on the balcony, but also delicious vegetables - cucumbers

Varieties of cucumbers
Before you start growing cucumbers at home on the balcony, you need to take your time and carefully figure out which varieties are suitable for planting in an enclosed space. Since there are no bees and wind on the balcony, you need to know which variety is suitable, and select species that do not need to be pollinated and are highly productive - these are Masha, Bianka, Stella, Kukaracha, April, Gribovchanka, Debut or Zozulya. This is not the whole list of varieties intended for growing on the balcony. Which of them is best to buy, how to grow cucumbers on a balcony in summer, the size of the pot - which one to choose and is there a difference in the selection of containers, what kind of soil, top dressing is needed, you need to consult experienced farmers about all this or read the information in this article.

Some experienced gardeners are trying to plant varieties of cucumbers that require pollination - these are Marathon, Frigate, Manul, Northern Lights, etc. But so that your work is not in vain, and the plants bear fruit, it is necessary to plant hybrid varieties near the above-mentioned varieties - self-pollinating cucumbers in the proportion: 5 - plants requiring pollination and one - a hybrid species. Such a planting guarantees the favorable growth of plants, the appearance of flowering and then - cucumbers.

Cucumbers on the balcony - harvest

When choosing varieties of hybrids, one can attribute preference to varieties of later ripening - these are Claudia F1, Marinda F1, Gladiator, Hercules.

How to grow cucumbers on the balcony correctly with your own hands is described in great detail in this article below.

Growing process
If you feel like a real farmer and still decide to start growing cucumbers on a loggia or balcony, one desire is not enough.

First, you need to know that cucumbers are a delicate crop, they need to be protected from drafts and create comfortable conditions for favorable cultivation.

It is necessary to re-equip the room, namely: to install additional lighting, ventilation and heating. This will increase daylight hours, which favorably affects the growth of seedlings. High-quality work on the installation of ventilation and heating is the key to maintaining proper climate control.

Important! If your balcony is not insulated, but located on the east or southeast side, such a room is not suitable for growing cucumbers, since at night, especially in winter or early autumn, temperature changes will adversely affect the growing process, up to the death of plants . Therefore, it is important here to know in detail how to care for cucumbers on the balcony.

growing cucumbers on the balcony

Secondly, it is necessary to carefully study the process of growing vegetables indoors and follow the step-by-step technology:

Sow seeds;
prepare the ground;
take care of the seeds;
plant seedlings;
plant nutrition;
the formation of a cucumber lash;
plant care.
Below is a step-by-step cultivation, thanks to which cucumbers will delight you with their color, and even more so with their harvest.

Stages of planting seeds
Sowing seeds is the most important stage and is carried out in several steps. Before planting the plants, it is necessary to prepare the seeds, determine the time of planting and harvesting. If you plan to get a decent crop of cucumbers in early spring, planting seeds should be done in winter.

Therefore, if you are engaged in growing cucumbers, do not stop this process and follow the advice of experienced gardeners.

Necessary:

Prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate and soak the seeds in it for up to 20 minutes;
strain and put the seeds on a well-moistened gauze cloth, folded in several layers;
when the seeds crack and begin to sprout, they must be sown in small flower pots or dark-colored plastic cups.
It is important to pay attention to the container for growing seedlings, it should not be transparent, since the heat of the sun has a beneficial effect on the development of various diseases in the root system.


cucumber assada

Disembarkation container
It must be taken into account that in order to protect the root system from unwanted decay, pots or containers for planting plants must be double-bottomed. Since cucumbers are a moisture-loving crop, it must be provided with abundant watering, so the upper bottom should have drainage holes through which excess moisture and water penetrate into the lower pan.

If you don't have special pots, use a darkened plastic container and make a container with a double bottom. For this design, plastic bottles are quite suitable. The capacity of the pot for one plant should correspond to 2.5 liters.

Important! Do not use a metal container for seedlings, as they are prone to corrosion, which can cause the plants to die.
Soil preparation process
Before planting cucumber seeds, land alone is not enough. It is necessary to prepare the soil composition in advance, which will ensure good growth of the seedling and protect the soil from drying out.

By the way, there is no one ideal composition, you can choose it yourself.

1st composition. The mixture is selected in equal parts and mixes well:

Compost;
sod land;
peat;
wood sawdust;
wood ash.
Such a composition can be purchased at a gardening store.

2nd composition. For one bucket above the proposed composition, add 10 grams of urea and 15 grams of nitrophoska. Mix everything thoroughly and plant the seeds.

3rd composition. A more profitable and economical option for preparing the soil is to prepare the mixture with your own hands in the garden. Take half a bucket of soddy soil and compost, then two glasses of wood ash, 50 grams of lime, 5 grams of fertilizers: potash, nitrogen, phosphorus. Mix everything thoroughly and pack into a plastic bag. Then dig a deep hole, place a bag of potting mix and cover with soil. After a while, the mixture will rot and become loose.

Before planting seeds, the soil must be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate - this will protect the plants from various diseases.

If you follow the advice of gardeners and prepare high-quality soil, this will significantly increase the chance of growing cucumbers and harvesting a decent harvest without leaving your home.

seed growing conditions
If you decide to start growing cucumbers on a loggia or balcony, you need to follow some rules and tips. Caring for plants is not difficult, but the main thing is to create all the proper conditions for their favorable growth.

Firstly, in the room, create and maintain the optimally required temperature, which should be between 22-25 degrees. If the air temperature is less than expected, the seeds and future seedlings will slow down in development. Before planting seeds in the soil, the container must be washed well and rinsed with a solution of potassium permanganate. This will protect the seedlings from unwanted diseases.

When planting seeds, they must be deepened into the ground up to 2-3 cm. Place pots with seedlings on the balcony, which is prepared in advance for growing cucumbers, namely: it is well insulated, equipped with additional light and ventilation.

We grow cucumbers on the balcony ourselves

After about 25-28 days, the first shoots will sprout. After the appearance of the first sprouts, top dressing of the soil is carried out twice: the first - after 2 weeks and after 10 days - the second. The necessary fertilizers can be purchased at the Ogorodnik store.

Important! The direct rays of the sun should not fall on the plants.
As for the answer to the question “how often to water the plants”, here it is necessary to adhere to a certain soil moisture, for this watering must be done daily and with settled water at room temperature.

Planting seedlings
The first stage of cultivation is completed. The first shoots have appeared and now you can proceed to the second stage of growing cucumbers - transplanting seedlings.

To do this, you need to purchase boxes with a double bottom in the store or construct the necessary container from plastic bottles. And cucumbers on the balcony - growing in plastic bottles - you can view in detail with a photo in the gallery of this article. So that the soil does not dry out, the container must meet the appropriate parameters: height - 20 cm, width - 30 cm, length - 60 cm.

When transplanting finished seedlings, you should fill the pots with the previously prepared soil mixture, approximately 1/3 and pour abundantly with a weak solution of potassium permanganate at room temperature. Then, after 20 minutes, a clod of earth from the cups, along with seedlings, must be placed in a box and covered with a substrate. Such a transplant will protect the roots from unwanted damage. Watering seedlings should be done once a day.

Note. If the windows on the loggia are open and the air temperature is comfortable enough for the plants, the pots should be placed in the place where gusts of wind are least felt.

Seedlings are transplanted and the growing process takes place within 30-40 days.
top dressing
If ideal conditions for growing cucumbers are created on your balcony and the seedlings are developing well enough, watering alone is not enough. After two weeks, as the first shoots appeared, you should know how to feed and how to fertilize young plants.

The first top dressing, based on 10 liters:

Ammonium nitrate - 5 g;
potassium nitrate - 15 g;
superphosphate - 30 g;
magnesium sulfate - 5 g.
After 10 days, prepare a second top dressing, based on 10 liters:

Dilute well-rotted bird droppings in water (1:20);
superphosphate -20 g;
potassium sulfate 15 g.
Formation of cucumber whip
If you have planted varieties that require pollination, they need to be pinched. When and how to pinch plants? To do this, you need to track when the third leaf appears and cut it off along with the growth point. After that, after 5 days, from the axillary buds, below the first and below the second leaf, lateral shoots are formed, from which the main cucumber lashes are subsequently formed. The next pinching must be done through two subsequent sheets. Therefore, planting cucumbers on the balcony, growing and pinching (the video at the end of this article will help you understand all the processes in more detail) are indispensable conditions for the successful further growth of this crop on the balcony.

Since the cucumber culture is curly, the formed cucumber lash should be tied up. Approximately, at a height of 1.5 m from the soil surface, it is necessary to stretch the wire. From the top of the wire, lower the thickened thread down, tying it to the stem. Then wrap the stem around the thread. If you tie up the plants in this way, it will not harm the growth and will create a good support for the plant.

Recommendations for the care of the culture
In order to grow cucumbers safely on a balcony, loggia or veranda, it is necessary to create the proper conditions and care for the plants. By following all the recommendations and requirements of agricultural technology, you will get a fairly good harvest, please not only yourself and your loved ones, but also make stocks of pickles for the winter.

Remove the antennae about once a week;
periodically loosen the earth around the stem;
to pinch;
make a mandatory garter;
maintain soil moisture daily by spraying;
treat plants with chemicals to protect them from diseases and parasites;
maintain proper climate control;
monitor the duration of additional lighting.

Enormous areas of tens of thousands of hectares have been allocated for the cucumber business in the central regions of the Russian Federation. But the city dwellers of apartments guessed how to use small square meters of window sills and balconies for cucumber beds. And today, cucumbers on the balcony do not surprise passers-by, but, undoubtedly, attract their views. Especially when the harvest is ripe!

Anyone who has ever seen cucumbers growing on someone's windowsill will not be surprised to notice that behind the glass railings of balconies and loggias green creepers with large leaves and hanging oblong pimply fruits curl. Unfortunately, not all vegetable growers dealing with cucumbers on the balcony achieve the long-awaited result.

Many people lack knowledge about all the intricacies of working with seedlings, about creating the necessary microclimate, about preparing the soil and planting containers, about varieties and hybrids that are suitable for balcony production.

But those who have familiarized themselves with the recommendations and experience of experts on the step-by-step cultivation of cucumbers in cramped apartment conditions, without much effort, manage not only to feed their household with fresh cucumber salad, but also to conserve a considerable amount of their favorite vegetable grown on their own balcony. ()

How to grow cucumbers on a balcony

For beginner balcony gardeners, before planting seeds for cucumber seedlings, it is important to make sure that they can create the necessary microclimate and ensure regular planting care.

A non-glazed balcony or loggia will not allow maintaining the required optimum temperature and humidity. The location of balcony windows strictly to the north or south will require the use of additional lighting or shading. Ceiling ceilings on the balcony should be suitable for installing structures to which twine will have to be attached for tying cucumber lashes.

You will need spacious growing containers that can hold at least 5 kg of soil and have drainage holes.

It is necessary to foresee the possibility of a long absence of the owners in advance, and consider options for autonomous watering of plants. The purchase of a room automatic irrigation system entails additional financial investments, but an agreement with a neighbor to look after a balcony garden threatens with stories on a bench near the entrance that she will see in someone else's apartment.

After all these issues are resolved positively, you can proceed to the first steps of growing cucumbers on the balcony.

When can cucumbers be planted?

The time for planting cucumbers will depend on the created microclimate. First of all, and equally, three indicators are taken into account - temperature and humidity and the optimal length of daylight hours. If the conditions are maintained artificially, then the cultivation of seedlings can begin immediately after the disinfection and germination of the selected seed material and the preparation of planting pots and soil.

If it is impossible to maintain sufficiently bright lighting for 12-14 hours, indoor air temperature of at least 18-20 ° C, humidity from 80 to 90%, it is better to postpone the first stage of work with cucumbers on the balcony.

It is worth waiting for the appearance of a natural optimal atmospheric situation from mid-April to the first days of May. But in any case, the need for periodic highlighting in dense clouds, irrigation in high dry air and shading in the scorching sun will not disappear.

Varieties and hybrids of cucumbers suitable for growing in a balcony

Bitter disappointments accompanied the first experimenters who decided to start a garden with cucumbers on the balcony in winter or in the spring months. At first, tested seeds for open ground and ventilated greenhouses were used for seedlings. But only occasionally, under the condition of very painstaking and constant labor associated with the artificial insemination of female flower stalks, the crop volume planned by the breeders was removed from the bushes.

Then there were hybrids and varieties of cucumbers, specially created for the limited possibilities of small enclosed spaces that do not allow pollinating insects to enter.

It is also important that the indicators of balcony cucumber species, in addition to self-pollination, resistance to low humidity and lack of light, provide for the formation of a strong root system, a long central stem with a small number of short side shoots and reduced leaves.

On packs of seeds, manufacturers must indicate, in addition to the name, consumer properties, expiration dates, degree of processing and planting site. For growing cucumbers on window sills, balconies and loggias, shade-tolerant early-ripening parthenocarpic gherkins are mainly recommended. These include:

• "Urban Cucumber F1";
• "Balagan F1";
• "Balcony F1";
• "Hummingbird F1";
• "Swallowtail F1";
• "F1 debut";
• "Granddaughter F1" and many others.

Growing cucumbers on the balcony step by step

After the first step towards the harvest of cucumbers on the balcony, which consisted in creating optimal atmospheric conditions and choosing planting material, it is necessary to decide whether the seeds should be subjected to disinfection and growth stimulation, and then decide which planting method to use - through seedlings or sowing seeds in a permanent place V e container for growing.

How to choose quality cucumber seedlings

We identify seeds that have lost their germination: we fill them in a container with water, shake the water and wait until it becomes motionless, damaged and dried seeds remain on the surface of the water, they must be removed. Then we drain the water and carry out procedures with the remaining seeds that ensure resistance to pests and diseases.

To do this, we use either folk remedies (for example, we withstand 20 minutes in a pink solution of potassium permanganate), which actually remove the infection only from the surface of the seeds, or we use modern fungicides and biological products according to the manufacturer's instructions, or we skip this stage if the manufacturer gave information on the packs of seeds on seed treatment.

It is better to germinate cucumber seeds, allowing sprouts to emerge from the seed box to a length of no more than 0.5 cm.

If the seeds are dressed in a multi-colored glaze with the addition of the necessary trace elements and disinfectants, we plant them in moist soil in the form in which the manufacturer poured them into the package.

The choice of containers and soil for seedlings

In urban conditions, it is best to purchase a ready-made soil mixture specially designed for growing pumpkin crops, which include cucumber, or universal with normal acidity. In addition, you will need drainage material - fine expanded clay, vermiculite, purchased ready-made, or home-made from foam, sunflower or buckwheat husks, crushed hard parts of a walnut.

When choosing a container for seedlings of cucumbers, they most often stop at individual plastic transparent cups with a capacity of 100-150 ml, their use allows you to control the development of the root system of the plant. The roots of the plant should be white, areas of gray or black indicate that the plant is waterlogged and rots. Co-cultivation in plastic cassettes with the same volume of cells is possible. Containers must have holes for water drainage. Drainage is poured at the bottom of the cups, soil mixture is placed on top, filling 2/3 of the height.

Sowing seeds is carried out at a depth of 1-2 cm in moist soil. Previously, a recess is made in the soil, the seeds are laid flat. Transparent bags are put on top of the glasses and tied at the bottom, a piece of glass is placed on the cassette, that is, they create the conditions for mini greenhouses. Once a day, bags and glass are removed for 20-30 minutes, the earth is moistened if necessary. It is better for containers with unsprouted seeds to be in a dark and warm (25 ° C) place. With the appearance of the first arches of sprouts, this usually happens on the 5-7th day, the cups or cassette are opened and moved to the light.

During the first three days at the lighting stage, the temperature is maintained within 20°C, at night - 16°C. For permanent cultivation daytime temperature should not exceed 22°C, night t =18°C.

As the plants grow, soil is poured into glasses or a cassette and they make sure that the seedlings do not thin out and do not stretch. Daily monitoring of soil and air moisture and artificial lighting is required. The duration of the day should be at least 16-18 hours in the first week after germination, then 12-14.

Transplanting seedlings and growing in plastic bottles

When two or three true leaves appear on cucumber seedlings, they begin to prepare containers for permanent cultivation of plants from plastic bottles with a volume of 5 to 10 liters. Fill half the volume with the same soil and drainage. The soil is compacted and moistened. If no holes are made in the bottom of the bottles, then the drainage layer should be significant.

Containers can be shortened not around the entire circumference, but only in the upper part, cut openings for the stems. In the latter case, it will be convenient to tie the cord not to the bottom of the cucumber stem, but to the top of the bottle. The stems of an adult plant will curl along it.

It is undesirable to transplant overgrown (older than one month) seedlings of cucumbers. When transshipping plants in large containers, they try not to damage the root system and not to bury the central stem into the soil. To do this, the soil under the seedlings is not strongly moistened so that the clod of earth can keep its shape and does not crumble when touched, and after transplanting, the earth is well watered using some kind of rooting agent.

How to grow cucumbers on a balcony in winter

If the balcony has reliable insulation, artificial lighting and sufficient heating, then winter cultivation in plastic bottles has the same algorithm as at other times of the year. It may only be necessary to spray the leaves of an adult plant less often, because the humidity in winter already has an increased level. But on the other hand, it is more often necessary to examine plants for diseases and rot, and, if necessary, apply means of protection against them.

How to get a big harvest at home

Top dressing of cucumbers

The first top dressing is necessary at the seedling stage. It is carried out when the second true leaf appears. Apply according to the manufacturer's instructions complex water-soluble fertilizers containing trace elements, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.

The next top dressing is carried out once every 2 weeks. At different stages of development, plants choose fertilizer compositions appropriate for the age of the bush.

During the period of stretching and growth of the green mass of stems and leaves, nitrogen and phosphorus should prevail, when the fruits ripen, the emphasis is on potash-phosphate fertilizers.

After harvesting the first crop, they again return to nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Top dressing can be root, when watering plants, and so-called leaf top dressing, while spraying water over a bush.

Bush formation

The most difficult task for beginners to grow cucumbers on a balcony or on a windowsill is always a timely inspection of cucumber bushes. It is necessary to remove unnecessary shoots, mustaches and ovaries, then the cucumbers left on the bush will receive the necessary substances and moisture in full.

Bushes should not be thickened. When growing on a balcony, the plant is left with one central stem, and one ovary in the axils of the leaves. All lateral shoots up to the height of the main vine of 50 cm are removed. Then you can leave one more stem and tie the plant with two strands of jute twine with a separation of at least 40 cm from each other.

It is important to consider that the rope is not wrapped around the cucumber stems, but vice versa. You can attach the twine to a plastic reusable garter attached to the first sheet from the root. It is securely fastened with blunt notches along its surface, and, at the same time, the density of fit to the plant is regulated at the discretion of the gardener.

soil care

Land in bottles or jars with cucumber bushes should not dry out. A single watering of young plants is carried out in the morning.

During fruiting, a double (morning and evening) watering is necessary, because the filling of fruits occurs at night.

The soil compacts and settles over time, as necessary, the volume of soil is gradually increased, carefully pouring it into containers for growing cucumbers to the very sides. Do not allow the appearance of a crust on the ground above the roots of cucumbers. Loosening is carried out regularly, but very carefully, trying not to damage the plant.

When the first cucumbers reach the required size, making them suitable for consumption, then it is not necessary to tighten these by removing them from the bushes. Balcony plants have little strength, let them better give them to the remaining ovaries. In order to improve the condition of adult cucumber plants on the balcony, you can carefully transplant into buckets or other growing containers with a larger volume than they were before.

Cucumbers on the balcony (video)

The size of the crop and the joy of the household at the sight of fresh, self-grown cucumbers on the table will depend on how the owner treats his pets.

As you can see, you can get a cucumber harvest on your own balcony or windowsill! Vitamins all year round! Well, what to cook from cucumbers is up to you! You can read the best recipes for cucumber dishes in the article. .

Health to you and your loved ones! Natalia Belokopytova.