Today, not everyone has the opportunity to purchase an allotment of land in the immediate vicinity of the house in order to do what they love about it - growing various garden and ornamental crops. However, a solution can also be found from this situation - if you have a balcony in your apartment, then you can easily turn it into a full-fledged vegetable garden.
Of course, for this you have to show a certain restraint, get theoretical knowledge about the basics of growing flowers or other ornamental plants. If this is your desire, then you will even be able to pick delicious cucumbers from your home garden.
Content
The nuances of the process of growing cucumbers on the balcony
If you have long been overcome by the desire to turn a loggia or balcony into a place where you could grow cucumbers, then it will not be so easy to translate this idea into reality. After all, not everyone knows how to grow cucumbers on the balcony.
At first, it does not hurt to get acquainted with the peculiarities of this culture. Balcony cucumbers of early varieties very heat demanding, therefore the slightest draft can affect the future harvest.
Therefore, in order to create favorable conditions for growing balcony cucumbers, it is necessary to make certain changes to the layout of the room. For this you need create additional lighting, ventilation and heating.
Thanks to these innovations, you will provide cucumber plants with the required length of daylight hours, which will positively affect the growth of seedlings. Particular attention should be paid to the correct installation of ventilation and heating, since the quality of climate control on the balcony depends on this.
In addition, you should familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of growing balcony cucumbers. Briefly describing this process, then it can be represented in the form of the following stages:
- Sowing seeds.
- Soil preparation.
- Seed care.
- Transplanting.
- Top dressing.
- Formation of a cucumber lash.
- Plant care.
Further, you can read the detailed instructions for growing cucumbers step by step, adhering to which you can enjoy not only beautiful flowers, but also delicious greens.
Seed planting stages
One of the important points in the cultivation of cucumbers is sowing seeds, which involves carrying out several stages... It all starts with preparing the seeds, then choosing the right time for sowing, as well as the time when you want to get the harvest.
Those who want to feast on crispy cucumbers in early spring will have to start sowing seeds in winter.
If you are exactly adhere to recommendations gardeners, then for sure already at the beginning of March you will be able to enjoy the first results of your efforts.
To prepare the seeds for sowing, you need to carry out the following activities:
- Soak. For this, a weak solution of potassium permanganate is used, in which the seeds are placed for 20 minutes.
- Drying.After processing in a solution of potassium permanganate, the seeds must be removed and laid out on a damp gauze cloth, which must first be folded into several layers.
- Sowing. A favorable moment for this comes after the appearance of signs of seed germination. The sowing itself is carried out in small flower pots or dark plastic cups.
Landing containers
If you are going to grow cucumbers in pots, then be aware that excess moisture can lead to rotting of the root system. To avoid this, it is recommended to use double bottom containers.
Cucumbers respond well to an abundance of moisture, so you need to satisfy this need in full. To do this, you need to create drainage holes in the upper bottom that will allow excess moisture to drain into the lower pan.
If you do not have a suitable container for planting, then a dark plastic container can be adapted for these purposes. You can also use and homemade containershaving a double bottom.
Using plastic bottles is a good option. Make sure that the container has sufficient area for plant development. Containers are considered suitable if 2.5 liters of volume per plant.
Soil preparation process
Do not assume that by planting early varieties of cucumbers in containers filled with ordinary soil, they will be able to give you a good harvest. For this you need to use special soil formulations, which will provide the seedlings with the necessary microelements and will not allow the soil to dry out.
When choosing a composition, you can use various options.
First composition... All components are taken in equal proportions and mixed until smooth:
- compost;
- sod land;
- peat;
- sawdust of wood;
- wood ash.
It is quite easy to acquire such a composition as it is offered in any shop for the gardener.
Second composition... To prepare it, you need to take one bucket of the above composition, adding additionally urea (10 g) and nitrophosphate (15 g). After that, all the components must be mixed well, and then you can proceed to sowing seeds.
Third composition... This mixture is the most preferable not only in terms of quality, but also in terms of economy. For it, the components available in the garden are used.
To prepare the composition, you need to take half of the type of sod land and compost, add 2 glasses of wood ash, 50 grams of lime, 5 grams of each of the following types fertilizers: potash, nitrogen and phosphorus.
Further, all components must be mixed well and placed in a plastic bag and carefully tamped. After that, you need to dig a deep hole, put a bag of potting soil in it, and then bury it. It will take some time for the mixture to rot, turning into a loose composition.
Even before sowing seeds, the soil must be watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Thanks to this treatment, the plants will be protected from damage by various diseases.
If you decide to take the time and prepare high-quality soil, then cucumbers will give you large and beautiful fruits at the end of the season.
Seed growing conditions
Although it may seem that it is quite difficult to grow early varieties of cucumbers on a loggia or balcony, however, if you follow some rules and tips, then you can cope with this task even without having special skills.
To get a good harvest, you need to create the most favorable conditions for the normal development of cucumber plants.
First of all, attention should be paid to temperature. The recommended mode is at least 20-25 degrees. If the air temperature below the recommended prevails on your balcony, then the cucumber seedlings will grow slowly.
Even before you start sowing seeds in the ground, you need to carry out container handlingusing potassium permanganate solution.So, you will provide seedlings with protection from damage by harmful diseases.
During sowing, the seeds are buried into the soil by 2-3 cm. Then the containers with seedlings are taken out to the balcony, where favorable conditions are created for growing cucumbers. This refers to the presence of good thermal insulation, additional lighting and ventilation.
The first shoots can be expected 25-28 days after sowing. When you see the first shoots, you can plan feeding: the first time the soil is fertilized after 2 weeks, and the second time after another 10 days.
The quality of the crop largely depends on the watering of the plants. To determine the rate of water consumption, it is necessary to focus on soil moisture. It is best when watering is carried out every day with water at room temperature.
Planting cucumber seedlings
The moment you see the first shoots, you can consider the first stage of growing cucumbers completed. Next, you can do the next step - transplanting seedlings.
To carry it out, you need double bottom boxes, which you can buy at the store. You can also use homemade containers for this purpose, for example, plastic bottles.
You can solve the problem of drying out the soil if you use containers with the following characteristics: height - 20 cm, width - 30 cm, length - 60 cm.
When you prepare the transplant containers, fill them with the prepared potting soil. It should take up no more than a third of the volume, after which it is thoroughly spilled with the weak potassium permanganate solution room temperature.
Further, it is allowed to soak for 20 minutes, after which the seedlings are transferred together with the earth to a box, and covered with a substrate on top. Using this transplant technology, you can avoid damage to the root system. To ensure the normal growth of seedlings, it should be water every day.
If the windows on the balcony are constantly open, then it is recommended to place the containers with crops where gusts of wind will least disturb them.
After finishing the work on transplanting seedlings, you need to wait 30-40 days, which is enough for the transformation of young seedlings into adult plants.
What to feed, when and how
If you have taken good care of creating favorable conditions for the growth of early varieties of domestic cucumbers, then you should not expect that by meeting their water needs, you will get a good harvest.
Already 2 weeks after the formation of the first shoots, you it is necessary to feed... There are also nuances here.
For the first time, cucumbers are fed with a mixture of fertilizers, which must be diluted in 10 liters of water:
- Ammonium nitrate - 5 g.
- Potassium nitrate - 15 g.
- Superphosphate - 30 g.
- Magnesium sulfate - 5 g.
The second time, the plants are fed 10 days after the first feeding. The fertilizers below are designed for 10 liters of water:
- dilute well-rotted bird droppings in water (1:20);
- superphosphate -20 g;
- potassium sulfate 15 g.
Forming a cucumber lash
If you decide to start growing varieties that require pollination, then you will definitely have to pinch them... To select the most appropriate moment for this operation, it is necessary to wait for the formation of the third leaf - in this place it is necessary to remove the shoot along with the growth point.
After 5 days, lateral shoots will begin to form from the axillary buds, which are located under the first and second leaves. Subsequently, the main cucumber whips will form from them.
Once again, the pinching is performed when new two sheets are formed. Thus, if you are going to grow cucumbers on the balcony, then you must pinching is necessary, otherwise you can not count on getting a good harvest indoors.
It should not be forgotten that in the process of development, the shoots of early varieties of cucumbers begin to curl, therefore at a certain moment it is necessary to perform cucumber garter... For this, a place is marked at a level of 1.5 m from the surface of the earth, where you will have to pull the wire.
Thickened threads are drawn from it, which are fixed to the stem. Next, the stem is worn around the thread. Holding such a garter avoids damage to the stem and provides it with good support for further growth.
Expert advice
Growing cucumbers in a city apartment is a solvable task. Every owner can cope with it, the main thing is to first get theoretical training about the features of cucumbers on the balcony.
Growing early varieties of cucumbers requires creating an enabling environment for normal development. Therefore, you will have to spend some time and money on insulation, lighting and ventilation.
In addition, you need timing correctly for sowing seeds, since a certain time must pass before the first greens appear.
Do not forget that in the process of growth, cucumbers form long lashes, therefore, for plants it is necessary to create supports... If you consider these points, then you will be well rewarded for the time and effort spent.
