What could be better than fresh homemade cucumbers on a fine January day? Growing this vegetable in winter is not difficult; avid gardeners have been doing this for a long time. The main thing is to provide the sprouts with space and sufficient heat. In addition, in order to reap a generous harvest, you need to choose the right varieties and know all the subtleties of how to grow cucumbers in winter. As always, the best secrets of summer residents are only on the Agronom.guru portal.
Homemade cucumbers in winter are the best way to provide the body with healthy fiber
Features of growing cucumbers on the windowsill
Cucumbers are grown on a bright and spacious windowsill. To ensure that the plant gets more light, install a mirror next to the bush or attach reflective foil. To prevent the bush from overcooling, place a heat-insulating material, for example, a sheet of foam plastic, under the pot.
Optimal sowing dates
Fruiting of cucumbers begins 40-50 days after germination. The duration of fruiting is 1-1.5 months, so one-time sowing is not enough. If you want to have fresh vegetables 4-6 months a year, you need to plant seeds 3-4 times.
Accordingly, the interval between sowings will be 30-45 days. As soon as the first generation of cucumbers stops bearing fruit, the second will immediately begin to bear fruit, and so on.
Which varieties are suitable for home cultivation?
For planting and growing on a windowsill, early parthenocarpic hybrids are chosen, which are self-pollinating. Ordinary balcony varieties are also suitable for these purposes, but when growing in a closed window they will need help with pollination.
The selected hybrids or varieties should grow well in low light conditions. It is also important that the crop is not tall, otherwise the plant will take up a lot of space on the window.
To cultivate cucumbers all year round on the windowsill, choose the following varieties and hybrids: Athlete, Azhur, Balcony, City Cucumber, Courage, Connie, Indoor Miracle, Indoor, Our Masha, Real Colonel, Meringue, Premium, Prestige, Talisman, Chistye Prudy, Miracle on window, Pharaoh.
What varieties of cucumbers can be grown at home?
Not all varieties of cucumbers are suitable for home cultivation. It is best to choose parthenocarpic hybrids of the first generation. These plants do not require additional pollination and form only female flowers on the bushes.
The variety must meet the following requirements:
- be early or mid-season;
- have increased yields;
- form short fruits (up to 25 cm);
- differ in shade tolerance and resistance to temperature changes.
Some people try to plant bee-pollinated varieties, but in this case additional efforts will be required to obtain a harvest.
The following varieties of cucumbers are popular among lovers of home vegetable growing:
- April F1. Parthenocarpic hybrid with early ripening. The variety is resistant to bad weather and diseases, pleases with friendly fruiting, and is easy to care for. The first cucumbers appear 1.5 months after the seeds sprout. The size of the fruit is 15-25 cm. The skin is lumpy, with slight pubescence.
- Benefit F1. A mid-early hybrid, it takes just over 1.5 months from germination to fruiting. Does not require pollination. Productivity is high. The plant produces many side shoots and needs to be shaped. The size of the fruit is 10-13 cm. The skin is finely tuberculate, bright green. The pulp of greens is juicy, sweet, and does not contain bitterness. Benefit is resistant to disease. Requires sparse planting as it loves space.
- Zozulya F1. A hybrid characterized by early ripening. The bush does not need to be formed. Fruiting is 42-48 days after emergence. Characterized by high yield. The length of the fruit is up to 24 cm. There are pimples and thorns on the soft thin skin. The greens taste sweet, with a pleasant aroma. The pulp contains few seeds.
- Goosebumps F1. Hybrid with early fruiting. It will be possible to harvest the crop after 35-40 days from the moment of germination. The size of the fruit is 11-13 cm. The plant is resistant to disease and can bear fruit all year round at home. The harvest is friendly and abundant. The thin skin of the fruit is covered with medium-sized tubercles.
- Sail F1. A hybrid plant that produces high quality fruits. Has a female type of flowering. The greens are tuberculate, with sparse pubescence. Cucumbers of this variety begin to bear fruit on days 46-50 from the moment all the seeds sprout. It is distinguished by friendly harvest yield. The fruits have a universal purpose.
- Regina. Mid-season high-yielding variety of parthenocarpic type. Resistant to diseases. The size of greens is 10-12 cm. The fruits have a tuberculate surface. The pulp is tasty, without bitterness.
- Crunch F1. High-yielding hybrid with a long fruiting period. The fruits are 8-10 cm in size. The pulp is unusually juicy, crisp, without a bitter aftertaste. The plant is characterized by high resistance to disease.
On a note! Late-ripening cucumber hybrids are not suitable for growing at home.
Basic growing rules
After choosing a variety and purchasing seeds, everything necessary for planting is prepared. Along with the seed, soil substrate is purchased at the gardening store. If there is no suitable container at home, they buy it too.
Choosing a container for growing
To grow seedlings, use plastic containers, wooden boxes, peat cups or tablets, milk or juice boxes. Before use, the containers are thoroughly washed with laundry soap and doused with boiling water.
Peat products are placed in a common container and filled with warm water to swell. When they increase several times in size, they are planted.
Setting the stage
For growing cucumbers, a purchased universal soil or substrate for pumpkin crops is perfect. Store-bought soil goes through all the necessary processing during production, but some vegetable growers prepare the substrate themselves from the following components:
- Humus and peat are mixed in equal parts. Add 1 tbsp to the mixture bucket. wood ash.
- Mix one part of turf, compost and garden soil. A small amount of river sand, rotted sawdust and ash are added to the resulting composition.
Next, the prepared soil is disinfected: calcined in the oven, doused with boiling water and a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Such activities destroy microbes and pest larvae. Disinfection is carried out several days before sowing, so that during this time beneficial soil bacteria are restored.
Seed preparation
Growing cucumbers on a window in winter will not be difficult if you properly process the seed. First, the seeds are calibrated. Dilute 1 tsp in a glass of water. soda and place the grains in it for 20 minutes. Floating seeds are unsuitable for planting - they are dummies. The remaining seeds are removed and dried.
Next, the grains are kept for 20-30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and washed under running water. The next stage is seed germination. The seeds are wrapped in damp cotton cloth and placed on a saucer. The seeds are kept in this state until grain-sized sprouts appear. The fabric is periodically moistened.
Landing
The seeds are planted in rows at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other, and the grains are deepened by 1 cm. If planted in separate containers, then two seeds are planted in the soil for safety. Subsequently, the weaker sprout is removed.
The soil is moistened with a sprayer and the container is covered with film or transparent glass to create greenhouse conditions. The seedlings are placed in the brightest place and kept at room temperature until germination. Then the cover is removed.
Transplanting cucumbers to a permanent place
The optimal age of plants for transplanting to a permanent place is when they form 2-3 true leaves and a compact, non-elongated stem. Such seedlings are more likely to take root in a new place.
What will the moon tell us?
Everything is ready. Cucumbers have been selected that can be grown on the windowsill. All that remains is to set the day. Many people consult the moon on how to grow cucumbers on the windowsill. And she advises soaking and sowing the seeds during the waxing period of the moon.
The best times are considered to be phases 1 and 3. And if the moon is in Cancer, Taurus, Scorpio or Capricorn, feel free to start working.
Interesting on the topic:
WHEN TO PLANT SEEDS FOR SEEDLINGS: SIMPLE CALCULATION OF SOWING TIME
Features of care
To safely grow cucumbers in the winter at home on a window, follow agrotechnical rules. This process may seem boring to novice vegetable growers, but the crop will delight you with tasty and high-quality vegetables.
Watering
Plants are moistened with settled water at room temperature . If you water it with a cold tap, the seedlings become overcooled and their roots die. The amount of soil in the pots is small, so the soil dries quickly. The cucumber crop is demanding of moisture, so the soil is not allowed to dry out.
Plants are watered moderately at the roots in the morning. Do not do this in the evening, because condensation will collect on the foliage at night. Excess moisture at night causes fungal diseases.
Temperature
The optimal air temperature for cultivating cucumbers on a window is +18-26°C. This indicator should not change. If this is required, insulate the window frames, since cucumbers on the windowsill in winter do not tolerate drafts. Cold from a window can destroy a plant or slow down the ripening of fruits even in a warm room.
Correct lighting
For full growth, the plant needs at least 12-14 hours of lighting per day. Therefore, in winter, when daylight hours are short, lamps are used for additional illumination. They are installed at a distance of 30-40 cm from the tops of the plants.
Accordingly, as the bushes grow, the lamps are raised. To provide the maximum amount of light, reflective foil is attached above the lamp or on the sides of the plants.
Application of fertilizers and fertilizers
The first fertilizer is applied during the formation of the second true leaf. Throughout the growing season, the crop is fed once every 7-10 days. For this use:
- wood ash;
- complex fertilizers;
- humates.
An infusion is prepared from the ash (100 g per 1 liter of water), and the surface of the soil is also lightly sprinkled with it. During the flowering period, the foliage and stems are sprayed with a boric mixture (2 g of boric acid per 2 liters of water).
They also infuse banana peels in water. Plants are watered with this solution during fruiting. Liquid preparations for fertilizing cucumbers:
- "Good power" for cucumbers;
- "Hello";
- "Florhumate";
- ROST.
pinching and shaping the bush
Depending on the variety, bushes are formed differently. The vigorously climbing plant grows in one stem. The stepsons that appear in the sinuses are removed. Weakly climbing cucumbers are grown in 1-2 stems.
Growing weakly climbing varieties with two stems:
- the main shoot is pinched above the fourth leaf;
- two second-order shoots are left;
- the whips are tied to the supports.
Important! The main thing is to blind the ovaries in the first and second sinuses in time, as they slow down the ripening of cucumbers.
Tying up
Without a garter, the plants are poorly ventilated and shade each other. The lashes are tied with a nylon cord to a vertical support, which is located in the pot.
A trellis is also installed. To do this, a metal ring is screwed to the slope, to which a rope is tied. Its second end is fixed to a wooden peg, which is installed in the pot. As the crop grows, the lashes are tied or attached to the cord with special plastic clips.
For your information. Some vegetable growers attach a plastic mesh to the window opening. Varieties with tendrils cling to the cells themselves, while plants without tendrils are tied up independently.
Pollination
Artificial pollination is required for bee-pollinated cucumber varieties. The event takes place in the morning. The male flower is picked, the petals are folded back and its central part is touched to the stamens of the female open buds.
Help for germination
For a greenhouse effect during the period when the cucumbers on the windowsill have not yet sprouted, use film or glass. When using tablets , you will have to take care of a small greenhouse. Remember! Peat or coconut substrates tend to dry out quickly.
Light in the window - morning, afternoon and evening
The most difficult and responsible task is to ensure the lighting regime. Especially if you decide to grow vegetables by January . On the cucumber lash, the fruits will ripen in 45-60 days from germination. It depends on what varieties of cucumbers you planted on the windowsill. It turns out that sowing should begin in the last days of October or at the very beginning of November.
We managed to talk to a lighting specialist in the person of amateur gardener Vasily. And he answered our questions.
– Vasily, we decided to eat our own cucumbers on New Year’s holidays. What do you recommend as additional lighting?
- Yes, you can’t do without lighting. LED phytolamps provide good light. Their price ranges from 4-5 hundred to several thousand rubles, but the result and long service life compensate for the costs.
– I would like to know more.
– Lamps for plants using LEDs are: bicolor, multispectrum and full spectrum. The first ones are two-colored, good for seedlings. Multispectrum will help those who want to eat cucumbers in early spring, for example, by March 8th. With the full spectrum, you can get cucumbers on your windowsill for the New Year. If there are no southern windows, you can compensate for this by increasing the power of the electric lighting device.
Getting ready for rapid growth
A properly lit plant will grow quickly. You will soon need some supports or a garter cord. Without a garter, the stem will break. It is necessary to take into account that when growing cucumbers on a windowsill, unlike in a greenhouse, all the tendrils are broken off. Because they slow down growth.
Harvesting Rules
In winter, only early varieties of cucumbers are grown on the windowsill. They begin to bear fruit approximately 40-50 days after germination. At this time, the plants are still weak, so the first fruits set are picked at the ovary stage.
The crop endures the first fruiting with difficulty. A plant that is not yet fully formed gives all its strength to cucumbers, which inhibits its growth and further development. Thus, the vines are allowed to grow stronger, which allows the crop to produce much more yield in the future than in the case of growing the firstborn to full size.
Vegetables are harvested every 2-3 days. If the harvest is not harvested in time, the growth of further ovaries and the formation of new cucumbers will slow down significantly. One overripe vegetable in winter stops the growth of the entire vine. If this is allowed, the plant on the windowsill in winter may stop developing altogether.
Final meeting of experienced and beginning gardeners
We will not repeat all the nuances of planting, growing and caring for cucumbers on the windowsill . But let us repeat what must be taken into account. So, don't forget:
- disinfect the soil and untreated seeds;
- ensure drainage and outflow of excess water;
- monitor the emergence of seedlings and remove glass or film in time;
- turn on the backlight and measure the temperature;
- check humidity and water strictly in the morning;
- tie it up in time and form a whip.
Growing cucumbers at home in winter usually does not leave everyone in the household indifferent. Children especially look forward to the appearance of the first greenery. Younger family members gain new skills by participating in growing cucumbers on the windowsill. And for the oldest, a good emotional boost.
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Possible problems
The most common difficulties with home cultivation:
- If vegetables are bitter, this means that there is an excess of cucurbitacin in the fruit, which occurs under unfavorable growing factors: sudden temperature changes, severe cold or, conversely, heat, lack of watering.
- If the lower leaves dry out, this is due to too high a temperature and low humidity in the room.
- If the lower leaves of the seedlings turn yellow, apply fertilizer containing potassium, phosphorus and magnesium.
- If the seedlings are stretched out, it means that the crop does not have enough light and you need to add a little soil mixture. It is added 2-3 times a month.
Important! Purchase those varieties of cucumbers that have the inscription “genetically without bitterness” on the packaging. Such vegetables will never taste bitter.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Balcony f1 cucumber variety is famous for a number of positive characteristics:
- high yield (among varieties for home cultivation);
- compact bush size;
- cucumbers do not grow in length;
- no tendency to barrel fruit;
- taste without bitterness, sweetish, not herbaceous;
- precocity;
- self-pollinating;
- easy to care for;
- shade-tolerant;
- resistant to diseases and pests;
- The fruits are good for both fresh consumption and canning.
According to reviews from growers, Balcony f1 has no significant shortcomings.
Is it possible to encounter diseases and pests when growing at home?
Cucumbers growing on a windowsill are most often affected by aphids and house flies (fungus gnats). You can bring aphids home with flowers. The pest is eliminated by washing the leaves with soapy water. The procedure is carried out once a week. Midges and larvae appear more often in October and March. The roots suffer from the larvae in the soil. They are destroyed with insecticidal preparations, for example, “Aktara”, “Mukhoed” or “Bazudin”.
Among the diseases, indoor cucumbers are threatened by black leg. This is a fungal disease that affects young plants. The reasons are poorly disinfected soil, poorly prepared seed material, low temperatures and waterlogging of the crop.
Germination and harvest dates
If the seeds were previously germinated, the first sprouts appear 3-5 days after sowing, and when planting dry seeds, the period of sprouting increases to 5-7 days.
The duration of harvest ripening depends on the variety of cucumbers. Early ripening plants begin to bear fruit after 40-50 days.
Important! The fruits are harvested when their size reaches 8-10 cm. If you harvest the crop in time and do not allow it to outgrow, new vegetables will immediately begin to form on the bush.
Preparing the seeds
Now, before we start planting the seeds in the soil, we will calibrate and disinfect them. To do this, we select empty and spoiled ones for scrap and disinfect the remaining ones. How to do it?
We check for suitability as follows:
- Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 200 ml of water and add the seeds.
- Leave for 5 minutes.
- Everything that comes up is considered empty.
- Wash those that have sunk to the bottom with clean water and dry.
Now we etch the planting material. I will give you several methods, I will indicate the one that is most convenient for me, and you can choose.
- Potassium permanganate solution.
- Zelenka.
- Chlorhexidine.
- Fitosporin.
- Aloe juice.
- Garlic infusion.
The last two options are the most environmentally friendly. I use garlic infusion. They make it like this: pour 2-3 crushed cloves with 100 ml of water and leave to brew for 24 hours.
In what cases is seed treatment not necessary? If they are green or another unusual shade. This means that the manufacturer has already pre-treated them. As a rule, you won’t find pacifiers among them. We sow the coated seeds dry, but if desired, you can soak them so that they germinate.
The preparation of seeds is not completed yet. Now that we are confident in their quality, let's help the sprouts hatch.
To do this, wrap the seeds in cotton pads or cotton cloth, and then in film.
Advice
I don’t recommend taking gauze, since the sprouts wrap around thin thread fibers, after which we won’t be able to get them out without damaging them.
Keep the seeds in a warm place (about 27 degrees) until sprouts appear. It usually takes me 2-3 days.
