Spring is coming, and the body already requires vitamins. With what pleasure would you now crunch a fresh, freshly picked cucumber! It is not at all necessary to wait for the summer, they can be planted at any time of the year on the windowsill. And after a month and a half, you will enjoy the first fruits of your efforts.
Choosing seeds for planting
When answering the question of how to grow a cucumber on a windowsill, it should be mentioned that not all varieties of cucumbers will grow and bear fruit in apartment conditions, so you need to carefully consider their choice. For these purposes, self-pollinated hybrids, such as "zozulya", "April", "stella", "cucaracha", are optimally suited. If you prefer bee-pollinated varieties, then be sure to plant pollinating hybrids as well. And this will create unnecessary worries and take up extra space on the windowsill. And by planting, for example, a "zozulya" cucumber, you will get a friendly return of early cucumbers already 50 days after germination. Green large-lumpy fruits weighing from 160 to 300 grams will please you with an excellent taste.
Choose a place, capacity and soil
If the house has south-facing windows, then it is best to plant cucumbers there. The east and west side can also be considered as an option, but the north side is best avoided. If you have been thinking about how to grow a cucumber on a windowsill for a long time, then do not miss this important moment.
The capacity for planting should be large enough - at least eight liters for one plant. For these purposes, a wooden box or a strong plastic bag is suitable. At the bottom of the containers you need to make holes to drain excess water and ventilate the roots.
The soil for planting cucumbers should be light and nutritious. The stores have a large selection of ready-made soil mixtures. You can use them, or you can make the substrate yourself. For a quality mix, you will need 20% soil, 40% compost, 10% sawdust and 30% peat. To the mixture you need to add an incomplete matchbox of urea and two boxes of superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
Be sure to put a layer of drainage on the bottom of the containers before filling them with soil.
Growing seedlings of cucumbers
Now go directly to the answer to the question of how to grow a cucumber on the windowsill. Soak the seeds and wait for them to germinate. Select the strongest of them and plant them in peat pots. Now they need to be put in one box, covered with a transparent film and put in a warm place. After the shoots appear, the seedlings need to be rearranged in a cool place, so the seedlings will not stretch. After the appearance of 4 or 5pinch the top of the sheet. This technique will enhance the growth of the root system and side lashes. It does not hurt to create additional lighting for seedlings with fluorescent lamps.
Planting seedlings in a permanent place
After about 25 days, cucumbers can be transplanted to a permanent place. Seedlings should be planted directly in peat pots in well-moistened soil, additionally watering each cucumber. The photos given in the article show that with this method of growing, you can get strong he althy plants. Keep an eye on soil moisture - the soil should never dry out.
Cucumber care
When the seedlings begin to grow actively, you need to stick pegs next to the plants and stretch the ropes along the wall of the balcony or to the top of the window. Cucumbers need to be tied to them. Then they will cling to the rope on their own. Feed the seedlings with mineral fertilizers from time to time, illuminate them with fluorescent lamps on cloudy days. Do not delay picking ripe cucumbers - they slow down the growth of other fruits.
That's all the tricks on how to grow a cucumber on a windowsill. By following these guidelines, you can get up to 30 cucumbers from each plant.
