It is good to enjoy fresh vegetables all year round, but this is often impossible due to the climatic features of the region. Most solve this problem by building greenhouses, but not everyone has the opportunity to build such a building. Plants can also be grown indoors. Do you want to know how to grow cucumbers on a balcony? For a successful result, you must follow a few simple but important points.
Preparation of seeds before sowing
In order for the plants to turn out strong, and there were many ovaries of female flowers, from which the fruits of cucumbers actually develop, the seeds should be subjected to special treatment with solutions and hardening. The first stage is roasting in an oven or in an oven at 60 ° C. Next, the seeds are soaked, subjecting them to temperature changes.
In such a matter of how to grow cucumbers on a balcony, it is important to know several options for compositions from different elements for soaking, such as boric acid (20 mg),methyl blue (300 mg), zinc sulfate (2 g) or soda (500 g). The solution is prepared from one of the listed substances, the indicated amount is calculated for 1 liter of water.
You can also use mineral solutions for pre-soaking, such as potassium nitrate (5 g), magnesium sulfate (0.2 g) and superphosphate (10 g) - per liter of water. Seeds should be soaked at room temperature for half a day in gauze bags. After that, they are taken out and left until the first sprouts appear. Then the bags are placed in the refrigerator, where the temperature should be about -2 ° C, and kept for about 6 hours.
Preparing the soil for seedlings
In order to be aware of how to grow cucumbers on the balcony, it would be useful to know that it is better to grow seedlings of these plants first. And for these purposes, you need to properly prepare the soil. It is prepared from a special ratio or humus (4), peat (5) and sawdust (1), or humus (7), mullein (1) and sod land (2).
Also, the prepared version of the mixture must be enriched with mineral fertilizers: ammonium nitrate (10 g), potassium chloride (5 g) and superphosphate (10 g). Such soil should be placed in paper cups and placed in a well-lit and ventilated area. Cucumber seeds are planted one at a time in a cup, watered regularly.
Growing seedlings
When the first leaf appears on the seedlings, you need to feed. To do this, prepare a mixture of the above mineral fertilizers in a ratio of 8: 10: 15,diluting them in 10 liters of water. Repeatedly a similar procedure should be carried out after 14 days, doubling the concentration of the solution. It should be watered with warm water so that the earth is not dry. Seedlings can be heated with special lamps. You also need to consider that cucumbers are sensitive to drafts. After 20-22 days of seedling growth, cucumbers are planted on the balcony in the main containers.
Preparation and Transplantation
Perhaps many people know how to grow cucumbers on the balcony, but there are some points, the knowledge of which will increase the success of this business:
- Large pots or special wooden boxes should be used as a permanent container, on the bottom of which a layer of gravel should be laid.
- The soil should be enriched with nutrients (humus and minerals), and watered at room temperature before planting.
- Plant seedlings with a clod of earth.
- The plants need to build supports for climbing stems.
- Water and ventilate regularly.
- Access of light should not be limited, it is better to place containers on the south side.
- When the roots are exposed, they need to be covered with earth. If the color of the leaves is pale, you need to fertilize with a solution of humus and minerals.
- Self-pollinating varieties should be used as seeds for planting. If this produces too many female flowers, cut off some of them.
Following simple tips and following simple rules for planting, feeding and transplanting seedlings, you can grow cucumbers on the balcony. A photooptions for such "cucumber beds" are available in our article. And you too can create such an oasis at home.
