Growing cucumbers on the balcony: varieties, instructions

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The absence of a suburban area does not mean at all that you will not have the opportunity to eat vegetables grown on your own. After all, right on the balcony or loggia you can plant your favorite cucumbers and other crops. To do this, it is enough just to properly prepare the room and select special varieties of plants that are well suited for growing at home. In this review, we will figure out how to plant cucumbers on the balcony.

Choose seeds

If you decide to plant a garden right at home, then first decide on the variety of cucumbers. In this case, it should be borne in mind that there are no natural pollinators on the balcony. Also an important factor in a limited space is the yield indicator. For home beds, cucumber varieties for the balcony are best suited, which allow you to collect the maximum amount of vegetables from a small area.

What else should I know? Choosing varieties of cucumbers for the balcony and window sill,you can also purchase species that require pollination, such as "Manula" or "Marathon". However, in this case, you will need to plant self-pollinating varieties next to them. The ratio of these plants should be 5:1. Be sure to keep in mind that this option is more suitable for experienced gardeners who are well versed in all the intricacies of growing vegetables. If this is your first experience, then it is better to give preference to proven hybrids. In addition to the correct selection of the variety, special attention should also be paid to the soil, pots, top dressing. The future harvest of cucumbers will depend simultaneously on many factors.

Garden on the loggia: main stages

How to grow cucumbers on the balcony at home? Not everywhere you can equip the beds. This culture requires a certain climate. She is thermophilic and does not tolerate drafts. Before sowing cucumbers, you need to carefully examine the area in which you are going to create a bed. Most likely, the walls of the balcony will need to be insulated. You will also need additional ventilation. For balconies facing southeast or east, this is one of the most important conditions. In the absence of additional insulation in such rooms, strong temperature fluctuations can be observed. This has a negative impact on the crop.

Cucumbers for the balcony and windowsill require good lighting. Take care in advance of equipping the beds with additional fluorescent lamps. This will help you create a favorable microclimate for growing and achieve excellent yields. At this preparatory stagecompleted. Next, you should go directly to the garden work.

Sprouting seeds

Many housewives are wondering how to plant cucumbers on the balcony. We will consider growing step by step in this review. It all starts with germination. Instructions are usually provided on the package with seeds. She should be guided in the implementation of garden work. As a rule, this instruction indicates the period of time that is necessary for the appearance of the first fruits. If the room is insulated and equipped with additional light sources, you can plant cucumbers even in the cold season. So you can get the first harvest in the spring.

For germination, it is necessary to prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate (it should be pinkish). It is necessary to withstand the seeds of cucumbers for the balcony for 20 minutes. After that, they are laid out on wet gauze. When the seeds sprout, they can be planted in the ground. For starters, it is better to use small jars or flower pots. Glasses made of opaque plastic will also work. It is better to give preference to dark-colored products. Under these conditions, you can protect the roots of the plant from the negative effects of sunlight. Can be used for seeds and one common box. Only in this case, after the emergence of seedlings, you will have to plant them in different pots. After all the seeds have been planted, all you have to do is cover them with foil and place them in heat.

Choosing a container for planting

Cucumbers are a moisture-loving crop. It requires frequent watering. To prevent root rot, experts recommend choosing pots with a double bottom. You can buy them in specialized stores at an affordable price. Excess moisture in such a container will not linger in the soil, but will go into the pan. In flower shops, you can pick up special pots designed for growing cucumbers. When choosing a container, it should be borne in mind that its volume should be from 4 to 5 liters. If you could not find such a pot, then ordinary dark plastic bottles will do. Just make holes in the bottom and substitute a plate to drain excess water. Metal containers are not suitable for seedlings. Under the influence of water, they can rust.

Soil preparation

How to grow cucumbers on the balcony? An important step is the preparation of the soil. For this purpose, soil, peat, compost and other ingredients are used. There are several recipes that are best suited for growing cucumbers. However, to find the best one, you need to try several options at once.

Here are some of them:

1. The first version of the soil for cucumbers is easy to prepare on your own, but you can also purchase it at a flower shop. It includes the following ingredients: compost, sod land, sawdust, ash, peat. All compounds are taken in the same amount and thoroughly mixed.
2. Second option: the first composition is used as the basis. In a bucket of soil already prepared according to the first recipe, you must add15 grams of nitrophoska and 10 grams of urea. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. The resulting earth must be filled with seedling cups.
3. The third option contains half a bucket of soddy soil, half a bucket of compost, two glasses of wood ash and 50 grams of lime. You can also add 5 grams of potash and phosphorus fertilizer. All the ingredients listed above must be thoroughly mixed and transferred to a plastic bag. After that, a hole is dug in the summer cottage, the prepared package is lowered there and covered with earth from above. The rotted mixture will be an excellent soil for growing cucumbers on the balcony.

Planting seeds

How to do this process correctly? Planting seeds is the most important stage on which the entire harvest will depend.

Therefore, it is extremely important to follow certain rules when performing this procedure:

1. The air temperature in the room should be 22-25 degrees. These are the optimal conditions for picking cucumbers on the balcony. Growing at lower temperatures can lead to a significant increase in ripening time.
2. Before filling the pots with soil, rinse the inner walls of the containers with a solution of potassium permanganate. This will significantly reduce the risk of plant damage by diseases and pests.
3. To plant the seeds, you just need to deepen them a couple of centimeters into the soil.
4. Seeds should germinate in a warm and well ventilated area. You can leave the pots in the room withadditional lighting. Position them so that the seedlings are not exposed to direct sunlight.
5. Water the plant every other day. If the air in the room is too dry, then the amount of watering should be increased. Water should have a temperature of 22 to 23 degrees. Fill several bottles at once, so that if necessary, you always have something to water the seedlings.

Transplant seedlings

How to plant cucumbers on the balcony? Growing cucumbers on a balcony necessarily involves such a procedure as transplanting seedlings. It should be started after the appearance of the first sheets. For this purpose, special wooden boxes with a double bottom will come in handy. You can buy them at the flower shop. Pay attention to the fact that they have a pallet. The optimal dimensions of the seedling box are 20x30x60 cm. In this case, you can easily keep moisture in the soil.

When transplanting seedlings, the following instructions should be followed:

1. The containers should be about half full of soil. The earth must be watered with a solution of potassium permanganate.
2. After half an hour, you can place a sprout from a cup in a pre-prepared box with earth. Seedlings should be transplanted directly together with an earthen clod.
3. Sprinkle soil in such a way that the plant is better settled in a new container.

Transplanted seedlings should be watered every day using warm settled water. Try to protect the cucumbers on the balcony from drafts. Remove when ventilatingcontainers. After 40-50 days after transplanting, you will be able to get the first harvest.

Feeding

An essential condition for obtaining a good crop of cucumbers is high-quality top dressing. It is not enough just to water the beds. In order for a plant to develop properly, it needs nutrients. Cucumbers are fed twice - 14 days after the appearance of the first shoots and another 10 days later.

Form cucumber lashes

Pinching is an important step in growing cucumbers on the balcony. This procedure is necessary so that the plant does not have to spend energy on shoots that are not able to bring a good harvest. The method of pinching depends on the variety you have chosen. If we are talking about self-pollinating crops, then it is necessary to pinch off the first 2-3 ovaries on the shoots. Next, you should remove the side shoots on the third or fourth cucumber. It should be noted that self-pollinating varieties are easier to care for.

On plants of pollinated varieties, fruits mainly appear on lateral shoots. Therefore, the main vine should be pinched. After the third leaf appears on the seedlings, it should be cut off, capturing the growth point.

Tie up cucumber shoots is a must. At a height of 0.5 meters above the soil, a wire is pulled. A strong thread is launched from it, with the help of which whips are formed.

Care tips for cucumbers

To get a good harvest, you need to listen to the advice of experienced gardeners. How to grow cucumbers on the balcony? Thisculture requires special attention.

To get a quality harvest, it is enough to follow a few simple recommendations, namely:

• loosen the soil from time to time;
• do pinching;
• tie up shoots;
• monitor the degree of soil moisture, in no case allow it to dry out;
• maintain the temperature on the balcony where you grow cucumbers;
• don't forget about extra lighting.

If you follow these simple requirements, you will soon be able to quickly collect cucumbers on the balcony. Growing this crop does not involve significant financial costs. Using the simple guidelines presented in this article, you will get a rich harvest of cucumbers.

Yellowing of leaves

Very often, housewives who grow cucumbers on the balcony face this problem. Varieties in this matter do not play a special role. Leaves can burn due to too high a temperature on the balcony. If it exceeds 30 degrees, it is necessary to artificially create a shadow for cucumbers. From such heat, not only leaves, but also fruits can turn yellow. Care in this case must necessarily include mulching the soil and irrigating the plants with water from a spray bottle. Also, experts attribute poor pollination, an excess of ovaries and the presence of diseases to possible causes of yellowing cucumbers.

If you notice that cucumbers grow too slowly, then this may be due to insufficient feeding. In this case, it is necessary to add mineral or yeast to the plant.top dressing and check if the plants have enough water and light. Also try to carefully care for the pots. If the ovaries turn yellow and dry out, then it may be worth checking the plant for damage. The reason, most likely, is that cucumbers simply do not have enough energy to grow. Proper care and feeding can fix this. A similar picture can still be observed with insufficient pinching. By the time of fruiting, the plant simply does not have enough resources. In this case, proper care will come down to top dressing, sun protection and thorough watering.

Conclusion

Today, cucumbers on the balcony are the cherished dream of many residents of large cities. Unfortunately, not every citizen of our country can afford his own personal plot. But even in conditions of limited space, you can get a good harvest. To grow cucumbers on the balcony, you need to choose the right variety and create all the necessary conditions for the culture. You may need to re-equip your loggia a little for this. It is also worth considering that cucumbers require daily care. Only in this case you are guaranteed to get delicious homemade fruits rich in vitamins.