Cucumbers on the balcony: growing in plastic bottles with photos and videos

The summer season, when a lot of vegetables and fruits grow in the garden, is not as long as we would like, so many people prefer to plant vegetables at home. The main thing is to choose the right drainage. Growing cucumbers on the balcony of the house is practically no different from growing a crop in an open area.

Best varieties to grow at home

Not all varieties of cucumbers are suitable for growing on a windowsill. Only those cucumbers that are self-pollinated are suitable. Most often, these are hybrids. You can grow them in pots, plastic bottles or containers.

The following varieties are suitable for growing cucumbers on the balcony in plastic bottles:

Khutorok

Hytorok hybrid variety is suitable for growing cucumbers on the windowsill. Despite the fact that this variety is pollinated mainly by bees, it can also be planted at home. During flowering, you just need to brush over all the inflorescences so that the pollen gets on the female flowers. Medium sized cucumbers. About 10 cm long. Delicious, crispy cucumbers. Good for making light salads.

Shchedryk

Balcony conditions are quite suitable for the cultivation of this variety. The length of vegetables is about 15 cm. The harvest is good. The hybrid belongs to varieties with early ripening vegetables. The root system is developed. The ripening period is not more than half a month. The bush is not tall.Ideal for growing on a windowsill. You can make salads with cucumber or pickle them.

Crunch

One of the most productive varieties that are suitable for cultivation on the windowsill. From one bush you can collect about 45 ripe vegetables. The ripening period is from one and a half to two months. The hybrid self-pollinates. In one ovary, as a rule, 5-7 cucumber ovaries are formed.

Onega F1

Belongs to self-pollinating varieties that are suitable for growing cucumbers on the balcony. You can harvest the crop two months after planting cucumber seeds in open ground.

Emelya

The bushes of this variety are tall, so it is advisable to plant it in large pots. Cucumbers are large. The mass of one vegetable can reach 155 gr. From the moment of sowing seeds, until the appearance of the first fruits, about 55 days pass. You can also plant it outside. The variety has good cold tolerance. Vegetables are versatile in cooking.

How to plant cucumbers in soil

In order for cucumbers to grow he althy, it is necessary to create favorable conditions. Before sowing, planting material must be disinfected.

You can do it like this:

In warm water, dilute 10 gr. potassium permanganate.
Pour seeds into water and leave for 45 minutes.
Then pour out the water, and dry the planting material to a loose state.
After that, you can start planting seeds in the soil.

It is also important to choose the size of the pot. It shouldn't be too small. If the root system does not have enough space, then the plants will get sick or not grow at all.

To increase the percentage of germination, you can germinate the seeds in advance before planting. To do this, you will need gauze, a saucer and warm water.

Gauze wet with warm water, put the seeds in it. Cover with a second layer of gauze. Put the saucer in a warm and dark room (possible on the battery). After a few days of gauze, the first sprouts will appear. Then you need to plant germinated seeds in the drainage.

If the place allows, then on the balcony you can cultivate cucumbers in bags. It is important to prepare the soil for seedlings. The soil must be nutritious. You can mix manure or chicken manure with ordinary soil. If the earth is taken from the garden in the cold season, then before planting it must be warmed up to room temperature.

The second version of the substrate for cucumbers includes peat, wood ash, sawdust and soddy soil. Mix all ingredients. Put drainage on the bottom of the pot, and then cover it with earth.

How to grow cucumbers on a balcony

Before you plant cucumbers on the balcony, you need to carefully inspect it. Since cucumbers love warmth and sunlight, the windows should also face south. If the plants do not have enough sunlight, they will grow poorly and will not produce ovaries. It is also not desirable that there are strong drafts in the room.

Growing plants on the windowsill takes place in several basic steps:

Selecting a container for planting seedlings;
Preparation of land for seedlings of cucumbers;
Growing seedlings;
Transplanting seedlings to a permanent place;
Feeding;
Care;
Pollination;
Harvesting.

For home-grown cucumber seedlings, you need to create special conditions. The seedling container should be spacious so that the cucumbers have enough space.

Delivery dates may vary. Depending on what time it is planned to get the cucumber harvest, the loggia should be well heated if vegetables are grown in the cold season.

When growing cucumber seedlings at home, many are interested in the question “how much light do seedlings need”? In order for seedlings to grow normally, they need at least 12 hours of sunlight per day. There is practically no sun in winter, so you need to think about artificial lighting. You can put lamps next to the boxes and turn them on regularly.

Cucumber seeds are usually planted in separate peat pots and then transplanted to a permanent place. Seedlings grow quite quickly. You can transplant it after the first pair of full-fledged leaves appear.

On the balcony, cucumbers are planted in plastic bottles, not just in containers. For this, bottles with a volume of 5 liters are suitable. In the bottle, you need to make small holes on the sides and plant seedlings there (no more than 2 pieces). Cut small holes next to the hole and tie strong threads to them. Attach the other end to the window.

Large containers can be used as a container for planting cucumbers. You will also need to tie ropes to them so that the mustache of the cucumbers can rise up, and not lie on the surface of the windows. Containers must be at least 5 liters in volume.

Pots of cucumbers must be tied up. If this is not done, then those bushes that will lie on the ground may begin to rot. Also, in such conditions, various diseases can begin to develop.

How much care do cucumbers need at home

Growing cucumbers on the balcony will not be successful without proper plant care. The earth must always be loose. This will provide oxygen access to the root system, which in turn will have a positive effect on the growth and formation of fruits in cucumbers.

It is better to loosen the soil immediately before watering.

Cucumber Care Tips:

The ovaries should be formed so that they do not stretch and the stems are thick enough. To do this, you can pinch cucumbers. This measure will also increase the yield. The side shoots are also pinched, leaving 2-3 shoots. Leave the growth point on the 10th sheet.
It is possible to achieve good results in growing cucumbers only if mineral and organic top dressings are regularly applied to the soil. The first feeding is carried out 15 days after germination. After another 10 days, a second top dressing is carried out. For this purpose, you can use complex fertilizers, which are available in any gardening stores. Dung, chicken manure, mullein or wood ash are also suitable.

Water the bushes often. For irrigation, it is desirable to use only warm water. If you water the plants with cold water, various fungal diseases may appear.
To prevent diseases, the bushes are sprayed several times a month with a solution of laundry soap and soda.

The bushes should be constantly monitored. Very often, when cultivated at home, the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry out. The reason for the appearance of yellow leaves may be improperly organized watering or the development of diseases.

This can also be observed when watering with cold water. Watering the bushes should be no more than 3 times a week. If the earth does not have time to dry out, then you can water less often. You can also spray cucumber leaves to keep them from drying out.

If the air in the container room is dry, this can also negatively affect the he alth of the foliage. To solve this problem, you need to put a cup of water next to each box.

The second reason that often occurs is the appearance of insects. Together with the land for planting cucumbers, aphids can be brought from the site. These insects prefer to hibernate in the soil, and with the onset of heat, they begin to become more active.

In order to get rid of aphids and other parasites, cucumbers can be sprayed with water and laundry soap. Another effective insect repellent on cucumbers is acetic acid. Dilute a small amount of vinegar in water and spray cucumbers with the resulting solution several times a week.

It is undesirable to use various chemicals to kill insects on cucumbers at home, as this can adversely affect the he alth of those people who live in the apartment.