Growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter - basic principles

Tell us about growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter. Is it possible to get a crop at home, and when is it better to sow seeds? I want to give natural vegetables to my grandchildren, otherwise you yourself know that in winter they are like plastic in the store, they don't even smell. Last year I planted cherry tomatoes in a pot, they grew very tasty, albeit small. But the kids had enough for the salad, and so to eat. Now I have decided to grow cucumbers too.

Growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter is a great way to provide your family with fresh vegetables. Plants need warmth and light to harvest. The first is always enough during the heating season, and light can be provided by placing the pots on the southern window or installing additional lighting. If lemons and tangerines bear fruit at home, then cucumbers can all the more.

Growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter - which varieties are better

Considering that the apartment is still not open ground and there will be no pollinating insects in the house, it is better to plant parthenocarpic varieties. These are self-pollinated hybrids with only female inflorescences. They don't need pollination to get the ovary. Usually these are varieties with small fruits up to a maximum of 25 cm long.

In addition, only early hybrids with a short growing season (30 to 50 days) should be selected.

For example, the following varieties are suitable for growing in pots on the window (marked with F1, which means "hybrid"):

• Khutorok;
• Masha;
• Marinda;
• Bianca;
• Prestige;
• Room Rytov;
• Claudia.

Sowing dates

If it is possible to supplement the planting, it is better to plant the seeds in winter, in January-February. The culture should have at least 15 hours of daylight hours. Therefore, without additional lighting, it is more expedient to sow later, in spring, when the daylight hours become longer.

You need to focus on how long it will take from the emergence of seedlings to the ripening of cucumbers. On average, this takes at least 45 days.

First, it is better to sow the seeds in small cups on seedlings. And then transplant it into pots or containers with a volume of 5 liters. This will be enough for one plant. The soil must be taken light and nutritious. A special substrate for pumpkin crops is sold in stores, but a universal soil for indoor flowers is also suitable.

How to care for indoor cucumbers

Comfortable conditions for plants will be lighting for at least 12 hours, warm (not lower than 20 ° C, otherwise they will stop growing). And the complete absence of drafts.

Caring for cucumbers on the windowsill is as follows:

1. Watering in the morning as the soil dries out.
2. Periodic spraying, because working heating batteries dry the air.
3. Top dressing before flowering with nitrogen fertilizers, and then with complex preparations (phosphorus-potassium).

Indoor cucumbers need proper pruning. Parthenocarpic varieties are formed into one stem, pinching its top when the bush gains height. As a rule, it is limited by the height of the window. Common hybrids are pinched after 5 leaves, forming a lush bush. It does not hurt to remove the mustache - they only take food from the bush.

How to grow cucumbers on a windowsill