Growing cucumbers on the windowsill

Breeders have brought new varieties of cucumbersadapted for growing on a windowsill. One of these varieties is the F1 window-balcony hybrid. This variety is intended for winter planting. Cucumbers of this variety respond positively to a decrease in daylight hours. Since the variety is medium-growing, the plant does not take up much space, which is very important for growing on a windowsill. Cucumbers are planted at a time when daylight hours begin to increase. 10 days before planting in a pot, the seeds must be germinated. To do this, you can use a container with a damp cotton wool or make a "snail". Let's consider two methods of germination in more detail.

Read also the article: methods of growing cucumbers in the open field!

Germination in a closed container

The seeds are germinated on a cotton wool soaked in warm water or potassium permanganate solution. The cotton wool is placed in a closed container to keep moisture longer. You can put up to five seeds on one cotton wool, the distance between them should be 0.5 cm. Then the cotton wool is folded in half, covering the seeds. Every 2-3 days, a little water must be added to the seed container. Thus, constant humidity is maintained. When the seeds hatch, they are planted in the ground.

Germination in the "snail"

You can grow full-fledged cucumber seedlings in a "snail". To do this, you need to cut off a 10x10 cm square of insulation. You can use a substrate under the laminate. Then you need to cut off a piece of gauze. It should be 2 cm more in height than a square made of insulation. The gauze must be moistened. Then it is placed on the prepared square. You need to put 2-3 seeds on cheesecloth. The insulation together with gauze is rolled up into a tube. The resulting "snail" is placed in a container with water. Thanks to gauze, the plants will feed on moisture.

When 2-3 leaves appear on the cucumbers, the "snail" is unrolled and the gauze is carefully cut to obtain individual seedlings.

Preparing the pot

A drainage layer of large pebbles is poured onto the bottom of the pot. Then the pot is filled two-thirds with the fertile mixture. To prepare it, you need to mix four parts of earth, two parts of peat and one part of sand or garden vermiculite. Then the soil must be shed well and the cucumbers must be planted in it. Place the pot on a pallet. Disposable plates or planks can be used for the pallet. Also, it is advisable to put a lamp near the cucumber pots for additional lighting.

Read also: growing cucumbers in the greenhouse!