Growing cucumbers on a windowsill in winter

Winter is a time of sleep and rest for all plants, but gardeners have learned to deceive nature today grow vegetables in the cold season on windowsills... If you want to enjoy green and crispy cucumbers all winter long, it is necessary to carry out sowing work in several stages. To get the fruits of our own production for the New Year's table, the seeds must be sown in early October. Then, in early January, the peak of fruiting will come. If you sow cucumbers in early December, then at the end of February you can already collect the first fruits. By March 8, the zelents planted in early January will ripen.

Interesting facts about growing cucumbers

• Cucumbers are thermophilic plants. They do not tolerate extreme heat and love moisture. For successful fruiting in the room, they need to create conditions close to the natural environment.
• The root system of plants lies close to the soil surface, so it is advisable to cover cucumber bushes with mulch not only in the garden, but also on the balcony or windowsill.
• The more often you harvest cucumber bushes, the better they will bear fruit.
• Daylight is a prerequisite for fruit setting. For a full growing season, the plant needs 10 hours of light. In winter it is necessary turn on the fluorescent lamp over the plants so that they do not stretch out and grow ugly fruits.

Secrets and Tips

Agrotechnology for growing cucumbers on the windowsill in winter is a simple science and even a novice gardener can master it. In order to prevent important mistakes that will lead to loss of the crop, you must adhere to the recommendations and tips that will tell you: how to grow cucumbers at home in winter and get a rich harvest.

• Soil for sowing seeds and planting seedlings must be sterile. Today, among experienced gardeners, a popular method of growing vegetables hydroponically. It is especially relevant in the winter season, but it must be used carefully so as not to exceed the dosage of mineral fertilizers.
• When buying seeds, you need to consult with sellers and inform him that seed is needed for winter cultivation.
• Before sowing, it is advisable to disinfect and process the seeds. growth stimulant... If the manufacturer has taken care of this and they are covered with a special film, then there is no need for processing.
• Coated seeds require a lot of moisture and germinate a week later than usual.
• It is better to plant cucumbers in separate small containers of 2-3 seeds in one pot... After germination, excess plants are removed and one bush is left.
• You can save planting material and germinate cucumber seeds before planting. The largest seeds are selected and soaked in a soft cloth for 12 hours. Those that are suitable for planting will swell. They can be sown in pots.
• For sowing cucumbers, a 1: 1 mixture of peat and sand is suitable.
• In wet soil, small depressions up to 2 cm or furrows are made and seeds are placed in them at a distance of 1 cm.
• If sowing is carried out in a common large container, then the distance between the plants should reach about 3 cm. Thanks to this technique, the seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent place with a large lump of earth and not injure the roots.
• After sowing, the holes and grooves are tamped with a palm or spatula, and the container is placed in greenhouse or covered with transparent film to maintain moisture in the soil.
• The ideal temperature for a friendly emergence of shoots is 22 degrees.
• The first shoots appear from several days to two weeks, depending on the type of seeds and temperature conditions.
• At this time, it is necessary to spray, since many sprouts cannot get rid of the seed film on their own. It is also advisable to lower the temperature to 20 degrees, increase the daylight hours to 12 hours so that the plants do not stretch.
• Full watering is carried out after the appearance of the first true leaf. At this time, you can begin to apply micronutrient supplements and mineral fertilizers.
• The third true leaf is a signal that the bush must be transplanted into a permanent container. It must be selected so that at least three liters of space are passed per plant.
• For planting seedlings, it is advisable to use a mixture of turf and humus (1: 1), wood ash, potash and phosphate fertilizers... It's good if there is vermiculite. Then another liter of vermiculite is added to three liters of this mixture. Cucumber plants love to eat, so the soil for them must be nutritious and loose. Through coconut fiber and peat based on sphagnum moss can increase soil air permeability.
• Before asking the question of when to plant cucumbers on the windowsill, you must remember that it is winter outside and plants need bottom heating, distance from the window, and a lot of sunlight.
• The stretch mesh will help solve the problem of keeping a distance from the cold window and will serve as an excellent support for the cucumber shoots. The main thing is to correctly place the shoots on the net and regulate the load.
• Cultivars with two types of flowering need to pinch the central shoot in order to increase the number of female flowers on the bush.
• During flowering, shake the bush or support net several times a day to speed up the pollination process.
• It is very important to maintain a high percentage of moisture and not allow the soil to dry out. The temperature should not drop below 20 degrees.
• You need to be very careful about watering. In case of overflow, the plant can get sick with a black leg. Better to water every day in small doses.
• During the flowering period, cucumbers need additional feeding. During this period, wood ash tincture is best suited: 1 glass of linden ash, maple (but not oak) per 10 liters of water. Fertilization with micronutrients for cucumbers also promotes better fruit setting. Fertilizers can be applied no more than once every two weeks.
• Daily picking of fruits will extend the life of the cucumber bush and increase its yield several times.

The correct approach to growing cucumbers in winter will help experienced and novice gardeners to get a rich harvest of juicy and crunchy fruits. And so that all efforts do not go down the drain, it is also necessary to choose the right variety suitable for growing in winter indoors.

The best varieties of cucumbers for growing on a windowsill in winter

To get a good harvest, you need to choose the right varieties of cucumbers for growing on the windowsill in winter.

It is best to sow self-pollinating hybrids that set fruit on their own.

Among the great abundance should be distinguished such hybrids as "Marinda F1", "Masha F1", "Legend F1", "Moscow greenhouse F1", "Romance F1". These plants are distinguished by high yields, undemanding conditions of keeping and resistant to diseases.

When choosing a variety, it is necessary to focus on the type of flowering, the vigor of the vine's growth and the time of entry into fruiting. In indoor cultivation, early maturing bush cucumber hybrids with a female type of flowering have proven themselves well.

Among varieties with two types of flowering, cucumbers of the "Boy with a Thumb" variety are best suited for a balcony and a windowsill. Whichever variety you prefer, it should be understood that without care and maintenance, a cucumber vine will not bring the desired result.

Video about growing cucumbers on the windowsill