Cucumbers on the windowsill in winter: the best varieties, peculiarities of cultivation, recommendations and reviews

Greenhouse cucumbers, which can be bought in winter in supermarkets, have nothing in common, except for the name, with the vegetable that is so popular among the people. No vitamins in them, no "crunchy", no taste, no flavor. In a word, a fake at a high price.

To get real pleasure from winter greens, it is enough to have windows in the apartment on the south side and a desire to start a home "vegetable garden". Thanks to modern breeding, it is possible to grow cucumbers on the windowsill in winter. The sorts necessary for this have already been tested by many amateur gardeners.

Variety choice

To get a really good harvest with strong, neat and crispy cucumbers, you should correctly approach the purchase of seeds. That's what the experienced gardeners advise in their responses:

• It is preferable to take bush varieties so that a loggia or window is not entwined with a single long vine;
• It is worth while choosing to focus on the yield of the variety, so that there is no disappointment in its collection;
• Important is its unpretentiousness, because when grown cucumbers on the windowsill in winter, the best varieties are those that do not require additional lighting and care;
• The optimum option will be self-pollinated hybrids that do not need manual pollination and well tolerate the negative impact of the environment.

Such an approach when choosing a seed will help save time when caring for it and money when buying.

Hybrid varieties

If some time ago the choice of varieties was limited to "room Rytov", then today you can choose for every taste, for example:

• "Window-balcony F1". The variety was bred specially to plant cucumbers on the windowsill in winter. How to grow cucumbers in a small space? For this, there are technologies of its own, but this variety yields yields of up to 15 kg with 1 m ² after 55 days even within the pot. This hybrid has neat greenish green, it is undemanding for additional lighting and staunchly tolerates temperature changes.
• "Catherine F1" begins to bear fruit after 50 days. Gives cucumbers more than 20 cm in length, is not susceptible to diseases, shade-tolerant and frost-hardy. According to truck farmers, it is distinguished by long fruit bearing and high yield - up to 18 kg from 1 m ² .
• "Zozulya F1" is a well-tested hybrid, which perfectly tolerates the cold, begins to bear fruit for 45 days. The fruits are large with white spines and fluff. Many people say that they are very tasty and long lasting.
• "Onega F1" is one of the earliest maturing hybrids. From the appearance of the first leaves to cucumbers is only 38 days. Self-pollinated hybrid grade with small, neat cucumbers, suitable for both salads and marinating.

To grow such cucumbers on the windowsill in winter, the best varieties (reviews of experienced truck farmers warn about this) should be patient to temperature changes, shade-tolerant and self-pollinated.

The soil

Properly selected capacity and soil of the required composition will increase the crop indicated in the variety description. For planting cucumbers, you can use any flower pot or plastic bucket with a volume of at least 5 liters per plant. If the variety is bushy, then you can even use pendant pots.

It is important that there are drainage openings in the selected container. If there are none, you will have to do them manually.

Soil mixture is prepared from equal amounts of garden land, sand, ash, humus and the wood chips that have been scattered. To neutralize the substrate, it should be calcined in the oven for about 20-30 minutes at + 100-110 degrees. The prepared soil mixture must be loosened and poured into a container. You can buy ready-made soil in a specialized store. One day before sowing the seeds, the soil must be thoroughly poured.

Seed sowing

To grow cucumbers on a windowsill in winter, the best varieties, according to domestic vegetable growers, should be prepared for planting in the same way as usual:

• To decontaminate the seed material, experienced gardeners recommend keeping them for 3 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It is important to remember that only those seeds are suitable for sowing, that during this time they settled on the bottom of the glass. Those that stayed to float on the surface will not give normal seedlings, let alone yield.
• Seeds need to germinate in order to speed up the process of their emergence, for which they are wrapped in a cloth or napkin and regularly moistened for two days. The air temperature should be from +25 to +30 degrees. In 2 days they will give the first roots.
• The spilled seeds are thrown into the moist soil, in previously made holes to a depth of 1.5 cm, after which the container is covered with cellophane or glass and placed in a warm place.

After the sprouts will ascend, the cover can be removed and the seedlings can be rearranged to a cooler place with a temperature of up to +18 degrees.

Shrub formation

To seedlings rose and strengthened, she needs a bright place. It can be a window sill, a heated loggia or a veranda. The peculiarities of growing cucumbers on the windowsill in winter are that there are no drafts, and also in ensuring timely irrigation and feeding. In general, hybrid varieties are unpretentious, but in order to grow a healthy and fruitful bush, it is recommended that it be formed on time.

To do this, when the appearance of already 4-5 leaves, the apex should be attached. This activates the growth of the lateral shoots, while on the third and fifth sheet they are also pricked to leave 2-3 branches-lashes on the bush. When leaves appear on the lateral processes, they need to be plucked over the tenth leaf. This approach will form strong stems, which, as you grow, need to be tied up.

This will allow the plant to absorb light evenly. Although there are many hybrid varieties that easily tolerate its deficiency, in the period from November to the end of February it is desirable to further highlight the bushes.

Watering

Cucumbers on the windowsill in winter (the best varieties are not an exception) should be watered daily, but lightly, so that the soil is moistened. This is especially important if the plants are in close proximity to the radiators. It will not be superfluous to moisten the air, sprinkling water in the mornings.

If the roots appeared on the surface of the soil, they should be sprinkled. This happens if the seeds are planted not in glasses, and then dived, but directly into the pots.

When the cucumbers bloom and the first ovaries appear, you need to put bowls with water under the containers, so that the land is by no means dried, but was moistened all the time. In the same period, spraying is recommended in the morning and in the evening, as in the case of dry air and a lack of moisture, the ovaries can crumble.

Top dressing

Cultivation of cucumbers on the windowsill in winter (reviews say that this is not difficult) consists in simple actions:

• After the appearance of the first leaves, the plant should be fed once a week with a solution of 3 liters of water and 2 tsp. Mineral fertilizers. While cucumbers are growing, the norm is 1-2 glasses each. When the ovaries appear and fruiting begins, on 3-4 st.
• In order to prolong the period of fruiting, you can cheat and once in 2-3 weeks, water plants with a solution of 2 liters of water and 1 cap means that stimulates its growth. For this purpose, biohumus, which can be poured into the container once a month, will also be used.

Many indoor gardeners prefer fermented and diluted organics, and the crowns are sprinkled with a light solution of manganese, zinc and boron. If you carry out this burdensome work, then give an excellent crop of cucumbers on the windowsill in winter. The best varieties of hybrids need a weekly feeding, as well as ordinary ones.

Harvesting

If watering and feeding is done regularly, then the first harvest will not last long. A feature of cucumbers is that they should be collected regularly, not letting outgrowth the fruits. The more often ripen ripened greens, the faster will appear new ovaries.

As they say those who have been growing cucumbers on windowsills for several years, each plant can give up to 30 or more fruits.

Tips experienced

More and more people are interested in growing cucumbers on the windowsill in winter. The advice of experienced gardeners helps beginners to cope with an unfamiliar business for them:

• It is necessary to know that the seeds treated by the manufacturer for protection are covered with a film, so they lag behind for 7 days in germination and require more frequent and abundant watering.
• When one large container is used for sowing, the distance between the holes must be at least 3 cm so that when transplanting the grown seedlings it can be taken out with a clod of earth and do not damage the roots at the same time.
• While the sprout did not appear, it is better to spray the soil, but to water only after the first leaf is formed. At the same time, you can start feeding.
• When the plant appeared on the 3rd leaf, it means that it must be transplanted into a separate pot.
• You can not put cucumbers in the wintertime close to the window. It is recommended to leave space between them, and even better to stretch the mesh, to which you can later tie a plant.
• It is necessary to regularly monitor the humidity of air and soil: cucumbers do not like dryness and will avenge small and bitter fruits.

These small recommendations can help those who have not yet decided to grow cucumbers on the windowsill, to do this fascinating and very lucrative hobby.