A spacious balcony is a suitable place for growing flowers, herbs and even vegetables.
The most popular culture for the mini-garden is cucumbers.
For planting, choose small-fruited, high-yielding varieties and hybrids that do not require pollination by insects.
Cucumber balcony: what to plant?
For balconies and loggias you need to choose not too branched varieties with medium-sized fruits. The hybrids are desirable: resistant to diseases, unpretentious, tolerating the vagaries of weather, not requiring pollination by insects.
Suitable options intended for breeding in greenhouses or film shelters, as well as special types created for balconies and loggias.
Cucumber Balcony Miracle: growing at home. One of the most popular cucumber hybrids - Balcony Miracle.
This is an early hybrid with very tasty strong fruits, suitable for fresh use and pickling. The first fruits appear after 45 days.
Cucumbers can be planted in boxes, pots or vases, they feel great on open or glazed balconies. Fruiting is stretched for the whole season, which allows you to feast on fresh cucumbers before frost.
The choice of location, packaging and soil
Cucumbers perfectly combined with other cultures: flowers, greens, vegetables. Knead them better next to the railing or against the wall that protects plants from wind gusts. Cucumbers light-requiring, it is preferable to grow them on sunny south, south-east or south-west balconies.
Ideal - glazed balconies with the possibility of airing.
The most suitable container - plastic container with drainage holes and pallet. The box may not be too large, comfortable dimensions - 80 cm in length and 25 in width. The container of light shades which are not heating up on the sun is preferable. It is possible to use deep flowerpots or bulk pots. Read more about growing seedlings in peat containers.
Plants prefer very light soil with neutral acidity. Purchased mixture is not nutritious, it is better to add garden soil or rotted compost. For greater lightness, perlite or vermicult is added to the substrate.
Garden soil for greater safety is recommended to sift and calcined in the oven. This procedure kills the larvae of pests. To restore the beneficial microflora, the soil can be shed by special formulations sold in shops for gardeners.
Planting cucumbers: small subtleties
How to plant cucumbers on seedlings on the balcony? Balcony cucumbers can be grown seedling or seedless. In the first case, the seeds are sown in paper or plastic cups filled with the substrate.
When to plant cucumbers on seedlings on the balcony? Sowing begins in February, March or April. Seeds are pretreated with a solution of potassium permanganate, washed with clean water and dried.
If the bag indicates that the seed has undergone additional preplant preparation, treatment with potassium permanganate is canceled. It is preferable to plant dry seeds, as germinated easily injured.
Sowing comes with a depth of 1.5-2 cm. Landings are sprayed with warm water and placed in heat. After germination capacity expose to bright light. On cloudy days, fluorescent lighting should be done.
With a seedless method, seeds are sown directly into a container filled with soil. Shallow holes are made at a distance of 40 cm from each other, 2 seeds are planted in each.. Landings are sprayed with warm water and covered with foil.
For fast germination need a temperature not lower than 25 degrees. After emergence of shoots the film is removed. The container is placed on the window sill or under the lamp. For the successful development of seedlings need a long light day.
After germination, they are checked the weakest, sprouted from one hole, cut off with a sharp knife. It is convenient to water the seedlings from a spray bottle, irrigating the soil as it dries. In order for plants not to stretch, it is important to maintain the temperature from 20 to 22 degrees.
Gentle shoots are carried out on the balcony after the formation of 4-5 of these leaves. Before this, the plants are tempered by opening the windows for several hours.
Care features
Grown cucumbers are moved to a permanent place of residence. Boxes are installed in a place protected from the wind. Clothes strings are fastened above them, the length of each is at least 2.5 m.
The lower end folds into a loop and slings over the seedling, the vine is carefully wrapped around the rope. It is possible to use coarse plastic nets or wooden lanes reinforced on the balcony wall.
If cucumbers are grown in a seedling way, the boxes are filled with the same ground that was used for planting. In the wells are placed plants with a clod of earth. Before planting the soil is recommended to shed hot water.
It is desirable to increase the humidity of the air by placing containers with water next to the containers. The soil is mulched with peat or moss, this technique will help maintain a normal level of moisture and avoid weeding.
Watering the landing should be frequent and abundant.. With a lack of moisture the plants stop growing, the fruits are ugly, they start to taste bitter. Water landing every day or 1 every 2 days, in the morning or at sunset.
In especially hot dry days it is possible to water twice a day. Only warm distilled water is used., cold can cause shock and even death of plants. The soil in containers should be wet, drying is unacceptable.
Actively growing vines do not need aggressive formation. If desired, you can limit their growth by pinching plants after the development of 10-12 leaves. Lateral processes are pinned to a length of about 30-35 cm. Antennae are periodically removed from plants.
Harvest should be as cucumbers grow. Small fruits are much tastier, so you should not delay the process. Fruits gently tear off or cut off so as not to injure the whip.
In August, when night temperatures begin to fall, it is recommended to cover the roots of plants with sacking or foil, removing it during the day.
After 90 days, when the fruiting is over, the vines can be cut, the roots dig up. Soil of the boxes should be saved, it is useful for next year.
Cucumber seedling on the balcony is an excellent decoration and essential vitamin supplement to the diet. Grown fruits are no different from greenhouses.
With the right choice of varieties and skillful care, the yield will be high and the fruiting period as long as possible. You can explore additional recommendations for growing in the apartment.
