Is it possible to grow cucumbers on a windowsill?

It has long been no surprise to grow strawberries, tomatoes and various citrus fruits in the room, but not so long ago a fashion for cucumbers appeared on the windowsill. Cultivation of this culture is not difficult, so everyone can try themselves in the role of gardener.

Despite the fact that in our time there are practically no problems with the purchase of fresh cucumbers in the winter, many prefer to grow this delicious vegetable on their windowsills in the cold season. Cucumbers on the windowsill are absolutely easy to grow. In order to get a daily harvest from their "home gardens", you will need: a box with fertile soil, a lamp for illuminating plants on cloudy days, seeds suitable for growing cucumbers. To grow cucumbers on a windowsill in the winter, you can not use all varieties. Since the development of the plant will be constantly inhibited by a lack of light, only those varieties that can grow and bear fruit in conditions of a short day, poor illumination and in the absence of insects capable of pollinating flowers should be selected. Room cucumbers can be obtained by cultivating such varieties: "F1 TCXA 575", "F1 Manul", "F1 Relay", "F1 TCXA 28", "F1 TCXA 442", "F1 Marathon", "F1 Athlete", "F1 NIIOX 412 "," F1 Stella ". All these varieties are hybrid (hybrids designation is F1). You can choose the one that you prefer.

The fruits of hybrids, which when grown in the open ground are pollinated by bees, are usually tuberculate, small, having a crispy flesh, tasty, but the plants are a bit fastidious. Their fruiting in room conditions is possible only with manual pollination. It's easier to grow long-bred, smooth hybrids that do not require additional pollination.

Without the use of artificial lighting, cucumbers on the windowsill are usually grown from the end of February, and if there is a highlight for their sowing, you can start at the end of December. It is best to have boxes with cucumbers on the south sills, at the extreme - in the south-west or south-east. To create the most favorable microclimate, all the cracks in the windows must be carefully sealed. Even better, the whole window (including the window) should be neatly covered with a plastic wrap. This will provide protection against cold air currents.

Where do we begin to grow cucumbers on the windowsill? Having prepared a place, we have on it boxes with earth. At the bottom of the boxes you need to pour small stones, expanded clay or small pieces of broken brick (to create drainage). In the boxes poured a universal substrate. In order not to spill water from the boxes and spoil the window sills, put plastic pallets under them, which not only will not let water pass, but will also keep the substrate moisture.

In a moist substrate, pre-soaked seeds for a day are closed. The distance between seeds is 20 cm. The depth of embedding is 2 cm. For germination of seeds, a temperature of 22-25 ° C is required.

Cucumber whips need supports, which can be built from thick wire or thin glazing beads. Long lashes tie to the support with twine. When the plants start to bloom, they need to be pollinated in time.

Pollination will consist of transferring pollen from one flower to another. It is necessary to distinguish between male and female flowers, which differ in perianth. In female flowers, the perianth has the shape of a tiny cucumber. In the mornings, men's flowers are blown off (vapors) and, after cutting off the petals, the stamens are gently led along the pistil of a female flower. With qualitative pollination, beautiful and even fruits are obtained, and with bad pollen - curves. After pollination all male flowers are removed. The next day, pollination is carried out with new male flowers.

Sprinkle cucumbers with water at room temperature. Feed the plants with potassium nitrate (1 g per 1 liter of water) once every 10 days.