Growing cucumbers on the balcony
Modern rhythms of life do not leave us any time to maintain the cottage. Many of us have dachas, but there is simply no time to work for them. But you want to eat the products of your own harvest. This will help us a balcony.On the balcony you can grow not only onions, parsley, lettuce, but also cucumbers.
Varieties of cucumbers for planting on the balcony
However, the balcony compared to the open area has some drawbacks.:
- there is little space on the balcony
- not enough light (especially if the balcony is located on the north side),
- drafts or stale air.
But with all these disadvantages of a balcony you can easily cope. The main thing is that the balcony is always nearby, and you can control the development of the plants that are there.
To take into account and correct all the shortcomings of the balcony you need to choose the right variety of cucumbers.Our balcony cucumbers must have:
- shade tolerance
- powerful root system
- small leaves
- short internodes
- abundance of ovaries in the nodes.
The easiest way to pick cucumbers cornish or picking size.
The good news is that recently breeders have selected varieties of cucumbers, which have been grouped under the common name of the Balcony Group, to facilitate our task. Their seeds are sold in any store for gardeners and gardeners. Therefore, it will not be difficult to choose them.
Growing seedlings of balcony cucumbers
If possible, keep the seedlings on the eastern sides of the house, be sure to be near sunlight. Light cucumbers simply needed. With sudden changes in temperature, keep the seedlings in warm rooms, take them from the balcony.
When the seedlings reach a height of 10 cm or more, take it out onto the balcony and plant it.
Balcony cucumber care
- Seedlings can be planted on open balconies already in the middle of May, but earlier on glazed ones (in early May).
- Seedlings in a constant container should not be planted often. Usually well suited for growing boxes. Attach to the boxes of thread or fishing line, which will stretch the plant, striving upwards.
- In addition, the most simple way of cultivation, there are two more: in the mobile trellis and hanging pots (pots).
- Mobile trellisThis is good because, unlike boxes with supports attached to something (threads, fishing lines), this device can be carried. Indeed, in the mobile trellis, the support replaces the trellis wire. This design is fixed on itself, which is very convenient. This method has the advantage over the first in that during frosts, such a box, pot or pot can be transferred to the room.
- Cache-pot suspended from the ceiling of the balcony, and planted plants in it (cucumbers) will grow down, hanging from it. This method of placement of seedlings is also good compared to the first. But watering here will not be as easy as in the second (and in the first) case.
- Should remember that top of the plant at a certain stageshould pinch, so that the plant can bear fruit better. To improve yield, you can remove excess parts of plants (for example, highly developed leaves).
Cucumbers - light-requiring. They also love the warmth and good soil moisture..Water Cucumbers are necessarily warm water, watering with cold water can badly affect their development. Watering should be as needed. That is, the soil should not be too dry, but always wet, and even more wet, it should not be. Watering is better in the evening or early in the morning.
In general, growing cucumbers on the balcony does not take much of your time and effort. If you follow the basic rules of planting and caring for cucumbers, they will certainly give a good harvest.
In addition, the cultivation of garden plants on the balcony will enrich you with new knowledge, instill a love for farming, albeit in such an original form. And on your home table as part of various dishes will be hand-made healthy cucumbers grown by yourself (read about their benefits in the article Useful Properties of Cucumbers ). And how to plant cucumbers on the plot, read the article Cucumber story, or when and how to plant cucumbers.