How to grow cucumbers on a balcony

The perfect solution for those who do not have a country site, but wants to see fresh homemade pickles on your table, can become a vegetable garden on the balcony. In this case, you not only please your loved ones and get delicious crops, grown with their own hands,but turn your balcony into a beautiful green garden.

You will need

• - self-pollinating cucumber seeds;
• - the ground;
• - capacity for planting;
• - filtered paper;
• - mineral fertilizers.

Instruction

1. First of all, take care of the seeds. Given the specificity of plant growth and lack of natural lighting, it is better to purchase early-maturing varieties of greenhouse. Choose the seeds self-pollinated, otherwise you will have to pollinate them by hand.
2. Select the place on the balcony where you will plant the seeds. Because cucumber is a thermophilic plant, more suitable room, facing South, South-East or South-West. If the balcony Windows face North, be sure to insulate them, eliminating the draughts and the ingress of cold air to the plant.
3. Plant cucumbers in almost any container except aluminum: from the plastic boxes and ending flower pots. A prerequisite is that the pot should be at least 5 liters per plant and contain a hole for water drainage.
4. As a primer use a mixture of compost, peat and fertile soil in equal proportions. Try every 5-6 kg of soil add one Cup of wood ash or use ready-made fertilizers.
5. Before planting, soak the seeds of cucumbers for 10-12 hours. If you want to speed up germination, the seeds proustite. To do this, take a saucer or shallow dish, place several layers of filter paper, put the seeds on it and cover with another 2-3 layers. Moisten all with water, and with heating to maintain a temperature of about 30 degrees. Please note that the paper should not dry completely. Usually after 2-3 days the seeds will form the spine, which can be planted in the ground.
6. Watering cucumbers need twice a day, morning and evening, supporting the natural moisture. Do not forget about feeding. Fertilize once a week with mineral fertilizers at the rate of 2 tsp in 3 liters of water, increasing this number during fruit formation up to 2 times.
7. Because of the peculiarities of its structure, cucumbers need support. Once the whiskers appeared, attach the stem to the stake or stretched on the ceiling rope.
8. As soon as 10-12 leaves, cut the tops to stimulate the growth of side shoots. After 40-50 days, the cucumbers will bloom, and after 8-11 days from the ovary will be the first fruits.