How to grow cucumbers "balcony miracle"

Growing cucumbers in the home is becoming more popular. Using the balcony space, it is possible by the end of spring to the table with fresh, crisp cucumbers.

Preparation of

For cucumbers more suited balconies and loggias oriented to the South-East or East. Balconies on the North side is worse than cold and poorly lit.

You can use for planting pots, boxes, vases, cut the neck of the plastic cylinders out of the water. In the lower part of the tank is necessary to make 4-5 holes to remove excess liquid.

The volume of the container in which you intend to raise cucumbers balcony should be about 5 liters. On one plant it is recommended to allocate 5 to 10 liters of volume. It is best to first plant one seed in plastic cups, and then, when they germinate, transplant into large pots (one pot, one plant). It is important to remember that cucumbers need plenty of water, so watering should be carried out regularly and to be generous. Fill the container with potting mixture should be to the upper edge of the remained 5-6 cm as shrinkage of the soil, it again will need to fill up to its former level.

For cucumbers any loose soil, but it should not be clay or sod-podzolic earth, riding or peat. The acidity of the soil should vary from 6.6 to 6.8. For its determination one should use pH-meter. Limed acidic soil by adding dolomite flour, lime, or chalk melcorazmashisty. At a pH of 6.2-6.5 should be 10 liters of soil to make 5 to 10 g of dolomite.

Preferred for planting cucumbers to use a prepared soil mix, limed and dressed with fertilizers.

Sowing and growing

In order to grow a decent crop of delicious cucumbers, choose for planting parthenocarpic or self-pollinated seeds for pollination do not require the assistance of bees. Cucumbers of these species belong to the class of precocious.

Optimal for germination of cucumber seeds is temperature 24-26 degrees above zero. When the weather's dry or germinated seeds can be sown directly into pots. If the weather is cool and unstable, it is better to plant on the balcony ready seedlings.

In the ground for a "balcony" of cucumbers, you can make supplements that hold moisture (agroel).

You need to sow seeds in well-moistened soil to a depth of about 2 cm on Top of them sprinkle sifted through a sieve of moist earth or peat. After germination the temperature should be maintained at 20-24 degrees. Higher temperatures may lead to stretching.

Fertilize the seedlings 1-2 times, in the phase of the second and third true leaf. For this, suitable water-soluble complex mineral fertilizer (2 g per 1 liter of water).