Cucumbers on a windowsill are not the easiest vegetables to grow, especially in containers. However, if you choose the right variety and provide regular care, you can harvest a small crop on your first attempt, even when growing cucumbers indoors.
Cucumber Varieties Suitable for Windowsills and Balconies
Cucumbers can be classified based on their cultivation type: greenhouse and open-field. Additionally, there are particularly tall “ridge” varieties, which are entirely unsuitable for our purposes. Limit your choice to greenhouse varieties. These are often self-pollinating and produce good yields of medium-sized cucumbers.
Bush, Rodnichok, Cornichon, Baby, Tiny, Shorty, Little One, NK-Mini, Balcony, Colibri – these are some trade names that identify compact branching varieties that produce very few side shoots.
Cucumber plants can be quite decorative and, when ideal conditions are met, they develop numerous flowers and fruit. Most of these are early varieties that yield the majority of fruits during the first three weeks of fruiting. This is a definite advantage, as indoor conditions often do not require pest control – diseases do not have time to spread.
In terms of varieties and hybrids, I might not be an expert and could be wrong, but after researching while preparing this article, I discovered that all small-sized cucumbers (both fruits and plants) are F1 hybrids. This means their seeds cannot be collected, but the plants are promised to be high-yielding, disease-resistant, resilient to unfavorable conditions, and to have the exact size and branching characteristics as stated on the seed package.
Sowing Cucumbers
- The recommended varieties above grow well in 2-liter flower pots or planters that can accommodate several plants. In an international blog, I read that dwarf varieties grow well even in 1-liter pots, but I wouldn’t take that risk.
- When daytime temperatures reach 22–24 degrees Celsius and nighttime temperatures stay above 15 degrees Celsius, it’s time to sow. Sowing can also be done in late autumn, provided you supply adequate artificial light, but spring is preferable.
- Cucumbers are very particular about soil quality. Ideally, prepare a mix yourself: equal parts of loam, peat, humus, and well-rotted manure. If using store-bought soil, enrich it with humus in a 1:1 ratio. You may add a pinch of lime to the soil – no more than a pinch per pot.
- Moisturize the soil before sowing, and add a small layer of drainage at the bottom of the pot.
- You can directly sow cucumber seeds into a large pot or start in peat pots for seedlings or even eggshells. Once the seedlings develop their first true leaves, plant them into the pot right along with the eggshell.
- It is often recommended to treat seeds with potassium permanganate, but if the pathogen resides under the seed coat, such sterilization will be ineffective. Soak the seeds in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for about 15 minutes. Other alternatives include 2–3% hydrogen peroxide (soak the seeds for 5–7 minutes) or Fitosporin.
- Let the seeds dry after treatment.
- Bury the seed about 1 cm deep, spray the soil with water, and wait for the first sprouts, covering the pot with a plastic bag. Ventilate and monitor soil moisture regularly.
- Once the sprouts appear, place the seedlings in the sunniest location, but protect them from scorching in the hottest hours to prevent burning.
- After two weeks, you can apply a highly diluted fertilizer.
- Cucumbers love moisture. Water generously every other day, or daily in the morning or evening during particularly hot days. Bottom watering is encouraged. Cucumbers also love misting in the mornings and evenings, when there is no direct sunlight, as this helps prevent spider mites.
How to Tie Up Cucumbers
To ensure the stems look neat and to help them support the weight of the fruits, you need to tie them to a support or trellis. Secure only the main stem, while side shoots can spread wherever they like. Remove barren shoots that block light from the flowers and fruits.
Harvesting
Harvest the fruits before they overgrow and overripe. The earlier you pick them, the faster new flowers will appear. The first harvest can be expected after 7–8 weeks, depending on the variety and weather conditions.
