I ♥ cukes.
December 8, 2009 3:36 PM Subscribe
Seattle indoor gardening: are there any reasons why I shouldn't grow cucumbers in my bedroom this winter?
I just moved to an apartment with a large-ish balcony, and can't wait to acquire some planters with herbs and vegetables. However, considering that winter hasn't even started yet, they wouldn't get much of a survival chance outside.
My bedroom has floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows that face West. No-one spends time there during the day. The temperature is usually at 65°F/18°C during the day and overnight and 69°F/20°F in the evening when we are home. I've been thinking of picking up a couple of Earthboxes and then planting Persian cucumber seeds in them (as well as some herbs). Then, in the spring, I would presumably be setting the planters outside on the balcony and growing, well, whatever.
Potential problems that I can picture are raised humidity in the bedroom (which should be fine, my skin could certainly benefit from it) and the plants being too cold.
Have you attempted anything like this? Could I count on a harvest in a couple of months?
I just moved to an apartment with a large-ish balcony, and can't wait to acquire some planters with herbs and vegetables. However, considering that winter hasn't even started yet, they wouldn't get much of a survival chance outside.
My bedroom has floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows that face West. No-one spends time there during the day. The temperature is usually at 65°F/18°C during the day and overnight and 69°F/20°F in the evening when we are home. I've been thinking of picking up a couple of Earthboxes and then planting Persian cucumber seeds in them (as well as some herbs). Then, in the spring, I would presumably be setting the planters outside on the balcony and growing, well, whatever.
Potential problems that I can picture are raised humidity in the bedroom (which should be fine, my skin could certainly benefit from it) and the plants being too cold.
Have you attempted anything like this? Could I count on a harvest in a couple of months?
If the windows were facing south, I'd say you'd have no problems. You'll probably do fine, they may just grow slowly during the winter with less light. A simple solution would be a CFL light on a timer during the day. This keeps my lime tree alive indoors for the month and a half of winter I get.
Herbs should do fine indoors.
Do it, if nothing else you'll have a head start when spring comes.
posted by fontophilic at 3:55 PM on December 8, 2009
Herbs should do fine indoors.
Do it, if nothing else you'll have a head start when spring comes.
posted by fontophilic at 3:55 PM on December 8, 2009
There's definitely no reason not to try! You may need to supplement lighting, which you can do as advised with CFLs in clamp worklights, since they'll get very weak morning light and cucumbers really want a lot, and you may not see fruit until late, but I think it would be fun to try. Most herbs don't really give a crap where you grow them, you should be able to get a bonanza there, though you might check some companion planting references to make sure there's nothing that adversely interacts with cucumbers.
I think persians are bush cukes, right? If you wanted to build a climbing rig, beans might be a good companion for the nitrogen, and they're dead easy too. If you are planting climbing cucumbers or beans, just make sure they don't grab on to something you don't want them pulling on, like blinds, because those little grabber tendrils are strong.
posted by Lyn Never at 4:19 PM on December 8, 2009
I think persians are bush cukes, right? If you wanted to build a climbing rig, beans might be a good companion for the nitrogen, and they're dead easy too. If you are planting climbing cucumbers or beans, just make sure they don't grab on to something you don't want them pulling on, like blinds, because those little grabber tendrils are strong.
posted by Lyn Never at 4:19 PM on December 8, 2009
Best answer: Consider a cucumber plant outdoors in the summertime, with hot summer air, blue sky and bright sunlight all day long. Those are the conditions for a good harvest. Now consider a cucumber plant indoors in a Seattle winter, with warm indoor air, gray skies, and dim light for just a few hours a day. Then you can understand what you will need to do to provide a nurturing environment for your cucumber plant. Maybe a good book on indoor gardening would help here.
posted by exphysicist345 at 6:29 PM on December 8, 2009
posted by exphysicist345 at 6:29 PM on December 8, 2009
Unless you plan to provide supplemental light (and lots of it), you can count on no harvest at all in a couple months. Half of a day of weak winter sunlight (often filtered through clouds) is not nearly enough.
posted by ssg at 9:28 PM on December 8, 2009
posted by ssg at 9:28 PM on December 8, 2009
Best answer: With west-facing windows, it's unlikely that your cukes would get enough light to flower and set fruit. Although the light coming from the windows may appear bright to your eyes, you must consider that our eyes adjust to varying light levels. With a west-facing window, light levels will be in the range of half what they are outdoors (which is already at reduced levels compared to summer) for just 2-3 hours in the afternoon, and considerably less the rest of the day.
As others note, they will also grow more slowly due to the cool temps.
You are certainly welcome to experiment, but my guess is that there would be little advantage in starting the cukes indoors so early, unless you provide a goodly amount of supplemental lighting and possibly some supplemental heat. They simply will not produce until the combination of warmth and sunlight is right (Junish at best, or a replication of June light and temp conditions indoors). The plants will have plenty of time to grow to a good size if you start them indoors in March and set them outdoors after about 6 weeks. An extra 2 months of growing indoors with inadequate light and heat will just give them more time to grow weak and leggy and die off from the many various things that cukes die off from, before they have a chance to produce fruit.
posted by drlith at 6:52 AM on December 9, 2009
As others note, they will also grow more slowly due to the cool temps.
You are certainly welcome to experiment, but my guess is that there would be little advantage in starting the cukes indoors so early, unless you provide a goodly amount of supplemental lighting and possibly some supplemental heat. They simply will not produce until the combination of warmth and sunlight is right (Junish at best, or a replication of June light and temp conditions indoors). The plants will have plenty of time to grow to a good size if you start them indoors in March and set them outdoors after about 6 weeks. An extra 2 months of growing indoors with inadequate light and heat will just give them more time to grow weak and leggy and die off from the many various things that cukes die off from, before they have a chance to produce fruit.
posted by drlith at 6:52 AM on December 9, 2009
If you do attempt this, please also use sterilized soil. A college friend of ours tried to grow corn in his apartment, without sterilized soil and hatched an ungodly amount of flies. Thankfully, we didn't live with him.
posted by sarajane at 12:22 PM on December 9, 2009
posted by sarajane at 12:22 PM on December 9, 2009
Persian cucumbers like to hot. If you really want to experiment, try English cukes (you have to hand pollinate though). Though I agree with everyone upthread that said there's really not enough light. If anything, cool season lettuce might work.
I think persians are bush cukes, right?
Nope, vining.
posted by oneirodynia at 12:30 PM on December 9, 2009
I think persians are bush cukes, right?
Nope, vining.
posted by oneirodynia at 12:30 PM on December 9, 2009
Also, be aware that you need to keep EarthBoxes filled with water and the only way you know an EarthBox water reservoir is full is that the water overflows onto the floor. Not an issue when it's your deck or patio -- a bit of a mess when it's your bedroom carpet. In addition, EarthBoxes are *heavy* when filled with potting mix -- not as easy to move from one place to another (bedroom to balcony) as you might think. You can get wheels for them, though, which great facilitates that part of the plan.
posted by rhartong at 6:50 AM on July 8, 2010
posted by rhartong at 6:50 AM on July 8, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by flabdablet at 3:43 PM on December 8, 2009