Why are there bitter cucumbers in the greenhouse? Cause and investigation

Bitter cucumbers appear in a greenhouse due to various circumstances. Let's understand the causes and consequences of this dacha incident, which forces housewives to cut off the peel from a vegetable, depriving the entire family of the vitamins it contains.

Actually, there is only one consequence: cucurbitacin is formed in large quantities in cucumbers - a specific substance that has an unpleasant bitter taste.

Meanwhile, cucurbitacin also brings benefits. When absorbed in the stomach, it destroys atypical cells that provoke the development of malignant tumors of human internal organs.

Cucurbitacin is mainly found in the skin and stalk of the vegetable, and gherkins are especially affected by its presence. But the reasons that contribute to its accumulation in cucumbers may be different.

There are varieties of cucumbers that do not have the bitterness gene. Among them are Berendey, Harmonist, Egoza, Quadrille, Liliput and Shchedrik. However, cucumbers of these varieties are designed for fresh consumption and are not suitable for preservation. Before purchasing hybrid seeds, be sure to ask the seller whether these cucumbers are suitable for growing in a greenhouse.

Temperature violation

If the greenhouse is exposed to direct sunlight in the summer, then it is better to throw a sun protection net over it, and if the greenhouse is glass, then apply chalk to the glass. On particularly hot days, the greenhouse must be additionally shaded on the south side. It is also important to monitor the temperature of the greenhouse at night: if it is cold there, then the cucumbers must be covered with lutrasil, spunbond or other materials.

The constant temperature in the greenhouse should be no lower than 18°C at night and 20°C during the day, and after the fruiting period, no lower than 25°C during the day.

How to remove bitterness from cucumbers (harvest)

Cucurbitacin, for the most part, is concentrated in the skin of cucumbers and in the part that was located at the stalk. The most common way to correct the situation is to remove the outer parts of the cucumber, cutting off 2-3 cm on each side, and peel the skin from the fruit. It is in these elements that cucurbitacin is most often concentrated. The “naked” cucumber is washed in very cold water, after which it is cut and all seeds are removed from it. As a rule, these actions lead to the fact that the bitterness ceases to be felt. If this doesn't help and the aftertaste remains, try adding a little salt to the cucumber.

When harvesting in large quantities, which has a bitter taste, you can try soaking the fruits in warm water. If the percentage of cucurbitacin content is not too high, then this measure will help remove the unpleasant aftertaste. If the method does not work, then leave these fruits for pickling, this is the only sure method of completely getting rid of bitterness; after pickling and preservation it will disappear.

Other ways to get rid of bitterness:

The fruits are placed in a container with cold water for several hours, to which a little sugar, several branches of dill, mint leaves and oregano have previously been added. This concentrate will give the cucumber a piquant taste and overcome the bitterness.
Pre-peeled cucumbers are soaked in ice water or milk for 10 minutes. To reduce the temperature of the liquid, it is recommended to add a little ice to it.
Peel the cucumber and cut off the ends. Then the vegetable is cut lengthwise, each half is generously sprinkled with salt and rubbed against each other until foam forms on the surface. Then the cucumber is washed in ice water. If one procedure was not enough, and bitterness continues to be felt, the procedure can be repeated.

Lack or excess of moisture

We are also talking about air humidity. Cucumbers in a greenhouse need regular watering, and if the temperature exceeds 30°C, then also ventilation. But in this case, air entry must be ensured only on one side, so as not to create a draft.

The relative air humidity in the greenhouse during the ripening period of cucumbers should be 75-80%. In hot or dry weather, cucumbers need to be supported by sprinkling through small nozzles. You can also resort to dampening the walls and paths in the greenhouse.

It is also important to water cucumbers correctly: with warm water, to avoid sudden temperature changes from cold watering, and to prevent the soil from drying out.

Prevention of bitterness in cucumbers

Finally, I will highlight the main procedures and approaches that will help you harvest a bountiful and tasty harvest of greens:

Remember that the substrate in a greenhouse is depleted much faster than in an open ridge. Why don’t forget to add liquid natural and organic compounds from time to time, focusing on nitrogen, calcium and potassium.
Cucumbers do not like either heavy clay soils or fresh manure. The substrate suitable for them is light, mixed with last year’s humus.
I will say again that cucumbers have a superficial root system. For it to “breathe”, the soil must be loose, airy, without a dense crust on the surface. Therefore, periodic loosening is necessary.
During flowering, cucumbers are watered every three days, and during fruiting - every day (if not possible - every other day).
Don't forget to keep an eye on how well the soil is moistened - drying it out is disastrous. Ideally, the soil should be moist to a depth of 15 cm.
Approximate water consumption (per 1 m2): in spring, in the first months of summer - 2-3 liters, when fruits ripen - 7-10 liters.
If the summer is hot and dry, spray the plantings with a spray bottle early in the morning, and during the day, water the paths and walls of the greenhouse with a hose. This is necessary to maintain sufficient moisture for the development of cucumbers.
Avoid hypothermia and sudden temperature changes, otherwise the fruits will definitely taste bitter.
Plant the plant so that the bushes do not darken or interfere with each other. Suitable spaces between them are at least 20-25 cm.
Remember, cucumber plantings need shaping: remove excess “mustaches” and flowers, side branches, carefully straighten the vines with fruits so that the greens are not darkened.
Examine the fruiting vines for “adult” cucumbers - the more there are, the more likely it is that the “young ones” will taste bitter.
Straighten twisted shoots in a timely manner - they disrupt the supply of moisture and nutritional components to the fruit.
If you notice that individual vines are damaged, cut off the greens from them and remove such shoots - there is a high probability that only bitter fruits will ripen on trusses with impaired metabolism.

Bitterness in green vegetables is a common problem that affects both beginners and experienced gardeners. It's all about the wrong choice of variety and improper care of greenhouse plantings. Therefore, it is so important not to forget about the basic rules of growing from the seedling stage. But if something doesn’t work out for you and the cucumbers turn out bitter, this is not a reason to be upset - when cooked, the unpleasant taste goes away.

Incomplete feeding of cucumbers

First of all, we are talking about the lack of potassium and nitrogen fertilizers. A lack of nitrogen is manifested by a slowdown in the growth of new leaves and side shoots, and the fading of the plants themselves. Potassium deficiency can be noticed by the yellowing of old leaves and the appearance of bronze edges on their edges. The fruits themselves take on the shape of a light bulb. Also, the fruits may lack other substances. With a lack of calcium, there is death of the ovaries and small size of the fruits, phosphorus – a weak root system, small leaves and delayed flowering, magnesium – fragility of the leaves and hardness of the fruits, manganese and iron – the appearance of chlorosis.

Determinant of cucumber diseases: photos, descriptions, control measures and prevention
Are you concerned about the health of cucumbers in greenhouses and open ground? You can make a diagnosis yourself thanks to our article!

If any of the listed signs are detected, cucumbers must be immediately fed with appropriate fertilizers: if there is a lack of nitrogen - urea or ammonium nitrate, phosphorus - superphosphate solution, potassium - potassium sulfate, calcium - calcium nitrate.

To ensure that cucumbers have enough of all macro- and microelements, it is necessary to apply foliar fertilizing with mineral fertilizers twice a month, following the instructions indicated on their packages.

It is not advisable to apply superphosphate to the soil simultaneously with urea, lime, dolomite flour and ammonium nitrate. After using these fertilizers, you can feed the plants with superphosphate no earlier than a week later.

What to do to prevent bitterness in cucumbers

To avoid unpleasant bitterness in greens, three main conditions must be met:

properly arrange the greenhouse;
prepare suitable soil;
provide proper care.

However, first things first.

Correct soil

I will not open America by saying that the “correct” soil in a greenhouse is the key to both the rapid, harmonious development of bushes and a tasty, bountiful harvest. The substrate suitable for cucumbers is loose, airy, light, non-oxidized, fertile:

Disinfected garden soil.
Proper drainage: peat + sawdust + humus.
Autumn liming of acidified soil.
Minimum content of clay and sand in the substrate.

preparing soil for sowing cucumber seeds

Feeding depending on the stage of cucumber growth

Cucumbers are one of the fastest and most intensively growing plants. Therefore, they require weekly mineral and organic supplements:

urea;
potassium phosphate;
superphosphate;
sulfate;
nitrophoska;
slurry;
chicken manure solution.

In addition to root feeding, cucumbers also need foliar feeding - spraying the tops. To be effective, this procedure is best done in the evenings.

fertilizers for feeding the garden

It is important to notice in time that the plant lacks one or another nutritional component:

Nitrogen: new leaves and stems do not grow, greenery becomes light and faded.
Potassium: old tops turn yellow, and a characteristic bronze border is visible on the edges of the leaves. If there is a deficiency of the element, the greens themselves will take the form of light bulbs.
Calcium: the ovaries begin to die, and the cucumbers form very small.
Phosphorus: weak, underdeveloped root system, tiny leaves, flowering too late.
Magnesium: the leaves become brittle, brittle, and the flesh of greens becomes hard.
Iron, manganese: signs of chlorosis.

To help the plant, apply the necessary fertilizer:

Nitrogen deficiency - ammonium nitrate, urea.
Calcium deficiency - calcium nitrate.
Phosphorus deficiency - superphosphate.
Potassium deficiency - potassium sulfate.

Do not mix superphosphate with dolomite, lime, ammonium nitrate or urea. If you have added such compounds to the soil, plan to fertilize with phosphate fertilizer only after a week.

There is an opinion among gardeners and vegetable gardeners that fertilizing with horse manure “gives bitterness” to cucumbers. Therefore, it is better to replace it with cow or poultry, but it must be fermented - fresh will burn the root system. If you don’t like this organic fertilizer, replace it with potassium humate.

Seed selection

If you don’t want to reap a bitter harvest, try not to plant cucumbers:

old varieties;
with black spines;
dark fruited;
from seeds collected from the lower part of the fruit.

varieties of cucumbers
The last thing you should expect is an unpleasant surprise from long-fruited salad cucumbers. Pay attention to hybrids - on the packaging you will find a mark indicating that the variety has been “developed” with the exception of the bitter gene. Among the latest F1 innovations, I highlight:

Athena;
Annushka;
Angelina;
Parker;
Ajax;
I wave;
Levin;
Grasshopper;
Evita;
Hermann;
Crispin;
Berendey;
Shchedrik;
Harmonist;
Lilliput;
Egozu;
Quadrille;
Thumb Boy;
Maryina Grove;
Santana;
Green wave;
Brawler.

Proper watering

Most often, the gardener himself is to blame for the bitterness of the fruit - and this is due to improper organization of watering. Cucumber, which has a superficial root system, is very sensitive to water procedures and general soil moisture.

If the soil in the greenhouse is dry and crusty, this is the reason for the instantaneous and total death of the plant's root hairs. But they are the ones who deliver both nutrients and water. Due to insufficient watering, the supply of useful components is disrupted, the tops droop, the cucumbers fill slowly and contain a high concentration of cucurbitacin.

In order not to spoil the harvest, I follow the main rules for watering cucumbers:

I use only water warmed under the sun (20° C).
I stand for water before watering - chlorine and iron microinclusions do not benefit the vegetables.
I water strictly at the roots, without splashing the foliage.
I plan to water in the evening, after sunset.
At the time of active ripening of the greens, I increase the frequency of water procedures as much as possible - I water the plantings daily.
The higher the temperature, the more water the plant needs. The lower, the less.

After watering, I don’t forget to carefully loosen the beds. In order not to damage the fragile surface roots, sometimes I just limit myself to puncturing the substrate with a pitchfork. To prevent a crust from forming, so that the moisture evaporates more slowly, I cover the cucumber ridges with mulch - sawdust, straw, peat.

Temperature in the greenhouse

The correct temperature regime is no less important for our cucumbers:

During daylight hours: 22-25° C.
At night: 18-20° C.
Humidity: within 80%.

Keep in mind that cold temperatures down to 10° C can completely destroy your plantings. And to help cucumbers survive the heat, take care of high-quality ventilation of the greenhouse.

maintaining temperature conditions when growing cucumbers

Correct lighting

Despite the fact that cucumbers are heat- and sun-loving plants, the scorching midday sun does not benefit them. The greenhouse requires soft, diffused light. This is achieved either by gluing reflective films, or by painting the ceiling with a chalk solution.

Other mistakes in care

And one more important point is to ensure proper care throughout the development of the plant, to eliminate possible mistakes of novice gardeners. At the seedling stage, the following is important:

Buy high-quality, proven seed material from a reliable supplier.
Carry out disinfection and preparation before sowing. If you don't want to bother with this, pay attention to coated seeds.
Before moving to the garden (especially if the greenhouse is not heated), harden it. To do this, take the seedlings out onto the balcony every day - first for 30 minutes, and then gradually increase this time. If the sun is shining brightly, do not forget to shade the seedlings.
Make sure that the seedlings do not “overripe”, otherwise it will take a long and painful time to take root.
Seedlings with a formed root system, grown up to 15 cm in length, with 2-3 blossoming true leaves are ready for planting in the greenhouse.
Before transplanting, water the seedlings thoroughly and remove the plant along with a lump of earth so as not to damage the fragile root system. Do not bury the root collar so that the base of the stem does not rot.

In the future, organize care for greenhouse cucumbers according to the instructions:

Fertilizers. At the initial stage, you focus on nitrogen fertilizers. As soon as the first fruits begin to form and fill, the plant urgently needs potassium.
Microclimate. Do not allow the air in the greenhouse to be too dry, because pumpkin plants came to us from the humid tropics. You can humidify the air by placing containers of water inside the greenhouse and watering brick or stone paths.
Thinning. Remove old, damaged and unnecessary lower leaves, being careful not to twist the vines or cause unnecessary injury to the plantings.
Harvesting. If you want to speed up the ripening of cucumbers without compromising the quality of the greens, artificially increase the concentration of carbon dioxide in the greenhouse - this will stimulate increased photosynthesis. It is enough to leave containers with manure or decomposing plant debris in the greenhouse.

Remember that the average greens take 12 days to fully ripen.

Problems with cucumber vine

If there are a lot of old fruits on the cucumber vine, then they get the main “vitamins”, microelements and water, and young cucumbers begin to suffer from this and, as a result, become bitter. This effect occurs if the cucumber vine is damaged or twisted. In order to preserve the sweetness of new fruits, you need to cut off old ones in time, without waiting for them to grow the size of a zucchini. It is also necessary to check the cucumber vine regularly. If it is twisted, then you need to “put” it in place; if it is damaged, collect the entire crop from the damaged part and cut it off.

If all of the above conditions are met, the production of cucurbitacin in fruits will be minimal.

What can you do with collected bitter cucumbers?

Having harvested a crop and discovered bitterness in it, you should not rush to throw away substandard fruits.

Options for using bitter greens:

Slightly bitter cucumbers can also be eaten fresh.
If you remove part of the cucumber in the area of the stalk and remove the skin, where the bitter compounds are mainly concentrated, you can eat the fruit.
Soaking for 12 hours with constant changes of water helps reduce bitterness. You should do the same if you want to preserve greens in a cold way.
You can cut the fruit lengthwise and sprinkle thickly with salt. After half an hour, juice will appear, which should be washed off along with the salt.
Many people get rid of bitterness by soaking cucumbers in milk, in which granulated sugar has been previously mixed.
After heat treatment, cucumbers stop tasting bitter. If you salt, pickle cucumbers or use them in salads, you can enjoy the delicious fruits in winter.
Bitterness does not prevent the use of cucumbers for cosmetic masks. You can also make lotions from them.

Despite the fact that many nuances have been given that need to be taken into account by those who want to grow sweet cucumbers, caring for the crop is not at all difficult. It is important not to make mistakes.

Useful tips for growing cucumbers

Growing cucumbers has its own subtleties and nuances, which gardeners learn as they gain experience. Below are some points that may be useful for beginning gardeners.

Sometimes cucumbers take on an irregular shape and grow in the form of bottles. In such fruits, the upper part (from the flower side) thickens. This is often caused by improper care and an excess of the hormone auxin, which is formed after pollination of the flower, which is why the majority of cucumbers of non-standard shape are among parthenocarpic varieties that do not require pollination. Such varieties must be protected from pollination by bees, that is, they must be kept in a greenhouse. Bee-pollinated varieties, on the contrary, need high-quality pollination, since a lack of auxin can also lead to uneven thickening of the fruit.
To ensure that there are no voids inside the cucumbers, you need to provide the plant with potassium, phosphorus and calcium supplements and not overdo it with compost and urea. For greenhouse cucumbers, special attention is paid to ventilation and fertilizers from wood ash.
The best material for greenhouses are hydrophobic heat-retaining polymers . In second place is glass. Polyethylene is prone to condensation, which in cool weather at the beginning of autumn can lead to a sharp drop in yield.
The greenhouse is ventilated by opening the windows, but leaving the doors closed to prevent drafts.
The density of planting bushes in a greenhouse should be less than in open ground, and be 2.5–3 bushes per 1 sq. m. m.

Learn how to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse in winter.

Temperature in the greenhouse

We should not forget that cucumbers are a plant from the tropics and love warmth. This means that you must observe the temperature regime, namely, maintain the temperature not lower than +20 degrees, and at night not lower than +18. During fruiting, gradually raise the temperature to +28 degrees.

If the sun is too strong, cover the greenhouses with white cloth

Temperature changes should not be allowed, so the greenhouse must be heated so that during a sharp cold snap outside, the greenhouse remains at the same temperature. If the fruits of the cucumbers are supercooled, the greens will taste bitter.

Origin of cucumbers and habitat

The cucumber was brought from hot regions of India and China. The predecessors of the domestic vegetable grew in the subtropics and had a longer and elongated shape. Now in the vastness of India you can find a wild variety of this species, but it is distinguished by its small size and bitter taste.

According to historical information, the cucumber was brought to Europe approximately 500 years before the birth of Christ. The Greeks and Romans first learned to cultivate this crop. In the chronicles there is even a city of cucumbers - Sikyon. Since then, technologies for cultivating and even salting this vegetable have appeared.

Cucumber harvest

Main reasons

There are several common causes of bitterness in cucumbers:

insufficient humidity in closed greenhouses ;
watering with water at too low a temperature;
lack of potassium or nitrogen in the soil;
excess sun rays;
lack of sunlight due to too dense plantings;
lack or excess of moisture, violation of regularity of watering;
diseases of cucumber seedlings even before planting;
planting seeds that were collected from the back of the vegetable.

Why are cucumbers bitter?

Why does an unpleasant, repulsive bitterness appear in cucumbers? Tender, sweetish vegetables become bitter due to the toxic substance cucurbitacin. The organic compound is accumulated by the cucumber bush in response to unfavorable growing conditions (i.e., stress).

At the same time, cucurbitacin is a natural compound for a given culture, it’s just that the concentration can vary (from imperceptible to humans to noticeable bitterness).

The substance is initially synthesized in the leaves of the plant, and then distributed throughout the bush, accumulating in the fruits and even roots. The substance accumulates in fruits, but most of all in the peel and in the lower part of the fruit.

Roughly speaking, this is a protective mechanism; with the help of cucurbitacin, cucumbers are protected from aggressive external factors and poor conditions.

Why do cucumbers grow bitter in a greenhouse and in open ground: reasons

Let's look at the main reasons why cucumbers grow bitter and tasteless (that is, what causes high concentrations of cucurbitacin)!

Lack of moisture . The problem often occurs when watering is too infrequent (with long intervals between procedures), with a small volume of water applied.
Violation of the irrigation scheme . Improper watering, namely alternating dry soil and excessive watering, often leads to this problem.
Watering with cold water . Cucumbers are considered a moisture-loving and heat-loving crop, so watering with cold water causes stress in the plants.
Too frequent and abundant watering . Of course, cucumbers love moisture very much, but severe waterlogging of the soil in the garden bed leads to waterlogging, which is why the root system is faced with oxygen deficiency.
"Bitter" varieties of cucumbers . As a rule, old bee-pollinated varieties of cucumbers are bitter, and bitterness in the fruit can occur even under ideal growing conditions.

Low air temperature. When the air temperature drops below 14 degrees Celsius, heat-loving plants experience severe stress, which can result in bitterness.
High air temperature . An increase in air temperature above +30°C negatively affects the vital activity of cucumbers, their leaves intensively evaporate moisture, and normal photosynthesis is disrupted. If everything is clear with open ground, then in a greenhouse such an elevated temperature can be caused by a lack of ventilation.
Sharp changes between night and day air temperatures.
Lack of nutrients. Nutritional deficiency occurs in poor soils and in the absence of fertilizing.
Damage to roots when loosening the soil and weeding.
Fresh manure , which is used as top dressing or applied to the bed before planting.
Incorrect planting , which leads to crowding of plants in the garden bed.
Pests. For example, mole crickets, aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, thrips. In order to protect against pests, cucumbers will actively produce a bitter substance.

If your cucumbers turn out bitter, don't worry! It is in your hands to adjust the growing conditions this season.
And next season you will definitely be able to prevent increased concentrations of cucurbitacin in your greens!

Adviсe

What can be done to obtain a harvest of sweet cucumbers that do not have an unpleasant bitter aftertaste:

Provide plants with diffused rather than direct light.
Planting in a greenhouse is best done using the seedling method, and not directly with seeds.
Do not allow cucumber bushes to remain in cold conditions.
Be sure to loosen the soil - carry out the so-called “dry watering”. However, it is impossible to loosen deeply, as the superficial root system of cucumbers may be damaged.
Try to water the bush regularly at the same time. In hot weather, increase the frequency of watering.
Periodically inspect the bushes for pests. And immediately get rid of insects when you find them.
Monitor the appearance of the bushes and regularly pick off old, withered, spotted leaves and plant parts.
Straighten the lashes without allowing them to intertwine.
Ventilate the greenhouse, but only if the temperatures inside and outside are approximately equal.
If the air is dry, spray the greenhouse walls and paths.
Water with a hose carefully, trying not to wash away the roots of the plants.

In the open ground

Why do bitter cucumbers grow in the garden ? The reasons are most often the same as in greenhouse conditions. However, there are additional factors that can trigger bitterness:

The bitter taste comes from excess sunlight, which greenhouse vegetables will receive in smaller quantities;
Irregular watering or too low water temperature also serves as a catalyst for the appearance of bitterness in cucumbers;
A strong temperature change, which is not present in closed greenhouses, can contribute to an increase in cucurbitacin;
Low-equipped beds, which are more exposed to temperature changes and do not warm up well;
Incorrect arrangement of beds with cucumbers. Planting near blackberries, strawberries or raspberries, which are considered aggressors and take most of the nutrients from the soil.

Poor quality seeds

Bitterness in fruits can be determined at the genetic level. There are “tender” varieties that react especially negatively to errors in agricultural technology.

The same situation can arise if the seeds are collected from the bottom of the cucumber. It is in this place that cucurbitacin is concentrated. The substance penetrates the seed, so all fruits obtained from the plant obtained from it will be bitter.

If you are not ready to devote a lot of time to planting and cannot follow all the rules of agricultural technology, choose varieties whose fruits do not contain cucurbitacin.

The following cucumber hybrids are resistant to bitterness:

Gerasim F1

Doka F1

Garland F1

Egoza F1

Round dance F1

Mumu F1

Hybrids are not suitable for self-propagation, so do not try to collect seeds from fruits obtained this season. Plants grown from them will produce only barren flowers. So you won’t see a cucumber harvest next season.

Untimely collection of ripened fruits

A common mistake when growing cucumbers is untimely removal of formed fruits. If you regularly leave overgrown fruits on the vines, the plant will spend energy on their ripening. This deprives young cucumbers of nutrition, and they begin to taste bitter.

The air is too dry

The optimal air humidity level for cucumbers is from 55 to 70%.
Regular ventilation and high temperatures lead to a decrease in these indicators. But you cannot increase watering to regulate humidity. This will cause waterlogging of the root system. To increase humidity levels, spray foliage in the morning. Moistening the paths and walls of the greenhouse also helps. Do not do this at night, as the water lingering on the surface, combined with the reduced temperature, will lead to the development of fungal diseases.

An effective method for increasing air humidity is to install open containers of water in the room. It is especially important to do this in artificially heated greenhouses.

How to grow cucumbers without bitterness: advice from experienced gardeners

We offer some advice from experienced gardeners:

Do not use fresh manure as fertilizer. It is better to add it to the soil in the fall when digging the ground. Then by the next season its concentration will decrease, and such fertilizer will be more beneficial.
You can find out in advance whether cucumbers will taste bitter even before the fruit appears. To do this, pick a leaf, squeeze the juice out of it and taste it. If the juice is bitter, then the fruit will be bitter. In this case, either the bushes do not have enough moisture, or the temperature in the greenhouse is uncomfortable.
Try the first ripe cucumber. Its taste will also tell you whether the next fruit will be bitter. Before they appear, you will have time to find and eliminate the cause of bitterness.
Mulch the soil after watering. To do this, use mowed grass or hay. This way the moisture evaporates more slowly and the soil remains protected from drying out. Simply place bunches of dry grass or hay under each bush and water from above.