Fertilizing cucumbers in open ground and greenhouses: when and what to fertilize for yield, effective means

Cucumber is a favorite vegetable for many. It is impossible to imagine Russian cuisine without fresh cucumber salad or pickled cucumber with potatoes. Therefore, in our country the crop is grown everywhere - in protected ground, greenhouses and on home windowsills. However, not all regions are lucky with heat and moisture. Using seedlings will help. She needs quality nutrition. We'll tell you how to feed cucumber seedlings.

Application methods 2. When to fertilize cucumber seedlings 2.1. First contribution 2.2. Second contribution 2.3. Third contribution 2.3.1. Organics 2.3.2. Mineral fertilizers 2.3.3. Folk remedies 3. Application rates

Photo: Cucumbers need additional nutrition at different stages of development.

Thanks to the seedling method, you can get full-fledged fruits in almost any region. The culture is quite unpretentious, although it will take some work. Even if all recommendations are followed, there is a possibility that seedlings will lag behind in growth and development. The reason at the initial stage of cultivation may be the use of insufficiently nutritious soil, which does not give the seedlings energy and strength. They require additional nutrition.

The plant will signal to you about its “well-being.” The following signs indicate nutritional deficiency:

The growth of leaves and stems slows down to a complete stop.
The bright green color of the leaves becomes noticeably paler or has a bluish tint, and a yellowish border or spots appear.
The edges of the leaves curl upward.

Botanical characteristics

Cucumber is an annual, moisture-loving and heat-loving plant belonging to the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae). The root system of this plant is taproot, with one main and many small roots. Their bulk is located at a depth of no more than 20 cm, but some can go to a depth of up to a meter. Depending on the length of the stem, cucumbers are divided into the following forms:

Short-stemmed - from 30 to 60 cm;
Long-stemmed - from 70 cm and above;
Bushy - 20-30 cm tall.

The stem of the cucumber is pentagonal and rather fragile; it also develops simple stems, thanks to which the plant is supported and tends to the sun, as well as flowers. In a fairly short time, subject to basic agrotechnical requirements, as well as timely feeding of cucumbers into the soil, the bush grows a huge green mass. This plant is dioecious and unisexual, meaning that it develops both male and female flowers. As a result of pollination, ovaries are formed, from which round or cylindrical fruits develop. The cucumber begins to bear fruit (depending on the weather, temperature and soil preparation) usually a month and a half after the first shoots sprout.

Feeding cucumbers during fruiting.

Feeding cucumbers in open ground during fruiting.
During the fruiting period, the need for minerals only increases. The main task of the vegetable grower is to extend the fruiting period of cucumbers. As a fourth feeding for cucumbers in the open ground during fruiting, liquid chicken manure is best suited.

It is also recommended to apply foliar fertilizing with boric acid. Boron activates metabolic processes in the plant.

Foliar fertilizing with boric acid can be alternated with foliar fertilizing with urea.

Growing methods

India is considered the historical homeland of this crop, but today, if you create favorable conditions and apply fertilizers for cucumbers at the right time and in sufficient quantities, abundant harvests can be obtained in any climatic conditions. The following cultivation methods are currently practiced:

1, In open areas:

On a trellis;
On the ridge;
In special containers (boxes, barrels, containers);

2, In protected conditions:

For a successful harvest, it is necessary to provide the cucumber with optimal growing conditions. After harvesting, it is almost immediately necessary to prepare for the next season.

Types of fertilizers

Nitrogen

How to fertilize cucumbers in a greenhouse? Cucumbers need nitrogen fertilizers at all stages of development, but especially during leaf formation. Nitrogen fertilizers are used both for foliar feeding and for root feeding during watering.

Various types of nitrogen fertilizers for cucumbers in a greenhouse, for example, ammonium nitrate, accumulate in ripened fruits in the form of toxic nitrates and can adversely affect human health .

Phosphorus

Cucumbers need phosphorus constantly and at all stages of development, but in very small doses. Correctly applied fertilizer helps to gain green mass , strengthen the roots, bloom and ripen on time.

Potash

Cucumbers always need . But it especially increases during fruiting. The share of potassium in the fertilizer during this period increases, and for nitrogen decreases.

By diagnosing the leaves, you can always judge the condition of the plant and quickly make adjustments to the composition of the fertilizer used.

The productivity of cucumbers depends on many factors . But if you properly prepare the greenhouse, fertilize the soil, plant the plants on time and carry out balanced feeding, you will have a harvest of tasty and healthy vegetables on your table all year round.

What kind of soil do cucumbers like?

A bed for growing cucumbers is chosen in the fall, and it is determined whether the cucumber bushes will be comfortable there, whether there is enough light, whether the soil is “airy,” and the desired level of acidity.

Cucumbers grow well if:

The soil is loamy, light.

Cucumbers do not grow in heavy clay soil; if the soil does not have a loose structure, you need to achieve the correct composition with the help of organic matter and sand.

There is no dangerous proximity to groundwater.

Experienced gardeners know that cucumbers do not like cold and too wet soil. Proximity to groundwater will negatively affect plant health.

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The soil acidity indicator is pH 7.

In order not to make a mistake in checking the acidity indicator, you can test Alamovsky’s device, which will carry out the analysis instantly. It’s even simpler - use litmus paper. Place a litmus strip in moist soil - to a depth of 30 cm. The third option for testing the soil for acidity is by looking at the weeds in the garden bed. Experienced gardeners know that horsetail and moss, sedge, mint grow well in acidic soil, wormwood, fireweed, sorrel. If such weeds “raise their heads” and are blissful, the soil is acidic and is not suitable for growing cucumbers. Neutral acidity level on the site if coltsfoot, vineyards, wheatgrass, and clover grow on it. This type of soil is suitable for cucumbers.

Fertile soil.

Organic fertilizers, especially manure, are the favorite of cucumbers; experienced gardeners do not recommend using fresh manure; the bush and greenery will gain strength, but to the detriment of fruiting. A fertile bed is prepared in the fall by adding manure to the soil, usually about 5 kilograms of organic matter per square meter, you can take more. Then the area is reclaimed and left until spring. The manure, decomposing, feeds the soil with carbon dioxide, improving its quality. During spring reclamation of the land, decomposed manure is added.

How to prepare the soil for planting cucumbers

Since properly prepared soil is the first step to a great harvest, take care of your cucumber bed first.

In the fall, the soil is fertilized so that the soil is balanced; in addition to manure, wood ash and nitrophoska are added. For 5 buckets of manure you need 5 cups of ash and 100 g of nitrophoska, then the soil is reclaimed, reclaimed again in the spring, the depth of the shovel is 25 cm, on top of the dug up soil we place a fertile “cushion” 15 cm wide. The soil should be without lumps, smooth, the top layer forms The caterpillar comb receives polyethylene protection - the film is placed so that the ridge remains uncovered. The work is done several weeks before planting.

Some gardeners add sawdust - humus - and humus to the cucumber bed, and then water the soil - 4 liters per square meter - with sodium humate. Prepare a solution of sodium humate as follows: dilute a tablespoon of the drug in 10 liters of water.

After the procedure, the bed is covered with film, the soil remains in this state for four days, and then you can start planting.

Also, to fertilize the soil for cucumbers, gardeners use the following composition:

Urea.
Manure.
Superphosphate.
Potassium sulfate.

How to properly feed cucumbers using only folk remedies?

We feed cucumbers in the open ground with folk remedies.
Many gardeners, when feeding vegetable plants on their plot, make do only with folk remedies. We'll tell you how to do it correctly.

Using folk remedies, 3-4 main feedings will be required per season.

Even before planting cucumbers in open ground, it is necessary to fertilize the bed well. For 1 square meter you need to pour 4-5 kilograms of compost and 1 cup (200 grams) of wood ash.

The first feeding of cucumbers in open ground with folk remedies. Liquid chicken manure is used as the first feeding. It is carried out 1.5-2 weeks after planting in open ground.

Second feeding of cucumbers in open ground. The second feeding is carried out during flowering and fruit formation. At this time, you need to feed with a solution of wood ash. Take 1-2 liters of wood ash and mix in 10 liters of water. Pour the resulting solution over the cucumbers.

The third feeding of cucumbers in open ground with folk remedies. The third feeding is also carried out using liquid chicken manure.

Between the main feedings, you can make intermediate foliar feedings with ash and iodine (we wrote about this above). It would also be very good to sprinkle the cucumbers with honey solution during flowering. This will have a very good effect on the bee pollination of the ovaries.

Video - fertilizing cucumbers in open ground with folk remedies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=593GSOwPc5E

What fertilizer to use when planting cucumbers

In the first period after planting, cucumber seedlings need a large amount of nitrogen. Therefore, when planting, nettles, dry chicken manure or humus are added to the hole, or you can use ready-made special fertilizer from the store.

The ideal fertilizer composition for creating a hole for cucumbers is 10% nitrogen, 7% potassium, 7% phosphorus and various microelements. Fertilizers can also contain humic compounds; the OMU Spring organic-mineral fertilizer has this composition.

There is a lot of nitrogen in urea, which can also be added to the hole under cucumbers. In addition, we pour a handful of ash or make potassium fertilizer; cucumbers need potassium to develop, otherwise their leaves begin to turn yellow, which has a bad effect on the harvest.

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Prepared fertilizers should be used according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Important! There should always be a layer of soil at least 5 cm thick between fertilizers and roots.

If you have a good day for planting cucumber seedlings, and there are no fertilizers or folk remedies on hand, simply plant the plants without adding anything to the hole. While they are getting used to the new place, they can be watered with an infusion of grass (recipe here), cow manure, chicken manure or a fertilizer solution. Remember that without nitrogen you will not get a good harvest of cucumbers. Therefore, fertilize cucumbers when planting or 10-14 days after planting with ready-made or homemade fertilizers containing nitrogen. We wish you a successful harvest!

How to water cucumbers after planting

Cucumbers do not tolerate thirst; moisture deficiency is the cause of bitter fruits. Water with warm water. Gardeners and gardeners often use special solutions for watering cucumbers.

Here are the most popular:

With ash. Take about 60 g per bucket of water. The plant needs potassium and calcium contained in the ash for healthy growth.
With nettle tea. Place a bucket of nettle on a bucket of water and let it sit for 7 days. Then the infusion must be diluted with water - proportions 1:7 - and left for a couple of days. Then the solution is used for irrigation.
With weeds. Chop the weeds and add water in a 1:1 ratio. Leave for 15 days to infuse. The infusion is stirred periodically. After 15 days, the infusion is diluted with water - proportions 1:20 - and used for spraying.
With hay. You need to prepare a solution by taking equal parts of water and hay. Pour water over the hay and leave for 24 hours. Afterwards, fertilizing is applied to the holes. It is believed that this is a good way to prevent powdery mildew.
With yeast. Prepare a solution: take 100 g of yeast in a bucket of water and leave for 36 hours. Pour 500 ml of the product under the root after watering the plant. A good method for repelling pests. During the season you will need to feed yeast three times.
With onion peel. Take 20 g of onion peels for 5 liters of water and leave for 48 hours. The solution is injected under the root. The second option is to dilute 200 ml of infusion in a bucket of water and water it.

Watering with solutions containing useful substances helps the seedlings grow more actively. The fruiting period also increases, and the taste of the fruit increases. The plant itself acquires protection from diseases and pests. The main thing is to use a reasonable amount of fertilizing so as not to oversaturate the soil, this will negatively affect the plant.

Plants need to be watered daily, in the late afternoon. Saturate the plant with moisture in small portions; do not pour in the entire volume of water at once.

You may be interested in:

When to plant cucumbers in open ground with seeds
How to form cucumbers in a greenhouse step by step
What to put in the holes when planting tomatoes and peppers in a greenhouse

Natalia

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Delicious crispy cucumbers will decorate the summer menu if you properly care for the cucumber seedlings and fulfill all the requirements that the delicate crop imposes on the gardener. Fertile soil, careful care of seedlings, proper watering and timely fertilizing are all necessary conditions for a good harvest.

What fertilizers should you feed cucumbers with?

In order to be able to choose from different sources containing different types and composition of components, you need to know what fertilizers are, their composition and benefits, and the possibility of applying them at different stages of cucumber growth.

The division of fertilizers into groups is determined by the difference in the method of production, chemical composition and form, as well as in the direction of action of the substances contained. Fertilizers are:

Organic:

Organic fertilizers are of natural origin, so their use is safe for people and animals. They are formed during the life of animals and plants, so they are cheap or even free.

Once added to the soil, organic matter needs time to release micronutrients and macronutrients through decomposition. But the effect of this type of fertilizer is longer and does not require additional nutrition. In addition, bacteria are involved in the decomposition process, which have a beneficial effect on the absorption of nutrients by the root system of cucumbers.

The use of organic matter improves the structure of the soil: it becomes loose, light, permeable to air and water.

The most common organic substances include:

Mineral fertilizers are produced through chemical compounds and reactions, most of them are highly soluble in water, they have a quick but short-term effect on plants. Depending on the predominance of one or another element, they are divided into:

Complex:

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Complex mineral fertilizers contain the main components (nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus) in various proportions and are enriched with additional elements. Such fertilizers can be produced by mixing single-component fertilizers or through complex chemical reactions. Such mixtures strengthen plants, helping them grow and develop well.

The most widely used multicomponent fertilizers include:

Nitrophoska contains all three main elements. It is suitable for all crops and soil types. It is used from the spring until fruiting; after such nutrition, cucumbers become resistant to diseases and pests.
Nitroammophos contains nitrogen and phosphorus in equal quantities, suitable for use in autumn on heavy soils and in spring on light soils.
Ammophos is often used not only in open fields, but also in shelters. It contains all the basic elements in combination with sulfur; its advantage is the absence of chlorine and sodium.

Timing and frequency

Cucumber seedlings need to be fed only 3 times before planting in open ground. When using greenhouse plants, it may be necessary to use more active agents. Thus, weak seedlings are fertilized every 14 days.

Approximate fertilizer application schedule.

Fertilization can be repeated after another 2 weeks, at which time a double dose of organic fertilizer should be added, making sure that the fertilizer does not come into contact with the green part of the seedling. Otherwise, the leaves will burn; all feeding is intended for the roots.
When the first leaves appear, use only water-based solutions. Organic matter can enter the plant when watering in the morning or evening. Usually the first 2 leaves appear after 10-14 days.
For the third time, you can fertilize seedlings planted in the ground; it is during this period that the plant experiences the most severe stress. After 5 days, the soil should be enriched with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. When planting, it is important to monitor the condition of the soil.
In subsequent periods, fertilizers are applied at intervals of 10-15 days.

There is no point in starting to fertilize earlier; young seedlings at this time are still too weak and simply will not be able to absorb nutrients. Numerous experiments show that even in sterile soil, cucumbers can safely survive until the first leaves appear. At this time, the plant feeds on the reserves found in the seeds.

Some gardeners, however, believe that cucumbers need to be fed during the formation of the third leaf. At this time, the root system is already more developed, the plant can absorb the necessary substances.

The standard feeding scheme is suitable for cucumbers that develop normally. For weak plants, beneficial ingredients can be added according to the following system:

When the plant bears fruit;
After bud germination;
When the leaves turn yellow;
If a yellow color appears on the fruits;
When severe frost sets in.

Root feeding is the simplest and most common, but you can fertilize cucumbers in another way; foliar feeding is applied during the dormant period between root feedings, 2-3 sessions per season are enough.

Feeding cucumbers during flowering.

Feeding cucumbers in open ground during flowering.
During the flowering of cucumbers, the second main feeding of cucumbers in open ground is carried out. From the moment of the first feeding, 2-3 weeks pass and the cucumbers begin to bloom. At this time, they need a substance like potassium more than ever. It promotes the formation of ovaries and the formation of new fruits.

It is also very common for cucumbers to experience a lack of boron during this period. It's time to feed with boric acid. To prepare boric acid fertilizer, take 1 teaspoon of the substance and stir it in a small amount of heated water (45-50 degrees). Cool the resulting solution and add 2 liters of water to it. All that remains is to spray the leaves and stems of the plants.

It remains to replenish the potassium supply. Wood ash works best. Take 1-2 liters of wood ash and mix well with 10 liters of water. Pour the resulting solution over the cucumbers. After fertilizing, water the beds well with ordinary water. This will ensure better absorption of nutrients by the roots.

During flowering, 1-1.5 weeks after the second, a third feeding should be done. The third feeding should be comprehensive and contain many useful elements. Liquid chicken manure is best suited for it. To prepare this fertilizer, pour water over the dry droppings, cover with a lid and let sit for 2-5 days. Then mix 0.5 fertilizer in 10 liters of water and pour over the cucumbers.

Fertilizers for cucumbers in open ground

Cucumbers grow well in fertile soil; on flat soils they should be planted in the second year after generous application of organic fertilizers to the soil. In a short growing season, the crop must create a powerful leaf apparatus and a large number of fruits.

Planting cucumbers on fresh manure is not recommended due to strong vegetation to the detriment of fruiting. Although fresh manure at the rate of 5-10 kg per 1 m2 can be applied under the predecessor or in the fall when digging the soil. Carbon dioxide, which is released when fresh manure decomposes, significantly improves the physical properties of the soil.

The main organic fertilizer for cucumbers can be considered semi-decomposed manure, which is applied during spring digging of the soil, in rows when sowing seeds or in holes when planting seedlings. For this purpose, you can also use greenhouse soil waste, compost mixture, mulch or well-decomposed peat.

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Of the total norm of fertilizers intended for cucumbers, two thirds should be applied for reclamation, and the rest during pre-sowing loosening of the soil in rows when sowing or in holes when planting seedlings, as well as during post-harvest application of fertilizers. In all cases, complete mineral fertilizer is added to the organic fertilizer in the amount of 90 g of nitrophoska or 50 g of nitroamphoska.

Complete mineral fertilizer can be replaced with a mixture of simple fertilizers, adding 20 g of urea, double superphosphate or amphophos, 20 g of potassium sulfate or 30 g of ammonia potassium per 1 m2. On acidic soils, liming should be carried out (preferably under previous cultivation), adding 300-500 g of dolomite flour per 1 m2 of area.

The following set of fertilizers can be applied for cultivation: 3 kg of humus and peat, 2 kg of sawdust for loosening the soil, 30-40 g of superphosphate and 10-15 g of potassium salt per 1 m2 of area. Fertilizer should be evenly distributed throughout the entire area and applied to the soil to a depth of 20 cm by digging.

If granulated superphosphate (5 g per 1 m2) is added to the rows when sowing, you can get an early harvest of cucumbers. Superphosphate powder must first be mixed with humus; potassium fertilizer during spring cultivation can be replaced with wood ash in the amount of 150-200 g per 1 m2.

Cucumbers in central Russia are usually grown from seedlings, which are fed twice with peas (1:8) or chicken manure (1:10). The first feeding with a liquid solution is carried out 2 weeks after germination.

The second feeding is carried out 2 days before planting by adding 10 liters of cow or poultry manure with the addition of 15 g of ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate and 20 g of superphosphate. The solution consumption is 1 cup per 2 plants.

After planting cucumbers in the ground in a permanent place in the ground, you need to fertilize every 10-15 days, combining it with watering. Before flowering, cucumbers primarily require nitrogen to stimulate stem growth and leaf formation. For nitrogen fertilizer, dissolve 1 liter of mullein or 10 g of urea in 10 liters of water.

At the beginning of flowering, when preparing liquid fertilizer based on cow manure, microfertilizers are added to the solution (1 tablet per liter of solution). You can also prepare an aqueous solution consisting of 10 liters of water, 0.5 g of boric acid, 0.4 g of manganese sulfate and 0.1 g of zinc sulfate.

During the period of mass flowering, cucumbers increase their need for phosphorus and potassium, and on clay soils they often lack magnesium. Therefore, from the moment the buds form and throughout the entire flowering period, it is necessary to enhance plant nutrition by applying complete fertilizer. To do this, add 40 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potassium sulfate or 20 g of potassium magnesia to 10 liters of mullein solution. The solution consumption is 200-250 ml per plant.

The following complex fertilizers can also be used for fertilizing: 25 g of nitroamphoska, “Stimul-1” or 30 g of a mixture of garden fertilizers with microelements, but without chlorine, per 10 liters of mullein solution. The solution consumption is 1 liter per 4-5 plants; if it is not possible to prepare a fertilizer solution based on cow manure, the dose of mineral fertilizers should be increased by 1.5 times.

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During the period of active fruiting and during dying, cucumbers need nitrogen and potassium fertilizers. Fertilizing with soluble complex fertilizer (20 g per 1 m2) has a good effect, especially useful on light soils where plants may suffer from a lack of magnesium.

If the weather is cloudy for a long period during the growing season of cucumbers, foliar fertilizing with urea (20 g per 10 liters of water) should be carried out.

To extend the fruiting period, phosphorus fertilizing will be required; superphosphate can be applied before watering or rain, but it is better with irrigation water. If there is enough phosphorus, cucumbers can benefit from fertilizing with potassium nitrate, which does not contain chlorine, which is harmful to cucumbers. In the absence of complex fertilizer, you can use a mixture of simple fertilizers, diluting 10 g of urea and 10 g of potassium sulfate or 20 g of potassium magnesia in 10 liters of water and diluting the resulting amount of fertilizer per 1 m2 of soil.

Any watering of cucumbers can be combined with the addition of wood ash, a supplier of potassium and calcium (from 40 to 100 g of ash per 10 liters of water). Fertilizing with ash can also be done after rain.

Cucumbers will benefit from a weekly infusion of nettle. Dilute the infusion with water in a ratio of 1:7 and water the plants every second day.

Feeding scheme for cucumbers in open ground

After the first leaf appears, you can feed the cucumbers with a complex composition so that both the root and green parts develop well. This is done either in greenhouse conditions after sowing the seeds, or in open ground. During this period, it is important to water the plants well.

When the plants take root after transplanting into the ground, spray them every 2 weeks to prevent diseases. This may be urea, trace elements or fungicides.

Before flowering, potassium is necessary to give the plant time to accumulate it for the development of the ovary. Binary mixtures or potassium fertilizers are sufficient; during this period, feeding cucumbers with nitrogen should be limited so as not to stimulate the growth of green mass. On light soils, potassium is fed to cucumbers throughout the entire fruiting period.

Feeding cucumbers in August depends on the variety; if the crop is still bearing fruit, then with potassium-phosphorus mixtures; if it runs out, then you can clean the area and burn the shoots. Caring for cucumbers in August is aimed at preparing the soil for the next season. You can add fresh manure, mixtures of mineral complexes, phosphates, bone or fish meal, and ash to the soil.

Long-acting fertilizers should be applied to the soil in August or September: first they need to be evenly distributed and then dug up. Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers do not tend to leach into the lower layers of the soil, so they will be fully effective in the spring.

If the plant's leaves suddenly turn yellow

Onion peel infusion
If the leaves of a plant turn yellow, it is most likely sick.

The reason is infection. At this point, it is important to use effective fertilizers.

A good folk method is an infusion of onion peels.

Complementary foods are easy to prepare. You should take 1 glass of onion peel and fill it with water in the amount of 8 years.

Bring this mixture to a boil, cover tightly with a lid, and leave to steep for 4 hours.

After this time, it is necessary to strain the infusion. This decoction should be poured over cucumbers. In addition, you can also spray plants with it. This will help get rid of harmful viruses and infections.

Fertilizers with yeast and bread leaven

Fertilizer containing yeast will help compensate for the lack of nutrients. In order to prepare the fertilizer, you should take a regular packet of yeast and dilute it in one bucket of plain water.

The bucket should then be placed in a warm place, but not in the sun. Leave it there for 2 days. During this time, the yeast will ferment. Each plant should be watered with infusion, based on the calculation of 1 liter per hole.

Just like yeast, complementary foods based on sourdough bread also act. In order to make sourdough, you first need to make crackers from black bread.

The crackers should be placed in a bucket so that they fill it halfway. Then the crackers are filled with water and covered with a lid. The bucket is placed in a warm place. It should not be exposed to direct sunlight. In a week, the bread starter will be ready.

Planting cucumbers on nettles

Even on infertile soil, you can get an excellent harvest if you add nettles to the hole when planting seedlings or sowing cucumbers.

How to plant cucumbers on nettles:

Dig a deep hole (one and a half shovels deep if possible).

Grind the nettles and fill half the hole with it.
Make nettle puree without roots, you can add clover, dandelion leaves, and a little celery.
Sprinkle compost on top (4-5 handfuls).
Mix the nettles into the compost using a small spatula and grind the mixture at the same time. Ground herbs will break down faster and release nutrients.
Sprinkle the mixture generously with water.

When the water is absorbed, add a layer of compost or well-decomposed humus. Make sure that the covering is at least 10 cm, otherwise the green mass will burn the roots of the cucumbers. However, it is not recommended to make too large a layer, as this will not give any effect.
Water the hole and you can start planting cucumber seedlings.

Nettles, crushed and mixed with compost, will release heat and nitrogen as they decompose, which is essential for plant growth.

Attention! If your site does not have compost, add ash or a little ammonium nitrate to speed up the decomposition of the nettles.

Planting cucumbers in a greenhouse

Most often, cucumber shoots with 4-5 true leaves are planted in a greenhouse. Typically, this number of leaves appears in the third week after seed germination. Growing cucumber seedlings includes:

Moisturizing and fertilizing cucumber seeds;
Warming seeds;
Cooling;
Planting seeds in pots.

Seeds for growing seedlings are stored for a month in a warm room at a temperature not lower than +25°C, which in the future will help to achieve uniform germination, early fruiting and minimal stubble. Before germination, heated cucumber kernels should be placed for an hour in a disinfectant solution prepared from 100 g of cool water and 30 g of garlic pulp.

After the pathogens are destroyed, the seeds are placed for 12 hours in a blotting sheet immersed in a medium to which 1 tablespoon of water, 1 teaspoon of fine wood ash and the same amount of nitrophoska must be added.

Then the seeds are placed on a damp cloth, where they are kept for 2 days at a temperature of about +20° C. When the seeds have swollen and slightly sprouted, they are transferred to the refrigerator for 24 hours. These manipulations allow you to harden the future seedlings. Note that the seeds are of hybrid varieties cucumbers do not need pre-sowing preparation.

To grow cucumber seedlings, use small containers 10-12 cm high filled with a mixture of soil and nutrients. This substance is obtained from 1 part sawdust, 2 parts humus and 2 parts peat. 10 liters of prepared soil mixture are fertilized with 1.5 tablespoons of nitrophoska and 2 tablespoons of wood ash. 1 germinating seed is placed in 1 pea, the seedlings are watered at least once a week, the presence of intense light is a prerequisite for the normal growth of cucumber seedlings.

Before planting cucumber seedlings, disinfect the soil with potassium permanganate and sprinkle with phosphorus fertilizer.

Seedlings can be planted in greenhouse soil 27-30 days after sowing. Immediately before planting, seedlings should be fertilized with a solution obtained by mixing 3 liters of water and 3 teaspoons of nitroamphoska or nitrophoska.

Cucumber seedlings are planted in warm soil, watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkled with a teaspoon of any phosphorus fertilizer. When planting, it is necessary to maintain a distance of 30-35 cm between seedlings; this distance is sufficient for the full growth of the cucumber root system.

Caring for cucumbers in a greenhouse

Nashitsov's pruning scheme.

Experienced gardeners advise using special soil mixtures that are poured onto heated compost. A few days after transplanting into the greenhouse, water the plants with warm water and loosen the soil. When the seedlings become stronger, fertilize them with ash. Regardless of the type of plant, nutrition will help it grow and bear fruit well. It is very important to maintain a temperature in the greenhouse of 22-280C during the day, 18-200C at night, and humidity 80-100%. In short, the atmosphere for growing cucumbers should be warm and humid.

Cucumber leaves should be tied to a trellis so that the leaves do not fall off and the harvest is high. When the first 8 true leaves appear, you can begin to form a bush. To do this, new branches are pinched in the lower 3-4 nodes, in the next 5 nodes one leaf and one cucumber are pinched, in front of the trellis wire the shoots should be pinched to 2-3 leaves, when the plant reaches the trellis wire, the main braid is wrapped around the wire, tied and pinched .

All varieties of cucumbers love moisture, so you need to be picky about soil aeration. When moistening the soil, there must be enough air, otherwise the roots of the plants will rot and die, the soil moisture level should be 65-80%, when watering on sunny days, do not allow water to get on the leaves, as the leaves may get sunburned. At the beginning of fruiting, water every 3 days, and during mass fruiting - every day, except for cool and cloudy days. Don't forget to aerate and fertilize. Organic and mineral fertilizers can be used as fertilizers.

The process of growing cucumbers is not considered easy even for experienced gardeners, as it requires a lot of time and physical effort, regardless of what varieties of cucumbers are chosen. But if you follow all the stages of cultivation correctly, the harvest will be high, the cucumbers will be tasty, and you will be satisfied with yourself. Good luck!

Greenhouse preparation

Autumn

Autumn preparation of the greenhouse for planting cucumbers: on the eve of winter, you need to remove all remaining plants , dig up the ground and pull out the roots of the weeds, and disinfect the frames, logs and equipment. The most convenient form of treating a greenhouse is spraying with a 40% disinfectant solution of formaldehyde (200 cm3 of the drug is needed for 10 liters of water).

If a pest such as a spider mite has been noticed, then it is treated with bleach (1 kg of the drug is needed for 10 liters of water). You can also take creolin, but it is less convenient - its dense coating is difficult to wash off the glass. Often they use 5% iron sulfate or the method of fumigation with sulfur smoke bombs.

Chemical compositions such as Ordo liquid or copper sulfate solution will help to disinfect the soil for the greenhouse and cucumbers If necessary, the top layer of soil is removed and processed outside the greenhouse. Greenhouses should be disinfected annually.

In the fall, it’s a good idea to have time to prepare manure. It's best to do this when it gets colder outside. When preparing, you need to take into account that 1 meter of spring greenhouse will require 0.5-0.7 m3 of manure . It is placed near the greenhouse and compacted so that it does not heat up ahead of time. The top is covered with earth, leaves, and peat.

Spring

In spring, the greenhouse for planting cucumbers must be specially prepared. Preparing the soil in a greenhouse in the spring for cucumbers is as follows: the manure is heated by beating , that is, shaking the manure heap with a pitchfork. Thus, they try to mix warm layers of manure with cold ones. These actions must be performed 4-5 days before planting in the greenhouse.

If the manure remains cold, then it is heated with hot water. You can put very heated stones inside the heap, as well as quicklime. There are other ways. Manure, heated to 60-70°C, is brought inside and laid in a layer of 57-63 cm. The manure floats , emitting the smell of ammonia .

After a few days, the smell will dissipate and the biofuel will settle.

Walking on manure is not recommended , since when it compacts, the combustion will stop prematurely, so boards are laid in the passage areas.

Soil 10 cm high is poured on top of the manure. The nutrient mixture for planting cucumbers is prepared from equal parts of turf soil, peat and humus. Sometimes compost is used .

For information on preparing soil in a greenhouse for cucumbers, watch the video:

Basic rules for application

It is better to pour nutrient solutions under the root so that they do not come into contact with the stem. Usually they are sprinkled on the ground between the sprouts; foliar feeding is always less concentrated, so it simply cannot harm the green part of the plant. Immediately after applying the fertilizer, water it with warm, clean water.

To improve results, it is important to combine root and foliar feeding.

Summarize.

When growing cucumbers in open ground, it is very important to take care not only of care, which includes weeding and watering, but also of fertilizing. It is the latter that allows cucumbers to develop well and produce a large harvest over a long period of time.

It is necessary to use various fertilizers, it all depends on the period of plant development. So, first the plant needs nitrogen and phosphorus to increase green mass and develop the root system, then potassium so that the fruits develop better, and in the last period of growth, nitrogen and potassium again will not hurt to extend the fruiting period.

It also became clear from the article that there are two main methods of fertilizing - root and foliar. The advantages of foliar feeding are that nutrients are very quickly absorbed by plants. When feeding at the root, on the contrary, beneficial substances are absorbed longer, but over a longer period of time.

Above we looked at a variety of fertilizers for cucumbers - those that can be classified as folk remedies and those that are purchased. It’s up to you to decide what to use in your garden – natural fertilizers or “chemicals”.

How to avoid mistakes when applying fertilizers?

Errors in the use of fertilizers lead to serious problems instead of a positive effect. Therefore, do not forget to follow a few rules:

Carry out all fertilizing after watering to protect the root system from burns and other negative consequences.
Do not allow the simultaneous application of wood ash and nitrogen fertilizers; in this case, the cucumbers may die due to the release of a large dose of ammonia.
Root feeding should be done in the evening, and foliar feeding should be done before or after sunset.
Avoid severe nutrient deficiencies or excesses in the soil.
Do not use mineral preparations after the expiration date or violation of storage rules.

To get a bountiful harvest of cucumbers, it is important to apply various types of fertilizers correctly and in a timely manner. Their diversity, availability and different price categories give the gardener a choice. And following certain rules when performing work will ensure a positive and quick result in the form of a healthy harvest and a large number of ovaries.