Hooray! The cucumbers are gone! Stages of the path from sowing to the first harvest

The spring chores of gardeners and gardeners begin with the arrival of the first warm days. If the climate does not allow growing vegetables in open ground, it is necessary to protect the crops with the help of special shelters. Every gardener should know how long cucumbers grow in a greenhouse in order to harvest on time and not overcook the fruits.

How to get cucumbers to bear fruit before frost

Healthy and strong cucumbers should please the owners of the dacha with their harvest for a long time. But often, already in August, cucumber vines begin to fade and by the middle or end of the month, the collection of greens ends. If you notice the first warning signs, do not despair - it is quite possible to extend the fruiting of cucumbers until September and even October!

How to get cucumbers to bear fruit before frost

To do this, you need to know a few subtleties, taking into account which you will be able to harvest before the first frost: 1. You cannot leave ripe cucumbers on the plant. This sharply slows down the growth of young greens and shortens the life of the bush. Cucumbers must be collected constantly as they ripen.

2. In August, when the air temperature is already dropping, the roots of cucumbers begin to absorb nutrients from the soil worse (for reference: if the temperature drops by 1°C, the absorption capacity of the roots decreases by 15%). It would be correct to reduce root feeding by half or even three times, but foliar feeding (by leaves) will provide good support for life during this period.

You will find recipes for proper nutrition of cucumbers in the second half of summer in the article Feeding for cucumbers.

For long fruiting, it is important to feed cucumbers correctly.

3. If the soil under the plants is not mulched, then it is necessary to cover the ground with peat, sawdust, humus or other mulching material with a layer of 4-7 cm - this will protect the delicate surface roots from the cold at night, and will continue to protect them from overheating during the day.

4. Changes in day and night temperatures, cold nights with heavy dew that occur as early as August, and prolonged rains contribute to the development of diseases. If plants get sick, this will significantly shorten their lifespan, so it is very important to take preventive protective measures . How to do this is described in the article “First Aid” for cucumbers: prevention and treatment of diseases.

5. Despite the approach of autumn, it is imperative to continue to stimulate the growth of new shoots and ovaries . To do this, as before, you should regularly remove all yellowed leaves and those located below the fruiting zone - the plant does not need them, and only takes away its nutrients, which are now worth their weight in gold.

Continue to stimulate the growth of new shoots and ovaries 6. If you grow pollinated varieties of cucumbers, you need to think about
attracting pollinating insects .
It’s good when borage (borage), burnet, Siberian buzulnik, black root, oregano, phacelia, chrysanthemums and other plants that bloom in August and September grow in the garden or near the dacha, because in the struggle for the late summer and autumn harvest It's hard to imagine a better support group than bees. 7. To prolong fruiting, some vegetable growers successfully use plastic film to protect cucumber vines from cold rains . By protecting plants from unfavorable conditions and removing the film on fine sunny days, you can significantly lengthen the life of cucumber bushes.

Covering cucumbers with plastic wrap

7. An effective technique is bush rejuvenation . To do this, the lower part of the cucumber vine is laid on the ground and sprinkled with moist soil. New roots appearing on the sprinkled stems begin to actively feed the plant and stimulate fruiting.

In the following video, Pavel Starikov tells and shows how to rejuvenate cucumbers grown in a vertical culture:

But it is not recommended to disturb horizontally growing vines (lying on the ground), because they have naturally, where possible, already formed additional roots. Shifting the shoots from place to place will only destroy these roots. And, as a result, such “help” will reduce productivity.

A well-proven method is sowing cucumbers at several times .

You can find a large assortment of cucumber seeds in our catalog, which combines offers from various gardening online stores. Select cucumber seeds.

Source

How to feed cucumbers in open ground at the beginning of fruiting

Spray the bushes with urea (50 g per 10 liters of water) or water with herbal infusion (1:5), which we described above. During the fruiting period, root feeding with potassium nitrate (25 g per 15 liters of water) will not be superfluous. This substance will accelerate the formation of fruits, and the green mass will not grow much.

And if you also want to protect plants from diseases, you will be interested in how to feed cucumbers with iodine. To do this, simply add 30-40 drops of iodine and 1 liter of whey to 10 liters of water. Mix the mixture thoroughly and spray the plantings at intervals of 3 weeks before harvesting.

Fruiting dates for greenhouse cucumbers

For cucumbers intended for greenhouses, there are significant differences in the timing of fruit harvest. The entire planned harvest from some varieties can be obtained very quickly, while from others it can take an order of magnitude longer. If the goal is to grow a bountiful harvest in a short period of time, then you should pay attention to quick-ripening varieties and hybrids. They can be called real sprinters in ripening greens. Since they begin to bear fruit very cooperatively, they can literally within a month from the beginning of the first ovaries give away almost the entire harvest that they are capable of, and this is up to 90-95% of its maximum amount. Their further development may be impractical; it is preferable to remove such plants and plant new seeds.

Long-term fruiting hybrids are a different matter. Here the situation is completely different. The cucumber harvest will be extended over several months, the bushes will bear fruit without interruption. In this case, the fruits can be collected little by little, but constantly.

Of course, mass and one-time collection of fruits is more suitable for industrial cultivation for sale. In small private greenhouses, gardeners prefer gradual and longer collection of fresh produce.

We determine the duration of fruiting: how long do cucumbers bear fruit in a greenhouse?

Each variety of cucumbers is somehow different from all other varieties. This may be the speed of ripening, it may be the appearance, or perhaps the number of fruits that the plant is capable of producing. This ability is called productivity. The ideal yield of a particular variety is indicated on the package of cucumber seeds. But several factors influence the number of cucumbers you get.

To make cucumbers bear fruit better, they should be tied up.

Let's figure out how long cucumbers bear fruit in a greenhouse. This will make it possible to understand which varieties of cucumbers are worth purchasing for planting in a greenhouse and which are not.

The fruiting period of cucumbers is different for each variety. But in addition, the yield is influenced by the conditions that are created for their cultivation. If you promptly fulfill all the whims of this demanding plant, you will be able to achieve good returns from them and increase the fruiting period of your seedlings.

Average fruiting time for cucumbers:

• Super early varieties bear fruit – 1 month;
• Early varieties bear fruit - 1-1.5 months;
• Mid-early varieties can produce an ovary in 1.5-3 months;
• Medium varieties bear fruit for 2-3 months;
• Late varieties of cucumbers can bear fruit for up to 2.5-3 months;

In addition, bee-pollinated seed varieties require pollination. Without pollination, you will have only barren flowers on the cucumber tops.

What affects the timing of harvest?

It turns out that the timing of harvest is largely related to the branching characteristic of the cucumber vine, that is, its ability to grow lateral shoots. Hybrids with strong formation of lateral shoots show longer fruiting periods. Such properties are genetically determined in plants.

The thing is that in cucumbers with weak branching, the greens are tied on the main stem. When the harvest is harvested, the plant no longer has the opportunity to develop further; if the side shoots grow, they are very short and in small quantities; practically no new female flowers appear on them. The situation is different with those plants that intensively form side shoots. After harvesting the main stem, they begin a second wave of greens on the side branches. In greenhouses, such shoots, ready to grow from each internode, have to be pinched so that the plants do not interfere with each other.

Some similar hybrids (“Buyan”, “Okhotny Ryad”, “Chistye Prudy”, “Farmer”, “Anyuta”, etc.) have a very valuable feature - they are able to self-regulate branching. In this case, the side shoots do not begin to grow until the harvest is harvested from the main stem. This is very convenient for those who can only come to their dacha a couple of times a week, since the plantings do not have time to become very overgrown.

To obtain good and long-lasting autumn harvests from unheated greenhouses, you should pay attention to hybrids known for their cold resistance and shade tolerance (“Lord”, “Virenta”, “Spring Caprice”, “Moscow Nights”, “Saltan”, etc.). Some hybrids with moderate and weak branching (“Mazai”, “Kozyrnaya Karta”, “Ant”, etc.) show a fairly long fruiting period without forming strong lateral fouling.

Of course, varietal characteristics play a big role, however, much depends on environmental conditions. For example, severe shade, drought or cold inhibit the development of shoots. And vice versa, warmth, good lighting, timely watering and fertilizing increase it, respectively, increasing the yield.

How do fertilizing affect cucumber fruits?

If you don't fertilize your cucumbers during fruiting, most likely nothing will happen. On the other hand, if you feed the plants:

1. The taste qualities of the fruit are guaranteed to improve: they become crispy, sweet, healthy, and are stored simply better.
2. Secondly, balanced and proper feeding will lead to your cucumbers bearing fruit longer by 1-2 weeks a year.

Thus, proper feeding during fruiting is really important. And it doesn’t matter whether cucumbers grow in a greenhouse or on open ground - in all cases, the crop improves the yield and duration of fruiting, which is all that any gardener needs.

Classification of varieties and hybrids

Today there is a real abundance of varieties and hybrids of cucumbers. Every year this number only increases. How not to get confused and choose the right one that suits specific conditions? Let's start with the classification:

When choosing which cucumbers to grow, you should pay attention to the following:

Please note: do not sow greenhouse-only cucumbers in open ground beds. You can be left without a harvest or get a minimal amount of it.

Features of growing cucumbers all year round in various regions, including the Krasnodar Territory

In our country, they love cucumber; a festive feast is not complete without it. They make salads from fresh cucumbers; they enjoy crunching with pickled or pickled cucumbers. In most Russian regions, cucumber yields are low. This is due to the characteristics of the climate. A short summer with recurrent frosts does not allow cucumbers to create comfortable conditions for growth and fruiting.

Only in the southern regions is the entire growth cycle of the cucumber provided with sun and warmth. One of these areas is the Krasnodar Territory. The climate there is generally characterized by an excess of solar radiation with moderate humidity, so Krasnodar vegetable growers periodically face the problem of water shortages. But there is a solution to this problem, such as mulching the soil to retain moisture. Interestingly, in the Krasnodar Territory, cucumbers can be grown all year round, even in unheated greenhouses - for this purpose, structures with foil walls are used, which allow maximum heat retention inside.

In other regions, especially in Siberia, in winter and autumn the length of daylight hours is not enough to obtain a good harvest. When growing this vegetable in Siberia and other areas, it is better to consider methods of additional lighting and heating in a greenhouse or garden bed, for example, supplementary lighting with various lamps.

The best long-term fruiting hybrids for greenhouses

"Anyuta F1". Bouquet, self-pollinating type, there are up to 5 ovaries per node, universal, with high resistance to many diseases. Greenery with an emerald color, tuberculate, white-thorned, frequent pubescence, tasty.

“Buyan F1”. A fast-ripening bouquet-type gherkin that forms up to 5 ovaries in a node. Cylindrical, universal, finely tuberculate, with small spines. Self-fertile, increased resistance to diseases, many vitamins.

"Virenta F1". Cold-resistant, self-pollinating cucumber, long fruiting, resistant to many diseases, quickly adapts to unfavorable conditions. The fruits are without bitterness, have infrequent tubercles with white spines, and are universal.

"Geek F1." Does not require pollination, early, bunch type, forms up to 6 green plants per node. Shows vigorous growth of the main stem with limited growth of side shoots. It is shade-tolerant, resistant to low temperatures and diseases. Greenweed is cylindrical, with stripes and sparse large tubercles, black thorns, universal. The cucumber pulp is juicy and not bitter.

"Lord F1". Early (ripens in 45 days), cold-resistant, long-term fruiting. Versatile, bee pollinated. The fruit is a long cylinder, bright in color, white-spiked, tasty.

"Matryoshka F1". Bundle-gherkin type of cucumber, forms up to 8 ovaries in a node. Early ripening, parthenocarpic, produces more ovaries in good light and is resistant to cold and disease. The greenery is bright in color, has stripes, tubercles, and white thorns. The shape is cylindrical-oval, the skin is dense, the pulp is juicy, excellent taste, universal use.

"Maryina Roshcha F1". Parthenocarpic, bouquet, early ripening type, forms up to 5 greens in a node. Characterized by cold resistance, strong branching, shade tolerance, good resistance to major diseases. Shows stable yields, regardless of conditions. The greens are large-tubercular, dense, white-thorned, aromatic, and versatile.

"Mazai F1". Early, gherkin type of cucumber. From germination to green plants - up to 45 days; a node forms 2-3 green plants. The fruit is an elongated cylinder with small tubercles. Excellent taste, versatile, resistant to major diseases, good yield - up to 14 kg per sq.m.

“At the command of the pike F1.” Mid-season, self-pollinating, bouquet type. Characteristically, the formation of lateral shoots is suppressed, but fruiting is extended. An interesting feature is that with full feeding at the end of summer, side shoots begin to grow with the formation of bouquets of three greens. The fruits are spindle-shaped, with large and sparse tubercles, the skin is dense, with crispy flesh.

"Moscow F1 Evenings". Mid-season, universal type, has excellent taste. Strongly climbing, with good shade tolerance. The fruit is cylindrical in shape, with medium tubercility, white spines.

"Saltan F1". Bouquet, gherkin type. Active branching, partially self-fertile, requires pollinator replanting. Fruits with large tubercles, white spines, frequent pubescence, universal, disease resistant.

"Farmer F1". It bears fruit for a long time, has a powerful root system and rapid growth of shoots. Bee-pollinated, nodes have 1-2 ovaries. Greens with dense pulp, stripes, large tubercles and white spines, universal type. Shows good disease resistance.

"Chic F1". Early, with strongly expressed parthenocarpy, bouquet type. Active and long-term fruiting, resistance to temperature changes and diseases. The greens are cylindrical, especially tasty when pickled.

"Chistye Prudy F1". Bundle type, with the formation of up to 6 ovaries per node. Cold-resistant, shade-tolerant, with complex resistance to diseases, the growth of vines is strong, the cucumber is universal. Cucumbers with tubercles and white spines, crispy, characteristically juicy, tasty.

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How to extend the life of cucumbers. How to extend the cucumber season: all the secrets of professional gardeners

How to maximize the fruiting period of cucumbers?

You wait a long time for cucumbers, you pick one a day, then for 3-4 weeks you don’t know what to do with them, and then that’s it! What to do? Summer is not over yet and I really want to extend the harvest for as long as possible. And cucumbers age and become bitter. We are offering to you

6 Easy Ways to Rejuvenate Cucumber Vine

Trimming leaves, shoots and cucumbers

The first and most important thing to do is to trim off old yellowing, drying and diseased leaves. By the way, while you are doing this, carefully inspect the vines; perhaps you forgot to remove some part of the crop and these cucumbers have outgrown. Be sure to remove them; ripening cucumbers are a signal to the plant about the end of the growing season. Harvesting on time is very important if you want your canes to age as slowly as possible.

Overripe cucumber

So, first we cut off the old leaves and the “cunning” cucumbers hidden in the foliage. Then, trim off the excess stepsons. Leave those on top, 5-6 pieces per lash. Remove the lower leaves and shoots if you have not done so before.

Trimming cucumber leaves

Foliar feeding of leaves

Urea. Nitrogen fertilizers, such as urea, are suitable for foliar feeding. Spraying with a weak solution of urea (10 g per bucket of water) stimulates the development of new leaves.

Epin. Foliar feeding is carried out at the rate of 1 ampoule per half bucket of water.

Root feeding of cucumbers

Green fertilizers. Green fertilizers are very useful for cucumbers, especially those based on nettle, which contains a large amount of nitrogen. Read more about their preparation>>>

Green fertilizer for cucumbers

Mulching the soil under cucumbers

This is always a useful agricultural technique. You can mulch cucumbers with peat, humus or mowed grass.

Stem rejuvenation

This procedure is not simple and many summer residents may need to abandon it, because if carried out incorrectly, it will lead to the death of the plant, and not to prolonging the period of cucumber yield.

It consists of lowering part of the whip onto the ground and covering it with earth. To do this (it’s best to do it together), the cucumber lash is cut from the rope (only the rope is cut, not the lash) and carefully lowered a third to the ground and tied at this height. That part of the lash that ends up on the ground (with the leaves removed!, see point one) is sprinkled with soil.

What is the danger? when lowering the whip, you can

• break the fragile stem (cucumber vines dry out very quickly and become brittle),
• pull out the plant along with the root system.

Replanting cucumbers in mid-June

Cucumbers, like peas, can be grown in several periods:

• the first one is planting seedlings in April, these cucumbers will go in June and will be the very first,
• second, sowing seeds in the ground in early May, this is for the main harvest in July;
• third, this is replanting cucumber seeds in mid-June, you will receive this harvest in August.

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse: Choosing a variety

Today you can find about 80 different varieties that are suitable for planting in open ground and about 60 for greenhouse cultivation. Hybrids (marked with the name F1) have proven themselves best for greenhouses.

How long does it take to grow cucumbers?

The ripening period directly depends on the selected seed variety. There is a special classification of varieties that is divided into three categories.

You can read more detailed information about the ripening period of cucumbers on the package of seeds you purchased. If you have not bought seeds yet, then you have the opportunity to choose the variety that is right for you.

difference in growth time between open ground and greenhouses.

Don’t forget about the possibility of growing seedlings that will accelerate the growth and percentage of surviving plants. Growing seedlings will take more time, but the speed of growing already in the ground is noticeable when compared with planting seeds. We have a detailed article on growing seedlings, we invite you to read it.

Early varieties

Herman F1

Distinctive ability to grow both indoors and outdoors.
Bulky plants need staking and bush formation. The fruits grow dark green, with large thorns, and are of universal use. A more detailed article about the early ripening cucumber variety German F1.

Courage F1

A powerful bush that needs care and shaping.
The hybrid performs well in greenhouse conditions. It has medium-sized fruits that can be used in all possible directions. You can learn more about the Courage F1 hybrid in this article.

Masha F1

Disease resistance and high yield.
Universal use of medium-sized fruits. Grows well in the southern regions in open ground. Read more about the Masha F1 variety.

Zozulya F1

Fruits appear within a month after planting in the ground. Fruits are 14-24 cm long, with white spines and weighing 160-290 g. Stable and high yield. Classified as salad.

Meringue F1

It grows both indoors and outdoors. The fruits grow identically with the correct shape. Resistant to diseases, can be watered by drip. The resulting fruits are pickled or eaten raw.

Fontana F1

The fruits grow tasty, crispy, even in shape. The bush is growing and powerful. Resistant to diseases.

Mid-season

Zyatek F1

The first fruits will appear 2 months after planting. When preserved, they turn out crispy and elastic. There are practically no diseases, the harvest is high.

More details can be found here.

Mother-in-law F1

Grows well both in open and closed ground. Beautiful fruit shape with white thorns. Good taste without bitterness. The harvest is stable.

Vyaznikovsky 37

A variety of cucumbers pollinated by bees. Stable and high yield. Grows in greenhouses and outdoors. The fruit ripens in 40-57 days, is 7-9 cm long and weighs 130 g.

Competitor

The powerful bush has excellent immunity to diseases and other factors negative for plants. The first cucumbers weigh 130 g and can be tasted after 50 days. You can salt it and eat it fresh in a salad.

April F1

50% of the harvest bears fruit 45-50 days after sowing. Cucumbers are dark green in color, up to 25 cm long and weighing up to 250 g. They are resistant to diseases and have a pleasant taste. It is immune to cold, which makes it possible to plant and grow in cloudy weather.

Claudia F1

Hybrid with a large number of ovaries. The variety is high-yielding. The fruits are universally used, without bitterness, grow up to 13 cm in length, and weigh up to 90 g. They have good disease resistance.

Libella F1

Suitable for greenhouses and open ground. Ripens on 47-53 days, up to 14 cm long and weighing up to 150 g. Long-term fruiting potential of the hybrid.

Nezhinsky

The first growth is already 53-67 days after planting. Fruiting is extended, the harvest is small. The bush is powerful and disease resistant. Grows in open and closed ground.

Connie F1

Harvest within 50 days after sowing. The weight of the fruit reaches 80 g, the length grows 7-8 cm. Good taste, without bitterness, suitable for canning and pickling. Resistant to diseases, grows in garden beds and greenhouses.

Elegant

Bee-pollinated bush with many barren flowers. Yields in greenhouses and outdoors in 44-64 days. Zelenets are up to 13 cm long and weigh up to 140 g. The bush is resistant to cold climates and grows in wet and cloudy weather. Has average immunity to diseases.

Late ripening

Phoenix

The variety needs bees to pollinate the flowers. Possesses long-term, good productivity when located both in a greenhouse and in the open air. The first greens appear after 64 days. It bears fruit for quite a long time, almost until frost. The fruit is tasty, crispy, up to 16 cm long and weighs 220 g. Universal use.

You can read the detailed article about the Phoenix cucumber variety.

Winner

The variety has good pickling qualities and excellent taste. It bears fruit with stable, high yields right up to frost.

Solar

Mid-season variety, grows in 47-50 days, pollinated by insects, grows in open ground. The length of the fruit is 12 cm and weight 138 g. It has good immunity to diseases and high yield.

The best varieties for greenhouses and greenhouses (closed ground)

Murashka F1

An early ripening variety of cucumbers, it grows in 42-45 days and does not require pollination. The hybrid compares favorably with others by its high yield. The fruit is 8-12 cm in size without bitterness, universal purpose. Resistant to powdery mildew and downy mildew. Grows well in greenhouses, greenhouses and outdoors.

You can get acquainted with the Murashka F1 variety more closely by following the link.

Thumb Boy

A very early ripening variety. The fruits are already on the 39th day. Length 11 cm, weight 50-65 g. The variety is perfect for connoisseurs of gherkins. Purpose: canning and salting.

Benefit F1

An early ripening, self-fertilizing hybrid variety that ripens in 43-50 days, universal use. Zelentsy have high taste, their length is 10-12 cm, weight 100-120 g. Resistant to root rot, powdery mildew and downy mildew.

Alekseich F1

Early maturing hybrid of female type of flowering. Fruiting on 37-43 days. Medium-sized plant, fruit 7-8 cm long and weighing 60-80 g. High taste and resistance to powdery mildew and downy mildew.

Emelya F1

Early maturing hybrid for universal use. Does well in heated greenhouses. In 40-45 days the fruits already have time to ripen.

How much harvest can you harvest?

The amount of profit can be calculated both per bush and per square meter. The chosen cucumber variety plays a decisive role. It should be selected not only based on the amount of yield, but also its purpose. After all, it’s better to roll small gherkins into a jar than large eggplants.

Using the hydroponic method to grow cucumbers

Using the hydroponic method allows you to grow plants without soil. Instead of soil, an artificial environment is used. Expanded clay, crushed stone, and vermiculite are used as substrates. The nutrient solution is delivered to the roots by drip or flooding according to a specific schedule.

It is better to purchase mineral solutions in specialized stores. The purchased solution contains everything the plant needs.

Recently, the use of corks, cubes and mineral wool mats as a substrate has become popular. When preparing cucumber seedlings, observe the following order of operations:

1. Seeds are planted in seedling plugs to a depth of 1 cm. Seeds germinate in 2–3 days if the temperature is maintained at 20–25° C and humidity 75–80%.
2. After a week, the plugs with sprouts are placed in cubes.
3. Seedlings develop in cubes from 3 to 5 weeks, then they are placed in mats soaked in a nutrient solution.

Preparing cucumber seedlings using the hydroponic method

Watering is carried out through droppers installed in the mats.

The principle of supplying nutrients by flooding is as follows: a tray with plants is fixed at an angle, and a reservoir with a mineral solution is located under the tray. Using a pump, the tray is filled with solution to the maximum level. Excess solution flows back into the reservoir. A certain amount of solution always remains in the tray.

The supply of mineral solution when growing cucumbers is carried out using the method of periodic flooding

Pros and cons of hydroponics

Advantages of using the hydroponic method:

• the ability to control all processes of plant development, use solutions of different compositions for each stage of growth;
• saving water;
• saving of nutrients, all nutrients are completely absorbed, nothing goes into the soil;
• no weeding needed, no weeds;
• Productivity increases because the plants are healthy;
• The ripening time of cucumbers is reduced.

Hydroponics is suitable for small spaces. First, roots take up less space, so you can fit more plants in a small area. Secondly, hydroponics does not require much updating after each harvest, as when using soil. Disadvantages of the hydroponic method:

• there is a high probability of destroying all the plants when preparing the wrong solution;
• Strict temperature control is required; if overheated, plants die;
• This is an expensive growing method, high energy consumption for lighting and climate control.

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse: Planting

Seeds or seedlings?

The main advantage of seeds is the time saved. I planted it in the ground and forgot about it. You need to tinker with the seedlings. But the main thing is that seedlings mean stable and rapid plant growth. Before planting, seedlings should already have 4-5 leaves.

Do not forget about the distance between the bushes, otherwise they will “clog” each other. The seedlings are planted in the ground to a depth of about 15 cm.

How to make the perfect soil with your own hands?

Properly prepared soil can increase the expected yield significantly. Before planting seedlings, you must be sure that the soil already contains all the microelements necessary for cucumbers. After all, growing in depleted soil is not profitable.

Fertile land as a percentage

Peat Humus
First, the soil is cleaned of the remains of previous plants. Disinfect with a 7% solution of copper sulfate. Leave alone for one month.

The spent soil this season needs to be prepared for the next planting. To do this, we add fertilizer.

Mineral fertilizers: sulfate, superphosphate or urea.

Organic fertilizers: manure, bird droppings, peat, silt, sawdust, shavings and tree bark.

Maybe compost?

Compost is a waste-free production of fertilizer from food debris, weeds, and fallen leaves that is made with your own hands.

Many gardeners consider compost to be the best natural fertilizer that can not only enrich the soil and grow crops to the envy of their neighbors, but also cope with human food waste (skins of potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, etc.), recycling tree branches, fallen leaves and scraped grass.

You can read more about compost in our material.

Ways to plant cucumbers in winter

In winter, cucumbers are grown in heated greenhouses, basements and apartments. Growing cucumbers consists of the following stages:

• processing of seed material;
• seedling care;
• preparation of the premises;
• watering;
• feeding;
• bush formation;
• harvesting.

Agricultural technology is the same for all types of buried soil structures. The differences will only be at the stage of preparing the premises.

Seed preparation

Having chosen the hybrid varieties you like, check the seeds for germination. They are poured into a glass, filled with water, and stirred. Specimens that have settled to the bottom are left for planting. Then the seeds are placed in a solution of potassium permanganate (1 gram per 0.1 liter of warm water) for 20 minutes and washed in cold water. After disinfection, the seed material is soaked for 12 hours in one of the nutrient solutions to choose from:

• 1 teaspoon of Agricola-Start liquid fertilizer per liter of water;
• 3 teaspoons of bacterial fertilizer Zaslon per liter of water;
• 1 tablespoon of organic fertilizer Barrier per liter of water.

Seeds germinate for one to two days. Recently, Dutch seeds have appeared on sale, which, due to special processing, have high germination rates and are protected from many diseases. When preparing these seeds, heat treatment, dressing and calibration were carried out. They can be embedded in the soil after soaking for two days. Popular Dutch hybrids:

• Angelina F1;
• Hector F1;
• Bettina F1;
• Dolomite F1.

Growing seedlings

Preparing seedlings takes 4 weeks and consists of the following:

1. Cups measuring 8x8 or 10x10 are filled with prepared soil (2 parts each of peat and humus, 1 part old sawdust) or ready-made soil.
2. Sprinkle with a solution of Ideal liquid fertilizer and sow the sprouted seeds. During the preparation of seedlings, make sure that the temperature does not fall below 12–15° C.
3. Feed with a solution of organic fertilizers. For example, dissolve Ideal fertilizer in a bucket of water. The solution consumption is half a glass per plant. The appearance of the second true leaf is a signal for the first feeding.
4. When the fourth true leaf appears, feed it a second time. To prepare the solution, take a teaspoon of urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water.

The seedlings are ready for planting if they already have five or six true leaves. The root system must be well developed. The seedlings are planted in a permanent place according to a 50x50 pattern in heated greenhouses and basements. If cucumbers are grown in an apartment, use a separate five-liter pot for each seedling.

In an apartment, plants can be planted without growing seedlings. With this method, the roots of the cucumbers will not be damaged during transplantation. The seeds are placed directly into the pots where the cucumbers will be grown. To maintain moisture, the pots are covered with film. After the shoots emerge, the film is removed and the pots are placed closer to the light.

Growing

Technology for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse

Of course, more than one book could be written about growing technology. But we will touch on the very basics that you should know before starting work.

Self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers can be planted 0.5 m between bushes and 1.5 m between rows.

Before the fruits appear, the temperature should be at least +22 in the sun, +20 in cloudy weather, +17 at night.

When the fruits appear, the temperature should increase slightly. In sunlight +27, in cloudy weather +24, at night +20.

A sharp change in temperature can cause diseases in cucumbers!

The air humidity in the greenhouse should be 80-90%. The culture loves moisture very much, and almost all of it itself consists of water.

Before planting, the seeds are soaked using a special technique. This will accelerate the growth of crop germination after planting in the ground. There is also a technique for “hardening” seeds, which will increase the frost resistance threshold of plants. All this is done before planting the seeds in the ground.

Soaking before planting

Rules for caring for cucumbers in a greenhouse

When are cucumbers planted in a greenhouse? Seedlings that have reached 25 days of age for planting in a greenhouse . Before replanting, the soil is thoroughly loosened, plant remains and other foreign inclusions are removed from it. It is recommended to disinfect the soil by spilling a hot solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate.

How to plant cucumbers in a greenhouse correctly, at what distance? The scheme for planting cucumbers in a greenhouse is as follows: the distance between cucumbers in the greenhouse should be 35 cm from each other, wide row spacing is required.

Before planting, humus mixed with wood ash is laid out in the holes. In order not to injure the delicate roots, cucumbers (seedlings) planted using the transshipment method , that is, they are placed in a hole along with a lump of earth.

If the plants were grown in peat pots, then the further cultivation technology is to cut them for better root germination. Freshly planted seedlings are sprinkled with soil , the surface is slightly compacted. Seedlings should not be buried, as this may cause root rot. After planting, the plants are watered and sprinkled with a thin layer of peat.

How to plant cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse in this video:

How to care for cucumbers in a greenhouse? Cucumbers need high humidity . Ventilate the greenhouse only in warm weather; drafts are contraindicated for plants. The ideal humidity level is from 75 to 85% . Plants should be watered with warm, soft water, preferably settled.

In warm seasons, watering is carried out twice a week ; in hot weather, it is recommended to water the plants every other day. It is better to do this early in the morning or before sunset.

The temperature in the greenhouse for cucumbers during the fruiting period should be within 25°C-30°C. The total lighting of a greenhouse for growing cucumbers should be at least 12 hours.

The soil under the plants is regularly loosened . This improves air exchange and breaks up the dense crust that forms on the soil surface. During the season, plants are fed 4-5 times with liquid complex fertilizer or organic matter.

It is preferable to alternate potassium-based mineral supplements with diluted chicken manure or mullein. It is useful to water the plantings with an aqueous infusion of weeds: nettle, woodlice, quinoa, sedge.

plants from insect pests . Cucumber plantings can be affected by aphids, spider mites, and naked slugs. (Read about how to fight them on cucumbers here)

Soapy water helps against aphids; flying insects are destroyed using insecticides . You can use toxic drugs only before flowering begins.

Spraying with herbal remedies or a solution of potassium permanganate is also useful. They help not only against pests , but also against powdery mildew, real or false.

Features of growing cucumbers in polycarbonate greenhouses from “A” to “Z”.

How to properly grow cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse? To grow cucumbers in winter, capital insulated structures are needed . The best option is greenhouses on a foundation made of cinder blocks and a metal frame, covered with sheets of cellular polycarbonate.

Such a greenhouse is equipped with ventilation windows , double doors with a vestibule, and a drip irrigation system. More expensive industrial buildings are equipped with a fogging system and automatic curtains for shading on hot summer days.

How to plant cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse? In summer, cucumbers can be grown in light greenhouses without heating. They are covered with film, but it is better to use polycarbonate. It does not interfere with normal insolation, but scatters the hot rays of the sun well, preventing them from burning tender leaves.

An ideal microclimate is created in a polycarbonate . Together with cucumbers, you can grow spicy herbs, seedlings of flowers or vegetables, early cabbage and radishes. We hope we have explained in general terms how to grow cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse.

Additional crops are sown between cucumber bushes. They not only increase the productivity of greenhouses, but also protect cucumbers from weeds and additionally nourish the soil.

Other tips

How to heat greenhouses?

You can do it yourself, or you can buy ready-made solutions. Heating systems can be divided into the following types:

The most common heating systems are stoves (potbelly stoves). This method was used to heat people in ancient times, but the method is still effective. The subject of combustion can be any flammable object. Leaves, manure and straw combinations (biofuel), wood, coal and much, much more.

First, we decide what is the most profitable way to heat our greenhouse, otherwise it makes no sense. After choosing the type of heating, we find a suitable scheme for installing a boiler (heater) ourselves or buy a ready-made solution in a store.

If you live in a region with low temperatures, it is necessary to perform additional insulation, which also includes insulation of the foundation.

How to properly illuminate a greenhouse?

Cucumbers need light. There should be no compromises here. With a lack of light, plants grow slower and are more susceptible to disease.

Do not use incandescent lamps to illuminate cucumbers. This is not only financially expensive, but can also cause damage to the plants (burns).

Amateur gardeners conducted tests with lighting, where LED lamps showed excellent results. The choice is yours.

Even at the planning stage of the greenhouse, it is necessary to make the maximum possible exposure to sunlight on the plants.

What area is needed for a greenhouse, what size is a standard one?

Everything is individual. There is no standard as such. You yourself look at the availability of free land or calculate the yield in kg per m2. The main thing is to be able to move without restricting movement. The height has its own standard of 2.2 m. This is the height at which you can safely walk and not worry about your head.

There should be plenty of space in the greenhouse, but do not forget that you need to heat it in cold weather (if you are going to get several harvests a year).

Necessary elements for growing

In order to increase productivity and reduce the ripening time of fruits in closed ground conditions, two conditions must be met simultaneously: the greenhouse must be of suitable size, and it must contain all the necessary equipment for caring for plants. The greenhouse structure can be frame, film or polycarbonate. The latter is sealed, which allows you to maintain the microclimate created inside.

Minimum parameters: at least 10 m2 - area and 2 m - height.

How to revive cucumbers in August. How to save cucumbers from August stress

In August, and even more so closer to September, they will no longer be the same. The average daily air temperature decreases, rains begin, cold dew falls, and the difference between day and night temperatures becomes significant.

How to save cucumbers from August stress? Cucumbers, of course, react to these changes - in their historical homeland, India, this simply cannot happen. And in our area, the leaves of these tropical plants begin to dry, the ovaries turn yellow and fall off, the greens become bitter and twisted. All this is a consequence of the so-called August stress. To reduce it to a minimum and extend the time of normal fruiting before the onset of autumn cold, there are a few things we can do. Here is how an experienced gardener, landscape designer and TV presenter advises dealing with August stress. By taking these 4 steps, you can add strength and vigor to your green pets and provide yourself with fresh, delicious cucumbers for some time to come.1. First of all, it is necessary to lighten the lower part of the plants - tear off all the leaves, especially if they have turned yellow and begun to dry out. They are no longer needed to ripen the crop.

Lighten the lower part of the plants 2. Next, you need to provide enhanced nutrition. For this, plants need additional roots. In order for them to grow and begin to supply the cucumbers with useful elements, we raise the level of soil in the garden bed, adding it and bringing its layer to 2-3 cm. Ordinary soil will not work, you need compost.

Add compost to bed 3. On the same day, according to the instructions, dilute it in an Epin-Extra sprayer and generously spray all the plants: leaves, stems, ovaries and fruits.

Spray the cucumbers with Epin-extra solution 4. 2-3 days after treatment with Epin-extra, dilute several tablets of Alirin-B in a small amount of water. Then pour the resulting concentrate into the sprayer, add water and spray the cucumber plants. This must be done in order to protect plants from diseases. Approximate proportion: 10 Alirina-B tablets per 2 liters of water.

We dilute several tablets of the drug “Alirin-B” in a small amount of water. Treatments with these two drugs with a break of 2-3 days must be repeated once a week for 2-3 weeks. In this case, your cucumbers will grow well and ripen for quite a long time. You can choose anti-stress drugs for your plants in our market, which unites large online stores... Hear a detailed story about how to prevent August stress from taking away part of your harvest, you can by watching the video

video clip. It was prepared by our regular author. Additionally, you will learn why ordinary soil is not suitable for adding to the garden bed at this time of year, about the features of the Alirin-B preparation, and also see all the processes with your own eyes. Our channel has many useful videos to help gardeners. You can find practical advice on growing berries, vegetables and flowers, options for organizing a personal plot, as well as proven recipes for preparations. Subscribe and you will be the first to know about new publications.