How and with what to mulch cucumbers in a greenhouse and in open ground

Mulching cucumbers in a greenhouse or open ground is an effective way to increase yield and protect crops from weeds or dryness. This process helps prevent soil degradation and improve soil structure and quality. The term “mulching” itself means covering the soil to improve its properties. Both natural materials and artificial analogues are used as coating. Organic products include sawdust, wood shavings, plant residues, hay, and grass. Natural mulch requires constant renewal - it attracts insects that gradually eat up the protective layer. But when it rots, it turns into fertilizer for the soil. An alternative is gravel, pebbles, polyethylene and other materials designed to cover the soil.

Tip 5. Take stepsons and tie up the lashes in a timely manner

Stepchildren of a cucumber are shoots that take away the plant’s strength, as a result of which it does not bear fruit.
To avoid this, excess shoots must be removed. Usually, side shoots in the axils of the first 6 leaves are considered unnecessary. In addition, it is also recommended to get rid of ovaries in the axils of the first 4 leaves. The pinching procedure must be carried out very carefully

It is extremely important not to damage the main shoot, as well as its flowers. To prevent this from happening, you need to pull the leaves back a little with one hand, and carefully pinch off the excess sprout from the stem with the other.

If cucumber planting is done correctly, the first cucumbers should appear by mid-July.

You can plant cucumbers when the stepsons reach a size of 4-6 cm. This way they can be seen better, but the plant has not yet spent too much effort on such stepsons. But if the stepsons reach sizes greater than 20 cm, then the loss of harvest may be 2.5 kg.

To get a good harvest, it is equally important to take care of tying the cucumbers. Canes that creep along the ground are often damaged, and during harvest it can be difficult to find fruits

In addition, gartering cucumbers allows you to simultaneously solve the following problems:

• save space,
• simplify harvesting,
• prevent the occurrence of many diseases.

Tying cucumbers helps increase their yield

When to start tying cucumbers?

If cucumbers grow in open ground, then they should be tied up after they reach a height of 30 cm. By this time, there should already be 4-5 leaves on the shoot. There is no point in gartering earlier - you can only injure young plants.

Methods for gartering cucumbers

There are 2 methods of gartering cucumbers: horizontal and vertical. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Horizontal method of gartering cucumbers. This method helps to “lift” plants from the ground. On different sides of the bed you need to install two supports, between which you need to stretch rows of strong rope. Cucumbers will curl along the ropes and will not spread along the ground. But this method also has a drawback: cucumbers do not know how to “move” from one row of ropes to another (in the case of a multi-level support).

Vertical method of gartering cucumbers. A vertical garter involves installing a support in the form of the letter “P”. You can tie ropes to the horizontal bar, along which the cucumbers will curl. This design is made for each plant, and it greatly simplifies their care. The disadvantage of this method is that it is difficult to make many individual supports for a large plantation.

When should it be done?

To avoid harming the plant, carry out the procedures within a certain period of time:

Why do cucumber leaves turn yellow on the windowsill, what to do and how to treat it

Early ripe cucumbers are covered with mulch in the spring, especially if planted in the ground. And in greenhouse conditions, when there is no need to protect the roots of the plant from the cold, you can begin carrying out similar procedures later - at the beginning of summer, when the cucumbers get stronger.

If the soil seems dry, then water it, otherwise this is not required, since the soil contains natural moisture. You can water a few days before the planned planting.

Source

Tip 2. Don’t forget to mulch the beds

The use of this agrotechnical technique on cucumbers makes caring for them much easier.

How is mulching beneficial for cucumbers?

1. Mulch protects cucumbers from sudden temperature changes, which are especially harmful to this crop.
2. Using mulch helps increase fruiting by 2 times.
3. Mulched cucumbers need watering less often. Soil covered with mulch retains moisture longer.
4. The soil in a mulched bed depletes more slowly, which means it nourishes the cucumbers better.
5. Organic mulch saturates the soil with air, which promotes the active reproduction of beneficial microorganisms in the soil and the appearance of earthworms. This means that there is no need to hill up cucumber beds.
6. Weeds do not grow under mulch, so no weeding is required.
7. Growing fruits lie neatly on a layer of mulch, and not on the ground, and therefore spoil less.

Plantings can be mulched both in a greenhouse and in open ground

How to mulch cucumbers?

Mulch for cucumbers can be used in a variety of ways: synthetic films and non-woven materials, as well as rotted sawdust or peat, are suitable. The only thing that is not recommended to use is freshly cut grass. Slugs love it very much, and it can also cause rot.

Black perforated film and lutrasil have proven themselves well. When using such mulch, cucumber seedlings are planted in slits in the material. However, such mulch also has a drawback - it gets very hot in the heat. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to cover the dark material with light material on top.

This mulch protects against weeds and prevents fruits from lying on the ground.

Transparent polyethylene is also suitable for mulching cucumber plantings. The crops are simply covered with material, and when shoots appear, slits are made in it. True, not only cucumbers, but also weeds grow well in such a greenhouse. But there is no need to weed them out; over time, they die off on their own.

Organic mulch requires updating throughout the season. Over time, the layer of organic matter decreases, so it needs to be supplemented. In this case, it is desirable that the mulch does not touch young plants. This can lead to damage or even blackleg disease.

When to mulch cucumbers?

Cucumbers should be mulched immediately after the first shoots appear or after planting seedlings. If non-woven material or film is used, then the seeds or seedlings are generally sown or planted in covered beds.

Before mulching, it is important not to forget to remove all weeds from the garden bed so that you don’t have to weed them out later.

Pros and cons of mulching cucumbers

One of the main dangers for cucumbers is sudden changes in temperature, which can destroy the crop. Mulching helps to cope with this problem. In addition, the protective coating maintains a normal level of soil moisture and prevents it from drying out. Another advantage is that the number of weedings is reduced. Weeds do not germinate well in closed soil. So, what are the benefits of mulching?

1. Provides a good level of soil moisture.
2. Reduces the number of weeds.
3. Covered soil does not overheat in hot weather and does not freeze during frosts.
4. During irrigation, water is distributed evenly over the soil, there is no waterlogging.
5. Pathogens do not transfer from the surface of the earth to shoots.
6. The soil structure becomes much better, the soil is not subject to erosion.
7. Mulching protects the soil from the formation of a hard crust, which prevents water and fertilizers from being absorbed.
8. The coating creates a favorable environment for the emergence and development of beneficial microorganisms.
9. The root system of cucumbers begins to develop more actively.

Even if you mulch just once, the crop will ripen about two weeks earlier. The shoots do not have to be hilled. Cucumbers receive significantly more nutrients, and the fruits are better protected from adverse factors. Even their taste improves.

But there are also disadvantages. Thus, not only beneficial microorganisms can develop, but also pathogens. There is also a high probability of fungus appearing. Another problem is nitrogen deficiency, which can cause mulching.

Mulch materials

Cucumbers really need such useful protection as mulching. However, not all materials are suitable for covering the soil around plants. In addition, each of them has its own pros and cons that you need to know in order to make the right decision before using it. Let's consider the types of mulch most suitable for cucumbers and the rules for their use.

Manure, humus, compost

These organic substances are good for depleted soils. Only horse or cow manure is taken; when decomposing, it supplies nitrogen in an accessible state to the plants.

For mulch, only mature and dried manure should be used, and humus or compost should be mixed with the top soil layer to avoid loss of nutrients.

Manure is used as mulch in small quantities, mixed with straw.

Disadvantages include the possibility of introducing weed seeds into the beds. Compost and humus will require mulch additives, since they are quickly processed by microorganisms and worms.

Neutral peat

Only lowland peat with neutral acidity can be used as mulch, since for cucumbers it is very important that the soil is not acidic. Peat, like manure, should not be used for continuous mulching.

It is more rational to sprinkle it on rows or individual plants in the garden.

Cucumbers cannot tolerate acidic soil, so plants should not be covered with pine needles (needles, bark), as over time it will acidify the soil.

Straw cutting, dry grass

The material is usually spread with tape along the rows, but a continuous cover, including paths, is also possible. Before sowing cucumbers, rotted straw should not be placed on the beds - it inhibits plant growth. Do not cover the beds with wet and freshly mown grass, this will make it difficult for air to reach the roots. In addition, damp grass and plant debris attract slugs and pests and promote the spread of disease. Hay quickly decomposes and turns into humus, and covering with cut straw is more durable.

The disadvantages of this type of mulch include the presence of weed seeds and the possible appearance of rodents. The straw can be pre-fertilized at the rate of: per 10 kg of mass, take 200 g of urea and superphosphate, 120 g of potassium salt.

Mulch the soil only with semi-rotted and rotted sawdust, since fresh sawdust takes nitrogen from the soil. Fresh sawdust is prepared in advance: a film is spread on the ground and 3 buckets of sawdust are laid out on it. 200 g of urea are sprinkled on them and 10 liters of water are poured from a watering can. Another layer of sawdust is placed on top and a similar treatment is performed. Everything is hermetically covered with polyethylene, pressing it on all sides with stones, and after 2 weeks they will be ready for use.

During the season, it is important to ensure that the sawdust has time to rot and mix with the soil. Otherwise, in the fall they need to be thoroughly loosened or the beds dug up so that in the spring the frozen layer of mulch does not become an obstacle to warming up the soil

For mulching, as a rule, black film is used, cutting holes in it for plants. Water flows through them during irrigation and fertilizing is carried out. This material prevents the development of weeds, retains moisture and heat, as well as the loose state of the earth. You can sprinkle sawdust on top of the film - this will protect it from premature destruction.

Paper and packaging board

You can cover the beds with newspapers folded in several layers or shredded paper, sprinkled with soil or grass on top. This is an excellent weed control product. Wrapping or packaging cardboard is used to warm the soil before sowing or planting seedlings, placing it on previously prepared beds, which will allow for earlier harvests.

The disadvantages of paper and film include the fact that they do not enrich the soil with nutrients.

What materials to use to mulch bushes

Natural and industrial materials can be used. Films and synthetic nonwoven materials, peat and sawdust are used. It is better not to use freshly cut grass for these purposes, as it can cause the spread of rotting processes and attract slugs.

Grass and leaves

The grass clippings must be thoroughly dried before being used as mulch. This will get rid of insects and pests that may live in it. In addition, it will help prevent rotting.

Clover and nettle are best suited for covering the soil under cucumbers. They contain the highest content of useful substances. It is also permissible to cover the ridges with straw. Before coating, the soil is loosened, fertilized, and weeds are removed. Only then the protective material is laid.

Fallen leaves are only suitable for mulching during particularly dry periods. They help retain moisture. If the summer promises to be rainy, then it is better to refuse such coverage. It will have the opposite effect and can provoke rotting processes. And along with them – the development of fungal diseases.

Sawdust

Fine sawdust is sprinkled on the soil under the cucumbers only in dry times. They help retain moisture. In addition, sawdust is an excellent protection against slugs.

On a note!

You can mulch cucumbers only with rotted, caked sawdust.

Before use, the material must be prepared. They do this as follows:

• unroll the film on a flat surface;
• pour fresh sawdust on it;
• 200 g of urea are added evenly to their composition;
• watered with water.

The prepared raw materials must be wrapped and left to overheat. This process usually takes about two weeks.

You can sprinkle sawdust on the beds with cucumbers in a layer of 2 to 5 cm. Small raw materials are suitable only in dry times. If it gets too wet, it starts to rot and rot. To avoid a negative effect, you can use large chips or shavings.

With the arrival of autumn, the ground is plowed or dug up along with the remaining sawdust. They will increase the breathability of the soil.

Compost

Compost is an excellent environment for the growth of beneficial bacteria. They process mulch into humus, which is considered the most valuable and easily absorbed natural fertilizer by plants.

Use compost for mulching in cool, rainy weather. High humidity accelerates the decay process, which produces a lot of heat. This mulch can warm the soil and root system in cold summers.

Preparing seeds for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse

The yield of cucumbers grown in a greenhouse depends on the variety, quality of the seeds, and methods of preparing them for sowing. It must be taken into account that, regardless of the variety, large seeds germinate faster and, as a rule, give a higher yield of greens. They are sorted and selected by hand.

Whether you are preparing cucumber seeds for sowing and growing in a greenhouse or in open ground, there is no fundamental difference. It is better to use seeds that are 2-3 years old and have good germination. Plants from them produce more female flowers and bear fruit well. If you use seeds from last year's harvest, they are heated for 3-4 hours in a thermostat or on a radiator at a temperature of 55-60°C.

A number of diseases are transmitted to plants with seeds (corn spot, anthracnose, etc.). To prevent this from happening, the seeds are treated with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per ½ cup of water) for 20 minutes, followed by thorough rinsing under running water.

Instead of potassium permanganate, which is now difficult to buy, you can use a 2-3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, preheated to 38-40°C (soak the seeds for 7-8 minutes). Or a solution of boric acid (1/2 teaspoon of powder per 1 glass of water) - soak the seeds for 2-3 hours at a temperature of 25-30ºC. Don’t forget to also rinse the seeds under running water afterwards.

Plant growth and development is stimulated by seed hardening at variable temperatures. To do this, they are first soaked for 12-14 hours at a temperature of 20-22°C. Then the swollen seeds are placed in the refrigerator for 16-18 hours. Then they are kept at a temperature of 18-20°C for 6-8 hours. So alternate low and high temperatures for 4-5 days. Before sowing, the seeds are kept warm for a day or two and, as soon as they begin to hatch, are sown in pots.

Materials suitable for creating mulch

To mulch cucumbers in a greenhouse or in open beds, use materials of natural origin or synthetic, industrial production. Organic matter is useful for enriching the soil with nutrients. Such materials can be borrowed free of charge. This is their additional advantage. Synthetic materials are not subject to rotting. Therefore they do not increase fertility. Their advantage is durability. It is enough to mulch cucumbers with this material once, and it will last the whole season.

Cut grass

Before adding freshly cut grass to the cucumber beds, keep it in the sun for several days. This way you can clean the material from accumulated pests and pathogens. Dried grass or fresh hay is laid on the surface of the soil after loosening and fertilizing.

Why and how to mulch the soil correctly. Types of mulch

The temperature for the first 3-5 days is maintained at 14-16°C, and then in sunny weather - 20-22°C, and in cloudy weather -17-19°C. On sunny days, moderately water with warm (necessarily warm) water. Feed with mullein solution (1:10) or mineral fertilizers (superphosphate 20-30 g, potassium chloride 10-15 g per 10 liters of water).

Preparing soil in a greenhouse

The soil for planting cucumbers in a greenhouse is usually prepared in the fall. When digging, add humus or well-decomposed compost at the rate of 8-10 kg per 1 square meter. m and nitrophoska 30-40 g per 1 sq. m. In the spring, the digging is repeated, the soil is well leveled, humus (200-300 g) and superphosphate (3-4 g) are added to the designated holes.

Planting cucumber seedlings

So, we plant cucumbers in the greenhouse. The distance between rows is 70-80 cm, and between plants 25-30 cm. Seedlings are planted in the last ten days of March (in Kuban) or the last ten days of April (central Russia).

If the weather is cold, additionally place wire arcs inside the greenhouse and cover the plants with film.

Caring for cucumber seedlings

When the weather warms up, the plants are tied to a trellis. One end of the twine is attached to a wire stretched in a greenhouse over a row of plants, and the other goes down, it is fixed on the stem above the 2-3rd leaf.

Then, as the plants grow, they are twisted around the twine, while plucking out the tendrils. In the lower tier (up to 6 cm), the side shoots of cucumbers are pinched to one ovary and one leaf; higher up, in the middle tier, to 2-3 ovaries and the same number of leaves. In the upper tier the number of ovaries and leaves is 4 or more.

When the main stem reaches the upper trellis, it is tied with twine to the wire in two places, the top is pinched, leaving 4-5 leaves. During the period of growing cucumbers in the greenhouse, the air temperature during the day in the sun is maintained at 26-30 ° C, in cloudy weather - 20-22 ° C, at night – 17-19°C. The optimal air humidity in the sun is 85-90%, in cloudy weather - 75-80%. To increase air humidity, paths and plants are watered with a hose through a strainer.

Feeding cucumbers in a greenhouse

Cucumbers variety Real Man Cucumbers grown in a greenhouse respond well to fertilizing. In this case, organic fertilizers alternate with mineral ones.

For organic fertilizers, use a solution of bird droppings 1:18-20 or mullein 1:8-10, add 15-20 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of solution. Mineral fertilizers include urea, superphosphate, potassium chloride, and wood ash. The ratio of fertilizers depends on the condition of the plants.

If plants grow rapidly, but few ovaries are formed, then the soil contains excess nitrogen. If this is the case, then only phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are used for fertilizing. The roots of cucumbers are shallow, so watering is carried out after 1-2 days, but at small rates - 12-15 liters per 1 square meter. m. Once a month it is useful to feed with microfertilizers (1 tablet of Riga mixture per 10 liters of water). Often, cucumbers in a greenhouse begin to bloom, but insects (bees, bumblebees and others) do not yet fly.

Plant self-pollinating varieties, so-called parthenocarpics. Greens begin to ripen 40 days after germination. Collections are first carried out every other day, and then daily.

The fruit should not be allowed to outgrow. With proper care (watering, fertilizing, removing spent leaves), cucumbers in a greenhouse bear fruit until September 5-10, that is, about three months. During this period from 1st quarter. m get 15-18 kg of fruit.

How to choose mulch for cucumbers?

For annual vegetable crops, which include cucumbers, choose organic mulch. They mulch the soil in greenhouse conditions and open ground, but the approaches are slightly different. Let's look at the differences in the table.

Photo 1. For greenhouses, the best mulch composition is compost, straw and dry leaves.
For Siberia and regions with cold climates, preference is given to inorganic mulch; for southern regions, it is advisable to use organic components.

Mulching stages

Growing cucumbers using mulching technology is carried out in several stages:

Planting of plants in the ground must be carried out according to all the rules, which consist in preliminary growing of seedlings, preparing them for planting in the ground and direct transplanting to a permanent place

When growing cucumbers in mulch, it is important to make the row spacing and paths between the beds sufficiently wide. Seedlings are planted in prepared holes and shed with warm water, all weeds growing in the beds and between the rows are removed, and the top layer of soil is leveled

Having decided on the mulching material, lay it on top of the formed row in an even layer. In this case, it is necessary to leave the area near the sprout open. You can mulch only the rows, leaving the row spacing free. It is better to cover the entire bed with mulch to reduce the number of weeds in the future. The depth of the mulch should be at least 3 cm. It is important to ensure that the mulch lies in an even layer over the entire surface, without forming gaps. The laid out material does not need to be crushed or watered. The mulch must be moistened once to begin the composting process. After organized work, crop care is carried out as usual: timely watering, weed control, periodic checking of the integrity of the layer. It is sometimes worth lifting the layer and checking the soil for the presence of mole crickets or moles. If pests are detected, certain measures must be taken immediately. When mulching beds in a greenhouse or open ground, there is no need to loosen them, and the number of weeds is reduced.

Mulching technology is used at the beginning of the summer season, when the soil is well warmed up. Before laying out the mulch layer, the soil must be loosened well and all weeds removed. Organic material distributed according to all rules is usually completely processed by the beginning of autumn.

If at this moment there are any plant residues on the soil in the open ground, then you should not remove them. In a greenhouse, cleaning is a little more complicated: you need to remove all the top layer of soil and mulch if any signs of disease are detected. If there are no diseases, the soil can be left in the greenhouse for re-growing.

Formation of cucumbers in a greenhouse

Depending on the option of planting cucumbers: in a greenhouse, hotbed or open ground, there are certain mulching methods:

• continuous with covering the plantings with a continuous layer of mulch;
• ordinary - the optimal method with widespread use and mulching directly in the rows of cucumbers;
• a nesting option with mulch applied around the circumference of the plants, which provides good weed control, although saving the soil from moisture evaporation is no longer observed.

It is important to follow and correctly carry out the stages of mulching cucumbers in order to avoid causing harm to seedlings and soil instead of the intended benefit. It is advisable to plant seedlings between rows, leaving wide paths:

1. Remove weeds from the treated surface and the old layer of mulch if it was left on the beds since winter.
2. Allow the area to dry.
3. Water the soil, apply fertilizer.
4. Loosen the soil to a depth of 12cm.
5. Lay an even layer of dense mulch material (no more than 5 cm in thickness) around the circumference of the stem, without compacting it near the roots and leaving the area near the sprouts open to prevent rapid rotting.
6. By the end of the season, the old layer of mulch should turn into humus. If there is unrotted compost left, it is advisable to burn it, as it may harbor pests.

Fact! To reduce the growth of weeds in the future, it is better to completely cover the beds with mulch (at least 3 cm deep), without leaving any gaps. After covering with mulch, there is no need to water the plantings, although at the beginning of composting the seedlings, it is advisable to lightly moisten the mulch layer with water.

You cannot root cucumber seedlings too much when using mulch from hay, straw, or peat due to possible infection with blackleg, which will be difficult to get rid of in the future. It is better to use pine needles, sawdust, straw, and fallen leaves.

Mistakes when mulching

If you approach the mulching process incorrectly, you can harm the plants and the future harvest. When choosing raw materials and mulching method, you need to take into account climatic features, soil type, and current weather conditions. Some types of raw materials are suitable for long periods of rain and cold climates, while others are suitable for hot and dry weather. There are several common mistakes that can harm plantings:

1. Contact of the mulch layer with the plant: this leads to the development of diseases, infections, and transmission of infections. It is important to leave free space around the sprout.
2. Fresh raw materials are not suitable for mulching; they rot, attract pests, and promote the appearance of slugs.
3. Film and other inorganic materials are not suitable for hot regions where there is a lot of sun. The use of such mulch leads to burns and overheating.
4. It is better to lay mulch on heated soil, so you should not do this too early if the soil has not had time to warm up properly.
5. Wood chips can swell too much, making it difficult for air to reach the roots. It is better not to use it in rainy weather.

Be sure to lay the mulch layer on loose soil cleared of weeds. Organic materials rot quite quickly, so this layer needs to be updated regularly, at least twice a season. At the first signs of illness, you must immediately remove the top layer to prevent the infection from spreading.

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Materials used for mulching bushes

Before you begin your planned activities, do not forget to select the material. A comparative analysis will help you understand how to mulch cucumbers planted in open ground or a greenhouse.

Grass

A freshly cut layer of grass will attract slugs and other pests, so the material will have to be dried before use. You will also need to monitor the quality of the grass; it should not rot. Such material will spoil the yield and lead to the death of the plant.

Freshly cut grass is the most affordable organic material that can be used in a garden. Weeds can be mowed in vacant lots and then used for the benefit of the harvest.

Leaves

They are ideal as organic matter, but such material is used not when growing cucumbers, but before preparing the land for planting. Fallen leaves are collected, dried, laid on the ground in a dense layer and left for the winter. This material performs several functions and allows:

1. Protect the soil and plant roots from frost.
2. Acts as an organic fertilizer.
3. Increases productivity and improves soil characteristics.

The disadvantage of this technique is that it is necessary to use organically pure material, which means that it is not recommended to use foliage from city parks and alleys, it will not be of any use.

If you decide to visit a pine forest, then collect needles; pine needles can also be used as an organic material suitable for mulching.

Sawdust

Requires special training. Before carrying out the procedures and use, the shavings will have to be processed, otherwise they will “take” nitrogen from the soil.

How does the preparation go:

• you will have to sprinkle sawdust on the film;
• they will have to be covered in several layers;
• You will need to water the sawdust and use urea.

Typically, the shavings are laid in 2 layers; 1 layer will require about 200 grams of urea. It is laid out on top. It is better to leave the sawdust for the winter so that it rots a little - this material does not require processing, it can be used for mulching.

Neutral peat

If you decide to use peat, keep in mind that the effectiveness of the procedures directly depends on several factors:

1. What material do you use (peat characteristics).
2. In what soil is the plant planted?

Straw cutting, dry grass

This type of material should also be classified as organic; it can be used if the straw or cuttings rot. In this case, there is a high probability of plant death, since low-quality material will attract pests.

Manure, humus, compost

Manure is not used in its pure form, despite the fact that it enriches the soil with nitrogen. It should be mixed with dried grass. Hay and manure will provide additional nutrition for the cucumbers. Typically, this type of mulching is resorted to if vegetables are grown on poor, meager land.

Covering artificial material

We will talk about film and agrofibre, which are used to increase crop productivity. Use ready-made material with holes cut for the plant. You can cover the soil with film in advance. But, regardless of what is used - agrofibre or film, this technique has one drawback - in the summer heat, under cover, the soil overheats.

Bulk artificial material

We are talking about mulch that protects the soil and covers it - it can be crushed stone, pebbles, sea pebbles, expanded clay. If you give them preference, then:

• protect the stem and foliage of the plant;
• Make sure that the material does not come into contact with the cucumbers.

Help: it is better to use expanded clay for cucumbers, but much depends on the characteristics of the chosen variety.

Selection of raw materials

If your goal is to improve fertility, then it is better to choose organic matter so that mulching in the greenhouse or soil interacts with the cucumbers. Inorganic coatings help retain moisture and nutrients, which also indirectly helps increase yields - but not as actively. But artificial materials can be used several times and need to be renewed during the season.

Manure and humus

The most natural and nutritious materials that not only mulch the soil, but also saturate it with useful substances. Manure helps to increase the concentration of nitrogen, which is important during the first stages of growth. More often it is used in combination with hay, diluted by about half. Manure is suitable for cold regions where there is frequent rainfall.

Compost is considered the best environment for the development of beneficial bacteria. The mulch layer rots faster, turning into humus and warming the soil. Good for cold days and long rains. After the season, it can be left on the beds as a fertilizing material. Humus has similar properties. It also does not need to be removed from the garden in the fall.

Straw

This type of mulch maintains optimal temperature well and prevents the occurrence of slugs in the garden bed. The straw should be laid in a fairly dense layer, up to 10 centimeters thick. Fresh cutting is best as it does not slow down development. To get more benefits, for every 5 kilograms of hay you need to add 100 grams of superphosphate and urea, as well as 60 grams of potassium salt.

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Grass and leaves

Many people are interested in whether it is possible to mulch cucumbers not with hay, but with freshly cut grass. Completely fresh material is not suitable: after collecting the grass, you need to let it lie in the sun for some time, preferably several days. This is necessary to get rid of pests. The best raw materials are clover or nettle: they are champions in terms of nutritional content. The layer thickness should be about 7 centimeters.

Fallen leaves are also suitable for mulching, especially in hot weather. They help control temperature, moisten and preserve the soil. In rainy weather, it is better not to use such a cover: rotting and fungal development may begin.

Peat

This fertilizer improves the soil structure, increases moisture concentration, disinfects the soil, and saturates it with useful substances. This mulching is laid in a layer of about 5 centimeters and left on the ground after the end of the season. In winter, peat prepares the soil, retains heat and nutrients.

Important!

When using peat or straw, do not plant the seedlings too deep, otherwise you can infect the crops with blackleg.

Sawdust

It is better not to use fresh material for mulch: it can draw nitrogen from the soil, which leads to a loss of green color and slower growth. Sawdust is suitable when it is slightly caked and rotten. It is also better to flavor them with solutions containing nitrogen to avoid a deficiency of the substance. Sawdust is fertilized with urea: 400 grams for 6-8 buckets of raw materials. To do this, they are laid out on film, sprinkled with the substance, filled with water, and then left for two weeks. The resulting mulch is laid in a thin layer of 2-4 centimeters. Sawdust is suitable for hot seasons when it is necessary to increase soil moisture. To prevent the coating from rotting so quickly, you can use larger sawdust.

Film

It can be white or black, solid or perforated. This inorganic mulching material is most suitable for northern regions. The film creates the strongest greenhouse effect, warming the earth and accelerating the growth process of plants. Additionally, polyethylene prevents the proliferation of weeds. After the first shoots have hatched, you need to cut holes in the dense fabric to provide access to fresh air. Different types of film have their own advantages:

• black – attracts heat, while blocking ultraviolet radiation, preventing the appearance of weeds;
• white – reflects the rays of the sun, preventing plants from overheating and getting burned;
• two-color - for regions with a changeable climate, it combines the advantages of both types;
• transparent - helps create a greenhouse effect while transmitting light.

Black film is only good for cold regions with little sun. Since dark colors attract the sun's rays better, plants may overheat or even get burned. To prevent this, you need to cover the beds with an additional layer of hay.

Paper and cardboard

An unusual but effective material for maintaining moisture and slowing down the growth of weeds. Packaging cardboard is best suited for this purpose: it is denser and does not contain paint. The sheets need to be moistened, holes must be made in them, and then the crops should be covered with them. To prevent the cardboard from moving across the field, it is fixed with heavy objects: stones, pieces of metal.

Bulk materials

For mulching, you can use crushed stone, gravel or expanded clay. This layer can be used repeatedly and does not need to be updated. It is important to organize protection for plants so that they do not come into contact with the mulch layer with leaves. Bulk materials are suitable for any region: they do not affect the soil, lie well and tightly cover the crops.

How to mulch cucumbers

You can mulch cucumbers in a greenhouse (open ground) with different materials. Their choice depends on specific conditions: the quality of the soil, the availability of this or that material at the dacha or the possibility of purchasing it.

Mulching material comes in two types:

• organic (natural);
• synthetic, manufactured at an industrial enterprise.

Organic mulch

For cucumbers grown in depleted, poor soil, it is worth using homemade compost, manure (horse, cow) or humus. Manure provides cucumbers with additional nutrition and releases nitrogen in a form accessible to plants. Manure is not used in its pure form; it is mixed with a small amount of hay or straw.

Using grass clippings

Most summer residents have a reasonable question: is it possible to mulch beds with cucumbers with lawn grass, weeds growing in vacant lots or in the garden? Grass is the cheapest option for organic mulch and can be mowed with a trimmer, scythe, or lawn mower. If you follow the rules of use, there will be a good harvest of cucumbers.

The first rule is not to mulch cucumbers with freshly cut grass. It needs to be dried. Fresh grass can rot, it cakes and does not allow air to pass through well. Slugs and other pests crawl onto damp grass. They can carry diseases.

The dried mown grass is laid out in a layer of 7 cm. A thinner layer will not maintain the optimal level of soil moisture. Do not use grass with seeds for mowing.

It is not recommended to use straw that has begun to rot; it will slow down the development of cucumbers; we mulch only with fresh material.

Fresh straw is pre-fertilized, for every 10 kg of raw materials add:

• 200 g urea;
• 200 g superphosphate;
• 120 g potassium salt.

Accelerated preparation of sawdust

Sawdust that is completely rotted or semi-rotted is suitable for use. You cannot cover the soil with fresh sawdust; they will take nitrogen from it. It is recommended to carry out special treatment of fresh sawdust before use.

To speed up the preparation of sawdust, you will need film, water, and urea. Lay the film on the ground, scatter 3-4 buckets of fresh shavings on it. Scatter 200 grams of urea on top, pour water from a watering can over everything. One such layer of water takes up to 10 liters.

Usually two layers are made, both are filled with urea and watered. The formed pile is wrapped in polyethylene and left for 2 weeks. Sawdust prepared in this way can be poured onto a cucumber bed.

Mulching cucumbers in open ground with sawdust helps improve the soil structure. In the fall, the mulch that has not rotted over the summer is dug up, adding all the necessary mineral fertilizers. By the next season, the loose soil is ready for new plantings.

Decorative mulch

For many summer residents, the design of a cucumber garden plays an important role. Decorative wood chips will decorate a high, warm bed and perform all the main functions of mulch. You can buy wood chips of any color on the market and they can be used many times.

When planting cucumbers on low ridges, you can sprinkle wood chips not only on the surface of the soil under the cucumbers, but also mulch the paths with it. A trellis with cucumbers will decorate your garden. To retain moisture in the soil, the thickness of the covering layer must be at least 5 cm; this thickness is sufficient to protect against weeds.

If a summer resident has a woodworking machine, he can start making wood chips, saving on its purchase.

Synthetic mulching materials

Many gardeners mulch greenhouse cucumbers with black perforated film. It is laid before planting seedlings on fully prepared soil. Planting holes are made in advance or by cutting into already laid fabric. This method has a disadvantage - overheating of the soil in the summer heat. To avoid this, additionally use a white covering material and lay it on top of the black one.

When sowing cucumbers into the soil with seeds, many summer residents use transparent plastic film. The film creates a greenhouse effect and retains moisture. When sprouts appear, it is carefully cut, releasing the young plants out. Black film and black non-woven material are used in the seedling method of growing cucumbers.

The benefits of mulching

Mulching cucumbers in open ground helps maintain moisture and protects against temperature changes. It is not necessary to mulch cucumbers in a greenhouse, but it has its advantages. For example, there is no need to weed the beds regularly: they are much less overgrown with weeds. Water evaporates more slowly, and maintaining the correct humidity balance is much easier in a closed environment. Mulching in a greenhouse helps prevent the soil from drying out and forming a dry crust.

Mulching gives:

• protection from temperature changes and extreme climatic conditions: cold snap or long drought;
• improving the quality and quantity of fruits: mulching helps to significantly increase productivity;
• reducing the number of waterings: the top layer retains moisture in the soil, so cucumbers can be left without care for several days;
• protection from sun and drought;
• getting rid of weeds;
• saturation of the soil with air, the appearance of beneficial microorganisms: this reduces the need for hilling;
• preservation of nutrients that come with fertilizers;
• protection of the root system, which is located fairly close to the top layer of soil.

Important!
Just one mulching procedure can reduce the time it takes for the crop to appear by two weeks. Mulched cucumbers do not need hilling. Plants receive more nutrients that are not washed out of the treated soil. Fruits are much less susceptible to rotting and disease, and their taste becomes better after mulching.

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Artificial mulching of cucumber beds

Black film

Many gardeners use black film as mulch. It is laid out on the garden bed before the cucumber seedlings are planted. When planting, cross-shaped cuts are made, where the cucumbers are planted.

It is always quite damp under such a film. Moisture evaporates only from the leaf surface. Therefore, the number of waterings will be less.

Such mulching is not used in the greenhouse. The temperature of the surface layer can increase noticeably, which will depress the plant.

Packaging cardboard

Every day, the retail chain delivers goods in cardboard packaging. By destroying the boxes, you get cardboard that can be used to cover the soil in the beds and in the greenhouse. Practice shows that such mulch works quite effectively.

1. Under a layer of cardboard, earthworms make tunnels at shallow depths, and often on the surface of the soil.
2. Weeds cannot germinate.
3. The temperature of day and night differs slightly, the soil warms up to optimal values.

Features of mulching cucumbers in open ground

When growing crops outdoors, mulching takes on a special meaning. It is with this method of cultivation that the crop is exposed to serious temperature changes, exposure to wind, precipitation, attacks by fungal diseases and pathogens.

At the very beginning of cultivation, when planting seedlings in the ground, the root system is most vulnerable. It is the shelter that allows her to feel better and direct her energy to the development of the plant. During the period of flowering and fruiting, mulch helps maintain the necessary moisture and protects the soil from various negative factors.

The best period for mulching is considered to be early spring. In this case, the soil on which the coating is laid must already be sufficiently warmed up.

On a note!

It is better to change the type of mulch every year. This will improve the efficiency of the process.

They begin to cover the soil after planting seedlings in it. If cucumbers are sown with seeds directly on the garden bed, then you need to wait until three leaves are formed.

Proper mulching

If it was decided to cover the soil with sawdust, then they should be prepared. To do this, the wood material is poured onto polyethylene and doused with urea. Then it is rolled up and left for two weeks. For three buckets of sawdust you will need 200 g of urea diluted in 10 liters of water. After overheating, the mulch is laid in a layer of 2 - 3 cm.

To cover with straw or mown grass, additional fertilization of the composition is carried out using urea 200 g, superphosphate 200 g, potassium salt 120 g. The thickness of the coating is 10 cm. If you want to mulch with peat, you will need to lay a layer of 5 - 7 cm between the rows of the vines. If special non-woven material is used, then it is simply laid on the surface of the ground, making holes for the bushes. Similar actions are carried out with paper or cardboard, but after laying the paper must be moistened with water so that it does not draw liquid from the soil.

Proper cultivation, watering, fertilizing, disease prevention, as well as mulching the soil will increase the yield and quality of fruits.

The benefits of mulching

It is not difficult to understand the benefits of mulching cucumbers; the long list of advantages that this agricultural technique provides convinces and motivates its use.

Let's look at all the positive aspects:

1. Mulched beds suffer less from daily temperature fluctuations at the beginning of summer and at the end of the season. Cucumber roots are protected from low temperatures, which reduces stress from bad weather conditions.
2. The mulch layer prevents moisture evaporation. Even with rare visits to the dacha, cucumbers in the open ground (greenhouse) do not lack water. The soil remains moist for a long time, the roots do not suffer from overheating.
3. In a greenhouse and on a ridge, the soil under a layer of organic material remains loose. Summer residents do not need to loosen the soil after each watering. A crust does not form on the surface of the earth. Earthworms reproduce well under mulch, loosen the soil, and enrich it with oxygen. Roots develop better in loose, moist soil.
4. Soil fertility is better preserved when vegetables are grown annually. Organic material protects it from aggressive influences (washing out, weathering); organic matter, by overheating, increases the humus content and increases the fertile layer.
5. Weeds do not grow on beds covered with a layer of mulch. The time for weeding is reduced. Cucumbers (fruits, leaves) do not come into contact with the ground, therefore they are less susceptible to infection by fungi and are less likely to be attacked by pests.

Mulching with sawdust

Initially, we purposefully did not want to use sawdust in the garden, having heard out of the corner of our ears that they strongly acidify the soil, and we successfully used this type of mulch exclusively to cover blueberry beds. But one day we received more than 10 bags of fresh fine sawdust, which forced us to study in more detail the intricacies of mulching with this material.

As it turned out, fresh sawdust could indeed have a negative impact on the soil, but at the same time, there were ways to minimize such impact. In particular, it is believed that sawdust draws nitrogen from the soil. And this is true, but it should be clarified here that nitrogen is consumed not by the sawdust itself, but by the bacteria that decompose wood waste in the soil. Based on this, along with sawdust, it is necessary to provide food for voracious microorganisms.

Gardeners who do not hesitate to use mineral fertilizers, for this purpose, generously spill the shavings with a solution of urea. And adherents of strict organic farming recommend mixing sawdust with horse or cow manure, or with chicken droppings.

Another difficulty that accompanies the use of waste from wood processing enterprises in rows is changes in the soil balance towards increased acidity. And this feature was also a consequence of the vital activity of the above-mentioned bacteria. But such undesirable consequences are quite easy to eliminate by adding acid-neutralizing lime (100-150 grams per bucket of sawdust), dolomite flour or ash.

It should also be remembered that not completely rotted sawdust of coniferous trees, due to their specific composition, acidifies the soil much more strongly than deciduous ones. However, once the wood waste is turned into compost, there will be no difference in acidity between softwood or hardwood sawdust.

Following these recommendations, we mixed sawdust with wood ash and cow manure, obtaining not only a harmless mulching material, but also an excellent fertilizer. Natural decay of waste from wood processing plants usually takes from 2 to 4 years, but in order to speed up the process of decomposition of the mulch and enrich the soil with nutrients, we added special bacterial preparations to the mulch that increase the rate of decomposition of organic matter.

Thanks to the fine fraction, sawdust mulch has high covering properties

Results of using sawdust as mulch

Thanks to the fine fraction, sawdust mulch has high covering qualities, so it prevented the appearance of weeds much more effectively than straw or mowed grass. In our beds, only single shoots of the most aggressive weeds, which in cities can overcome even asphalt, emerged from the depths of the soil through a thick layer of sawdust (10 centimeters).

In mid-summer, a few weed seeds also began to sprout on the surface of the mulch, but weeding them out was easy and quick. There were no signs of nitrogen starvation on plants mulched with a mixture of sawdust, ash and manure. With biological products, the mulch decomposed in one season, and without the use of additional microorganisms, the sawdust mulch lasted for 2 years (but at the beginning of the summer, we still slightly renewed the top layer).

Properties of mulch

Just 10 years ago, half of the gardeners did not know this word, trying to clear their beds completely of weeds and grass, and being proud that garden crops grow among bare soil. But now the opinion has changed, especially since mulching is:

• covering the earth around plants and saving it from drought and cracking;
• reducing the amount of watering, because under a thick layer of organic matter the evaporation of moisture occurs much more slowly;
• reduction of labor costs for weeding;
• protecting plant roots from overheating and hypothermia;
• the loose structure of organic mulch promotes the supply of oxygen to the roots;
• mulch, when decomposing, acts as a top dressing and provides food for intrasoil bacteria, which process organic matter into forms accessible to plants;
• improving the composition of the soil; land poor in nutrition, with constant mulching, becomes more fertile. It harbors many worms that process organic residues into vermicompost.

What is mulching

Mulching is the covering of the top layer of soil with materials of natural and non-natural origin in order to protect and increase its fertile qualities.

The word “mulching” is formed from the English word mulch, translated into Russian meaning “to cover, cover.”

• Preserve natural soil moisture;
• Reduce the volume of weeds;
• Prevent overheating of the soil surface in summer and freezing during periods of extreme cold;
• Distribute water evenly over the surface of the soil during precipitation and watering;
• Prevent the transfer of harmful bacteria and fungal diseases from the soil to plants;
• Improve the texture of the soil and ensure its looseness, porosity, and moisture permeability;
• Prevent the process of erosion (destruction) of the earth;
• Prevent the formation of crust on the soil to improve the absorption of water during irrigation and watery fertilizers during root feeding;
• Create conditions for the reproduction of the necessary microorganisms;
• Promote the accelerated process of formation, as well as the development of the root system.

Reviews from gardeners

Irina, Moscow

I always mulched with sawdust. On the way to the dacha there is a sawmill, there are heaps of sawdust there. You put a little bit on your paw and you put it in bags.

Andrey, Novomoskovsk

Actually, the method itself is extremely simple - a kind of “bowl” is made in the ground around the plant (so that water does not spill over the edges of this “bowl”) with a diameter of approximately 60 cm, and fir cones are poured in 2 layers or from larch in 3 layers. You can also use pine cones, but they will be worse due to the excessive opening in the upper part and the narrowness of their scales.

Why is it recommended to mulch the soil in cucumber beds?

Summer residents often neglect mulching, citing the uselessness of this method. But this is a misconception, since many people know absolutely nothing about the benefits of this procedure. Most often, their actions are aimed at destroying all organic matter formed on the earth. However, the lack of organic additives contributes to soil compaction and a decrease in the amount of minerals in it. As a result, to increase the fertility of the soil, constant moistening and loosening is required.

Constant watering leads to hardening of the soil; moisture from open areas evaporates much faster. If no crops are grown in such places, they quickly become overgrown with weeds. The procedure of mulching the soil helps to overcome these problems. The quality of mulch and its quantity can lead to different reactions from plants: either good development and a rich harvest, or a depressed state and a small number of fruits.

The mulching procedure helps:

• improve ventilation of the surface layer of the earth, allowing oxygen to freely penetrate to the roots;
• reduce the frequency of watering and its quantity, since mulch retains moisture from intense evaporation;
• reduce the frequency of loosening, since the earth does not harden and excess moisture does not stagnate in the soil;
• improve soil quality - organic mulch is an additional source of nutrients necessary for normal plant development;
• stop regularly digging up the area - this procedure can be replaced by loosening, since the soil under the mulching material is soft;
• reduce the number of weedings, because mulch prevents weeds from growing, preventing weed seeds and roots from getting from the lower layer of soil to the top;
• reduce the ripening period of fruits by about a week and a half;
• promote the cultivation of cleaner fruits, eliminating their rotting and spoilage;
• maintain the optimal temperature for crop development.

Cucumbers can be mulched with fine straw; it is not forbidden to use hay or dried small grass. It is important that the organic material used is free of inflorescences and seed pods to prevent the growth and development of weeds. The mulch should be uniform, without any traces of rot. It is worth choosing a high-quality mulching material without an unpleasant rotten odor.

Use inorganic materials

It is best to use a black or gray option . It protects the soil well and helps it warm up faster during cool periods. Choose a tighter option.

You need to spread it so as to cover the bed; it is best to do it according to the width of the film for convenience . Slots are made in the material in the right places, and the edges are sprinkled with soil. This coating lasts from 1 to 3 years, depending on the quality of the film.