Growing cucumbers in open ground: rules and recommendations

Planting cucumbers in open ground with seeds in 2019 is carried out according to certain rules , which will be discussed in this article.

Cucumbers have an excellent taste and are constantly used in human menus. This vegetable can be found in any garden, even on balconies and window sills, due to its ease of cultivation. However, beginning gardeners are not always able to grow this unpretentious crop using the seedless method.

Basically, the cause of failure is improper seed preparation and errors during the planting procedure itself. Caring for young shoots is also important. However, this problem is easily solved if you adhere to simple but very important rules. Let's talk in more detail about how to plant cucumbers with seeds in open ground .

When to plant cucumber seeds in open ground: optimal sowing time

Cucumbers belong to the pumpkin family and love warmth. Therefore, it is recommended to start sowing cucumber seeds on the plot after the ground has warmed up to at least +12 degrees. In this case, the air temperature should already be +14 degrees and above.

Important! Previously, seeds were not planted in open ground, since in cold weather the seeds simply would not be able to germinate. And in a damp and cold environment, the seed may simply die and not sprout.

At the same time, you should not delay sowing. Cucumbers develop at a temperature of +14+30 degrees, and do not tolerate extreme heat. Therefore, the period of active growth of the plant should not coincide with the July heat, otherwise the cucumbers will stop their development and may dry out altogether.

Important! But in a greenhouse you can start planting cucumber seeds 10-14 days earlier, since there the earth warms up faster.

Depending on region and climate

It is worth noting that the timing of sowing cucumber seeds in open ground is different in different regions of the country. In this case, when choosing the time for sowing cucumbers, it is necessary to take into account the climate characteristics of the region:

• Middle zone (Moscow region) - from May 10 to May 30.
• North-West of the country (Leningrad region) - in early June.
• Ural and Siberia. Due to the harsher climate in these regions, seed sowing begins from May 15 to the first days of June. Considering that summer is short in the cold regions of the country, cucumbers are often grown here using the seedling method.
• South - from April 15.

There are early-ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties of cucumbers. If you immediately sow varieties of cucumbers with different ripening periods on your plot, you can enjoy these vegetables throughout the season.

According to the recommendations of the manufacturers, depending on the variety

When buying cucumber seeds in a specialized store, you should pay attention to the recommendations that are on all packages. Here you can find specific dates for planting cucumbers of the variety you purchased.

According to the lunar calendar in 2022

Many gardeners use the lunar calendar to choose the day to plant seeds in open ground. The moon can influence the development of plants. It is believed that it is best to plant cucumbers during the waxing moon.

• April: 6-9, 11-13, 20, 21, 24-26, 29-30.
• May: 3, 4, 8-10, 17-18, 21-23, 26-28, 31.
• June: 5, 6, 13-15, 18-20.

Also, you need to take into account that there are also unfavorable days for planting cucumber seeds in open ground.

• April - 5, 19.
• May - 5, 19.
• June — 3, 4, 17
• July - 2, 3, 17.

Seedling method: pros and cons

There are two ways to plant cucumbers: by sowing the seeds directly into the garden bed or by first growing them as seedlings.

The second method is more labor-intensive, but is considered preferable by most gardeners. Especially in central Russia and northern regions, where spring comes much later.

By growing seedlings in a heated greenhouse or on a windowsill, the owner provides himself with early cucumbers.

Advantages of this method:

1. seedlings fall into open ground after the end of frost, there is no need to fear that they will be damaged by the cold;
2. in the process of growing indoors, it is easier to monitor young cucumbers, assess their condition, and feed them;
3. The seedling growing method allows you to get the first cucumbers in the open ground at the end of May. But such cucumbers fade very quickly and by the month of July the vines usually dry out.

If the size of the estate allows, then it would be nice to find a place on it for sowing cucumbers. They appear later, but bear fruit safely until the end of the season. During the summer, you can always sow new plants to replace the drying canes.

Preparing the soil for cucumber seedlings

It is better to prepare the soil for growing any seedlings on your own and store it in the fall. Purchased substrates can bring unpleasant surprises in the form of fungal diseases.

Cucumbers require light, loose soil that is neutral or slightly acidic.

For cucumber seedlings, you need high quality soil mixed in equal proportions with humus. You can take well-rotted mullein or horse manure. Add a glass of wood ash to a bucket of this mixture.

To make the soil loose, mix sawdust or peat into it. Approximately one third of the total volume.

It is better to apply the mulching element before sowing seedlings. Coniferous sawdust is not suitable; it increases the acidity of the soil. It is important to let the sawdust rot before use. If this is not done, additional nitrogen fertilizers must be applied. The sphagnum peat substrate requires increased attention, as it dries out very quickly.

Preparing the beds

The place for the cucumber bed should be chosen taking into account the lighting - plants love the sun's rays. It is important that there is no stagnation of melt water, as well as cold north wind. The ideal location is the southern slope of a gentle hill.

Cucumbers do well in beds where potatoes, tomatoes, any root vegetables, onions and legumes were previously grown. They cannot be planted after eggplants, zucchini and squash - these crops have common diseases, the pathogens of which can overwinter in the soil and infect fragile bushes in the spring.

The cucumber root system is located mainly in the surface layer of soil, but has relatively few fibers. Therefore, for successful development and fruiting, soil fertility is of great importance - some authors advise applying manure in a 1:1 proportion to the soil. Manure not only provides the plant with nitrogen, but is also a source of carbon dioxide, which is also important for cucumbers during the flowering period.

If there is no excess manure, you can add the following components (per 1 m2):

• manure - 6-8 kg;
• potassium salt - half a glass;
• superphosphate - a third of a glass.

Manure can be replaced with humus 4-5 kg/m2, rotted peat 8-10 kg/m2. Potassium salt and superphosphate can be replaced with a glass of wood ash.

Soil acidity should be at 6.2-6.8 pH. High acidity is eliminated by adding dolomite flour, chalk or wood ash.

Preparing seeds for sowing

The choice of seeds begins in the garden. The best representatives of the variety are allowed to over-ripen on the vines; they are removed only when the skin acquires an orange tint and cracks. Seeds are selected only from the front part of the fruit to prevent bitterness. They are ground and fermented for several days in a small amount of water, like tomatoes.

This is necessary in order to free them from liquid without injuring the seeds. All seeds that float should be thrown away.

Upon completion of fermentation, the seeds must be dried and sorted. If there is no shortage of planting material, then it is better to leave only large and symmetrical ones.

These seeds are soaked for 12 hours in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection, dried and placed in paper bags. Cucumber seeds are stored at room temperature in a dark place. They do not lose germination until 5-6 years.

An interesting property: the germination capacity of cucumber seeds increases during storage. Therefore, before sowing, it is better to age the seeds for two to three years.

Care

After the cucumbers have 2 true leaves, the seedlings are thinned out. This is done carefully, manually pinching the sprout at the base so as not to damage the roots of neighboring plants. You can leave two plants in the nest. The number of plants per linear meter depends on the variety of cucumbers. Vigorous cucumbers (Buyan, Farmer, Little Boy, etc.) require more area for stems. Therefore, on 1 linear meter you can leave 2 plants with a distance of 0.5 m between them. For varieties with small vines (Parker, Gherkin, etc.), a distance of 30 cm between plants is sufficient. After thinning, the soil in the beds is loosened to a depth of 10 cm. When 5–6 true leaves appear, the plants are hilled up by adding moist soil to the base. Thanks to this operation, new roots are formed and the cucumbers receive additional nutrition.

Video: tips for caring for cucumbers

Pre-landing activities

It is necessary to sow cucumbers for seedlings a month before planting the plants in the ground. Typically this work begins in March.

Immediately before planting, the seeds are checked again for germination with salt water. They are dipped in a glass of water with a dissolved teaspoon of salt, shaken and left for 10-15 minutes. Everything that comes up is thrown away.

The remaining seeds are stimulated and hardened. First, they are warmed up near the battery for two days.

Then it is kept in a thermos with very hot water for two hours (the temperature should be such that it can barely be tolerated by a finger). And then, wrapped in cloth, they are sent to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for twelve hours.

If the germination of seeds is in doubt, they can be treated with a growth stimulant. Careful owners treat them with potassium permanganate a second time.

After all procedures, the seeds are left to germinate between two layers of damp cloth in a cool place.

When the seed hatches and the root reaches half its length, you can begin sowing.

Seed preparation

Growing crops is not difficult. You just need to take care of purchasing planting material in advance. Buy seeds only in specialized stores, from trusted suppliers.

Calibration

Be sure to select seeds and discard those that float. They need to be poured with a glass of water: those that float are considered defective. Sow only large and dense seeds.

Warming up

Warm up the planting material to destroy spores of pathogenic fungi and bacteria. The grains can be subjected to short-term heating; the temperature should not exceed 50 degrees.

Disinfection

Treat the grains with a fungicide and a non-concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. This treatment will help to avoid the appearance of fungal diseases in the future.

Attention! Etching should be carried out for at least 20 minutes. Then rinse the beans with cold, clean water.

Soak

The grains should be checked for germination, then soaked for swelling for a day.

Hardening

In order to increase resistance to low temperatures, planting material is hardened. The swollen grains are placed in the cold for several minutes.

Attention! Seeds should not be immersed in water.

Germination

Place the grains on a damp cloth and let them swell. When planting, seeds should not be planted too deeply, as this can significantly slow down the development of the plant. To awaken the bud, which will give impetus to development, the seeds need to be soaked in warm water.

How and where to plant cucumber seeds for seedlings

Sow the seeds in pots with soil at the rate of approximately 0.3-0.5 liters per seedling root. The capacity can be any:

• cardboard or plastic boxes - you must make several holes in them for the outflow of liquid;
• special peat cups, in which cucumbers are then planted directly into the ground, have only one drawback - they lose moisture very quickly;
• cellophane rolls fixed with a stapler or paper clip - to get to the root when planting, they are simply unrolled.

The pots are placed close to each other on a common tray for ease of care. Fill with prepared soil and sow two seeds in each so that the weaker shoot can be removed later. The sowing depth is no more than 3 centimeters.

If the seeds are planted in a common container, then the distance between them is kept two centimeters and three centimeters between the rows. With such a planting, you will have to pick up the seedlings later. Not everyone finds this procedure useful.

The container with seedlings is watered, covered with a damp cloth and put in a dark place until germination. Approximately 5-7 days. The optimal temperature for seedlings should be from 18 to 25 C. Overheating is no less dangerous than cold.

Requirements for growing conditions

Three conditions are most important for a cucumber: the presence of carbon dioxide in the near-soil air layer, optimal humidity and nitrogen content in the soil. Temperature, although important for the plant, does not have such an effect - even in a cold, rainy summer you can manage and get a good harvest. However, even with this point, not everything is so simple: see the table of the influence of temperature on the life processes of cucumbers.

The optimal temperature for plant development is 18-26 °C. But even a short-term cooling of 6-7 degrees can inhibit the formation of new ovaries and negatively affect the health of plants.

During flowering, carbon dioxide levels are important. If there is not enough of it, there will be fewer female inflorescences, and this will affect the yield. The source of carbon dioxide is decomposing manure, and to protect against rapid volatilization, it is good to plant peas, potatoes or sunflowers around the perimeter of the bed.

Crop care

It’s good if it is possible to allocate a separate temperature-controlled room for seedlings (ideally, a heated greenhouse).

Without such conditions, resourceful gardeners organize mini-greenhouses directly on the windowsills, separating boxes with seedlings from the room and window with cellophane screens. This allows you to create an increased level of humidity.

For the first 4-5 days, young seedlings should be kept at a temperature of about 20 C. Then it rises to 25 C. Drafts should be avoided throughout the entire growing period.

When the sprouts rise enough to be assessed, the weaker ones are carefully removed at the root with nail scissors.

Watering and fertilizing

Watering should be done frequently - once every two days. Warm melt or settled water. This should be done in the morning, at the beginning of daylight. Cold and hard water is detrimental to seedlings.

Cucumber foliage loves bathing; moisture can be sprayed from above from a spray bottle.

A little trick: to prevent water from stagnating in the pots, they can be placed in a plastic mesh box, which in turn can be raised on a stand so that air circulates under the container with seedlings.

Fertilizing is carried out when the first pair of leaves appears.

Mineral fertilizers for cucumbers

• specialized ready-made mixtures for cucumbers;
• urea 20 g, potassium sulfate 20 g, superphosphate 50 g, diluted in ten liters of water.

Organic fertilizers:

• chicken droppings or mullein, diluted with warm water in a ratio of 1:10;
• a three-day infusion of onion peels, banana peels or eggshells, prepared from three parts water and one part crushed biological material;
• wood ash diluted in hot water in a ratio of 1:10;
• aged solution of 1 g of bread yeast in a liter of water.

Methods of planting and growing cucumbers

Simple bed

Cucumber seeds can be planted in open ground in a simple bed. This method is usually used by gardeners in the southern regions, less often in the central zone.

To save space on the plot, cucumbers can be grown on a special trellis installed vertically. In this case, they receive more light and will get sick less.

It is also recommended to grow the crop in raised beds. The soil warms up faster in them. This method is especially relevant for gardens in northern regions or in damp areas. However, plants in such beds require more frequent watering.

If the soil on the site is acidic, it should be treated with lime in the fall.

Advice! Cucumbers develop best in neutral, sandy and loamy soil.

Sand, humus from leaves and non-acidic peat must be added to the clay soil.

You can use mustard or clover as fertilizer. They are planted in the beds where cucumbers will be grown, wait for them to bloom, and carefully dig up the soil along with green fertilizer.

In the autumn, the area for planting cucumber seeds is dug up and additionally added per 1 square meter:

• 1 bucket of compost or pre-prepared manure;
• 500 g wood ash;
• 40 g superphosphate.

With the arrival of spring, 1-2 tbsp are introduced into the soil. spoon

• Urea,
• Potassium sulfate,
• Mag-Bor.

Biofuel greenhouse ridge

Sometimes cucumbers are planted on compost heaps that were formed last season. However, fresh rotting organic matter produces the most heat.

The greenhouse bed is formed 14 days before the intended sowing procedure. Bookmarking is done in two ways:

1. Above ground level, it warms up better.
2. In a trench - deep into the earth. It dries out more slowly (in the south or for busy gardeners).

Side fences are made from slate, boards and other materials.

Any unrotted organic matter can become biofuel:

• fresh manure;
• grass, leaves;
• hay;
• twigs;
• sawdust;
• paper and cardboard;
• kitchen waste.

Creating a bed:

• All organic matter is poured in a layer of 30 cm or higher, evenly distributed throughout the entire bed or placed in a trench.

Advice! If there is little manure, it is mixed with grass and added to separate holes.

• The trench is filled with organic matter and spilled with hot water, to which mineral fertilizers have previously been added (Urea, Azofoska - 2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water).
• A mixture of light soil, compost and humus is added on top in a layer of 15–20 cm.
• Next, a wooden box is placed on the trench and filled with nutrient soil.
• The bed is covered with film or other covering material.
• So the biomass will begin to rot and release heat.
• The ground will be hot.
• After 14 days it will cool down a little. The temperature will begin to drop and become suitable for planting cucumbers.

"Lazy bed"

• In the area designated for growing cucumbers, weeds are removed in early June.
• The area on top is covered with mowed grass (weeds) with the addition of other organic matter (branches, kitchen waste, paper, etc.). Layer – 20 cm and above, width 50–100 cm, length – as desired.
• The beds are formed from plant waste.
• The plant mass is spread apart, making holes with a depth and diameter of 15–20 cm at intervals of 30 cm when planting in two rows.

• They add light nutritious soil (mature herbal compost with the addition of rotted manure).
• Everything is watered abundantly along the length of the bed.
• Dry seeds are sown.
• Water frequently.
• You can temporarily cover the plantings with agrofibre.

Important! On such a ridge you can cultivate cucumbers, zucchini, and pumpkin for 2-3 years. After this, the area is dug up and used for growing other crops.

In a barrel

In the Center and North of Russia, cucumbers are often grown in barrels of different sizes. Floating organic matter is added to the containers, and light nutrient soil is poured on top with a layer of 15-20 cm. Be sure to make holes along the surface for air exchange.

This way the soil warms up quickly, so cucumbers can be planted early. The main thing is to water cucumbers often in hot summers. Read more about this method in our article: Secrets of growing cucumbers in a barrel: a step-by-step scheme for preparing the site, planting and caring for cucumbers

In bags

This method is similar to the previous one, but instead of barrels, high-density plastic bags or sugar (flour) bags with slits for air exchange are used. In this case, it is necessary to make supports for gartering the lashes, and also monitor watering.

Read more about this method in our article: Growing cucumbers in bags: step-by-step instructions for planting and caring for cucumbers

Interesting! You can grow potatoes in bags using the same method. You can find out about this in the article: How to plant and grow potatoes in bags...

Light mode

Cucumber is a short-day plant. For intensive development, seedlings need individual lighting:

• for them you need to choose the brightest place, but not in direct sunlight;
• daylight hours for cucumber seedlings should last ten hours;
• if there is not enough natural light, fluorescent lamps are installed above the drawers.

How to prepare cucumber seeds for planting

Cucumber seeds require mandatory preparation before planting:

• To begin with, I select the seeds, doing this solely by eye. I reject broken, empty or dark ones, leaving large and full-bodied ones - they are the most productive.
• Then I dilute potassium permanganate in a plate and pickle the seeds. This results in a very dark soaking solution. I immerse the seeds in it for 30 minutes. Next, I rinse it very thoroughly under running water. Colored seeds (red, green) of some hybrids are already processed and do not require additional dressing. Disinfection of seeds serves to prevent cucumber diseases.
• To speed up germination, especially when sowing is late, before planting, you can soak cucumber seeds in Epin, Zircon or other growth stimulants (according to the instructions for the drug). Soaking in these special products will speed up germination and increase the resistance of seedlings to unfavorable growing conditions.
• Next, the seeds can be used for sowing, or you can additionally germinate cucumber seeds.

Features of picking cucumber seedlings

Cucumbers have a very delicate root system. Unlike tomatoes, transplants do not benefit them. Broken hair roots are not restored, new ones take time to grow and the plant slows down in growth without receiving any benefits.

Supporters of the picking procedure begin this activity when the cotyledon pair of leaves of the cucumbers has fully opened and at least one true leaf appears.

Picking cucumber seedlings follows the general rules. The main thing is to soak the soil in the box well in advance and replant the roots, carefully prying them up with a spatula.

After transplanting, it is better to give the plants rest, leaving them for a day in a dark place and lowering the temperature to 18-20 degrees for three to four days. Then you can carry out a second feeding of the cucumbers. If the seedlings do not pick, then the second feeding is carried out two weeks after the first.

Planting cucumbers

High beds are a guarantee of heat retention for the cucumber root system

Regardless of which method of planting cucumbers is chosen - seedlings or non-seedlings, it is necessary that the plants appear in the open air no later than June. There is no point in growing cucumbers at a later date, since high summer temperatures and too long daylight hours will not lead to normal development of the crop.

Fruiting in such conditions, on the contrary, will be as effective as possible, so it makes sense to complete the planting and planting process no later than mid-June. In cold spring, the process of planting seeds in open ground should be postponed for one to two weeks.

Varieties used

Bunch cucumbers

It is strongly recommended to use zoned hybrids for planting (giving preference to f1, as the most resistant), since they are most adapted for a given climatic zone. However, the correct choice of variety will largely determine the strategy for growing the crop.

The classification of cucumbers adapted for home cultivation is quite simple. They are distinguished by:

• method of use;
• according to the so-called “shirt” - appearance, physical properties of the fruit peel, the presence of “pimples” and other features;
• method of pollination;
• terms of ripening.

The temperature in the greenhouse when growing cucumbers should not exceed +35°C

The purpose of cucumbers is of paramount importance. You can choose varieties according to different criteria, but this is the main one. If they need to be used as a topping for salads, it is better to plant tasty early ripening varieties. Mid-ripening ones are usually used for canning, and late-ripening ones are used for pickling in barrels. These recommendations are not absolute, but they are used quite often. Hybrid varieties of cucumbers are more preferable because most of them have high yields.

The appearance of the cucumber is no less important, since the area of ​​its application greatly depends on what the cucumber peel is. Thus, hard-skinned cucumbers are traditionally not used in salads; similarly, “soft” varieties are not used in pickling, since they tend to “spread” over time.

The method of pollination shows how closely you will have to monitor the process of formation of new ovaries. In particular, if insect pollination is used and cucumbers are grown in a greenhouse, it should be opened from time to time to allow the same bees to access the flowers. Also, next to cucumbers, as well as near all bee-pollinated crops, it is recommended to install open containers with water, since bees also need it and are more willing to fly to pollinate flowers located near open sources of moisture.

When using artificial pollination, they usually cut off the male flower and apply it to the female flowers one by one, leaving pollen on them.

In addition, there are hybrid parthenocarpic varieties of cucumbers that do not require pollination at all. In them, fruit formation can occur without the formation of seeds, that is, they do not need pollination.

A typical example of a seedless cucumber

Some parthenocarpic varieties still produce few seeds in the part of the fruit close to the stem, which leads to significant deformations of the fruit. It is recommended to remove such fruits before they are fully ripe.

The most common varieties for temperate climates are listed below:

1. Parthenocarpic hybrids: Beaver, Break, Quadrille, Murashka, Parus. All of them are F1 hybrids
2. Parthenocarpic cold-resistant hybrids: Christina, Burevestnik, Anyuta
3. Early ripening varieties and hybrids with high yields: Avns, Ajax, Marcella, Gosha
4. Self-pollinating, early maturing, and recommended in the southern regions: German, Lord, Regina (hybrids)
5. Self-pollinating high yields: Muromsky, Aquarius, Voznesensky (varieties), Zador, Pikas (hybrids)
6. Self-pollinating, cold-resistant: Farmer, Altai (varieties), Admira, Bidreta (hybrids)

obtained at least 2 years ago as planting material

Seedless method

Summer planting of cucumber seeds in open ground

If conditions for germination are favorable, cucumber seeds hatch almost immediately and sprout 5-7 days after planting. At the same time, since in May there is a certain probability of return frosts, the planting process should be stretched out a little.

This consists of several plantings of the crop in different places at time intervals of 5-7 days. It is recommended to start the process in early or mid-May (depending on the temperature), and finish before June 15.

Planting patterns may vary. In general, it depends on the configuration of the beds, but the option is often used when the trellis is located vertically in the center of the bed, and the plants are planted on the sides (in two rows).

The distance at which the holes are located depends on the variety. On average, the distance between rows is 50 cm, between holes - from 50 to 70 cm. Usually, cucumbers are planted in a square pattern; a checkerboard pattern is used somewhat less frequently.

The height of the trellis can reach from 100 to 200 cm. In general, choose it depending on the variety.

Cucumbers on a trellis

The width of the bed in which cucumbers grow should not exceed 100 cm.

To protect the ridge from the winds, it is recommended to place it near walls and tall bushes, as well as other types of natural or artificial obstacles. One way to implement such a shelter would be to plant corn on the north side of the cucumbers.

Preliminary preparation of seeds is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. They are washed in running water
2. Place for half an hour in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate
3. Germinate for 2-3 days in a damp cloth at a temperature of at least 23 degrees. When the length of the sprouted sprouts reaches 3-4 mm, this process can be completed

It is recommended to sow cucumbers before the onset of daytime heat (at temperatures above +25°C, planting is undesirable). The planting process itself is simple - the sprouted seeds are placed in shallow holes, sprinkled with soil and watered. Shoots usually appear after 5-7 days.

Using seedlings

Soaking cucumber seeds before planting

Unlike adult plants, seeds require neutral acidity soil. The substrate for planting may have the following composition:

• turf land;
• sand;
• peat;
• vermiculite

All components are taken in equal proportions. Before planting, it is recommended to disinfect the soil with a 0.2% solution of potassium permanganate or calcine it in the oven (the soil is heated to a temperature of 110-115°C). Disinfection is usually carried out 2-3 days before planting so that the soil restores its properties.

Double superphosphate as a top dressing

Favorable days for sowing cucumbers can be found in the sowing calendar. Typically, these days fall in the first and third quarter phases. Unfavorable days for sowing seeds are considered to be the new moon and the full moon, plus or minus two days. At this time, plant biorhythms slow down and germination may be delayed for several days.

Also, before planting cucumbers, you need to prepare the soil and add fertilizer to it. Every 10 kg of substrate is fertilized with a mixture of mineral fertilizers, which consists of:

• urea – 6 g;
• superphosphate – 10 g;
• potassium sulfate – 6 g;
• magnesium sulfate – 2 g.

Before sowing cucumbers, the seeds are germinated (similar to what is done when planting seed in open ground). Then fill the individual container with the substrate, leaving about 1 cm to the edge.

It is better to immediately plant the seeds in individual containers (plastic or peat glass), since picking cucumbers is extremely undesirable!

Holes are made in the substrate with a depth of 1.5-2 cm and a diameter of up to 1 cm, into which the sprouted seeds are carefully placed.

Cucumber seedlings a week after germination

You need to plant a seed not only by oriented it correctly, but also, if possible, without touching the sprout.

Next, the holes are sprinkled with soil, watered and the top of the container is covered with film or glass and left for several days. The container with seedlings is placed in a shaded room (with a temperature of 23-28°C) and kept there until seedlings emerge.

After the first shoots hatch, the seedlings are placed in a cooler room (not higher than +23°C) on the windowsill, since growing cucumbers require a lot of light.

Watering is carried out as needed. Throughout the growing season, the top 2 cm of soil should not be dry, otherwise the seedlings will turn out weak and you won’t have to expect a rich harvest from them.

The seedlings do not need fertilizing. Thinning and hardening of cucumber seedlings is also not carried out.

Excessive watering of cucumber seedlings is undesirable. If the leaves of plants turn yellow, the first reason for this phenomenon is too much liquid in the soil.

On the 20-25th day after emergence, when the seedlings already have fairly strong stems and 5-6 strong leaves, they are planted in open ground. Usually, by this time the soil has already warmed up sufficiently. Transplant the seedlings carefully, together with a lump of earth, so as not to damage the roots. Before planting, add a shovel of humus or compost to the hole. Then the young cucumbers are watered. It is recommended to transplant in the morning or evening or in cloudy weather.

Transplanting seedlings into open ground

For closed ground, these periods can be slightly reduced. It is even possible to grow seedlings in a greenhouse if temperature conditions permit (23-28°C in the first week).

Preparing seedlings for planting in open ground

In order for the plants to quickly adapt to outdoor conditions, they begin to harden off about ten days before planting. Then the last fertilizing is applied.

The container is taken out into the air. You can install it for a day under film in special, recessed greenhouses. The water temperature cannot be lowered throughout the growing season - these plants do not tolerate watering with cold water.

Seedlings are planted in open ground after they have formed four true leaves and stable warm weather has established.

Planting seedlings in the ground

It is reasonable to plan the placement of crops on the estate three to five years in advance so that the soil does not deplete and the vegetables do not get sick or degenerate.

The bed for cucumbers must be prepared in advance by adding rotted manure to the previous plantings.

The place for cucumber beds must be chosen in a well-lit area, sheltered from the wind. In warm climates, these may be furrows deepened to the point of a shovel. To grow cucumbers in the north of the country, you can organize warm beds in a wooden building.

Such beds are prepared in advance. First, a wooden box is knocked down and installed according to the size of the future bed. All season long, you need to put organic matter in the box: leftover food (except meat and fatty foods), grape trimmings, chopped branches of fruit trees, fallen leaves. Over the winter and summer, all this rots; in the fall, you need to cover the top with a layer of compost soil with a layer of 10 centimeters. In early spring, cover the bed with old film. Organic matter generates heat, and the bed warms up well. This makes it possible to plant cucumbers at an earlier date.

Regular planting begins when the ground temperature warms up by 12-14 degrees. Fertilizers (humus and mineral complex mixtures) are applied to the soil. After that, the pots with seedlings are well filled with water, and the plant is removed from them. The less the root system is damaged during replanting, the better.

The cucumber is buried at the cotyledon base and watered with warm water under the trunk. The watering area is sprinkled with a layer of loose compost on top. At first, it is advisable to shade the bed with transplanted seedlings with black non-woven material.

Two bushes are planted per square meter - these plants need a lot of space for weaving.

The best predecessors for cucumbers

In order for cucumbers to grow well and not get sick, you need to choose a place for them taking into account the rules of crop rotation:

1. preceding plants should enrich the soil with elements desirable for them, and not make it too acidic;
2. it is good if the root system of the preceding plants lies at a different depth than the cucumber one;
3. Cucumbers and previous plants should not have common pests and diseases.

Tomatoes and white cabbage fit this description perfectly. Cucumbers will grow well in the garden after onions, garlic, legumes, carrots and beets.

Neighbors are also very important - ideally, these are corn or sunflowers, as a screen from cold winds. Also suitable: lettuce, beets, beans and savory.

Method of planting directly in open ground

Cucumbers begin to be sown directly into the ground in late May or early June. As the vines dry out, new seeds can be planted to harvest until the end of summer. For these purposes, it is better to make a bed in partial shade, even under trees, outside the crown.

Preparing the soil for sowing seeds is similar to cultivating beds for planting seedlings.

Proper planting of seeds

When planting seeds directly into the ground, it is not recommended to pre-germinate them. They are sown in wells that are heavily flooded with water to a depth of 1.5-2 centimeters, maintaining a distance between seeds of 20 centimeters and between rows of 60 centimeters.

After planting, the bed is covered with cellophane film to retain moisture and increased temperature. If it is 25 C or higher outside, then this is not necessary to do during the day.

Before the seeds germinate, make sure that the soil in the garden bed is not covered with a crust; it is regularly moistened and loosened. Loosening is carried out until 4-5 true leaves appear, until the plant enters the horizontal growth phase. Fertilizers for seeded cucumbers are applied by analogy with cucumber seedlings.

100% about growing cucumbers in open ground and caring for them: 12 steps

Cucumber is a popular and favorite vegetable of most gardeners. The heat-loving plant is given the best bed on the plot. Caring for cucumbers in open ground from planting to harvest must be correct to achieve the best results. We have compiled 12 rules that you must remember, or better yet, write down.

The culture only at first glance seems unpretentious and easy to care for. However, some mistakes, such as the wrong choice of cucumber variety or failure to follow the basic rules of agricultural technology in open ground, lead to a significant reduction in the number of fruits and even the death of cucumber plantings.

Site selection and soil preparation

Choosing a place to plant cucumbers in open ground is not easy. It is necessary to take into account the illumination and warming up of the future ridge with natural heat, and protect the crop from cold winds and drafts. Every 2 years, the location of the cucumber bed must be changed to avoid diseases.

Useful predecessors of cucumbers: cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, legumes. It’s good if the bed with cucumbers is protected from blowing by tall crops: potatoes, corn, beans. You cannot plant cucumbers after watermelons and melons have grown in this place. Melons dehydrate the soil.

It is ideal if the soil is first fertilized with green manure.

Rules for preparing beds:

• choose a hill for the ridge, erect a small shaft 20-30 cm high from plant debris, earth, straw on the windy side;
• It is advisable to dig up the soil in the fall, while simultaneously adding manure or compost;
• in the spring, dig up the bed again, 3 weeks before planting seeds or seedlings, scattering mineral fertilizers “under the shovel”: 15 g of nitrogen, 12 g of phosphorus, 12 g of potassium per 1 m2;
• form a ridge 50 cm high;
• pour a solution of mullein and water at a ratio of 1:10, compact;
• cover the ridge with film to warm the soil.

Choosing varieties for growing in open ground

When a gardener decides to grow cucumbers in open ground, he must choose suitable varieties that meet the natural conditions of the region. Everything needs to be taken into account: temperature differences, desired amount of harvest, etc.

There are 2 types of cucumbers: self-pollinating, capable of forming ovaries on their own, and bee-pollinated, when the plant bears fruit only after the participation of bees. For open ground, it is better to choose bee-pollinated varieties of cucumbers.

Universal hybrids for open garden beds:

• “Krasavchik F1” is an early hybrid of cucumbers; the first harvest can be observed 42 days after planting;
• “Appetizing F1” is a productive hybrid resistant to many diseases;
• “Crunch F1” is a long-bearing variety, fruits appear within 48-50 days after germination;
• “Malyutka F1” is a variety of cucumbers resistant to cold weather.

Preparing the soil for cucumber seedlings

Growing cucumbers through seedlings gives the gardener a time gain of 10-14 days. It is important to properly prepare the soil for sowing cucumber seeds, since the future harvest depends on the composition of the soil.

For seedlings, both purchased soil from a specialized store and homemade soil are suitable. To prepare a soil mixture for 1 bucket of soil, you need to take 1 part humus, 1 part peat, 1 tbsp. l. "Aquarina", 1 glass of ash.

Subtleties of growing seedlings

Seeds are planted for seedlings 3-4 weeks before planting in the ground. Young shoots of cucumbers are difficult to tolerate picking, so it is necessary to sow the seeds in separate containers. Disposable cups work well for this purpose.

Before adding seeds to the ground, you must first disinfect them in a pink solution of manganese for 15 minutes. Then the required number of seeds is placed in a damp cloth for germination.

Rules for planting seeds for seedlings:

• prepare plastic glasses with a diameter of at least 7 cm;
• fill the glasses 2/3 with soil;
• pour warm water until the soil gets wet;
• lay out 1 sprouted seed and sprinkle with soil 1 cm thick;
• moisten the top layer of soil with a spray bottle;
• Cover the containers with film until germination and place in a sunny place;
• water the seedlings every other day;
• feed with “Epin” and “Kornevin” once each.

Planting cucumbers in open ground

When the air temperature during the day and night reaches 20 and 12 degrees, respectively, the prepared seeds or seedlings can be planted on the ridge. The soil should warm up to 15 degrees Celsius. Landmark: mid-May.

In those regions where the weather is unpleasantly surprising with a sudden cold snap, it is customary to cover a bed with recently planted cucumbers with acrylic or film at night, lifting them during the day.

Rules for planting cucumber seeds:

1. Deepen the holes in the ridge (width between rows - 50-75 cm) by 10 cm, the distance between them should be 35-40 cm.
2. Place 2 sprouted seeds in each hole (if both sprout and when two or three leaves appear, the weaker sprout is cut off).
3. Sprinkle with loose soil in a layer of 1.5-2 cm.
4. Pour warm water from a watering can.
5. Cover with film until germination.

Rules for planting cucumber seedlings:

1. Prepare holes 20 cm deep.
2. Plant 4 seedlings per 1 m2.
3. Carefully transfer the cucumber sprout from the nursery along with a damp lump of earth and place it in the hole.
4. Sprinkle the seedling with soil and lightly compact the soil.
5. Pour warm water over the cucumber.
6. Cover the bed with covering material, lifting part of the film for a day.
7. When the seedlings grow, stretch out, and mustaches appear on them, the lashes need to be tied to the trellis, pulling thin twine.

Loosening (weeding) the area and mulching the beds

Loosening allows cucumbers to grow more rapidly, achieve greater results in terms of yield, and also prevent the appearance of weeds. However, you need to act carefully - due to the fact that the cucumber roots are close to the surface of the soil.

First, we loosen the ground, retreating 4-6 cm; As you grow older, the distance should be increased to 10-12 cm.

As for mulching cucumber beds, it should be done immediately after planting or as the area is loosened. High-quality mulching eliminates the need for regular loosening. It can be produced using fine straw or humus (your choice).

Watering

Watering cucumbers should be plentiful, but without waterlogging the soil in the root part of the plant. You can water the crop only with warm, settled water, ideally rainwater.

You can find out whether to water cucumbers by looking at a lump of soil near the plant; if it crumbles in your hands, then the crop needs urgent watering. In rainy weather, cucumbers are not watered.

Rules for watering cucumbers:

• water consumption - 10 l per 1 m2;
• on warm days you need to water once every 2-3 days, on hot days - every day early in the morning or late in the evening;
• distribute the liquid between and around plants;
• You can’t pour water under the root;
• Make sure there is no excess moisture to avoid rotting and “washing out” of the roots.

Fertilizing

Cucumbers need repeated feeding throughout the entire growing and fruiting season. Both organic fertilizers and mineral complexes are suitable for this purpose.

A lack of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and calcium can lead to yellowing of leaf blades, rare formation of ovaries, poor harvest and plant diseases.

How to use fertilizers:

• dilute mullein 1 liter per 10 liters of water, water 1 liter of fertilizer per bush;
• chicken manure is diluted at the rate of 1 matchbox per 10 liters of water, watered with 0.5 liters of solution per plant;
• mineral fertilizer: 15 g of urea, 8 g of potassium sulfate, 50 g of superphosphate, 5 g of ammonium nitrate diluted in 5 liters of water; apply 1 cup of fertilizer per 10 liters of water; 1 liter is enough for feeding a cucumber bush;
• Feed with organic matter once a week, with mineral fertilizers - once every 15 days.

Pinching and shaping

In order for cucumbers to grow in abundance, the bush of the plant is formed and pinched. When carrying out the bush formation procedure, you need to take into account the variety and growth conditions of the cucumber.

For early ripening varieties that grow in a creeping manner, it is not recommended to pinch new shoots. Plants tied to trellises and late varieties of vegetables must be shaped.

Rules for pinching a cucumber lash:

1. When the cucumber grows horizontally, pinch the main shoot as it reaches 1 m in length. The stepsons begin to grow actively, weaving the soil around the root and producing many ovaries.
2. When growing cucumbers vertically, I tie young stems that have reached 25 cm to a trellis. The main stem and side shoots are left, but the flowers and small branches in the axils of the lower 4 leaves are removed. The side sprouts are tied to a trellis, the rest are pinched at a distance of 40 cm from the stem.

Determining micronutrient deficiency by the shape of cucumbers

The unusual shape of the cucumber indicates that the plant is not doing well with the consumption of microelements and water. If the fruit looks like a hook, this means that the vegetable is suffering from a lack of moisture.

When a cucumber looks like a pear, the crop lacks potassium. Nitrogen deficiency occurs when the tip of the fruit is narrow and yellow. The cucumber seems to be pulled in the middle - the water for watering is too cold.

5 secrets to increase your yield

Proper planting and watering are not enough to obtain a large harvest. Therefore, experienced gardeners use various tricks to increase the number of ovaries and lengthen the fruiting period.

Gardeners often use several varieties of cucumbers for planting in open ground. The grown cucumber vines are given a little stress, but not for long, in order to only harden the plant and not destroy it.

Secrets:

• the first 4 ovaries from below are removed so that the lash gains strength;
• if a lot of barren flowers appear, stress the cucumber: skip watering, fertilizing, temporarily lower the temperature;
• to attract bees to cucumber flowers, spray the plantings with a solution of honey and water (1 tsp per 1 liter of warm water);
• self-pollinating hybrids are planted next to bee-pollinated cucumbers;
• You need to harvest every 1-2 days to allow other green plants to develop.

Prevention of diseases and pests

Cucumbers often suffer from powdery mildew, late blight and root rot. The crop is also attacked by garden pests: ants, aphids and spider mites.

To prevent unpleasant consequences for the vegetable crop and completely preserve the harvest, you need to follow the rules of hygiene of the ridge and the crop itself, and carry out preventive treatments.

Prevention measures:

• remove crops and dried leaves in a timely manner;
• disinfect pruning shears;
• buy quality seeds from trusted companies;
• carry out preventive spraying.

Recipes for solutions for the prevention of diseases and pests on cucumbers:

• tobacco - take 1 glass of tobacco and ash, 1 tbsp. l. liquid laundry soap and pour 10 liters of hot water;
• onion - half a bucket of onion peels, pour 1 cup of ash with boiling water, bringing the volume to a full bucket;
• pepper - 10 g red pepper, 100 g tobacco, 2 tbsp. l. liquid soap pour 10 liters of hot water.

All these mixtures need to sit for a day, strain and spray the entire plant until the leaves on both sides become wet, as well as the soil around the trunk. Repeat the procedure every 10 days early in the morning or late in the evening in calm, dry weather.

Harvest

To prevent the fruits from overgrowing, taking away the vital juices from the plant, they must be removed in a timely manner. The optimal harvest time is 3-4 times a week. Rare fruit collection inhibits the formation of new ovaries.

It is important to carefully inspect the cucumber vines for overgrown cucumbers. Because of them, other fruits do not receive enough nutrients, losing quality of taste and presentation.

How to properly remove cucumbers:

• select the fruit of the desired size;
• holding the end of the cucumber with one hand and the bridge tail with the other, carefully unscrew the fruit or cut it off;
• You cannot pull the cucumber or twist the lashes.

BONUS: “Additional tips for growing cucumbers”

Growing such a capricious vegetable as a cucumber is a difficult and troublesome task. The gardener spends a lot of effort, time and money, from preparing the beds to preventing diseases.

The main thing is to choose the right variety of cucumbers that would meet the requirements of the weather conditions of the region, and prepare a place for an open garden bed. Then, as they say, it’s a matter of technique.

Important Tips:

• the vertical method of growing cucumbers is the most convenient and easy to care for: minimum weed control, and the fruits are clean;
• if the harvest is abundant, then additional trellises are installed for the lashes and each lash is tied up;
• the wooden parts of the trellises are pre-coated with copper sulfate to avoid rotting and infections;
• next to a ridge of cucumbers you can plant sunflowers or other tall crops that will support the branches of cucumbers;
• The cucumber bed will be protected from prolonged rains and cold by a film stretched over arcs stuck into the ground;
• for irrigation, it is better to use acidified rainwater collected in buckets or barrels: 1.5 tbsp. l. dilute apple cider vinegar in a 200-liter barrel of water; pour 2-4 liters of this water under an adult bush;
• in hot weather, leaf irrigation is carried out in the morning or evening hours, when solar activity subsides.

Cucumber care

Proper care allows you to extend the fruiting phase of cucumbers. First of all, productivity is lost due to lack of heat and moisture. If the summer is cool, then continue to cover the cucumbers with cellophane at night.

Sometimes you have to set up a tent made of non-woven material for the day to protect from the wind or too hot sun.

Watering and fertilizing

Watering cucumbers is done only with warm, settled water, preferably no later than 16-00 hours, so that the moisture on the leaves has time to dry before nightfall. This should be done at least once every two days. Frequent watering erodes the fertile layer, so periodically you need to add rotted manure or compost near the roots.

From the beginning of fruiting, liquid organomineral fertilizers can be added to the water.

Root feeding of cucumbers

With this type of feeding, nutrient mixtures are applied to the soil, at the root of the plant. They can be done once a week or ten days. The composition of the mixture is selected based on external signs of a lack of a particular substance:

• if the fruits have pointed, underdeveloped tips, then the plant needs nitrogen - 1 tablespoon of urea per 10 liters of water;
• expanding, short fruits indicate a lack of potassium - 2 cups of wood ash per bucket of water;
• You can prevent the leaves from drying out by feeding 4 tablespoons of superphosphate per 10 liters of water;
• to stimulate growth, feed with fermented infusion of nettles and other weeds - fill a large container with chopped grass, fill with water and leave under the lid for a week;
• Fertilizing with whey (1 liter per bucket of water) serves the same purpose.

Cucumbers are fed on damp ground early in the morning.

Foliar feeding

You can also feed cucumbers by spraying nutrients from a spray bottle onto the leaves. Foliar feeding is often used for preventive purposes. Along the way, such procedures help solve the problem of many pests and diseases.

It is better to spray early in the morning, choosing cloudy days so that the moisture has time to evaporate before bright sunlight hits the leaves. On such a day, you can stretch non-woven material over the treated bed.

1. To increase the yield before flowering, cucumbers are sprayed with a solution of boric acid at the rate of 10 g per 10 liters;
2. spraying a solution of 1 g of calcium nitrate in a liter of water strengthens the immunity of cucumbers;
3. spraying with a weak solution of potassium permanganate saves you from pests such as spider mites and aphids;
4. against late blight, it is useful to water the leaves from above with a daily infusion of wood ash (0.5 liters per 13 liters of hot water);
5. Powdery mildew and root rot are prevented by spraying 30 drops of iodine and a liter of whey per 10 liters of water;
6. for the same purposes, you can use bread (one loaf per 10 liters of water) or yeast (10 g per 10 liters of water) infusion with 10 drops of iodine;
7. spraying with a urea solution at the rate of 15 grams per 10 liters of water enriches the plant with nitrogen and helps fight weevils and aphids.

The procedure is carried out in the same way as root feeding - once a week or a little less often. If there is a fear of burning the leaves, then initially you can take half the dosage of the nutrient mixture and increase it gradually.

Care during fruiting

During fruiting, the strength of cucumbers is often wasted. This happens if deformed, twisted, damaged fruits remain on the bush. They need to be removed, disposed of or recycled, depending on their condition.

It is also important to inspect the plants and remove yellowed leaves and shoots that have stopped bearing fruit. This is done with a sharp knife or scissors, without leaving any petioles. It is better to carry out the work in sunny weather so that the wounds heal faster. The risk of infection will be reduced.

During harvesting, you need increased nutrition, then you will be able to harvest more cucumbers. The following feeding options are possible:

• herbal infusion diluted 5 times with water;
• extracting ash at the rate of a glass per bucket of water;
• potassium nitrate solution 30 g/10 l.

Foliar feeding gives good results; for this, 10 g of urea is dissolved in a bucket of water. It is advisable not to get the solution on the fruit.

Fruit harvesting begins approximately 40 days after germination. Depending on the variety, this can be done every day or once every 2-3 days. The fruits are chosen at your own discretion: some owners like young and small cucumbers, while others wait for ripeness. The main thing is to pinch off the fruits, and not to pull or twist them. This way the plant will hurt less and recover faster.

The collected cucumbers can be canned immediately, or they can be stored fresh for some time. There are different ways to do this.

Bush formation

Cucumbers are creeping or climbing plants. Removing excess vines, tying them, creating favorable conditions for fixing cucumber tendrils on vertical surfaces - all this also helps to increase fruiting time.

The method of forming a bush depends on the variety, method of cultivation and type of garter.

Under no circumstances should pinching or removing stepchildren be done by hand. For these purposes, it is necessary to use scissors or pruning shears, periodically dipping the blades into a solution of potassium permanganate.

Topping

Horizontal cultivation is the most common method of cultivating cucumbers in open ground. The correct strategy in this case would be to pinch out the central shoot, which has reached a length of one meter (some owners do this above the tenth leaf). The central lash stops developing. And the stepsons are actively growing, braiding the soil around the root. It is on them that the bulk of the ovaries are formed.

Someone recommends pinching the stepson lashes, leaving two or three leaves on them.

Pinching horizontally growing plants in this way is a classic technique, developed over decades of growing bee-pollinated varietal cucumbers in open ground.

When starting to form a bush, you need to understand that hybrids develop differently than bee-pollinated varieties. You cannot pinch them using the same method.

For modern hybrids with a predominantly female type of flowering, the vertical method of growing while maintaining a long main shoot is more suitable.

Stepsoning

When growing vertically, the method of forming in one or two lashes is usually used.

When growing a cucumber bush in one vine, all the stepsons are removed as they grow, and the central vine is allowed to grow up the trellis, carefully twisting it onto the support counterclockwise. When it reaches the top of the support, it is allowed to parallel the ground or lowered to grow down another meter. Then they pinch.

Formation into two lashes occurs in a similar way, but in addition to the central shoot, another stepson closest to the root is left. The lashes grow in parallel.

Sowing and planting

Preparing for landing

After harvesting, the garden needs to be dug up and harrowed. Before the onset of winter frosts, deep plowing or digging is carried out. If harvesting is carried out late, only pre-sowing digging is used.

Spring preparatory work includes:

• digging,
• harrowing,
• enveloping

A set of these treatments is used to improve soil water-air conditions by loosening the soil. Thanks to these measures, weeds are destroyed. Spring plowing is used only on heavy soils during a cold, wet spring to improve the rate of soil heating. After this, the area needs to be covered.

Sowing

The most common form of planting cucumbers is sowing in open ground. This method of planting can be done if the soil and conditions are suitable - if the temperature is too wet and the temperature is too low, the seeds will not germinate and will most likely rot. High temperatures and moderately moist soil will work great.

When to sow cucumbers?

The sowing time depends on the region of the country and is associated with air temperature and soil heating. The soil temperature should be at least 15 degrees Celsius at a depth of 5 centimeters. As for the optimal temperature for germination, it is 15-18 degrees.

In practice, this date falls in May. Usually sowing is carried out from May 10 to 15. In regions where temperatures are lower, cucumber seeds are sown on May 20.

You need to choose seeds with proven germination power and good quality. Before sowing, it is recommended to protect the seeds by treating them with a solution that protects against pathogens of fungal diseases (for example, a solution of potassium permanganate).

Sowing pattern and sowing

The number of seeds for sowing depends on the variety:

• Strongly growing ones sow 5-6 pieces per 1 m²;
• weakly growing - up to 10 pieces per 1 m².

Ordinary planting scheme:

• the optimal distance between plants in a row is 8-10 cm;
• the optimal distance between rows is 0.8-1.2 m.

Scheme of planting by nesting method of sowing in single rows:

• 2-3 seeds per nest;
• distance – 25-30 cm;
• sowing depth 2-3 cm.

You can also grow cucumbers from sprouted seeds. It is necessary to soak the seeds for 24 hours in warm water, then place them in sand or peat. This method is recommended mainly for small areas due to the high requirements for maintaining sufficient soil moisture before emergence. In the absence of sufficient moisture, the sprouts die.

Rotted manure is poured into the bottom of each hole and covered with soil. Sow cucumber seeds in this prepared soil. Then they are sprinkled with sifted soil and watered abundantly from a watering can with a strainer.

Planting and caring for seedlings

It is recommended to grow cucumber seedlings in small areas or in case of accelerating harvesting. Cucumbers do not like transplanting or picking.

1. Sowing. Seeds are sown in the second half of April, 2 seeds per pot with a diameter of 6-8 cm. It is necessary to fill the containers up to ¾ with special soil or peat substrate.
2. Germination. The daytime room temperature during seed germination should not be higher than 26 °C and lower than 24 °C. At night, cucumbers should be kept at 14-16 °C. After the emergence of seedlings, cucumbers are selected and weak plants are removed. Then the pots are filled with soil to the full capacity. This leads to better rooting of the plant.

3. Hardening cucumbers. This method involves slowly, gradually lowering the temperature and reducing watering to increase the plant's tolerance to low temperatures and low humidity. A good cucumber seedling should have, in addition to cotyledons, 3-6 true leaves and a height of 15-25 cm.
4. Transplanting. It is recommended to plant cucumber seedlings on cloudy days, after rain, and in warm weather. It is better to choose daytime hours. The distance between rows is the same as for sowing. Plants are planted in a row every 20 cm, sometimes every 10-15 cm. After planting, the seedlings are watered.
5. Mulching. To accelerate the growth and development of cucumbers, you can use mulching. This treatment leads to faster harvesting. For mulching the following are used: perforated polyethylene films, polypropylene non-woven materials, organic mulches (straw). The black film absorbs light rays and prevents their penetration into the soil, which increases the soil temperature by 3-4 °C. A microclimate is created under the film cover. When choosing this growing method, the seeds are sown earlier - in early May.

How to tie cucumbers

When gartering cucumbers, the main thing is not to damage them. You need to use wide nylon or cotton ribbons, do not overtighten the stem. If possible, only create conditions for natural weaving and support the plant.

The two main methods of growing bushes have already been described above and it has been noted that for open ground it is more convenient to form horizontal vines. This is due to the fact that plants lying on the ground are less affected by wind and bright sunlight. However, if you install an arc over a horizontal bush and send several shoots along it, this will allow the cucumber to branch over a larger area.

You can also install four supports above the furrow with cucumbers weaving along the ground and stretch several lines of wire or twine parallel to each other on them. The low-growing bush will climb along these supports.

Vertical cultivation is suitable for tall varieties or hybrids planted in an area sheltered from the wind. It should be noted that this method is more labor-intensive, and the plant grown in this way needs more attention.

Tying methods:

1. the most successful one is weaving on a mesh - a support is installed near the bed, on which a nylon or plastic net is fixed, the central shoot of the plant is fixed vertically on it;
2. weaving on a thin vertical support - a twine stretched vertically or a rod stuck into the ground is used as a support for the whip;
3. weaving on a V-shaped support is suitable for growing a bush formed from two lashes;
4. weaving on a pyramid - several bushes are planted from different sides on a pyramid from twine or wire stretched to a common rigid support.

Some varieties of cucumbers can be used to braid arbors and decorative hedges.

Growing and care

Proper agricultural technology is a necessary condition for obtaining stable, high yields.

Weeding

Weeds growing near a cucumber can lead to a decrease in its yield. They compete for water, light, and shade the plant. It is important to remove weeds from the field as early as possible. Proper spacing between plants will help with hand weeding. Weeding must be done extremely carefully, paying attention to the very fine root system of the cucumber. When removing weeds after they bloom, care should be taken to prevent weed seeds from spilling into the ground.

Fertilizer during the growing season

Usually 2-3 feedings are used.

Some of the most popular nitrogen fertilizers are:

• calcium nitrate,
• ammonium nitrate.

The first dose of fertilizer is applied before sowing. The second is when the first fruit buds begin to appear.

Foliar fertilizers are also used. To apply them, you need to choose the right weather, when the air temperature rises above 12 °C. The best time to apply is in the morning or evening. Recommended multicomponent fertilizers:

• Florovit,
• Bioflor,
• Calcinitis,
• Crystal.

Fertilizers should be used carefully according to the information provided by the manufacturer on the label.

Watering

Cucumbers need to be watered frequently, with small doses of water. Watering should be carried out every 4-5 days at 15-20 l/m² in the morning. Irrigation in the evening contributes to the attack of plants by various diseases.

Important! Cucumbers should be watered with warm water (never cold), preferably in the morning.

Pinching

Often, to increase yield, gardeners pinch cucumbers - the main shoot is cut off above 4-5 leaves. Then more side shoots with female flowers grow.

Garter

Cucumbers can be grown both ways - vertically or horizontally.

It is recommended to tie up cucumbers, as vines lying on the ground can rot and become painful. There are different methods and technologies for growing: on a trellis, on a grid, on supports, on trellises. Plants tied vertically take up less space and are healthier and easier to harvest. Plants love to climb onto the trellis. Most varieties of cucumbers reach several meters in length and can easily climb onto a support - they cling with their tendrils. Sometimes it’s worth helping them - tying them up. Cucumber stands must be strong enough to support the weight of the fruit.

Growing cucumbers on different types of supports has several advantages:

1. Plants take up less space, which is especially important in greenhouses, on balconies, and in small areas.
2. Easier to assemble. Cucumbers climbing along the ground form a tangled bunch of shoots. To collect the fruits, you need to bend down and be careful not to trample the shoots, flowers and fruits. When cucumbers grow on stands, harvesting is easier.
3. Better illuminated by the sun. Cucumbers love sunny positions - then they bear the best harvest.
4. The shoots do not touch wet soil, which makes them grow healthier.
5. Less and easier watering. Cucumbers growing vertically can be watered at the roots without watering the leaves. Water consumption is lower.
6. Less illness. Frequent watering promotes the occurrence of fungal diseases. If cucumbers are grown on supports or trellises, this is easier to avoid. Wet leaves dry out faster after rain.
7. Decorative screens. On balconies and terraces, cucumbers can be considered as ornamental plants. They bloom with yellow flowers, have green, white and yellow fruits (depending on the variety), and make up decorative green walls on the balcony.

It's worth knowing! Some varieties of cucumbers are not vines; they are called bush cucumbers. They grow like bushes, for example, the Dar bush cucumber.

Collection and storage

The cucumber harvest usually lasts from the second decade of July until the end of August - beginning of September. Cucumber fruits are harvested as they ripen. Cucumbers intended for canning should be collected daily. Harvesting should be done in the morning, after dew has appeared, or in the evening. Harvest carefully, trying not to damage the vegetables. Damaged vegetables should be eaten quickly; they cannot be stored; they can be a source of pathogens. After harvesting for sale and storage, the cucumbers are sorted and placed in boxes. Rotten, moldy, wilted fruits are thrown away.

Storage is carried out under appropriate conditions:

• the optimal storage temperature for cucumbers is 1-2 °C;
• relative air humidity – 80-90%.

In such conditions, cucumbers can be stored for 10-20 days. Once removed from the refrigerator, cucumbers should be consumed within 48 hours.

Cucumbers can be stored in cellars and dugouts for about 7 days.

Techniques for increasing cucumber yield

With timely watering and fertilization, proper garter, the following methods can also increase the number of fruits:

1. when cucumbers begin to grow, the first four ovaries must be removed so that the plant gains strength before it begins to spend it on ripening the crop;
2. when a large number of “male” flowers form, cucumbers need to be stressed - reduce feeding, lower the temperature or skip watering;
3. spraying a weak honey solution (1 teaspoon per liter of water) on the foliage will attract insects for better pollination and enrich the plants with microelements;
4. when growing hybrids, it is worth planting several bushes of a bee-pollinated variety next to them;
5. Ripe cucumbers must be collected daily, carefully cutting them with disinfected scissors.

How to water and feed

Watering

Water the cucumbers with settled, warm water (not lower than 22 C). In summer, water can be heated in the sun in any container. The best time for watering is evening. But if the night temperature is too low, watering is done in the morning. Before flowering, plants grown in areas with light soil need to be watered 2 times a week, and in clay areas - 1 time. But with the onset of flowering and fruiting, they require daily watering. In this case, the soil must be constantly moist to a depth of at least 10 cm. Of course, weather conditions are taken into account.

Young plants can be watered using a watering can and a hose with a sprayer. Adults may be susceptible to fungal diseases from such sprinkling. As a result of watering at the root, the root system is exposed and gradually dies, and the yield of the vegetable decreases. Therefore, it is better to water them in furrows, mulching the soil after watering.

Top dressing

The plants are fed for the first time after the first loosening. It is better to feed with a solution of mullein (1:10) or chicken manure (1:20). If there are no organic fertilizers, complex mineral fertilizers (50 g/10 l) are suitable. The solution is evenly distributed along the grooves around the roots at a distance of 10 cm from the plant. The second feeding is done during mass flowering. Both organic and mineral fertilizers are used. It is advisable to add 0.5 g of boric acid, 0.3 g of potassium permanganate, 30–40 g of potassium sulfate to the bucket. The third feeding is done during fruiting. Along with the organic matter, add 1 teaspoon of urea and potassium sulfate to the bucket. If necessary, after two weeks, feed the plants for the fourth time in the same way as the third feeding.

Whether cucumbers need feeding or not can be seen by their condition. Ugly fruits indicate a deficiency of potassium and nitrogen. A lack of phosphorus is indicated by the predominance of male ovaries on the vines. In this case, it is useful to foliar feed the cucumbers.

Diseases and pests of cucumbers

Cucumbers are quite vulnerable to common garden pests and diseases such as powdery mildew, late blight, and root rot.

Diseases can be prevented by following the rules of garden hygiene:

• timely and high-quality harvesting of crops and plant residues;
• following the rules of crop rotation;
• disinfection of seeds and tools;
• purchasing only high-quality seed material.

Prevention of diseases and pest attacks is also achieved by applying appropriate foliar fertilizers (as described in detail above).

Several recipes for chemically harmless pest repellents that you can use at the first sign of aphids or mites:

1. a glass of tobacco, a glass of wood ash, a tablespoon of laundry soap shavings, pour 10 liters of boiling water;
2. pour half a bucket of chopped onion peels, one glass of wood ash with boiling water, add a tablespoon of laundry soap shavings, then proceed in a similar way;
3. 10 g of dry red pepper, 100 g of tobacco, 2 tablespoons of soap shavings per 10 liters of boiling water;

The above products are infused for a day, filtered, and then the leaves are sprayed from bottom to top. Then they must loosen the ground to destroy fallen pests.

Compared to ready-made insecticides, these drugs are less effective, but do not cause harm. It is worth resorting to them several times a season, as preventive measures, so that you do not have to use the “heavy artillery” of industrial chemistry later.

We choose the option of placing plants: spread out or vertically

If you settled on traditional beds, then you need to understand how the cucumbers will be placed on them.

Cucumbers spread out

An older method of growing ground cucumbers in beds, when the vines lie freely on the ground. It is enough to distribute them evenly over the bed and pin them over the 6th leaf. This is how small cucumbers with rather rough skin are cultivated; they are the best for pickling.

The advantages of this method:

simple and cheap.

Minuses:

It is inconvenient to care for plants, the greens lie on the ground and become dirty, and some of them are easy to miss when harvesting; there is a greater risk of diseases and pest damage.

Cucumbers on a trellis

These problems do not occur when growing cucumbers on a trellis. To make supports, high stakes are driven in on both sides, a lath is strengthened on top or wire or strong rope is pulled. You can use a plastic or metal mesh with large cells for vertical growing, or even just drive a few tall stakes in a circle with an angle towards the center, fasten them together at the top - you get something like a frame for a hut. The advantages of this method:

The land is used rationally, care is simplified, plants receive more sun, suffer less from pests and diseases, and as a result, the yield increases significantly.

Longer and thinner-skinned cucumbers can be grown on a trellis. Usually these are hybrids, among which it is better to prefer those that do not overgrow with side shoots. This method is very convenient when visiting the site infrequently.

Minuses:

more labor-intensive (you need to equip a trellis), protection from the wind is required. This could be the wall of a building, a blank fence (on the south side!), or you should triple the curtain of tall plants, for example, sunflowers or corn.

Varieties and hybrids of cucumbers

When choosing varieties for planting, you need to focus primarily on local varieties, or those bred in similar climatic conditions.

Giving preference to a hybrid or choosing varietal cucumbers is the individual choice of the gardener. With the available variety (more than 500 varieties and hybrids), you can try the best of the proposed options on your site.

Hybrids

They are usually devoid of bitterness. They have higher immunity. Every year more and more hybrid options appear for different purposes.

The only drawback of hybrid cucumbers is that you cannot collect seeds from them. To resume growing cucumbers with remarkable characteristics next year, planting material will need to be purchased again.

Some of the most popular modern hybrids:

Herman F1 is a parthenocarpic, high-yielding, early-ripening hybrid, resistant to diseases, fruits up to 10 centimeters long, pimpled without bitterness.

Miranda F1 is a universal ultra-early hybrid with high immunity, fruits up to 11 centimeters long, without bitterness.

Chinese cucumber is a tall hybrid, vertical cultivation is recommended, the fruits reach 60-70 centimeters in length, have exceptional taste, and are devoid of bitterness.

Masha F1 is a parthenocarpic hybrid, early ripening, small-pimpled, fruits up to 11 centimeters, have a sweetish taste, lack bitterness, good for canning and fresh consumption.

Friendly family F1 is a parthenocarpic hybrid, characterized by high yield; short fruits with longitudinal stripes are well suited for preservation, without bitterness.

Varieties

Different varieties of cucumbers differ in:

1. ripening period:
   early ripening (34-44 days pass from the first shoots to the first fruits);
2. mid-season (45-50 days);
3. late ripening (more than 50 days);
4. methods of use;
5. duration of the harvest period;
6. productivity;
7. resistance to pests and diseases.

There are varieties:

• salad,
• suitable for pickling,
• for canning (large pimples, medium and fine pimples),
• gherkins.

Currently, the most common hybrids are those whose yields are higher and better. However, this comes with greater growing requirements. New varieties are characterized by high resistance to cucumber diseases - mosaic virus, scab, anthracnose, blight, powdery mildew and blight.

When choosing a variety, it is important to know the purpose of the crop (transportation and sale, canning, pickling, pickling). Varieties intended for canning should be characterized by simple or cylindrical fruits and dark green skin color.

When choosing varieties, you should read the article Review of hybrids and cucumber varieties for open ground.

Brief information on popular hybrids is presented in the table.