How to grow cucumbers in open ground at their summer cottage? Why are cucumbers irregularly shaped? Choosing a site for sowing seeds.
Experienced gardeners know some of the features and secrets of how to grow cucumbers in open ground. For example, if in the south every year you can special devices(used to create all necessary conditions for
heat-loving cucumber) and special efforts achieve a good harvest of this crop, then in middle lane things are completely different. According to statistics, for growing cucumbers loved by many in the open field auspicious time It only comes out 3 times every 10 years.
There are many effective and simple farming practices that can grow a fairly good crop of cucumbers, contrary to any statistics. The fact is that we have the opportunity to use numerous ultra-early, high-yielding varieties of sprinter cucumbers. As well as reliable modern covering materials, different means used to stimulate plant growth and control disease vegetable crops, and other scientific achievements. If you follow all the recommendations that have been repeatedly tested by experienced gardeners in a timely and competent manner, then every year in your summer cottage, on open ground, you will be able to harvest up to 10 kg of crop from 1 m 2.
1. Optimal for salting - "Murom" and "Nezhinsky".
2. The “steppe” variety is well resistant to droughts.
3. Universal hybrid - "country fair".
4. Early ripening - "Moscow pickling" and "Altai early".
5. Bee-pollinated hybrids - “spring”, “santana”, “octopus”, “otello”, “libelle”, “Annushka”, “farmer”, “crane” and “nightingale”.
6. Self-pollinated varieties - Matilda, Crispina, red mullet, German, blizzard, Lapland, snowstorm, son-in-law, Claudia, ant and others.
How to grow cucumbers in open ground: features of planting and care
This crop is grown not only by sowing seeds, but also by seedlings. It is better to grow this plant on narrow beds 0.4 meters high, on slopes located from the south and protected from cold winds. Since these beds will warm up much faster, they will have to be watered very often. To create a favorable temperature for the crop after sowing, it is recommended to install a film greenhouse frame over the bed. Thanks to this structure, the optimum temperature will be maintained on cool and windy days.
How to grow cucumbers outdoors and enjoy good harvest?
How to grow cucumbers outdoors using dry seeds and seedlings?
It is recommended to sow seeds at the end of May, and plant seedlings after June 5th. But we must remember that infrequently there are years that can please us with warm weather, when the daytime temperature is more than 20 degrees from the end of April and for a long period of time. Therefore, you can take a chance and plant 8 bushes of cucumbers in early dates under film temporary shelters. In doing so, without losing anything, you can get an early harvest - a small one, of course, but it's better than nothing!
Many of the gardeners are thinking about growing early seedling and getting a good harvest. Favorite types of vegetable crops are tomatoes and cucumbers. Cucumber is a very heat-loving plant, it is able to give high yields on the open areas that are protected from cold and drafts. The soil for them should be fertile and well moistened. But in recent times cases of plant diseases began to be observed, from which not only adult plants, but also seedlings die.
Remove the first cucumbers quickly - this stimulates fruit formation.
Therefore, gardeners switched to growing cucumbers in closed soil.
Ways to grow cucumbers
It is possible in two ways:
- In a greenhouse. Inside the greenhouse, the soil is covered with a film, this is necessary in order for the earth to warm up better. Additionally, manure is laid down (it is better to give preference to cow manure, it can be combined with horse manure). To do this, remove the fertile soil layer - 20-30 cm, lay manure and cover with excavated soil. Fresh manure serves as heating, the decomposition process takes place over a month. Inside the greenhouse, beds are formed with a width of 0.6-0.7 m and a height of up to 50 cm. After 7-10 days, seedlings are planted or seeds are sown. When early shoots appear, the film should be slightly lifted and ventilated in sunny time, since the temperature under the film can reach incredibly high performance, and young shoots can burn.
- In a greenhouse. To create a greenhouse, use fresh manure or all the components for compost heap: old foliage, fresh waste and vegetable trimmings, sawdust, shavings and other organic material. With a higher concentration of fresh plants, the compost will begin to decompose faster. To speed up this process, you can add some manure or special manure to the compost. chemicals, accelerating the process of compost maturation. Fresh soil is laid on top of the compost - and the bed is ready. You can already plant in it. ready seedlings in glasses or peat tablets, or just in the ground. But it should be borne in mind that the temperature in the compost bed is much lower than in the manure, so this device is suitable for warmer regions of the country.
Since cucumbers grow with a shallow root system, a layer of fertile soil should be on top, and high and medium-height beds provide drainage for plants.
When choosing a place for a plant, it should be remembered that it is compatible with crops previously grown in this place; planting seeds and seedlings should be carried out taking into account these factors. The presence of crops from the pumpkin family in this area is negative, because they can accumulate various diseases that will prevent the growth of new plants. And any representatives of previously planted legumes and nightshades will have a very beneficial effect on the growth and yield of cucumbers.
Back to index
Conditions for planting seeds
For sowing, choose the largest seeds to ensure 100% germination.
The method of planting plants affects only the time of fruit ripening, both types of planting - seeds and seedlings - are equally effective. The most suitable temperature for seed germination is a temperature of 26-28 ° C, shoots appear on warm beds in 4-5 days. With the emergence of seedlings, it is desirable to reduce the temperature to 16-18 ° C, at night the recommended temperature is not more than 14 ° C. The regulation of heat allows the growth of seedlings to be restrained and the root system to be strengthened. During the cultivation of seedlings, it is fertilized. When preparing top dressing, it is necessary to calculate the correct ratio of nutrients introduced: for 1 liter of water, you should take 1 g of saltpeter, 3 g of superphosphate, 2 g of potassium sulfate. After the top dressing, the shoots are watered with warm water (water temperature not more than 25 ° C). Thus, possible precipitation of fertilizers is washed off the leaves, and the leaves will not be burned in the sun. You can plant seedlings in open ground or a greenhouse after 4-5 normal developed leaves have formed.
Back to index
Landing time
Planting time is determined by weather conditions, temperature regime in the region, the air inside the greenhouse. But general rules landings are:
Agrotechnical methods for growing cucumber: 1- Sowing seeds on a damp paper towel; 2 - Transplantation of sprouts into pots; 3 - Landing on permanent place; 4 - Pinching the top; 5 - Pinching side shoots; 6 - Collection of fruits.
- before planting young plants for a few days experienced gardeners recommend shedding the beds with boiling water or hot water, can also be planted in warm soil that has not yet cooled down;
- soil temperature for planting should not be less than 16-18 ° C, 24 ° C will be more desirable;
- inside the greenhouse, the temperature should reach 20 ° C. For heated greenhouses, this will be the period from approximately the end of April to mid-May, when planting in unheated greenhouses - not earlier than mid-May;
- The best time to plant seedlings is in the evening when it gets a little cooler. For the first few days after planting, it is recommended to water the plants often and shade them a little so that they can more easily endure the transplant. Planting seedlings should be carried out no denser than 3-4 pcs. per m²;
- it is best to place the beds on the south side of the greenhouse, where they will receive more light and heat than on the north.
Back to index
plant care
The main condition for obtaining a good yield is good care. Cucumbers are grown in greenhouses at a temperature of no more than 24 ° C, in cloudy weather it is reduced by several degrees, and at night it is lowered to 18 ° C.
A few days later, the plants are tied with a tourniquet to a wire fixed at the top of the greenhouse. For garters use twine in diameter not thinner than 20-30 mm. One end of its free loop is thrown onto the plant between 2 or 3 leaves, and the other is thrown over the wire. The height from the plant to the roof of the greenhouse should not be less than 2 m. The length of the twine is calculated so that the free end is about 60 cm.
During the growth of the shoots, a gradual garter is produced: twine is wrapped around the plant between 2 leaves, only clockwise. To increase the level of illumination, the plants are tied up in a checkerboard pattern; for this purpose, two parallel wires are pulled at the top of the greenhouse with an interval of no more than 50-60 cm from each other.
Manual pollination of flowers: 1 - female flower cucumber; 2 - Male flower; 3 - Male
flower with tattered petals; Below is hand pollination.
It is necessary to loosen the ground near the stem as needed, after watering, as the soil is compacted, but this is done before the branching of the root system. After at root system has grown, with a frequency of once every two weeks they pierce the ground with either a pitchfork or a metal rod. When roots appear on the surface, they are sprinkled with peat mixture, humus or ordinary soil.
Preference should be given to the lower form of irrigation, when water enters directly under the root of the plant. Sometimes collected drip system or construct grooves or holes to channel water.
During growth, plants need the formation of healthy and fruit-bearing bushes. Above the stretched trellis, 10-15 cm, pinch the plant, side shoots at a distance of 3-4 leaves are also removed, then the side shoots are shortened when 2 or 3 leaves appear on them.
When growing varieties of hybrids and powerful bushes, a more thorough formation is carried out:
- as the bush grows, shoots and flowers are plucked at a height of up to 25 cm from the lower leaf formation, a blinding zone is formed;
- as it grows at a height of up to 50-75 cm, 4-5 lateral processes appear above the blinding zone, they are shortened to one leaf and one ovary. When forming the next 50-75 cm, two leaves and two ovaries are formed on the lateral shoots, on the upper part - three leaves and three ovaries;
- the main stem is thrown over the trellis and pinched on the 3rd or 4th shoot. And the shoots that will appear later are left to grow further.
Not enough space, but you want to get the maximum yield of cucumbers? Do you want to use the available space efficiently, but don't know how to do it? This article is for you.
We offer several effective ways growing cucumbers in a small area. Today you will learn how to get the maximum benefit in the minimum space.
1. Growing cucumbers on a trellis
Growing cucumbers on a trellis allows you to use the available space very economically.
What it is?
Some summer residents, without knowing it, use the following method of growing: so that the lashes of cucumbers do not spread along the ground, they are tied up vertically. This is the essence of growing cucumbers on trellises. The latter are special support structures, along which cucumbers subsequently "rise".
This method of growing cucumbers has undoubted Benefits:
- space saving;
- the possibility of creating drip irrigation;
- good lighting landings;
- the fruits remain clean and do not outgrow;
- ease of care (easier to artificially pollinate, weed, process, collect, etc.).
Features of growing cucumbers on trellises
- In the fall, apply humus at the rate of 10 kg per 1 sq.m to the area where the trellis is planned to be placed and dig a shovel onto the bayonet (do not break the lumps). In the spring, level the soil with a rake.
- When creating a trellis design, think over a mobile option - after all, you will have to "relocate" cucumbers to new, undepleted beds.
- Racks for tapestries should be placed at a distance of 0.5 m from each other. Stretch 3 rows of wire on the racks - top, center and bottom. Attach a grid with cells of approximately 15x18 cm to the wire. Try to make the height of the structure at least 180 cm.
- To protect the soil from weeds and drying out, cover the bed with a black film.
When the earth warms up well (to at least 14ºС and to a depth of at least 15 cm), you can transfer the seedlings to the ground or sow the seeds. To do this, make small slits in the film and place 2-3 seeds or one seedling in them.
Keep an eye on the plants: until 6 true leaves appear, be sure to pluck all the ovaries. This will lead to a later, but more bountiful harvest cucumbers.
Notice the direction of growth of cucumbers and "help" them to occupy the available space on the trellis. If the whips could not catch on their own, tie them with twine or twine.
To make the harvest beautiful and rich, get rid of dried and diseased leaves in time, pinch off male flowers and ugly greens so that the plant does not waste energy on their development.
When the fruits reach 6 cm, harvest them so that the plant does not starve and the next cucumbers are not crooked or bitter.
Cucumbers on a trellis are easy to care for, and such plantings look very neat.
2. Growing cucumbers in a barrel
Growing cucumbers in a barrel has recently become more and more popular, and for good reason, because this method has a lot benefits:
- saving space for planting and mobility of such "beds";
- saving time and effort on caring for cucumbers;
- external attractiveness - cucumber lashes mask the barrel;
- clean fruits that are easy to pick.
The best varieties of cucumbers for growing in barrels
Cucumbers ripen in barrels quite quickly, so for this method it is better to choose early maturing varieties or hybrids:
- Murom;
- Chinese frost-resistant;
- Connie F1;
- Othello F1;
- Ecole F1;
- F1 pace.
How to grow cucumbers in a barrel?
Barrels for cucumbers need to be prepared in advance. As soon as the snow melts, fill metal barrels vegetable food waste, old grass, alternating layers with earth or rotted manure. For faster fermentation, shed the layers with EM preparations. Then pour the resulting mass with hot water, cover with a film and leave for 7-10 days.
After this time, the mass will settle - again fill the barrels to the top and repeat the procedures until the beginning of May.
In no case do not put meat or fish products in a barrel for growing cucumbers.
In the 10th of May, pour about 10 cm of soil onto plant waste, scald it with boiling water, pour it with a pink solution of potassium permanganate and plant cucumber seeds (6-8 pieces per barrel). Cover the barrel with cellophane or black tape.
If you install a small bucket (1 liter) in the center of the barrel and regularly fill it with water, cucumbers will grow "by leaps and bounds."
When 3 leaves appear on the shoots, attach a frame of arcs to the barrel, along which cucumber lashes will later curl.
By mid-June, when it will be possible to remove the shelter, the barrel will be only 3/4 filled with earth (it will settle again), and the lashes of cucumbers will already reach the metal arcs. After they grow over the edge of the barrel and be outside.
Most important point at this stage - the correct and regular watering of plants. There is no need to pinch them or weed weeds.
Cucumbers planted in a barrel look very original and attractive.
3. Growing cucumbers in bags
Vertical beds for cucumbers can be organized in bags or bags. To benefits this method should include:
- space saving;
- bed mobility;
- early ripening of cucumbers;
- ease of care for planting and harvesting.
True, it is worth noting that for growing cucumbers in this way, some materials are needed, as well as time to create such vertical beds. In addition, in bags there is a risk of waterlogging the soil, and therefore you need to be very careful when watering the plants.
How to make a "bag" for growing cucumbers?
Ideal for this growing method. sugar bags with a volume of 100-120 liters. In addition, to create a suitable design, you will need:
wooden stick 2 m long;
thick fishing line or cord - 30 m;
hollow tubes with a diameter of 30 cm and a length of 1 m - 3 pcs.,
tent pegs (or homemade wire) - 10 pcs.,
soil for cucumbers.
Nail a few nails to the top of a wooden stick to attach fishing line or rope to. In each tube, make holes in a checkerboard pattern along the entire length. Place your chosen bag or package on desired area and fill to the top with earth. Place a wooden stake in the middle of the bag, and place hollow tubes around. Make small cuts on one side of the bag. Plant 3 seedlings in each bag.
Hollow tubes will be your irrigation system - pour water into them or liquid top dressing. Feel the soil through the slits in the bag to see if the plants need watering.
If the summer is hot, cucumbers in bags should be watered every day, and if not very much, then once a week.
The appearance of the first cucumber whiskers is the time to create supports for plants. Stick pegs around each bag, to each of which attach one end of a fishing line, and attach the other ends of these lines to the top of a wooden pole inserted into the bag. So you get a kind of hut, on the roof of which cucumber lashes will curl.
It is convenient and pleasant to harvest from bag beds - the fruits are beautiful and clean
4. Growing cucumbers on the balcony
Growing cucumbers on the balcony is a great option not only for those who want to save space in the garden, but also for those who only dream of their own plot.
Varieties of cucumbers for growing on the balcony
Self-pollinated hybrids are best suited for growing on a balcony:
- Zozulya F1;
- Stella F1;
- Cucaracha F1;
- F1 debut;
- April F1.
In addition, the popular balcony varieties include the following:
- Claudia F1;
- Marinda F1;
- Masha F1;
- Bianca F1.
These plants are characterized by high growth and high yield.
How to grow cucumbers on a balcony?
You can sow cucumbers for their subsequent cultivation on the balcony as early as late December or mid-winter if you can clearly control the temperature.
If this is not possible, sow cucumbers for seedlings a month before transplanting them to a permanent place. Before sowing seeds, you need to carry out a number of activities:
- hold the seeds for 20 minutes in a pink solution of potassium permanganate;
- put the seeds on a damp gauze and wait for them to germinate.
The hatched cucumber seeds are ready for sowing in small pots. Sow one seed in one container. Sowing depth - no more than 2 cm. Then place the containers on an insulated loggia or balcony. The air temperature should be approximately 23-26°C. Over the next 26-28 days, spend several dressings of cucumbers.
When shoots appear, move the containers to a well-lit place (an insulated balcony or window sill is ideal for this purpose). For good development, seedlings during this period need the following air temperature:
- in the afternoon - 18-20 ° С;
- at night - up to 15 ° С.
Such conditions will contribute to the good development of cucumber seedlings.
Transplant the grown seedlings with a clod of earth into the soil prepared and disinfected in advance in narrow but long boxes. If the balcony is closed, then you can place the boxes in any lighted place. If the balcony is open, then place the boxes only in the corners to protect the planting from strong winds.
Growing cucumbers on the balcony or on the windowsill is not difficult at all.
You can disinfect the soil for seedlings by spilling it warm solution potassium permanganate.
Under such conditions, seedlings are grown for another 30-45 days. When the 3rd true leaf appears, bee-pollinated varieties are waiting for pinching. If you are growing hybrids, then you do not need to pinch the plants. Full leaves indicate that cucumbers can be transplanted into larger boxes.
Follow-up care for cucumbers includes several points:
- regular removal of whiskers to form only one stem;
- removal of side shoots;
- pinching the top of the main shoot (when it grows to the desired size);
- protection of cucumbers from harsh winds;
- regular watering of plants;
- preventive treatments against diseases and pests.
As you can see, growing cucumbers can be fun, easy, and aesthetically pleasing.
To print
Inna Gurda-Mitko 08/17/2015 | 17362
Growing cucumbers in the open field has its own characteristics. If you want to get a good harvest, follow our advice.
Cucumber bed
You need to start preparing the beds in the fall. The soil is dug up to a depth of 30 cm and organic and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied at the rate of 5 kg per 1 sq.m. If it was not possible to prepare the bed before the onset of cold weather, this can be done in the spring. Then, when digging, humus and compost are introduced, as well as complex mineral fertilizers in accordance with the instructions on the packaging.
A place for cucumbers is chosen sunny and protected from cold northern winds. These are very heat-loving plants and if the temperature drops below 10 ° C, cucumbers completely stop growing. Therefore, it is very important to place them in comfortable conditions.
If you want to get a crop of cucumbers three weeks earlier than usual, you can build for them warm bed or a bed-box. Such designs can definitely protect plants from return frosts and other adverse climatic conditions.
Seed preparation
Before planting, warm and soak the seeds. The process of soaking the seeds is simple, it is carried out approximately 12 hours before sowing. It will take a little longer to warm up. To do this, hang the seeds in a gauze bag. It is advisable to hang near the battery or in the room where the temperature does not fall below 20 ° C. Warming is necessary for the resistance of the plant to various diseases. This has a positive effect on the quality of the crop. Seeds germinate at a temperature of 12-13°C.
Sowing seeds in the ground
When the bed is ready, you can start sowing. First, rows are marked at a distance of 65-75 cm from each other. In each row, at a distance of 20 cm, holes are made up to 4 cm deep. Water is poured into each of them and they wait until it is absorbed. After that, the seeds are laid out in the holes, they are covered with soil and tamped a little.
So that the soil evaporates less moisture and does not form a crust on it, the aisles of the cucumber beds are mulched with sawdust or humus.
Immediately after sowing the seeds, the bed should be covered with a film or spunbond. When the first shoots appear under it, you need to install arcs or other supports and spread covering material on them so that the shoots do not touch it.
Proper care of cucumbers
In order for your cucumbers to please you with a good harvest, observe simple rules.
Rule 1 Cucumber beds should always be free of weeds.
Rule 2 Throughout the growing period, loosen the soil between the rows.
Rule 3 As you grow, tie the shoots to vertical supports.
Rule 4 After the formation of 6-7 leaves, pinch the main stem - this stimulates the branching of cucumbers and increases their yield.
Rule 5 At night, be sure to cover the bed with a film or spunbond (especially while the plants are still young or a cold snap is expected).
Rule 6 Harvest regularly (at least 2-3 times a week). This promotes the formation of new ovaries.
How to water cucumbers
During growth and development, as well as during the fruiting period, cucumbers need a huge amount of water (every 2-3 days 0.5 l per young plant and 1 liter of water per adult). Even short-term drought leads to bitterness.
Before flowering, cucumbers are watered every 5-7 days, when the first inflorescences appear - every 2-4 days, during fruiting - every 3-4 days.
Remember that cucumbers are poured with warm water and poured not on the plant itself, but under the roots or between the rows. Cucumbers are not watered from a hose with running water.
If the water is poorly absorbed, the soil in several places can be pierced with a pitchfork.
This will help the water to penetrate deep to the roots and at the same time will not disturb the root system.
How to feed cucumbers
For the entire growing period, cucumbers must be fed 3-4 times. The first top dressing is carried out at the stage of the appearance of the first true sheets with a solution of 1 tbsp. nitrophoska and 1 tbsp. mushy chicken manure per 10 liters of water. The second feeding is carried out when the second true leaf appears, with a solution of 1 tsp. potassium sulfate and 0.5 liters of mullein per 10 liters of water. For 1 sq.m. 4-6 liters of solution are consumed. The third top dressing is carried out according to the same scheme after 15-17 days. It should be noted that foliar feeding will allow plants to absorb nutrients. Therefore, spraying cucumbers with 5 g/l of ammonium nitrate water and urea solution will bring great effect. In order not to burn the leaves, spraying is carried out in the evening.
Harvesting cucumbers
The growing season for cucumbers depends on the variety and ripeness and ranges from 40 to 70 days. Timely harvesting significantly increases fruiting. With regular harvesting, the fruits have a good appearance and excellent taste, fruiting continues for a long time.
The most optimal interval between harvests is 3-4 days. If the fruits grow on the bushes for a very long time, they outgrow, lose their taste qualities and turn yellow. In addition, they deplete the plant and prevent the formation of new fruits.
When harvesting, it is important not to damage the cucumber lashes. It is best to remove the fruit by pressing on the stalk, while leaving part of it on the cucumber in order to prevent damage to the lash.
Experienced gardeners advise picking cucumbers early in the morning, before the fruits have warmed up, and immediately take them indoors to protect them from the sun's rays.
It is necessary to collect all the fruits from the lashes, especially the overgrown ones, because it is they who stop the growth and development of other fruits, and are also the spreaders of diseases.
How to collect cucumber seeds
To collect seeds, you need to choose the strongest fruits. This is necessary in order to get cucumbers with a good set of genes in the future.
The F1 designation on the seed package indicates that this is a first generation hybrid. Such crops are obtained by crossing two or more varieties.
To collect seeds, choose the most beautiful cucumbers from the strongest bushes. This is necessary in order to get cucumbers with the most the best set genes. Seeds are collected only in those bushes that give the most delicious fruits.
Cucumbers intended for seed production are left hanging on the bush. They should swell, become yellowish and even a little brown - all this indicates that the seeds in them are ripe.
To collect seeds, an overripe cucumber is plucked and left in the sun for several days, until it becomes completely soft. After that, it is cut lengthwise, the seeds are taken out with a spoon and transferred to some container.
Fermentation will help separate the seeds from the pulp and remove the inhibitors. It will also slow down growth. Spend it in the following way: seeds should be left in a jar of water so that they float freely, and close the jar with gauze so as not to attract small insects. After 2-3 days, fermentation will be completed, sunken seeds will testify to this. It is not worth leaving the seeds in this state for a longer period - they may begin to germinate.
Good cucumber seeds will sink to the bottom, while empty ones will float.
The next step is to remove the formed layer of mold, add water and shake the jar - empty seeds, along with debris (husks), will float up, and good ones will settle at the bottom. Finally, place the seeds in a colander and rinse under running water.
At the last stage of preparation, the seeds are dried and laid out in paper bags or fabric pouches. They should be sown no earlier than in 2-3 years - only then the plants grown from them will give the highest yield.
Follow the rules described above, and then success is guaranteed to you.
Cucumbers are cultivated in open ground on almost every personal plot. After all, such cultivation at low cost and with proper care can not only provide the family with a useful and favorite vegetable, but also serve as additional income. How to grow cucumbers and how to achieve high yield plants, what points in their cultivation should I pay special attention to?
The specifics of growing vegetables in open ground: the pros and cons
When growing cucumbers in open ground, you need to know that this pumpkin culture is very demanding on moisture, light and heat. She needs protection from the winds, shelter from unexpected frosts, regular watering. It is not always possible to grow an excellent crop, as it often depends on weather conditions. The process from seed to fruit is very time consuming. In addition, he requires necessary knowledge some features and secrets of growing whimsical plants.
Benefits of growing cucumbers outdoors:
- small costs;
- the ability to clear the field of weeds before sowing (because late sowing is carried out);
- huge market;
Disadvantages:
- heat requirement;
- the need for regular watering;
- dependence on weather conditions;
- manual collection
How to grow cucumbers in open ground: popular ways
Cultivation raised
With this method, cucumbers are grown on ridges. Scourges of cucumbers are evenly distributed on them and receive enough sunlight for the growth of the whole plant. But the downside is that changing the position of the lashes, which cannot be dispensed with when caring for them, leads to oppression of the leaves and delays the ripening of fruits in the future.
Tapestry method
This is a two-line method of planting cucumbers on a support. It is more time consuming, but has many advantages: space is saved, free air access, good lighting and convenient plant care, long fruiting and the best quality fruits are less susceptible to disease.
With this method, trellises or slats are installed on metal supports, which are driven into the ground to a depth of 30–40 cm. Bushes are formed and a garter is made at a trellis height of 1 m. If the trellises are low, the cucumber stems are thrown to the other side without forming and are not tied up. The trellis method is considered to be more productive than planted growing.
Growing in barrels
Metal barrels are filled with rotted plant residues, compost, the last layer is the usual nutrient soil. The substrate is well shed with water and covered for a week polyethylene film for warming up. 5 seeds are sown in a container or ready-made seedlings are planted, covering with a film. After the plants started to grow, supports in the form of arcs are installed around the barrel. Plants are regularly watered as the soil dries. This original way allows you to get an earlier harvest, saves space and time for caring for the plant, the fruits are always clean, and the structure itself with curly cucumber lashes has a beautiful aesthetic appearance.
A barrel with a cucumber roof is an incredible sight!
Soil and garden preparation
Choosing a site for sowing seeds
You need to choose a site for planting cucumbers carefully, taking into account all their whims. First of all, they select a well-lit place, protected from cold winds. If there is no such place, it is created artificially, planted in cucumber aisles. tall plants. Usually corn and sunflower act as a protective barrier.
Proper crop rotation plays a major role in the preparation of future cucumber beds. In no case should cucumbers be planted where beets and pumpkin crops were previously grown. good predecessors are legumes (with the exception of beans), nightshade crops, cabbage.
Soil preparation
O fertile soil needs to be taken care of in the fall. Cucumber responds well to organic matter. Therefore, compost, rotted manure 5–8 kg / m 2, is applied to future ridges during digging or plowing for the winter. If there is no manure, mineral fertilizers are used (potassium salt - 200 g / m 2, superphosphate - 300 g / m 2). Plants do not like acidic and heavy clay soil. If there is no choice, it is diluted with limestone sand 10 kg / m. 2 Conversely, sandy soil is diluted with the same amount of clay.
10 days before sowing experienced gardeners recommend making ammonium nitrate 100 g / m 2, and add mullein (1:10) or chicken droppings (1:20) diluted in water to the planting holes.
Cucumber beds
How to choose the right type of future beds? It all depends on several factors: the depth of the underlying ground water, soil content, readiness to perform labor-intensive work.
Ordinary beds
In areas with prepared soil, ridges are formed with a width of 1 m or 0.5 m and the same passages between the rows. For vigorous
- on beds without insulation, we form them with a width of 90 - 100 cm, a height of 20 - 25 cm, leaving a path of 30 - 40 cm between them. However, for vigorous plants, they are more suitable narrow beds(45 cm each) with wide aisles (70 - 90 cm). Then the lashes of cucumbers will not intertwine, which means they will not be damaged. If it is planned to grow cucumbers in a virgin place, it is better to form beds in the fall, especially if the site is located in a damp lowland, or the soil in the garden is heavy clay, or the fertile layer is small.
Comb beds
Comb beds (width 0.4–0.5 m, height - 0.3 m) will be appropriate on clay soils and areas with surface groundwater. This contributes to the fact that the root system of cucumbers does not dry out. Indeed, in such a bed, water flows from the ridges during irrigation and rain. The beds are convenient for care: tillage, fertilization. Minus: in rainy weather, after contamination of the leaves, the development of diseases of cucumbers is possible.
warm beds
Creation of warm ridges - perfect option for cucumbers. There are two types of such ridges:
- They dig a trench (at least 1 m), fill it with organic matter (use rotted and not rotted plant remains, manure) to the level of the track. In the future, the contents of the trench will not only nourish the plants, but also provide them with heat, saturate the root system with carbon dioxide.
- Everything is done in the same way as in the previous version. Around the trench is a side with wooden planks or flat slate above ground level by 20-30 cm. high beds protect from the cold, retain moisture well.
Warm beds allow you to make a film shelter, reduce the number of tillages, and water cucumbers easily and simply. Frightens a large amount of work on the preparation of the beds.
Note: area with heavy clay soil and shallow groundwater will help retain moisture in the trench, which can lead to rotting of plants.
Photo gallery: arrangement of beds of different types
Raised bed Comb bed Traditional bed
How to plant cucumbers in open ground with seeds
Preparing seeds for sowing
Seeds of cucumbers that are 2–3 years old are considered productive, although they can remain viable for up to 8 years. When buying seeds, you should give preference to pelleted ones, which do not need to be prepared for sowing. Other seeds are prepared for sowing in advance:
| The process of preparing seeds for sowing | Description of the actions to be performed |
| Seed selection | Seeds are soaked (1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water). Unsuitable for sowing emerge. Those who fall to the bottom are selected. |
| Soak | Seeds are placed on a damp cloth (gauze) to swell for 1 day. |
| Germination | Germinate on a damp cloth until small roots appear. When the roots reach the length of half the seed, they are planted in moist soil. They germinate under the condition of sowing in moist soil. |
| warming up | Occurs at a temperature of 40–50 ° C for 6 hours |
| Disinfection | For 20 minutes, the seeds are soaked in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. After disinfection, they are thoroughly washed under running water. |
| growth stimulation | Seeds are soaked in a growth stimulator (Epin, etc.) according to the instructions |
note: early crops made with dry seeds to avoid frost damage. In later lines, with steady heat, germinated seeds are sown in moist soil.
This is what germinated seeds look like
Terms of landing in the ground
The timing of sowing cucumber seeds in open ground has long been associated with church holidays and folk omens. These days almost always coincide with auspicious days for sowing this crop in lunar calendar. You will never go wrong if you stick to these traditions. And using all the recommended dates and doing sowing in stages, you will enjoy cucumbers until the first frost. Of course, the exception will be situations when the soil has not had time to warm up to 18 ° C, and the night temperature is below 12 ° C.
- The first sowing falls on May 19 and is dedicated to the memory of Job the Long-suffering;
- The day of Falaley-Borage, Gardener, Teploveya (June 2) will be suitable for the second stage of sowing;
- The last stage is the middle of June. At this time, the poplar blossoms (folk sign). It is necessary to choose a favorable day according to the lunar calendar.
Sowing seeds in open ground
For sowing cucumbers, a furrow is made with a hoe or manually with a depth of 3-4 cm. If possible, water it, lay out the seeds at a distance of 15 cm from each other. First, they are covered with moist soil by 1.5, and then always dry, in order to avoid the appearance of a dry earthen crust, which hinders the growth of seedlings and air access. The soil is well compacted.
Read also about what can be planted in the summer in our article -
How and what to hide
Table: covering materials for cucumbers - advantages and disadvantages
How and when to hide
After sowing, the soil is sprinkled 3–4 cm with peat, rotted manure, sawdust, straw, that is, it is mulched. Mulching not only helps to retain moisture, protects against diseases and weeds, but also is the first shelter for crops from the cold (soil temperature rises by several degrees during mulching). In order to maintain moisture and shelter from recurrent frosts and cold weather, crops are covered with plastic wrap or other covering material even before germination. The film is removed 2 times a week to ventilate the beds. If the shelter is made of nonwovens, you can't remove it. After the appearance of young shoots, the shelter is removed. In early June, there are unforeseen night frosts. Therefore, it is necessary to follow the weather forecast and make shelter in time. You can regularly cover cucumber beds at night until mid-June.
Good protection for seedlings - shelter beds after sowing with spunbond
Some gardeners use covering materials until the end of fruiting in order to create additional heat, protection from rain and wind.
Care
After the cucumbers have 2 true leaves, the seedlings are thinned out. Do this carefully, manually pinching the sprout at the base so as not to damage the roots of neighboring plants. Two plants can be left in the nest. Number of plants per running meter depends on the type of cucumber. Strong-growing cucumbers (Buyan, Farmer, Little Boy, etc.) require larger area for stems. Therefore, 2 plants can be left on 1 linear meter with a distance between them of 0.5 m. For varieties with small lashes (Parker, Gherkin, etc.), a distance of 30 cm between plants is sufficient. After thinning, the soil on the beds is loosened to a depth of 10 cm. When 5–6 true leaves appear, the plants are spudded, adding moist soil to the base. Thanks to this operation, new roots are formed and cucumbers receive additional nutrition.
How to form a bush
The formation of a cucumber bush has grown
In the beds where bee-pollinated varieties of cucumbers are grown with large quantity fruitful shoots, it is necessary to pinch. Usually it is done after 4 sheets. Without this procedure, the development of many shoots with unlimited growth will lead to the depletion of the plant and a decrease in yield. Hybrids do not need pinching.
How to form plants growing on a trellis?
It is much more difficult to form plants grown on a trellis. Vigorous varietal cucumbers and hybrids are subject to formation. First of all, the lower leaves up to 5 leaves are removed on the stem, which contributes to the free access of air to the whole plant. In the process of growth, lateral shoots are alternately pinched, starting from the bottom. First, shoots are pinched after 2 leaves, then several shoots - after 3 leaves. And the last row of shoots - after 4 sheets. The upper lash of the central stem is lowered down, leaving 1 leaf on it and pinching at a height of 1 m to the level of the soil. The result is a bush in the form of a reverse pyramid. This is a professional and time-consuming plant formation scheme.
Cucumber bush after reverse-pyramidal formation looks compact and aesthetically pleasing
If you are not ready to do the shaping professional schemes, just pinch the plant after 6 leaves and tie the side shoots to the trellis. In this case, the lower 3 leaves are removed, and later additional processes appearing from the axils of the shoots are cut out. After removing leaves and shoots, do not leave stumps!
Note: Not all varieties require shaping, and they are not pinched.
How to tie
Nature endowed this vegetable with tenacious tendrils that silently ask for support. This fact confirms the idea of the need to tie the plant. A tied plant saves a lot of space, gives more shoots, is less susceptible to disease, resulting in increased yields.
They begin to tie up the plant when it reaches a height of 30 cm and at least 4 true leaves appear. An older plant breaks when tied up. Carefully tie the stem under the first leaf, loosely pull the rope and tie a knot so that the young plant does not uproot. best material for a garter - a tape strong soft fabric 2–3 cm wide.
The simplest in execution is a horizontal garter. Between the supports driven into the ground, a rope is pulled in three rows. Young shoots are directed around the bottom row of the stretched rope.
With a vertical garter, a rope or wire is attached to the supports from above. Ropes are tied along the entire length of the wire above each plant, the lower end of which is tied at the base of the stem.
The plant feels comfortable on a mesh trellis, which is attached to the supports. Cucumbers on a high trellis (from 1 m) need a garter.
Recently, triangular and spherical supports have been made, which have decorative look. The choice depends on your capabilities and imagination.
Cucumbers tied on a triangular support look original
How to water and feed
Watering
Cucumbers are watered 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 - evening. But if the night temperature is too low, watering is done in the morning. Before flowering, plants that are grown in areas with light soil, it is enough to water 2 times a week, on clay - 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 with a watering can and a hose with a spray gun. Adults from such sprinkling can be exposed to fungal diseases. Due to watering under the root, the root system is exposed and gradually dies off, the yield of the vegetable decreases. Therefore, it is better to water them along the furrows, mulching the soil after watering.
top dressing
For the first time, plants are fed after the first loosening. It is better to feed with a solution of mullein (1:10) or chicken manure(1:20). If not organic fertilizers, complex mineral (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 desirable to add 0.5 g to the bucket boric acid, 0.3 g of potassium permanganate, 30–40 g of potassium sulfate. The third dressing is done during fruiting. Together with organic matter, add 1 teaspoon of urea and potassium sulfate to a bucket. If necessary, after two weeks, the plants are fed for the fourth time, similarly to the third feeding.
Whether cucumbers need to be fed or not can be seen by their condition. Ugly fruits indicate a deficiency of potassium and nitrogen. The predominance of male ovaries on the lashes indicates a lack of phosphorus. In such a case, it is useful to do foliar top dressing cucumbers.
Features for regions, including Moscow region
If in the south and in the central strip of Russia (including the Moscow region) it is quite possible to grow cucumbers in open ground in a seedless way, then in Siberia it is better to prepare seedlings. short summer and the harsh climatic conditions of this region make it difficult to grow crops.
In the Moscow region, the soil warms up to 12 o C, usually in the last days of May. Therefore, cucumbers are sown in this zone, starting from the end of May and ending with the second decade of June. In the south, sowing in open ground can be done already in the third decade of April, ending in the second decade of July. Warm stable weather in the southern regions allows you to collect several crops of cucumber.
For the south, it is appropriate to take varieties from ultra-early to late, in other regions late varieties on the ordinary beds in open ground they simply do not have time to bear fruit. Therefore, the inhabitants of the central strip of Russia and Siberia are trying to grow plants mainly on warm ridges in order to get a harvest as early as possible. At the same time, preference is given to early maturing and mid-season varieties, the ripening period of which does not exceed 50 days (for the central regions) and 40 days (for Siberia).
In order not to be left without a crop, it is necessary to select zoned hybrids and varieties that have been tested in the climatic conditions of the region. Usually 5-7 varieties are sown, among which there are bee-pollinated and parthenocarpic. For Siberia, bee-pollinated varieties Altai, Brigantina, Far East, hybrids Miranda, Chinese, Crocodile Gena, etc. have proven themselves well. Rodnichok and others. Zoned varieties for the south - Success, Signal, Anniversary, Donskoy, Pobedel, etc.
Every year, new zoned hybrids of cucumbers are bred, surprising with their yield, resistance to diseases and unfavorable conditions. weather conditions. But it should not be forgotten that in order to excellent harvests in any region, it is important not only to choose a zoned variety, but also to follow simple rules, from seed preparation to harvest.
A teacher by education. My hobby is growing flowers. I try to experiment in the selection of garden and indoor plants(irises, Saintpaulia). I share my experience with the viewers of my You Tube channel.