Growing cucumbers - how to get record yields at minimal cost. Deciding on a landing site

Cucumber- the oldest plant, whose age is more than 6 thousand years. There is probably no person who would not know what the fruit of this plant looks like. Cucumbers are consumed fresh, salads are made from them, they are preserved and salted. Thanks to a group of various easily soluble carbohydrates, this green vegetable has excellent taste qualities. It has a pleasant, refreshing taste, which is given to it by free organic acids. Sometimes bitterness is present in cucumber fruits, which is due to the presence of cucurbitacin glycoside in them, which appears in the plant with a lack of moisture and with low temperatures ah soil and air.

This article on the Knowledge House will tell you how to choose the right cucumber variety, how to plant seeds, how to care for plants, how to deal with pests and diseases, and how to properly harvest cucumbers.

Cucumber growing temperature.

When cultivating cucumber, it is very important to take into account the ambient temperature of the soil and air. This plant suffers greatly from the difference between day and night temperatures. best temperature for the germination of its seeds - 25-30 0 С, and for the growth of bushes - 25-27 0 С. , and at 3-4 0 C, the bushes will die in 3-4 days. It follows from this that even in the summer it is advisable to keep portable temporary shelters over the cucumber plot. After the appearance of the first or third leaf on the bush, the resistance of the cucumber to cold increases.

Cucumber is considered one of the most moisture demanding crops that people grow. This plant has a poorly developed root system with a weak suction force, but the vegetative mass, on the contrary, is very large with a voluminous evaporating surface and increased tissue hydration. With insufficient watering, cucumbers will grow weakly, their ovaries will develop slowly, and the few fruits that appear will be small, hard and bitter in taste.

Cucumber lighting.

Cucumber- very light-loving culture. If within 15-20 days for seedlings to reduce the length of daylight hours to 10-12 hours a day, then the development of plants will accelerate, the development of female flowers will intensify and accelerate, and then the harvest. At the same time, in the southern regions, where there is high insolation and low humidity in the adult state, the cucumber puts up with a little shading, so they are often grown there on trellises under sparsely located trees.

Choosing a variety of cucumbers for planting and growing.

Varieties for film shelters:

1. Fontanelle;
2. TSHA-98;
3. Sadko;
4. Signal 235.

Varieties for open ground:

1. Nezhinsky 12;
2. Kharkov;
3. Parade;
4. Bush;
5. Moldovan 12;
6. Nerosimy and others.

Soil and top dressing of cucumbers.

Cucumbers require fertile non-saline soil with pH = 6.2-6.8. These plants respond very well to organic fertilizers. Fresh manure is especially suitable for them, which, decomposing in the spring, is a source of carbon dioxide in the surface layer of air. Therefore, for 1 m 2 of the beds on which cucumbers will grow, from autumn it is necessary to bring in 8-10 kg of fresh manure. Of the fertilizers for cucumbers, low-acid mineral fertilizers without chlorine and sodium are best suited. Urea, ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulphate can be used as nitrogenous. If you fertilize cucumbers phosphate fertilizers, then granular superphosphate is excellent for this, and if potash, then use potassium nitrate, potassium magnesia, potassium sulfate.

If you do not apply manure to the soil for growing cucumbers, then it is recommended as fertilizer:

1. Superphosphate - 40g;
2. Potassium salt - 25g;
3. Ammonium sulfate - 15-20g.

Before planting seedlings of cucumbers, add 0.5 kg of fresh or half-rotted manure to each hole. This will improve the thermal regime of the soil, which is especially important during the rooting period and in the early growth of cucumbers.

Seeds for growing cucumbers.

For growing cucumbers, it is best to use 2-3-year-old seeds stored in a warm room. If you store them in a cold room, then their field germination will greatly decrease. Thus, cucumber seeds must be bought in advance, then stored in a warm room, and warmed up at a temperature of 35-40 0 C 3-4 months before sowing (hang near a heating battery, benches, coarse, etc.).

Planting or sowing cucumbers for early harvests.

If you wish to receive early cucumbers, then plant 15-20-day-old seedlings from pots or sow with slightly pecked seeds when the ground reaches a temperature of 15 0 C at a depth of 5-10 cm. As soon as the seeds are sown, the rows must be mulched with humus, peat, compost, sawdust or other loosening material . A good mulch will create an excellent thermal regime in the soil and retain moisture in it. The soil is mulched with a layer of 2-4 cm, strips of 15-20 cm.

In too wet low areas, as well as on bottom lands, it is necessary to grow cucumbers on ridges and ridges. In the southern regions, on cucumber crops, live wings of potatoes, corn, sunflower, sorghum, and beans are used, which perfectly improve the thermal regime of the aboveground air layer and reduce the harm of cool winds, as well as dry winds. The wings must be placed perpendicular to the main winds every 1.5-2m. The best are the wings, the width of which is equal to the 2nd rows of corn, sunflower, sorghum, potatoes or beans.

The scheme of sowing seeds of cucumbers: "Crawling Cucumbers".
Cucumber seeds are sown in holes, the distance between which is 70 cm. In each nest (hole) there should be 4 plants of early varieties or 2-3 late plants. Seeding depth - 2-5 cm.

The scheme of sowing seeds of cucumbers: "Cucumbers on the trellis".
If the garden is small, then you can grow cucumbers on a trellis. At the same time, the agricultural technique is the same as in the "creeping cucumbers" scheme. To do this, pull the trellis up to 2m high. A twine is lowered from the upper part to each bush, on which the plants are tied. In this case, the place of the garter must be sealed with paper, thin rubber or something similar so as not to injure the stem. With this cultivation of cucumbers, it is necessary to ensure that the shoots do not creep along the ground. For this side shoots the first and second orders, which are formed below, are cut off over the second or third ovary.

How to care for crops of cucumbers.

As soon as the first true leaves appear on the cucumbers, they must be thinned out, leaving the plants in the rows after 12-15 cm.

The first dressing of cucumbers.
Simultaneously with thinning, the first top dressing is done. Fermented organic fertilizers are best suited for this. For each plant, you need 0.5 l of mullein (1: 6) or 0.5 l bird droppings(1:10). You can also feed with mineral fertilizers. To do this, dilute in 10 liters of water 15g nitrogen fertilizers, 50g superphosphate, 30g potassium sulfate.

2 and 3 feeding cucumbers.
The second time you need to fertilize cucumbers 10-15 days after the first feeding, and the third - 10-15 days after the second. Both of them are carried out with the same fertilizers as the first top dressing, and even better - alternate organic and mineral.

Watering cucumbers.
In order not to supercool them at the beginning of the growth of cucumbers, limit watering until the first ovaries appear. But already with the beginning of fruiting, this process needs to be given much more time. During this period, provide the cucumbers with an uninterrupted supply of water for 3-4 days. For every 1m2, 250-300 liters of water are needed.

When the average air humidity drops below 50%, refreshing night and day watering in the form of sprinkling will be especially effective for cucumbers, as this moistens not only the soil, but also the surrounding air.

Pests and diseases of cucumbers.

Crows.
From the beginning of sowing to rooting, crows can cause the greatest harm to cucumbers. These birds peck out the seeds, and also pull out young plants by the cotyledons. To fight crows, on a plot sown with cucumbers, threads are pulled, on which shiny objects, such as foil, are hung.

Larvae of sprout flies on cucumbers.
At the beginning of the growth of cucumbers, the larvae of the sprout fly cause great harm, damaging not only the seeds, but also young shoots. To save the seeds, they must be treated, and during the summer, crops are sprayed with a 0.2% solution of chlorophos.

Melon aphid on cucumbers.
When melon aphids appear on cucumbers, it is recommended to use a 0.2% solution of phosphamide or 0.3% karbofos.

Bacteriosis and anthracnose on cucumbers.
Bacteriosis and anthracnose cause irreparable harm to cucumbers in wet years. To prevent the spread of these diseases, seeds should be treated as mentioned above, and in case of occurrence yellow spots on the leaves - spray them with a solution of 1% Bordeaux liquid (15-20g per 1m 2).

Spider mite on cucumbers.
To fight spider mite it is necessary to spray the lower parts of the leaves of cucumbers, as well as all nearby plantings and even weeds with 40% phosphamide at a concentration of 0.2%, 20% keltan or 50% karbofos emulsion.

Powdery mildew on cucumbers.
To get rid of powdery mildew, it is recommended to use caratan or bayleton, benomine at a concentration of 0.1%. For the prevention of powdery mildew disease in the cucumber area, so-called shields, whitened with colloidal sulfur and lime (1% solution), should be placed, about 30-40 cm high.

Harvesting cucumbers.

The more often you harvest the fruits of cucumbers, the higher its yield. The first collection is recommended to be carried out every two days, then every other day, and at the peak of mass maturation - every day. Clean up carefully. It is categorically undesirable to leave overgrown, diseased or ugly cucumbers on plants, as they will slow down the formation of new ovaries and cause the plant to age.

With mass harvesting, on almost any soil, cucumber plants lack potassium, which leads to a decrease in yield. So that during this period the yield does not decrease, it is recommended to carry out foliar top dressing 0.5% solution potash fertilizers, not containing only chlorine.

P.S.
Properly care for cucumbers from sowing seeds to harvesting, and be sure to get delicious fruits.
Have a good harvest!
Select it and Click:

Cucumber is one of the vegetables that is quite easy to grow if the right conditions are provided. This is a thermophilic culture, therefore, first of all, it is required to observe the temperature regime and give the cucumbers enough light. All this is easy to achieve in a greenhouse, but how to comply with such requirements when planting in open ground?

The first task is to choose the right variety. Not all cucumbers can adapt to the harsh conditions outside the greenhouse, and some varieties won't even germinate, let alone produce. On the other hand, some species are intended only for planting outside greenhouses and in the open they will give more yield than under a greenhouse film. There are also universal varieties that perform well in all conditions.

Seedless sowing

The easiest way to grow cucumbers is to sow the seeds in the soil. On the one hand, you do not have to spend time growing seedlings, but you will have to wait longer for the harvest, which, moreover, may not be very rich.

You can increase the yield and percentage of germination by hardening the seeds:

1. Seeds prepared for planting are placed on gauze, which in turn is placed on the bottom of a flat dish filled with water.
2. From above, the seeds are also covered with gauze.
3. After some time, when the seeds swell, the dishes with the seeds are placed in the refrigerator for two to three days (provided that the temperature in the refrigerator is not lower than -3 degrees).
4. After this period, the seeds can be planted.

The best time for planting - at the end of May, when the soil warms up to + 15- + 17 degrees, but these dates may vary depending on the region. Such seeds are planted at a distance of 50-60 centimeters, the sowing depth should not exceed two centimeters. Considering that the percentage of seed germination with this method is not high, it is better to put several seeds in one hole at once, and if all of them sprout at once, the weakest and sickest should be removed. Such shoots are not pulled out, but carefully cut off.

The seedless method has one advantage: when transplanting seedlings into the ground, there is always a risk of damaging the root system, as a result of which the plant may stop developing or turn into a barren flower, and may also produce a small or poor-quality crop. On the other hand, this can be avoided by just being careful, and given the fact that many seeds die when planted directly in the ground, this advantage is leveled.

Video - All about growing cucumbers. Planting seeds in the ground

Growing seedlings for open ground

When preparing seedlings, it is important to choose three or four varieties, and not stop at one. Especially if this is the first experience or cucumbers have not yet been planted in the selected area.

Seeds cannot be immediately planted in the soil - they must be “warmed up” by holding them on the windowsill near the battery for about 30 days.

Growing seedlings of cucumbers

Then the seeds are placed in a bowl of water, where they should hatch. By the way, floating seeds can be immediately caught and thrown away - they will not germinate. The remaining seeds will hatch in about a day or two, and during this time you need to prepare the soil for planting:

1. Sawdust, peat and humus are mixed in a ratio of 1:2:2
2. Wood ash is added to the resulting mass at the rate of "a tablespoon of ash per 10 liters of the mixture."
3. All this is thoroughly mixed and scattered in small pots, in which germinated seeds are planted.
4. When sprouts appear, the dishes are exposed to a bright place.

When two leaves appear on the sprouts, fertilizing with a solution of nitrophoska begins (add two teaspoons per three liters of water). Water must be warm, heated to a temperature of 25 degrees. Seedlings need to be watered once a week.

Seedlings are ready to plant when the stem is thick and strong and the leaves are dark green. For each variety, such a preparatory period is individual.

Video - Growing seedlings of cucumbers at home

Soil preparation

Good seedlings in poor soil will not give the expected harvest, so the planting site also requires preparation, and such work begins in the fall. It is advisable to plant seedlings where potatoes, tomatoes, legumes, cabbage or pepper.

Growing cucumbers where other pumpkins used to grow is permissible no earlier than five years later. Otherwise, cucumbers will grow sluggish and painful, as their "predecessors" impoverish the soil.

In the process of autumn digging up a plot for cucumbers, 5-6 kilograms of manure and 30 grams of any phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied per square meter of the plot. mineral fertilizers. If the soil is acidic or slightly acidic, 150-250 grams of lime or ash can be added per square meter.

In the spring, the soil is also dug up, now 2-3 kilograms of compost or humus per square meter are added to it. Also, about 50 grams of any complex mineral fertilizers are added to this area.

This is the most effective way to prepare the soil, but it is not always possible to comply with such conditions, so you can use the following tips:

1. If the soil has not been prepared since autumn, you can limit yourself to digging in the spring, but then you need to increase the amount of humus and compost introduced.
2. If there is little humus and there is nowhere to take it - it is not necessary to fertilize the entire plot - it is enough to add it to the planting holes.
3. The soil should always be kept clean of weeds and fertilized annually - this will reduce the amount of mineral fertilizers used.

Proper site selection and planting

When planting cucumbers on open ground, not only the quality of the soil is important, but also other factors. Planting cucumbers in a place where other pumpkins have grown in the last five years is not worth it, not only because Low quality soil. The fact is that if previous plants had some kind of disease, pathogens must have accumulated in the soil. But if other cultures are resistant to such diseases, then cucumbers related to pumpkins and zucchini will certainly suffer.

You must also comply with the following requirements:

• the place should be well lit, the beds should not be covered from the sun by trees or buildings on the site;
• cucumber beds should be protected from the wind;
• on absolutely open areas it is recommended to plant tall plants in a circle - legumes, corn, sunflowers, which will protect the cucumbers from the winds;
• the plot should be large enough so that the distance between the bushes is at least 50 centimeters.

If the site is not very large, and there are a lot of seedlings, you should not reduce the distance between plants. Instead, you can just plant them in a checkerboard pattern. All beds must be cleared of weeds, and this procedure must be performed regularly.

The beds must be periodically loosened, but not deeper than three centimeters, so as not to damage the root system.

Video - How to plant cucumbers in the ground

Watering

The most difficult thing in growing cucumbers on the ground is watering. It is necessary to strictly observe the timing (every 5-6 days) and the amount of water (within 2-4 liters per square meter, depending on the soil). After the start of flowering, watering is done every two to three days, while the amount of water increases to 8-10 liters per meter. And most importantly - the water should not be cold, as heat-loving cucumbers begin to get sick from low temperatures. For this reason, while the cucumbers do not bear fruit, they must be watered manually, from a container in which the water settles in advance and warms up to a temperature of + 18- + 20 degrees.

Water should always be sufficient, especially during the period of fruit formation. Otherwise, the crop will taste bitter. At the same time, an excess of water will lead to rotting of the root system and death of the plant. It is very easy to determine the excess or lack of water visually: the pale green color of the leaves indicates that there is too much moisture. If the leaves are dark and brittle, then there is not enough water.

top dressing

Top dressing of cucumbers begins from the moment two full-fledged leaves appear at the seedling stage and can continue until autumn, depending on the quality of the soil. This procedure is necessary in order to:

• cucumbers grew faster and began to bear fruit earlier;
• the number of fruits increased;
• the fruiting period was extended;
• improved fruit taste.

In addition, fertilizers allow plants to strengthen their immunity and protect them from diseases, and for cucumbers, as for whimsical plants, this is extremely important. Standard top dressing occurs in two stages: at the seedling stage, and then every two weeks after planting in the ground. Three common types of top dressing are considered safe and economical:

1. Filling the fertilizer container cow dung a third and two-thirds are added with water, leaving about a week and a half for fermentation. The finished fertilizer is diluted with two parts of water before use.
2. The second method is identical to the first, but in this case chicken manure is used instead of manure, and finished fertilizer diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 3.
3. 10 grams per 10 liters ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium salt. This amount is enough to process one square meter of soil (about 4-5 plants).

Yellow leaves - a sign of lack of fertilizer

The lack of fertilizer is easy to determine by yellowing leaves and dropping ovaries.

Diseases of cucumbers in the open field

Most often, cucumbers planted in open ground are susceptible to fungal diseases (gray, white, root rot, ascochitosis, bacteriosis and others). If you take the necessary measures in a timely manner, plants can be cured on initial stage. If the disease progresses and is not treatable, diseased plants will have to be cut and disposed of. Such stems must be cut and burned - just dump them in compost heap it is impossible, since fungal spores can spread throughout the site.

Most often, the first symptoms of diseases are easily eliminated by spraying with a solution. blue vitriol, but if it is possible to determine clear signs a specific disease - it is worth using certain methods.

So, if gray and black spots appear on the leaves and fruits, and the growth of the fruits stops and they themselves bend and become crooked - this is fungal disease cladosporiosis. Such plants must be sprayed with preparations based on benzimidazoles.

Another common disease powdery mildew- appears as white plaque on the leaves, and after a while the plant dies. In most cases, this disease comes from weeds, so it is necessary to keep the beds in order and clean, and if powdery mildew does appear, spraying with fungicides will help.

Yellow bloom or spots on the leaves and their subsequent drying is a sign of peronosporosis. The disease is also the result a large number weeds and treated similarly to the previous one. If the fruits of such a plant are planned to be used for planting next year, the seeds are subject to mandatory dressing with potassium permanganate.

If you follow all the recommendations, do not skip watering, remove weeds in time and properly prepare the soil, even novice gardeners will not have problems with cucumbers. And the reward for such an attitude towards your garden will always be a large harvest of delicious cucumbers, which you can enjoy already a month and a half after planting the seedlings (provided that early ripening varieties are used).

Greetings, dear readers! Today I will talk about growing cucumbers in open ground. And even if you have been growing cucumbers for decades, you may still find some new product in the piggy bank of gardening knowledge.

Growing cucumbers is not an extraordinarily difficult task, however this crop has its own requirements. So, for example, cucumber loves light and moisture very much, and in relation to heat it is one of the most heat-loving crops.

Cucumber is a crop that can be grown in any soil. However, preference should still be given fertile soil sandy and light loamy type with acidity close to neutral. Such soils have a light mechanical composition and are distinguished by excellent water and air permeability.

When choosing a site for growing cucumbers, it is necessary to take into account the condition ground water. Cucumber does not like their close standing.

The best predecessors of cucumbers are (almost any of them), onions, cabbage, legumes and nightshade (tomato, potato) crops.

For planting cucumbers, you can not use the ridges after growing beets and pumpkin crops.

Sowing seeds

Seeds are sown in open ground when the soil warms up to + 15 ... + 17 ° С. For sowing, holes are prepared every 50-60 cm, which are placed in one or two rows. When growing cucumbers on a trellis, holes are made every 20 cm, the row spacing is 30-40 cm. 4-5 seeds are placed in each hole. Sowing depth - up to 2 cm.

When seedlings appear, the plants must be thinned out. To do this, the extra seedlings are not pulled out, but carefully cut off so as not to injure the roots of the remaining plants. In cucumbers of late varieties, when 4-5 leaves appear, it is recommended to pinch the apical bud. This will speed up the appearance of female flowers and the formation of the ovary.

Good care or how to grow cucumbers

Cucumber is very picky about temperature regime. Plants cannot stand frost at all and immediately react to temperature changes: when it drops to +15°C, growth slows down sharply in plants, and at +10°C and below, it stops completely.

The following conditions are optimal for a cucumber:

• air temperature +25…+30°С;
• relative humidity is not lower than 70-80%.

Watering should be:

• at the beginning of the growing season (before flowering) - moderate, at the rate of 3-6 liters per 1 m². Watering is carried out every 5-7 days.
• during flowering and fruiting - plentiful, at the rate of 6-12 liters per 1 m². Watering is carried out every 2-3 days.

By the way, it is the lack of moisture that makes cucumbers bitter. Water plants only warm water(temperature not lower than +25°С). The best time for watering cucumbers in the open field is in the evening, in the greenhouse - in the morning.

To preserve the structure of the soil and prevent damage to the root system and shoots of plants, it is necessary to use watering cans with sprayers. Do not spray water.

Immediately after watering, the greenhouse is tightly closed, this contributes to the growth of the vegetative mass of plants and accelerates the onset of flowering.

At the end of summer, the frequency of watering and their volume is reduced. This is due to the fact that excess moisture in cold soils causes the development of root rot.

• the first dressing - at the beginning of flowering;
• subsequent (every 10-15 days) - at the onset of fruiting.

In total for the season - 6-8 root dressings. Before top dressing, it is necessary to shed the soil well. As an organic fertilizer, it is recommended to use a solution of bird droppings in water (1:25) or mullein (1:10). The solution is used at the rate of approximately 4-6 liters per 1 m².

It is advisable to loosen the soil and weed weeds. However, you should be aware that root system cucumber is located in the top layer of soil. Therefore, in order to avoid damage to it, it is better to replace loosening and weeding. By the way, regular readers my blog also know that this technique also helps to reduce watering.

most pleasant and interesting part care - harvest. It is carried out daily, preventing the fruits from overgrowing, since overgrown fruits cause the new ovaries to dry out.

Ways to grow cucumbers

There are several ways to grow cucumbers, each of which has its own characteristics:

Rasstil
Cultivation of cucumbers is used mainly on ridges. The uniform distribution of cucumber lashes allows plants to make the most of sunlight.

However, with this method of growing plants require very careful care: It is not recommended to disturb the stems of plants. A change in the position of the stems leads to a violation of the orientation of the leaf blades in space, which takes time to restore, which delays fruiting.

Growing cucumbers on a trellis
If you are wondering how to grow a good crop of cucumbers, then pay attention to this method. On a ridge protected from drafts, cucumbers are planted in two rows. Stakes are driven into the ground, a trellis wire or rail is attached to them from above. When using a low trellis (up to 0.5 m high), the plants are not formed and tied up, but simply thrown over the wire (rail) to the other side. When using a high trellis (1 m high), cucumber lashes are formed and tied with twine.

Benefits of trellis culture: space-saving, convenient care, good light conditions, reduced risk of disease development due to ventilation, long fruiting period, fruits are clean and visible.

Growing in barrels
Metal barrels are filled with grass, manure, earth on top. Shed well, cover and let stand for a week. Then 5-8 dry seeds are sown in each barrel and covered with a film. When 3 leaves appear in plants, a frame of arcs is installed and regular watering is provided.

Such a non-standard method of growing also has its advantages: space saving, minimal care, the fruits are always clean, it is convenient to harvest, spectacular appearance(lashes hang down to the ground, masking the barrel). The most important advantage is getting an early harvest.

How to grow early cucumbers

To receive early production necessary:

• choose early ripe hybrids with increased resistance to diseases and adverse weather factors;
• be sure to carry out pre-sowing hardening of seeds.

Get early harvest You can also use seedlings. To do this, organize steam (warm) ridges 30-40 cm high, in the middle of which holes are made 20 cm deep and seedlings are planted in them. From above, the ridges are covered with agrofiber or film, which will protect the plants from frost until warm weather sets in.

Another way - early sowing seeds to the greenhouse, which also ensures a good harvest.

In this video, great tips for growing cucumbers, taking into account the principles natural farming. As a bonus, you will also learn about growing watermelons and melons:

Neighbors of cucumbers for a good harvest

One of best neighbors for cucumbers can be called corn. It is planted on the north side, preferably in 2 or even 3 rows in a checkerboard pattern. Throw a few seeds of radish, coriander into the garden and forget about them (let them grow, bloom and attract pollinating insects). Sow around the garden, except for the north side (this flower is also called cosmos. You may have heard this name from other gardeners and flower growers). These flowers not only lure beneficial insects, but still give a very light sparse shadow and can even serve as a support for cucumbers.

By the way, about corn, I advise you to conduct a small experiment. Sow regular corn on one cucumber bed, and sweet corn on the other (as an option, you can sow corn for popcorn). All plants affect the taste of their neighbors and it is quite possible to get sweeter cucumbers near sweet corn.

It is good for cucumbers in the neighborhood with peas, beans, kohlrabi, celery, cabbage and cauliflower, sunflower, lettuce. Only sunflowers can be planted in the same way as corn - from the north side. And even weeds are not completely useless (until they give seeds, of course). So cucumbers feel quite good next to tansy, thistle, quinoa, amaranth. But the rule “everything is good in moderation” applies to weeds in the first place. They should not be allowed to grow and seed.

That's all for now about growing cucumbers in the open field. I hope that even experienced summer resident I found something useful for myself in the article. Let the cultivation of cucumbers in your area always be accompanied by a bountiful harvest!

And here is interesting video about options for tying cucumbers and not only about this:

I advise, dear readers, not to miss the publication of new materials on this blog.

It should be:

• short-fruited, with a length of greens from 6 cm to 25 cm.
• shade-tolerant not afraid of temperature changes.
• early or mid-season, with a fruiting period of 4 to 6 months.
• fruitful.

Preference is given to parthenocarpic hybrids F1. These self-pollinating plants have only female flowers. For growing cucumbers at home, early and ultra-early ones are most popular:

• April;
• Benefit;
• Zozulya;
• Carmen;
• goosebumps;
• Sail;
• Regina;
• Shchedryk;
• Crunch.

From mid-early varieties cucumbers for growing at home are preferred:

• Athlete;
• Full house;
• Balagan;
• Bianca;
• Berendey;
• Urban;
• Far Eastern;
• Claudia;
• Courage;
• marinade;
• Masha;
• manul;
• Romance;
• Solar.

IMPORTANT! Cucumber hybrids late deadline maturation for home growing unsuitable.

Bee-pollinated hybrids of cucumbers, for indoor and greenhouse cultivation, require manual pollination.

The process requires certain skills and additional time.

But despite this, vegetable growers grow at home bee pollinated cucumber hybrids:

• Gribovsky 2;
• Dawn;
• manul;
• Surprise;
• Khutorok;
• Relay race.

Grow and bee-pollinated varieties of cucumbers:

• Room Rytov;
• Marfinsky.

Advice! Manual pollination of cucumbers is carried out in the morning. With a cotton swab, with a soft brush, pollen is transferred from a male barren flower to flowers with an ovary (female). Can male flower with torn petals touch the female pistil.

Female single flowers grow separately. The males form groups in the axils of the leaves.

Pollination of cucumbers continues throughout the flowering period, until the first ovaries appear. To increase the yield of cucumbers experienced lovers advise pollinating female flowers with pollen different varieties .

Location selection

Growing cucumbers in an apartment is better on warm, bright balconies, loggias, verandas, windows oriented to the south, east, west.

The north side is not suitable for growing. There should be no drafts in the room.

What to grow?

There are many options: hanging baskets, buckets, containers, boxes, flower pots, tubs. The main thing is that the volume of the container should be at least 5 liters. Drainage is laid out at the bottom - small pebbles, pieces of expanded clay, large sawdust. Make holes to remove excess water.

Advice! To save money, they cut off large plastic bottles, use double plastic garbage bags.

How to grow cucumbers in an apartment: step by step instructions

Landing dates

Timing depends on the selected variety of cucumbers, growing conditions. They take into account the area of ​​​​the room, the ability to provide optimal temperature and light conditions, air humidity, and the climatic zone.

To New Year's table cucumbers planted at the end of October will ripen. From January plantings, they begin to harvest in March. The average time for the start of fruiting from the appearance of the first shoots is 40-50 days. February seedlings ripen by the May holidays.

Soil preparation

Buying in the store universal soil or mixture for growing cucurbits.

Self-prepared according to proven recipes:

1. Equal shares of peat, humus. A glass of wood ash on a bucket of mixture.
2. 1/3 of turf, garden soil, compost with additive a small amount calcined river sand, ash, rotten sawdust.

The earth is disinfected in one of the following ways:

• Steamed.
• Shedding hot (+ 90 ° C) solution of potassium permanganate of dark pink color.
• Warm up in the oven.
• handle special industrial preparations.
• Make nitrophoska or complete complex fertilizer. Pour into containers, pour abundantly, leave for a day to seal.

Sowing

1. cucumber seeds etch for 20-30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Washed. Dry. Leave for 2-3 days to swell in a saucer with warm water, wrap in damp gauze, spread on cotton pads. Read more about front.
2. Sprouted cucumber seeds sown to a depth of about a centimeter. Plant 1-2 seeds per liter at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other. .
3. Expose to a bright place. Maintain temperature + 22-25°C during the day, + 16-18°C at night.
4. To maintain the required humidity covered with foil, glass.
5. When seedlings of cucumbers appear, the shelter is removed. Remove the weak stem. Lighting starts.

Advice! To eliminate the danger of hypothermia of the root system of cucumbers, a sheet of foam, drywall, thick plywood is placed under the containers with plantings.

Lighting

It is impossible to grow cucumbers in the winter at home without lighting. Light day should last 12-14 hours. from December to February, supplementary lighting is carried out from 16 to 20 hours.

Lighting devices for supplementary lighting (energy-saving, fluorescent, LED) are mounted at a distance of 30-40 cm.

To enhance the effect, reflective sheets of foil and mirrors are installed.

Temperature

The temperature is maintained until the plants form lashes not higher than +16°С. After the formation of lashes, the temperature in sunny days support + 24-26°C, in cloudy weather and at night + 18-20°C.

Watering

Watered in sunny weather daily, in cloudy weather - every other day. Water must be defended, brought to room temperature. Water several times a season with a weak pinkish solution of potassium permanganate.

It is useful to spray the plants twice a day, but the leaves should dry out by night. Watering cucumbers is carried out under the root or pour water into pallets.

Advice! To increase the humidity in the room, cover heating batteries wet towels. They put dishes with water next to the cucumber bushes. Turn on humidifiers.

Support

Home-grown lashes reach a height of up to two meters and require a garter. The garter is made using a sliding loop. Use twine or nylon cord.

Bush formation

After the appearance of the fifth true leaf, pinch the top to form a bush into two stems. With the growth of the next five leaves, the procedure is repeated.

The pinching of the lateral lashes is carried out in the lateral lower nodes over the 1-2-3 sheet.

top dressing

The first is carried out after the appearance of two true leaves. Feed with a solution of 3-4 g of nitrophoska per liter of water. The consumption rate per plant is a glass.

Can be used a solution of one teaspoon of urea in 5 liters of water. Feed once every 2 weeks.

With the advent of greens, the plant is fed every week, alternating mineral and organic fertilizers. 20% solutions are used as organic additives. chicken manure or superphosphate. For mineral, dissolve 30-40 g of nitrophoska in a bucket of water, add a teaspoon of Agrolife or 2 caps of Rost along with watering.

Alternatively, a week later feeding cucumbers with vermicompost. The bushes are sprayed twice with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Advice! An excellent organic is a solution of fermented crushed banana peels, rye bread.

Diseases

Cucumbers grown in an apartment also suffer from whiteflies. Spraying with soapy water helps, it is dangerous to use insecticides in the apartment.

Harvesting

Zelentsy collected every day, preventing them from overgrowing. This contributes to the formation of new ovaries, facilitates the load on the lashes, prevents the depletion of the plant, deterioration palatability cucumbers.

Growing in a private house

It does not differ in agricultural technology from growing cucumbers in an apartment. However, the villagers, owners of cottages more possibilities for successful cultivation cucumbers in heated greenhouses all year round.

Features of greenhouse agricultural technology

• Stopping the choice greenhouse varieties cucumbers.
• When planting, be sure to bring into the hole at least a bucket of well-rotted compost or manure, with the addition of 10 g of phosphorus, 5 g of nitrogen, 15 g of potassium per 1 m².
• Landing seedlings of cucumbers are placed at a distance of 40 cm from each other, leaving a meter between the rows. Abundantly watered.
• Equip trellises, supports.
• A bush of cucumbers is formed as when grown at home.
• Remove yellowed and deformed leaves.
• First dressing after 4 weeks. For each plant, 1-2 liters of a 0.3% aqueous phosphorus-potassium solution are consumed. During the fruiting period, top dressing is carried out every week.
• At optimum temperature air watering is carried out at the rate of 2-3 liters of water per bush.

Disease prevention and control

• Should change soil annually. Develop beneficial microflora. Apply preparations such as Fitosporin M, rotted manure, nettle infusion.
• Maintain ventilation.
• For whiteflies, the soil is disinfected. Once every 5 days, the bushes are sprayed with karbofos.
• Dill, mustard, coriander, garlic, basil, tobacco are planted in the aisles. They repel pests of cucumbers.
• Aphids and whiteflies are washed off with a jet cold water. Wipe the leaves of cucumbers with soapy water.

Can it be grown in a basement?

In the equipped basement, up to 200 kg of cucumbers are removed from 1 m².

The main costs fall on providing optimal light and thermal regime.

Requirements for a basement for growing cucumbers

• Temperature should not fall to minus levels throughout the year.
• No rodents, mold, fungus.
• tightness, protection from drafts, penetration of groundwater.

Not only an experienced agronomist, but also a novice gardener will be able to create on suburban area all the necessary conditions to receive big harvest. We will try to figure out what cucumbers like when growing, what top dressings and fertilizers they need, how much they usually grow until the first fruits ripen, and how to grow them correctly. There is nothing complicated in this, it is enough to adhere to simple rules and work throughout the entire time: from the moment of planting cucumber seeds to fruiting.

How to get a big crop of cucumbers? How to achieve an early harvest without resorting to large financial investments? How to learn not to leave all the forces in the beds? These and other questions will be discussed in today's publication.

Choosing a variety of cucumber

This begins a long, interesting and very pleasant process, which, ideally, should lead the gardener to a bountiful harvest. Most often, preference is given to those varieties of cucumbers that lend themselves well to pickling and salting, however, early varieties are also quite popular, it is just important to understand that their purpose will be somewhat different.

Pickling varieties are usually rich green in color with rows of pimples. There are also so-called "salad" varieties of cucumbers, which can also be used in "pickles", but only as an additive to the main ingredient. This type of cucumber is not crispy, rather soft, more watery, but it has a very thin peel, which makes it comfortable to use right from the garden: wash and eat or cut into a salad.

Below we list the varieties of cucumbers that are most popular in the Central European part of our country:

• "Paris Gherkins".
• "Salting".
• "Salting cask".
• "Ants".
• "April".
• "Graceful".
• "Altai Early".

The varieties of cucumbers "Zozulya", "Nightingale", "Real Man", "Phoenix", "Vyuga" and " Funny boys". They are very resistant to the soil prevailing in our latitudes, temperature extremes and most known diseases. Many of these varieties are planted in May, and they begin to bear fruit fairly quickly (with proper care).

The long history of growing cucumbers has led to the emergence of many so-called crossed varieties.

Cucumber hybrids are more independent, require less care, and are not so demanding on soil and weather conditions.

Anyone who knows how to grow a plant as common as cucumber plants several varieties at once to see which one adapts best to the local black soil and weather. The next step is to determine the landing site.

Deciding on a landing site

You can only grow a good crop of cucumbers in specially prepared soil, so the process of choosing a landing site should be taken seriously. It should be remembered that there are certain varieties of plants intended for planting only in open (or, conversely, closed) ground. For the first case, those varieties that involve pollination by bees are most suitable. For growing parthenocarpic varieties of cucumbers, a greenhouse is best suited, because. These varieties do not need a pollinator. In the bosom of such a plant, flowers appear containing cucumber germs. In the future, such a variety may well do without pollination during the growing season, since the cucumber flower is formed into a full-fledged fruit.

Sowing cucumber seeds for seedlings

Cucumber cultivation technology implies diversity. Recommended to plant multiple seeds at once in order to get an early harvest in the future. Still, you don’t need to get carried away strongly, there is always a risk that immediately after planting, the weather will remain dry and hot for a long time, and this negatively affects young seedlings. In hot weather, young cucumbers take root much worse, especially immediately after planting. During this period, the seedlings will have time to catch up with other plants that have sprouted from seeds planted in the garden. If all the necessary conditions match, there will be a significant increase in the yield of cucumbers from one bush, moreover, the first fruits of the greens can be harvested already in late spring - early summer.

So, the first step is to prepare the seeds. This is usually done about a month before the proposed landing on the garden. To do this, they are placed in a special cotton fabric that does not prevent the penetration of oxygen. Then the seeds are soaked in a solution of ordinary potassium manganese (1.5-2% solution will be enough) and kept in it for no more than 20 minutes. The tissue with seeds is removed and placed in the next solution with trace elements, now for 9-11 hours. If such a solution is not available, it will be enough to dilute wood ash(one spoonful) in a glass of boiling water, wait until the mixture settles (24 hours), and place in it planting material for 7-9 hours.

The secrets of growing cucumbers lie in the thorough washing of the soaked seeds. After washing, they are placed in the refrigerator(just not in freezer) so that they harden there. After hardening, the seeds are exposed to a warmer place for germination. At the same time, they should always remain moist, since at this moment they are most susceptible to negative impacts environment.

And finally, the long-awaited moment comes when you can notice whitish roots with the naked eye, which means that it's time to plant them in separate containers.

The pumpkin family, which includes cucumber, does not take root well during transplantation and reacts negatively to picking, so it is necessary to plant the seeds in separate containers with peat, 7-9 cm each.

The composition of the earth should be light and saturated with nutrients, fertile. If desired, 2 seeds can be planted in each such container, and see how they germinate. Then leave only that which will take root.

You can get a big crop of cucumbers only if all the "pre-sowing" work is done correctly. In the center of each container, it is necessary to make a hole with a depth of no more than 3 cm. You need to lower the seeds into it, then sprinkle it with soil without tamping it down. Containers usually cover plastic wrap and expose to a warm and bright place (windowsill). Those who know how to grow cucumbers correctly, at the very first emergence of seedlings, try to reduce the average daytime temperature to 19-23 degrees and make sure that the night temperature does not fall below 14 degrees.

Numerous tips for growing cucumbers all as one state that you should not water seedlings beyond measure. This can cause the seedlings to stretch.

After 3 weeks, you can start planting cucumbers on the main bed. Here are the approximate dates when you can plant seedlings to grow cucumbers in the country in the greenhouse:

• Polycarbonate greenhouse - from May 1 to May 10.
• In the presence of lutrasil and film shelter - from May 14 to May 28.

To the garden - from the 20th of May, depending on weather conditions. Cucumbers do not like shade: seedlings need the sun, especially those seedlings that will grow in open ground.

The end of May is the best time for planting seedlings of cucumbers in open ground.

Judging by the numerous photos and videos posted online, many gardeners prefer this proven method. The question arises, how many days will seedlings take root? It will be very difficult to answer specifically, because. it will depend on the set various factors. For example, seedlings in a polycarbonate greenhouse will not be so afraid of possible night frosts, therefore, they are more likely to sprout in a shorter time. On the contrary, seeds planted outdoors receive more sunlight and also have a certain advantage, although they risk falling behind their greenhouse counterparts in case of frost.

It should be noted that beds stretching for several hectares (hectares) take root better than single plantings. However, it is far from always necessary to grow cucumbers in industrial scale. Such technologies are more common in the agro-industrial business. It is used quite often cucumber interplanting: a technology that allows you to grow already mature plants together with young ones that have just hatched.

seed planting

So, we prepare the seeds in the same way as if we were going to grow seedlings. After preparations, we plant them in a prepared garden bed. Pumpkin culture prefers organic fertilizers, so it is worth fertilizing the soil in advance before planting. Do not forget about standard sizes beds, its width should not exceed 60 cm in order to absorb heat in sufficient volume.

It is best to sprinkle the bed with granules of special preparations from various kinds pests.

If the bed has not been fertilized since autumn, digging a trench no more than 25 cm deep will help. Rotten compost is placed in it (a shovel of ordinary manure is also suitable), which is sprinkled with soil. Next, you need to make a recess, allowing a distance of no more than 35 cm. You can make them in one row, or you can arrange them in a checkerboard pattern. These recesses are abundantly watered and germinated seeds are planted in them. Cucumber seeds should be planted at a depth no more than 3 cm. If the sprouts began to sprout quite heaps, then the weakest ones can be removed.

After sowing, cover beds with foil. For this use:

• Agrotextile fabrics.
• Lutrasil coating.
• Spunbond flooring.

Plants will be comfortable under such a cover, because it allows moisture to pass through and retains heat. At the time of flowering cucumbers, the flooring is removed for the day, and returns to the garden at night.

How to care for cucumbers

Growing cucumbers in the country, in a greenhouse and on a soil bed is easy if you follow some simple recommendations. For example, at the moment when cucumber ovary rises by 20-30 cm, they are fixed with tapestries. But they do it indoors (greenhouse or greenhouse, where a gust of wind does not blow away the peg itself), on open garden it is not customary to do so.

Young shoots love late watering (in the evening), and this is best done warm water. As a rule, the interval between waterings is set at 3 days, however, it can vary depending on weather conditions, on which, as you know, the crop depends heavily.

Feeding freshly planted cucumbers can lead to a double crop. peat. It works great as a mulch. Ideally, this can save you the trouble of constantly loosening the soil. The roots of the cucumber culture are very sensitive to loosening and do not tolerate it well, and the procedure can also have a bad effect on the leaves of the ovary.

In the process of harvesting, it is worth protecting the vines, not tearing or twisting them. It is best to harvest early in the morning when the fruits are at their strongest.

If you notice that the roots are bare, you should add peat or enriched soil, this will help to avoid periodic top dressing. In the first case, in the process of tranching in the garden, it is necessary to place a little compost, manure or a teaspoon of “cucumber” fertilizer on each plant. This supplement improves root nutrition.

In order to increase the harvest, it is necessary to remember about foliar feeding of cucumbers. These types of fertilizers are applied to the vine if the gardener is dissatisfied with the growth rate of the plant.

However, the reason for the low growth dynamics may be not only the lack nutrients, but also night frosts, quite common in May, as well as low average temperatures during the day. It is for this that the bed is covered in case of low temperature.

Cucumber responds well to organic additives. When it comes to natural fertilizers, they usually mean mullein. It can be diluted in a bucket 1:10, but regular rotten compost will do. Mature grass and leaves are diluted in water 1 to 7, after allowing it to ferment for a week. The last top dressing very well helps fragile specimens with faded leaves. Someone can be scared off by a pungent smell, but this, albeit a significant minus, is easily crossed out by pluses: the fertilizer is natural, not chemistry, besides, it is rich in nitrogen and lies literally under your feet.

Disease prevention

When answering the question of how to increase the yield of cucumbers, it is important not to forget about such a point as disease prevention. In autumn, after the harvest has long been harvested, it is necessary to collect all plant remains and throw away (or burn) them. It is recommended to remove upper layer land in 5-8 cm either disinfect it special solution (copper sulfate: 50 grams per 9-10 liters of water). In case of detection of certain diseases, it is better to take action as soon as possible, in which case there will be much more chances for the successful preservation of the crop.

For example, to prevent many diseases of cucumbers, you can use the following recipe:

• 900 gr milk (package).
• 30 grams of soap with a high alkali content.
• 40 drops of iodine.

We rub laundry soap using a grater, then mix everything well. It is necessary to spray for several days, this will help protect cucumbers from many common diseases.

Powdery mildew is a real scourge country beds. To combat it, we recommend using:

• Whey from milk (1 liter is enough).
• 3.5-4 liters of water.

We mix the ingredients in warm water and spray both healthy and diseased cucumber vines.

Against aphids and ants on cucumbers, the following remedy will certainly help:

• 2 liters of hot water.
• Wood ash (1 cup).
• Laundry soap (15 grams).

The ash is lowered into hot water and thoroughly mixed. The resulting liquid is defended for 1-2 days and filtered. Now add grated soap, mix everything again and spray the plants. The resulting solution will not harm the plants, and in some ways it may even be useful for them, because. contains ash (natural top dressing). In it, as we remember, a lot of potassium, there are other trace elements.

Various groups of drugs can be used to control pests of cucumbers (something like “phytosporin” or its analogues, the main thing is to look at tolerances, whether use / spraying on cucumber crops is allowed).

Conclusion

Now you know some tricks for growing a large crop of cucumbers. Despite the fact that this process is far from easy, and sometimes troublesome, requiring concentration and patience, all work will be rewarded with the final result - large fruits hanging on strong and strong vines.