Cucumbers planting and care in open ground, secrets of productivity. Planting cucumbers in open ground and proper care for them

The favorite vegetable of most gardeners is cucumber. Tasty, unusually aromatic, it is one of the first to delight us at our summer cottage. In most regions of the country, growing cucumbers in open ground is available. The main thing is to plant and grow a crisp crop according to all the rules.

Cucumber - characteristics of the culture

Cucumber is a vegetable, annual plant class dicotyledonous, pumpkin family. Country of origin: India, at the foot of the Himalayas.

Description of the plant

The stem is rough, with tendrils with which the vegetable clings to supports, stretching up to two meters.

Sheet five-pointed, heart-shaped.

Fruit multi-seeded, green in color, different shades, juicy, aromatic. The shape is oblong, in botanical reference books it is defined as “pumpkin”.

Seeds flat, elongated, white or cream in color.

Beneficial features: Dietary vegetable. Improves digestion and intestinal function. Stimulates the functioning of the heart and kidneys. The juice (only freshly prepared) cleanses the joints. Treats external ulcers. Good for teeth and gums. Whitens and cleanses the skin.

Main conditions for growth

Growing cucumbers in open ground requires compliance with the terms, conditions and methods of cultivation:

• The timing of planting in open ground should prevent cucumbers from encountering frost;
• the yield is higher for crops climbing trellises;
• cucumbers grow well in a bed illuminated by the sun;
• Landings should not be carried out in the wind.

After what can and cannot be planted?

The best cucumbers will grow in beds where cauliflower, white cabbage, or tomatoes were located in the previous season. Onions, carrots, peppers, and potatoes are considered good predecessors.

You cannot grow cucumbers again in the old place or where other pumpkins (melon, watermelon) grew.

Preparation of seeds and planting material

It is impossible to grow a good harvest without high-quality preparation of planting material. Therefore, it is important to pay special attention to the selection of seeds, their germination and preparation of seedlings for the soil.

Seed growing technology

When choosing seeds, it is important to consider:

• Ripening terms – early ripening, mid ripening and late ripening;
• possibility of growing in open ground;
• hybridity of varieties - hybrids suffer less disease, but are practically unsuitable for collecting fruits “for seeds”;
• for what purposes are cucumbers grown - for example, there are varieties that are more suitable for fresh or pickled consumption;
• preference for wet or dry growing conditions in the ground.

Very important point– zoning for a specific area where they will be grown.

Cucumber seeds have a shelf life of 5-6 years - with proper storage in a room where it is no colder than two degrees Celsius and no hotter than 25. The most fertile are at the age of 2-3 years. They form simultaneously female and male flowers.

Sprouting at home

The technology for growing cucumbers in open beds involves preparing seeds for sowing or seedlings at home.

1. Seed sorting. Choose the largest seeds, which are usually the strongest. Dip them in a 3% saline solution, shake and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Disinfection. Throw out the floating seeds, and rinse those that remain at the bottom, place them in a 1% manganese solution for half an hour, and wash them. Place in solution for 6 hours wood ash, dry the water well.
3. Warming up. Possibly on a battery or stove for 24 hours. Or in hot water at a temperature of 55-60 degrees - for 2 hours.
4. Germination. Seeds, preferably in rags or fabric bags, are left in a nitrophoska solution for 12 hours (a small spoon per liter of warm water). Wash and place on wet sawdust or damp cloth, cover the top. Should not cool below 23 degrees Celsius.

The seeds should swell and hatch, but not germinate.

When the root that appears is half the length of the seed, you can begin planting in open ground or seedling pots.

Preparing seedlings

To grow cucumbers in the ground faster, you should use seedlings. For this, the “seedlings” prepare at home. Light for at least 10-12 hours a day.

• Prepare containers measuring 10 x 10 or 12 x 12 cm - peat, plastic or paper milk cartons.
• Fill them with humus or a mixture of soil from the garden and peat.
• Sow the seeds no more than 3 cm deep.
• Grow for about a month.

Before planting in the ground, cucumber seedlings should produce 3, or preferably 4, full-sized leaves and full-sized roots.

It is necessary to “harden off” the seedlings, for which they need to be taken outside into the shade for several hours.

Preparing the soil for planting

It is better to prepare the soil for the ridges in the fall. What should be done?

• Dig up.
• If the acidity of the soil is increased, you can reduce it slaked lime, small dolomite flour, crushed chalk, peat or wood ash or deoxidizers. Using green manure helps a lot.
• Add “organic matter” - manure, humus, peat or compost. Everything is 6-8 kg per meter of area.
• Apply mineral fertilizers (potassium sulfate) - 60 g per 10 meters of area.
• For sandy soils, add superphosphate, possibly with potassium magnesium.

In the spring, after the soil dries, a high bed under cucumbers. Organic fertilizers are applied (or the entire bed is made from manure). Per square meter of area, urea or ammonium nitrate and superphosphate (30 grams). To warm up, cover with a transparent film. When the ridge begins to “float”, you can plant cucumbers.

The manure bed for cucumbers actively releases carbon dioxide, which contributes to additional education female flowers.

Sowing and planting

Cucumbers are planted in open ground with seeds or seedlings. The maintained distance is at least 20 cm between bushes, from one ridge to another from 1 m. After planting, pegs are installed around the ridge, between which a rope or fishing line is installed. The cucumbers are tied to them with a small, tight rope. With the help of such a simple device, a support is created for the further cultivation of cucumber vines.

Seeds

Growing cucumbers in the ground with seeds is a longer process, but from high-quality dry or sprouted slices, cucumbers grow equally well. Seeds are sown in the ground when it is warmed to 10-12 degrees above zero, and the air to 15.

You can plant cucumbers in rows or nests. Place the rows in lines of approximately 70-90 cm, 12-20 cm between holes, 3-4 cm deep. Orient sowing closer to the edges of the ridge. 2 seeds are sown in a hole and then thinned out. Nests can be made 60 x 60 or 70 x 70 cm, leaving 4-5 cucumbers in each.

For the first few weeks, cover the beds at night (and when the temperature drops to 15 degrees C) to prevent the sprouts from freezing.

Important points of cultivation

• Protect the soil from crusting.
• Remove weeds quickly and accurately.
• Tie up the cucumbers immediately, securing them with ropes and trellises.
• After watering, immediately loosen the bed.
• Feed the shoots once every 7-10 days.

Seedlings

Growing cucumber seedlings in open ground is possible when the ground warms up to at least 17 degrees. In regions where it is colder, seedlings are placed under film in early June, in southern regions - at the end of April, May.

Each plant is planted without separating it from the earthen clod where it grew or in peat pots, slightly raising the upper part of the container above the ground.

Make holes approximately 40 cm apart, row spacing is 50 cm. Water and treat with a weak solution of manganese. Plant cucumber seedlings so that the subcotyledon remains open. Water again, sprinkle with dry soil to prevent a crust from forming.

Cucumber care

Caring for cucumbers requires constant implementation of simple but mandatory actions. For high-quality cultivation, do not leave more than 20 fruits on one bush.

Thinning – carried out twice: partial during the appearance of the first true leaf, final when 3-4 leaves are formed in order to “seat” the plants at the required distance.

Pollination – To attract insects, spray the plant with honey solution or sugar mixture (per 1 liter hot water 2 g boric acid and 100 g sugar).

Loosening produce simultaneously with thinning and cultivation, in the first three weeks of cultivation. Be careful not to damage the roots.

Weeding – 3-5 times in rows and nests, 3-4 – between rows.

Hilling – very light so that there is no stagnation of moisture under the seedlings, which will prevent the possibility of diseases.

Mulching(straw, sawdust) improves the supply of oxygen to the soil, reduces moisture loss and promotes uniform heating of the soil.

Tying up carried out as the cucumbers grow - to pegs or bush trellises.

Temperature regime. Cucumbers in open ground prefer warmth during the day at 22-28 degrees, at night 12-16. If the temperature goes below zero, the cucumbers freeze. Hotter than 32 degrees – they stop developing.

Stimulating growth

The main stem of a cucumber plant has mostly flowers. male type, female ovaries are located on the lateral branches of levels 2 and 3. If the female type flowers are not pronounced, you can stimulate their growth and branching by pinching the upper part of the shoot above the 5-7 leaf of cucumbers.

Don't forget about potassium and phosphorus supplements. You can place fresh mullein next to the cucumbers.

There are cucumbers that have flowers of both types on the main stem, so they do not need pinching.

Watering

When caring for cucumbers, watering issues are very important. Equally, when growing in the ground, it is unacceptable to overdry or flood the bushes.

With a lack of moisture or frequent changes in watering temperatures, the plant sheds ovaries and flowers, the fruits change shape and become bitter. If there is an excess of it, root rot quickly approaches the plants.

Particular demands on soil moisture are associated with certain features:

• The superficial root system of cucumbers, which dries out faster;
• the number of large leaves increases, which evaporate a lot of moisture.

When growing, it is better to water the plants every day at dawn or late in the evening when it is not hot. Ideally, in the morning, so that by night the soil under the cucumbers is already dry. If it has partially dried out, then it’s time for “water procedures”. Let the water go under the roots without irrigating the foliage. Water at 25 degrees is best.

Water standards depend on the weather, plant, soil type, the average value is 20-30 liters per meter of area. Most of all, the root system of cucumbers needs moisture in conditions of flowering and fruiting of the vegetable. Cold watering when growing cucumbers inhibits the production of female flowers.

In hot and dry conditions, it is possible to “refresh” cucumbers by roots and leaves - approximately a large bucket of water per 1 square meter. m. While the growth of the vines allows, weed and loosen.

You can determine a serious lack or excess of moisture in a plant simply by looking at the leaves: a dark green tint and fragility “scream” about a lack of water, and a pale color indicates its excess.

Fertilizer application

When growing in open ground, feeding cucumbers is mandatory. The first is done when the plant develops 1-2 full leaves. The second - 14 days after the first, doubling the amount of fertilizer for cucumbers.

Root

Since the roots of the plants are shallow, it is allowed to fertilize directly into the holes, without getting on the green parts of the cucumber.

Feeding options for cucumbers:

• Mullein with added ash. Fill the container one-third full with cow manure, add water to the top, and stir. Leave for 1-2 weeks to ferment. Before fertilizing, add water and ash.
• Another fertilizer for cucumbers is prepared as follows: pour 10 g of ammonium nitrate, potassium salt and superphosphate into a 10-liter bucket.

If the soil is heavy, you can add sand.

Foliar

The cucumber is sprayed on the leaves with a solution of urea (5 g of fertilizer per 1 liter of water). In sunny weather, such a “procedure” is prohibited so as not to cause burns on the sheets.

What fertilizers to add: if the fruit becomes pear-shaped - potassium; when one tip of the cucumber “sharpens”, turns lighter and bends - nitrogen.

To improve the microclimate in plantings and rational use space, you can give some useful tips:

• Use tall plants to protect against unfavorable air flows, for example, plant corn across the prevailing winds;
• plant cucumber seeds together with compactor plants - tomatoes, carrots, beet cabbage or beans.

Pest Control

Growing cucumbers is rarely complete without pest control, so it’s worth thinking about this too.

The best way, as always, is prevention. To do this, it is important not to forget to disinfect the seeds with potassium permanganate and heating, to alternate planting wisely, to maintain isolation in space, to remove weeds and diseased specimens in a timely manner, to provide correct mode humidity.

Problems of fungal diseases

The main problem when growing cucumbers is infection with fungal diseases.

• Powdery mildew. Spots appear, cover the entire leaf, and acquire a powdery coating. Diseased leaves die. If you do not remove the remains of diseased plants and weeds, the same infection on young shoots is guaranteed next year. It develops especially in hot and dry seasons. A protection option is NAT (50 g per large bucket of water). Spray at the onset of the disease. For prevention - whey.
• Anthracnose . Large yellow or brown spots on the leaves. They spread to the entire plant, to the fruits - in the form of ulcers, from which the cucumbers rot. High humidity promotes development. Treatment – ​​1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
• Olive spot . Spots with a gray-brown coating. In these places, part of the leaf falls out. Ulcers appear on young cucumbers. On the stems and petioles there are grooves with a gray-brown coating. The disease especially flourishes in the wet season with low temperatures and sudden changes. The treatment is the same.
• White rot . The stems of the plant become soft, the leaves sag and the vegetable dies. A white, cotton-like coating appears. The fruits are decaying. The disease prefers cool, dry summers (12-15 degrees) and selects weakened plants. The affected parts must be cut off and burned, the “wounds” should be coated with lime or crushed coal.

For the treatment of most fungal diseases effective means is copper sulfate. Affected stems should be cut off and burned. Spray the plantings.

Disease-resistant varieties can be planted for cultivation. These include: “Nugget”, “Farmer”, “Nezhinsky”, “Zozulya”, “Stepnoy”, “Muromsky” and others.

Collection of grown cucumbers

The search for new cucumbers should be done every two days, and maybe more often. If the fruits are picked on time, they grow juicy, aromatic and crispy, with a thin crust. Since the plant does not need to grow existing fruits (that are picked), it begins to create new ovaries. More and more fresh cucumbers are appearing. If the fruits are not harvested in a timely manner, they become large and rough, and the growth of new greens slows down.

Cucumbers of different sizes are harvested for different purposes:

• For food “from the garden” - from 10 cm or more;
• for canning, depending on the recipe - from 3 to 18 cm.

The shape and length of the fruits are influenced by the varieties, methods of growing cucumbers, soil type and regularity of watering.

It is better to pick cucumbers in the morning or evening. Cut the fruits with a knife or scissors and remove them from direct sunlight.

Cucumbers grown correctly and harvested before they become overripe can be stored until deep frost. On a winter day, placing freshly frozen cucumbers or a jar of aromatic preparations on the table, you will be happy to remember the bright days of summer and will be glad that you highlighted on your plot of land a place to grow such a wonderful vegetable as a cucumber.

A good harvest is the dream of not only a specialist, but also an amateur. Therefore, before planting, you need to collect as much necessary information as possible.

If you want to avoid disappointments and losses, then it is better to put into practice already proven tips. We are pleased to provide you with a selection of recommendations regarding growing and caring for cucumbers.

How to grow cucumber seedlings?

This is the most important stage, because the harvest as a whole depends on the correctness of the work. It must be said that initially you need to prepare the soil. It is best to collect land where the crop will subsequently grow.

This way, you can help plants adapt faster to virgin soil. So, for laying you will need a container and a certain amount of land. Many people recommend not using additional additives, but feeding the plants as they grow.

You need to fill the selected container with soil and mark the rows. The holes should not be made deep; the seeds must be planted in water. Remember that the distance between plants should be sufficient so that at the time of transplantation it is possible to freely move the plant without touching the neighboring crop.

Do not forget that:

1. Seeds are planted with their nose up - this is the main rule.

2. Once the seeds have fallen into the ground, it is extremely undesirable to provide them with abundant watering. The soil should be wet, but not too wet.

Place for growing cucumbers

For normal growth, cucumbers need abundant watering and sun, so they require a sunny area. It is very good to plant them in a place where tomatoes, peppers or onions previously grew. Many experts are convinced that the most productive option for a new harvest is the area that was empty in previous years. But, unfortunately, there are few or no such sites in many gardens.

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse and in open ground are two different technologies; each method requires special knowledge. When you start transplanting seedlings into open ground, do not forget that for young cucumbers the soil temperature is more important than the air temperature - this means that you need to choose the right time for planting.

Growing cucumbers. Cucumbers in a greenhouse.

Greenhouses allow you to not depend on the vicissitudes of the weather, collecting early harvests. In order for the result to please you, the greenhouse must be systematically ventilated, monitor the optimal level of soil and air moisture, and remove weeds.

Planting cucumbers

If you want to plant cucumbers correctly, do not lose sight of what will grow nearby. Watermelons or pumpkin crops should not be placed nearby. Remember that everything climbing plants can intertwine with each other, making harvesting difficult. It is for this reason that cucumbers are planted at a sufficient distance from their neighbors. It is also very good if the edges of the melon border the path, which will allow you to monitor the location of the stems and give them the desired direction.

How to plant cucumbers correctly to get a big harvest

Methods for growing cucumbers

In spread. In this case, the plants grow on the ground without any support. The method is well suited for varieties with weak branching. Solar open bed will allow the cucumbers to spread out as correctly as possible, which will contribute to the good development of each plant. This method is simple and well-known.

On the trellis. The method is quite productive, because when used correctly, each bush gives excellent yield. In order to put it into practice, you need to install a trellis.

After your seedlings are ready for planting, create an area for cucumbers. Curly shoots are attached to trellis posts and stretched on mesh or wire. This technique is convenient not only for harvesting cucumbers, but also for providing the most productive conditions for the development of crops.

In a barrel. The most beautiful and elegant planting method. With the help of a few barrels, your garden bed will be transformed, and your cucumbers will get their own home. Just don’t forget that you need to prepare the container in the fall, and fill in early spring. Anything can serve as drainage - paper, small stones or pieces of bricks, then the barrel is filled with organic waste (leaves, lawn grass, weeds (without seeds)). The final layer is laid with soil or ready-made compost. Cucumbers in barrels require more frequent watering.

The most frequently asked questions from gardeners

1. Watering and fertilizing cucumbers

These plants require moderate watering during the development stage and systematic heavy watering after flowering. The first feeding is applied after planting, the second - after the buds appear, the third - during the fruiting period.

2. Why are cucumbers irregularly shaped?

Sometimes it happens that appearance cucumbers are not happy. Their irregular shape does not allow pickling cucumbers in jars, so we hasten to remind you that the shape depends on nutrition and watering.

A cucumber is like a carrot - it lacks nitrogen.

A cucumber is like a pear - it lacks potassium.

Cucumber with a “waist” - watering with cold water or strong daily temperature changes.

3. Why are cucumbers bitter?

Bitterness is the result of insufficient watering, but you can select varieties that are more resistant to drought than others. The varieties "Nezhinsky" and "Shchedrik" have proven themselves well.

How to grow cucumbers that won't taste bitter

4. How to grow early cucumbers?

To do this, you need to choose early varieties of cucumbers and start sowing seeds. Early cucumbers are good because they have a much shorter ripening time, but at the same time they are more demanding and capricious.

5. How to protect against diseases?

Most often cucumbers are affected powdery mildew, white rot and olive spot. To avoid these misfortunes, monitor the quality of planting material, do not plant cucumbers for two years in a row in one place, monitor the amount of watering and their intensity. Excessive soil moisture will result in undesirable consequences. At the first signs of damage, spray: against powdery mildew - with a colloidal sulfur solution, olive spot - with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture, treatment with Epin and fertilizing with urea will save you from white rot.

Diseases and pests of cucumbers

6. How to preserve the cucumber harvest?

Cucumbers are perfectly stored in winter salads, pickled and salted.

Crispy pickled cucumbers for the winter

This needs to be taken care of constantly, so do not neglect our advice!
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It is impossible to imagine a summer cottage without at least one bed of cucumbers. This aromatic and tasty vegetable is loved by all summer residents and is happy to be consumed both fresh and canned. In my garden, I annually reserve the best place for this crop...

When I started cultivating an abandoned summer cottage, where nothing but wheatgrass had previously grown, I had to face great difficulties. In the first years, my attempts to grow cucumbers, the seeds of which I sowed directly into the garden bed, ended in failure. And all because cucumber seeds, as it turned out, are a real treat for ants, of which there were countless numbers in my garden at that time.

I re-sowed them again and again, but only a few, accidentally surviving specimens sprouted and sprouted; naturally, the harvest was meager, and besides, the beginning of fruiting was significantly delayed.

Therefore, I decided to sow cucumbers for seedlings at home, and transport the already grown seedlings to the hangman and plant them in the garden. Later, when I completely removed wheatgrass from my garden, and also sowed all the free corners summer cottage calendula and marigolds, I managed to get rid of the ants and return to the seedless method. However, part of my plantings are still occupied by plants that I grow through seedlings.

After all, this method, despite the fact that it is more labor-intensive and troublesome, allows you to get the first greens about a month earlier. And after the acquisition polycarbonate greenhouse cucumbers began to appear on our table in mid-May.

It is worth considering that the timing of planting cucumbers for each region will vary significantly.
The main thing is that there is no need to rush to sow this vegetable as seedlings, as it grows very quickly and often stretches out. Subsequently, this may not lead to an increase in yield, but, on the contrary, to its loss. After all, weak seedlings are unlikely to form healthy bushes capable of bearing fruit normally. Young plants are ready for transplantation already 3-4 weeks after emergence, that is, in the phase of 2-4 true leaves,

Cucumber planting dates

In our region, weather conditions allow cucumbers to be planted in a greenhouse in the last ten days of April, and in open ground in the first ten days of May. Accordingly, I begin sowing greenhouse cucumbers for seedlings at the end of March, and those that I will later transplant into open ground - at the beginning of April. Additionally, during the May holidays, I prepare a separate bed in which I plant sprouted seeds. This approach allows us to extend the fruiting period of a vegetable that is so loved by all members of our family. First, we feast on crispy greens from the greenhouse, then the bushes in the open ground, grown from seedlings, begin to bear fruit, and those sown with seeds are the last to pick up the baton.

Seedling method

The undeniable advantage of the seedling method is the acceleration of the onset of fruiting and the ability to receive fruits at the earliest possible date. After all, after the winter cold, everyone is looking forward to the first fresh vegetables on their table. In addition, this method allows you to extend the period of fruit harvesting, and in the northern regions of our country it will serve as the key to obtaining a guaranteed harvest. Among the shortcomings, I will probably name only one - unnecessary spring chores, of which summer residents already have a lot during this period. After all, to obtain good seedlings you will have to allocate extra bed on the windowsill and make some efforts to create a microclimate favorable for them.

Open ground

If tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplants are in our climatic zone It is necessary to sow seedlings for seedlings; cucumbers can bear fruit quite well even by direct sowing into the ground.

But in this case the harvest will be later, moreover, the cucumber bushes give it away quite quickly, and then quickly begin to turn yellow and dry out. Therefore, to extend the fruiting period, it makes sense to sow cucumbers in different terms at intervals of 2 - 3 weeks.

But such a technique is suitable only for those gardeners who, in dry summer weather, have the opportunity to constantly moisten the soil in the area where this crop is sown. However, it is worth noting that when favorable conditions seedlings appear quickly in open ground, and the plants themselves subsequently turn out to be more viable and adapted to the conditions environment. Even the strongest cucumber seedlings experience stress after transplantation, and it needs some time to take root in a new place and begin to grow again.

Selection of cucumber seeds

I am careful when choosing seeds and never use freshly harvested ones, since in this case the plants will produce few female flowers, the number of which determines the size of the future harvest. Ideal option I consider using two to three year old seeds for planting.

Therefore, when purchasing planting material, I always look at the expiration date. Manufacturers usually indicate on the bag not the packaging date, but the expiration date. Moreover, there are certain standards according to which seeds packaged in single-layer paper bags must be sold within two years, and those stored in double-layer foil bags must be sold within three years. But since cucumber seeds remain viable for 8-10 years, I often purchase planting material with an expiration date: this is exactly what I need.

Expert advice

Nowadays, garden stores offer a large assortment of varieties and hybrids, and everyone can choose cucumbers to their liking, depending on their needs and growing conditions. I plant both fairly new hybrids and old, well-proven varieties. It is worth noting that I never plant bee-pollinated varieties in the greenhouse, but use parthenocarpic and self-pollinating varieties.All types of plants are suitable for planting in open ground.

Treatment of cucumber seeds before planting

I always carry out pre-sowing treatment of seeds, regardless of where they will be planted, at home in cups or in a garden bed. The only exception is those that are sold already prepared: they are usually painted and do not require additional manipulations from the gardener. First of all, I select intact full-sized seeds, which I have long learned to identify with the naked eye. For these purposes, I can recommend that beginning summer residents use a 3% saline solution (30 g of table salt per 1 liter of water), into which the seeds are poured and mixed thoroughly. After 7-10 minutes, high-quality planting material will settle to the bottom of the container.

Specimens that float to the surface must be discarded: they are unsuitable for planting. After calibration, I place the seeds in a thermos filled with hot water(+45…+50 “C), and keep it under a closed lid for about half an hour. Such warming promotes faster and more friendly germination and further development.

Next, I disinfect the seeds for 20 - 30 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 1 liter of water), after which I wash them under running water. On last stage I prepare a nutrient solution based on the growth stimulator “Energen” and the organo-mineral fertilizer “Biohumus” (1 capsule and 4.5 ml, respectively, per 600 ml of water). I moisten a piece of cotton cloth or gauze in it, put the planting material on it, put it on a saucer, which I immerse in a plastic bag. I leave the seeds in a warm place until they peck - in this solution it happens much faster.

Expert advice

Since the length of daylight in spring is still insufficient for the normal development of shoots, I make sure to provide cucumber seedlings with additional lighting in the morning and evening hours, and in cloudy weather throughout the day. For this purpose I use a drawing lamp. At its base there is special fasteners, allowing you to easily fix it on the windowsill. In addition, thanks to the long stem, the height of the illumination can be easily adjusted as the seedlings grow.

Stages of sowing cucumbers

Since cucumbers are very sensitive to transplantation and the slightest damage to the root system, when growing seedlings I immediately use separate containers. Four-hundred-gram plastic sour cream jars, which I specially collect, are perfect for this purpose. I make several holes in the bottom of each container to drain excess liquid.

I fill them only half with fertile soil. To do this, I use garden soil and rotted compost, taken in equal proportions and thoroughly mixed with wood ash (1 cup per 10 liters of substrate).

When the seeds begin to hatch, I immediately hatch them in cups, the soil in which I first spill with warm water. You should not delay the planting process, as the fragile roots outgrow very quickly and can easily break during planting. I put one seed in each container, sprinkle them with a 1-2 cm layer of soil, which I lightly moisten on top with a spray bottle. I cover each glass with cling film and leave it in a warm place (+ 27… +30 °C). As soon as the shoots appear, I move the container to the lightest window sill and remove the film from the cups.

The room temperature now needs to be maintained at +20... +22°C during the daytime, and at night it must not be allowed to drop below + 15°C.

Tender shoots of cucumber need regular but moderate watering. Neither drying nor waterlogging of the earthen coma should be allowed - this equally negatively affects their development.

Also, this culture does not tolerate drafts.

Feeding cucumbers

During the period of seedling growth, I fertilize twice with the complex fertilizer “Biohumus”, which I used to soak the seeds.

But this time I prepare the nutrient solution at the rate of 5 ml of the drug per 1 liter of water. I carry out the first feeding in the cotyledon phase, and the second - a week before transplanting the plants into the ground or greenhouse. About 10 days before my pets move to the dacha, I begin to take them out to the glassed-in loggia for hardening. As the seedlings grow, I gradually pour fertile soil into the cups, covering the stem down to the cotyledon leaves. This encourages the development of an additional root system, and my seedlings always look stocky and healthy by the time they are transplanted.

Subtleties of landing.

I don’t plant cucumbers in one place for two years in a row; I always observe crop rotation and try to plant this crop after cabbage, peas, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes or beets. I transplant the seedlings into a previously prepared bed, the soil on which I carefully dig up with the addition of humus from the racist plant, 1 bucket per 1 m2. Then I level the area and make holes at a distance of 40 -50 cm from each other for greenhouse plants and 30 -36 cm for ground cucumbers.

Then I plant young plants using the transshipment method, trying to avoid damage to the root system. I bury the seedlings up to the cotyledon leaves and water them with warm water. I always transplant in cloudy weather or in the evening. If I sow seeds in a garden bed, I first make deeper holes, add my homemade fertilizer to them, sprinkle them with soil, water them, and lay the seeds on top, burying them 1 - 2 cm into the soil.

I hope my experience will be useful for summer residents, and everyone will choose the best planting method for themselves. And those who decide to grow cucumbers through seedlings and use my advice will certainly be satisfied with the results.

A simple trick

I have one simple trick that significantly increases the yield and quality of greens. For the last few years, when planting, I have been adding potato peelings and leftover baked goods to the holes, which I collect and dry during the winter. When planting seedlings, I pour a handful of this fertilizer into the planting holes, mix it with the soil and spill it generously with water.

WHAT SHOULD THE SOIL BE FOR CUCUMBERS

If the bed for cucumbers is prepared properly, according to all the rules, then the gardener will not have any special troubles with growing this crop - the plants will be pleased with the harvest, and will not require unnecessary feeding, and about their health once again won't make you worry.

Cucumbers will enjoy a bed in which cabbage (white or cauliflower), peas or beans grew; You can plant them after tomatoes. But cucumbers do not like their predecessors in the garden to be “relatives” - representatives of the pumpkin family (zucchini, pumpkin, squash). Based on knowledge about cucumber likes and dislikes, we will prepare the ground for planting.

WHAT SOIL DO CUCUMBERS LIKE:

• fertile, rich in organic matter;
• with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction;
• loose, breathable;
• moisture-intensive;
• warm;
• cleared of weeds.

DO NOT LIKE:

• dense;
• sour;
• poor;
• cold.

Possible options

Depending on the conditions and your own capabilities, you can choose one of two main methods: improve (enrich, loosen, deoxidize, and so on) the soil available in the garden or build a so-called warm bed. Both options have advantages and disadvantages, so let's consider both.

Preparing a regular bed for cucumbers

Soil preparation for cucumbers begins long before planting. First of all, care should be taken to remove plant debris and weed roots. Cucumber does not grow well in weedy areas, so it is better to choose cultivated, well-cultivated soils for it.

In autumn, the bed is filled with fresh manure at the rate of 5-10 kg/m2 (the rate varies depending on soil fertility) with the addition of 30 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium salt. It is planned to use rotted manure, compost or humus; they are introduced during spring digging or added directly to the hole when planting. Those who prefer to do without mineral fertilizers use wood ash instead (1 cup per 1 m2).

Manure can be replaced with plant materials, such as fallen leaves, grass, etc. In this case, remove from the garden bed (it is more convenient to use a fenced one) upper layer soil to a depth of about 15 cm, lay the prepared organic matter and cover with soil. To prevent the “filling” from caking or compacting, add coarse ingredients to it - cuttings of branches, stalks of corn, sunflower, Jerusalem artichoke. You can additionally shed the plant layer with an infusion of chicken manure or mullein, but it’s better not to get carried away: an excess of organic fertilizers will not bring any benefit.

If the soil is acidic, it must be limed. The best option is to add dolomite flour to the previous crop at the rate of 300-500 g/m2 (depending on the acidity level), but this can also be done during autumn digging. Instead of dolomite flour, lime, chalk or wood ash are also used.

Dense, heavy clay soil must be made loose: add sand, peat, sawdust, humus. Remember that fresh sawdust cannot be used, as it increases the acidity of the soil and absorbs nitrogen from it. If you don’t have rotted raw materials on hand, fresh sawdust should be treated with a urea solution (200 g per 10 liters of water), mixed with wood ash or dolomite flour, covered with plastic wrap for 10-16 days and only then applied to the soil.

If you were unable to prepare the bed in the fall, you will have to do it in the spring, when the earth warms up. Apply organic and mineral fertilizers under the perekoaku, for example one of the proposed nutritional “cocktails” (per 1 m2):

• 3 kg of humus, 3 kg of peat, 2 kg of old sawdust, 30 - 40 g of superphosphate, 10 - 15 g of potassium salt;
• 5 - 7 kg of semi-rotted manure, 20 g of urea. 20 g double superphosphate, 20 g of potassium sulfate or 150 - 200 g of wood ash;
• 4 - 6 kg of compost or humus, 3 cups of wood ash, 100 g of nitrophoska.

Regardless of the selected set, fertilizers are evenly distributed over the bed and incorporated into the soil.

Preparing a warm bed for cucumbers

This is an excellent option for regions where spring can be cold, with late return frosts. As we remember, cucumber loves warm soil rich in nutrients - these are the conditions that a warm garden bed will provide. The heat that is released during the decomposition of organic raw materials allows you to obtain an early harvest of cucumbers even in unfavorable climatic conditions.

A warm bed is prepared in the fall to take advantage of all its benefits. True, you shouldn’t rush too much either: if you add biofuel too early, it will begin to warm up even before the onset of cold weather and will burn out by spring. But it’s better to talk about everything in order.

ON A NOTE

It is believed that 2/3 of the total amount of fertilizer intended for cucumbers should be applied when preparing the soil for planting. The remaining 1/3 is divided into two halves: one is used when the time comes for sowing or planting seedlings - added to the grooves (planting holes); the second half should be summer feeding.

Dig a trench 35 - 50 cm deep and 50 - 60 cm wide. Place a layer of branches or coarse stems at the bottom for drainage. Then install the arcs (if a stationary greenhouse is used). But then you can proceed differently.

Classic warm bed- this is a trench filled with manure (cow or horse). It is better to place such biofuel in a trench prepared in the fall in early spring (usually in March), in as a last resort– late autumn, after the onset of persistent cold weather. Place manure without compacting it. If the raw materials have been laid in the fall, you should loosen them with a pitchfork in the spring. If the contents do not “flare up” (that is, do not begin to warm up), but along the entire length of the bed, you need to make several deep holes and pour warm water into them. This stimulates the process.

When the biofuel flares up, sprinkle it with a layer of sawdust or peat (they will absorb the released ammonia), and then lay a loose soil mixture in a layer of 16 - 20 cm and cover the greenhouse with film. However, you cannot sow cucumbers immediately after this: in the first 10-12 days of “burning” the manure, the soil temperature can rise to +60 °C and higher. When the temperature drops to + 30 ... + 40 ° C and stabilizes, it will be possible to begin planting.

However, this technology is not available to all gardeners: some may not be able to get to their plot in early spring, and somewhere it is difficult to get a sufficient amount of fresh manure. In this case, you can fill the trench with available organic raw materials - fallen leaves, chopped grass (without seeds), tops (only healthy plants), and so on. Place rotted manure or compost on top and fill with soil.

This structure cannot fully replace a real warm bed: the plant “filling” heats up much less than manure, and planting can be started at a later date. However, cucumbers grow well on it and delight us with the harvest.

So, prepare the right soil for cucumbers it is possible different ways , and every gardener can easily select suitable option, based on your own preferences and the conditions of your summer cottage.

CUCUMBERS: DISEASES AND PESTS

When I was just starting to learn about gardening, I often missed the first signs of plant damage and, due to my carelessness, in some years I lost the harvest. But over time, a wealth of knowledge appeared that now helps me.

Since this crop is fast-growing, chemicals I don’t use it to protect it. Over many years of gardening, I have accumulated quite a few effective folk ways, which help maintain the health of cucumbers in any, even the most unfavorable conditions.

On a note

The most common pests of cucumber are aphids, spider mites and whiteflies. In addition to the fact that these insects suck juices from the leaves and stems of plants, greatly weakening them, they are also carriers of viral infections, which are subsequently almost impossible to cope with.

Pests of cucumbers

Aphids that damage cucumbers can be either winged or wingless and have a gray, green or solid color. An individual individual reaches a size of 1.8 - 2 mm. This insect reproduces very quickly, and in just a few days entire colonies are formed on the leaves and stems. She is inactive and, having taken a certain place on the shoot, sucks out the juice until it begins to dry out.

It is almost impossible to notice a spider mite with the naked eye, since its size does not exceed 0.6 mm. But its appearance on cucumbers can be easily determined by the presence of a thin cobweb on the leaves and their marbled honey fungus. These pests are usually found on the inside of the leaves, sucking the juices out of them, as a result of which they quickly begin to dry out.

The whitefly is a flying insect measuring about 2mm with translucent whitish wings. Not commonly found on the backs of leaves. She is very gluttonous and continues to suck cucumber juice from plants even when she is full. The excess sap that remains on the stems and leaves after the activity of this pest serves as a favorable environment for the appearance of sooty fungus, which further inhibits the shoots.

Ready for battle!

To the new summer season I start preparing in advance and during the autumn-winter period I stock up on kitchen waste that can be useful in the fight against these harmful gels. To do this, I collect and dry the peels of citrus fruits and onion skins.

When uninvited guests appear in the cucumber plantings, I take a half-liter jar of dry citrus peels, add 2 liters of water and leave for 24 hours. Then I boil the product over low heat for 16 - 20 minutes, filter it, bring the broth to 10 liters and spray the plants. If I get a lot of orange or tangerine peel over the winter, as a preventive measure I sprinkle it under the cucumber bushes and cover it with mowed grass. When the crusts rot in the ground, they emit a smell that repels these insects.

And in the fight against them, an infusion of onion peels is no less effective. To prepare it, I fill a liter jar of husks with 2 - 3 liters of hot water (+ 40...+ 50 ° C) and leave for two days. I filter the resulting paste, dilute it with water in a 1:1 ratio and apply it using a sprayer. This product, due to its high content of valuable nutrients, is also an excellent foliar feeding. With regular use of onion peel infusion throughout the season, cucumber vines remain green much longer and enjoy a longer fruiting period.

In the fight against pests on cucumber bushes, garlic infusion gives an excellent effect. To prepare it, I pass 1 cup of peeled cloves through a press, add the mass to a bucket of water and let it brew.< под крышкой в течение двух суток. Опрыскивание огурцов этим настоем не только отпугивает нежелательных насекомых, но и служит отличным бактерицидным средством для профилактики и лечения таких распространенных грибковых заболеваний, как мучнистая роса, пероноспороз, кладоспориоз, белая и root rot, ascochyta blight, fusarium blight and anthracnose.

Sickly looking

Most often, cucumbers suffer from powdery mildew and downy mildew. The first disease occurs at high air humidity and temperatures not exceeding +20 °C. It is characterized by the appearance of a powdery coating on the leaves in the form of small spots, which gradually increase in size and spread to the stems. Damaged plant parts subsequently begin to dry out and die.

No less dangerous is peronosporosis (downy mildew), which develops in similar weather conditions and is characterized by the appearance of numerous yellow specks that rapidly grow and lead to the death of the damaged part of the plant.

Cladosporiosis (brown olive spot) manifests itself in the form of small round ulcers of a brown or olive hue. The spots later begin to enlarge, dry out and collapse, damaging the foliage. This disease occurs during sudden changes in temperature, as well as in cool, rainy weather.

It is quite easy to detect the beginning of infection of cucumbers with white rot, which begins to spread with increased soil and air humidity: small white bodies that look like pieces of cotton wool form in various parts of the plants. If treatment is not carried out, the shoots and fruits can become almost completely covered with such a “cotton” coating.

Root rot can be noticed when foliage wilts en masse. If you pull such a bush out of the ground, its root system will turn out to be rotten and with a red tint. Cucumbers often begin to suffer from this scourge due to the carelessness of summer residents themselves - after watering with cold water in hot weather.

Ascochyta blight often destroys greenhouse plants and primarily appears on the stems in the form of oblong watery spots gray. Later, the spots darken, dry out, and brown exudate begins to emerge from their cracked integumentary membranes. If no measures are taken, the disease then spreads to the leaves and fruits.

In a greenhouse, on cucumber bushes you can also find signs of fusarium, which, similar to ascochyta, spreads due to excessive compaction of plantings, high humidity and a sharp difference in day and night temperatures. Fusarium wilt in most cases manifests itself only during the fruiting period; it significantly shortens its duration, as it greatly weakens the plants. Drooping tops of the lashes in the daytime are the first sign of fusarium. The spores of these fungi first settle on the roots, and then move to the stem and leaves, the edges of which become watery and acquire a pale tint.

If you water cucumbers with cold water, or if there are sudden changes in air temperature, anthracnose can develop, which can be easily identified by multiple brown spots on all parts of the plant. Moreover, on the fruits they look like depressed watery lesions of a brown or pinkish tint. On infected bushes, the quality of even healthy-looking greens deteriorates; they become tasteless due to a decrease in the amount of sugars and organic acids.

All of the above ailments are caused by various fungi, the spores of which rapidly multiply and destroy plants if the necessary measures are not taken in time. These mushrooms belong to different families, but for all of them, an acidic environment and treatment with antiseptic agents are equally destructive.

Be carefull!

When preparing folk remedies against diseases, I add 2-3 tbsp to each. spoons liquid soap for better adhesion and choose those products that are currently on hand. I would like to note that treatments must be carried out regularly once every 5-7 days until the condition of the plants improves. Sometimes I experiment and mix different ingredients (in case my cucumbers are affected by both pests and diseases at the same time). For example, I add iodine or brilliant green to tobacco dust; or I bring the prepared celandine decoction (3 liters) to a volume of 10 liters with unusual water, and with an ash solution, which I prepare at the rate of a half-liter jar of ash per 7 liters of water.

Over the past few years, I have become much more vigilant about the health of my country pets. I start spraying from the moment shoots appear in the beds or seedlings are planted in the ground as a preventive measure every 7-10 days, alternating solutions against pests and diseases. With this approach, my cucumbers remain healthy throughout the growing season and annually delight me with an excellent harvest.

PROVEN RECIPES AGAINST APHIDS, WHITEFLY AND SPIDER MITES

• Tobacco dust (150-200 g) is poured into 1-2 liters of hot water and left for 1-2 days. Then I filter the infusion, bring the volume to 10 liters and spray the plants.
• I fill the bucket 1/3 full with the crushed ground part of the marigolds, fill it halfway with water and leave for three days, after which I filter the infusion, dilute it with water in equal proportions and spray it.
• Finely chop 30-40 g of fresh or 10-15 g of dry hot pepper, add 1 liter of water, put on fire and boil for 20-30 minutes over low heat. I filter the resulting broth, pour it into 9 liters of water and process it.
• Fill 1/3 of a bucket of potato tops, tomato shoots or wormwood herb with warm water to the top and leave for two days. I use the strained infusion for its intended purpose.
• I grind 0.5 kg of freshly picked celandine grass and pour in 3 liters of water, leave for a day, boil for an hour and then filter. I pour the broth into a bucket, add water to the top and spray it.

In addition to garlic infusion, at the first signs of a particular disease, I use the following solutions for foliar spraying of plants:

• 1 liter of skim milk or kefir per 9 liters of water;
• 1 liter of whey per 9 liters of water;
• half-liter jar of wood ash per 10 liters of water (leave for 2 days and strain);
• 100 g of pressed yeast to 10 water;
• 10 ml of iodine per 10 liters of water;
• 10 ml of brilliant green per 10 liters of water;
• Pour 150-200 g of chopped wood fungus-tinder into 1-2 liters of boiling water, wait until it cools, strain and bring the volume to 10 liters;
• Pour 2 kg of rotted hay or straw into 0.5 buckets of warm water, leave for 3 days, strain and bring the volume to 10 liters;
• knead a loaf of rye bread and pour in 10 liters of water, let it ferment for 3 days, strain, dilute the resulting kvass with water in equal proportions;
• Fill 1/3 of a bucket with chopped plantain, nettle, dandelion and coltsfoot herbs, fill with water to the top and let steep for 3-5 days, then strain and use undiluted;
• Infuse 1 kg of mullein in 10 liters of water for 3 days, strain, dilute half with water;
• Pour 1 kg of freshly harvested horsetail herb into 3 liters of water, let it brew for a day, then boil, strain and bring the volume to 10 liters.

CUCUMBERS WITHOUT CHEMICALS

MANY GARDENERS TODAY PREFER TO GROW VEGETABLES AT THE COUNTRY WITHOUT THE USE OF SYNTHETIC MINERAL FERTILIZERS. AND THIS DOES NOT IN ANY WAY INTERFERE WITH OBTAINING AN EXCELLENT HARVEST – EVEN FROM SUCH GLUTEHOODS AS CUCUMBERS. THE MAIN THING IS TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT MENU FOR THEM

Cucumber loves organic matter, but we cannot limit ourselves to it: our arsenal must have different types of fertilizers in order to satisfy all the plant’s needs for useful macro- and microelements.

Ash

The chemical composition of ash varies over a fairly wide range and largely depends on the feedstock that was used to obtain it. But any ash contains calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium compounds necessary for cucumber. Regular application of ash throughout the season will prevent potassium starvation, which leads to the formation of ugly (pear-shaped) greens. In addition, calcium normalizes water balance and supports stable growth of cucumber vines.

The simplest method of application, so to speak, for the lazy: systematically (once a week or less) scatter sifted ash on the moist soil around the plants at the rate of 2 tbsp. spoons onto the bush, avoiding contact with the stems. Nutrients from the ash will gradually flow to the roots with each watering.

Liquid ash fertilizers, unlike the dry method, allow you to quickly deliver food to the recipient. This is especially important during the fruiting period, when potassium consumption increases. The recipes for such solutions are different; their concentration is selected based on specific conditions.

For regular feeding, you can use the following ash solution: dissolve a glass of ash in 10 liters of water. Apply fertilizer at the rate of 1-2 cups per plant. If potassium deficiency occurs, the proportions can be increased: take a half-liter jar of ash for 10 liters of water, rewind it carefully, let it settle, then feed the cucumbers with the resulting solution at the rate of 1 liter per bush.

You can also prepare ash paste: 3 tbsp. spoons per 1 liter of water, mix, leave for a week. The infusion is applied at the rate of 0.5 liters per bush, followed by abundant watering.

Nitrogen sources

If it is better to add rotted manure or compost to the soil when planting cucumbers, then fresh manure or poultry (chicken, pigeon, quail, etc.) droppings are preferable for fertilizing. They are used to prepare solutions of various concentrations. It is worth remembering: manure and droppings contain a lot of nitrogen, so it is extremely undesirable to abuse such fertilizers. Excess nitrogen will inevitably lead to abundant growth of greenery, but fruiting may be greatly delayed.

CHICKEN LOOSE

In addition to nitrogen, chicken manure contains a large number of potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. According to these indicators, it is even several times superior to cow manure. However, such a high concentration of nutrients and the presence of uric acid in the droppings make it unsafe for plants: such fertilizer can burn the roots. Even in the form of an infusion, fresh droppings cannot be applied at the root - only along the rows. And be sure to combine this feeding with abundant watering.

To prepare fertilizer from fresh chicken droppings, dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:20 and leave for 10 days. outdoors. Well, rotted droppings can be diluted in a higher concentration (1:10 or 1:15) and it needs to be infused less, only 2 - 3 days. The color of the finished fertilizer should resemble weakly brewed tea. If the solution turns out to be more saturated, you should add water so that the fertilizer you prepared does not harm the plants. It is especially effective in the phase of the second or third leaf, when cucumbers need nitrogen for growth, as well as at the beginning of flowering, when the beneficial elements contained in the droppings stimulate the formation of ovaries.

MANURE

Horse manure is an excellent biofuel for warm cucumber beds. For fertilizing, it is more convenient to use cow manure: the nitrogen content in it is relatively low, which means there will be less risk of overdose, which can lead to the accumulation of nitrates in the fruits or the active growth of ash mass to the detriment of fruiting.

An infusion is prepared from fresh manure: fill the raw material with water in a ratio of 1:1, leave for a week, then dilute in a ratio of 1:10 and apply, like chicken manure fertilizer, between the rows, at the rate of 10 liters of infusion per 1 m7 of planting.

Another way to prepare fertilizer: mix slurry with water 1:4 and ferment in a warm place for 4-7 days. Dilute the resulting infusion with water again in a ratio of 1:3 or 1:4 and use for fertilizing.

Weeds to the rescue

Excellent nutrition for cucumbers comes from the most common grass. Chop the weeded weeds, put them in any suitable container, fill them with water and leave for several days until a characteristic “aroma” appears. You can safely water cucumbers and other vegetables with the resulting herbal infusion, after diluting it with water in a ratio of 1:10. The most “delicious” top dressing is obtained from nettle and dandelion.

Expert advice

When preparing herbal no feeding Fill the container to the top, otherwise during fermentation the contents will begin to overflow. The fermentation time of such fertilizer will depend on the temperature: the warmer it is, the faster it will be ready.

Speckled fertilizer can be prepared with the addition of fresh yeast and black bread. Fill the container 2/3 with chopped nettles, add the remaining bread or crackers, add water with yeast diluted in it (100 g per bucket of water) and ferment in a warm place for 3 - 5 days. Before use, dilute the prepared infusion with water in a ratio of 1:10.

Natural " complex fertilizer"can be prepared as follows: 5 -6 kg of crushed leaves and stems of weeds (nettle, plantain, dandelion, coltsfoot), 10 tbsp. spoons of wood ash, put 1 bucket of mullein in a ten-bucket (100 l) container, fill it with water to the top and mix thoroughly. I (melt for a week.

Products from the kitchen

The leaves of the cucumbers began to turn yellow prematurely; a solution of baking soda (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water) will help.

Cucumbers also respond well to yeast feeding: 100 g of fresh (not dry!) ​​yeast per 10 liters of water. Dissolve the yeast completely, let it brew for half an hour, water at the rate of 1 liter per bush.

The growth of cucumber vines is accelerated by milk: it is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2, and I feed it’!’ once every 2 weeks. Instead of milk, you can use whey (2 liters per bucket of water).

How often should you feed?

Everyone knows that cucumber is demanding on nutrition. But the degree of this exactingness is understood differently, and therefore you can find personal recommendations regarding the frequency of fertilizing.

The most radical option is to feed the plants all season, every 10-12 days (or even once a week), alternating mineral fertilizers with organic ones.

The second option involves only 3-4 feedings, timed to coincide with the most important stages of plant development: the first - two weeks after planting the seedlings, when the plants have already adapted well to the new place; the second - at the beginning of flowering; the third and fourth - at the stage of mass fruiting, when the plants are actively forming greens.

Finally, some gardeners are of the opinion that 1-2 feedings are enough for a cucumber throughout the summer - at the time of crop formation.

Who is right and which option to choose? This is largely determined by the conditions: if the cucumber bed was generously filled with organic matter before planting, the soil on it is fertile and retains moisture and nutrients well, then you should not get carried away with additional fertilizing. Excess nutrition is no less harmful than its deficiency: overfed plants are less resistant to disease. In addition, excess nitrogen leads to a decrease in yield and the accumulation of nitrates in fruits.

If the soil is poor or too loose (for example, sandy) and necessary for the plant the elements are quickly washed away during watering or rain, and without additional nutrition you will not see a harvest.

You also need to watch the plants - they themselves will tell you whether they need feeding. The vines are healthy, the leaves are green, the fruits are developing well - you should not get carried away with applying fertilizers, even natural ones.

WAYS FOR GRATING CUCUMBERS

When I was in school, I spent all my summer holidays with my grandmother in the village. Even as a child, I took great pleasure in caring for garden plants. And the most enjoyable activity for me was harvesting. The only crop that I didn’t like picking fruits from was cucumber.

Grandma always grew cucumbers. With this method of planting, the bed occupied a fairly large area. Therefore, I never had any particular joy in making my way through the dense thickets that cover the surface of the earth like a continuous carpet. Often she would inadvertently step on both the fragile lashes and the green grasses themselves, and then scolded herself for her clumsiness. My parents also grew this vegetable. And only I, when I completely took the initiative to cultivate the dacha plot into my own hands, for the first time tried to tie long cucumber vines to a support.

I carried out my first experiment on constructing a support for cucumbers using the side backs of two old armored beds, which had been gathering dust for a long time in the country barn. I dug these metal beds across the bed at a distance of about 1.5 m and stretched several lines of twine between them. I planted the cucumbers in two rows and, as the shoots grew, I simply threw the vines over the support. After some time, they densely braided the structure, which, although it turned out to be low, made care much easier. Collecting greens in the cucumber “tunnel” has become much easier. However, what pleased me most was that the fruiting period with this method of planting increased significantly in comparison with those plants that previously spread freely on the ground.

But still, the height of this structure turned out to be insufficient: as the shoots grew, they rose to the support, and then descended to the ground again.

After some time, I built another support. The beds were replaced with strong wooden stakes about 2 m high, which were dug along the edges and in the middle of the beds on the same line. Between them I stretched several horizontal rows of twine at a distance of 30 - 35 cm, to which I tied cucumber lashes during the growth period. The height of this trellis turned out to be optimal, and I was very pleased with the result. The only thing was that I subsequently replaced the twine with strong wire, since it invariably sagged under the weight of the shoots hung with fruits.

NO WAY WITHOUT MULCH!

Gartering cucumbers during the growing season does not take much time and has long become a habitual activity for me. This method significantly saves space on the site. Watering and feeding plants is not difficult: now I pour water and nutrient solutions strictly at the roots, and mulch the ground under the plantings with mowed grass. After all, on my sandy soil, which instantly dries out in the summer heat, I simply cannot do without mulch. It allows you to retain moisture in the ground much longer. In addition, when the grass rots, it saturates it with organic compounds and additionally nourishes the plants.

Prevention

On the trellis, vertically located shoots are illuminated from all sides by the sun, blown by the breeze and always remain dry after watering, which significantly reduces the risk of developing fungal diseases. For example, when I grew this crop in a creeping form, the plantings were constantly affected by downy mildew and anthracnose. And this happened because the shoots were in contact with moist soil, the temperature of which always decreased at night.

And if suddenly it was cool in the summer, rainy weather, then the cucumbers were affected by fungal diseases simply with lightning speed, and sometimes I completely lost the harvest. Now I have the opportunity to free up a significant amount of time that I previously spent on treating my plantings.

I can detect signs of a particular disease on bushes only during seasons with extremely unfavorable weather conditions. The trellis also protects them from the cold August dew, which negatively affects the condition of plants creeping along the surface of the soil. Naturally, healthy bushes bear fruit much longer and bring joy bountiful harvest until autumn.

For the bees

With the trellis method of growing bee-pollinated varieties, which I usually plant in open ground, the yield increases significantly. After all, in such conditions it becomes easier for insects to find and pollinate maximum amount flowers that are accessible to them, and not hidden in dense thickets of tangled lashes and leaves. And what a pleasure it now gives me to collect fragrant, crispy greens! You no longer have to spend a long time looking for them: they are all in plain sight. In addition, I no longer trample the beds as before, and do not damage tender shoots and leaves.

Miracle net for cucumbers

Last year, quite by chance, I saw a trellis net in a garden store, specially designed for cultivating long-climbing plants. Already knowing about all the advantages of the vertical method of growing cucumbers, I happily purchased this

product and managed to evaluate its merits in the same season. The height of the mesh was just 2 m, and I was able to easily attach it to the buried pipes and stretch it along the entire length of the bed.

I really regretted that I didn’t find out about this wonderful invention earlier, because now I don’t have to waste time tying the lashes: I just direct them between the cells, which have an optimal size of 15x15 cm, and they themselves tilt towards it with tenacious tendrils. Those who have at least once tried to grow cucumbers on a trellis are unlikely to be able to abandon this method. After all, having once spent time and effort on building a support, you can significantly reduce maintenance costs throughout all subsequent summer seasons.

Garter methods

There are various ways to garter cucumbers, and each summer resident can choose among them the most suitable for himself or use his ingenuity and invent any other support from the available materials.

For example, my neighbor in the countryside ties cucumbers in a very original way. On the garden bed he draws several circles with a diameter of about 1 m. A tall wooden stake is driven into the center of each, at the end of which there is a small nail. Then he digs shallow circular grooves around the stakes and plants cucumbers in them.

When the shoots reach 20 - 30 cm, he ties several pieces of twine to a clove (depending on the number of plants), the second end of which is secured to the stems with a free loop. As it grows, it twists the vines around the twine, and subsequently a kind of cucumber “huts” are formed in its bed, attracting the glances of all passers-by.

Other neighbors similarly wrap cucumber vines around twine, but as support they use thick wooden beams dug into the edges of the bed, with a long strip nailed to the top. They plant the cucumbers in a row and tie the twine to a rail above each individual bush. By the way, they are pensioners and live in the country all the time throughout the season. Therefore, if cold rains suddenly begin to fall in the summer, they throw a film over the trellis, attaching it to the twine with clothespins, and thus save the plants from excess moisture. They act similarly during the period summer heat, shading cucumbers from the scorching sun at midday, but instead of film they use lutrasil.

Formation of lashes in cucumbers

Growing cucumbers on a trellis, in addition to other pleasant moments, allowed me to try out the principles of forming vines, which I learned about from special literature. This technique makes it possible not only to restrain the growth of green mass, but also to regulate the process of fruit formation. When I allowed the cucumbers to trail freely along the ground, there was no question of any forming: it was simply impossible to keep track of the growth point of each of the tangled shoots.

But with vertical growth, the stems, leaves and ovaries are visible, which simplifies working with them. It is worth noting that various varieties and hybrids require different approaches to the formation of lashes.

Having mastered all the intricacies of forming cucumber bushes, I can say with complete confidence that their productivity increases significantly. By pinching certain shoots, you can redirect the cucumber's strength from actively growing long vines to setting more fruits.

For example, I annually plant in open ground ancient varieties‘Phoenix 640′ and ‘Monastic’, and they always delight me with their disease resistance and abundant fruiting. But since mainly male flowers are formed on their main stem, I pinch it in the phase of 5-6 true leaves. In their axils, side shoots with female-type flowers appear, which are precisely the key to the future harvest. I tie them to a support and remove the growing point on each after the 4th -5th leaf. In this way I form highly branched bushes and significantly increase their productivity.

Modern varieties and hybrids have a predominantly female type of flowering on all parts of the bush, and parthenocarpic varieties have flowers that form ovaries independently and do not need pollination at all. Therefore, I carry out their formation differently. When 3 - 5 true leaves form on the main stem, I remove all shoots and buds from their axils. This technique is called blinding.

If this is not done, then the ovaries formed in these places will inhibit the development of the entire cucumber bush, which will ultimately lead to a decrease in yield. Above this level I leave all the lateral stepsons, but I stop their growth after the third leaf, pinching the growth point. When the main stem reaches the upper edge of the trellis, I smoothly move its growth to a horizontal position, attaching it with twine to the wire or the upper level of the trellis mesh cells. Then I wait for 2-3 more side shoots to appear and pinch the main stem. I let these very last stepchildren down the support and pinch them in the peacocks about 1 m from the soil surface.

Formation in a greenhouse

Most of my cucumbers grow in open ground, and only to get early greens I plant several plants in a greenhouse, where I also tie the vines to a vertical support. But since greenhouse bushes are less well illuminated and ventilated, I blind the main stem at a height of 40-50 cm, and at the next 50-60 cm I pinch the side shoots after the first leaf and leave one ovary in their axils. For the remaining side shoots up to a height of 1.5 m, I remove the growth point after the second leaf, and in the upper zone, where the light increases, I leave 3-4 leaves on the branches.

After the main stem reaches the upper level of the trellis, I shape it similarly to open ground plants, sending a couple of lashes down. This way I increase the load on the upper part of the bush. In the lower part, with this method of formation, thickening is eliminated and ventilation is improved, which in turn protects greenhouse cucumbers from damage by root rot.

For a cucumber bush, branching is natural process Therefore, I regularly engage in the formation of lashes throughout the entire growing season of this crop. Since I only visit the dacha on weekends, I therefore carry out this work once a week, but in no case less often. Otherwise, the shoots will outgrow and the desired effect from shaping cannot be achieved. In addition, I remove all yellowed and damaged leaves from the plants.

Gartering and shaping cucumbers seemed like a difficult task to me only when I became familiar with the intricacies of this process in theory. In practice, everything turned out to be simpler. By the way, thanks to this approach, I began to plant a much smaller number of plants.

Expert advice

Carry out operations to form bushes, as well as remove unnecessary shoots and dying leaves, in the early morning so that the wounds dry out and heal before evening. Make cuts with sharp, clean scissors and never leave stumps. In addition, do not touch large lashes if they accidentally fasten with tendrils in a direction you do not want. If you change their position and turn the leaves and ovaries in the direction opposite to their initial growth, this will negatively affect their further development.

WHERE IS IT WITHOUT PROBLEMS?

CUCUMBERS ARE NOT A TOO FICKY CULTURE, BUT FROM TIME TO TIME EVEN THEY CAN PRESENT SOME PROBLEM TO THE GARDENER. WE WILL TELL YOU WHAT TO DO IF...

…cucumbers grow ugly

Deformation of greens is a sign of an imbalance in plant nutrition. This is how the cucumber tells you what exactly it is missing:

a fruit that resembles a light bulb or a pear (narrowing at the stalk and widening at the tip) indicates potassium deficiency. At the same time, a brown border may appear on the edges of the leaves. A half-liter jar of ash per 10 liters of water will help solve the problem. Mix everything, let it sit, water 1 liter per bush;

Greens thickened at the stalk and tapering towards the end are a signal of nitrogen starvation.

At the same time, you can notice that the leaves on the cucumber vines began to become smaller and pale, and the shoots became thinner. Organic fertilizers will solve the problem ( herbal infusion, solution of mullein or chicken droppings);

“waisted” cucumbers (narrowing in the middle of the fruit) are most often formed due to large temperature changes. This usually happens at the end of summer, when the days are hot and the nights are already cold. Shelter will help to avoid such a problem;

curved, arched greenery can be a consequence of uneven soil moisture, for example, excessive watering after a severe drought. In hybrids, a similar phenomenon occurs in the case of cross-pollination. Proper plant care will prevent this defect from occurring.

...cucumbers are bitter

Bitterness is associated with the formation of cucurbitacin. And this substance is produced in cucumbers under the influence of stress, which can be drought, sudden temperature changes, and other adverse effects - cucumbers do not like extremes.

What to do?

The most reliable way to solve the problem is to give preference to modern varieties and hybrids that genetically lack the ability to produce cucurbitacin.

Such greens will not taste bitter, even if stress factors arise. But it’s also not superfluous to take care of the plantings: give your pets plenty of water, mulch the soil to conserve moisture, protect the plants from temperature fluctuations - then the taste of cucumbers will only delight you.

...the leaves on the cucumber vines turn yellow

If the season is coming to an end, yellow leaves- a natural phenomenon." You can extend the life of the plant by bending the whip to the ground and partially covering it with soil: cucumbers form adventitious roots well, which will help the bush get additional nutrition and rejuvenate.

When leaves turn yellow prematurely, this may indicate a lack of nitrogen. If the plant is also stunted in growth and has thin, weakened shoots, there is no doubt about the diagnosis. Feed the cucumbers with nitrophoska (2 teaspoons per 3 liters of water, apply 1 - 2 cups under the bush) or organic fertilizer.

...cucumbers do not set fruit

There may be several reasons for this:

POLLINATION DID NOT HAPPEN Cucumbers are bee-pollinated and parthenocarpic (forming fruits without pollination). If you plant bee-pollinated varieties in a greenhouse where insects cannot reach, there will be no fruit. Cucumbers do not grow on such plants even in open ground if the weather is cold or rainy (pollinating insects do not fly).

TOO HOT

Cucumbers are heat-loving, but too heat air (most often this happens in greenhouses at the height of summer) leads to the fact that the fruits do not set.

TOO MUCH NITROGEN

This macronutrient stimulates the growth of green mass to the detriment of fruiting. Overfed plants usually have large, succulent leaves and powerful stems, but the flowering is weak and little or no fruit is formed.

DID YOU USE FRESH SEEDS?

Cucumbers have one peculiarity: plants from fresh (last year's) seeds produce many male flowers (barren flowers), and the appearance of female ones may be delayed. The seeds were stored for 2 - 3 years before sowing; they produce plants on which female flowers appear simultaneously with male ones, which means that fruiting begins earlier.

...the plant withers

If a seemingly healthy cucumber suddenly begins to wilt, its root system may be damaged. Rodents can also work, and excess moisture can have an effect - there are different reasons. Gently rake the soil at the base of the stem. If the root collar has rotted and turned brown, the plant is affected by root rot. Torn roots indicate the involvement of underground pests. You can try to save a plant with damaged roots. Cucumber vines take root well, so it is often enough to bend the shoots and sprinkle them with soil - after some time, roots will form in this place.

If upon examination it turns out that the roots are not damaged, the wilting of the plant is most likely associated with a viral disease - verticillium wilt (wilt). In this case, it should be removed as soon as possible to prevent the disease from spreading.

...small holes appear on the leaves

This is what sunburn marks on plants in greenhouses look like. At night, due to temperature differences, condensation forms on the film. When they fall on the leaves, the droplets work like magnifying glasses - lifting the leaf plate is burned through by the rays of the sun.

On a note: How to properly store cucumbers in summer

In summer, of course, it is best to pick cucumbers directly from the vines and immediately eat them. And yet, there are often cases when you need to preserve greens for a week, or maybe even a month. How to do it?

Another method is based on the same principle - creating a film on the surface of cucumbers that prevents the evaporation of moisture and the penetration of air involved in the decomposition of organic substances. But it is absolutely harmless, since food raw materials are used. Freshly harvested greens must be washed with boiled water, then thoroughly wiped and carefully coated with egg white so that there are no uncovered areas left. Cucumbers must have a stalk; they are hung by it so that the white dries and forms a reliable film. They are stored in this form for a month or more.

In the cellar and basement

Optimal conditions for storing cucumbers - humidity 90-95% and temperature plus 5-6 degrees - make it possible to preserve vegetables in their “natural” form for 2-3 weeks. These parameters are usually easy to maintain in cellars and basements. Zelentsy is best placed in thin plastic bags capacity 2-4 kg. First, you should pick off the remaining inflorescences and wrap each fruit with a paper napkin or towel. There is no need to wash cucumbers.

The bags are filled approximately two-thirds full and the top is folded over, but the bag itself is not tied or sealed. Loose packaging provides a small air flow to the cucumbers, which is what they need. At the same time, the plastic film creates increased air humidity, preventing the cucumbers from withering.

In a refrigerator

You can store the harvest on the lower shelves of refrigerators. But here the temperature is somewhat lower, and the humidity is much higher than the recommended parameters. And if, as is often advised, you store greens in open or perforated bags, then they will give up their moisture to the air refrigeration chamber and will quickly become flabby. Therefore, you need to send cucumbers here in tightly tied bags, and also make sure that there are no holes in them. If this condition is met, the fruits will remain fresh for 10 days.

At room temperature

Cucumbers will withstand the same amount of time if they are placed with the stem down three-quarters of the way into water, which must be changed daily. A little less - 7-8 days - you can store greens in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. The last two methods imply that storage occurs at room temperature.

Under the "film"

There are some unusual methods for storing cucumbers that are questionable. Thus, it is advised to cover fresh fruits with Vaseline - they say that in this form they can retain good taste for a month or more. But the question arises: how to eat them later?

Ancient recipe

Pour a little vinegar into a pot or enamel pan, place a wire rack or colander on top, add the cucumbers and close the lid tightly.

On a note

Cucumbers with thick skins last longer than others.

Fruits with white thorns store better and longer than those with black ones. Rosalind nails Gel polish Varnishes Semi-permanent UV Hybrid nail Art Gel... ★ : Cucumbers by cuttings: personal experience It is known that...: Cucumbers in the apartment - secrets...

It is impossible to imagine the beginning of the summer vegetable season without cucumbers. The juicy, aromatic vegetable is loved by many. Therefore, in our article: cucumbers - cultivation and care in open ground, we will consider the most current issues not only for beginners, but also for more experienced gardeners lovers.

The first step in growing any vegetable is choosing a variety, and cucumbers are no exception to the rule. When choosing varieties, it is always necessary to take into account the climate of the region in which the vegetable is planned to be cultivated.

You should also decide on the further use of the harvested crop:

• whether it will be consumed fresh;
• bookmark for conservation;
• or the use of cucumbers for both needs.

In addition, there is a gradation of varieties in three directions:

• early;
• average;
• late cucumbers.

In addition to the above, this culture is divided into two types - self-pollinating (formation of the ovary without pollen transfer) and pollinated by insects. Both types can be used for planting in open ground.

Currently, breeders have developed a huge variety of cucumber varieties and its hybrids for cultivation in open ground.

The most popular of them:

• April F1– a hybrid, belongs to the early varieties. From germination to the first harvest, only 45-55 days. The bushes are compact. The fruits are long (22-25 cm) with a weight of 200-250 g. Perfect for salads (taste without bitterness) and preserves. Resistant to temperature changes and easy to care for.
• Hermann- refers to a self-pollinating species. Fruits like gherkins. The first fruits can be obtained 8 weeks after germination. Flowering and ovary occur over a long period of time. During the season, up to 30 kg of crop can be harvested from one square meter of plot with cucumbers. The vines are not fragile, which makes it easy to tie them to a trellis.
• Fontana F1– medium maturation, insect-pollinated, hybrid. Good for canning. Fruits are up to 12 cm long and weigh up to 100 g, without bitterness. This hybrid is resistant to many diseases.
• Prestige– a hybrid characterized by active growth and a long fruiting period. It is easy to care for and has strong immunity to many diseases.

The number of varieties of cucumbers and its hybrids reaches several thousand names, so many summer residents are lost when choosing seeds.

To minimize the risk of making the wrong choice, decide on the basic parameters:

• purpose of cultivation;
• variety preference: early, mid-ripening or late.

Preparation of seeds and planting material

Pledge good harvest– high-quality seeds. No matter how much the manufacturer praises his seeds, in order for them to grow into a strong and healthy plant, they will need to be pre-sowed.

Having gone through a difficult preparation process, the seeds are ready to be planted in the ground.

Planting cucumbers in open ground

Cucumber is a heat-demanding plant. Planting a vegetable is not difficult, but you need to know some of the subtleties of this process in order to achieve the desired result. It is better to place it after tomatoes, onions, cabbage, and potatoes.

Soil and location requirements

Planting cucumbers should begin with choosing a location. An area with good lighting is needed (but so that the cucumber bushes are not located under the scorching sun), and protected on the north side, which meets the needs of this plant.

Cucumber grows in any soil, but does best in loamy, low-acid and sandy soils. These types of soil provide good air circulation and moisture absorption.

Presence groundwater close to the surface can lead to rotting of the root system due to increased humidity.

For better growth The soil is always fertilized before planting.

How and when to plant?

It is best to plant cucumbers in warm soil with a temperature of at least 15-17 degrees Celsius. The planting period depends on the climatic and weather conditions of the region. It fluctuates between May 25 – June 5. It’s also not worth planting and growing cucumbers too late in the summer, because... daylight hours increase and the temperature rises, which has a bad effect on the growth and development of the plant.

Cucumber seeds can be planted in beds one row or in separate holes, preferably 2-3 seeds in each. The distance between the rows should be at least 50 cm, and the seeds should be sown at a distance of 20 cm from each other.

Before planting, the rows or holes are watered abundantly, after which the seeds are covered with a small layer of soil and watered again. To maintain the required temperature and humidity for rapid germination, the rows are covered with film. When the first sprouts appear, the film is periodically opened slightly, allowing air access. As soon as the flowers appear, the cover is completely removed from the rows.

Caring for cucumbers in open ground

Cucumbers, like any plant in the garden, need special care. After all, without proper attention, it will not produce a good harvest or may even die.

Watering schedule

The most important thing in caring for cucumbers is watering. As a result of insufficient watering, seedlings become weak, develop poorly, bear little fruit, and cucumbers develop a bitter taste. If there is an excess of moisture, the root system can simply rot. Water should be in moderation.

Cucumbers are watered throughout the summer. It is recommended to use settled and warm water. Cold water from a hose is stressful for the plant, which leads to slower growth.

On initial stage growth, the plant is watered after the soil dries out a little in order to form a strong root system. In the future, the formation of a dry crust on the soil is unacceptable. Before the flowers appear, water once every 6 days, then every 3 to 4 days. Possibly more often. It all depends on the temperature indicators.

Young cucumbers need enough water in the amount of 1 bucket per 1 sq.m. When the plant stops growing, it should be watered at the rate of 1 bucket - 1 bush. Naturally, be careful and try not to wet the trunk and leaves.

Tying and shaping a cucumber bush

Two weeks after germination, you can begin gartering and forming a bush.

The stem is tied with twine to the trellises with a loose loop, simultaneously forming the main stem. To do this, pluck out flowers and shoots in the axils, keeping 5 to 6 lateral shoots. They are pinched so that the length does not exceed 20 cm. With further growth, the shoots are pinched at a height of 30 cm, and the top ones are allowed to grow to 50 cm and carefully fixed on a trellis. The main stem is pinched to 70 cm and thrown over the trellis.

Feeding and fertilizers

The first feeding is carried out after the formation of 2-3 leaves. As a fertilizer, you can use mullein (1 liter of solution per 10 liters of water), chicken manure in combination with ash (2 cups per 10 liters of water). Mineral fertilizing is carried out with a solution consisting of 15 g of urea and potassium sulfate, 50 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water.

When the fruits begin to appear, the amount of potassium and nitrogen-containing substances in the fertilizing increases significantly. During the growing period of cucumbers, fertilizers are applied up to 4 times.

Processing cucumbers

In addition to root feeding, cucumbers require surface treatment of the bushes, which is carried out for preventive purposes against fungal diseases. To do this, use an effective folk remedy - a solution of iodine with milk (for 10 liters of water, 1 liter of milk and 30 drops of iodine). This solution can be sprayed on cucumbers from germination to harvest at intervals of 7 to 10 days. Treatment with this product does not harm the plant and is absolutely harmless to people.

Main problems associated with cultivation

Growing cucumbers in summer can cause a number of problems:

• Deformation of fruits is the result of unbalanced feeding, sudden temperature changes or untimely watering.
• The presence of bitterness in the taste means hot summer, lack of moisture.
• Yellowed leaves – lack of nitrogen.
• Poor ovary - pollination does not occur (rainy, damp weather), high temperature, excess nitrogen.
• Plant extinction is root rotting or damage by rodents.

Diseases, pests and methods of combating them

During the entire development period, cucumbers can become victims of various diseases and pests.

• Powdery mildew. White coating and reddish spots on leaves and stems are the first signs of this disease. The affected areas are immediately removed. The plant is treated with solutions of colloidal sulfur, mullein or wood ash.
• Gray rot. The fruits and leaves become covered with a gray coating and brown spots appear. The appearance of the ovary stops. With this disease, reduce the intensity of watering, remove defective areas and treat with an ash solution.
• Downy mildew. Oily gray-green spots appear, gradually spread to the entire leaf and lead to its drying out. Fertilizing and watering should be avoided for a period of 1 week and the affected bush should be treated with a polycarbacine solution.
• White rot. The plant becomes covered with a white coating right down to the root and the process of rotting begins. All that remains is to remove the affected bush.
• Olive spot. Cucumber fruits become covered with wet spots Brown. In this case, the plant is sprayed with a light solution of Bordeaux mixture and watering is suspended for 5 days.
• Melon aphids, spider mites and tobacco tripe I’m always not averse to settling on cucumber bushes. These small insects cause great harm plant. The leaves dry out and fall off, the appearance of the ovary stops, the plant becomes exhausted and withers. To combat insects, I use specialized insecticidal preparations. For prevention, you should always get rid of weeds on which they can reproduce.

Collection and storage of cucumbers

Cucumbers are collected unripe at intervals of 2–3 days, as soon as they reach the required size (8–12 cm). You need to remove the fruits from the stems carefully so that the stalk remains on the stem and the stem itself does not twist.

Fresh cucumbers are stored very little. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Therefore, for the winter, cucumbers are salted in a barrel or canned.

Care and maintenance of cucumbers are the basic principles for a good harvest. Therefore, if you want to achieve the desired results, study the information provided in our article and do not forget to put the recommendations received into practice!

Cucumber is an annual plant of the Cucurbitaceae family. This is perhaps the only crop whose fruits we eat unripe.

Africa, Greece, warm India are the countries where cucumbers were first grown. To date, many hybrid varieties this plant is resistant to adverse weather conditions, diseases, etc. Therefore, growing cucumbers in open ground is almost always a successful and justified process.

Not every gardener knows the secrets of growing cucumbers in open ground, so the information in this article will be very useful for many.

Cucumber variety Courage - a great new product for garden beds

Cucumber Courage is one of the most suitable varieties for planting in open ground. This is a high-yielding hybrid, resistant to diseases and pests, characterized by rapid growth and ripening of fruits. Therefore, it is grown not only for personal consumption, but also for sale in large quantities. The fruits of this variety have high taste qualities and excellent presentation. Methods of growing Kurazh cucumbers in open ground: seed and seedlings. Seed cultivation cucumbers are possible throughout Russia, with the exception of the northern regions. In cold climates, this crop is cultivated using the seedling method.

The agricultural technology of the Kurazh variety provides for standard technology for growing this crop in open ground:

• Preparing the site for planting.
• Pre-sowing preparation of seed material.
• Growing seedlings and caring for them.
• Transplanting cucumbers into open ground.
• Harvesting.

Preparing the area for planting

The area for growing cucumbers should be sunny, level, with deep groundwater, where there are no winds or drafts. This crop does not grow well in acidic soils. You can deoxidize them and bring them to a neutral acidity level using lime or dolomite flour.

The cucumber variety Kurazh, like other varieties of this crop, does not develop on alkaline, heavy and infertile soil. How correctly the seasonal soil preparation is carried out will depend future harvest cucumbers Courage.

Autumn tillage involves clearing the area of ​​weeds and garden debris. All this must be done before the onset of the seasonal rains. After this, the site is dug up with the application of organic fertilizers, for example, rotted manure. The digging depth is no more than 15 cm.

With the arrival of spring they begin seasonal work for loosening the soil and removing young weeds. A cultivator or rake is used to cultivate the soil surface. Before sowing seeds and planting seedlings, it is necessary to level the soil surface. This layout is very important for the successful cultivation of this crop. On flat surface without lumps, the seeds will be sown at the same depth and will sprout together.

The set of spring measures to prepare a site for planting cucumbers includes preserving soil moisture that has accumulated over the winter and spring. Repeated surface loosening of the soil allows maximum moisture retention.

Seed preparation

Preparing cucumber seeds for sowing in open ground or for growing seedlings at home is one of the important stages. The growth and development of plants, as well as the future harvest, will depend on the quality of the seed material. The seeds must be healthy, without damage and with good germination - about 90%.

Before sowing, the seeds are rejected and calibrated by soaking in sodium chloride - a solution of 3% concentration. The floating seeds are removed, and the seeds that have sunk to the bottom are used for planting. Selected seeds are washed in water and dried on a dry surface.

To prevent the appearance of diseases and mold, the seeds are treated with the drug Fentiuram - 0.4 g of the substance is added per 5 kg of seeds. Instead of Fentiuram, you can use the drug TMTD. After this, the seeds undergo heat treatment. They are laid out on a baking sheet and placed in the oven for 1 hour at a temperature of 70 degrees.

Planting seeds in open ground

Correctly, cucumber seeds need to be sown with special seeders that ensure accurate sowing into the ridges. But most gardeners do it manually on their own site. Sow the seeds when the last frost has passed and the soil has warmed to 15 degrees Celsius. In regions with a cool climate, the sowing time is at the end of May or beginning of June.

In the south, the approximate time for sowing seeds is the first half of April. If spring is early, planting dates are accelerated. In a late spring, seeds are sown later than usual. It is worth remembering that in well-warmed soil the risk of seed rotting and death is significantly reduced.

For a plot of 1 m2, use 50 g of dry cucumber seeds of the Kurazh variety. The same area will require 2 times less sprouted seeds. The optimal distance between seedlings is 12-15 cm. Densified plantings can provoke the appearance of diseases due to insufficient ventilation of the seedlings.

Structures for growing seedlings

Growing cucumbers of the Kurazh variety through seedlings is used in the regions of the middle zone. In addition, using this method reduces the risk of soil downtime in an area with ungerminated seedlings.

To plant seeds, use seedling containers with a nutritious and loose substrate. Modern seedling structures for growing cucumber seedlings are small, mobile, heated nurseries. They have low cost, good illumination, and the possibility of using mechanized equipment for sampling and hardening of seedlings.

Only under conditions of optimal temperature, lighting, air humidity and soil can you obtain strong and healthy seedlings cucumbers It is not difficult to create such conditions in nurseries. To ensure the correct light mode, it is necessary to select right place for the location of the seedling structure. At home, this is due to the location of the windows in relation to the south.

The necessary air humidity and temperature for planting can be ensured with the help of ventilation and a special heating system, nutrition with special fertilizers and nutrient substrates, and soil moisture with regular moistening.

During the period of emergence and in the second phase of growing this crop, it is very important to maintain the same temperature regime inside the nursery. To grow seedlings without fertilizing, the seeds are planted in peat manure or manure-soil mixture. When planting seed material in poor soil, the seedlings are fed twice with low concentration superphosphate.

Ideally, peat blocks divided into cells are suitable for growing seedlings from seeds. First they are soaked, then seeds are planted in each cell. Peat blocks are expensive, however, they are very convenient and practical.

Growing seedlings at home

To plant seeds for seedlings at home, it is best to use soil that is similar in composition to the garden soil on the site. This way, seedlings adapt faster and easier in open ground.

You can plant the seeds of the Courage variety in a nutrient mixture homemade. Mix turf, peat soil and sand in equal proportions. You can buy a ready-made mixture called “Violet” at any gardening store. Any plastic containers are suitable for planting seeds. small size, for example, cups. A drainage layer of any absorbent material is placed at the bottom of the cups - expanded clay, sunflower husks or vermiculite.

Planting of pre-treated and disinfected seeds using the above technology is carried out to a depth of 1-2 cm. 2 seeds are planted in one planting container. Subsequent care of seedlings consists of frequent spraying, providing stable heat and good lighting. After seedlings emerge and the plants produce one pair of leaves, they are moved to a cooler place to prevent the risk of the plantings being stretched. The optimal temperature for keeping seedlings is 15 degrees. Of the two plants, the stronger specimen is selected, and the weaker one is carefully cut off with a sharp object.

With good lighting and cool conditions, the seedlings will form a strong root system. Warm water is used to water young plants; spraying is carried out in the first half of the day, when the sun is less active. Under conditions of sudden changes in air temperature and insufficient lighting, plants are affected by blackleg. Infected instances are removed. The remaining seedlings are treated with fungicides for preventive purposes.

Caring for cucumbers in open ground

The agricultural technology for growing Kurazh cucumbers involves planting seedlings in open ground only after the threat of the last frost has passed.

By this time, the plants will have time to grow green mass and form flower buds. It is recommended to pick off the first flowers on seedlings, since it is at this moment that plants need energy and strength for the growth and development of the above-ground and underground parts. Flowering interferes with this process. In addition, seedlings with flowers planted in open ground adapt much worse to new growing conditions.

The Courage cucumber, like other hybrid forms of this crop, is demanding on the level of air humidity. However, excess moisture on the leaves can cause the plant to develop powdery mildew. Therefore, proper plantings should be watered only in the morning, so that by the evening the above-ground part of the plants has time to dry out.

At each stage of growth, this crop requires a certain amount of moisture. At the beginning of the growing season, plants are provided with humidity in the range of 60-70%, during the fruiting period - about 80%, at the end of the growing season - 75-80%. The optimal frequency of watering is once every 10 days; in the summer heat, watering is increased to once every 5 days. Sprinkling is the main method of watering this crop.

Cucumbers respond well to fertilizing, which is applied throughout the growing season. The first feeding is carried out with nitrogen-containing fertilizer at the stage of the appearance of the first pair of leaves (1.5 kg of the substance is consumed per area of ​​10 m2). The second fertilizing with nitrogen-potassium fertilizers is applied during the formation of side shoots - 2 kg of fertilizing is used per 10 m2 of area.

The thinning procedure is carried out in the area where the cucumbers were planted by seed. The Courage cucumber has a delicate root system, so it does not tolerate this procedure well. To avoid thinning, it is enough to plant 2 seeds in each hole. From two grown seedlings, a strong bush is selected, and a weak one is pulled out.

Loosening, weeding of cucumbers and removal of weeds begins from the moment the seedlings emerge or immediately after transplanting the seedlings into open ground. During the first loosening, the young bushes slightly hill up.

Harvesting

At the initial stage, harvesting is carried out every 3 days to prevent the fruit from overripening. The number of cucumber harvests in the regions of the southern strip can reach up to 50 over the entire season.

Cucumbers are easily damaged, so they need to be collected carefully in the morning or evening. Harvest cucumbers are transferred to a cool place. In such conditions they do not lose their presentation and taste. Cucumbers of the Courage variety, like fruits of other varieties, are not stored for a long time. To extend their shelf life they are placed in refrigeration chambers.

The technology for growing cucumbers in open ground is quite simple. By adhering to the above recommendations, success in this matter is guaranteed to everyone.