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

The favorite vegetable of most gardeners is cucumber. Delicious, unusually fragrant, he begins to delight us at their summer cottage one of the first. In most regions of the country, cultivation of cucumbers in open ground is available. The main thing is to plant and grow a crispy crop in accordance with all the rules.

Cucumber - a characteristic of culture

Cucumber seed - a vegetable, annual plant dicotyledonous class, gourd family. Country of origin - India, the foothills of the Himalayas.

plant description

The stem is of a rough type, with antennae, with which the vegetable clings to the supports, stretching up to two meters.

Sheet five-pointed, heart-shaped.

Fruit multi-seeded, green color, different shades, juicy, fragrant. The form is oblong, in botanical reference books it is defined as "pumpkin".

seeds flat, elongated, white or cream in color.

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

The main conditions for growth

Cultivation of cucumbers in open ground involves compliance with the terms, conditions and methods of cultivation:

• The timing of planting in open ground should exclude the "meeting" of cucumbers with frosts;
• higher yields for crops climbing trellises;
• cucumbers rise well in the garden, illuminated by the sun;
• landings should not be carried out in the wind.

Then what can and cannot be planted?

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

You can not 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 crop without high-quality preparation of planting material. Therefore, it is important to pay special attention to the selection of seeds, their germination and the preparation of seedlings for soil.

Seed growing technology

When choosing seeds, it is important to consider:

• Ripening terms - early ripening, mid-ripening and late ripening;
• the possibility of growing in open ground;
• hybridity of varieties - hybrids get sick less, but are practically unsuitable for harvesting fruits “for seeds”;
• for what purposes cucumbers are grown - for example, there are varieties that are more suitable for fresh or salted 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 not colder than two degrees of heat and not hotter than 25. The most prolific - at the age of 2-3 years. They form both female and male flowers.

Sprouting at home

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

1. Seed sorting. Choose the largest seeds, which usually turn out to be the strongest. Dip them in a 3% saline solution, shake and incubate for 15 minutes.
2. Disinfection. Discard the floating seeds, and wash those that remained at the bottom, place them in a 1% manganese solution for half an hour, and wash. Place in solution for 6 hours wood ash, dry the water well.
3. Warming up. Perhaps on the battery or stove 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 at 12 in a solution of nitrophoska (a small spoon per liter of warm water). Rinse and lay out on wet sawdust or a damp cloth, cover from above. Should not be cooled below 23 degrees Celsius.

Seeds should swell, hatch, but not germinate.

When the root that appears is half the seed long, you can start planting in open ground or pots for seedlings.

seedling preparation

To grow cucumbers in the ground faster, you should use seedlings. For this, "seedlings" are prepared at home. Illuminate at least 10-12 hours a day.

• Prepare containers measuring 10 x 10 or 12 x 12 cm - peat, plastic or paper milk bags.
• Fill them with humus or a mixture of earth 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 release 3, and preferably 4 full-weight leaves and full-fledged roots.

Be sure to "harden" the seedlings, for which it needs to be taken out into the shade on the street for several hours.

Preparing the soil for planting

It is more correct to prepare the soil under the ridge in the fall. What should be done?

• Dig up.
• If the acidity of the soil is increased, you can reduce slaked lime, shallow dolomite flour, crushed chalk, peat or wood ash or deoxidizer preparations. The use of green manure helps a lot.
• Make "organic" - manure, humus, peat or compost. All 6-8 kg per square meter.
• Pour mineral-type fertilizers (potassium sulfate) - 60 g per 10 meters of area.
• Superphosphate is added to sandy soils, it is possible with potassium magnesia.

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

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

Seeding and planting

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

seeds

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

You can plant cucumbers in rows or nests. Rows should be arranged in lines of approximately 70-90 cm, between holes 12-20 cm, deepening by 3-4 cm. Orient sowing closer to the edges of the ridge. 2 seeds are sown in the recess, then thinned out. Nests can be made 60 x 60 or 70 x 70 cm, leaving 4-5 specimens of cucumber in each.

For the first few weeks, cover the beds at night (and when the temperature drops to 15 degrees C) so that the sprouts do not freeze.

Important Growing Points

• Protect the soil from the appearance of a crust.
• Quickly and accurately remove weeds.
• Tie cucumbers immediately, securing with ropes and trellises.
• After watering, immediately loosen the bed.
• Feed the shoots once in 7-10 days.

seedlings

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

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

Make holes in about 40 cm, row spacing - 50 cm. Pour, treat with a weak solution of manganese. Plant seedlings of cucumbers with the expectation that the hypocotyl knee remains open. Water again, sprinkle with dry earth so that a crust does not form.

Cucumber Care

Caring for cucumbers requires the 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 right distance.

Pollination - to attract insects, spray the plant with a honey solution or a sugar mixture (per 1 liter hot water 2 g boric acid and 100 g of 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 - in the aisle.

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 soil with oxygen, reduces moisture loss and promotes uniform heating of the soil.

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

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

Growth promotion

The main stem of the cucumber plant has flowers for the most part. male type, female ovaries are located on the lateral branches of the 2nd and 3rd levels. If the female-type flowers are not pronounced, their growth and branching can be stimulated by pinching the upper part of the shoot over the 5-7th leaf in the cucumbers.

Do not forget about potassium and phosphorus supplements. You can lay out fresh mullein next to the cucumbers.

There are cucumbers that have flowers of both types on the main stem, respectively - 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 are bitter. If it is in excess, root rot quickly picks up on the plants.

The special requirements for soil moisture are associated with some 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 there is no heat. Ideally, in the morning, so that by night the soil under the cucumbers is already dry. If it is partially dried up, then the time has come for “water procedures”. Let water under the root, without irrigating the foliage. Water at 25 degrees is best.

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

In hot and dry weather, it is possible to “refresh” cucumbers by roots and leaf cover - about a large bucket of water per 1 sq. m. While allowing the growth of lashes, weeding and loosening.

To determine a serious lack or excess of moisture in a plant simply by the leaves: a dark green shade and fragility “scream” about a lack of water, and a pale color about its excess.

Fertilization

When grown in open ground, top dressing of cucumbers is mandatory. The first is done when the plant has 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 wells, without falling on the green parts of the cucumber.

Feeding options for cucumbers:

• Mullein with the addition of ash. Fill the container a third with cow dung, add water to the top, mix. Leave for 1-2 weeks to ferment. Before top dressing, add water, add 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 over the leaves with a solution of urea (for 1 liter of water, 5 g of fertilizer). 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 "points", brightens and bends - nitrogen.

To improve the microclimate in plantings and rational use space, here are some helpful tips:

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

Pest control

Growing cucumbers is rarely without pest control, so it's worth considering that as well.

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, it is reasonable to alternate plantings, observe isolation in space, remove weeds and diseased specimens in time, ensure correct mode humidity.

Problems of fungal diseases

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

• powdery mildew. Spots appear, capture the entire leaf, acquire powdery coating. Diseased leaves die off. If you do not remove the remains of diseased plants and weeds, the next year the same infection on young shoots is provided. Especially develops in hot and dry seasons. A protection option is the NAT preparation (for a large bucket of water 50 g). Spray at the onset of the disease. For prevention - whey.
• Anthracnose . Large yellow or brown spots on the leaves. They pass to the whole plant, to the fruits - in the form of ulcers, from which the cucumbers rot. High humidity promotes development. Treatment - 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid.
• olive blotch . Grey-brown spots. In these places, part of the sheet falls out. Ulcers appear on young cucumbers. On stems and petioles - furrows with a gray-brown coating. The disease especially "blooms" in the wet season with low temperatures, with their sharp drops. The treatment is the same.
• white rot . The stems of the plant are soaked, the leaves sag and the vegetable dies. A white, cotton-like coating appears. The fruits wither. The disease prefers cool dry summers (12-15 degrees), chooses weakened plants. The affected parts must be cut off and burned, the “wounds” should be smeared with lime or crushed coal.

For the treatment of most fungal diseases effective tool is blue vitriol. Affected stems should be cut off and burned. Spray 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 carried out every two days, and maybe more often. If the fruits are plucked on time, they grow juicy, fragrant and crispy, with a thin crust. Since the plant does not need to grow already existing fruits (which have been plucked), it begins to create new ovaries. There are more and more fresh cucumbers. If the fruits are not harvested in time, they become large and coarse, and the growth of new greens slows down.

For different purposes, cucumbers of different sizes are removed:

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

Varieties, methods of growing cucumbers, soil type and regularity of watering affect the shape and length of the fruit.

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

Cucumbers grown correctly and harvested before overripe can be stored until deep frosts. On a winter day, laying freshly frozen cucumbers or a jar of fragrant preparations on the table, you will remember the bright days of summer with pleasure and be glad that you singled out on your land plot 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 landing, you need to collect as much information as possible.

If you want to do without 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 the cultivation and care of cucumbers.

How to grow seedlings of cucumbers?

This is the most important stage, because the harvest as a whole depends on the correctness of the work. I must say that initially you need to prepare the ground. It is most correct to collect land where culture will grow in the future.

Thus, you can help plants adapt faster to the virgin lands. So, for bookmarking you will need a container and a certain amount of land. Many recommend not to use additional additives, but to feed the plants in the process of growth.

In the selected container, you need to fill in the ground, mark the rows. The pits should not be made deep, be sure to plant the seeds in water. Remember that the distance between the plants must be sufficient so that at the time of transplanting it is possible to freely move the plant without hitting the neighboring crop.

Do not forget that:

1. Seeds are planted upside down - this is the main rule.

2. When the seeds hit the ground, it is highly undesirable to provide them with abundant watering. The ground should be moist, but not too much.

Place to grow 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 used to grow. Many experts are convinced that the most productive option for a new crop 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 the open field are two different technologies, each method requires special knowledge. When you start transplanting seedlings into open ground, do not forget that for young cucumbers, soil temperature is more important than air temperature - this means that you need to choose the right time for planting.

Growing cucumbers. Cucumbers in the greenhouse.

Greenhouses allow you not to 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. Do not place watermelons or pumpkin crops nearby. Remember that everything climbing plants can intertwine with each other, which makes it difficult to harvest. 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 follow the location of the stems and set them in the right direction.

How to plant cucumbers to get a big harvest

Ways to grow 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 garden will allow the cucumbers to spread as correctly as possible, which will contribute to the good development of each plant. This method is simple and well known.

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

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

In a barrel. The most beautiful and graceful landing method. With the help of a few barrels, your garden bed will be transformed, and your cucumbers will get their own home. Just do not 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 earth or ready-made compost. Cucumbers in barrels require more frequent watering.

The most common questions for gardeners

1. Watering and feeding cucumbers

These plants require moderate watering during the development stage and systematic abundant watering after flowering. The first dressing is applied after planting, the second - after the buds have appeared, 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.

Cucumber is similar to carrots - there is not enough nitrogen.

Cucumber looks like a pear - there is not enough 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 choose varieties that are more resistant to drought than others. The varieties "Nezhinsky", "Shchedryk" have proven themselves well.

How to grow cucumbers that won't turn 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 blotch. To avoid these misfortunes, monitor the quality of planting material, do not plant cucumbers in the same place for two years in a row, monitor the number of waterings and their intensity. Excessive soil moisture will result in undesirable consequences. At the first signs of damage, spray: from powdery mildew - with a colloidal solution of sulfur, olive blotch - with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid, treatment with Epin and top dressing with urea will save from white rot.

Diseases and pests of cucumbers

6. How to save a crop of cucumbers?

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 suburban area without at least one garden of cucumbers. This fragrant and tasty vegetable is loved by all summer residents and is happy to consume both fresh and canned. in my garden, I annually set aside the best place for this crop ...

When I started working on an abandoned summer cottage, where nothing but wheatgrass had grown before, I had to face great difficulties. In the early years, my attempts to grow cucumbers, the seeds of which I sowed immediately in the garden, ended in failure. And all because cucumber seeds, as it turned out, are a real delicacy for ants, which were then in my garden in a myriad.

I re-sowed them again and again, but only single, accidentally surviving specimens germinated and sprouted, naturally, the harvest was scanty, and besides, the beginning of fruiting was significantly delayed.

Therefore, I decided to sow cucumbers for seedlings at home, and already grown seedlings - to transport the executioner and plant them in the garden. Later, when I completely brought out wheatgrass in my garden, and also sowed all the free corners suburban area marigold and marigold, I managed to get rid of the ants and return to the seedless method. However, until now, part of my plantings is occupied by plants that I grow through seedlings.

After all, this method, despite the fact that it is more laborious and troublesome, allows you to get the first greens about a month earlier. And after the acquisition polycarbonate greenhouse cucumbers on our table began to appear 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 for seedlings, as it grows very quickly and often stretches. Subsequently, this may not lead to an increase in yield, but, on the contrary, to its loss. Indeed, from weak seedlings, healthy bushes that can normally bear fruit are unlikely to form. Young plants are ready for transplanting already 3-4 weeks after germination, that is, in the phase of 2-4 true leaves,

Planting dates for cucumbers

In our region, weather conditions allow planting cucumbers in a greenhouse in the last decade of April, and in open ground in the first decade of May. Accordingly, I begin to sow 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, on the May holidays, I prepare a separate garden bed, on which I plant with germinated seeds. This approach allows you to stretch the fruiting period of the vegetable, so beloved by all members of our family. First, we feast on crisp greens from the greenhouse, then the bushes in the open field, grown through seedlings, begin to bear fruit, and those sown with seeds pick up the baton very last.

seedling method

The indisputable advantage of the seedling method is the acceleration of the onset of fruiting and the ability to obtain fruits in the earliest possible time. 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 harvest period, and in the northern regions of our country it will serve as a guarantee of obtaining a guaranteed harvest. Of the shortcomings, I, perhaps, will name only one - the extra spring chores, which summer residents already have a lot of during this period. Indeed, to obtain good seedlings, you will have to allocate extra bed on the windowsill and make some efforts to create a favorable microclimate for them.

open ground

If tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplants in our climate zone it is necessary to sow seedlings for seedlings, then cucumbers can bear fruit quite tolerably by direct sowing into the ground.

But the harvest in this case will be later, besides, the cucumber bushes give it away quite quickly, and then rapidly begin to turn yellow and dry out. Therefore, to extend the fruiting period, it makes sense to sow cucumbers in different dates with an interval 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 in the open field appear quickly, 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 takes a certain time for it to take root in a new place and start growing again.

Selection of cucumber seeds

I am careful about the choice of seeds and never use freshly harvested ones, since in this case few female flowers will form on the plants, the number of which determines the size of the future crop. The ideal option I consider the use for planting two-three-year-old seeds.

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

Expert advice

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

Processing 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 summer cottage. The only exceptions are 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-weight seeds, which I have long learned to determine with the naked eye. For beginner summer residents, for these purposes, I can recommend using 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 tank.

Specimens that have surfaced must be discarded: they are unsuitable for landing. After calibration, the seeds are placed in a thermos filled with hot water(+45 ... +50 "C), and keep it under a closed lid for about half an hour. Such warming contributes to 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 step I prepare a nutrient solution based on the Energen growth stimulator and the Biohumus organo-mineral fertilizer (1 capsule and 4.5 ml, respectively, in 600 ml of water). I moisten a piece of cotton fabric or gauze in it, spread 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 pecking - in this solution it happens much faster.

Expert advice

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

Stages of sowing cucumbers

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

I fill them with fertile soil only half. 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 into cups, in which I first spill the soil with warm water. You should not delay the planting process, as fragile roots outgrow very quickly and can easily break when disembarking. I spread one seed into each container, sprinkle them with a layer of soil 1-2 cm, which I slightly moisten from above with a spray bottle. I cover each cup with cling film and leave it in a warm place (+ 27 ... + 30 ° С). As soon as the seedlings appear, I rearrange the container on the lightest window sill, and remove the film from the cups.

The temperature in the room 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 cucumber shoots need regular but moderate watering. Neither drying out nor waterlogging of the earthy coma should be allowed - this equally negatively affects their development.

Also, this culture does not tolerate drafts.

Top dressing cucumbers

During the growth period of the seedlings, I fertilize twice with the Biohumus complex fertilizer, 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 dressing in the cotyledon phase, and the second - a week before transplanting the plants into the ground or greenhouse. Approximately 10 days before my pets move to the dacha, I begin to take them out to the glazed loggia for hardening. As the seedlings grow, I gradually pour fertile soil into cups, filling the stem with cotyledon leaves. This encourages additional root development and my seedlings always look stocky and healthy by the time they are transplanted.

Landing details.

I don’t plant cucumbers in one place for two years in a row, I certainly observe crop rotation, I try to plant this crop after cabbage, peas, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes or beets. I transplant the seedlings into a pre-prepared bed, the soil on which I carefully dig up with the addition of humus from the racist 1 bucket per 1 m 2. Then I level the site 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 by transshipment, trying to prevent damage to the root system. Seedlings are deepened by cotyledon leaves and watered with warm water. I always transplant in cloudy weather or in the evening. If I sow seeds on the bed, then I first make the holes deeper, add my home fertilizer to them, sprinkle with earth, water, and spread the seeds on top, deepening them into the soil by 1 - 2 cm.

I hope my experience will be useful for summer residents, and everyone will choose the best way to plant for themselves. And those who decide to grow cucumbers through seedlings and use my advice will surely be satisfied with the result.

A simple trick

I have one simple trick that significantly increases the yield and quality of greens. For the past few years, when planting, I have been adding potato peelings and the remains of bakery products to the wells, which I collect and dry during the winter. When planting seedlings, I pour a handful of such fertilizer into the planting holes, mix it with the soil and pour it with plenty of water.

WHAT SHOULD BE THE SOIL FOR CUCUMBERS

If the garden for cucumbers is prepared properly, according to all the rules, then the gardener will not have much trouble with growing this crop - the plants will please the harvest, and they will not require extra dressings, and about their health once again won't make you worry.

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

WHAT SOIL CUCUMBERS LOVE:

• 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 ways: to improve (enrich, loosen, deoxidize, and so on) the soil in the garden or build a so-called warm bed. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options, so consider both.

Preparing a regular bed for cucumbers

Soil preparation for cucumbers begins long before planting. First of all, you should take care of cleaning from plant residues and roots of weeds. Cucumber does not grow well in weedy areas, so it is better for him to choose cultivated, well-cultivated soils.

In autumn, the bed is filled with fresh manure at the rate of 5-10 kg / m 2 (the norm varies depending on the fertility of the soil) with the addition of 30 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium salt. Noli is planned to use rotted manure, compost or humus, they are brought in during spring digging or added directly to the hole during planting. Those who prefer to do without mineral fertilizers use wood ash instead (1 cup per 1 m 2).

Manure can be replaced with vegetable raw materials, such as fallen leaves, grass, etc. In this case, remove from the garden (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. So that the “filling” does not cake, does not compact, add coarse components to it - branch trimmings, corn stalks, sunflower, Jerusalem artichoke. You can additionally shed the plant layer with infusion of chicken manure or mullein, it is better not to get carried away: an excess of organic fertilizers will not bring any benefits.

If the soil is acidic, it must be limed. The best option is to add dolomite flour for the previous crop at the rate of 300-500 g/m2 (depending on the level of acidity), 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 should not be used, as it increases the acidity of the soil and absorbs nitrogen from it. If there are no rotted raw materials at hand, fresh sawdust should be treated with a solution of urea (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 it was not possible to prepare the garden bed in the fall, you will have to do this in the spring, when the earth warms up. Apply organic and mineral fertilizers under the perecoac, for example, one of the proposed nutrient "cocktails" (per 1 m 2):

• 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 chosen set of fertilizers, they are evenly distributed over the garden bed and embedded in the soil.

Preparing a warm bed for cucumbers

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

A warm bed is prepared in the fall to take advantage of all its benefits. True, one should not rush too much: if biofuel is laid too early, it will begin to warm up even before the onset of cold weather and will burn out by spring. But better 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 - they are added to the grooves (planting holes); the second half should fall on summer top dressing.

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

Classic warm garden- this is a trench filled with manure (cow or horse). It is better to lay such biofuel in a trench prepared in autumn in early spring (usually in March), in last resort- in late autumn, after the onset of stable cold weather. Lay manure without compacting. If the raw material has been laid since autumn, it should be loosened with a pitchfork in the spring. If the contents do not “flare up” (that is, they do not begin to warm up), but the entire length of the beds, it is necessary 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 the loose soil mixture in a layer of 16 - 20 cm and cover the greenhouse with a film. However, immediately after this, it is impossible to sow cucumbers: in the first 10-12 days of "burning" of manure, the soil temperature can rise to +60 ° C and above. When the temperature drops to + 30 ... + 40 ° C and stabilizes, it will be possible to start planting.

However, this technology is not available to all gardeners: it is not possible for someone to get to the site in early spring, it is difficult to get enough fresh manure somewhere. 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. Lay rotted manure or compost on top and fill with soil.

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

So prepare right soil for cucumbers different ways , and every gardener will easily pick up suitable option, based on your own preferences and the conditions of your summer cottage.

CUCUMBERS: DISEASES AND PESTS

When I was just beginning to learn gardening science, I often missed the first signs of plant damage and, due to my indiscretion, in some years lost my crop. But over time, a store of knowledge appeared, which now helps me.

Since this culture is fast-growing, chemicals I don't use it to protect her. Over the years of gardening, I have accumulated quite a lot of effective folk ways, which help to maintain the health of cucumbers in any, 1 even the most adverse conditions.

On a note

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

Cucumber pests

Aphids that damage cucumbers can be either winged or wingless and have a gray, green or dimensional 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 form 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 on the other hand, its appearance on cucumbers is easy to determine by the presence of a thin cobweb on the leaves and their marble honey agaric. These pests are usually 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 about 2 mm in size with translucent whitish wings. It is not usually found on the back side of the leaves. She is very voracious and continues to suck cucumber juice from plants even when she is full. Excess juice that remains on the stems and leaves after the activity of this pest serves as a favorable environment for the appearance of soot 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 those kitchen waste that can be useful in the fight against these harmful gels. To do this, I collect and dry the peel of citrus fruits and onion peel.

When uninvited guests appear in the cucumber plantings, I take a half-liter jar of dry citrus peels, pour 2 liters of water and insist for a day. Then I boil the product on low heat for 16-20 minutes, filter it, bring the broth to 10 liters and spray the plants. If during the winter I gain a lot of orange or tangerine peel, as a preventive measure I sprinkle it under the cucumber bushes and cover it with mowed grass. The crusts, when rotting in the ground, exude an odor that repels these insects.

And the fight against them is no less effective infusion of onion peel. To prepare it, I fill a liter jar of husk with 2 - 3 liters of hot water (+ 40 ... + 50 ° C) and leave it for two days. I filter the resulting paste, dilute it with water in a ratio of 1: 1 and carry out the treatment from the sprayer. This tool, due to the high content of valuable nutrients, is also an excellent foliar top dressing. With regular use of onion peel infusion during the season, cucumber lashes remain green much longer and delight with a longer fruiting period.

In the fight against pests on cucumber bushes, an infusion of garlic gives an excellent effect. To prepare it, I pass 1 glass of peeled cloves through the press, add the mass to a bucket of water and insist "< 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, ascochitosis, fusarium and anthracnose.

Painful look

Most often, cucumbers suffer from powdery mildew and downy mildew. The first disease occurs when the air humidity is high and the temperature is not higher than +20 °C. It is characterized by the appearance of a powdery coating on the leaves in the form of small spots, which gradually increase and pass to the stems. Damaged parts of plants 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 grow rapidly and lead to the death of the damaged part of the plants.

Cladosporiosis (brown olive spotting) manifests itself in the form of small rounded ulcers of a brown or olive hue. The specks later begin to grow, dry out and collapse, damaging the foliage. This disease occurs with 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 are formed in various parts of the plants, which look like pieces of cotton wool. If you do not carry out treatment, shoots and fruits can be covered with such a "cotton" coating almost completely.

Root rot can be seen with massive wilting of foliage. If you pull such a bush out of the ground, its root system will be rotten and with a red tint. Cucumbers often begin to suffer from this misfortune due to the indiscretion of summer residents themselves - after watering with cold water in hot weather.

Ascochitosis more often destroys greenhouse plants and primarily occurs on the stems in the form of oblong watery spots. gray color. Later, the spots darken, dry up, and brown exudate begins to stand out from their cracked integumentary membranes. If no action is taken, the disease then spreads to the leaves and fruits.

In the greenhouse on cucumber bushes, you can also find signs of fusarium, which, similarly to ascochitosis, spreads due to excessive planting density, 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 reduces its time, as it greatly weakens the plants. The drooping tops of the lashes in the daytime are the first sign of Fusarium. The spores of these fungi first of all settle on the roots, and then move on to the stem and leaves, the edges of which become watery and acquire a pale shade.

Mri watering cucumbers with cold water, as well as with sudden changes in air temperature, anthracnose can develop, which is easy to identify 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 hue. On infected bushes, the quality of even healthy-looking greens deteriorates; they become tasteless by reducing the amount of sugars and organic acids.

All of the above ailments are caused by various fungi, the spores of which multiply rapidly and destroy plants if the necessary measures are not taken in time. These mushrooms belong to different families, but for all of them the 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 want to note that the treatments must be carried out regularly 1 time in 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 the drink of tobacco dust; or I bring the prepared decoction of celandine (3 l) to a volume of 10 l with unusual water, and with an ash solution, which I already prepare at the rate of a half-liter jar of ash per 7 l 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 the seedlings appear on the beds or the 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 a wonderful harvest.

PROVEN RECIPES FOR APHIDS, WHITEFLY AND SPIDER MITE

• Tobacco dust (150-200 g) pour 1-2 liters of hot water and leave 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 with the crushed ground part of the marigolds, fill it with water halfway and insist 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, pour 1 liter of water, put on fire and boil for 20-30 minutes on low heat. I filter the resulting broth, pour it into 9 liters of water and carry out the processing.
• 1/3 of a bucket of potato tops, tomato stepchildren or wormwood grass is poured with warm water to the top and insisted for two days. Strained infusion is used for its intended purpose.
• I grind 0.5 kg of freshly picked celandine grass and pour 3 liters of water, insist for a day, boil for an hour and then filter. I pour the broth into a bucket, top it up with water to the top and spray it.

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

• 1 liter of skimmed 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 per 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 crushed tinder fungus into 1-2 liters of boiling water, wait for it to cool, strain and bring the volume to 10 liters;
• 2 kg of rotten hay or straw pour 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 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 herb plantain, nettle, dandelion and coltsfoot, pour water to the top and let it brew for 3-5 days, then strain and use undiluted;
• 1 kg of mullein insist in 10 liters of water for 3 days, strain, dilute half with water;
• 1 kg of freshly harvested horsetail grass pour 3 liters of water, let it brew for a day, then boil, strain and bring the volume to 10 liters.

CUCUMBERS WITHOUT CHEMISTRY

MANY GARDENERS TODAY PREFER TO GROW VEGETABLES IN THE COTTAGE WITHOUT THE USE OF SYNTHETIC MINERAL FERTILIZERS. AND THIS DOES NOT STOP IN THE ONE OF GETTING AN EXCELLENT HARVEST - EVEN FROM SUCH GUTTLERS LIKE CUCUMBERS. THE MAIN THING IS TO CHOOSE THE MENU CORRECTLY

Cucumber loves organic matter, but it cannot be limited to it: in our arsenal there should be different types of dressings 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 in any ash there are compounds of calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium, which are 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 the water balance and supports the stable growth of cucumber lashes.

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

Liquid ash top dressing, unlike the dry method, allows you to quickly bring food to the addressee. This is especially important during fruiting when potassium intake is increased. The recipes for such solutions are different - their concentration is selected based on specific conditions.

For regular top dressing, 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 a potassium deficiency appears, the proportions can be increased: take a half-liter jar of ash for 10 liters of water, rewind it carefully, let it stand, then feed the cucumbers with the resulting solution at the rate of 1 liter per bush.

You can also cook 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 introduce rotted manure or compost into the soil when planting cucumbers, then fresh manure or bird droppings (chicken, pigeon, quail, and so on) are preferable for top dressing. They are used to prepare solutions of various concentrations. At the same time, it is worth remembering: manure and litter contain a lot of nitrogen, so it is highly undesirable to abuse such dressings. An excess of nitrogen will inevitably lead to abundant growth of greenery, but fruiting can be greatly delayed.

CHICKEN MANURE

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 dung. However, such a high concentration of nutrients and the presence of uric acid in the litter make it unsafe for plants: such a fertilizer can burn the roots. Even in the form of an infusion, fresh litter cannot be applied under the root - only along the aisles. And be sure to combine this top dressing with abundant watering.

To prepare fertilizer from fresh chicken manure, dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:20 and 10 days - insist on outdoors. L here rotted litter can be diluted in a higher concentration (1:10 or 1:15) and you need to insist it less, only 2 - 3 days. Ready top dressing in color should be like weakly brewed tea. If the solution is more saturated, you should add water so that the fertilizer you have 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 litter stimulate the formation of ovaries.

MANURE

Horse manure is an excellent biofuel for warm cucumber beds. For top dressing, it is more convenient to use cow dung: 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 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 top dressing from chicken manure, between rows, at the rate of 10 liters of infusion per 1 m 7 plantings.

Another way to prepare top dressing: mix slurry with water 1: 4 and ferment in a warm place for 4-7 days. The resulting infusion is again diluted with water in a ratio of 1:3 or 1:4 and used for top dressing.

Weeds to the rescue

An excellent top dressing for cucumbers is obtained from the most common grass. Grind the weeded weeds, put them in any suitable container, fill with water and leave for several days until a characteristic “aroma” appears. The resulting herbal infusion can be safely watered with cucumbers and other vegetable crops, previously diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. The most "delicious" dressings are obtained from nettle and dandelion.

Expert advice

When preparing herbal top dressing is not fill the container to the top, otherwise, during fermentation, the contents will begin to overflow. The fermentation period of such a fertilizer will depend on the temperature: the warmer, the faster it will be ready.

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

Natural " complex fertilizer"You can cook like this: 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 (100l) container, fill with water to the top and mix thoroughly. I (melt for a week.

Products from the kitchen

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

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 under a bush.

The growth of cucumber lashes is accelerated by milk: it is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 2, 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 picky about nutrition. But the degree of this exactingness is understood in different ways, and therefore you can find p personal recommendations regarding the frequency of feeding.

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

The second option involves only 3-4 top dressings, 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 plants actively form greens.

Finally, some gardeners are of the opinion that 1-2 dressings are enough for a cucumber all summer long - 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 seasoned with organic matter before planting, the soil on it is fertile, retains moisture and nutrients well, then you should not get carried away with additional top dressing. An excess of nutrition is no less harmful than its deficiency: overfed plants resist disease worse. In addition, excess nitrogen leads to a decrease in yield and the accumulation of nitrates in the fruit.

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

And be sure to watch the plants - they themselves will tell you if they need recharge. The lashes were healthy, the leaves are green, the fruits are developing well - you should not get carried away with fertilizing, even if natural.

WAYS OF STRINGING CUCUMBERS

When I was at school, I spent all my summer holidays with my grandmother in the village. Even as a child, it gave me great pleasure to care for garden plants. And the most pleasant occupation for me was harvesting. The only crop that I did not like to harvest from was the cucumber.

Grandmother always grew cucumbers. With this method of planting, the bed occupied a rather large area. Therefore, I never had any particular joy in making my way through dense thickets, covering the surface of the earth with a continuous carpet. Often, she inadvertently stepped on fragile lashes, and on Zelentsy themselves, and then scolded herself for her clumsiness. This vegetable was also grown by my parents. And only I, when I completely took the initiative in processing the summer cottage in my own hands, for the first time tried to tie long cucumber lashes to a support.

The first experiment on the construction of a support for cucumbers, I carried out with the help of side backs from two old armored beds, which had been gathering dust for a long time in the country barn. I dug these metal beds across the beds at a distance of about 1.5 m and pulled several strings of twine between them. I planted cucumbers in two rows and, as the shoots grew, I simply threw the whips on the support. After a while, 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 of all was that the fruiting period with this method of planting increased significantly in comparison with those plants that previously freely spread along the ground.

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

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

WITHOUT MULCH IN ANY WAY!

Garter cucumbers during the growing season does not take much time and has long become my usual pastime. This method significantly saves space on the site. It is not difficult to water and feed the plants: now I pour water and nutrient solutions strictly under the root, and I mulch the ground under the plantings with mowed grass. Indeed, on my sandy soil, which dries up instantly in the summer heat, you simply cannot do without mulch. It allows you to retain moisture in the ground much longer. In addition, when rotting, the grass 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 creeping form, 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 crop. Now I have the opportunity to free up a significant amount of time that I used to spend on treating my plantings.

Signs of this or that disease can be found on the bushes only in 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 and delight much longer. bountiful harvest until autumn.

For bees

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

Miracle mesh for cucumbers

Last year, quite by accident, 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 could easily fix it on the dug-in pipes and pull 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 on tying the lashes: I just direct them between cells that have an optimal size of 15x15cm, and they themselves lean towards it with tenacious antennae. Those who at least once tried to grow cucumbers on a trellis are unlikely to be able to refuse this method. After all, having once spent time and effort on the construction of a support, you can significantly reduce the cost of care 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 turn on his ingenuity and invent any other support from the available materials at hand.

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

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

Other neighbors similarly wrap cucumber lashes around the twine, but as a support they use thick wooden beams dug along the edges of the beds, to which a long rail is nailed on top. They plant cucumbers in a line and tie twine to a rail above each individual bush. By the way, they are pensioners and live in the country constantly throughout the season. Therefore, if suddenly cold rains begin to fall in the summer, they put a film on the trellis, attaching it with clothespins to the twine, and thus save the plants from excessive moisture. They do the same during summer heat, shading cucumbers from the scorching sun at noon, but instead of a film, lutrasil is used.

The 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 lashes, 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 cucumbers to wander freely on the ground, there was no question of any formation: 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 in sight, which simplifies working with them. It is worth noting that various varieties and hybrids require different approaches to lash formation.

Having mastered all the subtleties of the formation of cucumber bushes, I can say with full confidence that their productivity increases significantly. By pinching certain shoots, you can redirect the forces of the cucumber from actively building up long lashes to setting more fruits.

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

Modern varieties and hybrids have a predominantly female type of flowering in all parts of the bush, and parthenocarpic varieties have flowers that form ovaries on their own and do not need pollination at all. Therefore, I am shaping them 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 stepchildren, but I stop their growth after the third leaf, pinching the point of growth. When the main stem reaches the upper edge of the trellis, I smoothly transfer 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 the appearance of another 2-3 lateral shoots and pinch the main stem. I let these, the latest, stepchildren go down the support and pinch them to the pave-saute about 1 m from the soil surface.

Formation in the greenhouse

The main part of the cucumbers grows in my open field, and only to get early greens I plant several plants in the greenhouse, where I also tie the whips to a vertical support. But since the greenhouse bushes are illuminated and ventilated worse, I blind the main stem at a height of 40-50 cm, and on the next 50-60 cm I pinch the side stepsons after the first leaf and leave one ovary in their sinuses. For the rest of the 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 illumination increases, I leave 3-4 leaves on the branches.

After the main stem reaches the upper level of the trellis, I carry out the formation similarly to open ground plants, letting a couple of lashes down. Thus, I increase the load on the upper part of the bush. In the lower part, with this method of formation, thickening is excluded 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 am regularly engaged in the formation of lashes throughout the entire growing season of this crop. Since I visit the dacha only on weekends, then, accordingly, I carry out these works once a week, but by no means less often. Otherwise, the shoots outgrow, and the proper effect of the formation cannot be achieved. In addition, on the plants I remove all yellowed and damaged leaves.

Garter and formation of cucumbers seemed to me a difficult task only when I got acquainted with the intricacies of this process in theory. In practice, everything turned out to be easier. By the way, thanks to this approach, I began to plant a much smaller number of plants.

Expert advice

Operations for the formation of bushes, as well as the removal of unnecessary shoots and dying leaves, are carried out in the early morning, so that the wounds dry up and tighten before evening. Make cuts with sharp, clean scissors and never leave stumps. In addition, do not touch large whips if they are accidentally fixed with antennae in an undesirable direction for you. If you change their position and turn the leaves and ovaries in the direction opposite to their original growth, this will negatively affect their further development.

WHERE WITHOUT PROBLEMS?

CUCUMBERS ARE NOT TOO PICKING CULTURE, BUT TIME TO TIME EVEN THEY CAN THROW THE GARDENER ANY PROBLEM. WE WILL TELL YOU WHAT TO DO IF…

…cucumbers grow ugly

Deformation of Zelentsov is a sign of an imbalance in plant nutrition. So the cucumber tells what exactly it lacks:

a fruit that resembles a light bulb or a pear (narrowing at the stalk and expanding at the tip) indicates a 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 stand, water 1 liter under a bush;

greens thickened at the stalk and tapering towards the end - a signal of nitrogen starvation.

At the same time, you can notice that the leaves on the cucumber lashes began to grow smaller and turn pale, the shoots became thinner. The problem will be solved by organic top dressing ( herbal infusion, a solution of mullein or chicken manure);

cucumbers "with a waist" (narrowing in the middle of the fruit) are formed most often 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, arcuate greens may be the result of uneven soil moisture, for example, abundant 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 and sudden changes in temperature, and other adverse effects - cucumbers do not like extreme sports.

What to do?

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

Such greens will not be bitter, even if stress factors arise. But taking care of planting is also not superfluous: give your pets enough water, mulch the soil to save moisture, protect plants from temperature fluctuations - then the taste of cucumbers will only please.

... leaves on cucumber lashes turn yellow

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

... cucumbers do not 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 fruits. Cucumbers are not tied on such plants and in open ground if the weather is cold or rainy (pollinating insects do not fly).

TOO HOT

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

TOO MUCH NITROGEN

This macronutrient stimulates the growth of green mass to the detriment of fruiting. Overfed plants usually have large, succulent leaves, powerful stems, but flowering is weak, few fruits are tied or not formed at all.

YOU HAVE USED FRESH SEEDS

Cucumbers have one feature: plants from fresh (last year's) seeds form many male flowers (barren flowers), and the appearance of female flowers 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 an outwardly healthy cucumber suddenly begins to fade, it is possible that its root system is damaged. Rodents can work, and excess moisture will affect - there are different reasons. Carefully 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. Broken roots indicate the involvement of underground pests. A plant with damaged roots can be tried to be saved. Cucumber lashes take root well, so it is enough to bend down the shoots to sprinkle it with soil - after some time, roots form in this place.

If, on examination, it turned out that the roots were 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 so that the disease does not spread.

... small holes appear on the leaves

This is what traces of sunburn that occur on plants in greenhouses look like. At night, due to the temperature difference, condensation forms on the film. When falling on the leaves, the droplets work like magnifying glasses - lift the leaf plate and burn through it with the rays of the sun.

On a note: How to store cucumbers in summer

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

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 process of decomposition of organic substances, another method is based. But it is absolutely harmless, since food raw materials are used. Freshly harvested greens must be washed with boiled water, then wiped thoroughly and gently smeared with egg white so that there are no uncovered places. Cucumbers must be necessarily with a stalk, they are hung for it so that the protein dries up and forms a reliable film. They are stored in this form for a month or more.

In the cellar and basement

The optimal conditions for storing cucumbers - humidity 90-95% and temperature plus 5-6 degrees - make it possible to keep 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 with a capacity of 2-4 kg. First, you should cut off the remaining inflorescences and wrap each fruit with a paper napkin or towel. You don't need to wash cucumbers.

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

In a refrigerator

You can store the crop 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, to store greens in open or perforated bags, then they will give up their moisture to the air in cold store and quickly become flabby. Therefore, you need to send cucumbers here in tightly tied bags, and even make sure that there are no holes in them. If this condition is met, then the fruits will remain fresh for 10 days.

At room temperature

Cucumbers placed with their stalk down three-quarters of the length into water, which must be changed daily, will withstand the same amount. 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 cucumber storage methods that are questionable. So, it is advised to cover fresh fruits with petroleum jelly - they say, in this form they can maintain good taste for a month or more. But the question arises: how then to eat them?

old recipe

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

On a note

Thick-skinned cucumbers keep longer than others.

Fruits with white spikes keep better and longer than those with black ones. Rosalind Nail Gel Polish Lacquer Semi-Permanent UV Hybrid Nail Art Gel… ★ : Cucumber cuttings: personal experienceIt is known that...: Cucumbers in the apartment are secrets...

The beginning of the summer vegetable season is impossible to imagine without cucumbers. Juicy, fragrant vegetable loved by many. Therefore, in our article: cucumbers - cultivation and care in the open field, the most topical 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. When choosing varieties, it is always necessary to take into account the climate of the region in which the cultivation of the vegetable is planned.

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 those and other needs.

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

• early;
• medium;
• late cucumbers.

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

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

The most popular of them:

• April F1- hybrid, refers to early varieties. From germination to the first harvest only 45-55 days. 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 extremes and picky in care.
• Hermann- refers to a self-pollinating species. Fruits like gherkins. The first fruits can be obtained 8 weeks after germination. Flowering and ovary occurs for a long period of time. During the season, up to 30 kg of crop can be harvested from one square meter of a plot with cucumbers. The creepers are not fragile, which makes it easy to tie them to the trellis.
• Fontanelle F1- medium ripening, pollinated by insects, hybrid. Good for conservation. Fruits up to 12 cm long and weighing up to 100 g, without bitterness. This hybrid is resistant to many diseases.
• Prestige- a hybrid characterized by active growth and a long period of fruiting. Not whimsical in care, has a strong immunity to many diseases.

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

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

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

Preparation of seeds and planting material

Pledge good harvest- quality seeds. No matter how the manufacturer praises his seeds, but in order for a strong and healthy plant to grow out of it, it will be necessary to carry out their pre-sowing preparation.

Having passed the difficult path of preparation, the seeds are ready for planting 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 after a tomato, onion, cabbage, potato.

Soil and location requirement

Planting cucumbers should begin with the choice of location. A site with good lighting is needed (but so that the cucumber bushes are not located under the scorching sun), and protected from the north side, which corresponds to the needs of this plant.

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

Presence ground water close to the surface can lead to rotting of the root system due to high 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 ranges from May 25 to June 5. Too late to plant and grow cucumbers in the summer is also not worth it, because. daylight hours increase, and the temperature rises, which adversely affects the growth and development of the plant.

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

Before planting, rows or holes are watered abundantly, after which the seeds are covered with a small layer of earth and watered again. To maintain the necessary temperature and humidity for fast shoots, the rows are covered with a film. When the first sprouts appear, the film is periodically opened, allowing air to enter. As soon as the flowers appear, the shelter is completely removed from the rows.

Caring for cucumbers in the open field

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

Watering Schedule

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

Water cucumbers 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 a slight drying of the earth in order to form a strong root system. In the future, the formation of a dry crust on the ground is unacceptable. Before the appearance of flowers, it is watered 1 time in 6 days, in the future - after 3-4 days. Maybe more often. It all depends on temperature indicators.

Young cucumbers have 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 to tie and form a bush.

The stem is tied with twine to the trellis with a loose loop, forming the main stem in parallel. To do this, pluck out the flowers and shoots in the axils, keeping the lateral processes in the amount of 5-6 pieces. 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 up to 50 cm and carefully fixed on the trellis. The main stem is pinched to 70 cm and thrown over the trellis.

Top dressing 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 top dressing is carried out with a solution consisting of 15 g of urea and potassium sulfate, 50 g of superphosphate all per 10 liters of water.

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

Cucumber processing

In addition to root feeding, cucumbers need surface treatment of bushes, which is carried out as a preventive measure 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 with a frequency of 7 to 10 days. Processing with this agent does not harm the plant and is absolutely harmless to humans.

The main problems associated with cultivation

Growing cucumbers in the summer can cause a number of problems:

• Fruit deformation is the result of unbalanced feeding, sudden changes in temperature or untimely watering.
• The presence of bitterness in taste - hot summer, lack of moisture.
• Yellowed leaves - lack of nitrogen.
• Bad ovary - pollination does not occur (rainy wet weather), high temperature, an excess of nitrogen.
• The extinction of the plant is the rotting of the root, or its damage by rodents.

Diseases, pests and methods of dealing with them

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

• Powdery mildew. White bloom and reddish spots on leaves and stems are the first signs of this disease. Affected areas are immediately removed. The plant is treated with solutions of colloidal sulfur, mullein or wood ash.
• Gray rot. Fruits and leaves are covered with a gray coating and brown spots appear. The appearance of the ovary stops. With such a disease, the intensity of irrigation is reduced, defective places are removed and treated with an ash solution.
• Downy mildew. Oily gray-green spots appear, gradually spread to the entire leaf and lead to its drying out. Top dressing and watering should be excluded for a period of 1 week and the affected bush should be treated with a polycarbacin solution.
• White rot. The plant is covered with a white coating up to the root and the process of decay begins. It remains only to remove the affected bush.
• Olive blotch. Cucumber fruits are 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 aphid, spider mite and tobacco trip always not averse to settling on cucumber bushes. These small insects inflict great harm plant. The leaves dry and fall off, the appearance of the ovary stops, the plant is depleted and fades. To control insects, I use specialized insecticidal preparations. For prevention, you should always get rid of weeds on which they can multiply.

Collection and storage of cucumbers

Unripe cucumbers are harvested at intervals of 2-3 days, as soon as they reach the required size (8-12 cm). It is necessary to remove the fruits from the stems carefully so that the stalk remains on the stem, and it 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.

Caring for and caring for 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 use the recommendations in practice!

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

Africa, Greece, warm India are the countries where cucumbers were first grown. To date, many hybrid varieties of this plant, 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 the open field, so the information in this article will be very useful for many.

Cucumber variety Courage - a great novelty for 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 fruit ripening. Therefore, it is grown not only for personal consumption, but also for sale in large volumes. The fruits of this variety are high palatability and excellent trade dress. Ways of growing cucumbers Courage in the open field: seed and seedlings. seed cultivation cucumbers is possible throughout Russia, with the exception of the northern regions. In cold climates, this crop is cultivated by seedlings.

Agrotechnics of the Courage variety provides for a standard technology for growing this crop in open ground:

• Landing site preparation.
• Presowing preparation of seed material.
• Growing seedlings and caring for them.
• Transplanting cucumbers in open ground.
• Harvesting.

Landing area preparation

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

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

Autumn tillage consists in cleaning the site of weeds and garden debris. All this must be done before the start of the seasonal rains. After that, the site is digged with the introduction of organic fertilizers, for example, rotted manure. Digging depth - no more than 15 cm.

With the advent of spring begin seasonal work 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 surface of the soil. 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 complex of spring measures to prepare the site for planting cucumbers includes the preservation of soil moisture, which has accumulated over the winter and spring. Repeated surface loosening of the soil allows you to retain moisture as much as possible.

Seed preparation

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

Before sowing, the seeds are culled and calibrated by soaking in sodium chloride - a solution of 3% concentration. Floating seeds are removed, and 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 Fentiuram - 0.4 g of the substance is added to 5 kg of seeds. TMTD can be used instead of Fentiuram. After that, the seeds are heat-treated. 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 must be sown with special seeders that provide accurate sowing into the ridges. But most gardeners do it by hand in their area. Seeds are sown when the last frosts have passed and the soil warms up to 15 degrees Celsius. In regions with a cool climate, the sowing time falls at the end of May or the beginning of June.

In the south, the approximate date for sowing seeds is the first half of April. If the spring is early, the planting time is accelerated. In 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.

On a plot of 1 m 2 spend 50 g of dry seeds of Courage cucumbers. Sprouted seeds for the same area will require 2 times less. The optimal distance between seedlings is 12-15 cm. The thickening of plantings can provoke the appearance of diseases due to insufficient ventilation of seedlings.

Plants for growing seedlings

Cultivation of Courage cucumbers through seedlings is used in the regions of the middle lane. In addition, using this method, the risk of soil downtime in the area with unsprouted seedlings is reduced.

For planting seeds, seedling containers with a nutritious and loose substrate are used. Modern seedling facilities for growing seedlings of cucumbers are mobile small nurseries with heating. They have low cost, good illumination, the possibility of using mechanized equipment for sampling and hardening seedlings.

Only under conditions of optimal temperature conditions, lighting, air and soil humidity, you can get a strong and healthy seedlings cucumbers. It is not difficult to create such conditions in nurseries. To ensure the correct light regime, it is necessary to choose 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.

It is possible to provide the necessary air humidity and temperature for planting with the help of ventilation and a special heating system, nutrition - with special fertilizers and nutrient substrates, soil moisture - with regular moistening.

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

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

For planting seeds for seedlings at home, it is best to use soil that is similar in composition to the garden soil on the site. So seedlings quickly and easily adapt in open ground.

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

Planting pre-treated and disinfected seeds according to the above technology is carried out to a depth of 1-2 cm. 2 seeds are planted in one planting container. The subsequent care of the seedlings consists in frequent spraying, providing stable heat and good lighting. After the seedlings emerge and the plants release one pair of leaves, they are transferred to a cooler place to prevent the risk of stretching the plantings. The optimum temperature for keeping seedlings is 15 degrees. Of the two plants, a stronger specimen is chosen, and the weak one is carefully cut with a sharp object.

With good lighting in coolness, a strong root system will form at the seedlings. Warm water is used for watering young plants, spraying is carried out in the morning, when the sun is less active. In conditions of sharp changes in air temperature, in low light, plants are struck by a black leg. Infected instances are removed. The remaining seedlings are treated with fungicides for prevention.

Caring for cucumbers in the open field

Agrotechnics for growing cucumbers of the Courage variety 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 cut 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 aboveground and underground parts. Flowering interferes with this process. In addition, seedlings with flowers planted in open ground take root much worse to new growing conditions.

Courage cucumber, like other hybrid forms of this crop, is demanding on the level of air humidity. However, from excess moisture on the leaves, the plant can become sick with powdery mildew. Therefore, proper planting should be watered only in the morning, so that by evening the aerial part of the plants has time to dry.

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 1 time in 10 days; in the summer heat, moisture is increased up to 1 time in 5 days. Irrigation is the main method of watering this crop.

Cucumbers respond well to dressings that are applied throughout the growing season. The first nutrition 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 spent on a plot of 10 m 2). The second top dressing with nitrogen-potassium fertilizers is applied during the formation of lateral shoots - 2 kg of top dressing is used per 10 m 2 of area.

The thinning procedure is carried out in the area where the cucumbers were planted by seed. Courage cucumber variety has a delicate root system, so it does not tolerate this procedure. To do without thinning, it is enough to plant 2 seeds in each hole. From two grown seedlings, a strong bush is chosen, and a weak one is pulled out.

Loosening, weeding cucumbers and removing weeds begins from the moment the shoots appear or immediately after transplanting seedlings into open ground. At the first loosening, young bushes lightly spud.

Harvesting

Harvesting at the initial stage is carried out every 3 days to prevent overripe fruits. The number of cucumber harvests in the regions of the southern strip can reach up to 50 for the entire season.

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

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