How to grow good cucumbers outdoors. Cucumbers in the open field - cultivation and care. Simple protection of ground cucumbers from a bear

A rare owner does not cultivate cucumbers on his estate. The popularity of this juicy vegetable brought its exceptional taste. They are grown on window sills, in greenhouses and in beds. The cultivation of cucumbers is especially common in open ground in the south of Russia.

There are two ways to plant cucumbers: by sowing seeds immediately in a garden bed or by growing seedlings first.

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

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

The advantages of this method:

1. seedlings fall into open ground after the end of frost, there is no need to fear that they will be damaged by cold;
2. in the process of indoor cultivation, young cucumbers are easier to monitor, assess their condition, and carry out feeding;
3. the seedling method of growing allows you to get the first cucumbers on the open ground as early as the end of May. But such cucumbers depart very quickly, and by July the lashes usually already dry up.

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

Soil preparation for seedlings of cucumbers

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

Cucumbers require light, loose soil, neutral in acidity or slightly acidic.

Cucumber seedlings need land High Quality mixed in equal proportions with humus. You can take well-rotted mullein or horse manure. A glass of wood ash is added to a bucket of this mixture.

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

The mulching element is best applied before sowing seedlings. Coniferous sawdust is not suitable, they increase the acidity of the soil. It is important to let the sawdust rest before use. If this is not done, it is necessary to make additional nitrogen fertilizing. The substrate of sphagnum peat requires increased attention, as it dries out very quickly.

Preparing seeds for sowing

Seed selection begins in the garden. The best representatives of the variety are allowed to overripe on the whip, they are removed only when the skin acquires an orange tint and cracks. Seeds are selected only from the front of the fruit, to prevent bitterness. They are turned and fermented for several days in a small amount of water, like tomatoes.

This is necessary in order to free them from the liquid without damaging the seeds. Any seeds that will float should be discarded.

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

These seeds are soaked for 12 hours in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection, dried and put into paper bags. Cucumber seeds are stored at room temperature in a dark place. Germination is not lost until 5-6 years.

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

Pre-landing activities

It is necessary to sow cucumbers for seedlings a month before planting plants in the ground. Usually these works begin in March.

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

The remaining seeds are subjected to stimulation and hardening. First, they are heated near the battery for two days.

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

If the germination of seeds is in doubt, they can be treated with a growth stimulator. Cautious owners re-treat them with potassium permanganate.

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

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

How and where to plant cucumber seeds for seedlings

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

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

The pots are placed close to each other on a common tray for easy care. Fill with prepared soil and sow two seeds in them in order to later remove a weaker shoot. The sowing depth is not more than 3 centimeters.

If the seeds are planted in a common container, then the distance between them is maintained by two centimeters and three centimeters between the rows. With such a landing, seedlings will later have to dive. Not everyone finds this procedure useful.

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

Crop care

Well, if there is an opportunity to allocate for seedlings separate room temperature controlled (ideally a heated greenhouse).

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

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

When the sprouts rise so much that they can be assessed, the weaker ones are carefully removed under the root with nail scissors.

Watering and fertilizing

Watering should be carried out often - once every two days. Warm melted or settled water. This should be done in the morning, at the beginning daylight hours. Cold and hard water is detrimental to seedlings.

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

A little trick: so that the water does not stagnate in the pots, they can be installed in a plastic mesh box, which, in turn, is raised on a stand so that air circulates under the seedling container.

Top dressing is carried out when the first pair of leaves appears.

Mineral fertilizers for cucumbers

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

Organic fertilizers:

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

Light mode

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

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

Features picking seedlings of cucumbers

Cucumbers are very tender. root system. Unlike a tomato, transplants do not benefit them. Broken hair roots do not regenerate, it takes time for new ones to grow back and the plant slows down in growth without receiving any benefits.

Supporters of the dive procedure begin this event when the cotyledon pair of leaves fully opens in cucumbers and at least one true leaf appears.

The picking of cucumber seedlings takes place along general rules. The main thing is to soak the soil well in advance in a box and transplant the roots, gently prying them with a spatula.

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

Preparing seedlings for planting in open ground

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

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

Seedlings are planted in open ground after the formation of four true leaves and the establishment of stable warm weather.

Planting seedlings in the ground

It is reasonable to plan the location of crops on the estate for three to five years in advance so that the soil does not become depleted, and the vegetables do not get sick and do not degenerate.

A bed for cucumbers must be prepared in advance, introducing rotted manure for previous plantings.

A place for cucumber beds must be chosen in a lighted area, closed from the wind. In a warm climate, these can be furrows deepened onto a spade bayonet. For growing cucumbers in the north of the country, you can organize warm beds in wooden case.

Such beds are prepared in advance. First, they knock down and install a wooden box according to the size of the future beds. The whole season you need to put organic matter in the box: food leftovers (except for meat and fat), grape trimmings, chopped branches of fruit trees, fallen leaves. During the winter and summer, all this rots, in the fall, you need to fill up the compost soil with a layer of 10 centimeters from above. In early spring, cover the bed with an old film. The organics give off heat, and the bed warms up well. This makes it possible to plant cucumbers at an earlier date.

They start normal landing when the temperature of the earth warms up by 12-14 degrees. Fertilizers (humus and mineral complex mixtures) are applied to the ground. After that, the pots with seedlings are well filled with water, and the plant is extracted from them. The less damage to the root system during transplantation, the better.

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

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

The best predecessors for cucumbers

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

1. previous plants should enrich the soil with the elements they desire, not make it too acidic;
2. it is good if the root system of previous plants lies at a different depth than cucumber;
3. cucumbers with predecessor plants should not have common pests and diseases.

Tomatoes and White cabbage. Cucumbers will grow well in the garden after onions, garlic, legumes, carrots and beets.

Neighbors are also very important - ideally, this is corn or sunflower, like a screen from cold winds. Also suitable: lettuce, beets, beans and savory.

Planting method immediately in open ground

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

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

Proper planting of seeds

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

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

Cucumber care

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

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

Watering and fertilizing

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

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

Root top dressing of cucumbers

With this type of top dressing, nutrient mixtures are introduced into the soil, under the root of the plant. You can spend them once a week or ten days. The composition of the mixture is chosen based on external signs of a shortage of a particular substance:

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

Cucumbers are fed on damp ground, early in the morning.

Foliar top dressing

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

Spraying is best done early in the morning, choosing cloudy days so that the moisture has time to evaporate before bright sunlight hits the leaves. On such a day, you can stretch over the treated bed nonwoven fabric.

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

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

Bush formation

Cucumbers are creeping or weaving plants. Removing extra lashes, tying up, creating favorable conditions for fixing the antennae of cucumbers on vertical surfaces - all this also helps to increase the fruiting time.

The way the bush is formed depends on the variety, the method of cultivation and the type of garter.

In no case should you pinch and remove stepchildren with your hands. For these purposes, it is necessary to use scissors or secateurs, periodically lowering the blades into a solution of potassium permanganate.

Topping

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

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

When starting to form a bush, one must understand that hybrids develop differently than bee-pollinated varieties. You can not pinch them in the same way.

For modern hybrids with a predominantly female type of flowering, it is more suitable vertical way cultivation with the preservation of a long main shoot.

pasynkovanie

In vertical cultivation, one or two lashes are usually used.

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

The formation in two lashes occurs in a similar way, but in addition to the central shoot, one more stepson is left closest to the root. The lashes grow in parallel.

How to tie cucumbers

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

Two main methods of growing bushes have already been described above and it is noted that it is more convenient to form horizontal lashes for open ground. This is due to the fact that plants lying on the ground suffer less from wind and bright sunlight. However, if you set an arc above a horizontal bush and shoot several shoots along it, this will allow the cucumber to branch to larger area.

Above the furrow with cucumbers weaving on the ground, you can also install four supports and stretch several lines of wire or twine parallel to each other on them. A stunted bush will curl along these supports.

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

Tying methods:

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

Some varieties of cucumbers can be braided arbors and decorative hedges.

Methods for increasing the yield of cucumbers

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

1. when cucumbers grow, the first four ovaries must be removed so that the plant gains strength before it starts to spend them on ripening the crop;
2. in education a large number"Male" flowers cucumbers need to arrange stress - reduce top dressing, lower the temperature or skip watering;
3. spraying a weak honey solution on the foliage (1 teaspoon per liter of water) will attract insects for better pollination and enrich the plants with microelements;
4. when growing hybrids, next to them it is worth planting several bushes of a bee-pollinated variety;
5. ripe cucumbers must be harvested daily, carefully cutting them with disinfected scissors.

Diseases and pests of cucumbers

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

You can prevent diseases by observing the rules of hygiene in the garden plot:

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

Prevention of diseases and pest attacks is also the introduction of appropriate foliar dressings(which is detailed above).

A few recipes for chemically harmless pesticides that you can use at the first sign of aphids or mites:

1. a glass of tobacco, a glass of wood ash, a tablespoon of laundry soap shavings are poured with 10 liters of boiling water;
2. half a bucket of chopped onion peel, one glass of wood ash is poured with boiling water, a tablespoon of laundry soap shavings is added there, then they act in a similar way;
3. 10 g of dry red pepper, 100 g of tobacco, 2 tablespoons of soap chips per 10 liters of boiling water;

The above remedies are insisted for a day, filtered, after which the leaves are sprayed from bottom to top. Then be sure to loosen the ground to destroy the fallen pests.

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

Varieties and hybrids of cucumbers

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

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

hybrids

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

The only drawback of hybrid cucumbers is that you cannot collect seeds from them. In order to resume the cultivation of cucumber with excellent characteristics next year, planting material will need to be purchased again.

Some of the more popular modern hybrids are:

German F1- parthenocarpic, high-yielding early-ripening hybrid, resistant to diseases, fruits up to 10 centimeters long, pimply without bitterness.

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

Chinese cucumber– tall hybrid, shown vertical cultivation, fruits in length reach 60-70 centimeters, have exceptional taste, are devoid of bitterness.

Masha F1- parthenocarpic hybrid, early ripe, small pimply, fruits up to 11 centimeters, have a sweetish taste, devoid of bitterness, good for preservation and fresh consumption.

Friendly family F1- parthenocarpic hybrid, different high yield, short fruits with longitudinal stripes are well suited for conservation, without bitterness.

Varieties

When growing varietal cucumbers, you can collect seeds and thereby save on the purchase of planting material.

Growing for several generations in a certain area, the variety adapts to local conditions. The owner is personally involved in the selection, choosing suitable specimens for subsequent cultivation and improving them year after year.

Description of a range of cultivars suitable for outdoor cultivation:

Phoenix- a universal late-ripening variety with fruits up to 14 centimeters, has a high yield and a classic cucumber taste.

Serpentine- precocious, drought-resistant variety, has high immunity, fruits universal use 9-9.5 centimeters long.

Vyaznikovsky-37- mid-season variety, fruits reach a size of 11 centimeters, suitable for pickling and fresh consumption.

droplet- high-yielding late-ripening variety, fruits reach 14 centimeters, have a classic cucumber taste, are versatile in use.

Aquarius- an early ripe variety, the fruits reach 14 centimeters, gives a plentiful long-term harvest, the taste of the fruits is excellent, the use is universal.

Taking into account all the advantages and disadvantages of hybrids and varietal cucumbers, several gardening rules can be formed to optimize costs and the result obtained.

For hybrids:

1. seedling cultivation;
2. places in the greenhouse;
3. stepsoning, formation in one or two lashes;
4. vertical tie.

Varietal cucumbers:

1. seed cultivation with harvest until the end of summer;
2. melon method of cultivation in upland areas;
3. pinching the main lash according to the classical method;
4. horizontal tie.

It is important to grow as many hybrids and varieties as possible on the estate in order to have a universal set of fruits for all uses. At the same time, it is advisable to keep a planting diary, writing down the names of the planted cucumbers and even keeping photographs of the most typical specimens.

Technology home growing cucumbers in the open field is rich in nuances, but simple and accessible for development. The gardener's main weapon is patience, attentiveness and the ability to draw conclusions about the results of his work.

Evgeny Sedov

When hands grow from the right place, life is more fun :)

early harvest received in greenhouse conditions. Later, most vegetable crops are planted in summer on open land. This also includes cucumbers. They are unpretentious, but care requires care when organizing watering, feeding and creating acceptable conditions for development.

How to grow cucumbers outdoors

It is better to equip the bed on the sunny side of the site, where the winds do not blow. Curly and bush cucumbers should be planted in summer, when there is no risk of frost returning (first days of June). Such a culture does not tolerate excessive exposure to moisture, therefore it is not recommended to plant cucumber shoots in open areas with a shallow level of occurrence. ground water. Such conditions make Negative influence, as the appearance of female ovaries may be significantly delayed.

If the question is being decided how to properly grow cucumbers in the open field, they first prepare the garden bed, which is done before planting the seeds. The garden has been prepared since autumn: they dig up, fertilize with manure. Planting material grows more intensively after the predecessors of a certain type: some root crops, onions, legumes, and tomatoes are also included here. It is important to change the landing site. Disease-resistant varieties are suitable for open ground. One of the dangers is given culture difficult to tolerate the transplant process.

Ways to grow cucumbers

You can plant a crop in several ways, all of them are characterized by their own nuances:

• laying seeds;
• transplanting.

The first of the options is implemented under acceptable conditions: the prepared seed is laid in the summer (early June), when the cold has already completely receded and temperature regime does not exceed the limit below +15 degrees. The technology for planting seedlings of cucumbers is implemented in two stages: laying seeds in a pot in spring (early-mid-May); a month later, young plants are transferred to a predetermined place.

Cultivation of cucumbers in open ground is also implemented by other methods of laying planting material:

• installation of trellises;
• raised.

A feature of the first option is the need to prepare a supporting structure (trellis). The minimum area is used, because only two rows of plants are enough, and the distance between them is 1-2 m. When solving the problem of how to grow cucumbers in open ground using the spreading method, a significant area must be allocated for this purpose. It is impossible to shift and move the stems, because this disrupts the orientation of the leaf plates, and the harvest will be later.

Varieties of cucumbers for open ground

The range is unlimited, however, it is better to use certain types of culture:

• "Elegant";
• "Altaic";
• "Murom"
• "Cascade";
• "Chinese";
• "Courage F1";
• "Moscow";
• "Phoenix";
• "Nezhinskiy 12".

Agricultural technology for growing cucumbers in the open field

High yields can be obtained only with an unmistakably implemented planting technology, if you take care of the plants in a timely manner, give top dressing and water. The temperature regime of air and soil, the intensity of moisture, and growth conditions are taken into account. From all these stages, agricultural technology is compiled. If you miss one of them, the cultivation will give poor results: bitter fruits instead of juicy, sweet and fragrant.

Planting cucumbers

Some of the above varieties can be planted both in open areas and under film. The soil should be warm (at least 17 degrees) and prepared, for which a trench is dug in the spring, the soil is excavated with further processing (potassium salt is taken in the amount of 10 g per 1 linear meter, superphosphate up to 20 g, humus within 5 kg, wood ash no more than 1 l). Seeds are laid on average no deeper than 3 cm, it is better to plant cucumbers closer to the surface (1-2 cm). The minimum area of ​​an open area (1 sq. M) accounts for 6-7 bushes.

Fertilizers for cucumbers

Top dressing is given up to 6 times throughout the entire cycle of plant development. The first portion of nutrients is added to initial stage formation of flower buds. Further, cucumbers should be fed every 14 days during the period when the plants bear fruit. Cultivation is carried out by the method of processing with organic / mineral fertilizers. Mullein is popular (1 share per 10 shares of water).

How to form cucumbers in the open field

The pinching method promotes the growth of side shoots. The scheme in this case depends on the variety: stepchildren are removed from 3-4 leaves of the central stem; the formation of varietal cucumbers is carried out by pinching after 6-7 leaves. This technology is otherwise called pasynkovanie. It is recommended not to apply to all plants, but to medium and late-ripening varieties.

How to water cucumbers outdoors

Do not direct a direct stream of water at cucumber bushes. The preferred option is drip irrigation. It is not always possible to organize it, so the holes are often carefully filled with water. This should be done on time, so often that the soil does not dry out and is constantly moistened. Watering is carried out in the morning before the onset of heat or in the evening, for this it is taken warm water.

Secrets of growing cucumbers in the open field

There are many subtleties of growing technology that facilitate the care of shoots throughout the entire cycle of their growth. The main mistake is loosening the soil. Theoretically, such a measure will enrich the soil with oxygen, but in practice this will lead to a violation of the root system, which grows closer to the soil surface. It is better to use mulching, which is especially effective when leaving, if the Mittlider method (narrow beds) is implemented.

How to grow cucumbers without diseases

The main secret is the correct choice of variety, another feature is the preventive work carried out before planting. Actions step by step:

• at the end of the harvest season, you need to remove the remaining stems;
• remove a layer of soil up to 10 cm;
• in cases where it is impossible to remove the surface soil, this area is impregnated blue vitriol(10 l of liquid, no more than 50 g of substance);
• the soil is dug up, then it is already possible to grow.

How to grow a good crop of cucumbers in the open field

Healthy seedlings grow in rich nutrients substrate, for which it is desirable to buy ready mix. Without fertilizer, growing cucumbers in the open field will give modest results. In addition to the main portion of top dressing, plants are additionally sprayed with the same formulations every 14 days. To do this, the active substances are taken in half a smaller volume. It is important to promote the formation of female flowers of cucumbers, such measures have proven themselves well:

• reduction in the number of male ovaries by pinching;
• reducing the intensity of watering at the stage of budding;
• cultivation begins with warming the seeds before planting in an open area.

Video: how to grow cucumbers in the open field

In order not to be left without a crop, you need to properly organize the care of cucumbers in the open field. There are subtleties in the agricultural technology of this culture, neglecting which you can waste time and energy in summer. Agrotechnics of cucumbers in the open field is due to the origin of the culture. Since this plant is native to southeastern India, from areas with a tropical climate, the requirements for humidity and temperature are high.

Each gardener has his own secrets of growing cucumbers in the open field. Some grow them on a regular bed, others prefer the method warm beds. It should be noted the main advantage of the second method - a high concentration carbon dioxide in the layers of air adjacent to the ground.

The more it is, the faster the plants grow. Apply methods of growing cucumbers of two types: seedlings, seeds in the ground. The first method allows you to bring the collection of cucumbers closer, the second simplifies the cultivation and care of ground cucumbers.

Planting in the ground with seeds

The technology of growing cucumbers in open ground with seeds is tied to the weather. It must be remembered that planting cucumbers in cold ground will give a negative result. Cucumber seeds germinate if the soil warms up to 14 ° C.

Frosts kill young cucumber seedlings, a prolonged drop in temperature to 8 ° C reduces the germination of seeds that have hatched.

Strong cucumber seedlings - a formula for success

Strong seedlings of cucumbers grown at home are the key to a high yield. Before planting in the ground, it is grown for 25 days. Not all novice gardeners know how to properly grow cucumbers through seedlings. Sowing cucumbers for seedlings begins with soil preparation. Easiest to buy ready ground. A more difficult way is to prepare the soil yourself.

To germinate cucumber seeds, a mixture is suitable:

• humus (1 part);
• lowland peat (1 part);
• 1 st. l. mineral fertilizer ("Aquarin");
• 0.5 l of ash per bucket of mixture.

Pickling cucumbers do not tolerate picking well, therefore, seeds are planted in separate containers (glasses) with a diameter of 7 cm. Before this, planting material must be disinfected. The usual option is 1 g of potassium permanganate and 100 ml of water. Before sowing, "Epin-extra" is used to stimulate seed germination. Take 100 ml of warm boiled water, drip the product (2 drops). After that, from 2 to 4 days, the seeds are kept in wet wipe at a temperature of 25 - 28 °C. Seeds are planted in cups when the root is extended by 5 mm.

The soil in the cups is spilled with warm water, after 30 minutes the seeds are laid out in them and covered with a layer of soil, the sowing depth is 2 cm. The glasses are covered with a film, removed after the appearance of cucumber sprouts. Care for seedlings of cucumbers is standard:

• water seedlings every other day;
• illuminate cucumbers in cloudy weather;
• feed the seedlings twice;
• harden seedlings a week before transplanting into the ground, lowering the night temperature to 12 ° C.

Warm beds - a paradise for cucumbers

Growing cucumbers outdoors using warm beds is very popular. The site for the construction of the ridge should be fenced off from the north wind by tall vegetables or a structure. This makes it easier to create the right microclimate for cucumbers.

To fill the warm ridge, you can use manure or plant residues (weeds, tops). For disinfection, the plant mass can be heated: fall asleep in iron barrel, pour water, heat on fire. Pour the hot mass into a trench dug in advance: trench depth - 35 cm, width - 1 m.

Small branches, paper can be laid in the trench. Pour the layers with fluffy lime, pour the excavated earth on top of everything. In the spring, carry out the final cultivation of the soil: dig, add humus, ash, nitroammophoska.

Starting from spring, the remains, rotting, emit heat and create the microclimate necessary for cucumbers in the surface layer. A high concentration of carbon dioxide stimulates the appearance of female flowers, which has a positive effect on the volume of the crop.

Transplanting cucumber seedlings into the ground

You need to know some subtleties about how to grow cucumbers in seedlings. In early June (late May), seedlings can be transplanted into the garden. Until this day, ten days to start warming up the soil: pour hot water, cover with a film.

Plant seedlings in rows. Leave a distance between rows of 50 cm, in rows between holes - 30 - 40 cm. Protect the roots from damage when planting. Pour wells with rose water with potassium permanganate. Install plastic arcs over the ridge, stretch the film.

During the day, at an air temperature of 25 ° C, slightly open the film on one side to a height of 25 cm. Further growth of cucumbers and caring for plantings comes down to watering, fertilizing, keeping the ridges clean, and preventing diseases.

About the features of care in the open field

Caring for grown plants, you need to not only water them. It is equally important to harvest fruits that have grown to a normal size in a timely manner. You need to collect greens in the morning, they retain their elasticity longer.

In order not to damage the lashes, do not tear off the fruits, but cut them with scissors or a garden knife. Do not turn the whip once again, the leaves should look up. Fruit picking is carried out every 2 days.

Secrets of the correct watering of ground cucumbers

When growing cucumbers in the open field in the country, there may be difficulties with watering due to rare visits. Don't rely on rain, it doesn't always help. It is necessary to remember the benefits of rainwater - it is better than well or tap water, it has more oxygen and nutrients.

Cucumbers need frequent watering, but there are growing conditions associated with weather conditions. On cool days at excess moisture plants develop root rot. Proper care of cucumbers is avoiding watering at daytime temperatures below 15 ° C. In such weather, dry irrigation is carried out in the country in the open field - the earth is loosened between the rows.

• powdery mildew;
• root rot;
• anthracnose.

The first signs of powdery mildew often appear on ground cucumbers in cool (20 ° C) weather with high humidity. In the early stages, it is a white coating on the leaves, similar to flour. In later stages, the leaves on cucumbers begin to turn yellow and dry.

Fruiting cucumber bushes can be sprinkled with powdery mildew infusion prepared from water (10 parts) and mullein (1 part). Heavily affected cucumber leaves should be sprayed with a solution of iron sulfate (5%).

Root rot can leave no crop. The first signs can be seen immediately after planting the seedlings on the ridge. With a daily increase in temperature, the leaves on the plants wither, and with the onset of twilight, the elasticity of the leaves is restored. At the bottom of the stem in such plants, the color becomes brown. Care at this time:

• add a biological product ("Baktofit") or a fungicide ("Hom") into the soil;
• spud stems to stimulate the growth of new roots;
• to increase immunity, treat with the drug "Effekton".

Anthracnose affects not only the lashes and leaves of ground plants, the fruits also suffer. Spots grow on the leaves yellow color, pink ulcers form on greens, the stems dry out, the fruits become unusable. The life of the cucumber bush depends on how quickly the plant is helped. For processing cucumber leaves take Bordeaux liquid 1 %.

Pests in the garden with cucumbers

Often, with the onset of hot July days, care in the open field complicates aphids. A small insect can cause great damage to plants in the open field. It is easy to recognize damaged ground cucumbers:

• sluggish leaves;
• spoiled buds and ovaries;
• yellow spots on the surface of the leaves.

The insect reproduces rapidly, aphid colonies can destroy an entire ridge in 10 days. If an insect is found, prepare a soap-ash solution. Take a liter of water, add 72% laundry soap (2 tablespoons) and ash (2 tablespoons) diluted in hot water to it.

Wash the leaves and stems of cucumbers with soapy-ash water. Treat open ground plants in the morning. To avoid burning the leaves, throw covering material over the plants at noon. Repeat the treatment in open ground after 5 days. The ground under cucumber bushes should be powdered with ash to repel pests and feed weakened plants.

Simple protection of ground cucumbers from a bear

Medvedka causes great damage to young ground cucumbers. Simple plastic bottle protect soil cucumbers from pests. For a 1.5 liter bottle, cut off the bottom and upper part, you get a cylinder. Cut the cylinder into 3 equal parts.

Press the resulting rings into the bed, above the surface you need to leave a protruding rim - 0.5 cm high. Plant 3 cucumber seeds in each ring, sprinkled with soil.

Cover the cucumber ridge with cellophane until sprouts appear. The rings will protect the seedlings from the bear, will not interfere with the development of the plant, and will facilitate its cultivation.

Selection of varieties for outdoor cultivation

For open ground it is necessary to choose bee-pollinated varieties. Main advantages varieties for open ground: cold resistance, resistance to temperature fluctuations. An overview of three current outdoor hybrids will help you choose cucumber seeds for next season.

Cucumber Crunch F1

The hybrid is bee-pollinated, differs in long fructification in an open ground. Cucumbers are harvested 48 days after germination. Bloom female type. The fruits are collected in bunches of 2 - 3 pieces. Zelentsy practically do not outgrow, are not prone to yellowing.

The pulp of cucumbers is dense, there are no voids. The fruits are one-sized, the average weight of greens is 90-100 g. It is difficult to spoil the salad with a tasty cucumber, greens are good in lightly salted and pickled form. Valuable qualities of a hybrid for open ground: resistance to root rot, cladosporiosis, powdery mildew (false, real).

Cucumber Appetizing F1

Early hybrid for open ground (maturing occurs after 45 days), bee-pollinated, productive (14 kg/m²). Fruiting is uniform, long. The hybrid is resistant to a complex of diseases, perfectly adapts to any conditions during cultivation. Flower type is female. At the nodes it forms 2-3 ovaries. Cucumbers grow beautiful, not long, aligned. The shape of the greens is cylindrical, weight is from 80 to 100 g. The fruits can be used in blanks, fresh.

Cucumber Malyutka F1

Early hybrid, bee-pollinated, can be planted in open ground. Zelentsy begin to sing on the 47th - 50th day. The fruiting of the soil hybrid continues for a long time, the greens are formed on the central stem and on the side shoots. The length of the greens is 7 - 10 cm, the shape is beautiful. Cucumbers are large-tuberous with white pubescence. The pulp of cucumbers is dense, juicy, crispy. Zelentsy is used for barrel salting, pickles do not lose their elasticity.

How to easily increase the yield of cucumbers in the open field

Sometimes advice experienced gardeners help to grow a lot of cucumbers in the open field. Here is one such tip: a special watering of ground cucumbers using apple cider vinegar. Pour rainwater or tap water into a barrel. When the water warms up, add Apple vinegar. For 200 liters, 1.5 cups are enough. Water the ground cucumbers with this sour water all summer. It will be possible to collect grown ground cucumbers by 15% more than when irrigating with ordinary water.

Cucumber is one of those vegetables without which our table is unthinkable today. Therefore, many summer residents and gardeners, in order to provide themselves with fresh cucumbers and prepare them for the winter, practice growing cucumbers in open ground. But in order to consistently receive high yields, you need to know some secrets of their cultivation.

O useful properties cucumbers have been known to people for a long time. This vegetable improves bowel function, has a beneficial effect on digestion, stimulates the activity of the heart and kidneys, and has a beneficial effect on the condition of teeth and gums.

Cucumber also has good regenerating properties, due to which it is often used to heal small external ulcers and scratches. Fresh cucumber cleanses the skin well, and freshly made juice from it has the ability to cleanse the joints.

Cucumbers in open ground are grown in two ways:

• seedlings;
• reckless.

Growing cucumbers in seedlings allows you to get a crop much earlier, but requires more time and trouble. When grown in a seedless way, cucumbers begin to bear fruit later, but the gardener takes less time to take care of himself.

In the southern regions, where the climate is milder and spring comes earlier, growing cucumbers in a seedless way is widely practiced. In the north, on the contrary, due to the harsh climate, such cultivation is almost impossible. Most central regions both ways of growing cucumbers are possible.

Regardless of the method of cultivation, many agrotechnical operations are performed in the same way, differing only in terms of execution.

Seed selection

One of these operations is the selection and preparation for planting cucumber seeds. When choosing them, you should pay attention to a number of rules, the first of which is whether the seeds of a given variety or hybrid are recommended for cultivation in open ground.

Otherwise, by planting in open ground the seeds of cucumbers intended exclusively for growing in greenhouses, you will not wait for a good harvest.

It is always better to use zoned varieties for planting. There are two caveats though:

1. Varieties of cucumbers, zoned in the northern regions, under conditions middle lane, and even more so the south grow and bear fruit quite well. At the same time, the varieties zoned in the southern regions, no matter how outstanding they possess, the inhabitants northern regions will almost certainly disappoint.
2. If everyone strictly followed this rule, no one would ever hear about many varieties of cucumbers (and other vegetables).

Also, when choosing, you need to consider whether you are purchasing varietal or hybrid seeds. Hybrids are generally more disease resistant and produce bigger harvest, but absolutely unsuitable for collecting seed material.

Be sure to purchase seeds you need to decide why you need them more. There are varieties more suitable for conservation and processing, and varieties for fresh consumption. There are also universal varieties of cucumbers.

Also, when choosing, you need to take into account the ripening time: there are early, middle and late varieties.

The vast majority of zoned varieties and hybrids of cucumbers do not form the ovary themselves; they require insects for pollination. But there are also self-pollinated hybrids, mostly foreign ones, which differ increased productivity. Although I personally have a taste for pickled Dutch cucumbers caused no excitement. But, as they say, there is no comrade for the taste and color.

And the last important point is the expiration date of the seeds. Cucumbers are spleen, so it is better not to plant the seeds of last year's harvest. Seeds 3-4 years old germinate best. Although at proper storage(in the temperature range from plus 2 to plus 25°) cucumber seeds remain viable even 7-8 years old.

Preparing seeds for planting

Such preparation is almost identically performed for both methods, only with seedlings it must be carried out a month earlier. First, the seed is sized by selecting large, well-filled, intact seeds for planting.

Then the selected seeds are placed in a 3% saline solution, shaken well and left for 15 minutes. settle down. During this quarter of an hour, seeds suitable for planting will sink to the bottom, and the "dummy" will remain floating on top.

Draining the saline solution, at the same time get rid of these pacifiers. The seeds remaining at the bottom are thoroughly washed and dried for 20-30 minutes. placed in a 1% manganese solution for disinfection. This procedure allows you to qualitatively disinfect the seeds, ridding their surface of harmful fungi and bacteria that are there.

The seed material taken out of the manganese solution is again washed and dried.

Then, if there is a hot battery in the house, the seeds are placed in a cloth bag and left on it for a day to warm up. If there is no battery or heating season already ended, the seeds can be heated in another way - put them in hot (about 55-60 °) water for 2 hours.

The fourth stage - germination - is more used when growing cucumbers in a seedless way. It allows you to get seedlings 4-7 days earlier, therefore, the crop ripens earlier.

There are several ways to germinate. The most popular among gardeners: place the seeds in a canvas bag, moisten this bag and, constantly keeping the seeds moist, leave in a warm place for 1.5-2 days. During this time, the seeds swell and germinate quickly when planted.

There is another, combined, method of germination. Cucumber seeds are placed for 12 hours in warm solution nitrophoska, diluting a teaspoon of fertilizer in a liter of water, then washed and spread on wet sawdust. Sawdust is periodically moistened until the seeds swell.

But recently, with the advent of special growth stimulants, this method is no longer so relevant. Most gardeners prefer to soak seeds in stimulants - for example, Baikal-1 or Emistime S.

Experienced gardeners know, and it would be useful for beginners to recall that hybrid seeds are usually sold already prepared for planting, so there is no need to further process them. The only thing that can be done with them, preparing for planting, is to treat them with a growth stimulator.

Seed planting dates

Depending on the chosen method of growing cucumbers, the timing of planting seeds is determined. But both ways general requirement: cucumber seedlings should not be affected by spring frosts.

When planting cucumber seeds for seedlings, expect that after about 30-35 days it will have to be planted in the garden. In most regions, this usually happens in late May - early June, when the soil warms up to a temperature of + 15-17 °.

With this in mind, seeds for seedlings should be sown from April 20 to April 30 (we are talking about seedlings for open ground, when growing cucumbers under film cover, the planting dates will be different).

When grown in a seedless way, cucumber seeds are also sown in the last decade of May. Although this is only the lower time bar. It is also possible to plant cucumber seeds in open ground in mid-June, and some gardeners plant them even later, until mid-July, using the vacated land from under the dug up young potatoes for planting.

Some gardeners (including me), if the end of April and the beginning of May are warm, take risks and sow seeds 1-2 weeks earlier, but some “safety measures” must be taken.

In early May, I cover the area where I plan to grow cucumbers with plastic wrap until the very moment of planting, so that the soil warms up better. I usually plant the seeds in the ground on May 9-10, and cover the planting with a spunbond to keep the soil warm and protect the germinated seeds from possible night frosts.

I completely remove the spunbond when the night temperature is consistently above 15 degrees and the threat of night frosts disappears. With this method of growing, the first crop can be harvested 1.5 or even 2 weeks earlier than usual, i.e. in fact, almost at the same time as when growing cucumbers in seedlings.

Site selection and garden preparation

Ideally, a cucumber bed should be located in a place well lit by the sun and protected from cold winds. Moreover, the first requirement is strictly for execution, while the second, if there is no such possibility, willy-nilly have to be neglected.

The best predecessors for cucumbers are potatoes, all types of cabbage, onions, beans, tomatoes. It is impossible to plant after zucchini, pumpkin and squash, since these plants belong to the same biological group and are affected by related diseases and pests.

A bed for cucumbers should be started in the fall. The site should be plowed up or dug deep (on a full bayonet of a shovel), while applying organic fertilizers (manure, humus, compost) at the rate of 6-8 kg per m² of land. It is also recommended to put a little potassium sulfate (6-7 g per m²) into the soil when digging, and add superphosphate to it on sandy soils.

Be sure to check the pH of the soil. For cucumbers, soils with a neutral index are optimal. On acidic soils, you need to apply in the fall for deoxidation slaked lime, dolomite flour or crushed chalk. If the acidity index is low, you can get by with the introduction of wood ash.

Further preparation of the site continues in the spring. Cucumbers bear fruit best on specially equipped high beds. It is best to build such a bed from humus mixed with the ground, additionally adding nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers to this mixture - 30 g per m² of the bed being built. To warm up the bed faster, it can be wrapped with plastic wrap.

Seedling growing technology

It is best to grow seedlings of cucumbers in peat cups. Cucumbers do not tolerate picking very well, from a quarter to a third of the transplanted seedlings die, so it's better not to risk it. And besides, it is not advisable to grow a lot of cucumbers through seedlings in the open field: for the needs own family the harvest from 7-8 cucumber bushes is quite enough, but it will not be possible to sell them expensively.

Usually, when the first cucumbers in the garden ripen, the market is already so "inundated" with greenhouse products that the proceeds from the sale of cucumbers barely cover the cost of their transportation. However, I judge this only on the basis of my own experience and place of residence, maybe things are better in other regions.

The soil for growing cucumber seedlings can be purchased at the store, or you can cook it yourself by mixing earth, peat and humus in equal proportions, and adding a little sawdust and wood ash to this mixture.

The prepared mixture is filled to the top with peat cups. You can also use plastic or plastic containers instead of peat ones, but they will have to be cut when planting, and peat ones are planted in the ground along with the plant.

Seeds of cucumbers are planted individually, deepening them, always with a sprouted sharp tip up, by 1-1.5 cm into the soil mixture. Then the soil in the cups is moistened and, for the fastest germination of seeds, the cups are covered with paper.

When shoots appear, they are kept indoors for 3-4 weeks at a temperature of 22-28 °, until 4 true leaves form and develop well on the seedlings. After that, after hardening it, it is planted in the garden.

Traditional care for cucumber seedlings comes down to regular watering. Some gardeners also feed it, but I am not a supporter of this - it’s very easy not to guess and feed it in such a way that the seedlings will “outgrow” very quickly.

Planting cucumbers in open ground

Regardless of the method, when planting cucumbers, the following distances must be observed: 35-40 cm between bushes in a row and 0.8-1 m between rows. When growing cucumbers on high beds, the distance between adjacent beds should be at least 1 m.

Seedlings are planted in holes. First, the wells are disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, after which seedlings are placed in them, always along with the soil in which they grew. Plant it in such a way as not to cover the hypocotyl knee with earth.

Then the planted plants are watered again, already clean water, and sprinkled on top with dry earth to reduce the evaporation of moisture and prevent the formation of a crust on the watered soil.

Cucumber seeds can also be planted both in holes and in grooves. Seeds are buried in the ground by 3-4 cm. I prefer planting in holes: less work and easier care of the bed. I put 5-6 pieces of cucumber seeds in each hole, then, when thinning, I leave 3 of the strongest plants each.

With this method of growing, it is necessary to slightly change the distance between the bushes so that the plantings are not very thickened. Between adjacent holes, the distance on my bed is 70-80 cm, and between rows - 1.5 m, i.e. actually double the recommended amount. But if you count the number of plants, then the plantings are even more dense than with conventional cultivation.

Cucumber garden care

Cucumbers are creepers, they grow and bear fruit better when there is support. Therefore, the construction of a trellis for cucumbers is a very important matter, almost mandatory. At the same time, the trellis being constructed must be strong in order to withstand the weight of the shoots, leaves and fruits, and high enough so that the cucumbers have somewhere to trail.

Otherwise, care for the beds of cucumbers is traditional:

• timely watering and top dressing;
• loosening the soil and removing weeds;
• timely harvest.

But there are some nuances in growing cucumbers. To attract insects for better pollination, their plantings are sprayed with a honey or sugar solution. To obtain such a solution, 50-100 g of honey or sugar are dissolved in a liter of hot water, sometimes adding 2 g of boric acid to them.

Soil loosening is carried out after each heavy rain or watering. When growing cucumbers on a trellis, it is carried out regularly, when growing without trellises - in the first 2.5-3 weeks after planting (cucumbers spread further on the ground will not give such an opportunity). Loosen the ground, especially near the bushes, you need to be extremely careful not to damage the roots.

Male flowers-pollinators in cucumbers are located mainly on the central stem, and female - on the side. Therefore, to increase the yield, pinching the central stem over the 5-7th leaf is carried out. Sometimes, in order to achieve better branching, the side stems extending from the central one are also pinched.

Cucumbers are one of the garden crops that are extremely sensitive to moisture. With its lack in the soil, they drop the ovary, and the fruits are bitter, and with an excess, they can be affected. different types rot. Therefore, on hot days, cucumbers require daily watering.

Cucumbers are watered under the root with water heated to 22-25 °, trying to prevent it from falling on the leaves. The amount of water depends on weather conditions and averages 1.5-2 buckets per square meter cucumber patch. But it can be significantly reduced if watering is carried out in the late evening, and in the morning loosen and mulch the soil.

Knowing these features of the cucumber garden, everyone, even a novice gardener, can grow a good crop of cucumbers.

Many gardeners say that cucumbers have recently given little harvest. Therefore, the question is constantly asked how to grow cucumbers in order to get a good harvest every year. Experienced gardeners remember the times when there were no problems with them: they bore fruit from spring to autumn.

Since 1986, this plant has been annually affected by downy mildew (peronosporosis) - a disease that can destroy all the hard work of a vegetable grower in a matter of days. This disease came to us with Far East and in 1986 destroyed almost all cucumber crops in mid-June. The only varieties resistant to peronosporosis were bred by the Far Eastern Research Institute Agriculture(Khabarovsk): Far East 27, Mig, Cascade. I managed to purchase seeds of these varieties, and since then I have no problems with cucumbers, every year I collect a good harvest.

What varieties are best to grow?

Recently, the situation with cucumbers has changed somewhat. Firstly, new varieties and hybrids have been bred that are genetically resistant to peronosporosis (although there are no varieties that are absolutely resistant to this disease yet). Secondly, peronosporosis has “receded” a little and threatens cucumbers not in June, but in August.

Based on this, in my summer cottage, in addition to the Far East (and their collection has already been replenished with new varieties - Kit, Lotus, Khabar, Erofey), I grow early varieties and hybrids that have time to bear fruit before the peak of peronosporosis and give a good harvest.

Now there are many early hybrids, especially Dutch ones, whose seeds flooded the markets. But those who raised "new settlers" from Holland made sure that they do not always fit our climatic conditions, and their fruits have a thick skin and not all of them are suitable for processing, canning and salting.

At my summer cottage, I grow varieties and hybrids of cucumbers for open ground breeding by the Pridnestrovian Research Institute of Agriculture (Tiraspol), which meet our climatic conditions and annually delight me with their productivity and friendly fruiting.

These are hybrids Vzglyad (Vzglyad) F1, Epilogue, Business F1, Squadron F1, Zubrenok F1, Odyssey F1, Rodnichok F1, and varieties Mirabella and Favorit.

For about 10 years, Little Leaf has surprised me with its yield. It is the most popular variety of pickled cucumbers in the United States. It is characterized by resistance to the whole complex of diseases: downy and powdery mildew, anthracnose, olive blotch, as well as endurance to cold snaps. Its leaves are small, the shoots almost independently rise to the supports, the fruits are clearly visible on the site. They are tied even without pollination, even when rainy weather and no bees.

The season for harvesting fruits is almost doubled compared to other varieties, so they need to be harvested twice as often. This variety cannot be confused with any other: its main feature is extremely small leaves, 3-5 times smaller than other varieties. The fruits of Little Leaf are dark green, strong, small, even, suitable for canning and pickling. Seeds do not turn yellow.

Agricultural technology for growing cucumbers in the open field

And now a little about the agricultural technology of growing cucumbers. This plant is thermophilic, so the seeds are sown only in warm soil. The deceptive April heat sometimes provokes early sowing of the crop, and then a prolonged cold snap can cause the swollen seed to rot and rot or the seedlings to die. In open ground without shelter, it should be sown when the soil at a depth of 8-10 cm warms up to 12-13 ° C (from May 10 to 20).

I prepare the site in advance. I fertilize with humus, leaves, so that the earth is loose. Cucumbers do not like heavy packed soil. I usually use a wide-row sowing method. The row spacing is 1-1.2 m, the distance between plants is 10-15 cm. Before sowing, I weed the plot, clearing it of weeds. To obtain friendly shoots, I soak the seeds in an immunocytophyte solution. After treatment with this drug, a strong root system is formed, and the plants grow much larger.

Spraying seedlings with immunocytophyte helps plants withstand the May and June droughts, frosts, changes in night and day temperatures. And spraying plants in the initial phase of growth and during the formation of flowers increases the number of fruits. To create a favorable microclimate in the crops of cucumbers, you can use rocker crops, sowing the beds with crops with tall stems.

In the midst of fruiting, the main threat to cucumber plants is diseases, especially downy and powdery mildew. To combat these diseases, I use the epin bioregulator and stimulant, which is completely harmless and safe. During the growing season, it helps plants adapt faster to stress conditions (drought, frost, transplant, disease, etc.). It is desirable to use it in ecologically unfavorable areas.

Cucumbers suffer from both "starvation" and excess fertilizer. One of the best top dressings for fruit-bearing plants is watering with an infusion of organic fertilizers. Mullein or bird droppings should be diluted with water (1: 8−10) and watered at the rate of 1-5 liters per plant. The hotter it is, the more often you need to feed. During the mass collection, cucumbers should be fed once every 7-10 days.

It is advisable to alternate organic top dressing with mineral ones (crystaline, solute, calcium nitrate - complex fertilizers with microelements). But it should be borne in mind that these fertilizers acidify the soil, so it is better to alternate them with organic fertilizing. When fruiting on the central stem ends, it is good to carry out foliar (on foliage) top dressing once every 10 days with solutions of the same fertilizers, but in a lower concentration (kemira - 5 g per 10 l of water).

In addition to the above, I advise gardeners not to grow cucumbers in one place for several years in a row, to observe crop rotation. It is advisable to sow nectar-bearing plants to lure bees to the plots.

After the end of the cucumber season in the garden, I continue it in the room. I have been growing cucumbers at home for several years now. Note that to grow fresh cucumbers In winter, it is a fascinating activity, but not quite an easy one. The main prerequisite for harvesting cucumbers in room conditions associated with the presence of windows, loggias or balconies that faced east or west. The best is south. But when they are located to the north, nothing will work.

The next condition is that the seeds must be of high varietal quality, which are intended for growing indoors. Satisfactorily bear fruit in the room TCA 211 (Mashuk), room Rytova, Druzhny 85, Rodnichok and other bee-pollinated varieties and hybrids.

Agricultural technology for growing cucumbers in the room

First, I prepare seedlings. To do this, I sow seeds in metal cans with a capacity of 0.5-0.6 liters (from under squash caviar, beans, etc.). Inside, these jars are covered with food coloring, which in this case is just what you need. aluminum utensils cannot be used. For further cultivation and fruiting, I transplant seedlings into dishes with a capacity of at least 5 liters. The best for this is plastic utensils.

In his days, I make a hole with a diameter of 10-15 mm or 3-4 holes of 5-7 mm. flows through them excess water and maintain normal humidity. The vessel with the plant must be placed on a pallet or some kind of stand so that it does not touch the bottom. The gap should be at least 2-5 cm. Stones of appropriate sizes or pieces of brick can be used.

For watering with water, it is best to use containers from cleaners or other chemicals, to which a rubber hose with a diameter of 0.8-1 cm and a length of 30-35 cm is attached through a tube that is screwed. This is the device I use.

It differs from the "pear" syringe, in which small size, a small hole and it takes a long time to fill it with water, and when watering, a depression is formed in the soil and the root system is damaged. homemade device makes it possible to regulate the strength of the water jet and prevent soil from washing out.

To grow cucumbers in a room, you need such a soil mixture: ¾ parts of soddy soil or black soil, 1/4 part of humus or compost and river sand and sifted wood ash in the same amount. It is necessary to prepare the soil mixture in advance, but no later than 2-3 weeks before its use.

Cultivation of cucumbers for several years in the same place often creates the preconditions for disease, the rapid consumption of the same food reserves, and consequently, a decrease in yield. Therefore, I change the soil mixture every year. I also alternate growing plants: cucumbers one year, tomatoes the next.

There is no universal way to harvest cucumbers at room conditions. Each real vegetable grower has his own subtleties, his own technology. Individual varieties and hybrids also need an “individual approach”, for example, parthenocarpic hybrids from Transnistria. I sow them at several times: in winter - in January-February, in spring - in March-April, in autumn - in late August - early September.

Immediately after the emergence of seedlings, I keep the cucumbers in a cool place so that they do not stretch out, and I additionally illuminate them every evening with fluorescent lamps (at least two hours). When they grow up, I pinch them over 4-5 leaves. Such growth retardation benefits the root system: it grows faster, the growth of lateral shoots intensifies, which I also pinch over 5-6 leaves.

Parthenocarpic self-pollinating hybrids, they do not need additional pollination. They are producing excellent harvests. The ovary grows quickly and after 8-10 days the cucumbers are ready for the table. The more often you pick the fruits, the more ovaries are formed. With the collection of fruits, you should not be late, so as not to deplete the plants from overload.

If you grow bee-pollinated varieties or hybrids (Dean, Brigadier, Rodnichok, etc.), they need to be pollinated. When cucumbers bloom, pollen from male flowers (barren flowers) should be transferred to female ovaries - small cucumbers. Everyone female flower it is best to pollinate on the first day after opening. To do this, fresh male flowers are plucked in the morning and female flowers are pollinated with them on neighboring plants (but not on those from which the male flower is taken). This can be done with cotton. Then there is artificial pollination.

For seeds, it is better to leave plants of the winter sowing period. From the very first fruits, healthy, regular-shaped fruits are chosen, giving preference to those that grow 2-3 together. they are left on the shoots until ripe.

This agricultural technique of growing cucumbers in a room gives me the opportunity to have fresh fruits throughout the whole year. Of course, you can buy fresh cucumbers in the supermarket, although prices are extremely high during winter. But these cucumbers were brought in, their taste is not at all the same, and the pleasure is not the same, because vegetables grown by oneself are much tastier. Try it and you will be happy.

When to sow cucumbers

Each novice gardener tried to sow cucumbers for seedlings, but if the seedlings did not go, then they sowed the seeds of cucumbers in open ground. Cucumbers can be grown outdoors, in greenhouses and greenhouses, as well as in pots. When planting cucumbers, remember that the cucumber is a climbing plant that can be grown on a trellis, which greatly increases the yield.

Cucumber is a very moisture-loving, heat-loving and light-loving plant. Very often, tomatoes and cucumbers are planted in the same greenhouse, but ideally they are best grown in different greenhouses, because cucumbers like moist heat, and tomatoes like dry warm air. With a lack of moisture in the soil and air, as well as at low temperatures, cucumbers can stop growing.

For cucumbers, choose sunny areas that are protected from wind and drafts. Cucumbers need a light nutritious non-acidic soil (PH 6-7) cucumbers will not grow on acidic soils; acidic soils should be slaked with lime). In autumn, the soil is dug up and enriched organic fertilizers(rotted manure, 10 liters per 1 m2), dig in the spring, add mineral fertilizers(3 weeks before planting seedlings or sowing cucumber seeds) 30 g per 1 m² and level. The bed is ready.

Cucumber fertilizer

If you did not fertilize on time and the cucumbers grow slowly, the plants are weak, they can be fed with a solution of mullein or chicken manure with the addition of wood ash. A sign of a lack of fertilizers is yellow leaves, cucumbers drop all ovaries, cucumber fruits are deformed (pear-shaped - lack of potassium, narrowed and bent tip - lack of nitrogen). Crooked, arched cucumbers can grow as a result of cross-pollination different hybrids or the reason may be in irregular watering (either overflowing, then underfilling).

Planting seedlings of cucumbers and sowing seeds in open ground

A week before planting, the seedlings are hardened (taken out for 1 hour, then 2 ...), gradually accustomed to the sun, cool air and wind.

Cucumbers like to grow in warm soil, that is, sow seeds in open ground in early June, to a depth of 2-3 cm, and plant seedlings no earlier than June at a distance between plants of 20-30 cm, and between rows - 1 m.

Cucumber care

Caring for cucumbers is easy. Cucumbers need frequent watering with warm water, top dressing, weeding, hilling (stimulates the formation of additional roots), pinching.

Pinching and cutting

To get from one bush maximum number cucumber harvest, cucumber plants are pinched. Ground cucumbers are pinched over the 5th-6th leaf to form lateral lashes. In greenhouse cucumbers, the lateral lashes are regularly pinched over the first ovary. It is also necessary to remove excess fruits that have reached 5-7 cm, so that no more than 10-18 cucumbers remain on one plant.

Mulching

Another important element in the care of cucumbers is mulching. Mulching greatly simplifies the care of cucumbers (weeds do not grow, the deficiency evaporates more slowly). For mulching, use straw, sawdust, mowed grass (mulch layer 10 cm).

Watering and humidity for cucumbers

Cucumbers love high humidity, for this they can be sprayed, but with an excess of moisture there is a risk of various fungal diseases. When growing cucumbers in greenhouses, regular ventilation is necessary.

Cucumbers should be watered with plenty of warm water (+ 18 ° C), especially during the period of mass fruit formation. With a lack of moisture in the soil, the leaves of cucumbers darken, become brittle, and the fruits become bitter, with an excess of moisture, the leaves become pale green. Cucumbers are watered with partial drying of the earth, without delay.

Diseases and pests

Diseases and pests of cucumber: anthracnose, powdery mildew, root rot, white rot, bacteriosis, cucumber mosaic, aphids, whiteflies, slugs, spider mites.

Advice! You can grow cucumbers in open ground, in greenhouses and greenhouses. Experienced gardeners combine these 2 methods by planting seedlings in temporary greenhouses, which are removed after the threat of night frosts and with stable warm weather.

To grow cucumbers in a pot, choose a light pot and at least 3 liters.