We plant cucumbers with seeds in open ground. Planting cucumbers in open ground with seeds How to plant cucumbers in open ground

Proper planting and caring for cucumbers is the key to an excellent harvest

Growing cucumbers in the open field in the country, you may encounter some questions and problems. Consider the main nuances of planting a crop, especially the preparation of seeds and the timing of their sowing.

Dates for planting cucumbers in open ground

Growing cucumbers in the open field should start with an analysis of the climate in your area. If you have grown seedlings in advance, then the most the right time for planting in central Russia it will be the end of May, in the southern regions - the middle of the month.

Planting cucumbers in July in open ground carried out in the case of a cold, protracted spring, and if you sow seeds directly into the soil. Like other vegetable crops, they should be planted during the waxing phase of the moon, when all plants are actively developing and recovering quickly.

Preparing cucumber seeds for sowing

Seedling is used when the plants are approximately 30 days old. The film is first removed from the prepared ridges, and if the soil is warmed up enough, you can start preparing the seeds for sowing.

The first step is to sort the seeds. They are placed in a saline solution (50 g of salt per 1 liter of water) and kept there for 10-15 minutes. Empty and low-quality seeds will float, while good and full-bodied ones will remain at the bottom.

Warming up the seeds

It is best to do the procedure in advance: for a month, the planting material is kept in a warm place for about 25-28 degrees. Celsius. If you did not have time to eat, you can carry out an express procedure: the seeds are heated for several hours at a temperature of 50 degrees in an oven or dryer. This contributes to the formation of more female fertile flowers, which significantly increases the yield of the crop.

Disinfection of cucumber seeds

The next step is disinfection of seeds in 1% iodine solution, or special garden mixtures with the addition of manganese. The planting material is placed in a liquid for 20 minutes, then thoroughly washed with water. This allows you to protect future plants from such characteristic diseases as powdery mildew or anthracnose.

Preplant seed dressing

To do this, they are placed in gauze bags and soaked in nutrient fluid. It is best to use melt water, which has a beneficial effect on the development of all plants. Ash or a natural stimulant is added to it: sodium humate or Epin (can be found in a specialized store).

After 12 hours, the planting material is washed and laid out on a damp cloth, left to swell in warmth for a day. Germination should not be allowed, the seeds should only hatch slightly.

Preliminary stratification of cucumber seeds

The seeds are placed in the refrigerator for a day. This procedure will provide quick and friendly shoots.

It is worth remembering that hybrid seeds (with F1 in the name) do not need the listed manipulations. It is enough to soak them in a nutrient solution before planting.

Planting cucumbers in open ground

Prepared and pretreated cucumber seeds can be sown in open ground, but for this the garden bed must be carefully prepared.

Preparing the soil for sowing cucumbers

It is necessary to prepare the soil for cucumbers in the fall. To do this, they dig a wide strip and make a trench in the center, 30 cm deep. Straw, grass and leaves are laid in the depression, they are added dropwise and left to rot until spring.

Zelentsy love light loose soil but need good fertilization and moisturizing. It is best to choose a place that is well-lit, but protected from the wind. To do this, most often corn is grown along the beds on the north side, and the south is left open.

In spring, the soil must be pre-prepared before sowing or planting seedlings:

• if you plan to grow cucumbers in high beds, they should be prepared. The height should be approximately 15-20 cm;
• in early May, a good layer of fresh manure is laid in the soil and watered hot water with the addition of potassium permanganate;
• sprinkle on top with fertile soil (15-20 cm) with the addition wood ash, also add 15 g of superphosphate per running meter of the garden and 10 g of potassium, mix well and fall asleep;
• the prepared bed must be watered well again with warm water with potassium permanganate and covered with foil.

The soil before planting should be warmed up to 13 degrees. Celsius. Otherwise, the plants will stop developing and begin to rot. The air temperature at the time of landing should not fall below 17-20 degrees, since they will not survive frost.

The procedure for sowing cucumbers in open ground

• small depressions of about 5 cm are made along the ridge, the distance between them should be about 60 cm;
• pre-prepared seeds are sown into the holes and sprinkled with earth, watered well;
• for planting seedlings, the depressions are made larger, the plants are placed in the soil up to the cotyledonous leaves, the roots are straightened and slightly pressed with earth, watered well.

Growing cucumbers in the open field video

Growing and caring for cucumbers outdoors

Vegetable culture is not too whimsical, but it needs regular care: pinching, weeding, good watering, feeding and garter.

How to pinch cucumbers, outdoor care

When the plants are already beginning to develop actively, it is necessary to carry out the pinching (pinching) procedure. It is slightly different for varietal and non-varietal seeds.

Editor's note:

Varietal seeds are those that conventionally have all the characteristics of the variety indicated on the package upon purchase. Not varietal (conditionally partially lost varietal characteristics) - collected independently from last year's harvest, taken from a neighbor in the country, or bought by weight on the market.

• For non-varietal: lateral shoots and ovaries begin to grow from the first 3-4 leaves - they must be removed. This will help the root system to get stronger and stronger.
• Caring for varietal cucumbers is somewhat different: after 5-6 leaves, it is necessary to pinch the main stem, this stimulates the formation of female flowers and a large number of lateral processes. Hybrid varieties do not need this procedure, since they female flowers appear by themselves.

Watering cucumbers in the open field

Watering is very important for this crop as 95% of the fruit is water. During the active development of the vegetable (from mid-June to the end of August, depending on the variety of cucumbers), even a slight drying out of the soil can lead to a change in the taste and bitterness of the fruit, which cannot be corrected.

Warm water is always used for irrigation, since cold water inhibits the growth of bushes and promotes the development of gray rot. You can use water from a well or borehole heated during the day in the sun. Running water must be defended. Bushes need watering every 2-3 days, 6-10 liters per square meter of beds, the procedure should be performed in the evening.

To keep moisture in the soil as long as possible, the ground under the bush is mulched with cut grass. Another advantage of mulch is the suppression of weed growth, and the beds do not have to be loosened and weeded.

If you do not mulch the soil, it will quickly compact, blocking air access to the root system. Then it is necessary to do aeration to a shallow depth using a garden fork or an aerator, the usual loosening will only damage the delicate roots.

Top dressing for cucumbers in the open field with organic matter

The procedure is performed only in sunny weather. On cloudy days, plant development slows down, and the roots absorb nutrients much worse. Such feeding will be in vain.

Ash feeding recipe:

If ash is collected from a stove, barbecue or fireplace, it must first be sieved through a coarse sieve. Coal and debris can be thrown into the afterburner. Take half a bucket of ash (5 liters), add 0.5 kg of chicken manure or mullein, you can add growth stimulants according to the instructions (Baikal EM-1, Agate - 25K).

Many experienced gardeners prefer to water cucumbers with yeast infusions, which act as organic nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

Cucumber Yeast Feeding Recipe:

For five grams of dry yeast (you can use ordinary table yeast) add one tablespoon of sugar. The mixture is diluted in ten liters of warm water, 50-60 degrees Celsius, after which it is insisted for 2-3 hours for the yeast to start working. The tincture is used for fertilization by diluting with water, in a ratio of 1: 5

Fertilizing cucumbers with mineral fertilizers and ready-made products

Despite the many organic feedings, they are most often used mineral fertilizers.

• The first procedure is carried out a week after germination. This will require 10 liters of water, a glass of chicken droppings and a tablespoon of nitrophoska. It is necessary to use 4-5 liters of solution per 1 square meter of soil.
• The next two dressings are carried out during flowering, before the fruiting period, preferably before the appearance of fruit ovaries. Apply organics according to the recipes described above, or repeat the fertilizer introduced at the first stage.
• The last feeding is carried out during the period of growth and ripening of the crop. The mixture is prepared from a teaspoon of potassium sulfate and half a liter of mullein per 10 liters of water. Can be replaced with a special substrate "Ideal" or "Breadwinner".

Fertilization must be carried out carefully, avoiding contact with the leaves.

Tying cucumbers: growing and caring for grown plants

As it develops, the bush needs to be tied up. To do this, you need a simple structure, consisting of two metal rods at the ends of the beds and thick ropes or wire stretched between them.

When the plants have reached 30 cm in length, they must be lifted and tied to horizontal supports. With the help of tendrils growing on the bushes, the cucumber will fix itself on the rope and continue to grow.

Many people prefer vertical support for each plant separately. This design resembles the letter "P". Hanging down threads are attached to the upper part, along which the plant rises on its own as it grows.

Outdoor cucumber care video

Prevention measures against diseases and pests for cucumbers

The following preventive measures will help protect plants from pests and common diseases:

• always use high-quality planting material that has been decontaminated;
• do not rush to planting: wait until the soil warms up well;
• give preference to good breeding varieties that are resistant to common diseases and pests;
• remove all plant debris from the beds, as pathogens develop quickly in it;
• regular weeding is mandatory: weeds not only interfere with the growth of bushes, but can also be carriers of various infections;
• follow the rules of crop rotation: do not plant the same crops in one place every year;
• remove and burn diseased plants.

Observe simple preventive measures and water the cucumbers in a timely manner, the cultivation and care of which will not cause any particular difficulties, since the correct agricultural technology and caring attitude to plants are better prevention diseases and pests.

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Outcome

Growing cucumbers on your own plot, and observing the rules of planting and care, you can achieve an excellent result and collect good harvest.

Cucumbers are one of the most popular types of vegetables that can be planted in almost any summer cottage. Growing this vegetable takes quite a lot of time and effort, but with a competent approach, you can get a tasty and high-quality harvest. That is why almost any summer resident who has his own plot must plant cucumbers on it.

The choice of planting material

In the process of growing cucumbers, close attention must be paid to the process of choosing planting material, on which not only the quality and taste of the fruit depends, but also the ability of the seeds to resist various bacteria and survive in certain climatic conditions. Cucumber varieties are bee-pollinated, self-pollinated and parthenocarpic.

One of the most popular varieties today are bee-pollinated, which can be grown not only in an open area, but also in polycarbonate greenhouses. If you want to attract as many bees as possible for sowing cucumbers, then it is recommended to plant flowers nearby and process your crop with a sugar solution.

The main advantage of such a vegetable crop is that it is not very whimsical to care for and is able to cope with the most adverse weather conditions. In addition, these cucumbers boast a unique flavor and aroma.

The main problem of modern summer cottages is that it is quite difficult to attract bees here. And there are several reasons for this. The first place is occupied by the problem of the need to process the crop using specialized chemicals. Bees react quite strongly to such reagents, and therefore try to bypass such areas. Of course, without processing cucumbers and other vegetable crops, various diseases and pests will necessarily attack them, so there is no particular choice.

Here self-pollinated and parthenocarpic varieties come to the aid of summer residents. The main advantage of these plants is that pollination is carried out here without bees. These varieties are excellent not only for planting outdoors, but also for use in greenhouse conditions.

The ideal solution is to plant these varieties in regions that are characterized by heavy rainfall.

Advanced technologies do not stand still and do not bypass even the field of cucumbers. Scientists have long bred a huge number of varieties that are resistant to diseases such as powdery mildew or root rot. In addition, modern varieties can boast of unique taste qualities: they are quite sweet and do not have a single drop of bitterness.

It should be noted that cucumber varieties are also divided depending on the ripening time.

If you want to harvest throughout the summer, then you must give preference to species that ripen at different times.

The timing

Before you start growing cucumbers, you need to decide exactly when you can plant the seeds. The sowing time of this vegetable crop depends primarily on the climatic characteristics of the region.

If the summer resident lives in the southern hemisphere, which is characterized by a large number of warm days and a lot of sunshine, then planting should begin at the end of winter or in the first days of spring, due to which the planting of cucumbers in an open area will take place around mid-May.

But residents of the northern regions need to postpone this process, since they may have frosts even in the last days spring.

When determining the most optimal conditions it is necessary to take into account night temperatures, because even a few hours of frost at night is enough for the crop to be completely destroyed.

It is possible to plant cucumbers with seeds in a summer cottage only when the temperature outside does not drop below 10 degrees Celsius. Ideal option climatic conditions are considered in which the air temperature at night is more than 15 degrees, and in the daytime about 30.

Preparatory work

The success of planting cucumber seeds in the open field largely depends on the quality of the preparatory work carried out. They determine the future ability of seeds to withstand climatic conditions, diseases and pests. With the right approach, you can greatly facilitate the further process of caring for this vegetable crop.

Planting material

First of all, it is necessary to pay close attention to the preparation of planting material, as well as tillage for planting cucumbers. And if you want to achieve high-quality results, then you need to correctly germinate the seeds. If at this stage you cheat and carry out the work not at the proper level, then the seeds will not be able to survive in open ground and the crop will be completely ruined.

Choose the best varieties for planting. It should be noted that in this case it is necessary to be guided not only by one's own wishes and preferences, but also to take into account the climatic characteristics of the region, the type of soil and other indicators.

In addition, the selected seed varieties must necessarily be suitable for outdoor use.

Today, hybrid varieties are very popular, which boast resistance to a huge number of diseases and pests. If you have a certain budget, it is best to give preference to just such varieties. Their main advantage is also that they do an excellent job of handling bad weather conditions.

Responsible choice of planting material will help avoid problems in the future. If you approach this process correctly, then you can be sure that the harvest will be of high quality and tasty.

When selecting planting material, it is also necessary to pay attention to the germination of seeds; the success in growing this vegetable crop also depends on it.

Consider detailed diagram germination.

• Sorting. All selected planting material must be sorted according to certain criteria. Experts recommend choosing the largest seeds for planting that can definitely survive in open ground.
• Disinfection. In no case should you plant seeds before they have been rid of any microorganisms and bacteria. They should be immersed in a previously prepared saline solution for 10-15 minutes. If the seeds begin to float, it means that they are spoiled and cannot be used for planting. But the remaining material will be an excellent solution for use in conditions of similar cultivation in the garden. For disinfection, summer residents often use a solution of potassium permanganate, after which it is imperative to rinse the seeds with running water and dry them on a paper towel.

• Warming up. For about 20 hours, the seeds must be thoroughly warmed up to dry out all moisture and prepare them for planting.
• Germination. To do this, the seeds are rolled up in a special cloth, dipped into a nitrophosphate solution, and then washed in running water.

If the selection of planting material was correct, and you did not violate any rules, then soon the seeds will begin to swell.

After the first roots appear, they can already be planted in the ground.

Priming

Preparatory work also includes tillage, on which the integrity of the crop depends upon planting. It is the soil that provides the cucumbers with all the necessary nutrients, which, in turn, guarantee the growth of the crop.

First of all, in order to obtain a high-quality harvest, you need to correctly choose the area where it will be cultivated. It should be noted that most summer residents neglect the preparation of the soil, and do not follow the rules of competent crop rotation. Cucumber seeds are extremely demanding on the condition of the soil, so it is best not to plant this vegetable crop in the same place for several years in a row. In addition, it is necessary to provide for the presence of sunlight and moisture in the planting area.

It is best to abandon the idea of ​​planting seeds in low relief conditions, since the air is usually cold here, and it is difficult for seeds to germinate in such conditions.

Summer residents say that loamy and sandy loam are considered the optimal types of soil for planting this vegetable crop. This vegetable crop demonstrates the best performance in fertile territories, which are distinguished by slightly increased acidity and the presence of special fertilizers. Cucumbers are very demanding on the condition of the soil, so you cannot plant seeds in the ground that was previously used for planting vegetables.

The ideal option is to use soil that was previously planted with potatoes or onions.

At the same time, in no case should you plant the seeds of cucumbers after watermelons, zucchini or pumpkins, since they use the same nutrients, and the land will definitely not be so rich in them to ensure high-quality crop growth.

Close attention in the process of planting cucumber seeds in the summer cottage also needs to be paid to the use of fertilizers. As already stated, this vegetable crop is quite demanding on the availability of nutrients in the earth, so you should make sure that there is enough of them. The main problem is that the root system of cucumbers is located in the upper part of the soil, therefore it consumes nutrients quite quickly and constantly needs them.

Organic fertilizers for cucumbers are considered one of the most effective. For example, you can always use fresh manure that is applied in the fall. In the future, it turns into humus, which has a positive effect on the structure of the soil and saturates it with the necessary microelements.

If you are using heavy clay soil, then it is rational to cultivate it with fresh manure two months before sowing the seeds. In addition, this method is considered ideal even in the presence of too cold soil, since fresh manure allows it to be insulated. The use of organic fertilizers also improves the efficiency of mineral options. The main advantage of manure is that it includes a huge amount of useful trace elements, including nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and many others.

It should be remembered that the amount of applied organic fertilizers must be at a certain level. Most summer residents believe that the more fertilizer they have applied, the better the seeds will germinate, however, this opinion is extremely erroneous.

The amount of manure depends on the quality of the soil, and cannot exceed 10 kg per square meter. If the soil is light, then this amount will be much less.

As for the use of peat, it will only be advisable on moist soils, since peat has the property of improving the structure and physical characteristics of the soil.

Before planting cucumber seeds in open ground, it is also necessary to use mineral fertilizers from ash, which play the role of potassium trace elements. Here, choosing the optimal amount is quite simple: you can use about 200 g for each square meter of soil. If organic fertilizer can be added in autumn or winter, then mineral fertilizers are allowed to be used only during spring digging.

If you decide to use the complex options that are sold in specialized stores, then you must clearly follow the instructions and dosage that is indicated on the package. However, regardless of the type of mineral fertilizers, they are almost always used immediately before planting seeds in open ground.

How to plant?

Planting cucumber seeds in open ground consists of certain step-by-step rules. First of all, you need to choose the right area that can boast of the optimal amount of sunlight and will be protected from constant draft. It should be borne in mind that the last date for planting cucumber seeds in open area- this is June.

It is not recommended to plant later, since you will not be able to get a harvest, in September the first night cold snaps will already begin. If you have the opportunity to use films and various other shelters, then you can plant the first seeds in open ground in May.

However, the crop must be carefully covered to protect it from nighttime cold snaps.

Such a vegetable crop is very thermophilic, so it can be grown only when the soil is perfectly warmed up. A favorable temperature is considered to be at least 16 degrees Celsius. In this case, it is imperative to provide shade if the air temperature is about 30 degrees or more.

The area for planting cucumber seeds must be carefully prepared in the fall. It needs not only to be fertilized with the help of special substances, but also to be completely dug up. This will saturate the soil with the necessary microelements, as well as in the future to ensure the protection of the crop from pests and microorganisms.

Distinctive feature the root system of the culture lies in the fact that it does not go deep, therefore it is forbidden to loosen the ground around the plant. Most experts recommend mulching, which is suitable for peat or sawdust. It is thanks to the mulch that it is possible to retain moisture in the soil and protect it from the appearance of weeds.

The peculiarities of planting seeds depend on the material used. Each person independently decides how to land. It is believed that the highest quality harvest can be obtained if seeds are planted in a summer cottage.

If the climate is mild and the soil is fertile, then you can immediately sow seeds in your garden bed.

Most experienced summer residents try to plant seeds several times with different time intervals. For example, the first time you can plant seeds in the tenths of May, and then at the beginning of June. It is not worth planting later, since in July the weather is characterized by too high temperatures and it will be extremely difficult for young seedlings to grow in such conditions.

It is best to plant hybrid seeds that are bred from multiple varieties. Scientists have long understood that each variety has its own benefits, and combining the merits of several varieties in one product will be extremely beneficial. Such plants are easy enough to care for, and they are also less prone to various diseases and pests. In addition, these vegetables can easily cope with bad weather conditions, which allows you to protect your crop in case of bad weather.

One of the most important issues remains the problem of laying out seeds in the hole during the process of planting cucumbers.

Most summer residents, especially beginners, do not know how to do it correctly. In no case should you plant them with the sharp end down, because this is where the root grows. If the sharp end is directed upwards, then the sprout will break through from there and push the leaves outward. Improper planting of seeds can lead to the fact that the plant will simply die. In addition, experts do not advise planting a seed with a blunt end down; it is best to install it vertically.

If cucumber seeds are planted, then they can be germinated beforehand. The peculiarity of germinated seeds of cucumbers is that they allow you to provide the strength of the seedlings, which will more easily develop. It is important to strictly follow all the recommendations and rules, because the ability of the crop to survive in open conditions depends on this. The sprouts will hatch only when the air temperature is at least 22 degrees, otherwise the process may be delayed.

It is necessary to plant the seeds of this culture only if the sprout is at least half a centimeter in length. When working with seeds, you must be extremely careful and careful, because any mechanical damage can lead to the death of the plant in the future. No more than three seeds can be placed in one hole in the form of a triangle. If you arrange a larger number of seeds, then in the process of germination they will interfere with each other and the crop will be of poor quality.

The scheme for planting cucumbers in the open field using seeds has its own unique features. In early May, the seeds must be planted in a pot and placed in a well-lit warm windowsill... It is in winter that all preparatory work should be carried out using peat, potassium and ammonium nitrate.

In order to plant seeds in the ground, it is necessary to prepare indentations that will not be deeper than 1 cm, and place the seeds there. After all the seeds are planted, they are sprinkled with earth. A plant can be transplanted only if it already has at least 5 leaves, and this will happen at least a month after the first planting.

Planting cucumber seeds in a summer cottage should be carried out on a dry sunny day so that the plant can get the necessary heat and a minimum level of moisture. In the first few days, watering the ground is not worth it. In no case should deep planting be carried out, as this greatly increases the risk of root rot in the future.

Close attention in the process of planting cucumber seeds in the open field should be paid to the spacing between seedlings - it should be at least 18 cm.As for the rows, the distance between them should be about 30 cm.

After the plants are planted, the soil should not be watered for three days and mulched.

Care features

Regardless of how exactly cucumbers were planted, caring for them is almost always the same. It is imperative to carry out watering, feeding, hilling. This allows not only to ensure the quality of the crop, but also to make the fruits stronger and protected from harmful microorganisms and pests.

Watering

One of the most important processes for cucumbers is watering. Without moisture, not a single living creature on our planet can exist, and cucumbers are no exception. And if a vegetable crop feels a lack of water resources, then the fruits will be much smaller, and their quality and size will deteriorate. In addition, when planting seeds in an open field, the crop may differ in bitterness, and this will largely spoil the impression and taste of the product.

That is why experts recommend watering cucumbers on an ongoing basis, at least once a week. If the weather is too hot and the humidity level is low, then the number of waterings per week can be increased to three. You should not observe the calendar, but the weather conditions, because even in May there are days that are too dry, when the planted plants require a huge amount of water.

In addition, there are periods with heavy rains, when the plants not only do not need to be watered, but it is also necessary to provide them with reliable protection from an excess of moisture. The latter can cause root rot, which in the future will lead to the complete destruction of the crop.

In the process of watering, you should definitely take into account the fact that young plants do not need a lot of water, but adults need to be watered much more often, since they absorb more moisture and they need more trace elements. In any case, during the irrigation process, it is necessary to ensure that the water completely saturates the ground and reaches the roots.

Unlike greenhouse plants, cucumbers should never be fully watered when planted outdoors. If you pour the leaves, then under the influence of sunlight they will receive severe enough burns. In order to be safe from such moments, it is recommended to irrigate early in the morning or late in the evening, when the sun's rays are minimal. In addition, it should be remembered that cucumber seeds should never be watered if the air temperature is below 12 degrees Celsius.

If you want them to rise quickly and without problems, then pay attention to the watering process.

Top dressing

In order to get a high-quality and good harvest, cucumbers must be fed. The amount of dressing depends on the type of seed used and the characteristics of the soil. On average, for 1 season, you will have to feed at least 6 times. The first time it is worth resorting to it after the first shoots. For this, you can use both organic and mineral fertilizers. If you want to achieve the most positive results and get a high-quality harvest, you can carry out a combination of mineral and organic additives.

Mullein and chicken droppings show themselves excellently, which, in combination with ash, will provide seeds with all the necessary microelements. Of mineral fertilizers, it is better to give preference to superphosphate and urea, as well as potassium sulfate.

As soon as the fruits begin to appear, nitrogen fertilizers can be added, which are very good as an additional nutrient for the root system of cucumbers.

Garter

A properly organized garter makes it possible to solve several problems at the same time, including: saving space in the garden, easier harvesting and protecting it from a number of pests. It is best to produce a garter when the vegetable crop reaches 30 centimeters or more.

Tying can be carried out both vertically and horizontally. The last option is considered the simplest and most optimal.

Stealing

The pickling of cucumbers involves getting rid of lateral shoots that may appear from the axils of the leaves near the main stem of the plant.

The peculiarity of the vegetable culture is that after planting it grows quite strongly. Because of this, the plant spends a lot of energy on the formation of ovaries. In such conditions, the fruits cannot grow properly, they turn out to be small and soft.

Diseases and pests

In order for the yield at the output to be of high quality and abundant, close attention should be paid to the fight against pests and various diseases. This vegetable crop can suffer from the same diseases as other representatives of melons. First of all, it comes about fusarium wilting, powdery mildew, and other diseases destroying the culture.

Anthracnose

One of the most frustrating moments is anthracnose, which appears as white powdery spots. The main problem with this disease is that it slowly but surely destroys the entire crop. Such a disease can appear due to frequent temperature fluctuations, lack of moisture or poor ventilation. In addition, an excess of nitrogen fertilizer used is often the cause of the disease.

If the first symptoms of the disease are detected, action must be taken immediately, since it will not be possible to save the crop in the later stages. First of all, you need to cut off and burn the affected leaves, and then fertilize with potassium.

In addition, an excellent solution to the problem is to spray the plants with mullein tincture.

Downy mildew

If there are too many yellow spots on the leaves of cucumbers, then this indicates the defeat of a false powdery mildew... At first, the spots are small, but soon they begin to grow and affect healthy leaves. After the color of the leaves changes to brown, they begin to dry out.

Downy mildew usually infects plants at an early stage of development, so you should be extremely careful at this stage. The reason may be too high air humidity, the use of cold water for irrigation, or the presence of infections in the seeds.

Gray rot

One of the most difficult and unpleasant diseases is gray rot, which is a type of fungus. It develops with sharp fluctuations in temperature and too high humidity. A distinctive feature of this disease is that it can affect not only the fruits, but also the leaves of plants. If you do not take any measures in time, then the foliage will begin to turn yellow and dry.

Coping with gray mold is extremely difficult, so it is best to prevent it from appearing with preventive measures. To prevent the disease from taking over the entire area, you need to get rid of infected leaves and fruits. There are many specialized chemicals on the market today that are designed to help combat gray mold.

Among the most effective are "Euparen Multi" and "Rovral".

White rot

If a white bloom began to appear on a vegetable crop, then the cucumbers were affected by white rot. The essence of this disease is that it promotes the decomposition of plant tissues, which, as a result, become softer and slimmer. Prevention of this disease includes weeding the beds regularly and providing a constant supply of fresh air. If it did not work to prevent white rot, then you should immediately abandon watering for a week and spray the plants with Topaz or other chemicals.

Cucumbers can spoil not only due to various diseases, but also pests. If someone eats the leaves of seedlings at night, then they are definitely snails, with which it is extremely difficult to fight.

The main problem is that they will have to be harvested by hand when going out into the garden at night. In addition, special traps can be set.

V last years Ringing of stems is very popular, which leads to the formation of a larger number of ovaries.

Thus, planting cucumber seeds in open ground should be carried out with all responsibility and attention. Only in this case it is possible to get a high-quality and tasty harvest in abundance at the output. It is necessary to sow seeds and plant at a certain time so that the cucumbers can survive in the open air. Cucumbers love warmth and moisture, so they thrive best when there is plenty of daylight.

For tips on planting cucumber seeds outdoors, see the following video.

It is impossible to imagine a summer cottage without at least one garden of cucumbers. this fragrant and tasty vegetable is loved by all summer residents and is eagerly consumed both fresh and canned. in my garden, I annually allocate the best place for this culture ...

When I began to cultivate an abandoned summer cottage, on which 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 directly to the garden, ended in failure. And all because cucumber seeds, as it turned out, are a real delicacy for ants, of which there were a myriad of them in my garden at that time.

I re-sowed them again and again, but only single, accidentally survived specimens germinated and emerged, 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 bred wheatgrass in my garden, and also sowed all the free corners of the summer cottage with calendula and marigolds, I managed to get rid of the ants and return to the seedless method. However, until now, some of my plantings are 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 already in mid-May.

It is worth considering that the timing of planting cucumbers for each region will differ significantly.
The main thing is not to rush to sow this vegetable for seedlings, as it grows very quickly and often stretches out. Subsequently, this may not lead to an increase in the yield, but, on the contrary, to its loss. Indeed, from weak seedlings, healthy bushes that can bear fruit normally will hardly 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 make it possible to plant 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. In addition, on the May holidays, I prepare a separate 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 crispy greens from the greenhouse, then the bushes in the open field, grown through seedlings, begin to bear fruit, and the sown with seeds are the last to pick up the baton.

Seedling method

The indisputable advantage of the seedling method is the acceleration of the onset of fruiting and the ability to receive fruits at the earliest possible date. After all, after the winter cold, everyone is looking forward to the first fresh vegetables on their table. Besides this method allows you to extend the period of harvesting fruits, 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 - unnecessary spring chores, which are already quite a lot among summer residents during this period. Indeed, in order to obtain good seedlings, you will have to allocate additional space on the windowsill and make certain efforts to create a favorable microclimate for them.

Open ground

If tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplants in our climatic zone must be sown for seedlings, then cucumbers can bear fruit quite tolerably well by direct sowing into the ground.

But the harvest in this case will be later, besides, the cucumber bushes give it back rather quickly, and then rapidly begin to turn yellow and dry. Therefore, to extend the fruiting period, it makes sense to sow cucumbers at different times with an interval of 2 to 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 should be noted that under favorable conditions, seedlings in open ground appear quickly, and the plants themselves subsequently turn out to be more viable and adapted to the conditions environment... Even the strongest cucumber seedlings are stressed after transplanting, and they need a certain time to settle down in a new place and start growing again.

Selection of cucumber seeds

I am attentive to the choice of seeds and never use freshly harvested, since in this case few female flowers will form on the plants, the number of which determines the size of the future harvest. I think the ideal option is to use two to three-year-old seeds for planting.

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 deadline for sale. Moreover, there are certain standards, taking into account which seeds, packaged in single-layer paper bags, must be sold within two years, and those that are stored in two-layer bags made of foil materials, within three years. But since cucumber seeds remain viable for 8-10 years, I often purchase planting material with an expiring shelf life: this is just what I need.

Expert advice

Now in garden stores presented a large assortment 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 a greenhouse, but use parthenocarpic and self-pollinated varieties.All types of plants are suitable for open field planting.

Treatment of cucumber seeds before planting

I always carry out pre-sowing treatment of seeds, regardless of where they will be planted, at home in cups or on country bed... 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 identify 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 container.

The specimens that have floated to the surface must be thrown away: they are unsuitable for planting. After calibration, the seeds are placed in a thermos filled with hot water (+ 45 ... + 50 "C), and kept under a closed lid for about half an hour. Such heating contributes to faster and more harmonious germination and further development.

Then I disinfect the seeds for 20 - 30 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 1 L of water), after which I rinse them under running water. At the last stage, I prepare a nutrient solution based on the “Energen” growth stimulator and the organic-mineral fertilizer “Biohumus” (1 capsule and 4.5 ml, respectively, per 600 ml of water). In it I moisten a piece of cotton cloth or gauze, 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 such a solution, it happens much faster.

Expert advice

Since the length of daylight hours in spring is still insufficient for the normal development of shoots, I must provide the 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 there is a special fastener that allows you to easily fix it on the windowsill. In addition, thanks to the long stem, the illumination height can be easily adjusted as the seedlings grow.

Sowing stages of cucumbers

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

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 glass per 10 liters of substrate).

When the semen begins to hatch, I immediately incubate them in 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 during planting. I put one seed in each container, sprinkle them with a layer of soil 1-2 cm, which I slightly moisten from above from a spray bottle. Cover each glass with cling film and leave it in a warm place (+ 27 ... +30 ° С). As soon as the shoots loops appear, I rearrange the container on the lightest window sill, and remove the film from the cups.

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

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

Also, this culture does not tolerate drafts.

Top dressing for cucumbers

During the period of seedling growth, I twice feed with the complex fertilizer "Biohumus", which I used to soak the seeds.

But this time I prepare the nutrient solution at the rate of 5 ml of the drug per 1 liter of water. The first feeding is carried out in the cotyledon phase, and the second one - a week before the plants are transplanted into the ground or greenhouse. About 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 the fertile soil into the cups, pouring the stem into the cotyledonous leaves. This encourages additional root development and my seedlings always look stocky and healthy at the time of replanting.

Landing subtleties.

I don't plant cucumbers in one place for two years in a row, I certainly observe the 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, on which I carefully dig up the soil with the addition of humus from a racist 1 bucket per 1 m 2. Then I level the plot and make holes at a distance of 40 -50 cm from each other for greenhouse plants and 30 -36 cm for ground cucumbers.

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

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

Simple trick

I have one simple trick that significantly increases the yield and quality of zelents. For the past few years, when planting, I have been adding potato peelings and leftovers of bakery products to the holes, 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 spill it abundantly with water.

WHAT SHOULD BE 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 the cultivation of this crop - the plants will delight with the harvest, and they will not require extra feeding, and they will not make them worry about their health once again.

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

WHAT SOIL CUCUMBERS LOVE:

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

DO NOT LIKE:

• dense;
• sour;
• poor;
• cold.

Options are possible

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

Cooking an ordinary bed for cucumbers

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

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

Manure can be replaced with plant materials, for example, 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. To prevent the "filling" from caking, not thickening, add coarse components to it - cuttings of branches, stalks of corn, sunflower, Jerusalem artichoke. You can additionally shed the plant layer with the infusion of chicken droppings or mullein, it's better not to get carried away: an excess of organic fertilizers will not bring any benefit.

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

Dense, heavy clay soil must be made loose: add sand, peat, sawdust, humus. Remember that fresh sawdust cannot be used, as it increases the acidity of the soil and absorbs nitrogen from it. If there is no rotted raw material at hand, fresh sawdust should be treated with a solution of urea (200 g per 10 l of water), mixed with wood ash or dolomite flour, covered with plastic wrap for 10-16 days and only then added to the soil.

If it was not possible to prepare the garden in the fall, you will have to tackle this spring when the earth warms up. Apply organic and mineral fertilizers under the overcoak, for example, one of the proposed nutritional "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-rotten manure, 20 g of urea. 20 g of double superphosphate, 20 g of potassium sulfate or 150 - 200 g of wood ash;
• 4 - 6 kg of compost or humus, 3 glasses of wood ash, 100 g of nitrophoska.

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

Cooking a warm bed for cucumbers

This is a great 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 makes it possible to obtain early harvest cucumbers even in unfavorable climatic conditions.

A warm garden bed is prepared in the fall to take advantage of all its benefits. True, one should not be in a hurry either: if biofuel is loaded too early, it will start to warm up even before the onset of cold weather and by spring it will burn out. But it's better to say everything in order.

ON A NOTE

It is believed that 2/3 of the total amount of fertilizers 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 it is time for sowing or planting seedlings - added to the grooves (planting holes); the second half should come from summer feeding.

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

Classic warm bed is a trench filled with manure (cow or horse). It is better to lay such biofuel in a trench prepared in the fall. in early spring(usually in March), in extreme cases - in late autumn, after the onset of persistent cold weather. Manure is stacked without compaction. If the raw material is laid in the fall, in the spring it should be loosened with a pitchfork. If the content does not "flare up" (that is, it does not start to warm up), but the entire length of the bed, it is necessary to make several deep holes and pour warm water into them. This stimulates the process.

When the biofuel ignites, sprinkle it with a layer of sawdust or peat (they will absorb the released ammonia), and then lay the loose soil mixture with a layer of 16 - 20 cm and cover the greenhouse with foil. However, immediately after that, 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 higher. When the temperature drops to + 30 ... + 40 ° С and stabilizes, it will be possible to start planting.

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

This structure cannot fully replace a real warm garden bed: the vegetable "filling" heats up much less than manure, and it will be possible to start planting at a later date. However, cucumbers grow well on it and delight with the harvest.

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

CUCUMBERS: DISEASES AND PESTS

When I was just starting to learn garden science, I often missed the first signs of plant damage and, due to my imprudence, lost crops for some years. But over time, a baggage of knowledge appeared, which now helps me.

Since this culture is fast-growing, I do not use chemical preparations to protect it. 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 unfavorable conditions.

On a note

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

Cucumber pests

Aphids that damage cucumbers can be winged or wingless and have a gray, green or regular color. A single individual reaches a size of 1.8 - 2 mm. This insect multiplies very quickly, and in just a few days whole 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 honeycomb. These pests are usually found on the inside of the leaves, sucking the juices from them, as a result of which they rapidly begin to dry out.

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

Ready for battle!

To the new summer season I start preparing in advance and during the autumn-winter period I stock up on 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 shit.

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 have a lot of orange or tangerine peel, as a preventive measure I sprinkle it under the cucumber bushes and cover it with cut grass. When rotting in the ground, the crusts give off an odor that repels these insects.

And the fight against them is no less effective infusion of onion peel. To prepare it, pour in a liter jar of husk 2 - 3 liters of hot water (+ 40 ... + 50 ° C) and leave it for two days. I filter the resulting paste, dilute with water in a 1: 1 ratio and process it from a sprayer. This product, due to the high content of valuable nutrients, is also an excellent foliar feeding. 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, it gives excellent effect infusion of garlic. To prepare it, I pass 1 glass of peeled cloves through a 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 корневая гнили, аскохитоз, фузариоз и антракноз .

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 does not exceed +20 ° C. It is characterized by the appearance on the leaves of a powdery bloom in the form of small spots, which gradually increase and pass to the stems. The damaged parts of the plants subsequently begin to dry out and die off.

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

Cladosporium (brown olive spot) appears as small, rounded sores of a brown or olive tint. The specks later begin to grow, dry out and break down, 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 the 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" bloom almost completely.

Root rot can be seen with massive foliage wilting. If you pull out such a bush from the ground, its root system will turn out to be rotten and with a reddish 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 often destroys greenhouse plants and primarily occurs on the stems in the form of elongated gray watery spots. Later, the spots darken, dry out, and brown exudate begins to stand out from their cracked integumentary membranes. If you do not take any measures, the disease then spreads to the leaves and fruits.

In a greenhouse on cucumber bushes, you can also find signs of fusarium, which, like ascochitosis, spreads due to excessive planting density, high humidity and a sharp drop in day and night temperatures. Fusarium wilting in most cases manifests itself only during the fruiting period, it significantly reduces its time, since it greatly weakens the plants. The drooping tops of the whips in the daytime are the first sign of fusarium. The spores of these fungi first of all settle on the roots, and then move to the stem and leaves, the edges of which become watery and acquire a pale shade.

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

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

Be carefull!

When preparing folk remedies for diseases, I add 2 to 3 tbsp to each. spoons of liquid soap for better adhesion and choose those products that are in this moment is at 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, in a drink of tobacco dust I add iodine or brilliant green; or I bring the prepared celandine broth (3 liters) to a volume of 10 liters with unusual water, and with an ash solution, which I prepare already at the rate of a half-liter can of ash for 7 liters of water.

Over the past few years, I have become much more vigilant about the health of my summer cottages. I begin to spray from the moment shoots appear in the beds or plant seedlings 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 AGAINST Aphids, Whitefly & Spider Mites

• Pour 1-2 liters of hot water into tobacco dust (150-200 g) and leave it 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 in half with water 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.
• I fill 1/3 of a bucket of potato tops, tomato stepsons or wormwood herb with warm water and leave for two days. I use the filtered infusion as directed.
• I grind 0.5 kg of freshly picked celandine herb and pour 3 liters of water, leave for 24 hours, boil for an hour and then filter. I pour the broth into a bucket, add water to the top and spray it.

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

• 1 liter of skim milk or kefir per 9 liters of water;
• 1 liter of whey per 9 liters of water;
• a half-liter can of wood ash for 10 liters of water (leave for 2 days and strain);
• 100 g of compressed yeast per 10 water;
• 10 ml of iodine per 10 liters of water;
• 10 ml of brilliant green per 10 liters of water;
• 150-200 g of chopped tree tinder fungus pour 1-2 liters of boiling water, wait for cooling, 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 the bucket with chopped plantain, nettle, dandelion and coltsfoot grass, pour water to the top and leave for 3-5 days, then strain and use undiluted;
• Insist 1 kg of mullein in 10 liters of water for 3 days, strain, dilute by half with water;
• Pour 1 kg of freshly harvested horsetail herb with 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 APPLICATION OF SYNTHETIC MINERAL FERTILIZERS. AND THIS DOESN'T HIND IN ANY MUCH TO OBTAIN AN EXCELLENT HARVEST - EVEN FROM SUCH FURNITURE AS CUCUMBERS. THE MAIN THING IS CORRECT TO SELECT THE MENUS

The cucumber loves organic matter, but it cannot be limited to it: our arsenal should include different types dressing to satisfy all the plant's needs for useful macro- and microelements.

Ash

The chemical composition of ash varies in a fairly wide range and largely depends on the feedstock used to obtain it. But any ash contains compounds of calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium, which are necessary for cucumber. Regular application of ash throughout the season will prevent potash 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 it, so to speak, for the lazy: systematically (once a week or less) scatter the sifted ash over the moist soil around the plants at the rate of 2 tbsp. spoons on the bush, avoiding the stems. The nutrients from the ash will gradually flow to the roots with each watering.

Liquid ash top dressing, in contrast to the dry method, allows you to quickly bring food to the addressee. This is especially important during the fruiting period when potassium intake is increasing. The recipes for such solutions of various concentrations are selected based on specific conditions.

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

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

Sources of nitrogen

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

CHICKEN LITTER

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

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

MANURE

Horse dung is an excellent biofuel for warm cucumber ridges. 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 1: 1 ratio, leave for a week, then dilute in a ratio of 1:10 and add, like feeding from chicken droppings, to the aisles, at the rate of 10 liters of infusion per 1 m7 plantings.

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

Weeds to help

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

Expert advice

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

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

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

Food from the kitchen

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

Cucumbers also respond well to yeast feeding: 100 g of fresh (not dry!) ​​Yeast per 10 liters of water. Dissolve the yeast completely, let it brew for half an hour, water at the rate of 1 liter under the 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 a cucumber is demanding on nutrition. But the degree of this exactingness is understood in different ways, and therefore you can find personal recommendations regarding the frequency of feeding.

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

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

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

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

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

And you also need to watch the plants - they themselves will tell you if they need recharge. The lashes are healthy, the leaves are green, the fruits are developing well - you should not get carried away with the introduction of fertilizers, even natural ones.

METHODS FOR LINING CUCUMBERS

When I was in school, I spent all summer holidays with my grandmother in the village. Even as a child, it gave me great pleasure to take care of garden plants. And the most enjoyable thing for me was harvesting. The only crop I didn’t like to harvest was the cucumber.

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

I conducted the first experiment on the construction of a support for cucumbers using the side backs from two old armored beds, which long time gathering dust in the summer cottage. I dug these metal beds across the bed at a distance of about 1.5 m and pulled several lines of twine between them. I planted the cucumbers in two rows and, as the shoots grew, simply threw the whips on the support. After a while, they thickly braided the structure, which, although it turned out to be low, made maintenance much easier. Collecting greens in the cucumber "tunnel" has become much easier. However, most of all I was pleased that the fruiting period with this method of planting significantly increased in comparison with those plants that previously freely spread on the ground.

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

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

WITHOUT A MULCHY ANYWHERE!

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

Prophylaxis

On the trellis, vertically located shoots from all sides are illuminated 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, the plantings were constantly attacked 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 cool, rainy weather set in in the summer, then the cucumbers were struck by fungal diseases just at lightning speed, and sometimes I completely lost my harvest. Now I have the opportunity to free up a significant amount of time that I used to spend on the treatment of 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 the plants creeping on the soil surface. Naturally, healthy bushes bear fruit much longer and delight with a generous harvest until autumn.

For bees

With the trellis method of growing bee-pollinated varieties, which I usually plant in the open field, the yield increases significantly. Indeed, in such conditions, it becomes easier for insects to find and pollinate the maximum number of flowers that are available to them, and do not hide in dense thickets of confused lashes and leaves. And what a pleasure it now gives me to collect fragrant, crunchy greens! You no longer have to find them for a long time: they are all in sight. In addition, I no longer trample the beds as I used to, and I do not damage the delicate shoots and leaves.

Wonderful grid for cucumbers

Last year, quite by accident, I saw in a garden store a trellis net specially designed for cultivating long-leaved 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 net was just 2 m, and I could easily fix it on the dug pipes and pull it along the entire length of the bed.

I regretted very much that I didn’t know about this wonderful invention earlier, because now I don’t have to waste time tying the lashes: I just direct them between the cells that have the optimal size of 15x 15cm, and they themselves roll to it with tenacious tendrils. Those who have tried to grow cucumbers on a trellis at least once will hardly be able to refuse this method. After all, once having 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 of tying cucumbers, and each summer resident can choose among them the most acceptable for himself or turn on ingenuity and invent any other support from the available materials at hand.

For example, my neighbor in the country is tying cucumbers very in an original way... On the garden bed, he draws several circles with a diameter of about 1 m. A high wooden stake is driven into the center of each, at the end of which 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 other end of which is fixed with a free loop on the stems. As he grows, he twists the whips around the twine, and subsequently on his garden bed such cucumber "huts" are formed, attracting the eyes of all passers-by.

Other neighbors similarly wrap cucumber lashes around the twine, but as support they use thick wooden beams dug along the edges of the bed, on top of which a long rail is nailed. They plant cucumbers in a line and tie the twine to a rail above each individual bush. By the way, they are pensioners and live in the country all the time throughout the season. Therefore, if suddenly in the summer cold rains begin to fall, 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 the summer heat, shading cucumbers from the scorching sun at midday, but instead of a film they use lutrasil.

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 roam 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 plain sight, which makes it easier to work with them. It is worth noting that different varieties and hybrids require different approaches to the formation of lashes.

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

For example, every year I plant the old varieties ‘Phoenix 640’ and ‘Monastyrskiy’ in the open field, 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 with female-type flowers appear, which are just the key to the future harvest. I tie them to the support and remove the growth point on each after the 4th -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 carry out their formation differently. When 3-5 true leaves are formed 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 ultimately will lead to a decrease in the yield. Above this level, I leave all the side stepchildren, but I stop their growth after the third sheet, pinching the growth point. 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 side shoots and pinch the main stem. I let these, the very last, stepchildren down the support and pinch their pava-saute about 1 m from the soil surface.

Forming in a greenhouse

The main part of the cucumbers grows in my open field, and only to get early zelents I plant several plants in a greenhouse, where I also tie the whips to a vertical support. But since the greenhouse bushes are illuminated and ventilated worse, I spend the blinding of the main stem at a height of 40-50 cm, and for 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 lateral 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 rises, I leave 3-4 leaves on the branches.

After the main stem reaches the upper level of the trellis, I carry out the formation similar to the plants in open ground, 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 eliminated and ventilation is improved, which in turn protects greenhouse cucumbers from damage by root rot.

For a cucumber bush, branching is a natural process, therefore, I practice the formation of lashes regularly throughout the growing season of this culture. As I visit my dacha only on weekends, then, accordingly, I do this work once a week, but in no case less often. Otherwise, the shoots outgrow, and the proper effect of the formation cannot be achieved. In addition, I remove all yellowed and damaged leaves on the plants.

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

Expert advice

Operations for the formation of bushes, as well as the removal of unnecessary shoots and dying leaves, should be carried out in the early morning, so that the wounds dry and heal until the evening. Cut with sharp, clean scissors and never leave stumps. In addition, do not touch large lashes if they accidentally fixed their antennae in an unwanted direction for you. If you change their position and turn the leaves and ovaries in the direction opposite to their initial growth, this will negatively affect their further development.

WHERE WITHOUT PROBLEMS?

CUCUMBERS ARE NOT TOO CORRECT CULTURE, BUT FROM TIME TO TIME EVEN THEY CAN ADD ANY CHALLENGE TO THE GARDENER. WE WILL TELL YOU WHAT TO DO IF ...

... cucumbers grow ugly

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

a fruit that resembles a light bulb or a pear (narrowing at the stem and widening at the tip) indicates a potassium deficiency. At the same time, a brown border may appear at the edges of the leaves. A half-liter can of ash for 10 liters of water will help to solve the problem. Stir everything, let it settle, water 1 liter under the bush;

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

At the same time, you can see that the leaves on the cucumber lashes began to shrink and turn pale, the shoots became thinner. Organic feeding (herbal infusion, mullein solution or chicken droppings) will solve the problem;

cucumbers "with a waist" (narrowing in the middle of the fruit) are formed most often due to large temperature changes. This usually happens in late summer when the days are hot and the nights are already cold. Shelter will help to avoid such a problem;

curved, arched greens can 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.

What to do?

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

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

... the leaves on the cucumber lashes turn yellow

When the season comes to an end, yellow leaves are a natural occurrence. " You can extend the life of the plant by bending the lash to the ground and partially sprinkling it with soil: cucumbers form adventitious roots well, which will help the bush get additional nutrition and rejuvenate.

When the leaves turn yellow ahead of time, this could signal a nitrogen deficiency. If the plant is also lagging behind in growth, has thin, weakened shoots, there is no doubt about the diagnosis. Feed the cucumbers with nitrofos (2 teaspoons per 3 liters of water, add 1 - 2 glasses under the bush) or organic fertilizer.

... cucumbers do not set fruit

There may be several reasons for this:

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

TOO HOT

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

TOO MUCH NITROGEN

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

YOU HAVE USED FRESH SEEDS

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

... the plant wilts

If an outwardly healthy cucumber suddenly begins to wilt, it may have a damaged root system. Rodents can work, and excess moisture affect - there are different reasons. Gently rake the soil at the base of the stem. If the root collar has rotted and turned brown, the plant is affected by root rot. Broken roots indicate the involvement of underground pests. A plant with damaged roots can be tried to be rescued. Cucumber lashes root well, so it is enough to bend the shoots and sprinkle it with soil - after a while, roots form in this place.

If, on examination, it turned out that the roots are not damaged, the wilting of the plant is most likely associated with a viral disease - verticillary wilting (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 how the traces look like sunburn arising from plants in greenhouses. Condensation forms on the film at night due to the temperature difference. Falling on the leaves, the droplets work like magnifying glasses - the leaf plate is burned through by the rays of the green of the sun.

On a note: How to store cucumbers in the summer

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

Another method is based on the same principle - the creation of a film on the surface of cucumbers that prevents moisture evaporation and the penetration of air involved in the decomposition of organic substances. But it is absolutely harmless, since food raw materials are used. Freshly collected 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 from 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

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 the 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 fridge

You can store your crops on the lower shelves of refrigerators. But here the temperature is slightly 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 their moisture to the air in the refrigerator 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 will withstand the same amount when placed with the stem down three-quarters of the length in water, which must be changed daily. A little less - 7-8 days - greens can be stored in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. The last two methods imply that storage takes place at room temperature.

Under the "film"

There are some unusual storage methods for cucumbers that are questionable. So, it is advised to cover fresh fruits with petroleum jelly - they say, in this form, they can retain good taste for a month or more. But the question arises: how are they then?

Old recipe

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

On a note

Thick-skinned cucumbers have the longest shelf life.

Fruits with white thorns keep better and longer than those with black ones.

The smallest - gherkins 4-5 cm long and pickles -1-3 cm, intended for canning, can be stored for no more than 10 hours.

It is better to pick cucumbers early in the morning or in the evening and immediately place them in the shade or in a cool place. After harvesting, the cucumbers are not washed, since after that they wither faster and are poorly stored.

WHAT A BREAD WITHOUT CUCUMBERS!

And it all starts with the choice of hybrid varieties so that the cucumbers grow tasty and beautiful, and the harvest, of course, would please.

My choice depends on the goals and conditions of growing cucumbers. For example, cucumber salad varieties are not suitable for pickling. But many varieties and hybrids are universal, which means they are suitable for both fresh consumption and for harvesting. It is very convenient.

For lovers of pickled cucumbers, I advise you to opt for short-fruited varieties with a large tuberous surface. True, under unfavorable conditions, their taste can deteriorate - they begin to taste bitter. It's okay for pickling, but the taste of fresh salad will be spoiled. To avoid such a nuisance, it is necessary to carefully study the description of the taste of the hybrid.

Choose those in which the ability to taste bitter is excluded at the genetic level. For example, Zozulya F1, Maly-Shock-Krepyshok F1, Pasadobl F1 and others. ,

Never pick cucumber seeds from the picture. Of course, a colorful photo on a seed bag can give a general idea of ​​the variety or hybrid. But the most important thing is its characteristics. So read carefully everything that is printed on the package.

Greenhouse or open ground?

This is another one important nuance not to be missed. There are both self-pollinating (partheno-carpic type) hybrids and those that depend on pollinating insects. The latter are undesirable to sow in greenhouses, otherwise you will have to deal with manual pollination of your plants. This is easy to do: you need to pick the male flower and transfer the pollen from it to the female ovaries. But this is also work that requires a lot of time.

There is another important detail that I advise you to pay attention to - this is the ability of the fruit to maintain a dense consistency without the formation of voids during salting and canning, as well as a pleasant crunch. For this purpose, I recommend varieties Crunchy, hybrids Faithful Friends F1, Masha F1, Real Miracle-Crunch F1, which are also devoid of bitterness at the genetic level.

HOW IT IS CORRECT TO PLANT SEEDLING IN OPEN GROUND

Each year, spring comes at a different time, so the planting of seedlings is done in different ways. But I try to land by mid-May, if, of course, the weather is favorable.

I begin to prepare the soil already in the fall. I bring in coarse sand for digging at the rate of a bucket per 1 sq. m. If your site has sandy loam soil, you do not need to do this. Then I add fluff lime (500-700 g per 1 sq. M) to lower the pH level, compost or rotted manure (5-7 kg per sq. M).

In the spring, I sprinkle mineral fertilizers (1 tbsp. Ammonium nitrate, 3 tbsp. L. Superphosphate and 1 tbsp. Potassium sulfate per 1 sq. M.), Embedding them in the soil to a depth of 15-20 cm.

I form the beds the day before planting. Usually their width is 120 cm, and their height is 15-20 cm. I make holes in

2 rows at a distance of 35-40 cm in a row with a row spacing of 55-60 cm.

I plant tomato seedlings in the evening or in cloudy weather. Two hours before planting, I water the seedlings in containers abundantly. So the earthen lump does not disintegrate during transplantation. When planting, I deepen the tomato seedlings to the first pair of true leaves. I plant the overgrown reclining, directing the roots to the south. I water it abundantly and put a peg near each plant, to which I will tie up grown tomatoes in the future.

To preserve moisture, I mulch the bed with cut grass or old hay.

After planting, the seedlings must adapt to the new conditions within 5-10 days. During this period, I do not water them and do not add any additional fertilizing.

When the seedlings take root, I start to water and feed. When watering, I focus on the condition of the seedlings and soil about once a week, 3 liters for each root, since sprinkling increases the risk of developing diseases. I water more often in hot weather.

I spend all watering in the evening, and the next morning I must loosen the soil. After each watering or rain, I loosen the soil by 5 cm. I weed until the beds are covered with mulch.

When I see that the seedlings have taken root, I mulch the beds with hay or grass with a layer of about 10 cm.

This will keep the soil from overheating and retain moisture. Even in the hottest weather, under the mulch, the ground is cool and slightly damp. This is especially important during the fruiting period. Weeds also don't grow.

Growing cucumbers in a round garden bed: Why barren flowers on cucumbers Sometimes gardeners ...

: Cucumbers in the apartment - secrets ...

The time for planting various crops is approaching. In this case, important are right choice a plot with fertile soil, as well as adherence to the terms of planting. Therefore, every gardener should know the last date for planting cucumbers, after which it is impossible to hope for a rich harvest.

Seedling is essential component growing a rich harvest of cucumbers. Direct sowing of cucumbers in open ground should be avoided. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the care of seedlings.

When to sow cucumbers? Usually, the procedure is carried out several weeks before transplanting young plants to a permanent place. The time frame for the procedure is mid or late March.

After sowing, you need to constantly create a moist environment in the soil. To do this, it is enough to spray the earthen mixture from a spray bottle. In such conditions, young individuals will appear much faster. As soon as the first shoots appear, the container with them should be moved to a sunny place. However, most likely, you will not be able to do without the organization of additional plant lighting. If the farm does not have special lamps that give daylight, you can install mirrors on the sides of the containers and above them, which will reflect the rays of the sun and direct the light directly to the individuals.

Growing seedlings involves maintaining the temperature at a certain level. Until the first individuals appear, it is worth maintaining 23 ° - 28 °. When shoots appear, the temperature must be lowered to 20 ° - 22 °. After the seedlings germinate, they need even less heat. At night, this indicator will be at around 18 ° - 20 °. If it is not possible to set the temperature, you need to at least optimize it. Cucumber seedlings also require constant ventilation (exchange between outdoor and indoor air). However, drafts can completely destroy young plants.

During the period when the seeds have sprouted, the soil is often moistened, but not abundantly. The main indicator of the need for moisture introduction is the drying of the top layer. Thus, a powerful root system can be formed. Watering should be carried out a couple of times a week with heated and settled water. Otherwise, the plants may die. At the same time, it is impossible to boil the water, because in this case all the oxygen in the liquid will be lost, which cannot have a positive effect on young cucumbers. Watering young individuals is necessary in such a way that drops of liquid do not fall on the leaves of the plants.

Growing sprouts involves proper care after them. In winter and at the very beginning of spring, the apartment is still heated, which is accompanied by a decrease in humidity. Therefore, periodically young plantings should be sprayed, increasing this indicator.

If in the container where a couple of seeds were sown, and they both sprout, it is worth leaving only one, the most powerful and strong one. In this case, a weak individual should not be pulled out, but cut with scissors. Otherwise, you can accidentally damage the root system of an even stronger shoot.

Seedlings need feeding before planting. Its cultivation usually requires 3 feeding. For the first time, useful substances are introduced after the formation of the leaf. This fertilizer consists of ammonium nitrate, potassium sulfate and superphosphate. The mixture of substances is diluted in a bucket of water. You can dilute the solution with organic matter such as bird droppings or mullein.

The next feeding can be avoided as it is not necessary. It is carried out during the formation of the second sheet. For the third time, nutrients are introduced half a month after the first feeding. The composition is the same as in the first case, only two times more nutrients are needed. In addition to fertilizers in the form of irrigation, leaf dressing is often used. Such dressings activate the development of young plants and form their immunity.

Before transplanting young individuals, it is worth choosing the right place for growing crops. The territory must be reliably protected from the influence of northern winds. Besides, Sun rays should actively illuminate the southern slopes of the site.

The southern slope in the area where you plan to grow cucumbers can be created manually. As a result, the site temperature will be a couple of degrees higher. In the fall, the soil must be dug to a depth of 0.3 meters. If the soil is clayey or heavy, humus, peat, sawdust or straw should be added to it.

The soil should be loosened so that the hand can easily penetrate into its depth. In this case, the water should not stagnate on the surface of the earth or form a puddle. On the contrary, the liquid must penetrate very freely into the soil depth.

The cultivation of cucumbers should be carried out in a special garden bed. For this, the seedlings are moved to the bed, which is located across the slope. The sun's rays should hit the garden, so the southern slope should be small.

Video "Planting cucumbers in open ground"

From the video you will learn how to plant cucumbers correctly.

Landing

Deadline planting your cucumbers in open ground is carried out approximately one month after the appearance of the first sprouts. Seedlings are planted in protected polycarbonate, film or glass soil around April 20. In the open ground under the film, transplantation is carried out on the 10th of May, in the unprotected land, young individuals move at the beginning of summer. When to sow seeds or plant seedlings, it is impossible to say for sure.
After all, these time periods depend on the climate of the region. The main conditions for the possibility of transplanting young individuals is the warmed-up soil. Its temperature must be at least 15 °. Before transplanting, young individuals "open" the street: for 10 days they are taken out into the fresh air under the sun, gradually increasing the duration of their stay. When the sprouts can withstand a daily stay in the fresh air, they can be transplanted to a permanent place.

When to plant cucumbers outdoors in 2019? An exact answer cannot be given to this question. Much depends, as mentioned earlier, on the weather and climatic conditions of the territory.

It is worth carrying out the procedure on a cloudy day in the afternoon. The holes should be staggered. In this case, at least 4 individuals must be present on a unit area. The furrows should be watered abundantly, put manure in them, sprinkle with earth and carefully place the young individual in the hole.

In this case, you need to try not to damage the root system. Further, the individual must be moistened, and after absorbing moisture, the territory must be mulched.

Cucumbers will not be able to grow in areas where beets, pumpkins, squash or squash were previously grown.

Growing

Caring for planted cucumbers consists of thinning plantings, active weeding of weed crops, systematic fertilizing, loosening and mulching of the soil. In addition, the crop must be protected from pests.

After the formation of the third true leaf, the culture should be fertilized with organic matter or minerals.

So, the last sowing date for cucumbers is a relative value, which depends on the climatic and geographical conditions of the region. However, do not sow crops directly into open soil.

Cucumber Care Video

From the video you will learn how to properly care for cucumbers.