How to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse in the winter at home?

Climatic conditions in central Russia do not allow growing cucumbers from seeds in open beds without additional film shelters. This popular vegetable crop is very demanding on heat and light. With frosts down to -1 degrees, young shoots can easily die, and when shaded, adult plants will bear fruit poorly. Therefore, growing cucumbers in a greenhouse is the most popular and widespread option among Russian vegetable growers.

Popular varieties of cucumbers

Cucumbers in a greenhouse in winter and summer are capable of producing high yields if the conditions are suitable for the plants. This means that if you have a heated greenhouse, even in the winter months you will be able to please your loved ones with fresh vegetables grown without chemicals.

Before you start planting, you need to select varieties of cucumbers for greenhouses, because not every variety is suitable for growing in such conditions. For example, bee-pollinated varieties will have to be manually pollinated every day (insects are reluctant to fly into the greenhouse, and in winter they are not at all), otherwise the ovaries will fall off. Most popular:

Self-pollinated high-yielding cucumber hybrids: Hercules F1 (salad), Emelya F1 (pickling), Dynamite F1 (universal), Zozulya F1, Anyuta F1, Picnic F1, Lilliput F1, Hummingbird F1, Machaon F1, Calendar F1, April F1, Courage F1, Lukhovitsky F1 and others.
Yields and at the same time rather unpretentious varieties: Moscow hothouse, Zarya, Manul, Pomegranate, Surprise 66.
The varieties Marfinsky, Relay, Domashny, NK-mini, Iva, Regata, Rykovsky, Rossiysky are distinguished by their special shade tolerance and adaptability to low humidity.

Before you start planting, you need to select varieties of cucumbers for greenhouses.

Detailed technology for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse

For germination of cucumber seeds, a temperature of + 22 + 25 degrees is recommended. Therefore, if the greenhouse is unheated, of the film type, the seeds are sown at home in the first half of April in order to transplant ready-made seedlings into the greenhouse by mid-May. In heated greenhouses, you can sow cucumber seeds at any time of the year.

Soil preparation

Cucumbers love fertile soil saturated with organic fertilizers. In order for the cultivation of greenhouse cucumbers to bring good results, prepare the soil mixture in advance: humus and peat in 2 parts, 1 part of sawdust (preferably old), wood ash 3 tbsp. and nitrophoska 1 tbsp. You can buy ready-made soil with fertilizers. Level the soil surface and sprinkle mineral fertilizers on top. Then cover the surface with plastic wrap and let it sit for a couple of weeks to absorb the fertilizer. This will help protect seedlings from diseases of cucumbers, increase the yield and improve the palatability of the fruit.

Video about growing cucumbers in a greenhouse

Calibration and disinfection of seeds

It is best to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse from seeds that are 2-3 years old, as they will provide the highest yield. Calibrate the seeds manually by removing diseased and empty seeds.Then you should disinfect the seeds from diseases and pests by putting them for 12 hours in a cloth moistened with aloe juice or a solution of microelements (add boric acid and copper sulfate at the tip of a knife to a liter of hot water, as well as a teaspoon of nitrophoska). Then rinse the seeds in running water and place them between layers of damp gauze to place in the refrigerator for hardening. Hardening is carried out at a temperature of about 0 degrees for a week, do not forget to moisten the gauze from time to time.

Growing seedlings

It is recommended to grow seedlings in small pots or plastic cups. Each seed is placed one at a time in a pot to a depth of 2 cm, covered with a layer of soil and covered with a damp cloth on top so that the top layer of soil does not dry out. You can sow seeds for seedlings for 10-15 days - planting cucumbers in a greenhouse using a conveyor method will provide you with a continuous harvest throughout the year.

It is recommended to grow seedlings in small pots or plastic cups.

Until the first shoots appear, the temperature in the greenhouse should be maintained at +25 degrees, and with the emergence of sprouts for 5 days, the daytime temperature should be reduced to +15, and the night temperature to +12 degrees. Watering the seedlings should be every 2 days, periodically feeding the mullein solution (at the rate of 1: 6). After feeding, wash the seedlings with clean warm water.

Transplanting seedlings and caring for cucumbers

A month later, transplanting seedlings begins. In shelving greenhouses, seedlings are planted on shelves covered with soil, while in other types of greenhouses they simply form even ridges. Plants can be planted in beds directly in pots, buried in the ground by ¾ of the height of the pot. The distance between the plants should be at least 20 cm, and between the rows - at least 90 cm.

In shelving greenhouses, seedlings are planted on shelves covered with soil

During the day in the greenhouse, the temperature should be maintained at + 25 + 30 degrees, with mandatory ventilation on sunny days, and at night - within +15 degrees. When the third true leaf appears, the first fertilizing is done with fertilizers, the second feeding is carried out at the beginning of flowering. During fruiting, you can feed the cucumbers 4 times with a mullein solution, or a solution of chicken droppings. Before flowering, it is recommended to water the cucumbers every 5 days, after flowering - every other day, but if you notice that the leaves have begun to wither, this is a signal for urgent watering. As the plants grow, they will need to be carefully tied to two wires stretched across the top of the greenhouse.

Features of growing cucumbers in greenhouses in winter

Before growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, it is worth considering the most likely difficulties that you will have to face. The first problem is the lack of moisture in the air due to stove or water heating of greenhouses. Since cucumbers are very moisture-loving, you will have to constantly take care of maintaining a comfortable air humidity. Arrange baking sheets, barrels of water, moisten floors, pipes, spray plants with a spray bottle, etc.

Video about growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in winter

If you are interested in growing cucumbers in winter, in December-January, then start sowing seeds at the end of September, and planting seedlings at the end of October. But keep in mind that due to the lack of sunlight in January-February, growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in winter is almost impossible without additional artificial lighting. With an increase in lighting, the quality of the fruit improves and the content of ascorbic acid and sugars in the fruit increases. It is advisable to hang the lamps first at a height of 50 cm above the plants, and as they grow, raise the lamps higher, up to 1.5 m.

Be sure to monitor the temperature regime in the greenhouse: there should be no sudden daily temperature changes and temperature drops below +10 degrees, otherwise the leaves will actively grow, but the fruits will stop pouring, and the root system will not be able to absorb water.

Now you know how to grow cucumbers in winter, which means that by the New Year's table you will have your own harvest of delicious homemade cucumbers!

It would seem that cucumbers are heat-loving plants that grow in summer, and in winter they can only be bought at a grocery store, since climatic conditions do not make it possible to enjoy their vegetables all year round. In fact, everyone can grow them in winter. It is enough to have a greenhouse. The technology of winter crop cultivation is practically no different from the summer one: plants need warmth and good lighting. This is a great business idea. There are some nuances here, but if you take them into account, then mistakes can be avoided.

Cucumbers in the greenhouse grow well even in winter.

Materials and tools

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in winter requires certain knowledge in the field of plant growing, hard work, and you will need a certain set of materials and tools necessary for work:

seeds and means for their disinfection;
paper cups;
preparations for protection against diseases and pests;
a greenhouse with a supplied heating system;
lighting;
ventilation system;
fertilizers;
wire;
plastic wrap to cover the ground;
shovel, hoe, rake;
watering can or watering system;
thermometer.

If you are planning to do business, then it is better to choose quality materials and tools.

Increasing the temperature in the greenhouse can be achieved by using biofuels, which are placed in the ground.

Accessories for growing cucumbers should be purchased of the highest quality

Nuances when growing cucumbers

The greenhouse is dominated by rather dry air, which is a major problem for growing vegetables and doing business. Due to the heating carried out, it is necessary to constantly monitor the humidity level, because the culture is hygrophilous. The problem can be resolved by applying one of the following methods:

spray water with a spray bottle;
arrange containers with water throughout the greenhouse;
Spread damp rags on the floor.

One of the chosen methods will have to be performed daily.

The temperature regime is no less important. There can be no sharp fluctuations. The temperature should be approximately at the same level. If you run your own business of growing this crop, then a heating system in a greenhouse is a must.

To grow a crop of cucumbers in the winter in a greenhouse, you will need to install additional lighting in the form of lamps. The longer the light period, the higher the quality of the fruit. First, the lamps are installed at a height of 50 cm from the seedlings, later, as the plants grow, they are raised higher.

In winter, natural light is not enough for cucumbers, you need to install additional lamps

Seed selection

Before starting a cucumber growing business, you need to select the seeds to plant. Not every variety is suitable for greenhouse climates. Do not take bee-pollinated species, because bees sleep in winter. If, nevertheless, it happened to take such varieties, then pollination will have to be done manually. Without pollination, there will be no harvest, and the ovaries will simply fall to the ground. To prevent this from happening, take a male flower and cut off the petals, then insert it into the female inflorescence.

Among the varieties suitable for winter planting are Manul, Pomegranate, Surprise 66 and Zarya. In greenhouses with low humidity, species such as Russian, Marfinsky, Domashny, Relay and Regatta are perfect. Self-pollinated hybrids, including Zozulya, Makhaon, Hercules, April, Kolibri, etc., would be a good option.

For planting in a greenhouse, you need to take self-pollinated cucumber seeds

Soil and seedling preparation

Any planting begins with soil preparation. Cucumbers prefer the presence of organic fertilizers in the soil. You can prepare them yourself, for this take 2 parts of humus and peat, 1 part of sawdust, 1 tbsp. nitrophoska and 3-4 tbsp. wood ash. For planting, you can take ready-made soil from the store, pour it onto the garden bed and level it.Put a number of mineral fertilizers on top of it, cover with foil and leave in this form for a couple of weeks. During this time, the land will be saturated with fertilizers, which has a positive effect on the growth of fruits and taste, and it is very important for a business to have a quality product.

For planting, seeds that have already lain for several years are suitable. Before planting, they must be sorted out and disinfected. This will give additional protection to the plants. When doing business, it is very important to secure the planting as much as possible, otherwise the collapse cannot be avoided. To prepare such a solution, you will need hot water and any product of your choice: nitrophoska, copper sulfate or boric acid. You can also disinfect them with aloe. The seeds are dipped in the sap of the plant and kept there for 10 hours, after which they are thoroughly washed.

Seeds need hardening for healthy growth. For the procedure, wrap the seeds in a damp cloth and leave them in the refrigerator for a week. Moisten the cloth from time to time.

The prepared seeds are planted one at a time in paper cups filled with fertilized soil. Planting depth is not more than 2 cm. Cover the cups with a damp cloth to prevent the soil from drying out. The temperature should be at 25 degrees. Occasionally, seedlings need to be fertilized.

Plants can now be planted in the greenhouse. But not all at once! The pipelined method is suitable here, i.e. seedlings are not planted all at once. Small batches of seedlings must be sent to the greenhouse within 10-15 days. Ripening in this case will occur gradually. This method is successful for business and the entrepreneur will be able to constantly receive income.

Seedlings of cucumbers are planted in several approaches

Plant care

If paper cups were used for planting seedlings, then we plant the plants directly in them, because during watering, they will begin to dissolve. In addition, there is no need to disturb the root system once again. Transplanting can be done a month after planting the seeds. The temperature in the greenhouse should be kept at 25 degrees. In order to save space, you can equip racks and fill them with soil.

Remember to ventilate the greenhouse and keep an eye on the temperature. Hang a thermometer inside and make sure that the temperature does not fall below the prescribed mark. The first feeding is carried out after the third leaf has appeared. The second procedure is carried out during the flowering period, and the third - when the fruits begin to pour.

Cucumber lashes grow quite long, so they need to be tied up. Pull the wire parallel to the beds and tie it with twine.

Thus, caring for cucumbers in winter is exactly the same as in summer. But in order to grow them in winter, considerable financial costs will be required, this applies to the construction of a greenhouse and the provision of the necessary communications. A well-thought-out and organized business will thrive. This way you can enjoy fresh fruits all year round.

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What could be better than fresh, fragrant cucumbers on the table during the winter season. Many growers practice growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in winter so that they can feast on vegetables all year round. It should be noted that this process is quite costly and laborious - it is necessary to create a special microclimate for plants and constantly maintain it, which takes a lot of time and effort. In this article, you will learn how to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse in winter so that all the costs are offset by a good harvest.

Popular varieties

Before growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in winter, you need to decide on the varieties, because the amount of the crop largely depends on the choice of the right variety. In the selection process, you should focus on self-pollinating and not very demanding hybrids.The ability to self-pollinate is the most important quality for greenhouse cucumbers, since manually pollinating plants is too troublesome, and it is difficult to lure insects into the greenhouse, and besides, they are not at all in winter.

Among self-pollinating hybrids, it is advisable to give preference to the most productive, which are: Talisman F1, Hummingbird F1, Zozulya F1, Picnic F1, Buratino F1, Emelya F1, Summer resident F1, Hercules F1, Dynamite F1 and many others. A good yield can be achieved when growing pollinated varieties in greenhouses, of course, if the process of artificial pollination does not scare you. These include Relay, Zarya, Maisky, Emerald, Cartoon, Surprise, F1 Cellar.

Video "The best varieties"

From the video you will learn about the best varieties of cucumbers.

Selection and preparation of seeds

Seed preparation consists of calibration and decontamination. For greenhouse conditions, it is advisable to use 2, 3-year-old seeds - it is believed that they give stronger shoots and, accordingly, provide better yields. But since the seeds dry out and deteriorate over time, first of all you need to select the highest quality ones. If it is difficult to visually identify empty seeds, then you can soak them in warm water for several hours. After some time, healthy seeds will sink to the bottom, while weak and empty ones will remain on the surface, where it will be easier to pick them up.

The next stage of preparation is disinfection. For this, you can use many different solutions: boric acid, potassium permanganate, copper sulfate, wood ash, mineral mixtures (nitrophoska). There are also several disinfection methods. The easiest way is to simply fill the seeds with one of the solutions, but you can also wrap them in gauze soaked in a disinfectant solution and leave for 10-12 hours. Aloe juice or ash solution is good for these purposes, since both agents, in addition to having disinfecting properties, are also a natural growth stimulant.

Growing technology

The technology of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in winter involves the creation of the most favorable microclimate and the implementation of a number of measures for the care of cucumbers. The first thing to pay attention to is heating the greenhouse. For winter cultivation, a stationary greenhouse with water heating is needed. It is not recommended to use any heaters or stoves in winter, since the air is already very dry. You need to heat the greenhouse until mid-spring, and then until the end of May you need to turn on the heating at night, since night frosts are still possible.

In winter, plants need additional lighting, so the greenhouse must be equipped with high-quality lighting fixtures. For these purposes, special lamps with a red and blue spectrum have been invented, simulating sunlight, but, unfortunately, they consume a lot of energy. If this is unacceptable for you, then you should limit yourself to conventional energy-saving long lamps around the perimeter of the entire greenhouse. When growing cucumbers in large volumes, it will not be superfluous to install an irrigation system.

The soil for cucumbers should be fertile, enriched with organic matter, but not devoid of minerals, therefore, when preparing the beds, fertilizers must be combined and applied during digging. From organic matter, humus or compost, ash, sawdust or coarse sand can be added (they will make the soil looser).

As a mineral supplement, you can use superphosphate, nitrophoska or other complex mixtures containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. The dug and fertilized area should be covered with a transparent film for several weeks so that the soil and fertilizer come into contact.

In the warm season, cucumbers can be planted in the greenhouse immediately with seeds, but for winter and autumn planting, you need to grow seedlings. At the time of transplanting, the seedlings must be at least 1 month old, and if you plan to receive the grown crop continuously, then the seeds must be sown every 1.5-2 months.For growing seedlings, you can use any disposable containers, but the most convenient are paper cups with a peat substrate, such seedlings can be planted in the ground together with a cup, and thereby protect young plants from the stress caused by survival in a new place.

Care features

Caring for greenhouse cucumbers consists of maintaining the microclimate that they need for normal development and fruiting. Cucumbers are moisture-loving, and since dry air prevails in greenhouses in winter, watering should be regular and abundant. This does not mean that the garden bed should be wet - excessive moisture is also harmful to cucumbers. The soil should always be in a condition that is capable of ensuring normal evaporation and maintaining moisture at a level of 75-80%.

For cucumbers in greenhouses, the temperature regime is important. For active flowering and the formation of an ovary, the average daily temperature should be 22-25 ° C. Avoid sudden temperature changes, especially at night. In winter, the plants need to be additionally highlighted. Top dressing is applied 3-4 times during the season by watering the bushes with organic solutions (droppings, mullein). It is not recommended to use mineral solutions, as they contribute to the accumulation of nitrates in fruits.

Cucumbers have long shoots spreading along the ground, so the installation of trellises in greenhouses is mandatory. The support allows you to direct the plant strictly vertically, and thus avoid many problems with diseases, care and harvesting. Tying the shoots should be done regularly, and if the bushes are overgrowing, it is recommended to pinch the tops of the shoots.

Greenhouse yield

Greenhouse cultivation of cucumbers in winter is always associated with certain difficulties, which do not exist in the warm season. The first thing you will have to face in winter is the lack of moisture in the air and soil due to heating. Cucumbers ripen very quickly and, during fruiting, take a lot of nutrients from the soil, which should always be moist.

If you want the grown crop not to disappoint you with its quantity, then you will have to pay attention to watering. This will not only moisten the soil, but also increase the humidity of the air. If irrigation alone is not enough to humidify the air, place containers with water in the greenhouse, water the floor, spray the bushes.

It should be borne in mind that seedlings develop more slowly in winter, therefore, sowing seeds should be done in advance. If you plan to grow cucumbers in December or January, then the seeds for seedlings should be sown at the end of September so that by the beginning of November it can be transplanted into a greenhouse. In this case, it is necessary to provide additional lighting at a distance of 50 cm from the plants. As the cucumbers grow, the lamps must be gradually raised to a height of 1.5 m.

Greenhouse cucumber varieties are designed for stable growing conditions, and the difference between night and day temperatures in winter is often noticeable. Ideally, the temperature in the greenhouse at night should be 15-18 ° C, but if this is not possible, then make sure that the thermometer does not drop below 10 ° C. If it gets colder, the ovaries will stop forming, and it will be difficult to feed the plants through the roots.

Knowing these simple rules, you can easily grow homemade cucumbers for the New Year's table or other winter holidays.

Video "Growing"

From the video you will learn how to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse.

Fresh cucumbers from your greenhouse in the middle of winter - what could be tastier? With the development of modern technologies, growing vegetables in winter greenhouses has ceased to be a rarity. It's quite easy to get fresh cucumbers to your table or to sell. You just need to properly equip the greenhouse and follow the recommendations of experts on the choice of varieties and technology.

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in winter

Greenhouse requirements

Cucumbers are thermophilic and moisture-loving crops, so any drop in temperature or humidity will inevitably affect the yield and health of plants. A winter greenhouse for cucumbers must be insulated and equipped with a heating system.

Winter greenhouse for cucumbers

Best results can be achieved when the following conditions are met:

correct design and placement of the greenhouse;
complex heating of soil and air;
adjustable humidity;
additional artificial lighting;
fertile loose soil.

These conditions can be created in a glass or polycarbonate greenhouse. Film greenhouses are poorly suited for winter use due to the low strength of the film: during heavy snowfalls, the film sags, snow lingers on it and can collapse the structure.

Polycarbonate greenhouse

Greenhouse construction

The main requirement for winter greenhouses is the protection of plants from the cold and maximum transmission of sunlight. The best performance is provided by double-glazed back-wall greenhouses with a sloping south wall. Glass or polycarbonate is used as a coating, the frame is made of a wooden bar or a shaped metal pipe. It is better to choose the height of the greenhouse so that the condition of the ratio of area and volume of 2: 1 is observed - for cucumbers it is optimal.

Wall greenhouse scheme

The slope of the roof and south wall in such a greenhouse depends on the angle of the sun above the horizon in your area. It is optimal if the midday rays pass through the glass at a right angle - the reflection coefficient in this case is minimal.

The angle of the sun above the horizon and the correct design of the greenhouse

The beds in the greenhouse are also made inclined or in the form of stepped terraces for better heating. This will allow the sun's rays to illuminate each plant unimpeded. It is recommended to paint the back blind wall white or sheathe it with foil - reflecting from it, the rays will illuminate the plants from behind.

The arrangement of ridges in the form of terraces

It is better to enter the winter greenhouse through the vestibule - this will save the plants from cold air currents. A storage tank for water and heating equipment can be placed in the vestibule. The ventilation system, unlike summer greenhouses, cannot be done through the vents - drafts are contraindicated for cucumbers. It is performed supply and exhaust and is made of plastic pipes.

Greenhouse with a vestibule

Heating

Cucumbers do not tolerate too dry air, therefore, it is not recommended to install heating devices in the greenhouse that dry the air: convectors, oil heaters, as well as metal stoves. It is better to mount a water heating system: the soil is heated using pipes laid in the beds, and the air is heated using radiators or registers stretched along the perimeter of the greenhouse.

Greenhouse hot water heating system

A furnace or boiler is used to heat the coolant. The second option is preferable: the boiler burning time is longer, and the level of automation is higher. The boiler for heating the greenhouse can be gas, electric or solid fuel. The power of the boiler for a greenhouse with a height of 2-2.5 meters is chosen at the rate of 1 kW per 8-10 m2 of area. So, for a greenhouse with an area of 30-35 m2, a 4 kW boiler is enough.

Heating boiler in a greenhouse

You can also connect the greenhouse to your home heating system if it is located in the immediate vicinity of your home. In this case, the boiler must have a power reserve sufficient to heat the greenhouse. There are other ways to heat a polycarbonate greenhouse in winter.

Greenhouse lighting

The winter day is short, and the sun's activity is low, so cucumbers require additional lighting in winter. This can be done using lamps of different types, while two parameters must be observed - the level of illumination and color temperature.

Plants need light as close as possible to daylight, that is, having a color temperature of 5000 ° K.Such light is possessed by fluorescent, mercury (MGL) and metal halide (DNaT and DNaZ) lamps. At the same time, in the growth phase, it is better to use lamps with a colder color - 6500 ° K, and in the flowering and fruiting phase - with a warmer one, i.e. about 4000 ° K. At the same time, the plants do not stretch, remain strong and form ovaries well.

Color temperature of different types of lamps

In terms of light output, fluorescent lamps are far behind - much more of them will be required for the same area. At the same time, their price is lower, and they practically do not heat up. A comparison of the light output of different types of lamps is shown in the figure. The specified number of different lamps will provide a luminous flux of 50,000 lumens, which corresponds to the illumination of 4-5 m2 of a greenhouse for cucumbers.

Luminous flux of various types of lamps

The number of lamps required for full illumination of winter greenhouses of different sizes is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Calculation of lighting for a winter greenhouse for cucumbers.

5	1	5	10
10	2	10	20
15	3	15	30
20	4	20	40

You can also use LED lights designed specifically for growing plants to illuminate your plants. These lamps are distinguished by a red-blue spectrum, which allows for faster growth and improved fruiting.

LED phyto-lamps in the greenhouse

Note! Prolonged exposure to the red-blue spectrum can be detrimental to vision. Working in a greenhouse is best done in natural light.

Soil preparation

The soil in the greenhouse for cucumbers should be loose, fertile and moderately moist. This can be achieved by preparing a soil mixture suitable for plants and a drainage device.

Greenhouse soil

The beds in winter greenhouses can be of two types:

insulated or heated from below box;
trench filled with biodegradable organic matter.

Both types of beds help protect plants from freezing of the roots. Insulation is performed using polystyrene or polyurethane insulation plates laid on the bottom of boxes and trenches. Heating can be water, in the form of heating pipes, or electric (heating cable).

Heating of the ground with a cable

Soil heating with heating pipes

Warm beds with biodegradable organic matter are filled with wooden chocks, branches, straw, dry foliage and grass, and on top - with fertile soil. At the same time, large chocks and branches are placed on the bottom - they additionally play the role of drainage.

Cooking a "warm bed"

Types and arrangement of warm beds

The components of a warm bed, after the beginning of the decomposition of organic matter, contain all the elements necessary for plants; it is enough to carry out regular feeding during the entire growing season. The soil for the heated ridges must be properly prepared.

The composition of the soil for growing cucumbers:

last year's hardwood sawdust - 1 bucket;
humus - 2 buckets;
peat - 2 buckets;
wood ash - 1.5 cups;
nitrophoska or nitroammophoska - 150 grams.

The specified amount is enough to fill a bed 30 cm high and approximately 1.5 m2 in area. The components are mixed in a separate container or directly in the box, the bed is watered with a warm solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect it from bacterial infections. Then the soil is treated with a solution of "Fitosporin" against fungal rot.

After holding for two days, the bed is watered with an EM-preparation diluted in warm water ("Baikal", "Emochka", "Shining") and covered with a film or covering material for a week. During this time, the soil is structured, the active work of soil bacteria begins and the fertilizers pass into a form that is well absorbed by plants. The greenhouse is ready for planting seeds or seedlings.

Variety selection and seed preparation

Not all varieties of cucumbers are suitable for growing in winter greenhouses. In order not to be disappointed with the result and get a decent harvest, it is important to follow several rules when selecting a variety.

In winter, there are no bees or other pollinating insects in the greenhouse, so self-pollinating (or parthenocarpic) varieties and hybrids should be chosen.When choosing bee-pollinated varieties, it is necessary to carry out manual pollination, as well as plant several roots of cucumbers with a male type of flowering - they will give the necessary pollen.
Cucumbers for winter cultivation must be self-pollinated.
Natural illumination in the winter months is insufficient, and it is quite difficult to create artificial illumination in a spectrum close to the sun. For this reason, light-loving plants will not yield a decent harvest in winter. Shade-tolerant varieties should be chosen.
It is quite difficult to maintain natural humidity in a winter greenhouse: due to heating, the air dries up, you have to humidify it with the help of frequent watering or spraying. At the same time, fluctuations in humidity occur and conditions are created for the rapid development of diseases. You should choose varieties that are resistant to bacterial and viral infections, fungal rot.
Forming plants in a greenhouse is necessary - thickening of plantings leads to disease. To facilitate this task, you should pay attention to hybrids with limited branching - these do not give long lateral lashes, directing all forces to the growth of the main stem. It is convenient to form them vertically, with a garter to the supports.

Hybrid varieties of cucumbers for greenhouses

For a guaranteed result, it is better to plant two or three varieties; the following hybrids meet all the requirements described:

Cupid F1;
Cheetah F1;
Dynamite F1;
Berendey F1;
Garland F1;
Courage F1;
Ant F.

After purchasing the seeds, it is necessary to prepare them - this will allow you to achieve friendly shoots and uniform growth of seedlings, as well as simultaneous fruiting. The preparation consists of several stages.

Preparing cucumber seeds for sowing

Step 1. Seed calibration. A teaspoon of salt is diluted in a glass of cool water and the seeds are lowered there for 10-15 minutes. The floating ones are removed - they will not sprout or give weak plants. In a winter greenhouse, it is inappropriate to spend time and place on them.

If the seeds are expensive and it is a pity to throw them away, rinse and dry them, and then use them for summer planting.

The remaining heavy seeds are washed in running water. Seeds can also be calibrated by size, choosing the smoothest and largest.

Seed calibration

Step 2. Disinfection. Selected seeds for the prevention of bacterial infections are dipped for 20-30 minutes in a bright purple solution of potassium permanganate or three percent hydrogen peroxide.

Potassium permanganate processing

Step 3. Treatment for fungal infections. From fungal rot, the seeds are soaked for 2-3 hours in a solution of "Fitosporin", which is prepared according to the manufacturer's recommendation indicated on the package. The seeds are washed and dried.

Seed treatment in Fitosporin solution

Step 4. Warming up. It is carried out to prevent viral diseases and increase female flowers on the plant. It is most convenient to warm up the seeds in a thermos - a constant temperature is maintained there. Water with a temperature of + 60 ° C is poured into a thermos, the seeds are lowered there and kept for 4-8 hours.

Warming up seeds in a thermos

Step 5. Hardening. For winter greenhouses, it is important to grow plants that are resistant to temperature changes and short-term drops in temperature in case of severe frosts or interruptions in heating. The seeds are placed in a napkin, moistened and placed on a saucer. Quenching is carried out on the lower shelf of the refrigerator at a temperature from 0 ° C to + 2 ° C for 2 days.

Seed hardening

Step 6. Stimulation. This technique allows you to accelerate germination and activates plant immunity. Stimulation is carried out in a solution of the drug "Epin" or "Zircon" according to the instructions on the sachet. A popular recipe gives good results: the aloe leaf is torn off, cut in half lengthwise, the seeds are placed on the cut, covered with the cut part and wrapped in a napkin. Leave overnight, and in the morning they are planted without rinsing.

Stimulation of seeds in "Epin"

Note! Most of the purchased seeds have already been processed! Follow the manufacturer's information on the packaging!

Planting cucumbers

You can plant cucumbers in winter directly in the ground or in seedlings. The second method has its advantages: you can plant plants with a stock, and then choose the strongest and healthiest. In addition, it is much easier to provide the necessary conditions for germination at home.

Scheme of planting a cucumber in a greenhouse

To make the plant easier to transfer the transplant, it is necessary to choose the right seedling cups. The root system of cucumbers in the first phase of the growing season does not develop in depth, but to the sides, so the glasses should be wide enough. The volume of the cups is not less than 0.5 liters.

For planting seedlings, you can use the soil prepared for the greenhouse or a commercial mixture. It is advisable to disinfect a mixture of your own manufacture by heating to 80 degrees for an hour.

Step 1. Prepare seedling cups. The glasses are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and filled with soil mixture up to half, lightly crushed and watered. Withstand at least 2-3 hours so that moisture is evenly distributed throughout the volume.

Preparing seedling cups

Step 2. Landing. The treated seeds are placed flat on the soil. Often in the literature there is a recommendation to plant 2 seeds in each glass, so that later you can choose a stronger sprout, and pluck the second one. However, for expensive hybrid seeds, this technique is rarely used: they usually germinate well, and it is a pity to throw away healthy shoots. 1-2 cm of dry soil mixture is poured onto the seeds on top. There is no need to water the planted plants - there is enough moisture from the lower soil layers for germination, and the upper dry layer will allow the seeds to breathe.

Planting seeds

Step 3. Germination. Cups with seeds are covered with foil or glass and placed in a warm place. The temperature before germination should not fall below 25 ° С, optimally 28-30 ° С. Light at this time is unimportant, the seeds germinate in the dark. The cups are inspected twice a day, at the same time removing the film for airing for 10-20 minutes. When shoots appear, the cups are immediately removed under the lamp.

Germination

Step 4. Phase of cotyledonous leaves. The most important stage during which the strength and productivity of the plant is laid. When a loop appears, the sprouts are placed under a lamp and for the first 2-3 days they are illuminated for 18-20 hours a day. This will prevent the plants from stretching. If the sprouts are still stretched out, they sprinkle the earth along the very cotyledons.

Seedlings under the lamp

Step 5. Phase of the first two or three leaves. Plants get stronger and grow rather quickly. The backlight is reduced to 14-16 hours a day. In the phase of the second or third leaf, fertilizing is carried out with a complex fertilizer with microelements ("Kemira", "Zdraven") .A few days after feeding, the plants can be planted in the greenhouse, choosing the strongest ones.

Greenhouse landing

Note! If you plant cucumbers directly on greenhouse beds, they need to provide the same conditions.

Planting a cucumber directly into the ground

Video - Winter planting of cucumbers

Care during the growing season and fruiting

Cucumbers are planted in prepared and warmed soil. To do this, prepare holes, water them and wait for moisture to be absorbed. Carefully remove the plant from the cup, set it together with an earthen lump in the hole, deepening it to the cotyledon leaves, and sprinkle it with earth.

Planting cucumbers in warm beds in a greenhouse

After planting cucumbers in the greenhouse, it is necessary to provide them with conditions for the best growth and development. Cucumbers do not like strong changes in day and night temperatures: rot of various origins appears, growth is inhibited, ovaries fall off, and the fruits become bitter. The optimal conditions for cucumbers in the greenhouse are shown in table 2.

Table 2. Microclimate in a winter greenhouse for cucumbers.

Day temperature, ° С	23-25	Below 8, above 37
Temperature at night, ° С	17-18	Below 8, above 37
Soil temperature, ° С	20-22	Below 15, above 35
Humidity, %	75-80	Below 40
Illumination, lx	10000-15000	Continuously below 2500

Watering cucumbers

The soil for cucumbers should ideally be moderately moist. This can be achieved using drip irrigation or regular watering at the root. Cucumbers are watered only with settled warm water with a temperature of 25-27 ° C until the ten-centimeter soil layer is moistened. To reduce the amount of watering, the beds are mulched with rotten sawdust, peat or straw.

Watering cucumbers from a watering can

To soften the water, you can add a minimum amount of organic fertilizers to it - 5-10 ml of mullein or bird droppings infusion per bucket of water. With such watering, root fertilizing with organic fertilizers is not needed, the plants will receive nitrogen fertilizers with watering. Soft water is better absorbed by the roots.

The best varieties of cucumbers for polycarbonate greenhouses

The choice of varieties depends on what cucumbers you plan to cultivate and what expectations you have for the future harvest. Now there are many such varieties on the seed market, but in order to choose the most suitable option, we recommend reading this article.

Fertilization and disease prevention

It is necessary to fertilize the plants regularly - cucumbers build up a large vegetative mass and quickly consume useful elements from the soil. Lack of nitrogen affects the growth of bushes and the process of photosynthesis, lack of phosphorus and potassium affects the shape and size of the fruit.

For feeding, use an infusion of mullein 1: 5 or chicken droppings 1:15. To enrich the infusion with potassium, calcium and trace elements, wood ash is added to the solution - a glass on a bucket. Stir the components in water and leave for two or three days.

Preparing chicken droppings solution

You can also use complex fertilizers for melons and gourds for feeding cucumbers. They are bred according to the instructions and watered at the root or sprayed on the leaves.

Note! When infusion of fertilizing from organic matter, carbon dioxide is released. It is useful for plants, so a bucket of infusion can be left in a greenhouse near the ridges.

Video - Feeding cucumbers

For the prevention of diseases three times during the growing season with an interval of 15 days, plants are sprayed with "Fitosporin". It helps to avoid the appearance of fungal diseases. You can also use watering the soil with warm solutions of potassium permanganate and boric acid.

Spraying with Fitosporin - prevention

Forming and collecting fruits

To prevent plants from shading each other, they must be properly formed. In greenhouses, cucumbers are grown vertically to provide ventilation, reduce the likelihood of disease and facilitate access to plants. In addition, with a vertical garter, more plants can be placed on one meter of area.

Cucumber molding rules

After planting the plants and the appearance of the first peduncles, the main stem is tied with twine to the supports or structures of the greenhouse. The first peduncles are immediately cut off - they mainly consist of barren flowers, but at the same time they inhibit the growth of cucumbers. After the appearance of the first lateral shoots, they begin to pinch according to schemes depending on the variety.

Cucumbers with a bouquet-bearing type of fruiting tie many fruits in each internode. The main crop for such varieties and hybrids is obtained from the main stem. They pinch the side shoots, allowing the plant to give the crop as much as possible.

Forming cucumbers of bouquet type flowering

Cucumbers with a small number of ovaries in each internode are formed differently. On the fifth and sixth side shoots, one leaf and an ovary are left, on the next - two leaves and two ovaries. This will maximize the yield of the crop.

Forming parthenocarpic cucumber hybrids

Video - Forming and garter cucumbers

After the start of fruiting, picking cucumbers is carried out regularly, ideally daily. Even one large fruit left on the plant inhibits the setting of new cucumbers and the growth of the bush. Harvesting is carried out in the morning or evening. It is more convenient to do this after watering - this way the cucumbers prick less.

Picking cucumbers

Winter greenhouse cucumbers will delight you throughout the cold months. To prolong the period of active fruiting, they can be planted in several stages, constantly updating the planting. With proper agricultural technology and selection of varieties, fresh vegetables will always be on your table.

Date of publication:Growing at home