How to process the soil before planting cucumbers in open ground

Preparing the soil for cucumbers is the first step in growing this crop.

Preparing the soil for cucumbers

It is very important to choose the right land, its location. Fertilizers are also needed. Let's consider the features of preparation in more detail.

Soil requirements

First you need to choose the area where the cucumbers will grow. It is desirable that it be turned to the south, because these vegetables love a sunny place without drafts. It is necessary to take into account what previous crops were grown here. It's good if it was potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflower, root vegetables, legumes. You should not plant greens in the place where zucchini, squash, eggplants grew. After them, microorganisms accumulate in the soil, which then lead to plant diseases.

The land for planting cucumbers should be:

• loose;
• structured;
• fertile.

Therefore, in open areas, it is better to choose light loamy or sandy soils that have good water permeability. It is important that they contain a lot of humus. Cold peat bog soils are considered completely unsuitable for growing cucumbers. They contain little phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and other trace elements. The peat land slowly warms up in the spring and cools quickly in the fall.

Acceptable soil acidity for cucumbers 6-7 units. At a pH level of 6-6.1 units, the greatest return of the plant is observed. After all, such indicators of acidity contribute to the formation of the maximum number of female flowers.

Cucumbers prefer moist soil and therefore require frequent watering. 75-85% soil moisture is optimal for crop cultivation.

The temperature of the soil before planting cucumbers is also important. It should be approximately equal to the air temperature or lower by 2-3˚С. The best indicator for seed germination is 25-28 ° C, at which seedlings appear in 3 days. At temperatures below 14 ° C, the culture stops growing. Indicators above 40˚C will be critical.

Autumn soil preparation

Preparing the soil for cucumbers can begin in the fall.

Digging

After harvesting, plant residues and weeds must be removed from the site.If pests raged in the garden, it is worth digging up the ground. Then the beetles, larvae that hit the surface will die during the winter, and the mice will leave the site. Autumn digging is also carried out if the soil is heavy, compacted and there is a danger of trapping snow on it. Prolonged springs with slow soil warming are an excuse for such events.

Do not touch the ground in the following cases:

• plot with a slope;
• flood-prone area;
• light soils prone to erosion.

Liming

It is necessary to determine the pH level. This can be done using a special device or in the laboratory. If this is not possible, use litmus paper. To do this, they take soil with a shovel from a depth of 30 cm. In a fist they squeeze it with paper, by the color of which acidity is determined.

Also, the indicator of the pH level is the plants that are on the site. If it is plantain, horsetail, Veronica Dubravnaya, pickulnik, sedge, horse sorrel, mint, creeping buttercup, wood lice, then the earth is sour. Wheatgrass, field bindweed, coltsfoot, garden thistle, odorless chamomile and clover indicate non-acidic soil or with a low acidity.

To neutralize an elevated pH level, liming is carried out with such substances as slaked lime, ash, dolomite flour, chalk, cement ash. This procedure is carried out every 4-5 years.

Organic feed

To saturate the soil with useful microelements, top dressing is done in the fall. After all, the root system of zelents is superficial and quickly absorbs substances. Organic matter, decomposing, becomes a source of carbon dioxide, which is necessary for the growth of vegetables. If the acidity of the soil is not high, liquid alkaline fertilizers should be used.

The plant needs nutrients

Preparing the soil for cucumbers can be continued with the introduction of fresh manure in the fall. It will help loosen heavy clay soils and bind sandy soils. It contains nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium. Substance consumption - per 1 sq. m. from 6 to 9 kg. If the soil is light, you need to bring in less, heavy - more. Fresh manure should not be used at the same time as lime. They react in which nitrogen is lost.

Ash is a good source of potassium and other nutrients. It is brought in at the rate of 200 g per 1 sq. m. It is also good to use compost for fertilizers.

Mulching

The effect of preparing the soil for cucumbers will be much higher if you cover its fertile layer. Mulch can be prepared from sawdust, straw, tree leaves, sunflower husks, grass. Birch leaves will be useful.

Each layer of mulch is sprinkled with earth. Some organic matter decomposes before spring. Mulching is well done on structural soils, so that plant roots can easily grow into it.

Spring soil preparation

If it was not possible to improve the beds in the fall, it must be done in the spring. Lime substances should not be added; liquid alkaline organic fertilizers can be used. They dig up the soil, deepening the shovel by 25-30 cm.

Spread a layer of 12 cm with a rake, mixing it with a lot of humus. It is prepared using sawdust, dried grass, fallen leaves, straw, manure, pieces of paper, etc. The bed is moistened and covered with a film so that the earth warms up. These activities are performed a few days before planting the culture.

The soil for cucumbers, dug up and fertilized in the fall, should be loosened in the spring. It is necessary to scatter humus on the site and dig it up to the depth of the shovel bayonet. This is done in early spring, if manure was not applied in the fall. Before planting cucumbers, it is necessary to ensure that weeds do not appear, it is necessary to remove them in time.

Mineral fertilizers

Cucumbers are a culture that loves fertile land very much. Therefore, on the twentieth of May, you need to add top dressing, which is embedded in the ground during the next digging.

Of minerals used:

• ammonium nitrate - 15 g per 1 sq. m,
• superphosphate - 40 g per 1 sq. m,
• potassium salt (if ash was not used) - 25 g per 1 sq. m;
• complex fertilizers - consumption according to the instructions.

Multilayer beds

Some gardeners make special beds with their own hands for a high result of the growing process.

First, choose a sunny place. Then, in the fall, they begin to lay layers, the first from which is drainage. It can be any branches, grass, straw. They are deepened by 30-50 cm, tamped well. Above is the second layer. Fresh manure will be used as it. And so they leave until spring. During the cold period, the bed will sag well.

You can make the garden yourself

Actions resume in May. In the first days, the third layer is laid out - fertile soil. Humus works well. In order for the manure to begin to emit heat, they equip arcs and stretch non-woven material or film. After a few days, the area saturated with nutrients will be suitable for planting cucumbers.

You can start making a multi-layer garden in the spring. To do this, 1 sq. m. take manure in one layer, 300 g of wood ash, 100 nitrophosphate. A layer of soil is laid on top. After planting the seed, you need to stretch the arcs and cover with foil.

Compost can be used instead of manure. They begin to cook it in the summer from grass, weeds, foliage, which must be overcooked. By spring, it can be used in the garden.

Greenhouse soil preparation

In film shelters, the top layer of the earth is removed (about 5 cm). After all, it is it that contains a large number of pathogenic bacteria. Then you should dig up the ground. After that, it is disinfected. For this, the soil is treated with a 7% solution of copper sulfate. If the greenhouse is small, you can pour boiling water over the entire area before planting.

For greenhouses, a soil mixture is specially prepared to achieve maximum fruiting. It should include: sod land, peat, humus with the addition of field land. Fertilizers such as potassium sulfate, superphosphate, ammonium nitrate are added to the mixture. It is placed in a greenhouse a month after being treated with copper sulfate.

There is another way to ensure a high yield in greenhouse conditions. After removing the soil layer, manure is placed on top to a thickness of 30-40 cm. Wells are made in it, into which hot water is then poured. Manure begins to actively release heat, which fills the premises. After a few days, the temperature will be sufficient to plant the crop. Then the mixture is laid on top, which is most suitable for growing. It is prepared like this:

• 2 parts of sod land;
• 2 parts of humus;
• 1 part clean sand or sawdust.

Everything needs to be leveled. For disinfection, the mixture is poured with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Conclusion

Growing cucumbers involves many processes. The initial phase is very important. The yield of the crop directly depends on the preparation of the soil.

How to Grow a Cucumber - Preparing the Ground Part 1

Preparation of CUCUMBER SEEDS for sowing Germination Soaking and Germination of SEEDS before planting

Soil disinfection methods

Preparing the greenhouse in spring / Warming up the soil before planting cucumbers

SUPER GROWTH AND SOAKING MEANS FOR SEEDS!

PREPARATION OF SOIL FOR POTATO, SECRETS OF YIELD OF NATURAL AGRICULTURE

If the gardener spares no effort and time for this event, he will make a great contribution to the development of culture. And she will thank him in the future with delicious fruits.

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Reviews and comments

To obtain good harvest of cucumbers, it is necessary to choose the right site for their cultivation, prepare the soil and follow the rules of competent crop rotation. The culture is quite demanding on the moisture content of the soil and air, as well as in light and high temperatures, therefore, the beds for cucumbers should be broken in places protected from piercing winds, without shading.

Avoid areas with low relief - lowlands, since cold air flows into them.

Soil requirements

The best soil for growing cucumbers are considered loamy and sandy loam. The highest crop yields are obtained in high-quality fertilized fertile areas with neutral or slightly high acidity.

Cucumbers are very responsive to organic inputs. Cucumber planting requires regular and fairly frequent watering. Unsuitable for cultivation are considered uncultivated, acidic, poorly heated and heavy soils with a shallow arable layer.

The best predecessors of cucumbers

According to the rules of crop rotation, the most suitable predecessors of cucumbers are considered

• potato,
• onion,
• cabbage,
• tomato
• various green manure plants (alfalfa, clover, mustard, rye, oats, etc.).

It is strongly not recommended to plant cucumbers after all the plants of the pumpkin family: watermelon, melon, squash, squash, cucumber, pumpkin, since they consume the same nutrients from the soil, depleting it, and have the same diseases and pests.

Fertilization for cucumbers

The amount of nutrients (in a form readily available for the plant) in the ground should be sufficient, since the root system of cucumbers is located in the upper layers of the soil and is characterized by a relatively high rate of their consumption.

For a short growing season, cucumbers create not only a powerful leaf apparatus, but also a lot of fruits. That's why a sufficient amount of organic matter must be introduced, which, decomposing, supplies the roots with additional portions of carbon dioxide.

Organic fertilizers for cucumbers

Fresh manure on cucumber beds brought in most often in the fall. Transforming into humus, it structures the soil, loosening heavy clay and binding sandy ones. If the soil in the garden is heavy clay or loamy, slowly warming up, then it is advisable to embed fresh manure into it 30-50 days before sowing the seeds (immediately after the snow melts) - this leads to rapid heating. On high-quality organic soils fertilized, the efficiency of mineral fertilizers increases several times.

The composition of manure contains the following useful elements: nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium. Fresh manure application rates in autumn, depending on the quality of the soil, fluctuate from 6 to 9 kg / sq. m (for light soils, less is required, for heavy soils, more).

In the spring, shortly before sowing, humus is introduced into the soil at the rate of about 4 kg per square meter. meter. It is also advisable to use compost as fertilizer in the spring.

Peat application only makes sense on heavy damp soils, as it improves the structure and its physical properties.

Mineral fertilizers for cucumbers

When cultivating cucumbers, use mineral fertilizers and ash, which can act as a full replacement for potash compounds. Ash is covered at the rate of about 200 g per sq. meter. Mineral fertilizers are required to be added during spring digging of the earth: ammonium nitrate - 15 g / sq. m, superphosphate - 40 g / sq. m, potassium salt (in the absence of ash) - 25 g / sq. m.

If you are using complex fertilizers, then when adding them, you should be guided by the instructions and dosages indicated on the package. Most of the minerals are added immediately before sowing or when sowing seedlings and seeds in the holes, and the rest in the form of liquid root dressings.

Soil liming

If the soil in your area is acidic, then it should be lime (deacidify) using dolomite flour, ground limestone, tuff. This stage of work is carried out in the fall when digging.

The simultaneous introduction of fresh manure and lime is not allowed - this leads to a chemical reaction, the result of which is the loss of valuable nitrogen.

In the autumn liming of the soil, which is carried out every 4-5 years, the rotted manure is introduced in the spring. Plant waste ash is not only a natural potassium-phosphorus fertilizer, but also a means of reducing soil acidity.

Spring processing of beds for cucumbers

Dug up from the fall plots for cucumbers, fertilized with organic matter, loosen up in the spring. If the manure was not introduced in the fall, then the humus is scattered in early spring, and the earth is dug to a depth into the bayonet of a shovel.

From the moment the snow melts to the sowing of cucumbers, it is necessary to monitor the looseness of the soil and immediately remove weeds that break through. Mineral fertilizers are applied around May 20-25, they dig up the soil, level the topsoil with a rake and start planting.

Compliance with these simple recommendations allows you to get good yields of cucumbers even for novice gardeners. Next - growing cucumbers in the open field, planting care

Good luck with the new season!

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How to properly grow and process cucumbers

Cucumber is one of the most popular and favorite vegetable crops. Since the thermophilicity of cucumber does not allow growing it everywhere in the open field, the greenhouse and greenhouse have become a good help in growing this vegetable. In addition, growing cucumbers in a greenhouse makes it possible to obtain earlier harvests even in regions with moderate temperatures.

Agrotechnical methods for growing cucumbers.

Zelentov properties and preliminary preparation

A set of useful substances contained in the fruits of cucumbers: fiber, vitamins B and C, useful enzymes (including and such as tartronic acid), trace elements. Potassium and magnesium, iodine, calcium and phosphorus - this is an incomplete list of what a simple green stuff contains. And although 95% of the cucumber consists of water, do not forget that this is living structured water, which, moreover, is an excellent natural body cleaner from toxins and toxins. This vegetable is included in menus designed for patients with hypertension, arthritis, gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular diseases. The benefits of cucumber in weight loss diets and when used as a cosmetic product have no longer needed advertising.

To get a full harvest in a greenhouse, you need to know some agrotechnical techniques for growing cucumbers, as well as methods and recommendations on how to process the greenhouse and planting. The best time to prepare for the spring harvest is autumn. Autumn work in the greenhouse begins with the removal of the remaining plantings. After removing all dried parts of plants and weeds, it is necessary to start preparing the soil.

Soil and planting seedlings

Fertilization scheme for the beds for growing cucumbers.

The soil in a greenhouse intended for growing cucumber must have the following qualities: high fertility, good both throughput and absorption capacity, and a reaction close to neutral. If necessary, the top layer of soil (5 cm) in the greenhouse is removed, it is in this layer that the largest number of bacteria and the main diseases of cucumbers are contained. After that, the soil is dug up to a depth of 30 cm. The next stage of soil preparation in the greenhouse consists of disinfecting the soil, while it must be treated with a solution of 7% copper sulfate. A month after the soil was treated with copper sulfate, you can lay the prepared soil in a greenhouse or greenhouse. If the area of ​​the greenhouse or greenhouse is insignificant, you can simply spill the soil with boiling water, but it is recommended to do this in the spring, before planting.

To get a good harvest, you need to take care of the quality of the soil, the best is the following mixture: forest sod soil, peat, humus with the addition of field soil.

The scheme for preparing fertile soil for a greenhouse.

Such a mixture, with the addition of potassium sulfate, superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, is the most suitable for efficient cultivation of cucumbers.

Disinfection of the very structure of the greenhouse is carried out using a solution of copper sulfate of high concentration, which must be used to treat the greenhouse (wooden surfaces). Metal parts of structures are painted with oil paint. All equipment for working with plants in the greenhouse must be disinfected. Taking proper care of your greenhouse plants will ensure a good harvest and job satisfaction.

Seedlings are planted in planting holes, which are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate. Most often, before planting, the soil is abundantly moistened and a clod of earth with a cucumber sprout is planted in the resulting "mud". It is necessary to carefully monitor the height of the soil near the root collar of plants; when the seedlings are deepened, diseases may occur. Cucumbers in a greenhouse can also be planted in a seedless way, but this pushes the timing of the appearance of the first greenhouses.

Plant care

Proper care consists in regular watering, preferably in the evening, with warm water. If cultivation takes place in winter, watering is done in the morning, in clear sunny weather. In hot weather, it is necessary to water the plants every other day. It is important to regularly monitor the air permeability of the soil, when a crust forms, the soil is loosened, which prevents the occurrence of root rot diseases. Regular airing and feeding of plants is also included in the mandatory complex for the care of cucumbers. Do not forget to a novice gardener that this vegetable (like all other cultivated plants) loves delicate handling: watering into the hole, under the root and in no case sprinkling and spraying water. Before the first harvest, one watering every 5-7 days is enough, depending on the temperature conditions of the greenhouse. After the first ovaries have appeared, the number of waterings per week should be increased to 3-4.

Cucumber feeding scheme.

Some little tweaks will help you get more cucumber yields.

For example, an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, which is formed when manure decomposes in the soil. To do this, use a very simple technique: a barrel or bucket is installed in a greenhouse, half covered with fresh manure and top up with water. With daily stirring, fermentation occurs, enriching the air with carbon dioxide.

After the end of the fermentation process, this solution can be used as a liquid fertilizer, which also increases the yield. Plants of this species grow poorly in soil with a high concentration of nutrients. Foliar dressing significantly increases the yield of cucumbers, a fertilizer solution is prepared at the rate of 100 g per 10 liters of water.

Fertilizing infusions of herbs and special mineral fertilizers intended for pumpkin crops have a good effect on the development and fruiting of plants. When carrying out mineral fertilizing, it is necessary to take into account the composition of the soil: potash fertilizers are used on floodplains, and nitrogen fertilizers on sandy soils. Another way to increase the yield of cucumbers in the greenhouse is to increase pollination with sugar bee baits. On warm sunny days, when airing greenhouses, it is necessary to attract bees by feeding them with sugar syrup, which is insisted on corollas plucked from male flowers.

The main diseases of cucumbers

Planting tomatoes and other crops that love warmth in a greenhouse, greenhouse is a profitable business, even if the greenhouse is small, designed for only one family. One of the main difficulties in growing cucumbers in a greenhouse is their tendency to various diseases, as well as pests that will not miss the opportunity to enjoy a juicy plant and / or its fruits. In order to prevent this, one should know the “enemy” by sight.So, a list of the main diseases of cucumbers in the greenhouse:

• fusarium;
• ordinary mosaic;
• olive spot;
• dew: powdery and downy powdery;
• rot: gray, root, white;
• anthracnose and some others.

White and root rot occurs due to improper plant care: sudden temperature changes, improper watering, excessive moisture. In order to avoid the appearance of white and gray bloom, the death of roots and leaves and the loss of yield in the future, you should not only pre-treat (disinfect) the soil, but reduce watering, thin out too dense plantings, warm the air in the greenhouse at night. Watering should be carried out with water at least air temperature, but not cold. Gray rot develops for the same reason as the two previous diseases, but to combat it, in addition to the above methods, treatment with wood ash is also needed, which is simply sprinkled on the affected plant areas.

Wood ash and prevention

Wood ash will also be an excellent helper against various types of cucumber spots in the greenhouse, which appear due to the multiplication of colonies of fungi, for example, anthracnose. For prevention, you should lightly sprinkle the leaves of plants with water and treat them from all sides, dusting with ash. If you do not start the development of fungi and parasites, but carry out the treatment ahead of time or at the early stages of the development of colonies, it is quite possible to avoid the intervention of "heavy artillery of gardeners" - chemicals.

Having decided to start growing cucumbers, no matter for yourself or for sale, you should remember a simple rule: it is easier to prevent than to deal with the consequences later. Having correctly cultivated the soil for cucumbers in the greenhouse and following the rules of agricultural technology, even a novice gardener will receive an excellent harvest of zelents and will be ready for further exploits of the garden.

How to cultivate the land in a greenhouse and how to increase its fertility

The soil in greenhouses needs regular renewal and decontamination

The opinion that ordinary garden soil can be used in greenhouses, if not erroneous, is not entirely correct. It is possible, but it must be constantly updated, nourished, fertilized, and also disinfected.
In this article, we'll talk about how to cultivate the land in a greenhouse and what to do with it in order to get a bountiful and healthy harvest every year.

Greenhouse soil fertility

Greenhouse soil should consist of different components, some of which make it nutritious, others - loose and moisture-consuming, and others - warm. Only in this case will the plants develop correctly.
In addition, it is very important that pathogenic microbes, fungi and pests do not accumulate in it, but this is a separate topic, which we will reveal a little later.

Organic and inorganic farming

Fertile soil (humus) without fertilization is gradually depleted and can no longer provide the plants with all the nutrients they need. This is especially true for greenhouse land that grows the same crops every year.
Soil enrichment is a difficult and time-consuming task, therefore, in industrial greenhouses Elite Elbrus is increasingly resorting to inorganic farming methods, in which plants are grown in neutral substrates, constantly supplying a solution of mineral nutrients to the roots (hydroponic method).

Growing lettuce hydroponically

There is also a more progressive method of aeroponics, when the roots of plants are generally in the air and irrigated with a nutrient solution. But these methods are not very suitable for personal greenhouses and greenhouses.
And not only because it is quite difficult to organize such "beds" and control the nutrition of plants, and the price of fertilizers is high, but also for the simple reason that vegetables grown in this way lose their taste and aroma.Therefore, amateur gardeners adhere to the traditional principles of organic farming, trying to use as little "chemistry" as possible, but maintain soil fertility with the help of natural materials.
This method is rather laborious and requires long-term preparation. We can say that the land for the greenhouse is literally produced according to a certain technology from various organic materials - manure, bird droppings, dry leaves, straw, grass, wood waste, etc. This process takes 2-3 years.
Subsequently, the finished substrate is mixed with peat, sand, clay and other ingredients, depending on the type of crops grown, and placed on the beds in the greenhouse.

For reference. You can take a simpler route and buy ready-made soil mixture from a specialized company or an ordinary garden supermarket, but this will turn out to be very expensive.

The soil mixture already contains all the necessary fertilizers

Optimal soil composition for a greenhouse

In different sources you can find many "recipes" for preparing potting mix for growing peppers, tomatoes and other vegetable or flower crops, berries and herbs. There is no universal, the required composition is selected empirically.
But the basic postulates are known - the ground in a greenhouse should have the following properties:

• Looseness;
• Air and water permeability;
• Nutritional value;
• Neutral reaction.

This can be achieved by preparing a mixture of 5-6 parts of peat, 2-3 parts of humus, part of sod land and part of river sand. Since peat gives an acidic reaction, it is neutralized by adding lime.
For this recipe, it will require about 3-4 kg per cubic meter of the finished mixture.

The peat content in the soil mixture can be from 50 to 100%

Attention. The ratio of these parts is optional and can be changed and supplemented. But with a decrease in the proportions of peat, the amount of lime should also be reduced.

As for the sod land itself, the instructions for its "preparation" are as follows:

• The cut turf is stacked, interspersed with layers of fresh manure and spilled with water;
• In warm weather, the pile is also periodically watered and germinated weeds are removed;
• At least once every six months, the pile is carefully shoveled from top to bottom.

After 2-3 years, the substrate will be ready.

"Burning" compost heaps

For reference. Instead of composting turf, you can use dry leaves, grass, coniferous bark, and used soil from greenhouses.

• To improve the physical properties of the soil mixture, warming and loosening materials are added to it - chopped straw, chopped bark, sawdust, needles, fallen leaves.
• Sawdust and small shavings do not decompose for several seasons, so the soil in the greenhouse all this time remains loose and receives nutrients. But you cannot add a lot of them, since the resins contained in the sawdust can harm the roots.
• Needles, dry leaves and crushed cereal straw also prevent soil compaction and increase air saturation. When decomposing, they release carbon dioxide and nitrogen necessary for plants, and raise the temperature of the soil.

How to maintain soil fertility in greenhouses

Ideally, the soil in the greenhouse should be changed every year, as we do with soil in pots of houseplants. But in reality, it is very difficult to do this, and if you want to prepare the soil with your own hands, it is impossible, because for this you would have to allocate a lot of space on the site for a compost yard.
Therefore, soil replacement is done once every 2-3 years, or even once every 5-6 years, and during this time the land is periodically cultivated in special ways, fertilized, and other methods of preserving and increasing its fertility are used.

For replacement in the greenhouse, a layer of earth with a thickness of 20-25 cm is completely removed

What exactly can you do:

• It is very important to alternate vegetables in one greenhouse, not to always grow the same crop in it.Each plant has a need for certain substances, which it seeks to take.
  The result is the so-called soil fatigue, that is, exhaustion. If space permits on the site, an excellent solution would be the presence of two or three greenhouses, allowing for crop rotation.
• Plant siderates in the greenhouse - plants that improve the structure and nutritional properties of the soil.

For reference. Siderates include cold-resistant plants such as mustard, phacelia, watercress. They can be sown in early spring or late autumn, and can also be planted with the main crop.

• Try to get by with the minimum amount of mineral fertilizers. Remember that an excess of them affects plants worse than a deficiency.
• Greenhouse soil, like open ground, responds gratefully to the introduction of liquid organic matter - infusions of mullein, bird droppings or fermented herbs. Infusions of comfrey and nettle maximally increase soil fertility.
• Populate the soil with earthworms and microorganisms, which, in the course of their life, produce humus, recycling plant residues.
  With worms, everything is clear, and microorganisms are found in special EM preparations that have recently appeared on the market. These include "Renaissance", "Baikal", "Shining" and some others.
• Avoid sprinkler irrigation, which compacts the soil and forces gardeners to loosen it periodically, risking damage to the plant roots. Consider a drip irrigation system or submerge impromptu funnels made from cut plastic bottles into the ground at each bush and supply water to them.

Photo of a homemade irrigation funnel

• Mulching the beds will also help preserve the structure of the soil. And if organic materials are used for this (humus, dry leaves or grass, straw), then, decomposing, they will also increase its fertility.

Disinfection of greenhouse soil

All the measures described above are good, but completely useless, if you do not deal with the healing and cleaning of the soil from pathogenic bacteria and pests in parallel. They constantly penetrate into the greenhouse with shoes and equipment, seeds and seedlings, in other ways, after which they multiply and lead to diseases of greenhouse plants.
If this phenomenon is not dealt with, harmful microorganisms will accumulate in the soil, as well as on the walls and other structures of the greenhouse. This is also a reason for the greenhouse land to be completely replaced periodically.
But, since this does not happen so often, decontamination measures have to be taken.

Chemical methods

Chemical methods include soil treatment with bleach, sulfur, copper sulfate and other chemicals. They are quite effective, but they also accumulate in the ground, and then end up in the fruits we consume.
Therefore, many gardeners refuse this method of disinfection in favor of thermal or biological methods, even though their effectiveness is 20-30% lower.

Autumn disinfection of the greenhouse

But the greenhouse itself must be thoroughly washed and treated with chemistry, for example, a two percent formalin solution. This can be done with a spray bottle.
This procedure is carried out in late autumn after removing all plant residues from the greenhouse. You will learn more about it from the video material inserted into the article.

Advice. In order not to bring infection into the greenhouse on your shoes, put a pallet with a rubber mat at the entrance to it, sprinkle ammonium nitrate and copper sulfate on it and moisten it.

Thermal methods

Thermal methods mean processing the land with low or high temperatures, which are detrimental to most bacteria and pests.

• Low temperatures themselves affect the soil in unheated greenhouses and greenhouses in winter. If the greenhouse is operated all year round, you need to choose the time between plantings, turn off the heating and cover the ground for 2-3 weeks with a thick layer of snow.

Cold treatment

• High temperatures are much more effective. The ground can be covered with a thick film and steamed, supplying hot steam under it using special equipment.
  But this method is quite complicated, therefore, more often they use ordinary boiling water, also poured under the film.

Attention! After treatment with boiling water, the ground must be well dried.

Biological methods

Biologics containing antibiotics and fungi also help control pests. They are available in the form of liquids (Baktofit, Pseudobacterin, Planriz), powders (Golden Autumn, Fitosporin-M), tablets (Glyocladin).

Conclusion

A nutritious and healthy soil is a prerequisite and prerequisite for growing vegetables or any other greenhouse crops. Therefore, the land for greenhouses must be prepared and cultivated in accordance with all the rules.
Neglecting them often leads not only to a decrease in the yield, but also to its complete loss. We hope that the information provided in the article and our advice will help you cope with this task and experience real satisfaction from the work done.

Agree, cucumbers treated with pesticides and grown using the achievements of the domestic chemical industry, we can buy in the store. And at your summer cottage you don't want to use chemistry unnecessarily.

Is it possible to grow cucumbers without chemicals? How to do it?

Supporters of ecological farming are sure: everyone can grow cucumbers on organic matter and get an excellent harvest, you just need to use the techniques that have been worked out and proven in practice.

Preparing seeds for planting seedlings

A month before planting, the seeds of cucumbers must be warmed up so that more female flowers and, accordingly, ovaries are formed. To warm it up, it is enough to place the seeds in a cloth bag and keep them on the battery for 2-3 days.

The day before planting, cucumber seeds are soaked in a natural nutrient solution - potato juice. It is easy to obtain by grating and squeezing the previously frozen potato tuber. In this organic growth stimulator, the seeds are kept for 24 hours and then dried.

Preparing a cucumber patch

The best place for a cucumber garden will be the area where nightshades, onions, legumes, cabbage, root vegetables or greens grew last year - these are the best predecessors for cucumbers.

Cucumbers show excellent results in warm beds. But if you haven't had time to prepare one in the fall, it doesn't matter.

Three weeks before planting cucumber seedlings, you need to dig a trench 0.7 meters deep and fill it with freshly cut grass mixed with organic waste, sawdust, newspapers, and craft paper. All this biofuel is trampled down so that 15 cm remains to the ground level. Then, to warm up the contents, it is necessary to spill the trench abundantly with hot water and fill it with fertile soil.

Then you can outline the holes and make bumpers of the ground around them so that the water lingers in the garden during irrigation, and cover the trench with a film.

Cucumbers are planted either directly to a permanent place (they do not like transplants and do not take root well), or through seedlings (in this case, you can not worry that the seeds will rot or get pests).

Growing cucumber seedlings provides an earlier harvest, and also makes it possible to regulate the planting density. It is best to grow seedlings in individual cups, so that it is more convenient to plant them without damaging the root system.

If moles and bears are operating in your area, it is better to grow cucumbers in two-liter plastic bottles, cutting off the neck and making a large number of holes in the lower part. Such seedlings are planted in the garden without removing them from the bottles.

Before planting the plants, a glass of wood ash, a bucket of rotted manure are poured into each hole and two ten-day-old cucumber sprouts are planted.

If the seedlings are in bottles, they need to be deepened so that the edge rises 5 cm above the soil.

Watering, feeding and processing cucumbers without chemicals

Immediately after planting the plants, the cucumbers are treated with a solution of sour milk and a small amount of potassium permanganate (0.3 g per 10 liters of water).

Subsequent feeding and preventive treatments for pests are carried out at intervals of fifteen days:

1. Top dressing with infusion of fresh grass in a ratio of 1: 5 and spraying with a solution of onion peel (500 grams of peel is poured with water, infused for a day, then brought to a boil, cooled and diluted with water 1:10).

2. Spraying with celandine infusion (insist 500 grams of green mass in water for three days, then strain, dilute with water 1:15 and spray).

3. Spraying with a solution of sour milk or ascorbic acid (1 tablet per 5 liters of water).

4. Last spraying with sour milk.

It is better to water and feed the cucumbers in the evening after sunset.

Do not forget that after frequent watering, the soil in the holes becomes very compacted, blocking access to food for the small roots. Therefore, it is advised to add loose materials (humus, peat, sawdust, cut grass) under the cucumbers several times per season.

After sprinkling, new small sucking hairs are formed on the main root, the cucumber receives additional nutrition, and the gardener receives additional greens.

If powdery mildew appears on the leaves of cucumbers, then you need to spray the plant with a biological product "Immuniocytofit" (1 tablet per 10 liters of water) or infusion of rotten hay. Hay treatment not only increases the protective functions of the plant, but also helps to increase the "lifespan" of cucumber lashes and prolongs fruiting until September.

We wish you success and big harvests!

So the next garden season has ended, the last harvest has been harvested, pumpkins and root crops have been placed for storage, it's time to start preparing the garden for the new season, while it is still warm in the yard.

First of all, the site must be completely freed of plant residues, remove and burn all tops, weed weeds, remove debris and rotten fruits from the site, if any.

As soon as the soil surface is clean, you can start further work, but first you need to decide what exactly will grow in the future on the site, because each crop requires its own soil processing and doses of fertilizers, this is the only way to hope for high yields.

Soil preparation for tomatoes

Tomato, a culture that is present in literally every vegetable garden. The first cultivation of the soil for tomatoes should be carried out in the fall, to a depth of about 15 cm, combining it with the introduction of organic matter. On depleted soils, you can also apply mineral fertilizers, for example, superphosphate at a dose of 40-50 g and potassium salt in an amount of 20-25 g per square meter.

It is recommended to dig up heavy soil 2-3 times, preferably using a pitchfork. If there is no organic matter or mineral fertilizers, then you can add humus for digging.

As for the choice of a place, the most well-lit and warmed-up area should be allocated for tomatoes. It is great if the tomato bed is located near the southern or southwestern wall of the house.

Ideal - if the wall is painted white or whitewashed, so the sun's rays will be better reflected from it.

Preparing the soil for cucumbers

For cucumbers, tillage should also be carried out starting in autumn. To do this, first, you should remove all residues from the previous culture, and then, for digging the soil, add 6-7 kg of manure and 8-10 g of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers per square meter of soil.

Digging the soil in the fall is best done to a depth of at least 25 cm. When choosing a place for cucumbers, do not forget that frosts are destructive for them. Ideally, the site should be oriented to the south, this can help protect the plants from cold winds.

Preparing the soil for potatoes

Soil preparation for potatoes, ideally, should also be carried out in the autumn. At this time, you should dig deep into the soil of the site.

Remember that potatoes are afraid of acidic soils, so you can add about a glass of dolomite flour per square meter or lime to the soil, which is doubtful. Before processing the soil, try to pay attention to the weeds growing on the site, if among them there is horsetail, then the soil is definitely acidic.

After you dug the soil under the potatoes, you should not level it, it is better to leave everything until spring. For digging, however, you can apply both organic and mineral fertilizers. Fertilizers in the case of potatoes must be applied, focusing on the type of soil.

So, for example, in an area with heavy clay or loamy soil, a bucket of peat or humus must be added per square meter.

On sandy or sandy loam soils, in addition to humus or peat, a bucket of clay soil can be added per square meter.

On peat soil, per square meter, it will be necessary to add about a bucket of clay, as well as coarse river sand, compost or humus.

From mineral fertilizers per square meter of soil, approximately a tablespoon of superphosphate, 100 g of wood ash and a teaspoon of potassium sulfate should be added. In the absence of these fertilizers, 120-150 g of wood ash and a couple of tablespoons of nitrophoska can be added per square meter of soil.

When choosing a place for potatoes, remember that he prefers well-lit places, while not even enduring partial shade. In the shade, potato shoots stretch out, and small tubers are formed.

Preparing the soil for dill

Dill is an early crop that is one of the first to be sown in the spring, so if the site is prepared in advance, it can speed up the harvest period.

They dig deep into the soil for dill, combining this with the removal of parts of weeds. On poor soil, you can add 70-80 g of wood ash and add superphosphate and potassium salt at a rate of 15-20 g per square meter.

The most suitable site for dill is a well-lit area, however, if the piece of land on which you planned to grow dill is in light partial shade, then it's okay, it will give a good harvest there too.

Preparing the soil for onions

For onions, autumn soil preparation is reduced to simple loosening, if the soils are light, or to digging the soil, if the substrate is heavy. For digging, you can add compost 200-300 g or humus 250-350 g by mixing them with wood ash (100-120 g) per square meter.

The most suitable place for growing onions on the site is well ventilated, without stagnation of melt or rain water.

Preparing the soil for carrots

As soon as all plant residues are removed from the site, the soil must be dug deeply, combining this with the introduction of humus (350 - 400 g) or compost (200 - 300 g) per square meter.

The area for carrots should be chosen where the snow melts first. Ideally, the site should be protected from cold winds and oriented horizontally so that soil erosion does not occur.

A correctly chosen plot, compliance with the basic requirements of crop rotation and careful preparation of the soil will help to get a good harvest of cucumbers. The culture does not like darkening, cold and rare watering. However, it is more important to provide the cucumbers with fertile soil, with a neutral level of acidity and good air exchange.

Ground requirements

Vegetable crops are sensitive to heat. Therefore, it is best to choose sunny areas, with well-warmed soil and natural protection from gusty winds. Cucumbers love warm water, bitterness accumulates from cold water. This should be taken into account when watering.

Proper crop rotation is extremely important. So, the ideal predecessors of this culture are cabbage, potatoes, legumes, herbs. You should not sow a vegetable where their related squash and squash grew last season.Pests and diseases could accumulate in the ground, which can easily deal with cucumbers.

A place for planting a vegetable crop is prepared in advance. Cucumbers are very responsive to the introduction of organic matter, and therefore, from autumn, manure, droppings or mullein are introduced into the soil. This will give the plants a full range of nutrients necessary for normal growth and development.

Composition and properties

Cucumbers love fertile, humus-rich soil. It can be loam or sandy loam soil. If there is only alumina on the site, the situation will be corrected by the introduction of sand (a pair of buckets is enough for 1 sq. M.). In addition, the acidity level plays an important role.

For a rich harvest, a neutral pH is required. A slightly acidic soil is also acceptable. But strongly acidified soils require preliminary liming. The dosage of lime application is determined by the actual acidity level, usually from 250 to 550 g per sq. m.

Note. Reduce acidity often with chalk and wood ash.

An ideal soil for cucumbers should contain:

• Mullein. Natural organic raw materials contain a lot of nitrogen, which gives the carbon dioxide that cucumbers need. In addition, fresh raw materials create a greenhouse effect in the garden, which protects heat-loving plants from temperature fluctuations.
• Sawdust. It is a natural soil loosening agent. Microorganisms that decompose wood actively consume nitrogen, which is especially important in case of an overdose of this macronutrient.
• Dernina. Contains humus, a small amount of nitrogen, organic matter. Clover turf is especially good, with a width of 6 cm. Before laying in cucumber beds, this natural organic matter must be well peeled.
• Humus. The main source of nutrients for cucumbers, since it contains all the elements necessary for the culture, and in a form that is convenient for assimilation. If not, it is replaced with rotted compost.
• Sand. Perfectly loosens the soil, acts as an excellent drainage material.
• Peat. Allows you to increase the percentage of soil nutrition, improves its moisture capacity, air permeability.

Seedling soil

The substrate is easy to prepare yourself, or you can buy it ready-made in a specialized store. From purchased soils for seedlings, both universal and specially designed for cucumbers, squash, zucchini are suitable.

The soil for seedlings should be loose, good air permeability. Include a full set of macro-, microelements and vitamins. Have good moisture holding capacity.

Soil options:

• Peat + rotted manure + sawdust (2: 2: 1). Wood ash (glass per bucket) and mineral fertilizers (a small spoonful of carbamide, potassium sulfate, Superphosphate) are also added here.
• Turf + humus + compost (in equal shares). A glass of ash, 25 g of Superphosphate, 15 g of potassium sulfate are also added. Dry substances are preliminarily diluted in 10 liters of water.
• Peat + sand + sawdust + mullein + rotted manure (6: 1: 1: 1: 1).
• Turf + high peat + rotted sawdust + compost (in equal proportions).

Under the cucumbers in the greenhouse

If you plant vegetables in a greenhouse from year to year, diseases and pests accumulate in the soil. It is necessary to get rid of them in a timely manner. Therefore, much attention is paid to preliminary preparation, which is carried out in the autumn and spring periods.

In autumn

The process of preparing soil for greenhouses begins after harvesting and removing old lashes. The tops are necessarily burned, which prevents the possible spread of diseases in the area.

Then they remove about 8 cm of soil, in which the pests have already settled, and start digging with fertilization.

Do not forget about surface disinfection. For this, copper sulfate is often used. Labor-intensive, but effective treatment of the soil with bleach (500 g for one and a half buckets of water, insist, drain the top water) will not hurt. They do this after digging.

Sulfur sticks are widely used as dry processing.Burning produces pungent smoke that kills germs even in hard-to-reach places. Sulfur dosage - from 60 g per cubic meter.

The organic matter is introduced until the end of October, so that in the spring it can warm up the soil before planting cucumbers. You can also add rotted sawdust, which will improve air exchange.

In the spring

Well prepared soil must meet the following requirements:

• Be free of debris, weeds.
• Contain a minimum of acid or alkali.
• Have the ability to retain moisture.
• Contain sand, ash, organic matter. The latter, if not introduced in the fall, is evenly distributed over the beds in the spring.

After the snow melts, it is recommended to spill the soil with warm water. If green manures have been planted in the fall, they must be buried in the ground at least 2 weeks before planting the cucumbers.

For cucumbers outdoors

Cucumbers love well-fertilized soil. Therefore, the preparation of beds for planting this culture in the open field should be started in advance.

In autumn

Under the autumn digging, up to 8 kg of manure, 10 g of a mixture containing potassium, phosphorus are introduced (the dosage is indicated per 1 sq. M.). At the same time, the depth of digging is from 25 cm. Earthen lumps do not break in the fall.

It is recommended to apply organic matter for cucumbers no later than mid-October. It allows you to saturate the soil with useful substances, preparing it for the spring sowing of vegetables. In addition, organic matter increases the efficiency of mineral complexes applied in parallel or a little later.

Note. If the soil is light, the use of manure is transferred to the spring.

Do not neglect the use of ash. This natural mineralizer supplies the soil with many macro- and microelements. Potassium and phosphorus are contained in it in a form that is convenient for assimilation, and therefore quickly passes into the soil.

Experienced gardeners advise sowing cucumbers in those areas where thorough liming was carried out 3 years ago.

In the spring

If in the fall the cucumber beds have been well fertilized, it is recommended to apply fertilizer in the spring about 7 days before planting.

Grooves are made on the bed, up to 40 cm deep, and they are filled with rotted manure or compost at the rate of 5 kg per square meter. m. From above they are sprinkled with fertile soil. Then the ground is loosened and covered with a film for several days.

Note. Instead of manure, compost, hay, rotted foliage or sawdust are quite suitable.

In the spring, during digging, mineral complexes are also introduced. For example, a mixture of Superphosphate (45 g), nitrate (20 g), potassium salt (30 g).

From the moment of spring digging to sowing, the soil is loosened, weeds are removed.

If the cucumber beds are located in an open area not protected from drafts, it is recommended to plant natural barriers from the wind - sunflowers, corn.

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Ways to improve the soil

Experienced gardeners are constantly improving the soil. This is especially true for crops that require special attention and care, like cucumbers.

• Mulching

Peat, hay, rotted manure, stale sawdust are perfect as mulch. They will warm the root system of the vegetable crop, supply the soil with nutrients, and keep moisture from evaporation. In addition, mulch inhibits the growth of weeds and allows cucumbers to grow and gain strength without hindrance.

• Increase in carbon dioxide content

This mainly concerns the cultivation of cucumbers in greenhouses. The plant is very fond of carbon dioxide, and therefore it is recommended to put a barrel with a fresh mullein in a greenhouse. In the open field, the content of this substance is increased by mulching the beds with fresh manure.

• Fertilization with milk

Once every 14 days, cucumbers are fed with a milk solution (1:10). This composition contributes to the rapid rooting of seedlings and the acceleration of their growth.

Tips from experienced gardeners

Caring for cucumbers can be made more rational if you take into account the recommendations of experienced gardeners.

• Strengthening the roots

After each rain, the soil must be loosened so that the root system gains access to oxygen and continues to develop. After regrowth of 4 leaves, the bushes spud a little - this is how the plant receives a maximum of rainwater.

• Artificial pollination

If self-pollinating varieties are sown, then there are no problems. But those who need pollination do not always receive it due to the absence of bees. Therefore, gardeners seek to lure these beneficial insects by planting fragrant herbs and flowers: clover, lungwort, sage.

• Abundant watering

Cucumbers love water, the soil should not be allowed to dry out. Watering is carried out either early in the morning or in the evening and only with warm water. The soil must be at least 16 cm wet.

• Do not neglect feeding

Even if the soil is fertile and well seasoned in the fall, in the spring and summer, cucumbers still need fertilization. It is a fast growing crop that is rapidly consuming nutrients and starving if they are deficient.

Conclusion

Competent soil preparation, increasing its fertility and reducing acidity are the key to obtaining excellent yields of cucumbers. However, in everything it is important to observe the measure and not to oversaturate the soil with either top dressing or calcium.