Care for cucumbers after planting in open ground

Taking care of cucumbers outdoors is quite simple, but it has some peculiarities. We will talk about them in this article.

The wind can restrain the growth of cucumbers, as it increases evaporation and carries away carbon dioxide, which is very important for the formation of female flowers. Therefore, the first step is to sow the plants correctly in a suitable place protected from the wind. This factor is especially important during flowering. And then you will need to take care of the whip in the standard way: water, feed, huddle, loosen, weed and protect the borage from diseases and pests.

How to water cucumbers outdoors?

Proper watering is very important for the growth and fruiting of cucumbers. With a lack of moisture, there will be little fruit, and the taste will not please you too much. Irregular watering is the main reason for the bitterness of cucumbers. And even varieties that are genetically free of bitterness may not live up to your expectations.

Usually, cucumbers are watered every 5-7 days, but in hot weather - much more often. If, when growing in a greenhouse, the regularity of watering can be roughly calculated, then with plantings in open ground it is more difficult to do this, since it is necessary to focus on weather conditions and constantly monitor the state of the soil.

Of course, during long rains, watering is completely stopped. And sometimes cucumbers completely protect against waterlogging: they lay drainage grooves so that the water does not stagnate. Otherwise, the roots may rot. In the heat, cucumbers are watered as the soil dries. At the same time, it should become wet to the full depth.

Cucumbers are watered early in the morning or in the evening when the sun goes down. The water temperature should be within 12-20 ° С

When watering young plants, 10 liters of water are consumed per 1 square meter, and adult cucumbers need so much liquid for each bush. It is also necessary to take into account that young plants are watered more often than adults.

Cucumbers in the open field are watered along the grooves or by sprinkling. But if, when grown in greenhouses, the leaves of a plant can be safely poured with water at any time of the day, then you need to be careful with watering cucumbers in open beds: if water gets on the leaves in sunny weather, they will get burns.

Loosening and mulching the soil

After each watering and rain, the soil in the aisles is loosened to a depth of 4-8 cm. For this, the lashes are carefully lifted or pushed aside, and after loosening, they are returned to their original place.

Loosening helps to avoid water evaporation and crust formation on the soil surface.

It is also useful to mulch the soil between the rows with straw, manure, peat, sawdust, craft paper or polyethylene.

Mulching with black film lowers the soil temperature by 2-4 ° C, so such cucumbers feel better in the heat.

Top dressing of cucumbers in the open field

Due to a lack of nutrients, cucumbers can get sick, their fruits will become small and tasteless. Therefore, during the season, the plants need to be fed.In total, you need to carry out 3-4 feeding.

The first time fertilizers are applied after germination. In this case, mullein (1 liter of a thick solution per 10 liters of water) or chicken droppings (the same amount of fermented solution) with the addition of ash (2 glasses per 10 liters of water), as well as mineral fertilizers are used: 15 g of urea are diluted in 10 liters of water, 50 g superphosphate and 15 g potassium sulfate. During fruiting, the amount of nitrogen and potash fertilizers is doubled.

In addition, foliar feeding is also useful. For example, every 15-20 days, cucumber leaves are sprayed with 5 g of ammonium nitrate, 10 g of superphosphate and 8 g of potassium sulfate, diluted in 10 liters of water. This solution is enough for 30 square meters of plantings.

Pinching and tying cucumbers

After the formation of 6-7 leaves, the main stem of the plant is pinched over 5-6 leaves. This stimulates the branching of the bushes, the development of lateral stems with female flowers and increases the yield.

So that gray rot does not develop in the thickened borage during prolonged rains, the plants are tied to trellises: strong stakes about 1 m high are driven into the ground, a rope is pulled between them and cucumber lashes are tied.

With such proper care, your cucumbers will give a good harvest. But at the same time, do not forget to regularly (3-4 times a week) harvest the fruits, since untimely harvesting will restrain the growth of new cucumbers.

Cucumber

Is one of the most ancient and popular vegetable crops. This is one of the few vegetables that is eaten unripe - the greener and smaller its fruits, the tastier they are.

The greener and smaller the cucumbers, the tastier they are. People began to actively cultivate cucumbers back in ancient times, about six thousand years ago, as evidenced by the finds near the ruins of the Khazar city of Sarkep, where they found dried cucumber seeds. The Greeks called this vegetable "aguros", which means "unripe and unripe", which is where the name comes from - cucumber. They were brought to Europe from India, where their progenitor grows - a wild cucumber, a tropical vine with long branches-whips, growing in the forests.

Growing cucumbers

You can grow cucumbers in both seedling and non-seedling ways. They are hypersensitive to cold, and good seed germination depends on the temperature of the soil - it should be at least +14 ° C.

You can grow cucumbers both by seedlings and by sowing directly into the ground.
Cucumbers can be successfully grown in a variety of soil types with adequate aeration and drainage, although they grow best on light and humus-rich soil. The experience of many gardeners has shown that they respond well to the introduction of various organic fertilizers that improve the structure of the soil. You should not grow cucumbers in one place more often than once in 5 years, otherwise they will be highly susceptible to disease. Best predecessors: corn, tomatoes, peas and early potatoes. When growing cucumbers, they need to be regularly supplied with various nutrients.

Growing cucumbers in seedlings

The seedling method of growing makes it possible to significantly accelerate fruiting. So, in the open field, the first crop of cucumbers grown by seedlings can be obtained 2 weeks earlier than cucumbers grown in the usual way. During planting, plants should have 3-4 true leaves, that is, be 2-3 weeks old.

Seedling growing method will significantly accelerate fruiting

To grow cucumbers with seedlings, you must:

Take full-weight large seeds that have passed pre-sowing heating (for this you need to hold them for a month near heating devices at a temperature of about +25 ° C). Seeds heated in this way will give maximally friendly shoots, the plants will begin to bear fruit earlier and will produce less barren flowers.
Then the seeds are needed disinfect: for this, you can use an infusion of garlic pulp - for 100 g of water (cold) 30 g of garlic pulp. We keep the seeds in this infusion for an hour.
After that, we put them in cloth bags and soak for 12 hours in a nutrient solution: 1 liter of water + 1 tsp. spoon of sifted wood ash and nitrophosphate.
Then, after rinsing with clean water, we put them on a slightly damp cloth and keep them for about 2 days at a temperature of +20 ° C - until they swell completely. Make sure that the seeds do not germinate, they should only slightly nibble.
The last stage of pre-sowing processing of cucumber seeds is to place them in the refrigerator for a day.

Remember: hybrid seeds do not need pre-sowing treatment.

Cucumber seeds are sown in small containers
Sowing cucumber seedsto get seedlings, throughout April - in small containers with a height of about 10-12 cm.

A nutritious soil mixture should be prepared in advance: 1 part of sawdust (we use small and old ones) + 2 parts of humus and peat each. Add 1.5 tablespoons to 10 liters of this mixture. tablespoons of nitrophoska and 2 tablespoons. spoons of wood ash.
After mixing the soil mixture well, fill the containers with it to the top, sow the germinated seeds (one piece per container) and water them a little. Seedlings will be ready in 27-32 days.
When the seedlings have 2 real leaves, it must be fed with a special solution: mix 3 liters of warm (about + 20 ° C) water + 3 teaspoons. spoons of nitroammophoska or nitrophoska.
Throughout the entire growing period, we water the cucumber seedlings once a week, spilling the container completely.

Sowing and planting seedlings of cucumbers

The best soil will be a mixture: 1 part each of sawdust, humus, peat and sod land (1: 1: 1: 1). But, as we already said, almost any land is suitable for growing cucumbers.

Almost any land is suitable for growing cucumbers.
Having formed the beds, we water them with a solution: 10 liters of hot (+80 ° C ... + 90 ° C) water + 1 tsp. a spoonful of copper sulfate, we spend about 3 liters per 1 m², and leave it for a day. On the day of planting cucumber seedlings or sowing seeds on the ridges, we make holes, the depth of which is about 4 cm, with a distance of about 60 cm from each other. We put the seeds in the holes, sprinkle them with soil on top and water them, and plant the seedlings vertically.

Cucumber care

Cucumber beds should always be weed-free. During the first 3 weeks, while the plants are small, carefully loosen the soil to a depth of 2-4 cm. In the future, loosening should be carried out at least once a week.

During the growth and formation of fruits, cucumbers need plenty of water... For the highest yield, water using warm water: before flowering - every 6-8 days, during fruiting - every 3-4 days.

You can't water cucumbers like that: water should fall on the soil, and not on the plants.
If the water seeps poorly, make punctures between the rows with a pitchfork, this loosening will not disturb the root system of the plants. Do not water the cucumbers with a strong stream from the hose., you only need to water the soil, not the plants themselves.

Feeding cucumbers

If you grow cucumbers in a greenhouse, fertilizing must be carried out 5 times per season - with organic and mineral fertilizers.

Cucumbers need regular feeding

For the first time, we feed the cucumbers at the beginning of their flowering with the following solution: add 1 teaspoon to 10 liters of water. a spoonful of urea, potassium sulfate and superphosphate, mix and add a glass of mushy mullein. Instead of a glass of mullein, you can take 1 table. spoon of sodium humate.

During the fruiting period of cucumbers grown in the open field, they need to be fed about 4 times.The first feeding is done with a solution of 10 liters of water, table. tablespoons of nitrophoska and a glass of mushy chicken droppings. And all the subsequent ones are like this: add 1 teaspoon to 10 liters of water. a spoonful of potassium sulfate and 0.5 liters of mullein, for 1 m² you will need 4-6 liters of solution. If there is no droppings and mullein, it is easy to replace them with the formulations "Nursery", "Fertility", "Ideal" (they all refer to natural humic fertilizers) or simply sodium humate.

The process of feeding cucumbers in the open field is shown in the following video:

Cucumber care is and in tying up shoots plants, which must be carried out regularly - as they grow.

After the formation of 6-7 leaves, the main stem of the cucumber needs pinch, by this you stimulate the branching of the plant and increase the yield.

Do not forget about the regular collection of fruits (2-3 times a week), it will contribute to more abundant fruit formation.

Outdoor cucumber hybrids

There are more and more varieties and hybrids of cucumbers every year. At the same time, their composition is significantly updated annually - preference is given to the earliest, well-fertile, relatively resistant to various diseases.

Outdoor cucumber hybrids
Remember that all F1 hybrids do not retain their unique properties in the second generation, meaning there is no point in harvesting seeds.

'Farmer F1'

A mid-season fruitful bee-pollinated hybrid with a predominantly female type of flowering, relatively cold-resistant, extremely resistant to powdery and downy mildew and olive spot. Cucumbers are grown ‘Farmer F1’ in protected and open ground. The green fruit reaches 12 cm. The peculiarity of this hybrid is the intensive growth of the main lash and the rapid appearance of lateral shoots, it is with the regrowth of which that the peak of mass fruiting occurs.

Cucumber F1 Othello12 rblWATCH
Russian Vegetable Garden

Cucumber Farmer F129 rblWATCH

‘Othello F1’

A uniquely early ripening hybrid: the ripening of small tuberous fruits begins already 45 days after the shoots have appeared.

Cucumbers without bitterness are ideal for fresh consumption
The ‘Othello F1’ crunchy cucumbers have a pleasant taste (even overripe fruits remain sweet) and are genetically devoid of bitterness. Fruits can keep excellent taste and presentation for a long time. Resistant to powdery mildew, cucumber mosaic virus, downy mildew and cladosporiosis. The hybrid is cultivated not only in the open field, but also in greenhouses, as well as using temporary film shelters.

‘Regina F1’

Mid-early hybrid. It is used for growing under temporary film shelters as well as in the open field. The variety is inclined to parthenocarp, quite resistant to viruses of cucumber mosaic, root rot, pathogens of powdery mildew (real) and cladosporium. The graceful fruits are also devoid of bitterness and are distinguished by excellent taste, ripening already 50-55 days after germination.

‘Leandro F1’

A fairly early and high-yielding hybrid, resistant to stressful conditions and various diseases. It is distinguished by the female type of flowering, due to which it bears fruit well. Cucumbers with large pimples are great for pickling.

‘Evita F1’

An early ripe hybrid. Due to the predominantly female type of flowering, it has high yields. Equally super-resistant to stressful conditions and disease. Recommended for cultivation in tunnels and open field. Fruits - dense pimpled cucumbers are characterized by high pickling qualities: they are devoid of bitterness, with small seed chambers. Many growers consider it to be the best hybrid for canning.

Dense pimpled cucumbers are good for pickles
In addition to the above, such varieties of cucumbers as are good for growing in the open field:

‘Parisian gherkin’;
‘Crane’;
‘Desdemona’;
‘Moscow gherkin’.

Protected ground cucumber hybrids

To make it easier to choose hybrids by quality, we divided them into two groups.

Protected ground cucumber hybrids
In the first, bee-pollinated were placed: to obtain fruits, pollination by insects is required.

‘Octopus F1’

Harvest early ripening hybrid of gherkin type. Cylindrical fruits are dark green, thorny, absolutely devoid of bitterness, reaching 5-10 cm in length.

Bee-pollinated hybrids need pollinating insects
‘Octopus F1’ is resistant to bacteriosis, cladosporiosis and relatively resistant to root rot and downy mildew.

'Spring F1'

Mid-season hybrid. The length of the main lash is about 3 m, with medium branching. Fruits are cylindrical, with a smooth base, slightly tuberous, without bitterness. In one bunch, 3-4 fruits are simultaneously formed, the mass of zelents reaches 100 g.

‘Zozulya F1’

An early ripening hybrid, partially parthenocarpic. Fruiting occurs already 45-50 days after the shoots have appeared. Fruits are cylindrical, rarely lumpy, without bitterness, 13-25 cm long. Up to 25 kg of cucumbers are removed from 1 m².

Cucumber F1 Prestige33 rblWATCH
Russian Vegetable Garden

Cucumber F1 Spring13 rblWATCH
Russian Vegetable Garden

Cucumber "Zozulya F1" (Aelita), 10 pcs.16 rblWATCH
The Gardener's Empire

Cucumber Patti F136 rblWATCH
Sedek

The second section includes parthenocarpic hybrids that set fruits without insect pollination.

‘Kinglet F1’

Early: fruiting occurs as early as 43-55 days after mass germination. Zelentsy are large-lumpy, cylindrical, 20-22 cm long, weighing 150-190 g. Excellent taste (no bitterness), suitable both for fresh consumption and for canning. It is characterized by complex resistance to ascochitosis, powdery mildew, brown spot and peronosporosis.

‘Prestige F1’

Self-pollinating early maturing over-yielding hybrid. Provided the correct agrotechnology from 1 m², you can get over 25 kg of gherkins of excellent quality: the fruits are not bitter, they are stored for a long time.

Parthenocarpic hybrids do not need insect pollination. It has a long fruiting period, in addition, it is resistant to diseases, and also tolerates stressful conditions quite easily. The most stable yields are under the film. It can grow well not only in open ground, but also on a balcony or windowsill.

‘Patty F1’

A newly bred early self-pollinating hybrid. It differs mainly in the female type of flowering, that is, it gives a lot of cucumbers: the fruits are small-bumpy, with elastic flesh. Resistant to 'Patti F1' and to various diseases.

You will find more interesting and useful information about growing, processing and storing cucumbers in the articles:

11 secrets of a good harvest of cucumbers
What is the secret of cucumber productivity
Choosing varieties of cucumbers
How to choose varieties of cucumbers for greenhouses
Choosing the right cucumber seeds - and everything will be a bunch
Choosing hybrids of cucumbers with a super-bundle type of ovaries
Most-very: the best hybrids of cucumbers from the agricultural firm "Gavrish"
The Japanese way of germinating cucumber seeds: advice from Julia Minyaeva
How to achieve fruiting cucumbers until frost

Cucumbers are high in useful microelements and have excellent taste... Only the laziest, having a vegetable garden near the house, do not grow this vegetable.

Caring for them is simple, but nevertheless, certain conditions must be observed: there must be timely watering, top dressing and loosening of the soil, and it is also important to carry out preventive measures to combat pests and pathogenic microbes.

Outdoor Growing Tips

Which varieties are better to choose? This issue is resolved depending on the conditions in which the cucumbers will grow.

Cucumber is a heat-loving vegetable, therefore, when growing cucumbers in the open field, the beds should be located on the southern side of the site.

The plant does not like windy weather, so when planting, you need to protect the cucumbers from it as much as possible.

Moisture is very important. With a lack of it, vegetables will stop growing or taste bitter. The soil must be fertilized before planting. As fertilizer, you can use humus, old grass, leaves, and plant stems.

> It is very important to respect the planting dates and conditions for the care of these vegetables in the open field. The quality of the crop also depends on the planting method. When spreading on the ground, the amount of fruit will be less. When installing trellises, the yield increases significantly.

Alternating the landing site with other crops

You cannot plant cucumbers after pumpkins and other cucumbers. With this alternation, all diseases of the previous vegetable will have the current pets. You can plant dill to repel pests. Seeds for open ground need to be purchased from cold-resistant and zoned varieties. Before planting cucumbers, the earth must be treated with copper sulfate. Be sure to pour humus into the holes. The ground should be moist and loose, so it is advisable to dig up the beds more than on the bayonet of a shovel.

The best predecessors for cucumbers are:

cabbage;
roots;
legumes;
onion;
tomatoes;
pepper.

The cucumber itself is a favorable predecessor for most other crops.

> Do not plant cucumbers close to each other: the distance between the holes must be at least thirty to forty centimeters.

When the lashes reach a length of ten centimeters, you need to pinch. At the same time, the yield increases.

Watering rules

Do not water the plants with a hose: the dense jet can wash out the roots.

During active growth and during the period of fruit formation, and this is practically the whole summer, cucumbers need to be watered regularly. This is due to the structural features of the root system.

Lack of moisture greatly impairs the quality of the fruit: the taste will be bitter... In this case, the leaves darken and become brittle. Such stress on the plant should not be tolerated.

The first watering of the seedlings must be done when the soil is partially drying up in order to form a strong stem and a powerful root system in the future. Amount of liquid: for young plants, a bucket of water for one square meter is enough, adults need a whole bucket of water for each bush, while it is not desirable for the liquid to wash out the roots.

> Watering is carried out in the evening or in the morning, in the absence of active sunlight. The water temperature should be more than twelve degrees, cold water negatively affects growth, and gray rot appears on the bushes. Water for irrigation is desirable defend in advance.

The regularity of watering does not depend on the variety; this action must be performed at least once every five days before flowering and every three days during fruiting. In hot weather, you need to water cucumbers almost every day. The dry ground serves as a signal.

How to care for cucumbers outdoors

Sometimes gardeners use grass or rotted hay to mulch. This will protect the soil from drying out and prevent weed growth. If a crust forms in the soil with abundant watering, it is necessary to make punctures about 15 cm deep. An important procedure is the formation of a bush, it consists in pinching and tying up.

In this case, lateral shoots with female flowers develop. The pinching is done taking into account the variety of cucumber; for hybrids and pollinated species, there are differences in care.

Method of forming a bush has several stages:

a couple of weeks after planting, the plants are tied with twine to the trellis, the loop should be free and clasp the stem;
form the main stem, while maintaining lateral branches, pluck flowers and shoots in the axils;
five or six shoots are left, but the tip is pinched off, leaving a length of about twenty centimeters;
on shoots 30 cm, pinch the tops;
the upper side shoots leave no more than 50 cm, tie them on a support;
the main shoot 70 cm long, put over the trellis and pinch.

For early varieties, this is not necessary, but mid-season and late varieties require such events.

With a lack of nutrients, the leaves turn yellow and the fruits are deformed.

> A close examination of the harvested cucumbers in shape can determine what are the disadvantages of growing the plant and what needs to be added from the nutrients. With a lack of potassium in the soil, the fruits become pear-like, and with a small amount of nitrogen, the tips brighten and bend. When watering with cold water and a temperature drop, a waist appears in cucumbers, irregular watering leads to the formation of arched vegetables.

FEEDING OF CUCUMBERS

With the growth of shoots, they are fed with urea (1 tablespoon per ten liters of water).

In dry cold weather, it is useful to sprinkle plantings with potassium humate, in case of rains - sodium humate.

If the fruits have acquired an irregular shape, and a yellow border has appeared on the leaves, additional feeding with ash is needed (1 handful per bucket of water). If you overdo it, the earth will become dense and tough.

So that the cucumbers do not give bitterness, you can feed them with the following solution: soak two kilograms of nettle leaves in ten liters of water and leave for three days, after fermentation, dilute one liter of infusion with ten liters of water. Can be watered once a week.

> Top dressing is an important part of grooming. Fertilizers:

Organic (manure, compost). If there are few of them, then it is enough to lay them in rows or holes when sowing. Feeding with organic infusion is allowed during the growing season.
Mineral phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used in autumn together with organic fertilizers, and nitrogen fertilizers - in spring. The rate depends on how fertile the soil is. On average, up to forty grams of superphosphate and twenty grams of ammonium nitrate are introduced per square meter. The maximum effect is obtained by the combined use of organic and mineral fertilizers.

If there is a slow formation of ovaries, you need to make foliar top dressing with urea (0.5 grams per liter of water). It is not advisable to do this in hot weather at high temperatures, since with the rapid evaporation of water, the concentration of fertilizers increases, this will lead to a burn of the plant.

After watering and feeding, the soil must be loosened. You need to do this after the rain. Mulching is also effective. It is forbidden to use black mulching film: due to strong heating, burns will result. Such a covering material can only be used when planting cucumbers, and as it grows, it is removed and left only in the aisles.

> Regular weeding of cucumbers is recommended, as weeds take nutrients from the soil. This can be combined with loosening. When loosening, it is important not to damage the roots of the cucumbers: they are located close to the surface.

Garter cucumber

When planting cucumbers in rows, you can put a peg up to one meter high along the edges and pull twine or wire between them. You can buy ready-made tapestries.

Cucumbers cling well to any obstacles, you only need to help them slightly to prevent thickening.

When tying up, make sure that the cucumbers are protected from the wind and in the sun. Tall plants such as corn can be planted around the perimeter.

Cucumbers grow on trellises without shade, so they ripen quickly. Tied cucumbers are easy to clean, as everything hangs in prominent places.

The video will clearly help to take care of cucumbers in the open field.

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

The main ways of growing cucumbers

People have known about the beneficial properties of cucumbers for a long time. This vegetable improves the functioning of the intestines, having a beneficial effect on digestion, stimulates the activity of the heart and kidneys, and has a beneficial effect on the condition of the teeth and gums.

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

Outdoor cucumbers are grown in two ways:

seedling;
reckless.

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

In the southern regions, where the climate is milder and spring comes earlier, the cultivation of cucumbers in a seedless way is widely practiced. In the northern ones, on the contrary, due to the harsh climate, such cultivation is practically impossible. In most central regions, both methods of growing cucumbers are possible.

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

Seed selection

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

Otherwise, planting cucumber seeds, intended exclusively for cultivation in greenhouses, in open ground, you will not get a good harvest.

The second rule is whether the variety is recommended for growing in your region of residence.

It is always better to use zoned varieties for planting. Although there are two nuances at this point:

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

Also, when choosing, you need to consider whether you are purchasing varietal or hybrid seeds. Hybrids are usually more resistant to disease and yield higher yields, but are completely unsuitable for harvesting seed.

Before purchasing seeds, you need to decide what you need them for more. There are varieties that are more suitable for conservation and processing, and varieties for fresh consumption. There are also universal varieties of cucumbers.

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

The overwhelming majority of zoned varieties and hybrids of cucumbers do not form the ovary themselves; they require insects for pollination. But there are also self-pollinated hybrids, mainly foreign ones, which are distinguished by increased productivity. Although personally, I didn’t delight in the taste of pickled Dutch cucumbers. But, as they say, there is no comrade in taste and color.

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

Preparing seeds for planting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seed planting dates

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

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

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

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

Some gardeners (including me), if the end of April and the beginning of May are warm, take a risk and sow seeds 1-2 weeks earlier, but some "safety measures" need to be taken.

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

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

Site selection and preparation of the garden

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

The best precursors for cucumbers are potatoes, all types of cabbage, onions, beans, tomatoes. You can not plant after zucchini, pumpkin and squash, since these plants belong to the same biological group and are affected by related diseases and pests.

You need to start preparing a garden for cucumbers in the fall. The plot should be plowed or deeply (with a full bayonet of a shovel) dug up, while adding organic fertilizers (manure, humus, compost) at the rate of 6-8 kg for each m² of the plot. It is also recommended to embed a little potassium sulfate (6-7 grams per m²) into the soil when digging, and add superphosphate to it on sandy soils.

It is imperative to control the pH of the soil. For cucumbers, neutral soils are optimal. On acidic soils, in the fall, add slaked lime, dolomite flour or crushed chalk for deoxidation. If the acidity index is low, you can get by with the introduction of wood ash.

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

Seedling technology

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

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

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

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

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

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

Traditional care for cucumber seedlings is reduced to regular watering. Some gardeners also feed her, but I am not a supporter of this - it is very easy not to guess and feed her so that the seedlings will "outgrow" very quickly.

Planting cucumbers in open ground

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

Seedlings are planted in holes. First, the holes are disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, after which the seedlings are placed in them, always together with the soil in which it grew. It is planted in such a way as not to cover the hypocotal knee with earth.

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

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

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

Cucumber garden care

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

For the rest, the care of the cucumber beds is traditional:

timely watering and feeding;
loosening the soil and removing weeds;
timely harvest.

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

Loosening of the soil is carried out after each heavy rain or watering. When growing cucumbers on a trellis, it is carried out regularly, when growing without trellises - in the first 2.5-3 weeks after planting (further spread on the ground, cucumbers will no longer give this opportunity). To loosen the ground, especially near the bushes, you need to be extremely careful not to damage the roots.

Male pollinating flowers in cucumbers are located mainly on the central stem, while female flowers are located on the lateral ones. Therefore, to increase the yield, pinching of the central stem is carried out over 5-7 leaves. Sometimes, in order to achieve better branching, the lateral stems extending from the central one are also pinched.

Cucumbers are one of the most moisture sensitive garden crops. With its lack in the soil, they shed the ovary, and the fruits are bitter, and with an excess, they can be affected by various types of rot. Therefore, on hot days, cucumbers need daily watering.

Water the cucumbers under the root with water heated to 22-25 °, trying not to let it get on the leaves. The amount of water depends on weather conditions and on average is 1.5-2 buckets for each meter of cucumber garden area. But it can be significantly reduced if watering is carried out in the late evening, and in the morning the soil is loosened and mulched.

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

Date of publication:Landing in open ground