How to grow cucumbers outdoors in the south of Russia?

Cucumbers are cultivated in the open field in almost every household plot. After all, such cultivation at low cost and with proper care can not only provide the family with a useful and favorite vegetable, but also serve as an additional income. How to grow cucumbers and how to achieve high plant productivity, what points in their cultivation should you pay special attention to?

The specifics of growing vegetables outdoors: pros and cons

When growing cucumbers in the open field, you need to know that this pumpkin crop is very demanding on moisture, light and heat. She needs protection from winds, shelter from unexpected frosts, regular watering. It is not always possible to grow an excellent harvest, since it often depends on weather conditions. The process from seed to fruit is very time consuming. In addition, he requires the necessary knowledge of some features and secrets of growing whimsical plants.

Benefits of growing cucumbers outdoors:

• small costs;
• the ability to clear the field of weeds before sowing (since late sowing is carried out);
• huge sales market;

Flaws:

• demanding heat;
• the need for regular watering;
• dependence on weather conditions;
• manual collection

How to grow cucumbers outdoors: popular ways

Growing up in a roost

With this method, cucumbers are grown in ridges. The lashes of the cucumbers are evenly distributed over them and receive enough sunlight for the whole plant to grow. But the disadvantage is that a change in the position of the lashes, which cannot be dispensed with when caring for them, leads to oppression of the leaves and delays the ripening of fruits in the future.

Tapestry method

This is a two-line method for planting cucumbers on a support. It is more time consuming, but it has many advantages: it saves space, free air access, good lighting and convenient plant care, long-term fruiting and better fruit quality, and is less susceptible to disease.

With this method, tapes or slats are installed on metal supports, which are driven into the ground to a depth of 30–40 cm. Bushes are formed and a garter is made at a trellis height of 1 m. If the trellises are low, the cucumber stalks are thrown to the other side without forming and not tied. The trellis method is rightfully considered more productive than growing with sprouts.

Growing in barrels

Metal barrels are filled with rotted plant residues, compost, the last layer is a regular nutrient soil. The substrate is well spilled with water and covered with plastic wrap for a week to warm it up. 5 seeds are sown in a container or ready-made seedlings are planted, covering with a film. After the plants have started to grow, supports in the form of arcs are installed around the barrel.Plants are regularly watered as the soil dries up. This original method allows you to get an earlier harvest, saves space and time to care for the plant, the fruits are always clean, and the structure itself with curly cucumber lashes has a beautiful aesthetic appearance.

A barrel with a cucumber roof is an incredible sight!

Soil and bed preparation

Selecting a site for sowing seeds

You need to choose a site for planting cucumbers carefully, taking into account all their whims. First of all, they select a well-lit place, protected from cold winds. If there is no such place, it is created artificially, planting tall plants in cucumber aisles. Usually corn and sunflower are used as protective barriers.

Correct crop rotation plays a major role in the preparation of future cucumber beds. In no case should you plant cucumbers, where beets and pumpkin crops were previously grown. Legumes (with the exception of beans), nightshade crops, and cabbage are good predecessors.

Soil preparation

Fertile soil must be taken care of in the fall. Cucumber responds well to organics. Therefore, when digging or plowing for the winter, compost is added to future ridges, with rotted manure 5–8 kg / m2. If there is no manure, mineral fertilizers are used (potash salt - 200 g / m2, superphosphate - 300 g / m2). Plants do not like acidic and heavy clay soil. If there is no choice, it is diluted with limestone sand 10 kg / m2. Conversely, the sandy soil is diluted with the same amount of clay.

10 days before sowing, experienced gardeners recommend adding ammonium nitrate 100 g / m2, and adding mullein (1:10) or chicken droppings (1:20) diluted in water to the planting holes.

Cucumber beds

How to choose the right type of future garden? It all depends on several factors: the depth of the underlying groundwater, the content of the soil, the willingness to perform labor-intensive work.

Ordinary beds

In areas with prepared soil, ridges are formed with a width of 1 m or 0.5 m and the same passages between the rows. For the strong

- on beds without insulation, we form them 90 - 100 cm wide, 20 - 25 cm high, leaving a path of 30 - 40 cm between them.However, narrow beds (45 cm each) with wide aisles (70 - 90 cm) are more suitable for vigorous plants ). Then the cucumber lashes will not intertwine, which means they will not be damaged. If the cucumbers are planned to be grown in a virgin place, it is better to form the beds in the fall, especially if the site is located in a damp lowland, or the soil in the garden is heavy clay, or the fertile layer is small.

Bed-ridges

Bed-ridges (width 0.4–0.5 m, height - 0.3 m) will be appropriate on clay soils and areas with surface groundwater. This contributes to the fact that the root system of the cucumbers does not dry out. Indeed, in such a bed, water flows from the ridges during irrigation and rains. The beds are convenient for maintenance: soil treatment, fertilization. Minus: in rainy weather, after the leaves are contaminated, the development of cucumber diseases is possible.

Warm beds

Creating warm beds is ideal for cucumbers. There are two types of such ridges:

1. They dig a trench (at least 1m), fill it with organic matter (use rotted and unmatched plant residues, manure) to the level of the track. In the future, the contents of the trench will not only feed the plants, but also provide them with heat, saturate the root system with carbon dioxide.
2. Everything is done in the same way as in the previous version. Around the trench, a side is made from wooden boards or flat slate above the ground level by 20-30 cm. High beds protect from the cold, retain moisture well.

Warm beds allow you to make a film cover, reduce the number of soil treatments, watering cucumbers is easy and simple. The large amount of work on the preparation of the garden is frightening.

Note: an area with heavy clay soil and shallow groundwater will trap moisture in the trench, which can lead to plant decay.

Photo gallery: arrangement of beds of different types

How to properly plant cucumbers in open ground with seeds

Seed preparation for sowing

Seeds of cucumbers, which are 2-3 years old, are considered productive, although they can remain viable for up to 8 years. When buying seeds, you should give preference to pelleted seeds, which do not need preparation for sowing. Other seeds are prepared for sowing in advance:

note: early sowing is done with dry seeds to avoid frost damage. In later lines, with a steady heat, germinated seeds are sown into moist soil.

This is how correctly germinated seeds look.

Timing of landing in the ground

The timing of sowing cucumber seeds in open ground has long been associated with church holidays and folk signs. These days almost always coincide with auspicious days for sowing this culture in the lunar calendar. You will never go wrong if you stick to these traditions. And using all the recommended dates and doing the seeding in stages, you will enjoy cucumbers until the first frost. Of course, the exception will be situations when the soil did not have time to warm up to 18 ° C, and the night temperature is below 12 ° C.

• The first sowing falls on May 19 and is dedicated to the memory of Job the Long-suffering;
• Day Falalei-Borage, Gardener, Teplovei (June 2) will be suitable for the second stage of sowing;
• The last stage is mid-June. At this time, the poplar is blooming (folk sign). It is necessary to choose an auspicious day according to the lunar calendar.

Sowing seeds in open ground

For sowing cucumbers, a furrow is made with a hoe or manually, 3-4 cm deep. If possible, water it, spread the seeds at a distance of 15 cm from each other. First, they are covered with moist soil by 1.5, and then always dry, in order to avoid the appearance of a dry earthen crust, which holds the growth of seedlings and air access. The soil is well compacted.

How and what to cover

Table: covering materials for cucumbers - advantages and disadvantages

How and when to cover

After sowing, the soil is sprinkled 3-4 cm with peat, rotted manure, sawdust, straw, that is, mulched. Mulching not only helps to retain moisture, protects against diseases and weeds, but is also the first shelter of crops from the cold (the soil temperature during mulching rises by several degrees). In order to preserve moisture and shelter from recurrent frosts and cold weather, crops are covered with plastic wrap or other covering material even before germination. The film is removed 2 times a week to air the beds. If the cover is made of non-woven fabrics, you do not need to remove it. After the emergence of young shoots, the shelter is removed. In early June, there are unexpected night frosts. Therefore, it is necessary to follow the weather forecast and make a shelter in time. You can regularly cover the cucumber beds at night until mid-June.

Good protection for seedlings - covering the garden bed after sowing with spunbond

Some gardeners use covering materials until the end of fruiting in order to create additional warmth, protection from rain and wind.

Care

After the cucumbers have 2 true leaves, the seedlings are thinned out. This is done carefully, manually pinching the sprout at the base so as not to damage the roots of neighboring plants. You can leave two plants in the nest. The number of plants per running meter depends on the variety of cucumbers. Strong-growing cucumbers (Buyan, Farmer, Boy - sleeping bag, etc.) require more area for the stems. Therefore, for 1 running meter, you can leave 2 plants with a distance of 0.5 m between them. For varieties with small lashes (Parker, Gherkin, etc.), a distance of 30 cm between plants is sufficient. After thinning, the soil in the beds is loosened to a depth of 10 cm.When 5–6 true leaves appear, the plants spud, pouring moist soil to the base. Thanks to this operation, new roots are formed and the cucumbers receive additional nutrition.

Video: tips for caring for cucumbers

How to form a bush

Formation of a cucumber bush

On the beds where bee-pollinated varieties of cucumbers with a large number of fruitful shoots are grown, it is necessary to pinch. Usually it is done after 4 sheets. Without this procedure, the development of many shoots with unlimited growth will lead to depletion of the plant and a decrease in yield. Hybrids do not need to be pinched.

How to form plants growing on a trellis?

It is much more difficult to form plants grown on a trellis. Strong-growing varietal cucumbers and hybrids are subject to formation. First of all, the lower leaves of up to 5 leaves are removed on the stem, which facilitates free access of air to the entire plant. In the process of growth, lateral shoots are alternately pinched, starting from the bottom. First, shoots are pinched after 2 leaves, then several shoots - after 3 leaves. And the last row of shoots - after 4 leaves. The upper lash of the central stem is lowered down, leaving 1 leaf on it and pinching it at a height of 1 m to the level of the soil. The result is a bush in the form of a reverse pyramid. This is a professional and time consuming plant shaping scheme.

Cucumber bush after back-pyramidal formation looks compact and aesthetically pleasing

If you are not ready to do the formation according to professional schemes, just pinch the plant after 6 leaves and tie the side shoots to the trellis. In this case, the lower 3 leaves are removed, and later additional shoots are cut out, appearing from the axils of the shoots. After removing leaves and shoots, stumps must not be left!

Note: Not all varieties require shaping and are not pinched.

How to tie

Nature has endowed this vegetable with tenacious tendrils that silently ask for support. This fact confirms the idea of ​​the need to tie the plant. A tied plant saves a lot of space, gives more shoots, is less susceptible to diseases, as a result of which the yield increases.

They begin to tie up the plant when it reaches a height of 30 cm and at least 4 true leaves appear. An older plant breaks down with a garter. Gently tie the stem under the first leaf, pull the rope loosely and tie a knot so that the young plant does not break out by the root. The best material for a garter is a tape, durable, soft fabric 2–3 cm wide.

The simplest to perform is a horizontal garter. Between the supports driven into the ground, a rope is pulled in three rows. Young shoots are directed around the bottom row of the stretched rope.

With a vertical garter, a rope or wire is attached to the supports from above. Along the entire length of the wire, ropes are tied over each plant, the lower end of which is tied at the base of the stem.

The plant feels comfortable on a trellis-mesh, which is attached to the supports. Cucumbers on a high trellis (from 1 m) need a garter.

Recently, triangular and spherical supports have been made, which have a decorative appearance. The choice depends on your capabilities and imagination.

Cucumbers tied on a triangular support look original

How to water and feed

Watering

Water the cucumbers with settled, warm water (not lower than 22 C). In summer, water can be heated in the sun in any container. The best time to water is evening. But if the night temperature is too low, watering is done in the morning. Before flowering, plants that are grown in areas with light soil, it is enough to water 2 times a week, on clay - 1 time. But with the onset of flowering and fruiting, they require daily watering. In this case, the soil must be constantly moist to a depth of at least 10 cm. Of course, this takes into account the weather conditions.

Young plants can be watered with a watering can and a spray hose. Adults from such sprinkling can be exposed to fungal diseases. As a result of watering at the root, the root system becomes bare and gradually dies off, the yield of the vegetable decreases. Therefore, it is better to water them along the furrows, mulching the soil after watering.

Top dressing

For the first time, the plants are fed after the first loosening. It is better to feed with a solution of mullein (1:10) or chicken manure (1:20). If there is no organic fertilizers, complex mineral fertilizers (50 g / 10 l) are suitable. The solution is evenly distributed along the grooves around the roots at a distance of 10 cm from the plant. The second feeding is done during mass flowering. Both organic and mineral fertilizers are used. It is advisable to add 0.5 g of boric acid, 0.3 g of potassium permanganate, 30–40 g of potassium sulfate to the bucket. The third feeding is done during fruiting. Together with organic matter, add 1 teaspoon of urea and potassium sulfate to the bucket. If necessary, after two weeks, the plants are fed for the fourth time in the same way as for the third feeding.

Whether cucumbers need feeding or not can be seen by their condition. Ugly fruits indicate a deficiency in potassium and nitrogen. The lack of phosphorus is indicated by the predominance of male ovaries on the lashes. In this case, it is useful to make foliar feeding of cucumbers.

Features for the regions, including the Moscow region

If in the south and in the central zone of Russia (including the Moscow region) it is quite possible to grow cucumbers in the open field in a seedless way, then in Siberia it is better to prepare seedlings. The short summer and the harsh climatic conditions of this region make it difficult to grow crops.

In the Moscow region, the soil warms up to 12 ° C, usually in the last days of May. Therefore, cucumbers are sown in this zone, starting from the end of May and ending with the second decade of June. In the south, sowing in open ground can be done already in the third decade of April, ending in the second decade of July. Warm, stable weather in the southern regions allows for several harvests of cucumber.

For the south, it is appropriate to take varieties from ultra-early to late, in other regions, late varieties on ordinary beds in the open field simply will not have time to bear fruit. Therefore, the inhabitants of the central zone of Russia and Siberia are trying to grow plants mainly in warm ridges in order to get a harvest as early as possible. At the same time, preference is given to early and mid-season varieties, the ripening period for which does not exceed 50 days (for the central regions) and 40 days (for Siberia).

In order not to be left without a crop, it is necessary to select zoned hybrids and varieties that have been tested in the climatic conditions of the region. Usually 5-7 varieties are sown, among which there are bee-pollinated and parthenocarpic ones. For Siberia, the bee-pollinated varieties Altai, Brigantina, Far Eastern, Miranda, Chinese, Crocodile Gena hybrids, etc. are well recommended. For the climatic conditions of the Moscow region, Magnificent, Nezhinsky, Competitor, VIR 505, etc., universal hybrids Annushka, Aist, Masha, Metelitsa are suitable. Rodnichok, etc. Zoned varieties for the south - Success, Signal, Jubilee, Donskoy, Winner, etc.

Every year, new zoned cucumber hybrids are bred, surprising with their yield, disease resistance and unfavorable weather conditions. But we should not forget that in order to obtain excellent yields in any region, it is important not only to choose a zoned variety, but also to follow simple rules, from seed preparation to harvesting.

Growing cucumbers outdoors is challenging, but enjoyable. By investing your soul, energy and time into it, you can please yourself and your loved ones with the real homemade taste of fresh vegetables.