How to grow cucumbers vertically in the open field?

If there is a vegetable garden next to the house, then cucumbers will certainly grow there. This vegetable is so good both fresh and in pickles and canned that the summer season is simply unthinkable without it. Therefore, experienced gardeners will always allocate not only the best place for a cucumber, but also additional time for leaving. Knowing the peculiarities of the culture, you can harvest good crops even from a very small area. We will reveal all the secrets of growing cucumbers in the open field in this article.

Content:

• What do cucumbers like?
• Features of growing cucumbers
• Techniques for increasing the yield of cucumbers
• Caring for cucumbers during fruiting
• Reproduction of the varieties you like

What do cucumbers like?

When planning to grow this crop, you need to take care of a number of points that will lead to success. Each of them is based on the characteristics of the plant and is quite important. Therefore, you cannot miss something, but you need to approach the cultivation of cucumbers in an integrated manner.

1. Cucumber is a thermophilic culture

It is necessary to sow cucumbers on a bed warmed by the sun, after the threat of return frosts has passed, and the topsoil warms up to + 13-15 ° С. If you sow seeds in cold ground, they simply will not sprout. However, this vegetable does not like high temperatures either - no matter how much the cucumber likes warmth, its best growth is observed at rates from +24 to + 28 ° С. If the thermometer rises higher, there is a stop in development. Therefore, it is advisable to sow crops on open beds from mid-late May (depending on the climatic zone) to the middle of the first decade of June.

It is necessary to close up cucumber seeds to a depth of about 2 cm, taking into account the planting density - 5-7 bushes per square meter. It is not worth thickening this culture, since it should receive enough light and be well ventilated.

2. Cucumber loves to eat well

The place for growing cucumbers must be prepared in advance by fertilizing the soil with rotted manure (under the predecessor), mullein or chicken droppings (directly under the crop). Thus, the garden bed will receive a sufficient charge of nutrients, it will be disinfected from a number of pathogens and enriched with carbon dioxide, and the cucumbers will be provided with adequate nutrition.

3. Cucumber - a culture with a superficial root system

Like any vegetable crop with a shallow root system, the cucumber loves structured soil, good oxygen access to the roots, and adequate moisture. But, it is this particular feature of the structure of its underground part that brings the greatest damage to the plant with illiterate human intervention.

The root system of the cucumber represents 1.5% of the total mass of the plant and extends in depth (mostly) up to 40 cm.The largest part of it lies only 5 cm from the soil surface and barely reaches 25 cm, so it is impossible to loosen the garden bed around the plant. Each time the top layer of the earth next to the cucumber stem is processed, its roots are injured and the plant needs more than a week to recover and recover. Based on this, the air permeability of the bed should not be ensured by constant weeding and loosening, but by a good predecessor, early introduction of organic matter and mulching.

The best precursors for cucumbers are lettuce, early cabbage, cauliflower, peas, and green manure. Acceptable: potatoes and tomatoes. Beans, carrots, squash and other melons are not suitable as precursors for cucumber, since they have diseases in common with the culture.

4. Cucumber - moisture-loving culture

Based on the structural features of the root system, a cucumber needs a constant moisture regime for normal growth and development. Lack of moisture causes darkening and fragility of plant foliage, introduces it into a state of stress. Excessive moisture - reduces the amount of oxygen in the soil, makes the leaves of cucumbers pale green, inhibits the growth of lashes and the formation of greens. Constant jumps in moisture, combined with jumps in temperature, provoke the formation of bitterness in the fruit.

Not useful for this culture and watering with cold water. This is due to the fact that the cooled soil impairs the absorption capacity of the root system. Therefore, the temperature of the irrigation water must not be lower than + 18 ° C.

The optimal indicator of soil moisture for cucumber is 80%, the threshold of wilting is 30%.

5. Cucumber - short day culture

Based on the fact that the cucumber is a short-day plant, the best time to grow it is the beginning and end of summer. This fact, with a competent approach, allows not only to get high crop yields, but to use the useful area of ​​the garden with maximum benefit, filling the beds that were empty after early vegetables with summer (June) crops of cucumber.

It is also worth knowing that this plant, despite the love for the sun and warmth, needs only 10-12 hours of the photoperiod and works well not only in open areas, but also in light shade.

Fruit ovary on a cucumber

So, based on the characteristics of this culture, aiming to grow a good harvest of cucumbers, it is necessary to tune in not only to regular watering, but also to regular feeding, regular mulching, regular collection of fruits, since it is the consistency in caring for this vegetable that plays a key role in success.

Preparing the soil for planting cucumbers

Planting a cucumber begins with site selection and soil preparation. This is important because this culture loves light and responds well to fertility. Therefore, if possible, then the beds must be organized from north to south, under the predecessor, apply organic matter or fill the soil with fertilizers just before planting the vegetable.

The best fertilizer for cucumber is cow dung. Under the predecessor, it should be applied in a rotted form, at the rate of 4-6 kg per square meter, and immediately before sowing - as a tincture of mullein (1 part of fresh manure to 5 parts of water). If there is no manure, it can be replaced with chicken manure (diluted with water 1x20) or any available complex mineral fertilizer.

The most successful option for growing cucumbers is warm beds with a height of at least 25 cm. Having an organic pillow inside, they not only provide the plants with the necessary nutrients, but also saturate the roots with carbon dioxide, produce a warming effect.

Planting cucumbers in open ground

Many believe that in order for a cucumber to give a high yield, it must be planted exclusively in seedlings. However, if the conditions of the climatic zone in which you are gardening are quite mild, it is good to sow a cucumber directly on the beds.

It is better to do this in several stages, and in order not to miscalculate with the timing of crops (suddenly the cold will return unexpectedly) and in order to prolong fruiting. You can start sowing from mid-May (in the south) and continue until mid-June. There is no point in planting cucumbers later, since long daylight hours and high summer temperatures do not favor its normal development.

Due to the fact that modern breeding has taken care to bring out not only zoned varieties for each separate climatic zone, but also disease-resistant hybrids, it is worth choosing them. This will protect you from unnecessary hassle and will allow you to get a really high-quality rich harvest.

In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the ripening time of the selected variety, and to its purpose, since it can be early ripening, mid-ripening or late cucumbers, as well as universal, pickled or salad cucumbers.

If the last fact is not indicated on the seed label - look at the picture: cucumbers intended for conservation have black pimples, those that are good only fresh are white.

For sowing, it is better to choose seed at least two years ago. This is due to the peculiarity of melon seeds to increase germination with each additional year of storage (from 2 to 6 years, then germination drops and by 9 years the seeds become unsuitable for sowing), and to form a larger number of female flowers on the plants obtained from such sowing material, from which the fruits are formed.

Watering cucumbers

Regular high-quality watering is a fundamental factor in growing a decent harvest of cucumbers. It should be carried out in the holes between the rows and often enough to keep the soil in a constantly moist state. It is better to water the cucumbers in the evening, or at the same time in the morning, preferably before the start of the heat, with warm water (from +18 to + 25 ° C), without moisture getting on the leaves. Watering should be moderate before flowering, and abundant during fruiting.

Top dressing for cucumbers

If the soil is not filled with a sufficient amount of organic matter for the predecessor or in the pre-sowing preparation of the beds, the cucumbers must be fed regularly. Feeding begins after the formation of 2-3 true leaves and continues throughout the entire fruiting period.

Cucumbers are most responsive to nitrogen, however, for their full development, they need both phosphorus and potassium. Therefore, most often experienced gardeners alternate the application of mineral fertilizers with organic matter. The best choice in this matter would be ammofoska (10-15 g per 1 sq. M) and mullein solution, or chicken droppings. But if the weather is cold outside, feeding is useless.

Hilling cucumbers

It is good to spud the bare roots of cucumbers several times a season. This will allow the plants to grow additional roots and protect the stem from fungal diseases.

Shaping, or pinching

A separate component of cucumber care is the formation of plants. It is necessary in order to provoke the development of lateral shoots, on which more female flowers are formed. Formation is made by pinching the central stem of the cucumber over 5-6 leaves. In this case, early ripening varieties can not be formed, but the development of late and mid-ripening varieties can be adjusted.

Techniques for increasing the yield of cucumbers

Based on the peculiarities of the culture, experienced vegetable growers have long found out that high-quality care and pinching of lashes are far from all the tricks in terms of increasing the yield of cucumbers. There are other ways to enhance the formation of female flowers. One of them is to temporarily stop watering just before the beginning of flowering of the crop. This technique makes the plants “think” that they may soon die and provokes intense fruit formation.

Another option for increasing yields is mixing different varieties and hybrids of crops in plantings - this enhances the cross-pollination of cucumbers.

You can also make ringing of the stems - make a shallow circular incision under the first pair of leaves of the plant (the procedure is performed only in dry weather), which will complicate the outflow of nutrients to the roots and contribute to the formation of more ovaries.

At the time of the decline in the formation of zelents, you can make foliar feeding of cucumbers with urea (at the rate of 20 g per 10 liters of water), but only either on a wet evening or in cloudy weather.

Increases productivity and removal of the first ovary. This technique allows the plant to strengthen the root system and gain strength for the formation of a large number of fruits. You can also try attracting bees to your area - either by planting melliferous plants, or by arranging drinking bowls with aromatic syrup.

A separate word must be said about supports. Since the cucumber is a climbing plant, the best option for growing it is vertical. Supports can be of different options: inclined, vertical, arranged along the garden bed or round - here as it is convenient for anyone. The main thing is that the plants on them will not touch the ground, they will be better ventilated, it will be easier to harvest from them, which means they will hurt less and bear fruit more abundantly.

The peak of fruiting in cucumbers begins in July. It is important to continue watering and harvest on time. It is better to collect the collection every other day, a maximum of two, in the early morning hours, since the cucumbers harvested in the evening wither faster and are stored worse. It is necessary to remove everything, including twisted and ugly fruits, since each cucumber left on the plant delays the laying of new ovaries. At the same time, the cucumbers should not be tugged or twisted, but carefully trimmed with garden shears, or pinched with nails, since the injured lashes get sick and form the harvest worse.

Along with the greens, at each inspection of the garden, it is good to remove the yellowed and diseased leaves - this will keep the plants strong and healthy, and prolong their fruiting.

Reproduction of the varieties you like

If the variety of cucumbers purchased this year actually made you happy with the harvest, then it is advisable to collect seeds from it. To do this, on several plants, it is necessary to leave a certain amount of large healthy fruits (no more than three per bush) and let them ripen. However, it makes sense to do this if it really is a variety, since the hybrid does not repeat the mother plant from the seeds, so it is useless to leave it for propagation.

All gardeners try to use the weave allotted to them as economically as possible - there are usually few gardeners for planting, but they want to plant a variety of crops, so much so that the harvest is larger and more rich. And in this, cucumber lovers will be greatly helped by the previously little-known method of growing them on a trellis.

What it is

In principle, some summer residents think of such an improvement themselves. It is clear that plants creeping along the ground take up a lot of precious space. And since the fruits of a cucumber are not particularly heavy (unlike the same melons and gourds), you can direct the growth not horizontally, but vertically. This is precisely the way to grow cucumbers on trellises. They are a specially assembled support, clinging to which the plants will rise above the ground.

The better this method

In addition to the obvious saving of space, cucumbers on trellises provide several more "benefits" to the owner of the site. First of all, it is the ability to equip the system for drip irrigation. This method of irrigation is the dream of any gardener: water is significantly saved and delivered immediately to its destination, as a result of which the cucumbers are obtained, as they say, "one to one", not deformed, not bitter and in much larger quantities.

The second plus is ease of maintenance.Cucumbers on trellises are easier and artificially pollinated, and processed from pests and diseases, and harvested when the harvest is ripe.

And the third benefit is ease of weed control. Picking up weeds between cucumber stands is much easier than picking them out between lashes of useful plants lying on the ground.

What needs to be considered

Like any business, growing cucumbers on a trellis has its own characteristics that must be taken into account in order to get the intended result. The rules of the predecessors remain in force, which will not harm your plantings: cucumbers "inherit" the soil after tomatoes, potatoes or cabbage. In the fall, on the eve of the year in which the planting of cucumbers on trellises is planned, the earth should be fertilized with humus. It is dug up with soil at the rate of 10 kilograms per hundred square meters. For the convenience of subsequent care, it is better to plant plants in the beds. They also warm up well, so even a slight drop in temperature at night will not harm your plantings.

The most optimal design

When we grow cucumbers on a trellis, we want to choose the best equipment option. They will be removable, because after some time the plants will have to be "relocated" to new soils not depleted by them. The tapestries are located 5 meters apart and consist of vertical bases with a wire stretched between them - above, in the middle and below. Some gardeners recommend making the bases double, with a distance between the racks of half a meter. The racks are placed half a meter from each other, at a slight slope, abutting one against the other with their upper edges. So it will turn out to place cucumbers on the trellises in much larger quantities in the same space. A mesh with cells of 15x18 cm is attached to the wire, the height of the entire structure should be 180 centimeters: less is unprofitable, more it will be difficult to care for the plants. The land under the plantings is usually covered with polyethylene - it will act as mulch, protecting the soil from weeds and unplanned evaporation of moisture. The film is stretched along the entire bed, and the edges are fixed with small stones or just earth.

Features of planting and the first days of life

The timing in which you will transfer your cucumbers into the ground (including those grown on trellises) depends on many factors: the climatic zone, into the greenhouse or directly into the ground, with saplings or seeds. In any case, the earth should already be warmed up to 14 degrees, and the depth of the warm layer is at least 15 cm. 2-3 seeds are inserted or 2-3 seedlings are planted.

When the seeds sprout (or your seedlings become stronger), you need to closely monitor the development of the plants. Stop their first attempts to bloom in the bud: until 6 leaves appear, all the ovaries must be pinched off. Let the harvest you get a week later, but it will be more, and the cucumbers will grow much larger.

What is the key to success

To begin with, it is necessary (as, indeed, with the old method of growing) to correctly determine the site for planting. It should be well ventilated and not be too lighted (if the light floods all your squares, you will have to create a shadow artificially). It is better to take seeds that are considered old, that is, from a crop harvested at least 2 years ago. If the plants throw out barren flowers, stop watering for about a week, limit yourself to sprinkling the plantings and be sure to pinch the lashes after the fifth or sixth leaf. In case of cessation of growth or pale foliage and fruits, immediately feed the plantation with nitrogen-potassium fertilizers. Be sure to watch the overgrowth of cucumbers and direct the whips to free areas.

Further care

It is not too different from the usual. The main feature is the direction of growth to free areas and tying those lashes that did not manage to catch on.The emphasis should be placed on cutting off dried and diseased leaves - they can ruin the entire trellis. Male flowers must be removed regularly; in the same way, in the early stages, it is necessary to pinch off ugly fruits so that the plant does not waste energy on growing them. Many gardeners who have mastered "cucumbers on trellises" and have discovered some of the secrets of this method, advise stepwise sowing. The gap of two weeks between planting allows you to multiply the efficiency of the plantation. Another reminder: as soon as the fruits grow to 6 cm, they must be harvested. And you need to do this every day, otherwise the plant will begin to starve, and you will get the next cucumbers either crooked, or bitter, or sluggish.

What to do at the end of the season

We remind you: the design of the tapestries was proposed as a mobile one. So after the last harvest, it is dismantled, the wire and mesh are removed from the base rails, which are rolled into a compact roll. All this stuff is added up in the barn (in the attic, in the basement, in the summer kitchen - depending on where you are used to keeping summer accessories). Dry cucumber lashes are removed from the site along with the roots; the site is dug up and fertilized if it is planned to plant cucumbers again in the same place next year. If it is time to relocate them, a new site is being prepared in the same way.

As you can see, it is not so difficult to grow cucumbers on a trellis (the photo also shows how much more aesthetic it is). In many ways, work is also facilitated. So don't hesitate - try this method on your backyard. He will justify himself many times!

Gardeners practice 2 ways of growing cucumbers - vertical and spread. When grown on a trellis, cucumbers begin to bloom and bear fruit earlier than with the traditional method of growing on the ground. Varieties and hybrids for vertical formyronaya are selected taking into account the complex resistance to diseases and pests.

Features of the trellis method of growing cucumbers

Cucumber culture grows well on slightly acidic or neutral soils, in an area protected from the wind and well warmed up by the sun. To get a large harvest with the trellis method of growing cucumbers, it is necessary to take into account the physiological characteristics of the plant:

1. Site selection: the best predecessors for cucumber are potatoes, tomatoes, peas, cabbage.
2. To protect the site from the winds, a rocker planting of beans, corn, sunflower is carried out.
3. Soil preparation - the cultivated layer should be at least 20 cm. After installing the trellis into the ground, humus is covered (10-15 kg / m2).
4. To ensure an increase in the temperature of the surface soil layer by 1–2 ° C, ridges or a widened one-sided ridge 20–30 cm high are formed. The width of the ridges is 0.9–1 m, the ridges are 0.6–0.7 m.
5. It is recommended to use black plastic sheeting as mulch on the beds. Mulch inhibits the growth of weeds and retains winter moisture. When installing a drip irrigation system, the irrigation hoses are laid out with the holes upwards under the film or placed on the soil surface along the edge of the film.

In autumn, manure or humus is introduced into the soil, loosening material (sawdust, straw, peat, last year's foliage) - 8-10 kg / m2. Simultaneously add simple superphosphate - 30-40 g / m2, potash salt - 15-20 g / m2, if necessary, ash or lime and dig it to a depth of 25-30 cm. Acceptable soil density for cucumbers - 0.4-0.6 g / cm3. If this figure is higher, the roots may come out on the surface of the ridge or slope.

In the spring, ammonium nitrate - 25–30 g / m2, potassium sulfate - 10–15 g / m2 are introduced into the soil, dug to a depth of 15–20 cm. The surface of ridges or ridges is harrowed and leveled with a rake. The seed furrows are moistened.

Growing cucumbers on a trellis in two lines allows you to harvest more crops from a smaller area

Direct sowing in the ground:

• seeds are heated for 3-4 hours at t + 50 + 60 ° C;
• incubated for half an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 100 ml of water) or in a pulp of garlic;
• on fertile soils, 3-4 seeds are planted per running meter, on poor soils - 4-5 seeds.

The seedling growing method allows you to get fresh produce 2 weeks earlier. Recommended varieties and hybrids for vertical cultivation:

• Relay class hybrids;
• parthenocarpic hybrids with a green leaf length up to 20 cm: Mill F1, Makar F1, Marta F1;
• fast-growing hybrids Emelya F1, Mazay F1, Real Colonel F1;
• beam gherkins Anyuta F1, Maryina Roshcha F1, Chistye Prudy F1, Three tankmen F1.

Types of trellises for growing cucumbers in the open field

For trellis cultivation, structures of strong twines are used, stretched in 2-3 rows or placed in the form of a hut. The plastic trellis net for supporting plants with cells of 15x17 cm, 5-10 m long and 2 m wide is very popular. The net is pulled over arcs or attached to the greenhouse wall.

To arrange trellises, posts are installed at a distance of 1.5–2 m from each other and 2 or 3 rows of wire are pulled between them:

• 1 row 10-15 cm on the ground surface;
• 2nd row - 1-1.3 m;
• 3 row - 2-2.2 m.

A metal or synthetic mesh with 10x15 cm cells is attached to the wire, or a strong twine is tied to the upper level with a double sliding knot. With the second end of the twine, a seedling is grabbed at a height of 10 cm above the ground. While developing, the lash twines around the string and rises up.

The support consists of reinforced metal pipes or a corner and intermediate wooden posts 30 cm in diameter.

Photo gallery: various designs of trellises for vertical cultivation of cucumbers

Arrangement of the drip irrigation system allows to increase the yield by 30%.

Drip irrigation system saves water, energy and time of the gardener

Methods for planting cucumbers on a trellis

The peculiarities of the variety or hybrid determine which planting scheme to choose in the open field - in 1 or 2 lines.

Table: schemes for growing cucumbers

Before the appearance of the mustache, the seedlings are grown under temporary shelter - they place a frame made of arches covered with a film under the trellises, or protect the entire structure with spunbond.

Cucumber lashes are formed - the seedling is tied up with a free loop under the first real leaf. A peg is stuck next to the plant and the free end of the twine is tied to it. The shoot is wrapped with a rope, covering each internode. For better rooting of seedlings, 4 lower nodes are blinded - at the beginning of growth, the buds of female flowers and the rudiments of lateral shoots are plucked from the axils of the leaves.

Further pinching:

• remove the lateral shoot above the first leaf at a distance of up to 1.6 m;
• above the second sheet - on the lash section from 1.6 to 2 m.

When the plant reaches the top of the trellis, the main stem is thrown over the top wire, guided along the row and down. The formation of the plant is carried out within a month after their planting in a permanent place.

Ripe greens are harvested every day, trying not to overgrow. Timely collection of fruits increases productivity, since overgrown fruits inhibit the formation of new ovaries.

Pros and cons of the tapestry method

Growing cucumbers on a trellis has its advantages:

• plants are evenly illuminated by the sun;
• you can effectively use a small piece of land;
• when watering and fertilizing, moisture does not linger on the leaves, so the plants do not get sunburn;
• easier care and harvesting work;
• when collecting fruits, the whips are not damaged.

With the trellis method of cultivation, it should be borne in mind that vertical plants require more fertilizers - the need for phosphorus increases by 20-30%. And they are also subject to the drying effect of wind and sun, therefore they need additional watering.

Video: arranging a tapestry with your own hands from scrap materials

Growing cucumbers on a trellis enables the plant to absorb solar energy more efficiently. Additional light radiation accelerates the development of the cucumber - stems and leaves grow faster, flowers and fruits develop. The intensity of the light affects the yield, which depends on the ratio of male to female flowers. In bee-pollinated varieties, with insufficient illumination, more male flowers are formed, with high light, the number of female flowers increases, on which the ovary of fruits is formed.