Cucumber - annual plant Pumpkin family. This is perhaps the only crop whose fruits we eat unripe.
Africa, Greece, warm India are the countries where cucumbers were first grown. To date, many hybrid varieties this plant is resistant to adverse weather conditions, diseases, etc. Therefore, growing cucumbers in open ground- almost always a successful and justified process.Not every gardener knows the secrets of growing cucumbers in open ground, so the information in this article will be very useful for many.
Cucumber variety Courage - a great new product for garden beds
Cucumber Courage is one of the most suitable varieties for planting in open ground. This is a high-yielding hybrid, resistant to diseases and pests, characterized by rapid growth and ripening of fruits. Therefore, it is grown not only for personal consumption, but also for sale in large quantities. The fruits of this variety have high taste and excellent presentation. Methods of growing Kurazh cucumbers in open ground: seed and seedlings. Seed cultivation of cucumbers is possible throughout Russia, with the exception of the northern regions. In cold climates, this crop is cultivated using the seedling method.
The agricultural technology of the Kurazh variety provides for standard technology for growing this crop in open ground:
- Preparing the site for planting.
- Pre-sowing preparation of seed material.
- Growing seedlings and caring for them.
- Transplanting cucumbers into open ground.
- Harvest.
Preparing the area for planting
The area for growing cucumbers should be sunny, level, with deep passage groundwater, where there are no winds or drafts. This crop does not grow well on acidic soils. You can deoxidize them and bring them to a neutral acidity level using lime or dolomite flour.
The cucumber variety Kurazh, like other varieties of this crop, does not develop on alkaline, heavy and infertile soil. How correctly the seasonal soil preparation is carried out will depend future harvest cucumbers Courage.
Autumn tillage consists of clearing the area of weed and garden waste. All this must be done before the onset of the seasonal rains. After this, the site is dug up with the application of organic fertilizers, for example, rotted manure. The digging depth is no more than 15 cm.
With the arrival of spring, seasonal work begins to loosen the soil and remove young weeds. A cultivator or rake is used to cultivate the soil surface. Before sowing seeds and planting seedlings, it is necessary to level the soil surface. This layout is very important for successful cultivation this culture. On flat surface without lumps, the seeds will be sown at the same depth and will sprout together.
The set of spring measures to prepare a site for planting cucumbers includes preserving soil moisture that has accumulated over the winter and spring. Repeated surface loosening of the soil allows maximum moisture retention.
Preparation of seed material
Preparing cucumber seeds for sowing in open ground or for growing seedlings at home is one of the important stages. The growth and development of plants, as well as the future harvest, will depend on the quality of the seed material. The seeds must be healthy, without damage and with good germination - about 90%.
Before sowing, the seeds are rejected and calibrated by soaking in sodium chloride - a solution of 3% concentration. The floating seeds are removed, and the seeds that have sunk to the bottom are used for planting. Selected seeds are washed in water and dried on a dry surface.
To prevent the appearance of diseases and mold, the seeds are treated with the drug Fentiuram - 0.4 g of the substance is added per 5 kg of seeds. Instead of Fentiuram, you can use the drug TMTD. After this, the seeds undergo heat treatment. They are laid out on a baking sheet and placed in the oven for 1 hour at a temperature of 70 degrees.
Planting seeds in open ground
Correctly, cucumber seeds need to be sown with special seeders that ensure accurate sowing into the ridges. But most gardeners do it manually on their own site. Sow the seeds when the last frost has passed and the soil has warmed to 15 degrees Celsius. In regions with a cool climate, the sowing time is at the end of May or beginning of June.
In the south, the approximate time for sowing seeds is the first half of April. If spring is early, planting dates are accelerated. In a late spring, seeds are sown later than usual. It is worth remembering that in well-warmed soil the risk of seed rotting and death is significantly reduced.
For a plot of 1 m2, use 50 g of dry cucumber seeds of the Kurazh variety. The same area will require 2 times less sprouted seeds. Optimal distance between seedlings - 12-15 cm. Densified plantings can provoke the appearance of diseases due to insufficient ventilation of seedlings.
Structures for growing seedlings
Growing cucumbers of the Kurazh variety through seedlings is used in the regions of the middle zone. In addition, using this method reduces the risk of soil downtime in an area with ungerminated seedlings.
To plant seeds, use seedling containers with a nutritious and loose substrate. Modern seedling structures for growing cucumber seedlings are small, mobile, heated nurseries. They have low cost, good illumination, and the possibility of using mechanized equipment for sampling and hardening of seedlings.
Only under conditions of optimal temperature, lighting, air humidity and soil can you obtain strong and healthy seedlings cucumbers It is not difficult to create such conditions in nurseries. To ensure the correct light mode, it is necessary to select right place for the location of the seedling structure. At home, this is due to the location of the windows in relation to the south.
Provide required humidity air and temperature for planting can be achieved using ventilation and a special heating system, nutrition - with special fertilizers and nutrient substrates, soil moisture - with regular moistening.
During the period of emergence and in the second phase of growing this crop, it is very important to maintain the same temperature regime inside the nursery. To grow seedlings without fertilizing, the seeds are planted in peat manure or manure-soil mixture. When planting seed material in poor soil, seedlings are fed twice with low concentration superphosphate.
Ideally, peat blocks divided into cells are suitable for growing seedlings from seeds. First they are soaked, then seeds are planted in each cell. Peat blocks are expensive, however, they are very convenient and practical.
Growing seedlings at home
To plant seeds for seedlings at home, it is best to use soil that is similar in composition to the garden soil on the site. This way, seedlings adapt faster and easier in open ground.
You can plant seeds of the Courage variety in nutritional mixture homemade. Mix turf, peat soil and sand in equal proportions. You can buy it already ready mixture called "Violet" in any gardening store. Any seeds are suitable for planting plastic containers small size, for example, cups. A drainage layer of any absorbent material is placed at the bottom of the cups - expanded clay, sunflower husks or vermiculite.
Planting of pre-treated and disinfected seeds using the above technology is carried out to a depth of 1-2 cm. 2 seeds are planted in one planting container. Subsequent care of seedlings consists of frequent spraying, providing stable heat and good lighting. After seedlings emerge and the plants produce one pair of leaves, they are moved to a cooler place to prevent the risk of planting being stretched. The optimal temperature for keeping seedlings is 15 degrees. Of the two plants, the stronger specimen is selected, and the weaker one is carefully cut off with a sharp object.
At good lighting in the coolness, the seedlings will form a strong root system. Used for watering young plants warm water, spraying is carried out in the first half of the day, when the sun is less active. Under conditions of sudden changes in air temperature and insufficient lighting, plants are affected by blackleg. Infected instances are removed. The remaining seedlings are treated with fungicides for preventive purposes.
Caring for cucumbers in open ground
The agricultural technology for growing Kurazh cucumbers involves planting seedlings in open ground only after the threat of the last frost has passed.
By this time, the plants will have time to grow green mass and form flower buds. It is recommended to pick off the first flowers on seedlings, since it is at this moment that plants need energy and strength for the growth and development of the above-ground and underground parts. Flowering interferes with this process. In addition, seedlings with flowers planted in open ground adapt much worse to new growing conditions. 
The Courage cucumber, like other hybrid forms of this crop, is demanding on the level of air humidity. However, excess moisture on the leaves can cause the plant to develop powdery mildew. Therefore, proper plantings should be watered only in the morning, so that by the evening the above-ground part of the plants has time to dry out.
At each stage of growth, this crop requires a certain amount of moisture. At the beginning of the growing season, plants are provided with humidity in the range of 60-70%, during the fruiting period - about 80%, at the end of the growing season - 75-80%. The optimal frequency of watering is once every 10 days; in the summer heat, watering is increased to once every 5 days. Sprinkling is the main method of watering this crop.
Cucumbers respond well to fertilizing, which is applied throughout the growing season. The first feeding is carried out with nitrogen-containing fertilizer at the stage of the appearance of the first pair of leaves (1.5 kg of the substance is consumed per area of 10 m2). The second fertilizing with nitrogen-potassium fertilizers is applied during the formation of side shoots - 2 kg of fertilizing is used per 10 m2 of area.
The thinning procedure is carried out in the area where the cucumbers were planted by seed. The Courage cucumber has a delicate root system, so it does not tolerate this procedure well. To avoid thinning, it is enough to plant 2 seeds in each hole. From two grown seedlings, a strong bush is selected, and a weak one is pulled out.
Loosening, weeding of cucumbers and removal of weeds begins from the moment the seedlings emerge or immediately after transplanting the seedlings into open ground. During the first loosening, the young bushes slightly hill up.
Harvest
Harvesting on initial stage carried out every 3 days to prevent the fruit from overripening. The number of cucumber harvests in the regions of the southern strip can reach up to 50 over the entire season.
Cucumbers are easily damaged, so they need to be collected carefully in the morning or evening. Harvest cucumbers are transferred to a cool place. In such conditions they do not lose presentation and taste. Cucumbers of the Courage variety, like fruits of other varieties, are not stored for a long time. To extend their shelf life they are placed in refrigeration chambers.
The technology for growing cucumbers in open ground is quite simple. By adhering to the above recommendations, success in this matter is guaranteed to everyone.
Cucumbers are very popular in Russia; many vegetable growers grow them. But in order to get a generous harvest of this crop, it is important to plant seeds or seedlings of cucumbers, and then care for the plants, observing necessary rules agricultural technology. Only in this case will it be possible to get the maximum result from growing cucumbers in open ground. Let's look at how to do this correctly.
Although there is nothing complicated in the technology of growing cucumbers in open ground, it is necessary to take into account and follow the basic rules of agricultural technology and care of these plants.
Choosing the right variety or hybrid
Before you start growing cucumbers, you need to determine which variety or hybrid is best suited for this:
- If you choose a variety that is intended only for cultivation in greenhouse conditions, then there will not be a good harvest.
- Select a zoned variety that is intended for cultivation in a specific region. In this case, it is taken into account that cucumber varieties zoned for the northern regions can be planted in the southern ones, and they will grow and bear fruit well. If you do the opposite and plant heat-loving varieties in the northern regions, then nothing good will come of it.
- It is also necessary to take into account the timing of ripening: early, middle or late and whether cucumbers need pollinating insects.
- When choosing a variety, it is determined for what purpose its fruits will be used. That is, will they be grown primarily for fresh food or for preservation and processing. There are also varieties whose greens can be used universally.
When choosing cucumber seeds for growing in open ground, it is necessary to take into account that hybrids, for example, have higher yields and resistance to diseases than varietal plants, but they have one significant drawback - seeds cannot be collected from them.
For sowing, it is advisable to choose not last year’s seed material, but one that is at least 2-3 years old. This is explained by the fact that the germination rate of cucumbers increases from 2 to 6 years, and many female flowers are formed on plants obtained from seeds that have been lying around for some time.
Choosing a growing location and preparing the soil
Growing cucumbers in open ground beds begins with choosing suitable place, on which the bushes will grow. In order for cucumber plants to develop and bear fruit well, it must meet certain requirements.
The cucumber loves the sun, so it needs to be placed in a well-lit area, but it is better to choose a place where the plants will be protected from direct rays during the day. It is also important that the beds are not blown through by strong cold winds and drafts.
Despite the fact that cucumbers are humid tropical plants, they do not like stagnation of water in the soil: in waterlogged soil, their roots are often affected by fungal diseases, the leaves become pale green, and the development of the plants themselves and the formation of the ovary slows down. Therefore, you need to choose a plot for cucumbers on a level place, not located in a low area, so that water does not accumulate in the ground.
It is also important what plants grew in this area before. The best predecessors for cucumber culture are early and cauliflower, legumes, nightshades, carrots, beets, green crops and green manure. Pumpkin crops and cucumbers themselves are not suitable.
The soil in the selected area should be fertile, well-groomed, light, well absorb moisture and allow it to pass into the lower layers. It needs to be well fertilized with mineral fertilizers or organic matter. It is best to use cow manure (humus) as fertilizer. It is applied in a volume of 4-6 kg per 1 sq. m for the previous crop and before sowing - in the form of slurry (1 to 10). Chicken manure is also suitable, diluted in a ratio of 1 to 20. Acidic soil must be deoxidized: add chalk, dolomite flour or lime in the required amount.
At autumn preparation beds for growing cucumber crops, the soil is cleaned of all plant debris that may be of interest to pests and pathogens overwintering on them. The soil, cleared of plant debris, is dug deep (at least 25 cm). Clods of earth are broken up only in the spring. At spring training The soil is dug up again, spilled with potassium permanganate and fertilized with ready-made mineral fertilizers.
Growing by seedlings
The seedling method of growing cucumbers is used to obtain an earlier harvest of greens due to the fact that they are planted in the beds already grown. This ultimately allows not only to reduce the time before harvesting, but also to protect plants from possible death from spring cold snaps.
Seedlings begin to be grown approximately 1 month before they are transplanted into the ground. Seeds are sown in individual containers: disposable cups, seedling pots, cassettes, peat tablets. Substrate for cucumbers can be purchased ready-made at a vegetable growing store or made independently from a mixture made up of 2 parts of fertile garden soil, coarse sand, peat, humus, mineral fertilizers. 1 piece is sown in each cup to a depth of 2 cm. seeds, water and sprinkle on top thin layer land. The containers are covered with film and placed in a warm and bright place. After the seeds have sprouted, the film is removed and the cups are transferred to the brightest place in the room, for example, on a windowsill, since at this time the seedlings need intense sunlight.
Caring for cucumber seedlings is simple: water it with clean warm water (as it dries out). top layer soil), fed with mineral or organic fertilizers(after the plants have 3-4 leaves). During the growth period, cucumber seedlings need good lighting, so if they are grown early spring, with a short daylight hours, it is illuminated with phytolamps.
A peculiarity of growing cucumbers in this way is that the seedlings need to be hardened off shortly before planting them in open ground, since a sharp change in temperature can lead to the death of the plants. In the northern regions, it is possible to arrange for this crop warm beds, on them delicate cucumber plants will be well protected from cold weather.
Seedlings should be planted in the garden after the weather completely warms up. The planting pattern will be different: it depends on the characteristics of the variety or hybrid.
Using approximately the same principle, you can grow seedlings in a greenhouse, and when 2-3 true leaves appear on it, transplant them into open ground.
Planting seeds in the ground
This method can be recommended to gardeners in the southern regions, where the heat comes quickly, and therefore it is not necessary to plant cucumber seedlings. The advantage of this method over seedlings is that cucumber seeds can be sown several times during the season, which can increase the fruiting time of the crop.
In open ground, cucumber seeds are sown only in well-warmed soil (about 15°C). In cold soil they will take a long time to germinate or may not sprout at all. But there is no need to delay sowing seeds: this vegetable also does not like heat. The most desirable temperature for growth and optimal development of plants is 24-28°C. Due to this, best timing planting cucumber seeds - approximately mid-to-late May.
The seed planting scheme depends on the characteristics of each variety, so it can vary within certain limits. The recommended distance is often indicated on commercial seed packages. Sowing depth - no more than 2 cm. There is no need to thicken the crops or sow seeds deeper: the plants may not germinate well, they will lack nutrition, lighting and air.
Features of outdoor care
In the process of growing cucumbers in a garden bed in open ground, it is important to provide them with the required conditions for normal growth and development. The complex of agrotechnical works includes mandatory watering, loosening (or mulching), fertilizing, forming bushes, and harvesting.
Watering
Cucumber is a humid tropical plant; it requires constant moisture for good development. Moisture deficiency immediately affects the condition of plants: they grow poorly and wither. It is not advisable to water this crop cold water, which deteriorates the ability of the plant root system to absorb moisture from the soil. It is best to pour water under the root, retreating about 5 cm from the stem, and not pour it from a watering can onto the plants themselves. You need to loosen the ground around the bushes carefully so as not to touch the roots. In order not to loosen the soil and injure the roots, the beds are covered with mulch made from plant materials or agrofibre.
Top dressing
Measures for caring for cucumbers in open ground include fertilizing, which provides the plants with all the nutrients they need during the growing season. Cucumbers are fed 3 times per season: 2 weeks after planting, just before flowering begins, and when cucumbers begin to enter the mass fruiting phase. For this purpose, organic or ready-made mineral fertilizers are used (they are diluted in accordance with the instructions for use). At an early stage of development, cucumbers must be provided with nitrogen, and then phosphorus and potassium, so saltpeter or slurry is added as the first feeding. In the next 2 feedings, they are fertilized with superphosphate, potassium salt or ash, which contains all these elements.
Formation
The formation of bushes of cucumber plants is considered an integral part of caring for this crop in the open ground. Its purpose is to stimulate the growth of side shoots on which female flowers will form. Formation is carried out by pinching the central stem of the plants above the 5th or 6th leaf.
Cucumber is one of the vegetables that is quite easy to grow if the appropriate conditions are provided. This is a heat-loving crop, so first of all it is necessary to maintain the temperature regime and give the cucumbers enough light. All this is easy to achieve in a greenhouse, but how to comply with such requirements when planting in open ground?
The first task is to choose the right variety. Not all cucumbers can adapt to harsh conditions outside a greenhouse, and some varieties will not even germinate, let alone produce a harvest. On the other hand, some species are intended only for planting outside greenhouses and on outdoors they will produce more yield than under a greenhouse film. There are also universal varieties that perform well in any conditions.
| Variety | Image | Peculiarities | Under what conditions can it grow? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest early ripening variety, suitable for pickling and fresh consumption | |||
| It is sensitive to moisture and nutritional content of the soil, resistant to diseases, more suitable for salting | In greenhouses and outdoors |
||
| Early ripening variety, small cucumbers, preferably consumed fresh | |||
| Early ripening variety, best used for pickling | In greenhouses and outdoors |
||
| Used exclusively for pickling | Can be grown outdoors |
||
| Hardy and unpretentious variety which gives good harvest even in dry areas | Ideally planted in open ground |
Seedless sowing
The easiest way to grow cucumbers is to sow the seeds in the soil. On the one hand, you won’t have to waste time growing seedlings, but you will have to wait longer for the harvest, which, moreover, may not be very rich.
You can increase the yield and germination percentage by hardening the seeds:
- Seeds prepared for planting are placed on gauze, which in turn is placed on the bottom of a flat dish filled with water.
- The seeds are also covered with gauze on top.
- After some time, when the seeds swell, the container with the seeds is placed in the refrigerator for two to three days (provided that the temperature in the refrigerator is not lower than -3 degrees).
- After this period, the seeds can be planted.
The best time for planting is at the end of May, when the soil warms up to +15-+17 degrees, but these dates may vary depending on the region. Such seeds are planted at a distance of 50-60 centimeters; the sowing depth should not exceed two centimeters. Considering that the percentage of seed germination with this method is not high, it is better to put several seeds in one hole at once, and if all of them sprout at once, the weakest and sickest ones should be removed. Such shoots are not pulled out, but carefully cut off.
The seedless method has one advantage: when transplanting seedlings into the ground, there is always a risk of damaging the root system, as a result of which the plant may stop developing or turn into a barren flower, and may also produce a small or poor-quality harvest. On the other hand, this can be avoided simply by being careful, and given the fact that many seeds die when planted directly into the ground, this advantage is offset.
Video - All about growing cucumbers. Planting seeds in the ground
Growing seedlings for open ground
When preparing seedlings, it is important to choose three or four varieties, and not stop at one. Especially if this is the first experience or cucumbers have not yet been planted in the selected area.
Seeds cannot be immediately planted in the soil - they must be “warmed up” by keeping them on the windowsill near the radiator for about 30 days.
Growing cucumber seedlings
Then the seeds are placed in a bowl of water where they should hatch. By the way, floating seeds can be immediately caught and thrown away - they will not germinate. The remaining seeds will hatch in about a day or two, and during this time you need to prepare the soil for planting:
- Sawdust, peat and humus are mixed in a ratio of 1:2:2
- Wood ash is added to the resulting mass at the rate of “a tablespoon of ash per 10 liters of mixture.”
- All this is thoroughly mixed and scattered into small pots into which the sprouted seeds are planted.
- When sprouts appear, the dishes are placed in a bright place.
When two leaves appear on the sprouts, fertilizing with a nitrophoska solution begins (add two teaspoons per three liters of water). The water must be warm, heated to a temperature of 25 degrees. It is enough to water the seedlings once a week.
The seedlings are ready for planting when the stem becomes thick and strong and the leaves turn dark green. For each variety, this preparatory period is individual.
Video - Growing cucumber seedlings at home
Soil preparation
Good seedlings in poor soil will not produce the expected harvest, so the area for planting also requires preparation, and such work begins in the fall. It is advisable to plant seedlings where potatoes, tomatoes, legumes, cabbage or peppers previously grew.
Growing cucumbers where other pumpkins previously grew is permissible no earlier than five years later. Otherwise, cucumbers will grow sluggish and sickly, since their “predecessors” deplete the soil.
During the autumn digging of a plot for cucumbers, 5-6 kilograms of manure and 30 grams of any phosphorus-potassium mineral fertilizers are applied per square meter of plot. If the soil is acidic or slightly acidic, you can add 150-250 grams of lime or ash per square meter.
In the spring, the soil is also dug up; now 2-3 kilograms of compost or humus per square meter are added to it. Also, approximately 50 grams of any complex mineral fertilizers are added to this area.
This is the most effective way soil preparation, but it is not always possible to meet such conditions, so you can use the following tips:
- If the soil has not been prepared in the fall, you can limit yourself to digging in the spring, but then you need to increase the amount of humus and compost added.
- If there is little humus and there is nowhere to get it, it is not necessary to fertilize the entire area - just add it to the planting holes.
- The soil should always be kept free of weeds and fertilized annually - this will reduce the amount of mineral fertilizers used.
Correct choice of location and planting
When planting cucumbers in open ground, not only the quality of the soil is important, but also other factors. It is not worth planting cucumbers in a place where other pumpkins have grown in the last five years, not only because of the poor quality of the soil. The fact is that if previous plants had some kind of disease, pathogenic microorganisms must have accumulated in the soil. But if other crops are resistant to such diseases, then cucumbers related to pumpkins and zucchini will certainly suffer.
The following requirements must also be met:
- the place should be well lit, the beds should not be blocked from the sun by trees or buildings on the site;
- cucumber beds should be protected from the wind;
- completely open areas It is recommended to plant tall plants in a circle - legumes, corn, sunflowers, which will protect the cucumbers from the winds;
- the area should be large enough so that the distance between the bushes is at least 50 centimeters.
If the plot is not very large, but there are a lot of seedlings, you should not reduce the distance between plants. Instead, you can simply plant them in a checkerboard pattern. All beds must be cleared of weeds, and this procedure must be performed regularly.
The beds must be loosened periodically, but not deeper than three centimeters, so as not to damage the root system.
Video - How to plant cucumbers in the ground
Watering
The most difficult thing about growing cucumbers in the ground is watering. It is necessary to strictly observe the timing (every 5-6 days) and the amount of water (within 2-4 liters per square meter, depending on the soil). After flowering begins, watering is done every two to three days, and the amount of water increases to 8-10 liters per meter. And most importantly, the water should not be cold, as heat-loving cucumbers begin to get sick from low temperatures. For this reason, cucumbers do not yet produce fruit - they must be watered manually, from a container in which the water is pre-settled and heated to a temperature of +18-+20 degrees.
There should always be enough water, especially during the period of fruit formation. Otherwise, the harvest will taste bitter. At the same time, an excess of water will lead to rotting of the root system and death of the plant. It is very easy to determine an excess or lack of water visually: the pale green color of the leaves indicates that there is too much moisture. If the leaves are dark and brittle, it means there is not enough water.
Top dressing
Feeding cucumbers begins from the moment two full leaves appear at the seedling stage and can continue until autumn, depending on the quality of the soil. This procedure is necessary in order to:
- cucumbers grew faster and began to bear fruit earlier;
- the number of fruits increased;
- the fruiting period was extended;
- the taste of the fruits improved.
In addition, fertilizers allow plants to strengthen their immunity and protect them from diseases, and for cucumbers, as fastidious plants, this is extremely important. Standard feeding occurs in two stages: at the seedling stage, and then every two weeks after planting in the ground. Three common types of feeding are considered safe and economical:
- The container for preparing the fertilizer is filled one-third with cow manure and two-thirds topped up with water, leaving it for about a week and a half for fermentation. Before use, the finished fertilizer is diluted with two parts of water.
- The second method is identical to the first, but in this case, chicken manure is used instead of manure, and the finished fertilizer is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 3.
- For ten liters, 10 grams of ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium salt are added. This amount is enough to process one square meter soil (about 4-5 plants).
Yellow leaves are a sign of lack of fertilizer
A lack of fertilizer can be easily determined by yellowing leaves and dropping ovaries.
Diseases of cucumbers in open ground
Most often, cucumbers planted in open ground are susceptible to fungal diseases (gray, white, root rot, ascochyta blight, bacteriosis and others). If we accept necessary measures in a timely manner - plants can be cured at the initial stage. If the disease progresses and cannot be treated, the diseased plants will have to be cut off and disposed of. Such stems need to be cut and burned - just dump them in compost heap This is not possible, as fungal spores can spread throughout the area.
Most often, the first symptoms of diseases are easily eliminated by spraying with a solution copper sulfate, but if it is possible to determine the obvious signs of a specific disease, it is worth using certain methods.
So, if gray and black spots appear on the leaves and fruits, and the growth of the fruits stops and they themselves bend and become crooked - this is a fungal disease cladosporiosis. Such plants must be sprayed with benzimidazole-based preparations.
Another common disease is powdery mildew- appears in the form white plaque on the leaves, and over time the plant dies. In most cases, this disease comes from weeds, so it is necessary to keep the beds tidy and clean, and if powdery mildew does appear, spraying with fungicides will help.
Yellow coating or spots on the leaves and their subsequent drying are a sign of downy mildew. The disease is also a consequence of a large number of weeds and is treated in the same way as the previous one. If the fruits of such a plant are planned to be used for planting in next year– seeds are subject to mandatory treatment with potassium permanganate.
If you follow all the recommendations, do not skip watering, remove weeds on time and properly prepare the soil, even novice gardeners will not have problems with cucumbers. And the reward for such an attitude towards your garden will always be big harvest delicious cucumbers, which can be enjoyed already a month and a half after planting the seedlings (provided that early ripening varieties are used).
Preface
Only the lazy don’t plant cucumbers on their plot! Just a few seeds, planted and carefully nurtured, can provide a family with tasty, crispy fruits, with some left over for pickling. Growing cucumbers in open ground has a number of features that every gardener needs to remember.
Growing cucumbers in a summer cottage - choosing a place
Growing cucumbers in the garden is much easier. When choosing a location, it is important to remember two things: predecessors and lighting. It is fundamentally important to observe crop rotation - if melons, watermelons or cucumbers have been grown on the site for the past 2-3 years, cucumbers cannot be replanted in this place. It is advisable that the sun illuminates the selected bed as best as possible, although cucumbers will produce a harvest in partial shade.
The bed needs to be well fertilized. Since the root system of cucumbers is small, fertilizers can be applied pointwise, directly into the plant holes. When decomposed, compost will produce a lot of heat, thereby accelerating the growth of seeds, and nutrients enough until the fall. It should be applied to a depth of about half a meter. The bed should be dug up in the fall; if the soil is heavy, add sand - cucumbers love it.
Garden and vegetable garden - growing cucumbers with maximum benefit
At first, the soil around cucumber plantings will stand idle, so you can freely plant lettuce or radishes. These plants produce a quick harvest, just in time for the cucumbers to begin to grow. It is also recommended to plant corn at a two-meter distance from the cucumber bed - in summer its stems will serve as good protection from the scorching sun and wind.
Growing cucumbers on summer cottage should begin when the risk of frost has passed. It is recommended to germinate.
To do this, lay them out on wet sawdust or a clean cloth and cover with another layer. In a day or two the root will appear, and when its length is equal to half the length of the seed, you should start planting. Prepare shallow holes – 2-3 cm deep. You can make one common trench with a hoe, but the cucumbers should be planted at a distance of 15-20 cm. When the seedlings appear, they should be thinned out - the plants grow very quickly, so you can safely leave half a meter between them.
Growing cucumbers in the garden - watering
Cucumbers love generous watering. It is important to use well-heated water and water strictly at the root, without irrigating the foliage. Cold water will significantly slow down plant growth. If you skip watering even once, the cucumbers may become bitter. Weeding and loosening of the soil should be carried out as long as the growing fences allow it.
It wouldn’t hurt to mulch the beds - mulch (straw, leaves, sawdust) reduces moisture loss, improves soil aeration and promotes better and uniform heating. In addition, it is important to lightly hill up the seedlings so that moisture does not linger under them - this will prevent the occurrence of diseases. When 5-6 leaves appear on the stem, it should be pinched to stimulate the development of new shoots. This technique can significantly increase productivity.
Growing cucumbers in open ground - preventing diseases
Failure to observe crop rotation can lead to sudden withering of seemingly healthy plants. The risk of disease can be reduced by annually treating the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate at the germination stage. However, this does not always help - fungal diseases plants are waiting in the ground. Often we ourselves become the reason for their appearance - either we were too lazy to heat the water in the sun, or we introduced fertilizer with pathogens.
Experienced gardeners know some of the features and secrets of how to grow cucumbers in open ground. For example, if in the south every year you can special devices(used to create all the necessary conditions for
heat-loving cucumber) and special effort achieve a good harvest of this crop, then middle lane things are completely different. According to statistics, the favorable time for growing cucumbers, beloved by many, in open ground occurs only 3 times in 10 years.
There are many effective and simple agricultural techniques that can help you grow a fairly good crop of cucumbers, despite any statistics. The fact is that we have the opportunity to use numerous ultra-early, high-yielding varieties of sprinting cucumbers. As well as reliable modern covering materials, different means, used to stimulate plant growth and fight disease vegetable crops, and others scientific achievements. If you promptly and competently follow all the recommendations, repeatedly tested by experienced gardeners, then every year at your summer cottage, on open ground, from 1 m2 you will be able to harvest up to 10 kg of crop.
1. Optimal for salting are “Muromsky” and “Nezhinsky”.
2. The “steppe” variety resists drought well.
3. Universal hybrid - “country fair”.
4. Early ripening - “Moscow pickling” and “Altai early”.
5. Bee-pollinated hybrids - “fontanel”, “santana”, “octopus”, “otello”, “libelle”, “Annushka”, “farmer”, “crane” and “nightingale”.
6. Self-pollinating varieties - “Matilda”, “Crispina”, “red mullet”, “Herman”, “blizzard”, “Lapland”, “blizzard”, “son-in-law”, “Clavdia”, “ant” and others.
How to grow cucumbers in open ground: features of planting and care
This crop is grown not only by sowing seeds, but also by seedlings. It is better to grow this plant in narrow beds 0.4 meters high, on slopes located in the south and protected from cold winds. Since these beds will warm up much faster, they will have to be watered very often. To create a favorable temperature for the crop after sowing it, it is recommended to install a film greenhouse frame over the bed. Thanks to this structure, the optimal temperature will be maintained on cool and windy days.
How to grow cucumbers in open ground and enjoy a good harvest?
How to grow cucumbers in open ground using dry seeds and seedlings?
It is recommended to sow seeds at the end of May, and plant seedlings after June 5th. But we must remember that there are few years that can please us with warm weather, when daytime temperatures are more than 20 degrees from the end of April and for a long period of time. Therefore, you can take a chance and plant 8 cucumber bushes in early dates under film temporary shelters. At the same time, without losing anything, you can get an early harvest - small, of course, but it’s better than nothing!
