Cucumber is one of the most popular vegetables. To grow it, it is not necessary to build a greenhouse. Growing cucumbers in the open ground under a number of conditions can bring a rich harvest.
The technology of growing cucumbers: the main points
All plants require moisture, heat, light, and nutrients. Of course, there are some cultures that may well grow without one of these components. However, cucumber in this sense is a rather demanding vegetable.
Below are the main conditions for growing a good crop:
- The main thing is heat. The minimum temperature should be at least 12 degrees. In this case, the cucumbers will grow normally. Before sowing seeds, soil temperature must be measured. You can also use folk signs. Experienced summer residents know that the best time to plant is when acacia and lilac blooms. From this moment, you can start to plant cucumbers. Outdoor cultivation and maintenance are significantly different from similar processes in a greenhouse.
- In case of insufficient heating, the cucumber can grow poorly. However, a lack of light will not adversely affect the plant. The bush will stretch, the leaves will dry out, and there is no need to talk about the taste qualities of cucumbers. Therefore, it is better to choose a well-lit place for landing.
- The technology for growing cucumbers in open ground provides for several periods of plant development. There is a time when vegetables should be abundantly watered, and there is a period when a large amount of moisture can adversely affect the crop. For the first time after planting, a plant needs generous watering. It is then that the vegetable begins to gain vegetative mass. When watering, you need to know the measure, otherwise the water will stagnate and cause decay of the stems. After the buds appear, you need to reduce watering. This little trick will help achieve better development. In subsequent time, it is necessary to gradually increase watering. When the first greenbacks begin to appear on loops, it should be maximum.
- Experienced gardeners are aware of some secrets of growing cucumbers in open ground. One of them is related to irrigation technology. Water should have a temperature in the range of 20 to 25 degrees. Watering cucumbers is best in the late evening. When watering, you must try not to fall on the foliage. If you violate this rule, the plant may "get sick." In this case, the quality of the fruit will noticeably deteriorate.
- Particular attention should be paid to nutrients. For fertilizing cucumbers, manure or compost is best. The choice in this case depends entirely on the gardener. Please note that fresh manure can harm the roots of the plant. Manure contains a large number of weeds and infections. These nutritional supplements are best made in a slightly rotted form. Since the litter is a highly concentrated fertilizer, it should be used only as an additive. The most harmless and versatile fertilizer is compost.
- As for minerals, it is best to convey them to cucumbers in the form of a solution. This is due to the particular sensitivity of the roots of the plant. Feeding is the best way to provide nutrients.
Cultivation methods
The most popular among Russian summer residents is a seedling method. It allows you to reduce sowing time and get an early crop. The cultivation of cucumbers in the open ground in this way has its drawbacks. Roots can be seriously affected when transplanted. To solve this problem, you can use a simple method, namely growing seedlings in peat pots. Subsequently, you can transplant the plant into the open ground right in them.
There are other ways to grow cucumbers in open ground. One of the most effective is considered a warm bed. For its arrangement, it is necessary to dig a small trench and fill it with unspoiled manure or compost. A mixture of these components will do. All of this is sprinkled with a layer of earth. This is where you need to sow the seeds. Manure with compost will continue to rot and thereby create heat that will warm the garden. One of the varieties of this method is planting in a barrel. The vessel is filled from the bottom with rotting organic matter, on top of which a layer of soil is laid.
This method has a number of advantages:
- allows you to save space on a summer cottage;
- helps to avoid the unpleasant consequences of frost;
- creates the most favorable conditions for growing cucumbers;
- provides convenience for caring for plants.
For landing, old glasses are more suitable. At the bottom and sides, it is necessary to make holes to drain the water, as well as improve ventilation of the root system.
Recently, growing cucumbers on trellis in the open ground is becoming increasingly popular. This is a fairly convenient way, since it allows you to provide the most optimal conditions for the growth and development of the plant. Let's consider it in more detail.
Technology for growing cucumbers on a trellis
There are many methods using which you can plant cucumbers. Agricultural cultivation in open ground on a trellis is quite widespread. This is due to a number of advantages, which include rational use of the area, ease of care, improving the quality of the crop, creating the most comfortable conditions in terms of ventilation and lighting. It has long been known that cucumbers planted in this way are less susceptible to disease.
Trellis design
Today you can meet several design options. The most convenient option is the one made in the form of a wall. To arrange it, it is necessary to drive the racks on both sides of the beds and pull the net between them. You can also drive several supports along a row and pull a cord on them. Thus, vertical cultivation of cucumbers in the open ground is carried out.
Another popular type of trellis are double. The design in this case is erected simultaneously for two breasts. Such a trellis must have high strength. Usually it is arranged on rather long rows with a large mass of cucumber lashes.
You can also design a trellis in the shape of a tent. Outwardly, this method looks quite effective. It is great for small areas. In addition, such designs have a rather unusual appearance and will certainly attract attention.
The options for arranging trellis can also include co-cultivation of tall plants with cucumbers like sunflower or corn. They will serve as a support and protection for thermophilic plants. This method provides several advantages at once. First, the work of a gardener is greatly facilitated. Secondly, in this case you can collect two crops at once from one bed. It is worth remembering that you can create a "live support" only if the soil on the site is quite fertile. After all, nutrients in this case should be enough for two plants at once. It is also worth remembering the mandatory use of root or foliar top dressing.
Another important point that you should pay attention to is the period of arrangement of the trellis. It must be erected even before the stems of the cucumbers begin to lie down. Otherwise, you run the risk of disturbing the shoots. It is necessary to create supports when the sprouts of cucumbers rise somewhere by 10 cm.
Features of growing cucumbers in the open ground
This will seem unusual to many, but in fact, the cucumber belongs to the pumpkin plant family. It is customary to consume the fruits of cucumbers in food unripe. The vegetable has excellent taste characteristics. This is a dietary product that, in addition to everything, has a number of medicinal properties.
Cucumber is 98 percent water. It contains a large amount of vitamins and nutrients. According to history, culture arose about 6,000 years ago. A cucumber appeared in India. He was brought to Europe by merchants who did business in those places. In our country, cucumber first appeared in the 15th century. From the beginning of the 18th century, the technology of growing in open ground with soil heating began to be used. At the end of the 18th century, the first greenhouses appeared in Russia. Greenhouses with boron heating and glass frames began to be used only in the 19th century. In the middle of the past, with the advent of the polymer film in gardening, a peculiar revolution took place. This material made it possible to quickly create shelters and greenhouses, which, in turn, simplified the process of growing cucumbers.
Cucumber: useful qualities
The vitamins and nutrients that cucumber contains have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. The vegetable is a source of minerals, and also has healing properties. It has a laxative, choleretic and diuretic effect on the body. It is also used for cosmetic purposes to create anti-acne and anti-aging agents. Prolonged use of cucumbers in food has a beneficial effect on the state of the thyroid gland. The vegetable contains potassium and iodine. In addition, the cucumber contains B vitamins, so it is recommended to eat it in the presence of diseases of the nervous system. Fiber contained in cucumbers helps to cleanse the body. In addition, it neutralizes the harmful effects of toxins. However, not everyone is cucumber useful. It is not recommended to eat for people suffering from gastritis and renal failure.
Varieties
Conventionally, all varieties of cucumbers can be divided into three categories:
- greenhouse: smooth, in length can reach 30 cm;
- beds: in length reach 10-15 cm;
- gherkins: grow no longer than 10 cm.
For salads and fresh meals, cucumbers with white spikes are usually used. Varieties with black spikes are more suitable for salting. Many gardeners recommend German cucumbers. Cultivation in the open ground of this variety allows you to achieve a rich harvest.
Seed preparation
After choosing a variety, you can begin to harvest the seeds. It is better to warm them up and germinate before planting. Heat treatment reduces the risk of diseases in the plant. This procedure is best performed a couple of months before planting. Seeds are suspended near a heat source in gauze. The day before sowing, the seeds are placed in water at room temperature so that they germinate. Then you can start landing.
Growing seedlings
Growing cucumbers in the open ground in the suburbs is very popular. But in order to get a good harvest, you have to seriously try. If you prefer to use seedlings, the soil in which you plan to plant it should be identical in composition to the one in which the sprouts were grown. For its preparation, it is best to use sawdust and peat. Before preparing soil for sawdust, add a tablespoon of nitrate, mix and insist for three days. Then the resulting mixture must be moistened and aged for another two days. This is done so that the soil is properly saturated with fertilizer. Only in this case the plant will be able to get all the substances necessary for growth.
Pre-harvested soil must be distributed in pots. After that, it is watered with a solution prepared from 10 liters of water, a salt of copper, manganese, zinc (each component must be taken in 0.08 grams) and 0.02 grams of boric acid. In each pot you need to make a hole and put a sprouted seed. From above it is lightly sprinkled with earth. Experienced gardeners recommend covering the pots with polyethylene on top. In this case, moisture will not evaporate from the surface. After the appearance of the first shoots, the film should be removed.
How to make a garden bed?
Many today are interested in how to plant cucumbers "Courage". Outdoor cultivation can produce good results. Also, the plant needs good lighting, high humidity and proper care. The first step is to prepare the beds. Usually they begin to do this in the fall. To grow cucumbers, you need to dig a strip with a depth of 30 cm and a width of 70 cm. The length is determined by the size of the plot that you are going to set aside for planting. A small depression is made in the center of the bed, in which grass, leaves, sawdust and peat are laid. In this state, they are left until spring. With the onset of heat, 15 cm of manure and fertile soil are laid at the bottom. After this, it is necessary to pour the prepared solution on the bed. It consists of a liter of wood ash, 10 grams of potassium salt, 20 grams of superphosphate and a solution of manganese. After that, the earth is watered abundantly and covered with a film.
Conclusion
And so how is the cultivation and care of cucumbers in the open ground? Subject to planting technology and proper care, a rich harvest can be achieved. If you want to get a positive result, be sure to study what conditions need to be created for the plants.