Among other vegetable crops, this green vegetable is far from uncommon. It is grown and eaten in many countries of the world. All year round he does not leave the shelves of shops and markets.
Cucumbers can be grown continuously: in summer in open ground, and in winter in heated greenhouses. They use this vegetable crop most often fresh. Also,
winter preparations are prepared from cucumbers
. Pickled and pickled cucumbers have excellent taste. Green vegetable is very popular among the population. As part of the ingredients of many salads, you can find fresh or pickled cucumbers.
When to plant cucumbers in open ground
Since this vegetable crop is quite thermophilic, the time of its cultivation in the open field falls on the summer period. Planting cucumbers in the middle lane can begin in late spring, when the soil warms up well. Usually this is the second half of May.
Preparatory work before planting
Cucumbers are a vegetable crop, demanding on lighting, moisture and soil fertility. For their successful cultivation, the site intended for planting is prepared in the fall. They dig it up and make fertilizers. To prevent diseases of future plantings of vegetable crops, the soil is treated with copper sulfate, superphosphate and ash are added. In the spring, having plowed such a plot, you can safely sow prepared seeds.
What cucumber seeds are suitable for sowing
Fresh seeds that were harvested last year should not be sown. The best seeds of cucumbers - collected a few years ago. Such seed will surely give excellent strong shoots that will please a plentiful harvest.
How to prepare seeds for sowing
Selected seeds can simply be sown without pre-treatment in the ground. But in order to get friendly shoots, it is better to prepare them. For this purpose, warming up the seeds and soaking is suitable. Before processing, seeds are sorted out, small and damaged ones are thrown away - they are unsuitable for sowing. Seeds are heated in water at a temperature of forty degrees for two hours. Then they are soaked for several days. During this time they are biting. Small sprouts appear. In this form, the seeds are sown in moist soil.
When to plant cucumbers in a greenhouse
In a stationary heated greenhouse, this thermophilic plant is grown all year round. When growing, you need good lighting and watering. After the emergence of plant shoots, the soil is constantly loosened and the necessary fertilizing is applied. Overgrown lashes are tied up vertically. Plant care consists in constant watering, fertilizing and treatment from pests and diseases.
Growing seedlings of cucumbers
In order to accelerate the harvest, you can grow seedlings in advance. It is grown in heated greenhouses or at home. Two seeds are sown in small pots. Plants easily tolerate transplantation and take root well.
How to plant seedlingsPlants are planted under film shelters in late April. Also excellent for this purpose are spring greenhouses. Seedlings grown in pots are planted, without damaging the root system, in moist soil. Properly planted plants do not get sick and quickly take root. When planting cucumbers under film shelters, weather conditions will tell. If at the end of April the temperature is positive, but there is a threat of frost on the soil, you need to wait a while to plant seedlings. But one should not delay planting, since overgrown plants poorly take root. Experienced vegetable growers can always determine exactly when to plant cucumbers.
How to choose the right plant varieties
When choosing varieties of cucumbers, you should carefully study the description attached to the seeds. In heated greenhouses only self-pollinated can be grown, and for open ground conditions it is better to choose bee-pollinated varieties. You should also pay attention to the purpose of the selected vegetable crop. So, there are salad and pickled varieties of cucumbers.