How to pinch cucumbers correctly - when and why it is necessary
Cucumbers are one of the most popular garden crops in our latitudes. However, the homeland of the vegetable is the tropical and subtropical regions of India. At the foot of the Himalayas there are still cucumbers growing in the wild. The crop was first grown in greenhouses in Ancient Rome, and the vegetable first came to Russia only in the 16th century.
Not every gardener, especially a beginner, can get a good harvest of cucumbers on his plot. One way to increase yield is to pinch cucumber vines. In this article we will tell you how to pinch cucumbers correctly and whether it is necessary to do so.
The essence of the technique
Novice gardeners mistakenly believe that caring for crops consists only of watering and fertilizing. To grow a good harvest, cucumber bushes need to be shaped.
Attention! Pinching cucumbers is an agricultural technique aimed at forming cucumber vines for abundant and long-lasting fruiting.
Pinching cucumbers is also called pinching. The essence of the technique is to remove the upper part of the young shoot of the cucumber in order to activate the growth and development of lateral shoots. The pinching method (pinching off the top) is widely used when growing vegetable crops.
Such an event in open ground or in a greenhouse preserves the plant’s strength for intensive fruiting.
The meaning of the pinching procedure
The need for the procedure is determined by the growth characteristics of the cucumber crop. During natural growth, predominantly “male” shoots are formed on the main stem of the bush. In the future, many “barren flowers” are formed on them, which do not produce fruit ovaries after the flowers wither.
“Female” flowers appear on the side shoots. For this reason, pinching a cucumber bush is a necessary condition for abundant fruiting.
Pinching plants when grown in a greenhouse and in open ground provides the following advantages:
- more female flowers are formed on the bush;
- the illumination of leaves and ovaries improves;
- the likelihood of diseases occurring due to dense plantings is reduced;
- productivity increases;
- the duration of fruiting increases;
- the likelihood of bitter fruits is reduced;
- the fruits ripen faster.
Do I need to pinch hybrid cucumbers?
In some cases, a rich harvest of cucumbers can be obtained without forming a bush. Breeders have developed varieties and hybrids of the crop with a female type of flowering not only on the side shoots, but also on the main stem. If such plants need pinching, it is only for the purpose of thinning the bushes.
Hybrid varieties of the crop are branched (with developed lateral shoots) and single-stemmed (with limited growth of lateral shoots).
Important! Pinching the main stem of single-stem cucumber hybrids will ruin your harvest.
With sufficient heat, sunlight and moisture, branched varieties produce the greatest yield. In such plants, after the first, main wave of fruiting on the main stem, fruits begin to form on the side vines.
Need to know! When growing early ripening hybrids with active branching, the fruiting period is extended to 1.5-2 months.
Popular hybrids of branched hybrid cucumbers include Ant F1, Grasshopper F1, Trump Card F1.
Timing of the procedure
Pinching of those varieties and hybrids of crops that need it is carried out soon after planting the seedlings in open ground or in a greenhouse/greenhouse.
But first, the cucumber bushes are tied up. They start gartering when the plant has formed 4-5 true leaves. On average, at this time the bush grows up to 30 cm in height.
The most common vertical garter method uses a horizontal bar fixed at a height of about 2 m, to which twine is tied. Each bush uses its own rope. The stem of each plant is carefully tied up.
After this, they begin to form the bush. Depending on the crop variety, location and growing conditions, pinch out the main or side shoots.
This is interesting:
What is cucumber, how is it grown and eaten.
Why are cucumbers bitter, how to prevent it and what to do with the harvest.
What is needed for the procedure
To carry out the pinching procedure, you will need a sharp stationery knife, pruning shears or regular scissors. Of course, you can pinch the stem with your fingers, but in this case the tip of the lash becomes frayed. It is easier for infection to get into such a wound, and then the stem will begin to rot.
After processing each bush, the instrument is disinfected. Disinfection of scissors is carried out primarily to protect against the spread of viral diseases that are transmitted through the sap of diseased plants.
Various means are used for disinfection.Alcohol wipes and medicinal sprays work well. You can use household products containing chlorine or alcohol.
Instructions for pinching cucumbers
Cucumber is a climbing plant. Therefore, to save space, the vegetable is grown on a vertical support. This is especially true with the greenhouse method of propagation.
The pinching procedure is carried out before flowering begins. Be careful when removing excess shoots. Damage to the main stem and removal of excess leaves will result in the death of the plant.
The procedure is done as follows: with one hand they slightly pull back the leaf, and with the other they carefully cut off the lash at the stem or pinch it off with their hands.
The procedure for pinching in open ground, in a greenhouse/greenhouse and on a balcony is different.
Pinching cucumbers in a greenhouse
The feasibility of the procedure depends on the characteristics of the variety or hybrid being grown and on how densely the seedlings are planted. If the main shoots are short, it is not necessary to pinch them.
The removal of stepchildren begins after 4-5 leaves have formed on the bush and the plant is tied up.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Create a “blinding” zone, i.e. remove leaves and shoots at a height of 50 cm from the ground. The ovaries and young lashes are removed completely.
- At a height of 50 cm to 1 m, the side shoots that are located above the first leaf are pinched.
- Higher up the stem, shoots are pinched above the second leaf.
One ovary is left per leaf. When the main cucumber vine reaches the top of the trellis, it is pinched, leaving three leaves.
The pinching pattern is shown in the photo. A properly carried out procedure provides the cucumber bushes with full sunlight and adequate air flow.
Attention! The free growth of cucumbers in greenhouses and greenhouses leads to excessive shading and oppression of plants. The risk of developing diseases increases and productivity decreases. And it won’t be very convenient to take care of such wilds.
In the open ground
When growing cucumbers in an open place, first cut off the tops of the main vines. This is done when the main shoot has reached more than a meter in height, and the side shoots have grown to 50 cm. Please note that second-order shoots should form on the side shoots.
If there is no garter, remove the growing point after the fourth leaf on the main stem. The lateral shoots are pinched after the second leaf.
If cucumber hybrids are grown in open ground, pinching is done only on the side shoots.
When growing parthenocarpic cucumber varieties in open ground, the pinching procedure is not considered advisable. This is due to the fact that pollination mostly occurs with the help of insects, and the bushes themselves predominantly produce female flowers, which appear at a sufficient speed.
On the balcony/window sill
The achievements of modern breeding make it possible to obtain a good harvest of vegetables even when grown on a windowsill or balcony. In such conditions, the pinching procedure becomes especially important due to the limited space.
The formation of cucumber lashes in this case includes:
- pinching the main stem after it reaches the ceiling;
- regular mustache removal;
- removal of lateral processes.
Common Mistakes
Common mistakes made when forming cucumber bushes include:
- The procedure is too late, when the plant has already grown more than a meter in height.
- Removing half a bush at a time can result in the death of the plant.
- Carrying out pinching immediately after transplantation. After planting the seedlings, wait about two weeks for the plant to take root and become stronger. If the shoots are too small, it is better to give them the opportunity to grow.
- Carrying out the procedure too often. Repeated pinching is done approximately 3-4 weeks after the first.
Advice. In one approach, no more than one fifth of the green mass of the bush is cut off. Too much damage leads to the death of the plant.
Tips and tricks
Pinching cucumbers is a simple technique. Even a novice gardener can master it.
Before you begin agricultural practices, you should familiarize yourself with the recommendations for growing your particular variety. It is important not to confuse hybrids with plants that are pollinated by insects.
In order for the plant to properly distribute nutrition and useful substances to be used for the formation of fruits, the “male” flowers are removed. In this case, nutrients and moisture will evenly flow into the side shoots, where there are more “female” fruiting flowers.
The pinching procedure is carried out in dry weather, in the morning. If pinching is done in the rain, the risk of developing diseases increases.
Read also:
How to properly pinch a pumpkin in open ground.
Causes and treatment of anthracnose in cucumbers: the most effective control methods.
Conclusion
Proper pinching of cucumber bushes increases yield and speeds up ripening. Without pinching, the crop spends a lot of energy on the development of “male” vines with barren flowers and lateral shoots. However, not all varieties and hybrids need this procedure.
Before taking it, study the manufacturer’s recommendations for growing a specific variety of cucumbers.