Secrets of the best agronomists: how to grow cucumbers in open ground

Any summer resident wants to get a good harvest of cucumbers in his garden. The cultivation of these vegetables has its own subtleties, the observance of which increases it. They consist of choosing the right planting site, preparing seeds, following watering rules, fertilizing, tilling the soil and collecting vegetables in a timely manner.

In this article, we’ll look at how to properly approach planting and caring for cucumbers in open ground; we’ll tell you not only about the basic nuances, but also reveal the secrets of experienced vegetable growers.

How to grow cucumbers in open ground

Although there is nothing complicated in the technology of growing cucumbers, you still need to know the basic rules of agricultural technology. This culture is demanding of moisture, light and heat. When cultivated, plants are protected from strong winds, frosts, diseases and pests. But besides the basic rules, there are also some features.

Basic conditions for the growth of a good harvest

The optimal air temperature for cultivating this vegetable is from +22 to +26°C. If it falls below +15°C or rises above +42°C, the crop stops growing. If the temperature remains below +12°C for a long time, the plant dies. Sudden changes in air temperature are also harmful for planting.

What do cucumbers like?

Cucumbers love fertile soil. Cucumbers are good grow on sandy loam soils rich in organic matter. When growing vegetables, follow simple instructions, and then you will be guaranteed a bountiful harvest.

Preparing the seeds

If you bought seeds from your own hands or collected them from your own harvest, then prepare them before sowing. First, do the calibration. To do this, place the seeds for 15 minutes in a 3% solution of table salt. Mix the seeds thoroughly in salted water to remove all bubbles from their surface. Any seeds that float are unusable; throw them away. Rinse and dry the rest. Treat only seeds that are 1-2 years old.

Next, the seeds are disinfected: poured into a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes and then rinsed. The procedure is carried out to protect the grains from infections.

To germinate seeds, place them in warm water for a day, then remove them and wrap them in wet cotton cloth. They are left in this form until grain-sized sprouts appear. The fabric is periodically slightly moistened.

Planting seeds in the ground

Cucumber is a heat-loving crop. Seeds are sown in heated soil. The first April warming can be deceptive; it often changes into a long-term cold snap, which causes the seeds to rot, rot in the ground and die.

Cucumbers are sown when the soil warms up to +12-13°C. The grains begin to be planted in the holes according to the 40x40 pattern. The specific planting distance depends on the variety and area. Wood ash and humus are placed in each hole. Soil is poured on top and the seeds are deepened into it by 3-5 cm. The crops are moistened and covered with film.

When sprouts appear, the covering material is removed. The beds are also insulated with sawdust.

Planting seedlings

For an earlier and more abundant harvest, cucumbers are grown in seedlings. In addition, seedlings with this method will be strong and can easily cope with adverse weather conditions.

Seedlings are grown for 20-25 days. They are planted in a permanent place of growth in late May - early June. 10 days before transplanting, the soil begins to warm up: it is periodically watered with hot water and covered with film.

When planting plants, leave 50 cm between rows, and 30-40 cm between plants. Replanting is done carefully so as not to damage the root system. The wells are watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Plastic arcs are installed on top of the plantings and the film is stretched.

During the day, at an air temperature of +25°C, the shelter on one side is opened by 25 cm.

Preparing the soil and cucumber beds

The land plot for planting cucumbers has been prepared since autumn. All remnants of previous crops are removed and the soil is fed with organic fertilizers.

in spring priming dig up about 15-20 cm. After this, all weeds are removed from the area and left in this form to warm up for about two weeks. For better effect, cover the ground with black plastic film or agro-fabric.

After planting the cucumbers, mulching is carried out. To do this, cover the soil with a 5-6 cm layer of hay, leaves, and straw. Mulch retains moisture in the soil longer. Straw repels slugs and other insects.

Features of outdoor care

Care during fruiting consists of forming a bush, timely application of fertilizers, watering, loosening the soil and hilling.

Secrets of proper watering

The surface of cucumber leaves is thin, so if there is a lack of moisture, they lose turgor. Because of this, the first ovaries that appear fall off, which leads to a decrease in yield. Excessive moisture is also harmful, increasing the plant's susceptibility to disease.

Watering carried out with water at room temperature, preferably settled or rainwater.Regimen: at least once a week, 3-5 liters of water per plant.

Hilling

With the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, the bushes spud. This is done in order to grow additional roots and increase the endurance of the crop.

For your information. The stronger the root system of cucumbers, the faster the ovaries form.

When and what kind of fertilizer to apply

Improper application of fertilizers has a bad effect on plants. They feed it's mostly organic. Use mullein or chicken manure diluted with water 1:10. For each bush, 1-1.5 liters of fertilizer are used. Plants are fed twice a month. If the weather is hot, this is done more often.

The culture responds well to alternating complex mineral and organic fertilizers. To apply mineral fertilizers, special preparations are used, for example, “Crystallin”, “Solution” or “Kemira”. Still effective feed plants with ash solution (a glass of ash per 10 liters of water).

On a note. Experienced gardeners feed cucumbers with cow's milk diluted with water in a 1:2 ratio.

Protection from diseases and pests

Due to diseases and pests, growing cucumbers in open ground becomes more difficult. Diseases plague the crop throughout the growing season. In the open air, the infection is transmitted by air.

The most common diseases of cucumbers:

• root rot;
• anthracnose;
• powdery mildew.

Root rot can destroy the entire crop. The first signs appear immediately after planting the plants in a permanent place. When the temperature rises during the day, the foliage withers and regains its elasticity at night. The lower part of the stem of the bushes becomes brown. At this time, do the following:

• fungicide “Hom” or biological product “Bactofit” is added to the soil;
• spud the stems to develop new roots;
• To make plants more resistant to diseases, bushes are treated with Effekton.

Anthracnose affects the entire plant: lashes, leaves and even fruits. Yellow spots spread across the foliage, pink cankers appear on the fruits, the stems begin to dry out, and the vegetables become unfit for consumption.

The sooner the plant is cured, the greater the chances of saving it. To combat anthracnose, the bushes are treated with 1% Bordeaux mixture.

Powdery mildew appears due to cool weather (+15-20°C) with high air humidity. The disease first appears as a white coating on the leaves. Subsequently, the foliage dries and turns yellow.

Cucumber bushes are treated against powdery mildew with an aqueous infusion of mullein (1:10). If the disease has already progressed, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of iron sulfate (5%).

Often attacks plants aphid, which complicates the care of the crop. Leaves of damaged bushes wither and turn yellow, buds and ovaries deteriorate. Insects reproduce quickly; they can destroy an entire garden bed in literally 10 days.

To combat, use a soap-ash solution. Add 2 tbsp to 1 liter of water. l. ash and laundry soap diluted in hot water. The leaves and stems of cucumbers are washed with this product. The procedure is carried out in the morning, and at noon a covering material is thrown over the plants, protecting the leaves from sunburn. After five days the event is repeated.

On a note. To repel pests and feed weak plants, the soil underneath is sprinkled with wood ash.

Forming a cucumber bush and pinching it

In order not to harm the plants, pinching is carried out in this way:

1. The formation of lashes involves removing excess flowers and shoots after the sixth leaf. For hybrid crops, at least three shoots are left, for the rest - one.
2. Further actions are aimed at maintaining a uniform form of the plant: for example, if four growth points are selected, then the appearance of additional ones is not allowed - this will reduce the yield.

Techniques for increasing the yield of cucumbers in open ground

The cucumber crop is moistened with the addition of apple cider vinegar.. Rain or tap water is poured into a barrel. When it warms up, add apple cider vinegar to it. For 200 l, 1.5 cups is enough. Cucumbers are watered with this acidic solution throughout the season. It will be possible to harvest 15% more grown ground cucumbers than when irrigated with regular water.

If plants are poorly pollinated, they are helped with a brush. With its help, pollen is transferred from male flowers to female flowers. Male and female flowers are easy to distinguish: males have stamens, females have a pistil. The former produces pollen, the latter produces the ovary.

If there are several beds with cucumbers on the site that do not set, and pollination work is impractical, it is necessary to interrupt watering for a while. When stressed, cucumbers begin to produce many female flowers.

Care during fruiting

The area with cucumbers is kept clean and weeds are carefully removed. For the first three weeks, young bushes are loosened to a depth of 3 cm.

Important! Loosening is carried out carefully so as not to damage the weak root system. When the bushes grow, they loosen them every week.

Cucumbers require regular support. After the seventh leaf appears, pinch off the main stem.This allows the plant to produce more side shoots, which will significantly increase the yield.

Harvesting

You should not wait for the fruits to gain maximum weight. The more often cucumbers are harvested, the faster new ones will form. Vegetables are harvested at least three times a week.

Recommendations for growing a rich harvest

Experienced summer residents advise using the following life hacks:

1. In order for the earth to warm up faster in the spring, it is covered with black film.
2. In cool weather, young plants are protected with cut plastic bottles or a greenhouse made of arcs is installed.
3. If there is not enough space on the site, plants are planted in barrels. For such planting, varieties with strong climbing are used.
4. Growing cucumbers on trellises will make it easier to care for and collect vegetables, and will save space on the site.
5. Watering is carried out early in the morning. By evening, the earth overheats, and cold water damages the root system.
6. The largest harvest is obtained at the beginning and end of summer, since cucumbers require only 12 hours of daylight for good growth.
7. Be sure to hill up cucumbers so that additional roots develop, plus this protects the stem from fungus.
8. To stimulate the formation of female flowers, reduce watering before flowering. The bush activates the growth of flowers to avoid death.
9. Experienced gardeners remove the first ovaries. At the time of their formation, the plant has a weak root system, so after the procedure it will direct its forces to strengthen it.

Conclusion

Every summer resident knows how to grow cucumbers: planting and caring for the garden does not require much effort. But even such an unpretentious culture has its own “wishes”. The main conditions are competent care and care.By following the rules of agricultural technology and protecting plants from diseases and pests in a timely manner, you will get a good harvest of cucumbers in the open ground.