How to properly trim the leaves of cucumbers in a greenhouse and is it necessary to do so?

Many people dream of a rich harvest, but not everyone knows that one of the ways to increase the yield of cucumber crops is to trim the leaves. Why and how to do this procedure correctly - we will tell you in more detail.

Is it necessary to trim the leaves of cucumbers in a greenhouse and why?

Leaf trimming And bush formation - an expedient and effective procedure for improving the quality of the crop. With uncontrolled growth of the plant, many empty flowers (male inflorescences) are formed, the cucumber vine begins to branch, making care difficult.

Benefits of forming cucumber bushes

Trimming the leaves increases the yield and taste of the fruit, because the plant does not waste energy on the growth of vines:

• new ovaries form faster;
• bitterness disappears from cucumbers;
• fruits of the correct shape are formed;
• less water is required to water the bush;
• air circulation improves;
• improved access to plant roots for weeding and loosening;
• makes harvesting easier.

By trimming excess leaves, they reduce the density of the bushes - the plant receives more light and is better ventilated, which reduces the likelihood of fungal diseases.

The choice of method for forming a cucumber bush depends on the method of pollination of the variety (parthenocarpic and bee-pollinated), the timing of ripening (early ripening, mid-ripening, late ripening), the method of planting (row, checkerboard) and garter (vertical, horizontal or net).

Reference. When growing cucumbers in greenhouses, the bush is formed into one stem, in open ground - into two or three vines.

Basic principles of pruning in a greenhouse

Seedlings in a greenhouse quickly increase their vegetative mass - stems, leaves, inflorescences and ovaries. Nutrients are evenly distributed throughout the vine - cutting off excess shoots and leaves contributes to better nutrition of the ovaries.

Experienced gardeners recommend adhering to general principles when pruning greenhouse cucumbers:

1. The bush is formed no earlier than a week and a half after planting.
2. The formation of bushes begins with a garter.
3. Pruning is carried out only with sharp sterilized instruments (boil for 5-10 minutes) - in case of breakage stepchildren Hands can damage the plant.
4. The shoots are trimmed close to the stem, without leaving any protruding “stumps”.
5. Pruning is done regularly as the bush grows - at least once a week.
6. The procedure is carried out in the morning so that by evening the “wounds” heal and the plant does not catch an infection.
7. The air temperature is at least 20°C.

During any manipulations with the plant, carefully handle the central stem - if it is damaged, the plant dies.

Terms of formation of cucumber bushes

There are no exact dates for the formation of bushes, but it is believed that the best period for this comes three weeks after planting the seedlings in the greenhouse, when the cucumber vine reaches a length of 50 cm. Do not delay pruning - this leads to stretching and tangling of the shoots.

If the bush quickly begins to grow unregulated, cut off the side shoots that have grown to a length of 5-6 cm - in this case, pinching is safe for the central stems and is easily tolerated by the plant.

Methods for tying bushes before shaping

Garter - this is the fastening and direction of the cucumber vine along the guide element. In a tied plant, it is easy to identify the main stem and lateral shoots.

Cucumbers are gartered when 4-6 leaves form on the vine, and the plant itself grows more than 30 cm long. A special structure is built for gartering, which will help the bush form and free up space in the garden bed.

Attention! The supports are installed before planting the cucumbers.

Prepare materials for making supports:

• two-meter posts made of wood or metal;
• twine or cord;
• plastic mesh;
• hooks for fastening;
• fixing pegs;
• strips of soft fabric (cotton, knitwear) 3-4 cm wide;
• tools – hammer and pliers;
• nails.

It is not recommended to use thin wire for gartering - it can injure the plants.

There are several methods cucumber garters – let’s look at each in more detail.

Vertical

This method is convenient because each plant will have an individual support along which it can climb:

1. Inside the greenhouse, along the edges of the bed, a U-shaped structure 2 m high is placed - if the bed is long, you can put an additional support in the middle of the P.
2. One end of a rope or twine is attached to the upper horizontal bar, the number of which depends on the number of cucumber seedlings.
3. The second end is lowered down, pulled and secured in the ground with pegs or pins next to the bush.
4. The cucumber stem is carefully wrapped around the support, directing it clockwise.
5. The plant is carefully secured with strips of fabric.

Horizontal

This method is used in open ground or low greenhouses:

1. On both sides of the beds, supports 1.5-2 m high are dug in - there are two pillars for each row of cucumbers.
2. Between them, at a distance of about 30 cm from the ground, stretch the first row of cord or twine.
3. Parallel to the first, several rows of cord are pulled at the same distance (25-30 cm) from each other to the very top.
4. Young shoots are carefully directed to the lower tier of the structure; they can be secured with strips of soft fabric so that they do not fall; then they themselves will begin to crawl along the rows of the support and form.

The disadvantage of this method is that as soon as the cucumber vine reaches the upper level, it will no longer be able to continue to rise further and will begin to hang down, shading the lower part of the plant and interfering with the care of the bush.

Mesh

The stores offer a large selection of nets for weaving plants - they are easy to install, have large cells and are made of durable, non-rotting materials:

1. Two supports up to 2.5 m high are dug in on both sides of the bed.
2. The mesh is stretched and firmly secured between them.
3. The bushes are directed onto the net and, if necessary, secured with strips of fabric.
4. The cucumber vine itself is woven into the mesh and formed.

When gartering, the lashes are tied loosely, without tension, so as not to tear the plant out of the ground. The top is left free, otherwise the plant will begin to turn yellow and wither.

Trimming schemes

The choice of pruning scheme depends on the group of cucumber varieties.

Parthenocarpic

Parthenocarpic cucumbers are hybrids that form fruits without pollination. About a third of the harvest is produced on the central stem, the rest is formed on the side shoots.

Cutting leaves and shoots is done in this order:

1. The stem is conventionally divided into four zones, pruning begins from the bottom.
2. The first conditional zone is to remove the first side shoots and flowers in the axils between the second and fourth leaves, without touching the leaves themselves.
3. The second conditional zone is when the stem reaches a length of approximately 70 cm and four new leaves appear, only the side shoots are cut off (leaves and flowers are not touched), and one ovary and one leaf are left on the stem.
4. The third conditional zone is at a height of 120-130 cm, when the tenth leaf appears, the shoots that form above it are removed. Here two flowers and two ovaries are left in three nodes.
5. The fourth conditional zone - in it, after the appearance of the twelfth leaf, all ovaries and leaves are cut off, three ovaries are left on the side shoots and three leaves are left on the stem every half meter.
6. After this, the top of the stem is pinched so that the lash does not grow anymore, and secured to the upper support.

Topping - This is a shortening of the length of the shoot.

Bee pollinated

Bee-pollinated varieties form ovaries only after pollination, so they are planted in open greenhouses. Experts recommend forming a bush into one stem, as is the case with parthenocarpics.

The ovaries of bee-pollinated varieties are formed on the side shoots - pruning is carried out in a gentle way.

1. The main stem is not cut until it reaches the top crossbar of the support.
2. Only the first two shoots are removed.
3. The shoots are cut off when 4-5 leaves appear on them, leaving 3-4 inflorescences.
4. In the area of ​​the crossbar, the side shoots grow up to 50 cm - they wrap around the crossbar with the main stem, pinching off the side shoots.

Pruning of brown, yellow, damaged and dried leaves is carried out at any time, regardless of the growth of the cucumber vine.

How to properly trim cucumbers

When pruning vines, they try not to change the position of the shoots and leaves, so as not to break off the desired shoots.

Is it possible to pick off the first leaves?

For a young plant, cutting off the first leaves can negatively affect the yield - in the phase of formation of 3-4 true leaves, the entire mass of flowers of the future harvest is laid.

Do I need to remove cotyledon buds?

One elongated leaf of the cotyledon is formed at the very beginning of seedling growth and grows for about a week. As the plant grows, it no longer needs the cotyledon leaf; it dries out and falls off.

It is not recommended to remove cotyledons; the leaf is important for the growth of the seedling - sometimes the plant dies due to the breakage of the cotyledon leaf.

Trimming the lower leaves

The lower leaves are removed only from healthy and lush plants - if there is little greenery on the bush, trimming the lower leaves can destroy the plant.

The lower leaves are cut at a distance of 20-25 cm from the ground - excessive soil moisture and the likelihood of fungus or root rot are reduced.

Is it necessary to pick off the first flowers?

Experienced gardeners recommend removing some of the male empty flowers so that the plant does not waste energy on their growth - leaving 1-2 male flowers per vine.

Female flowers are never picked off - they form ovaries.

Should I remove the first ovaries?

The first ovaries in the lower part of the bush develop very slowly. Experts advise removing them and leaving only those ovaries that have formed at a height of 80-90 cm - after removing the first ovaries, the plant will direct the released forces to the development of the stem and root system.

Which shoots are recommended to be pruned for a good harvest?

Removing excess shoots promotes plant growth - pruning on a cucumber bush:

• lower shoots in contact with the ground;
• lateral shoots on which fruits are not formed;
• old, yellowed lashes;
• stems with deformed fruits.

Conclusion

Pruning leaves when forming bushes is necessary - the plant develops better, its productivity increases: excess tops do not take away the nutrients that go into the formation of fruits; the sun's rays evenly illuminate the cucumber vine, improving the process of photosynthesis; the risk of disease is reduced due to good air circulation.

Correct and timely pruning of leaves and shoots is an important stage in plant care - a generous harvest of cucumbers will be a worthy reward for your painstaking work.