The most effective recipes for feeding cucumbers during fruiting

To obtain a good harvest of cucumbers, it is necessary to provide the plants with warm, moist soil rich in nutrients. To keep the soil warm, in the spring, manure or humus is added to it, which warms the soil. Regular watering will provide moisture. And, of course, you can’t do without fertilizers. With what feed the cucumbers during the fruiting period? We will consider this issue in detail in our article.

The importance of different types of fertilizers

The yield of the crop depends on the fertility of the soil. To enrich the soil with nutrients, mineral and organic fertilizers are applied.

Mineral fertilizers compensate for the lack of fluorine, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. They improve the quality of the crop: the content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, biologically active substances and ash elements.

But mineral fertilizers alone cannot do it. To maintain fertility and activate microflora, organic fertilizers are needed:

• manure;
• humus;
• bird droppings;
• stubble and root remains of annual plants.

Only the integrated use of mineral and organic fertilizers will preserve soil fertility and improve crop yields.

What are the consequences of a lack of microelements?

Lack of microelements often leads to chlorosis. The formation of chlorophyll, necessary for photosynthesis, is disrupted.

The lack of microelements is determined by external changes in the plant:

1. Magnesium. The deficiency has a bad effect on the process of photosynthesis - plant growth and development of the root system stops. Externally, magnesium deficiency is manifested by the appearance of yellow, wrinkled spots on the leaves.
2. Potassium. Its deficiency leads to cessation of growth, the fruits become watery and bitter.
3. Phosphorus. Signs of deficiency do not appear immediately. Gradually the leaf becomes smaller, becomes dark green, and becomes covered with watery spots.
4. Calcium. Its deficiency manifests itself in disruption of the shape of the leaves - they curl and become flaccid. Calcium deficiency leads to the appearance of rot, which spreads to the fruits, root system and stem of the plant.

Fertilizer application periods

During the season, cucumbers are fed four times:

1. Two weeks after landing. Potassium-nitrogen fertilizers are used.
2. During the budding period. Here, fertilizers with magnesium and boron are added to potassium-nitrogen ones.
3. During flowering. Fertilize with organic matter - infusion of bird droppings or mullein solution.
4. In the process of fruiting. Potassium fertilizers are used and phosphorus is added later.

If fruiting decreases sharply or signs of a lack of microelements are visible, additional fertilizing can be done.

Important! When choosing the type and dosage of fertilizer, the composition of the soil, the appearance of the plant and weather conditions are taken into account.

Feeding cucumbers during fruiting

During the fruiting period, cucumbers spend all their energy on forming fruits. Plants can be supported by adding additional nutrients.

Root

In summer, in hot, dry weather, fertilizers are applied at the root. The developed root system absorbs liquid fertilizer well and easily absorbs nutrients.

Attention! Before applying root fertilizing, the cucumbers are shed with clean water so that the roots do not get burned.

Foliar

In August - September you can extend the fruiting of cucumbers. For this:

• fruits are collected regularly;
• mulch the plants with mowed grass, creating a thermal layer;
• switch to foliar feeding - at low temperatures, the root system of cucumbers does not absorb nutrition well, so fertilizers are applied by spraying the leaves.

Foliar feeding is carried out in the evening or in cloudy weather with a sprayer that produces small splashes or even fog. The longer the solution sits on the leaves, the more nutrients they will receive.

Spray leaves on both sides. The lower side of the leaf absorbs more intensely than the upper side due to the larger number of stomata.

Recipes and schemes for using fertilizers

Summer residents use a huge range of fertilizers. Among them there are ready-made complex mineral compositions, organic fertilizers and solutions prepared at home.

Yeast

The most effective top dressing, which is prepared at home.

Compound:

• 1 pack of raw yeast (100 g);
• 3 liters of water;
• 0.5 cups sugar.

Mix everything and leave for 2-3 hours. Then dilute a glass of infusion in a bucket of water and water the plants 0.5 liters per bush.

If only dry yeast is available, 1 tbsp. l. diluted in 10 liters of water, add 2 tbsp. l. sugar and leave for three days. Then 1 liter of the mixture is diluted in a bucket of water and watered on each bush.

Important! Feeding cucumbers with yeast requires well-warmed soil to start the process of fungal proliferation.

Grain feeding

If there is no yeast, you can use bread fertilizer. Place a loaf of bread (or dry bread) in a bucket of water, fill it with water and leave overnight.In the morning, knead the bread, mix, strain and add 30 drops of iodine. For feeding, dilute 1 liter of infusion in a bucket of water.

Milk serum

Whey is sprayed to combat bacterial diseases or watered under the root for additional nutrition.

For spraying, dilute 2 cups of whey in 1 liter of water. Spray no more than once a month in the morning or evening.

For watering you will need:

• 1 liter of whey or sour milk;
• 10 drops of iodine;
• 10 liters of clean water.

Pour 1 liter of liquid under each bush once every 10 days.

Fermented green manure

To prepare, cut green grass is placed in a black plastic bag, tightly closed and left for 2 days. During this time, the grass will heat up, the process of decomposition and fermentation will begin, and all pathogenic bacteria will die. Then transfer the grass into a bucket to fill half the volume and fill it with water, leaving to ferment for 2-3 hours.

Water each bush with an undiluted solution every 2 weeks. The soil around the plants is mulched with grass residues.

Onion peel infusion

150-200 g of onion peels are poured into a bucket of hot water and left for 4 hours until cool. Water each plant with 1 liter of solution. Cucumbers can be sprayed with the same solution.

Nitrogen fertilizing

Gardeners prefer to fertilize cucumbers with the following fertilizers:

• urea - 1.5 tbsp. l. on a bucket of water;
• calcium nitrate - sprayed with a solution in water in a proportion of 20 g per 10 l every 2 weeks;
• manure of all animals;
• bird droppings;
• peat.

But you should not use nitrogen fertilizers too often, as they provoke the growth of green mass.

Potassium supplements

Potassium fertilizers are organic and mineral.

Potassium is found in organic matter:

• mullein and bird droppings;
• ash;
• green fertilizer.

During fruiting It's better to use ash. In dry weather, it is diluted in water and the bushes are watered. When it rains, scatter ash around the plant.

Mineral complexes with potassium are available for sale:

1. Potassium humate. Dilute 3 g of powder in 10 liters of water and spray the plants. Potassium humate cannot be combined with other fertilizers.
2. "Calimagnesia". Consists of potassium (30%), sulfur (17%) and magnesium (10%). Take 1 tbsp per bucket of water. l. dry powder and stir until dissolved. “Kalimagnesia” is used until August to prolong fruiting.

Calcium fertilizers

During fruiting of cucumbers, calcium is added with great care and only when necessary. Calcium is absorbed in the presence of nitrogen, and nitrogen fertilizers increase the accumulation of nitrates.

If there is a need for calcium, use calcium nitrate. It is added in dry or dissolved form in a ratio of 25 g per 15 liters of water.

Other fertilizers

Cucumbers often lack several elements at once.. This becomes visible when the fruits take on a bizarre, incomprehensible shape. In this case, use a complex fertilizer: dilute “Nitroammofoska” in a proportion of 2 tbsp. l. per 1 liter of water and spray the leaves of the plant. You can repeat it after 7-8 days.

For phosphorus starvation, potassium monophosphate is used, which contains 50% phosphorus and 26% potassium. With its help, they extend the period of cucumber production and protect plants from temperature changes and diseases. For irrigation, use a solution of 10 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of water. And for spraying, mix 5 g of product in 10 liters of liquid.

What should you not fertilize cucumbers during fruiting?

During the fruiting period, it is strictly forbidden to use chicken manure, which causes the growth of green mass and stepsons, reducing flowering and fruit set.

Use nitrogen-containing fertilizers with caution, since cucumbers tend to accumulate nitrates in the fruits.

Superphosphate is also used to a limited extent. At this time, cucumbers need sulfates and chelates. But phosphates don't work at all.

Important! “Diammofoska” is used to activate the growth of cucumbers and increase productivity. It is used only before flowering begins.

Conclusion

Cucumbers require attention and care. Once you have selected the appropriate fertilizer for the growing season, use it every two weeks. Alternate watering and spraying. Then your efforts will be rewarded with an excellent harvest of cucumbers.