Cucumber is the most common vegetable in summer cottages. Most importantly, it is easy to grow it yourself. Today you will learn the basic aspects to get a wonderful and fragrant harvest.
The best predecessors
For several years in a row, cucumbers cannot be planted on the same bed. It is best to plant root crops after this plant, such as radishes, carrots, turnips and beets, because the root system of cucumber bushes develops in a soil layer no deeper than 20 centimeters.
When planting legumes next year, you will have a restored bed saturated with useful substances.
And in the third year it is desirable to plant tomatoes, corn, onions, bell peppers. Siderats are also welcome. With their help, the earth is enriched with nitrogen, starch and trace elements.
You should definitely not plant watermelons, zucchini, pumpkins, melons. This is due to the fact that they consume exactly the same nutrients, which means they deplete the soil.
Deadlines
Calculate the timing before sowing seeds for seedlings, because if you rush to sow the seedlings, the seedlings will stretch and re-mature. And if you are late, then the seedlings will not be able to form well on time.
The best time for planting cucumber seedlings is June, from the 1st to the 10th. Because cucumbers are very thermophilic and are afraid of frost, and during this period they should not be.
Please note that by this time the seedlings will have at least three leaves.
To extend the cucumber season, cucumbers are sown with a difference of 10-15 days. In this case, different varieties should be used. Due to the decrease in insect activity, by autumn it will be more correct to choose self-pollinated varieties. In this way you will achieve successive fruiting.
Very often, cucumbers are sown in July. This is done as a re-sowing. This is necessary to get a crop much longer. Closer to mid-August, you will also have a large number of cucumbers, despite the fact that the May ones are already withering and producing less fruit.
Prepare
Site preparation should begin in the fall. The earth is dug up and, if necessary, then lime. Next, add straw, sawdust, mowed grass to a depth of about 40 centimeters. Sand or peat is sprinkled on top. You can also add manure or humus to the soil.
In the spring, when the earth has dried up and warmed up, the site is plowed and manure is added. It is added due to the fact that, when it decomposes, it releases carbon dioxide, which is useful for soils. Then holes and trenches are formed, that is, beds.
The more organic matter you add, the stronger the plant will be, which means the harvest will be plentiful.
Place
It is best to plant this green vegetable in flat areas. Avoid higher elevations, where the moisture content is very low, due to the fact that water flows to the bottom. And in the lowlands, on the contrary, the water content is too abundant, moreover, the temperatures there are lower than required. Please note that there should be no groundwater near the landing.
Cucumber seedlings should be planted in warm soil, and in order for the germination effect to be accelerated, cover it with a film.
Cucumbers should grow in open and sunny beds, so they should not be planted in the shade or under trees. Otherwise, they will lack light and heat.
soil
For a good harvest, you need to prepare the soil in advance for planting. Cucumbers are very demanding on soil and air moisture, they need light.
The highest yields are obtained on high-quality and fertile soils. Loamy and sandy soils are ideal soils for cucumbers. Acidic, poorly warmed lands are considered unsuitable. The soil should be with a high moisture content, as cucumbers love it.
The depth of spring plowing should be 16-18 centimeters.
To fertilize cucumbers, you can use the following substances:
- manure;
- peat compost;
- superphosphate;
- potassium salt.
Ideally, about a bucket of compost or humus should be added per square meter of soil.
seed
Cucumbers have their own characteristics that must be considered when choosing seeds for planting.
- Cucumber selection. Choose what you will grow: cucumber varieties or hybrids. Varieties have excellent taste, but they are quite whimsical. And hybrids are much more productive and more resistant to pests and diseases. Their harvest does not depend on weather conditions.
- Purpose of cultivation. Decide what you will grow cucumbers for. This may be an option for salting and blanks, or for consumption in its pure form. On bags with seeds, the purpose of future fruits must be indicated. Often the choice falls on cucumbers for twists, as they do not grow too large and do not have voids.
- Place of cultivation. This point is important for the right choice. There are specially bred varieties for growing in greenhouses or in open ground.
These criteria will allow you to form a general idea about the upcoming purchase. Buy seeds only in specialized stores. If you have any difficulty in choosing, please contact the seller. He will definitely help you choose exactly the type of cucumber that is right for you.
How to grow seedlings?
First you need to sort the seeds, this is done in order not to plant defective ones. To do this, the seeds are dipped in a 5% solution of table salt for 5 minutes, the water should be at room temperature. As a result, unsuitable seeds will float, and good ones will sink to the bottom.
Then, before planting, cucumber seeds should be disinfected. To do this, make a solution of potassium permanganate and place them there for a while, and then rinse everything under running water.
To germinate seeds, you need to take a cloth, wet it with water at room temperature and put the seeds there. After 2-3 days, the sprouts should reach 4-5 millimeters.
Cucumber seedlings do not tolerate transplanting very well, so each sprout is planted in separate containers. They must be planted in a nutrient mixture so that future plants are strong.
Until seedlings appear, plants should be kept at a temperature of about 28 ° C. To reduce the evaporation of moisture, the pots are covered with a film. When the seeds have sprouted, it is removed. It happens that two sprouts appeared in one pot. Then cut off the weakest, so you do not damage the roots of the stronger one.
Lower the temperature to 20°C for 3 days to keep the sprouts from wilting. Get extra lighting. It will help so that the seedlings do not stretch, especially on cloudy days.
During cultivation, you need to feed the land twice with special complex fertilizers. Water only with warm water. And most importantly, make sure that there are no drafts.
Seedlings are ready for planting if 2-3 dark green leaves appear on each bush, and the roots occupy almost the entire space. At this point she is about 3-4 weeks old.
After 20-25 days, seedlings need to be planted. From April 15 to April 20, this is done in a greenhouse. From May 10 to 15 – in the open ground under the film. And from June 2 to June 10, you can plant in open ground without any shelter.
Landing methods and patterns
The scheme for planting cucumbers depends on the place where the crop is grown. But regardless of these conditions, any cultivation scheme is used only in moist soil at a depth of 2 to 4 centimeters. After that, the seeds are covered with a 1,5-centimeter layer of a mixture of fertile soil and humus either. Under no circumstances is it worth it. One plant per square meter is enough.
There are several options for placing cucumber on the ridge. Let’s consider the main ones.
- Tape double-sided. Between the rows leave from 40 to 50 centimeters, and between the ribbons from 100 to 150 centimeters. This method will definitely facilitate watering, weeding and harvesting.
- Private. This is the most optimal and common sowing method. In it, the row spacing is made approximately 110 centimeters. The plants themselves are thinned so that the distance between them is 15 cm.
- Square nest. It is especially popular with those who own private gardens. The distance between the holes is 70 centimeters. Their depth is 10 cm, and the diameter is about 8. Then the soil is compacted, but a little, and 12-15 seeds are placed in one hole. When the sprouts germinate, 5-6 of the strongest and most powerful are left in the holes.
- On the trellises. Sticks up to 2 meters are placed in a ridge with an interval of 0,3 meters. A rope is let out from each stick and fixed.
Failure to comply with planting schemes can lead to the fact that a favorable environment is created for the development of rot and fungal processes. Pests will feel good, so plants may suffer. There is also a development of male flowers – these are empty flowers. And all due to the fact that the bush does not have enough water, nutrition and light.
An unusual option for planting a vegetable is planting in tires. For the construction, you need to take 3-4 tires, fill them with earth mixed with peat.
You can grow cucumbers along the fence. When the whips appear, they need to be tied to the fence.
Vertical planting is mainly used in greenhouses. When the whips appear, they are tied to the ceiling.
Growing in a circle – this method is also called “Christmas tree”. Plants are planted in a circle at a distance of 40 cm. A support is installed in the center of the circle, cucumber lashes are attached to it with twine.
Pay attention to the covering material. The most suitable is spunbond. It has a fibrous structure, so it will let air through.
What to put in the hole?
Before planting cucumbers in the soil, it is necessary to make fertilizer, which is the key to the fruiting of the culture. Preparation of recesses occurs in advance.
You need to put fertilizer in the hole, and the most useful thing is potassium. If it is not brought into the ridge, then the leaves of the cucumbers will begin to dry.
You can also put fertilizers containing nitrogen. They will help speed up the growth of the plant. Also, ash and chicken droppings are added to the pits, urea is also suitable.
10% nitrogen, 7% potassium and 7% phosphorus – this is the most ideal composition for incorporation into the well. The composition may include humic compounds.
It is not worth deepening fertilizers by more than 20 cm. This is due to the fact that in this culture the roots are no deeper than this length.
What can be planted nearby?
Given the compatibility of crops with cucumbers, you can get an excellent harvest during the season. The right choice will help attract beneficial insects, weeds will not be able to grow, as the bed will be filled to the maximum. And also the exhaustion of the earth will pass you by.
Usually, plants for the neighborhood with cucumbers are chosen so that they develop the area at different times or occupy different tiers. The neighborhood will be successful if you plant plants that:
- repel pests;
- contribute to the development of green vegetables;
- have similar growing conditions (soil composition, moisture, top dressing and lighting).
Consider plants that are recommended to be planted with cucumber bushes.
- Radish. This is the most neutral plant, because they have different planting and ripening dates with cucumber, which means that these vegetables practically do not come into contact with each other.
- Broccoli, color cabbage. Their smell repels pests.
- Corn. It will protect cucumbers from scorching rays and from the wind (peas and beans are still suitable for this). This culture also serves as a support for cucumber lashes. Nutrition will not be taken away, as her roots grow deep down.
- pulse. When they are planted in the soil, nitrogen is released, which is necessary for the nutrition of cucumbers.
- Mustard. It is good as green manure, therefore it contributes to the appearance of phosphorus and nitrogen. It also helps reduce pests such as slugs and wireworms.
- It will also be a good combination if you plant cucumbers with rye, sunflower, stem beetroot (place it around the perimeter of the garden), carrots, eggplant, pepper, dill, Beijing cabbage, garlic.
Crops that slow down the growth of cucumbers as a result of the release of certain substances should not be planted next to them. Such plants include:
- The gourd family. They have common pests, and are also prone to the same diseases.
- Spinach, lettuce. They need too much moisture, so they will take it from cucumbers.
- Potato. Place them away from each other, as these cultures are mutually oppressive.
- Fennel. It is not planted nearby due to the fact that it has a powerful root system. And she can take all the moisture and nutrients for herself.
