Cucumbers are considered a very tasty and healthy vegetable crop, which is planted in their gardens and summer cottages by many gardeners. They, like other plants, require special care. Experienced gardeners know that the planting of this crop should be carried out at certain times, depending on the regions. Carrying it out, according to the advice of the lunar calendar, allows you to get a decent harvest. The timing of work in the garden and greenhouse will be discussed further.
Dates according to the lunar calendar
The timing of planting seedlings and seeds directly affects the growth of vegetable crops, their development and further maturation. If you plant cucumbers according to the lunar calendar, you can expect a better ripening of the culture. In this case, plants grow with high resistance to various diseases and pests.
Many novice gardeners do not always listen to advice and do not know how and when it is recommended to work in the garden.
Using the recommendations of the lunar calendar allows you to carry out land activities in the right period. According to him, four lunar phases are determined, but it is far from desirable to manipulate and plant cucumbers in each of them.
- Sowing seeds for seedlings, it is desirable to carry out at new moon.
- With the onset of the full moon, spraying and fertilizing are carried out. This is the time to prepare the land. It is not recommended to plant a crop 24 hours before the full moon and a day after it.
- On the waning moon, seeds are planted in the ground, but this period is not suitable for seedlings. It continues for approximately two weeks.
- With the growing moon, that is, during a period that also lasts about 2 weeks, it is advisable to plant seeds in the ground. At this time, fertilizing and watering cucumbers are also carried out.
It is better not to be distrustful of the dates recommended by the lunar calendar, otherwise sowing a crop in an unfavorable period can lead to frail seedlings, low yields and the removal of fruits that have poor taste characteristics.
Sowing seedlings depending on the region
To get early cucumbers, growing seeds at home on a window, a wide variety of factors should be taken into account: the choice of seeds, places for germination, containers, lighting, etc. Cucumber seeds are placed in containers or cups are used for this. It is important to use only high-quality fresh seeds, otherwise it will be difficult to achieve good germination from them.
In the event that the seed is harvested on its own, it should be remembered that the grains obtained from the culture of the hybrid variety will not be able to produce a crop that has the same taste and external qualities. To obtain seedlings with ideal characteristics, it is better to use purchased seeds. In this case, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the properties of the crop in advance, choosing a variety that gives the maximum number of fruits.
Having purchased seeds or prepared in advance, you should sort them. It is necessary to get rid of small, empty specimens or having an irregular shape, since it is unlikely that it will be possible to obtain full-fledged tasty fruits from such seedlings. Soaking the grains in salt water will sort them out and remove the bad ones that float to the surface.
Use the seeds that have settled to the bottom. They are washed and laid out on gauze to dry.
To increase the resistance of seeds, they are hardened. To do this, the grains are laid out on a moistened napkin and placed in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Then the matter must be removed and left for 12 hours at room temperature. The manipulation is carried out up to 3 times until the grain shell begins to crack. It is necessary to ensure that the material remains moist all this time and does not dry out.
Sowing seeds for seedlings with their further transplanting into the ground begins to be carried out in January, February. For these purposes, a window sill or an insulated balcony is suitable.
The variety of cucumbers is chosen taking into account the region where the vegetable will grow. Often the main criterion is personal preference. Cucumbers are early ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening. Planting all kinds allows you to harvest regularly, enjoying juicy and healthy vegetables all season long.
Taking into account different climatic conditions, work is carried out taking into account a specific region.
- In the Moscow region, Tver, Pskov, Penza and Saratov regions cucumbers are successfully planted in open ground and greenhouses. The most favorable terms for cultivation in the first case are considered the last days of March, the whole of April.
- In Siberia due to the harsh climate and possible frosts, even in summer, these dates are shifted. Seeds are planted in the ground at the end of April, and they do this until mid-May.
- In North-west – from mid-May to the end of the month.
- Southern regions – the end of April.
According to experts, it is important not to rush into sowing, but it is also not worth waiting too long for constant heat, otherwise the period of growth and development of the bushes may coincide with the heat, which will lead to the possible drying of plants.
It is recommended to germinate cucumbers in a lit place. At the same time, it is important to protect the growing tender leaves from direct sunlight, otherwise they will get burned.
When choosing soil for seedlings, it is advisable to select soil that would be similar to the characteristics of the one in which the seedlings will be planted later. In this case, it will be much easier for young roots to gain a foothold and germinate in a new environment for them.
Watering is carried out with warm water. It is recommended to spray the leaves before lunch. Although this culture loves water, plants should not be watered in the evening and at night, as wet leaves will begin to be affected by fungi and mold at night. Excessive moisture is also harmful to seedlings, as well as hypothermia of seedlings. Under such conditions, young bushes are exposed to diseases. When a “black leg” appears, it is better to discard the sprout, since it is difficult to save it. To prevent nearby sprouts from getting sick, it is advisable to treat the infected area with fungicidal agents.
When to sow in a greenhouse?
Cucumbers are responsive to heat and regular watering. To get a good harvest, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for the culture.
Planting work in the greenhouse is carried out when the soil warms up to 14–16 degrees. Accordingly, other indicators should also be suitable: daytime temperature – not lower than 15 degrees, at night – not lower than 10 degrees.
Terms for growing in greenhouses for different regions are conditional, regardless of where they want to get cucumbers: in the Crimea or in the Urals. At the same time, do not forget about the sharp change in weather and other seasonal whims.
In Central Russia, including in the Moscow region, it is recommended to plant:
- in greenhouses (heated) – from the end of April, capturing several May days;
- in polycarbonate greenhouses – in the first decade of May;
- under the film or in glass structures – from the second half of May;
- at the end of spring under film.
In Siberia, in the Urals and the North-Western regions, work is beginning to be carried out:
- in heated structures – May 10;
- in polycarbonate greenhouses – from the second decade of May;
- in greenhouses or glasshouses – in the last days of spring;
- under the film (temporary shelter) in the first days of June.
Terms for the Krasnodar Territory, Kuban:
- in greenhouses (heated) planting work is carried out in March, at the end of the month;
- in polycarbonate – in the first decade of April;
- in greenhouses or glass structures work begins in April, around the 15th.
To be completely sure of the timing of the landing work, you should take into account the data, as well as adjust to the lunar calendar. According to him, the growing moon is a favorable period for crops. At the same time, it is not worth doing work for root crops during this time interval. Growing cucumbers in insulated greenhouses, seedlings should be planted in winter. February is considered the most successful month for this.
Experienced gardeners do not recommend sowing cucumbers in one area for more than 5 years. It is important to monitor the quality of the soil: it should be airy and loose. Although the vegetable in question is unpretentious to this factor, turf (2 parts) and humus (3 parts) are added to it to improve performance. Also, peat can be sent to the mixture, it must be taken 2 times more than land. It is advisable to use sawdust.
For those who do not want to make the mixture on their own, you can purchase a primer like “Spring”.
In addition, a month before planting the seeds, the land is treated with 7% solution of copper sulphate. It is also recommended to heat the soil in the oven to get rid of pests, larvae and beetles.
When can I plant outdoors?
The crop is planted in open ground, when the soil is already well warmed up, and the air indicators are stable.
Since the root system of this garden crop is quite vulnerable, many believe that cucumbers should be planted by sowing seeds directly into the ground in their permanent place:
- the best time to sow them is May, June, that is, the period when weather conditions stabilize, constant heat will come;
- in cases where cucumbers are grown using seedlings, this should be done a month before planting it in the ground.
Planting operations are carried out depending on the region. In the southern regions, seeds can be planted from mid-April. For the northern regions, this figure will be different: work should begin somewhere around the 15th of May.
Work in the garden is carried out taking into account the temperature regime. Seeds and seedlings are very sensitive to temperature changes, late frosts, lower degrees. If the temperature drops to 10 degrees and below, then the plants or their seeds may simply die. Only when the average daily indicators (above 14 degrees) are reached, seeds will germinate.
- If dry grains are lowered into the ground, it is better to do it after May 25th.
- Sprouted – sown in early June. These indicators are suitable for the middle band. Normal growth and development occur when the daytime temperature reaches 25 degrees.
- For the southern or northern region, these figures will be slightly different and may shift for a couple of weeks either way.
It is recommended to plant a crop in the soil at a stable daytime temperature of about 20 degrees. At night, it should not fall below 8 degrees Celsius. It is desirable that the earth has already warmed up to 12-16 degrees.
If you sow seeds earlier, while the soil is still not warm enough, they will simply “sit” there, waiting for a temperature that is comfortable for germination. At the same time, early shoots will appear a couple of days later than seeds sown at the optimum time.
When purchasing grains for planting in open ground, the following tips should be followed.
- Select varieties suitable for the region where the crop will be grown. You should also take into account the quality of the soil, the availability of irrigation. If a drip system for applying liquid is not organized on the site or it is not possible to regularly irrigate, the seed is selected taking into account the resistance of the variety to drought.
- In the garden, it is better to plant seeds of different ripening periods, so that not only at the beginning, but also in the middle, end of summer, in the fall, bring crispy cucumbers from the garden.
- When purchasing seeds, you should decide for what purposes the crop will be used., as some varieties are not suitable for processing, salting and canning.
A good harvest can be obtained by planting ready-made seedlings on the site. Often, this option is the only way to grow cucumbers in the local area due to weather conditions or an unfavorable climate, which prevents the seeds from germinating directly in the garden.
Seedlings are planted in cloudy weather or in the evening. A few days before these works, the seedlings are no longer watered. This will make this process less painful for the plants. Immediately 60–80 minutes before planting, the seedlings are watered abundantly. As a result, the lump will be wet and will not fall apart during transplantation, which will have a beneficial effect on the entire culture as a whole.
- Produce work 30 or 35 days after the appearance of the first shoots.
- It is recommended to harden seedlings by exposing them to the street for a short time.. Over time, the duration of the procedure increases.
- Seedlings are planted in well-warmed soil – above 15-16 degrees.
- It is necessary to observe the correct distance between the bushes, according to the variety. As for undersized varieties, up to 5 bushes are planted per 1 sq. meter, in the case of tall ones – up to 4 bushes per 1 sq. m.
The soil in the hole should be fertilized with a mixture of peat and humus.
After planting seedlings, further plant care is carried out. It is necessary to water the culture on time. On loose soil, the procedure is carried out up to 7 times a week. On dense clay soils, watering is carried out much less often, but more water is used for this.
After 14 days, seedlings are recommended to be fertilized using organic or mineral fertilizers. As the latter, urea, sulfate or superphosphate is used. From organic matter, rotted chicken manure or mullein is suitable. Produce 3-4 dressings.
In the period when the second true leaf appears on the sprout, the first pinching of the plants is carried out. The second time it is carried out in the presence of 9-10 leaves. According to most gardeners, thanks to this procedure, fruiting can be increased and the bitterness of the fruit can be reduced.
