Evgeny Sedov

When hands grow from the right place, life is more fun :)

Content

Almost every summer resident plants a culture, but not all amateur gardeners know how and when to do it right in order to achieve better yields. Since the cucumber is a relatively whimsical vegetable, it needs to follow the sowing technology and proper care. With optimal sowing dates and due attention, the culture grows well and bears fruit.

How to plant cucumbers

For growing vegetables, choose a well-lit area that is protected from the winds. Around the cucumber beds form "backstage", which can serve as plantings of potatoes, corn, sunflowers, hemp, legumes. These tall plants provide an optimal microclimate for cucumbers. Planting a vegetable in open ground can be done by seedlings or using seeds. The choice of method depends on several factors, including the climate of your region, the timing of the harvest.

Unlike tomatoes, cucumbers are often planted from seeds. This is due to the fact that cucumber seedlings are very fragile, with delicate roots and shoots, so it is easy to damage them. In addition, it does not tolerate acclimatization to changed conditions (wind, sunlight, air temperature, other soil composition). Only experienced farmers who know all the intricacies of this process can achieve a good harvest when planting cucumber seedlings.

For ordinary gardeners, the method of sowing seeds in open ground is more suitable. At the same time, the fruits appear only a week later, but the plants will be strong and resistant to external negative factors. Warm beds with a height of at least 20 cm are suitable for cucumbers. A layer of organic matter inside the site not only provides vegetables with useful substances, but also heats up the roots, saturating them with carbon dioxide.

Cucumber is a heat-loving crop, so it should be planted when the temperature of the topsoil warms up to at least 13-15 degrees. However, the plant does not feel very well at high temperatures (if the indicator rises above 28 degrees), then development may stop. The bed must first be fertilized with organic matter (chicken droppings, mullein or manure). This will provide vegetables with nutrients and disinfect the earth, destroying the pathogens of many cucumber diseases.

The plant needs regular watering: with a lack of moisture, the leaves will begin to turn black, become brittle, and the bushes themselves will experience stress. Excessive soil moisture is no less detrimental to cucumbers. As a result, there will be less oxygen in the ground, due to which the tops will turn pale, and the development of greens and lashes will greatly slow down. Water for irrigation is used at room temperature (about 18 degrees). The ideal soil moisture content is 80%.

Since the culture prefers a short daylight hours, it is better to grow it in the middle or late summer. Despite the thermophilicity of the vegetable, it needs only 10-12 photoperiods per day. Features of the process of planting seedlings and seeds have common features, which are the selection and preparation of the site. It is better to organize the beds from north to south, and apply organic fertilizer under the culture preceding cucumbers.

An alternative option is to fertilize the soil just before planting the seeds/seedlings. Cow dung is the best choice. Under the previous plants, it is applied rotted (it takes 5 kg per 1 sq. M), and before sowing cucumbers, it is used in the form of a 1:5 solution with water. You can replace compost with chicken manure (dissolve it in water 1:20) or complex mineral top dressing.

Planting cucumbers in open ground with seeds

Many summer residents prefer to plant cucumber seeds immediately in an open garden. It takes time for cucumbers to grow. It all depends on the climatic features of the region and the particular variety, but planting is not customary after the end of June. One of the most important conditions for the proper cultivation of a plant is the nutritional value of the soil. For this purpose, in the fall, mineral and organic fertilizers are applied to a shallow depth, which rot in the ground until spring.

In the north of the country, a place for planting cucumbers is covered with fresh manure, and in the spring warm structures are built for the vegetable. Since the culture is thermophilic, it feels best in the south and in central Russia. The optimum temperature for growing vegetables will be 20-25 degrees during the day and 15 at night. If the weather is not encouraging and the thermometer drops to 10 degrees, then problems arise: growth stops, and if the cold snap is prolonged, the plant may die. When choosing a variety, consider:

• the need for pollination (there are self-pollinated and bee-pollinated species, for open ground it is better to take the first ones - they are usually tastier);
• resistance to frost, cooling, heat and drought;
• immunity to common cucumber diseases - rot, cladosporiosis, mosaic;
• branching feature of the plant (this factor directly affects the yield).

When planting cucumbers in open ground, it is recommended to opt for zoned varieties (intended for growth in a particular area, taking into account the specifics of its climate) and breeding crops. Despite the fact that hybrids are more adapted to frequent changes in weather conditions, you need to stock up on covering material that will be needed during frosts. Successful varieties for planting by seed will be as follows:

• Crane F1;
• Admiral F1;
• German F1;
• Bidretta F1;
• White Angel F1;
• Aquarius, etc.

When to plant

Landing in open ground can be carried out even with a cold long spring. Like other vegetables, cucumbers are planted in the growing phase of the moon, when the plants activate their growth and recover well. It is recommended to plan work in the garden according to the lunar calendar and not to plant seeds on unfavorable days. The time of day for sowing does not matter. Planting dates will depend on the climate of a particular region, weather conditions in spring and summer, and the variety chosen. There are only three sowing options suitable for crops:

1. Early. When the earth warms up well (not lower than 15 degrees at night), you can sow cucumber seeds. The ideal temperature for the development of the plant will be 18-26 ° C. As a rule, such a regime is set around June 1-5, but the date may vary depending on the climate of the region. In the southern regions, the earth manages to warm up earlier, then the vegetable is planted in the second half of May. With an earlier planting, when the temperature ranges from 10 to 15 degrees, the plants often stop growing and die. Early sowing is also good because at the beginning of June there is a short daylight hours, since cucumbers need sunlight for normal development only for 10-12 hours a day. When planting a vegetable at the end of June, high temperatures and long daylight hours will not have the best effect on yields. When choosing early varieties, it is recommended to focus on such as: Competitor, Universal, Cascade.
2. Average. Available from May 25th to June 10th. Almost all crop varieties are suitable for the second sowing. When planting in June, the crop is harvested in early August, although these dates vary depending on whether you have chosen early - medium or late ripening cucumbers.
3. Late. To do this, choose special varieties - better pickling. Optimal for late sowing are early ripening vegetables with a vegetation period of 45-50 days. The harvest of such species will coincide in time with the fruiting of tomatoes. The big advantage of this sowing option is the ability to eat fresh vegetables until frost. Late planting of seeds is carried out in July. If the weather is hot this month, a shelter is made of a film (agrofibre) for the beds.

How to sow

Seeds should be sown in several passes, otherwise you can miscalculate the timing: for example, the cold may suddenly return. In addition, this option allows you to extend the fruiting period of the vegetable. Landing in the warm regions of the country begins in mid-May and ends in mid-June. It is not recommended to wish this later, since the heat and long daylight hours are not the best conditions for the growth and development of a culture. The seed sowing technology includes the following steps:

1. Selection of planting material. In addition to varieties released for specific regions, there are hybrids that are characterized by maximum resistance to diseases. It is better to give preference to the latter - this will save you from unnecessary trouble and increase productivity. In addition, an important role is played by the ripening time and the purpose of the variety (universal, salad, pickling). If the package does not indicate the purpose, look at the photo of vegetables: if they have white pimples, cucumbers are suitable for fresh consumption, and fruits with dark ones are a pickling option. The age of the seeds should be at least 2 years, since their germination increases during storage. The optimal age of planting material will be 6 years, and after 9 it is no longer suitable.
2. Soil preparation. A bed for cucumbers is formed in the direction from north to south. Before sowing, the soil is fed with rotted cow manure, it is first diluted with water in proportions of 1:5. Alternative options are allowed - complex fertilizers or a solution of chicken manure.
3. Preparation of seeds for planting in open ground. The material is preheated for 20 minutes at a temperature of 42-45 degrees in order to achieve more friendly shoots and speed up the fruiting time. Another way to warm the seeds is this: hang them in a gauze bag near a heating battery or stove. Do this 2-1.5 months before sowing. The air temperature in the room should be above 20 degrees. Particularly in need of heating is one-year planting material and one that is grown in the Leningrad Region. Dry seeds are heated in an oven or drying cabinet at a temperature of 60 degrees for 3 hours. To do this, planting material is placed on a metal mesh (or baking sheet) in a thin layer, mixing several times.
4. seed disinfection. For this purpose, they are kept in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per glass of water). The procedure lasts 20 minutes, after the planting material is thoroughly washed with water.
5. Micronutrient processing. To accelerate the germination and fruiting of the culture, heated and disinfected, the planting material is soaked in a solution in one or more microelements. An example of a recipe is 10 g of potassium nitrate, 5 g of superphosphate per 1 liter of water. The optimum temperature of the liquid in this case is 40-45 degrees. The procedure lasts 12 hours. After the seeds should be dried.

1. Seeding. Furrows are formed on the prepared site with a depth of 2-5 cm and a step of 50 cm. The depth of planting material varies depending on the type of soil: for light soil with low groundwater, the optimal level will be 3-5 cm, for heavy soil - 2-3 cm. Seeds are placed in grooves with an interval of 3-4 cm from each other. For 10 sq. m will take about 50 g of seeds. If the soil is dry, it is watered before planting, and the seeds are sprinkled with humus, loose earth with sawdust or peat.
2. Caring for cucumbers in the open field. Immediately after the appearance of the first shoots, special attention is removed to soil moisture and the condition of the plants. If the leaves wither during the day, in the evening the bed should be watered with water of 20-25 degrees. When the plants close, they are thinned out (this is done only 2-3 times during the season), removing the weakest shoots. The optimal distance between the bushes is 5-15 cm. In addition, it is important to loosen the ground on the site and weed the beds. When the cucumbers grow to the center of the aisle, loosening is stopped so as not to damage the roots. Still it is necessary to evenly straighten developing plants on the ground. After the beginning of the fruiting of the culture, the abundance of watering is increased to 5 liters per square meter. m. Moisten the soil almost daily, except for cool, cloudy days. Cucumbers do not need top dressing if the land was properly seasoned before planting. However, if the temperature drops for more than a week, the leaves may turn pale. Restore their color with nitrogen fertilizer (urea). Consumption is 7-10 g per 10 liters of water. The procedure is carried out with a whisk or by manual spraying. The optimal time is evening, otherwise the sun's rays will burn through the foliage.

Planting seedlings of cucumbers in the ground

Gardeners, whose plot is located in the floodplain of the river, will receive a very rich vegetable harvest, without even preparing the soil in advance. Loamy and sandy soil with a close occurrence of groundwater is ideal for culture. Its only drawback is the deficiency of potassium salt. Moisture-loving cucumbers do not tolerate light sandy soils that are not able to hold liquid. However, heavy land, where moisture lingers for a long time, is not for a vegetable. A high level of soil acidity will have to be dealt with by applying lime.

When planting a plant, be sure to take into account the climate of your region, since cucumbers like heat. When planting seedlings, not the last temperature of the soil and air is of great importance. The soil temperature for seedlings should be at least 15 degrees, but the best indicator would be 18-20 ° C. With a colder regime, seedlings, if they grow, will only grow during the day - under the influence of sunlight, and at night they will stop development. The seedling method of planting is suitable for any region. However, for areas with a harsh climate, planting in bottles is more suitable.

The key to success when growing a vegetable in open ground will be the right choice of varieties adapted for seedling planting. Among them there are unpretentious and undemanding ones who are able to calmly endure adverse weather conditions. These include:

• Adam F1;
• Christina F1;
• Cappuccino F1;
• Carolina F1;
• Faithful friends F1;
• Dear F1;
• Shchedryk F1;
• Athos F1;
• Bush;
• kid, ave.

When to plant

The optimal time for planting a crop in open ground is easy to miss, so this issue must be approached carefully. If you transfer the seedlings to the garden at an inopportune time, its resistance to diseases will significantly decrease, in addition, the survival rate of the bushes will worsen. To correctly determine the time, you need to know the following rule: planting cucumbers in the ground can be carried out only 2-3 weeks after the seeds were sown for seedlings.

In the middle lane, the optimal period for planting seedlings is the end of May, in the south - the middle of the month. The time of day is not important, because it does not play any role, but you should focus on the Lunar calendar if you want to achieve maximum productivity, easy adaptation of plants in a new place and accelerate their growth. Experienced gardeners are advised to work on the growing moon.

How to plant seedlings

In open ground, the culture can be planted in seedlings, it has some differences from sowing seeds. The technology of planting seedlings involves the following actions:

1. Substrate preparation. Containers (vessels) are filled with wood pellets in a layer of 3-5 cm and poured with hot water. Pressed sawdust begins to swell and crumble, you need to help the granules crumble with your fingers. While the material has not yet cooled down, seeds are laid out on it at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other. From above they are sprinkled with hot sawdust. The substrate for cucumber seedlings is prepared from sawdust and peat in proportions of 1: 3. First, for each bucket of sawdust, you need to add 20 g of ammonium nitrate, mix the components and insist them for at least 2 days. After the substrate is mixed with peat and 8-10 g of potassium nitrate and aged for another 2 weeks (periodically, the mass must be stirred).
2. Sowing seeds for seedlings. Planting material is planted in pots 10x10 cm, containers are installed in plastic boxes about 20x30 cm in size. This is done in early May. Approximate consumption - 16-18 plants for every 1 sq. m. The finished soil mixture is poured into pots and watered. In a moist substrate, holes are made 1 cm deep, seeds are placed in them, 1 piece per pot. From above they are sprinkled with a thin layer of a mixture of sawdust. The boxes in which the pots are made are covered with a film until the first shoots appear, after which they remove the shelter. Watering the seedlings is not necessary when the humidity in the greenhouse is about 80%. If the seedlings are grown at room conditions, the substrate is moistened 2-3 times during the growing season.
3. Hardening off seedlings. A week before transplanting, plants are accustomed to natural conditions. To this end, they are taken out into the fresh air, for the first time - in the evening, for the second time - at lunchtime (in the shade), and on other days the seedlings can be left in an open area at any time. The day before transplanting, the substrate must be watered several times.
4. Transfer to an open garden. It is best to do this on a sunny day when the air temperature reaches 25 degrees or higher. The earth should warm up to 25-30 ° C, thanks to the previously introduced hot manure. The distance between plants in a row should be 12-14 cm. Only the roots of seedlings are sprinkled with soil. If the embedment is too deep, there is a risk of root rot.
5. Care. It does not differ from the care of seed plantings. However, with the seedling method of growing vegetables, the crop appears 2 weeks earlier.

Planting cucumbers with dry seeds. Pollination of cucumbers. Features of growth and development. Why do I grow cucumbers in a seedless way? Why are there a lot of empty flowers on cucumbers? Why are cucumbers bitter?

With the cultivation of cucumbers in our climate, problems rarely occur. This is one of the easiest crops, along with pumpkin and zucchini. What could be the difficulties? Sowed the seeds, watered, covered with a film and wait for the first shoots to hatch. Then water more often, because cucumbers love moisture, then harvest, eat, salt, enjoy.

And yet, despite the simplicity of agricultural technology, it is worth studying some of the subtleties of this culture. First of all, you need to know that the cucumber culture is thermophilic, and absolutely does not tolerate frost. Even a long (up to three days) cold snap of +3°C can destroy plants. The optimal temperature for the growth and development of cucumbers is 24 - 27 ° C during the day and + 16 ° C at night.

Why I grow cucumbers reckless way.

Cucumbers are one of the fastest growing plants. Already after 45 - 55 days after germination, depending on the variety, you can get the first harvest. This means that cucumber seeds sown, for example, on May 1, will sprout in a week, and on the twentieth of June, they will bear the first fruits. So you think, does it make sense to accelerate fruiting by growing seedlings of cucumbers on the windowsill? If you sow cucumbers too early (in March - early April), then, as a rule, high-quality seedlings do not work out. The trunk is stretched and looks unnaturally frail. The root system, limited by the volume of the container, gives the aerial part a “stop” signal, after which, rapid growth cannot be observed, and cucumber seedlings planted in open ground cannot recover for a long time, get sick, and subsequently give a poor harvest. If, however, to sow the seeds later, in mid-April, then you can get a good result. But, this result is not easy, given that in spring the window sills are already overloaded with seedlings of tomatoes and peppers. Cucumber seedlings require additional lighting, a large volume of the pot, it forces you to be careful when planting (transshipment from containers) in open ground, since cucumbers are very sensitive to root damage and, as the people say, “do not like” transplanting.

For the above reasons, I do not deal with cucumber seedlings, but sow the seeds immediately in open ground under a film cover.

Planting cucumbers in the ground with dry seeds.

I don’t soak cucumber seeds, I sow them dry, in pre-prepared beds, in early May, depth of planting cucumber seeds 1 - 1.5 cm, with an interval of about 50 cm from each other, in two rows, in a checkerboard pattern. Distance between rows 0.5 - 0.6 m.

I pre-fill the bed with compost, water it well, and after sowing I put arcs and cover with a film, without airing for a week, and without fear that overheating will occur under the sun's rays. Until shoots appear, overheating is not dangerous, on the contrary, warm, warmed by the sun's rays, the earth accelerates seed germination. And, now, when the first leaves appear, it is important to monitor the temperature under the film cover. If it is not possible to observe the bed every day and ventilate the shelter in a timely manner, you can install buckets of water under the film. High humidity saves cucumbers from death. I change polyethylene to non-woven material with a density of 32-40, opening it only for watering 2-3 times a week. To better retain moisture, the bed with seedlings should be mulched."Mulching beds with organic matter" —

For a while, cucumbers grow under the non-woven fabric. Then we remove the cover.

For a while, cucumbers grow under the non-woven fabric. Then we remove the cover.

Pollination of cucumbers. Features of growth and development.

The peculiarity of cucumbers is that both female and male flowers are present on the same plant. That is, cucumbers are cross-pollinated plants. Male inflorescences are popularly called barren flowers. Their correct name is staminate flowers. The female flowers are called pistillate. Both types of flowers are important, since the fruit can be set after the pollen from the male flower falls on the pistil of the female. At temperatures above +27°C, the pollen becomes sterile.

Male flowers are formed mainly on the central, main stem. Female flowers appear mainly on lateral shoots. To increase the number of female flowers and reduce the number of barren flowers, pinch the central stem, forming side shoots,(usually 4 lower shoots). Personally, I don’t pinch, because even without it, the cucumber harvest is more than sufficient.

The same plant has both male and female flowers.

The same plant has both male and female flowers.

In addition, there are a huge number of hybrids that do not have a barren flower at all. In general, pinching is not a matter of principle for me.

Why are cucumbers bitter?

In the process of growth, very often we encounter an unpleasant phenomenon when cucumbers suddenly become bitter. It is generally accepted that this happens from a lack of moisture, they say, they watered little. Indeed, with prolonged heat and insufficient watering, the peel of cucumbers becomes bitter. The optimum soil moisture during the flowering period is 55 - 60%. Therefore, a sharp cessation of irrigation is perceived by the plant as the end of the vegetative period, the cessation of growth. Growth stops, the leaves begin to turn yellow, and the fruits become bitter. After that, it is difficult to restore normal plant growth. And if the plant itself, after subsequent watering, is able to resume growth, then it is more difficult to get rid of the bitterness of the fruit. Depending on the weather, cucumbers should be watered daily in the heat and preferably with warm water over the leaves. There is no need to fear that water that has fallen on the leaves will harm. Cucumbers are a moisture-loving plant. The bed must be mulched with compost, grass, hay - any available material, especially if the summer resident does not have the possibility of daily watering. Organic mulch, in addition to retaining moisture, keeps the earth loose, attracts worms, and provides food for plants. With this soil content, it is enough to water cucumbers 2-3 times a week.

Bitterness can also appear with a prolonged cold snap. To any unfavorable phenomenon, cucumbers respond with bitterness of fruits, yellowing of leaves, their point lesions, as well as a shift in the sex of flowers to the male side, which leads to a decrease in yield.

Why are there a lot of empty flowers on cucumbers?

If there are a lot of barren flowers on cucumbers, then there may be several reasons. An empty flower can form due to strong shading. Cucumber bed should be in a well-lit place. Another reason is a heavily crowded landing. Sow seeds less often, and the return will be greater! It is possible that the sowing was carried out with the seeds of the previous year. For sowing, you need to use seeds, the period of which is at least two to three years. The older the seeds, the more female flowers are formed on the plant that has grown from them.

Cucumbers, having a powerful vegetative mass, greatly deplete the soil. Despite this, when growing cucumbers, you can not use any kind of top dressing using fresh manure. Manure farming also leads to various diseases and damage to the leaves. It is best to carry out liquid, organic top dressing with infusion of herbs with a frequency of 1 time in 10 days.

In the process of growth, the plants still form weak, twisted leaves affected by pests and diseases. First of all, signs of the disease appear from below, on old leaves. At the first sign of yellowing, the leaves should be removed. It is not necessary to wait until the pests that have settled on the leaves, or the disease, have spread throughout the plant.

It is sometimes difficult to harvest in lashes spread on the ground. And walking is uncomfortable - you will definitely trample the stems. And it is not always possible to find fruits that have reached the condition under the leaves; ripe, yellow-brown overgrowths that are no longer suitable for food will later remind of this. It is better to grow cucumbers on trellises -

Cucumbers are a well-known and beloved vegetable crop. But not everyone manages to grow it in the garden. Planting cucumbers in open ground requires practice, you need to be able to select seeds, process them correctly, and prepare the soil in order to get a rich harvest. The intricacies of all this work will be described later in the article.

When to plant cucumbers in open ground?

It is difficult to say for sure when to plant cucumbers in open ground. In different regions and with different climates, the months and dates will vary significantly. This culture is thermophilic, so planting cucumbers in open ground is carried out after the earth warms up well. In the middle lane, this time falls on the middle - the end of May, in the southern regions - the middle of April. As for the northern regions, it is recommended to grow cucumber varieties only in a greenhouse there in order to increase the chance of germination and the yield.

How to prepare and cultivate the soil?

Check also these articles

A place for cucumbers should be selected sunny, so that after planting, the seeds do not begin to rot in the ground. The sun will provide them with warmth and an incentive to germinate. Best of all, the culture takes root in a place where tomatoes, cabbage or peppers were previously grown. But melon and watermelon greatly deplete the earth, it is better not to plant cucumbers in their place.

It is recommended for convenience to make racks on which the mesh will stretch. Thanks to this approach, the plant will curl up, and not creep along the ground. This will simplify harvesting, save space and provide the plant with as much sunlight as possible.

Having picked up a site, it needs to be dug up and fertilized with copper sulfate, ash and superphosphate. Do it in the fall. In the spring, the site is only loosened. If desired, in order to speed up planting or improve seed survival, you can warm the soil by watering it with boiling water and covering it with a film, but this is an optional procedure.

How to prepare seeds for planting?

Many summer residents themselves collect seeds from cucumbers, sow them the next year and are surprised at the meager harvest. Yes, self-collection of seeds allows you to verify the quality of the product, its resistance to the local climate, and the variety will be known for sure. But, the best shoots are given by seeds collected several years ago, and not fresh - this is important to consider!

If the seeds are collected independently, it is necessary to take those that were collected more than 2 years ago. If they are bought, it is worth checking the time of their preparation. Some packages indicate this.

Having decided on the age, you can proceed to the variety. It is selected according to the climate, planting site (greenhouse or open area) and when to harvest (early, mid, late). Cucumber seeds are divided into two types: and, each species bears fruit well in its own environment.

Be sure to identify and remove empty, damaged and very small seeds before planting. You can feel them or put them in water for half an hour - the hollows will float up, and small, torn ones are already noticeable upon examination.

As for processing, it is not always needed, but it is recommended to get seedlings at about the same time. To begin with, the seeds are dipped in warm water (40 degrees) for 2 hours. Then they take it out, put it in a wet rag, wrap it up and determine it in a warm place for several days. It is advisable to put a rag in a bag and sometimes get it out - ventilate and moisten with fresh water. Before planting, the rag is unfolded. All good seeds should have hatched by this time.

How to plant cucumber seeds in open ground?

Planting cucumbers in open ground is carried out according to certain rules. Moving away from them can lead to crop loss.

Is seedling worth it?

For some summer residents, growing cucumbers is not difficult, others cannot “tame” a heat-loving crop. It is for those who cannot grow cucumbers by planting them in open soil in the form of seeds that it is recommended to grow seedlings. The reason for the failures may lie in the type of soil or very cold soil, lack of top dressing, nutrients in the ground, bad seeds, and so on. But, unlike seeds, seedlings have more persistent and strong qualities, and sometimes take root in extreme conditions.

Another positive quality of seedlings is that they can produce an earlier harvest. Planting seedlings of cucumbers in open ground can be carried out as early as mid-April. True, under a film shelter, but the sprouts take root well. And if frost suddenly strikes, the plant is additionally insulated on top of the film with any heat-insulating material. When warm days come, the film is removed and the culture is taken care of as usual.

In our latitudes, the cultivation of cucumbers in open ground is very common, with the right selection of seed varieties, placement of plantings on the site and proper care for them, the result of labor will be very good. At the first stage, before planting seeds for seedlings, you should choose a place on the site, the conditions of which will best meet the needs of this garden crop.

Soil selection

The best type of soil for planting cucumbers are neutral, slightly alkaline and slightly acidic may be suitable. An excellent option is fertile loam or sandy loam soil. Other types of soil should be specially prepared for growing cucumbers: add compost to sandy soil, add peat to clay soil, and sawdust will also give a good result. The area where you are going to plant cucumbers should be well lit, as the lack of sunlight will adversely affect the yield of plants.

On the other hand, scorching rays are also harmful and can burn the leaves and damage the shoots, so in the southern regions it is better to plant cucumbers on the eastern or western slopes of the garden. In the northern latitudes, the optimal conditions for planting cucumbers are beds located on the south side. Equally important when choosing a site for planting cucumbers is the level of standing groundwater. If it is high and the roots of the plant are in constant moisture, they die off, leading to the death of the bush.

In this case, the only way out may be the construction of bulk ridges. Starting to create them should be in the fall. The best direction for the ridge is considered to be west-east, especially for areas whose conditions are characterized by low temperatures in winter and long frosts in spring.

Soil preparation

Before planting cucumbers in open ground, it should be properly prepared. In autumn, the soil is dug up and disinfected with solutions that kill pathogens. For this purpose, the area is irrigated with 0.5% Bordeaux liquid or a solution of copper sulphate. If the soil is very depleted, you can add compost to it before planting cucumbers. Fertilization of fertile soils is carried out in the spring, shortly before sowing seeds or planting seedlings.

First, the ground is leveled with a rake, removing emerging weeds, then, about 10 days before planting, it is dug up with compost or manure (about 10–15 kg per 1 m2) and complex mineral fertilizers. If the garden is small and you need to use every square meter sparingly, a good way to grow cucumbers is to use some kind of support, for example, tying lashes to trellises.

It is desirable that cucumbers be planted in open ground with a change of location every 2–3 years, otherwise the yield of this crop may decrease. Cucumbers are recommended to be planted in the beds where legumes, cabbage, and peppers were previously grown. It is undesirable that there are beds with potatoes nearby. The bed, on which cucumbers will be planted in open ground by means of seeds or seedlings, should be 15–20 m high and protected from wind gusts by a small earthen rampart.

Methods for sowing seeds in open ground

Planting cucumbers in open ground can be performed:

• Sowing dry seeds;
• Planting germinated seeds;
• seedlings.

The first way is sowing dry seeds. It is most suitable for early sowing, when the ground is still slightly warm and pre-germinated seeds may begin to rot. Dry seeds should be planted when the air temperature is stably kept at 15 degrees, and the soil warms up to 12 degrees.

Before planting seeds, you need to make a groove in the soil 2-3 cm deep, or holes at a distance of 20 cm from each other. In the hole, the seeds are placed flat on 3 pieces, the distance separating them should be approximately 10 cm. Cucumbers do not tolerate dense planting; the lateral lashes of plants in this case develop poorly. Therefore, it is necessary to thin out the plants when the seedlings germinated from the seeds show a few true leaves.

The second way to grow a crop is to plant germinated seeds. It is necessary to ensure that the sprouts do not overgrow, their length should not exceed 0.5 cm, as the grown plants will be weak and give a poor harvest. The conditions for thinning plantings are the same as in the first method, developing bushes should be located at a distance of 30 cm from each other.

Immediately after planting, watering should be done every day with warm water. After the emergence of seedlings, the frequency of watering decreases somewhat - it is performed at intervals of 1-2 days. With a significant decrease in air temperature, seedlings do not need to be watered.

Growing seedlings for open ground

Planting cucumbers in open ground with pre-grown seedlings contributes to an earlier harvest compared to sowing through seeds (about 15 days). To grow it from seeds, you can use a greenhouse or an unshaded window sill. Cucumbers should be planted directly in the ground or in special paper cups, distributing the seeds at a distance of 8–10 cm from each other.

This method of growing seedlings from seeds is good because the plant, when transplanted to a permanent place in the garden, does not need to be removed from the paper container, therefore, injury to the root system is excluded.

At a sufficient depth of fertile soil, sprouts started from seeds give a lot of lateral root buds, which ensure the endurance of the future seedling.

To prepare nutrient soil, you can mix peat with humus in equal proportions by adding a couple of glasses of wood ash and a quarter cup of superphosphate to 10 liters of the mixture. You can start sowing seeds in the 20th of April, distributing one per pot. Until shoots appear, watering is done daily. Usually the seeds germinate after 4 or 5 days, after another 10 days it will be possible to plant the grown cucumber sprouts in open ground.

By the time of planting, the seedlings should be hardened by slowly lowering the temperature until the conditions for its maintenance correspond to those in which the plants will grow in a permanent place. It should be borne in mind that cucumbers are highly demanding on ambient temperature, illumination of the beds, and soil moisture. Seedlings can be planted in open ground conditions when daytime temperatures reach 22–25° C, night temperatures reach 17° C.

Features of caring for cucumbers in the open field

Cucumbers are planted in open ground in the evening, after watering the plants. Caring for cucumbers includes hilling the trunk of bushes.

Falling asleep of the lower part of the trunk with earth contributes to the appearance of additional kidney roots, which ensure the fertility of the shoots.

Hilling is recommended to be done when the lashes start up 2-3 knees, as well as during the flowering period. Turning the lashes and shifting them to another place should be avoided - this can lead to a decrease in yield and even to the drying of the shoots.

In industrial regions, the air is polluted with harmful emissions, so the dew that falls in the morning can adversely affect the development of cucumber bushes. Morning watering from a watering can to wash off the dew that has fallen from the leaves will eliminate its adverse effect.

It is desirable to protect the whips from gusts of wind in order to increase the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, which is necessary for the formation of flowers and ovaries.

The introduction of organic matter before planting cucumbers using seeds or seedlings will also increase its content in the surrounding atmosphere.

Popular varieties of cucumbers for open ground

Varieties of cucumbers, the seeds of which can be planted directly in open ground:

• Goosebump F1;
• BenefitF1;
• April F1;
• Masha F1;
• Fontanelle F1.

Diseases of cucumbers in the open field

Plant care also includes the prevention of damage to seeds and growing bushes by pathogens. Before planting cucumbers, you can disinfect dry soil with boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate. As a preventive measure, you can use dusting the seeds with wood ash, spraying the leaves with an infusion of garlic or tobacco.

Cucumbers are one of the most sought-after and popular crops in the gardens and orchards of our country. Ever since childhood, we have associated a garden plot with cucumbers and tomatoes, as with the brightest representatives of the plant world. Planting cucumbers in open ground, and we will talk about this now, can be carried out both by seeds and seedlings. This happens at the beginning of June.

Choosing a place to land

Cucumbers love the sun, so you need to choose an open place for them, and at the same time protected from the northern winds. The best location is the southeast and southwest slopes. The beds on them need to be arranged in a terraced way and set them in a transverse direction so that the sun illuminates the plants in the best possible way. Thanks to good lighting, more ovaries will appear on the lashes.

Be sure to raise the cucumber beds two to three dozen centimeters. With such a trick, the temperature on them will rise by a couple of degrees, which will only add to the growth rate.

If your site does not have slopes, fast-growing hedges can come to the rescue. For this, plants such as Jerusalem artichoke, potatoes, sunflowers, corn and various legumes can be used. These green spaces will protect cucumbers from the winds and phytophthora, and they, in turn, will create their own microclimate within the walls, in which the temperature will be two to three degrees higher. All this only contributes to the rapid development of plants.

Before planting in open ground, seedlings of cucumbers need to be hardened off.

Planting cucumber seeds

Planting seeds is a very convenient way for those who are uncomfortable growing seedlings on their windowsill, and then take them to the country in a general hustle, or for those who are simply too lazy to spend their time and effort on unnecessary chores. In addition, planting with seeds has one indisputable advantage - the plant, from the moment it hatches from the seed, immediately adapts to external conditions and will be stronger than those that grew on the windowsill.

Cucumber seeds planted in the ground have a growth program - the plant knows perfectly well when to slow down growth and when to speed it up.

Seedlings after transplanting into open ground take some time to adapt to changing conditions, which significantly slows down the growth process. As a result, the time of fruiting in both cases occurs at the same time, so the statement that the result of seedlings will be faster is rather untrue.

Planting cucumbers in open ground with seeds should not be in a hurry if there is a threat of return frosts.

To awaken the intra-seed bud, which will give impetus to development, the day before planting, the seeds must be soaked in warm water. Seeds in this case will quickly sprout and begin to grow actively. You can also warm up the soil before planting - additional heat will not hurt the cucumbers.

Since cucumber seeds can serve as carriers of various kinds of infections and bacteria, and are also susceptible to diseases themselves, they must be soaked in a strong manganese solution before planting. Thanks to this, many diseases are prevented, the immunity of cucumbers increases, in the future the plants will be more resistant to late blight and gray rot. After the procedure, the seeds are washed in running water, dried and planted in the wells.

Planting cucumber seedlings (video)

Planting cucumbers through seedlings requires a slightly different preparation. Before planting, the soil must be fertilized and loosened well, forming beds. Seedlings need to be hardened off to make it easier to transplant. If seedlings live on a windowsill or balcony, you need to periodically ventilate the room, gradually and periodically lowering the air temperature. All the same rules apply to greenhouses.

Photo gallery of containers for growing seedlings of cucumbers

Cucumber seedlings can be grown in plastic cups... ...peat tablets... ...and cups... ...and even in original containers like eggshells

Cucumber seedlings are planted in early June. Usually at this time the threat of return frosts has passed, and you can land without fear. Between the bushes you need to maintain a distance of 13-15cm.

Cucumbers should be watered with settled water at room temperature, which should always be in stock.

Now, thanks to the efforts of our breeders, varieties of cucumbers have been developed that allow you to survive even a serious drought, provided that you visit your site only on weekends. How likely this is - only those who have verified it from their own experience can judge. However, even in the case of drought-resistant varieties, it is worth remembering that the cucumber is a moisture-loving plant, so it will respond much more gratefully to periodic watering more than once or twice a week, and the fruits will be crispy and without bitterness. Otherwise, cucumbers do not require much effort and time when growing. But still, remember that it will not be superfluous to periodically apply fertilizers during the period of fruit setting and growth, since by doing this you will stimulate the plants to actively bear fruit and add strength to them for this process. Subject to these simple rules, you can easily grow a decent crop of cucumbers.

Growing lashes of cucumbers, protected by green hedges, create their own microclimate, in which the temperature is two to three degrees higher.