Is it necessary to cut off the whiskers of cucumbers in the greenhouse and open field, and why

There is no definite answer to the question of whether it is necessary to cut off the mustache of cucumbers in a greenhouse. Of course, in order to get a higher yield, various agricultural practices are used. While trimming the whiskers of cucumbers involves an extra amount of work, this is of little concern to proponents of the method. Opinions on whether or not cucumber mustaches should be trimmed are quite contradictory and often poorly argued.

Important! Mustaches in pumpkin plants, which include cucumbers, are called modified shoots and leaves.

With their help, the plant supports a powerful stem that is not able to fix itself on a vertical support. This quality helped cucumbers in natural conditions to successfully compete with other species and receive enough sunlight.

The case for removing the mustache from a cucumber

When growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, this mustache function is not in demand, so they are advised to be removed. Quite convincing arguments are put forward in favor of such an agrotechnical technique.

1. To get an early harvest, at a certain stage of growth, it is necessary to create conditions for the generative development of cucumbers. That is why, along with side shoots, they practice the removal of mustaches, which take away a certain amount of nutrition and energy from the plant.
2. Quite often, in conditions of dense planting, plants cling with their mustaches to the shoots of a neighboring bush. Entangled lashes of cucumbers shade each other, air exchange is reduced. In these cases, the mustache must be cut off.
3. The argument in favor of removing mustaches is their lack of demand. Indeed, in the greenhouse, the support of the cucumber stem is carried out with the help of stretched twine or a garden net. Therefore, mustache flagella can be removed without any damage.

All these arguments are not sufficiently reasoned, and based on them it is quite difficult to decide whether to trim the mustaches of cucumbers. Opponents of such ways of fighting for the harvest also participate in the controversy, defending their point of view.

Arguments against removing cucumber mustaches

Nature-created features are only not needed in greenhouse growing conditions, where plants have little to no competition. Cucumber seedlings are in equal conditions.

1. But you can't say that they take too many resources from the plant. There are no exact data on these parameters. Unlike creeping shoots that perform a vegetative function in strawberries, cucumber tendrils die off without finding an obstacle to growth.
2. In the plexus of neighboring plants, too thick planting is most often to blame. It is she who does not allow keeping the greenhouse in order, limiting access to plants.
3. Trimming mustache flagella must be done carefully, and this takes extra time. Why pluck mustaches from cucumbers if there are more efficient and effective ways to increase yields.
4. Of course, cucumber mustache shoots are often cut out of necessity. But turning this procedure into a punitive action is pointless. From the bosom of each new leaf, they appear again, trying to fulfill the function laid down in the course of evolution.

Important! Opponents of whisker trimming argue that the procedure is stressful for plants.

How this affects cucumbers is not known for certain. Perhaps they begin to form fruits more intensively or simply increase the green mass.

Questions remain

Questions, as you study the topic, there are more and more. After all, such an agricultural technique is not present in the recommendations of seed manufacturers for plant care.

What to do with mustache shoots that form in cucumbers that do not grow in a greenhouse, but in open ground. After all, in the open air, the plant is more difficult to secure. There is a chance that a fungal infection will take root in the place of the torn off mustache.

This fear is true for outdoor, greenhouse cucumbers, and those plants that fill film greenhouses. If a wound appears at the site of each removed mustache, in which a potential disease can occur, then why take such a risk.

It is not clear whether the very first mustache flagella should be removed from cucumber seedlings. They don't bother anyone there. How will pinching the antennae affect the development of a young cucumber in the future. Is it necessary to cut them off, like side shoots, or can you cut rather thin flagella with your hands.

The smartest solution

The answers to most questions are obvious and lie in traditional agricultural practices.

In fact, the mustache of cucumbers in certain situations is always removed without even thinking. This process is not at all unusual. They have to be torn off frequently in the following cases:

• when they take over nearby plants and the whip grows in the wrong direction;
• in the case when the plexus of shoots and mustaches interferes with the care of cucumbers, they have to be removed;
• when whisker flagella twist leaves and stems, creating favorable conditions for the reproduction of pests.

At these moments, the thought does not even arise of whether to eliminate the interference or not. But such situations do not happen often, and if you tore off a dozen mustaches, you are unlikely to have caused serious damage to the cucumber bush.

But completely destroying the mustache looks unreasonable.No matter how many you remove them, they will appear again. In addition, mustache flagella are quite strong and have natural shock-absorbing properties. Therefore, they should be cut with garden shears, and not cut off. Indeed, with a sharp tension, the cucumber stalk can break.

The strength of the whiskers can support a plant even in a greenhouse. Why not just point them towards the holding twine or trellis. This will help make them full-fledged assistants.

The answer to the question of whether to cut mustache flagella from cucumbers is quite simple. If they interfere, then cut without any doubt. Soon, another mustache will appear in the bosom of the new leaf. The plant will find resources for its production. But having started the fight with the mustache, it is easy to go down the too laborious and inefficient way to increase the yield. It is better to use already proven methods

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