Caring for cucumbers in the open field: the secrets of growing and agricultural technology

In order not to be left without a crop, you need to properly organize the care of cucumbers in the open field. There are subtleties in the agricultural technology of this culture, neglecting which you can waste time and energy in summer. Agrotechnics of cucumbers in the open field is due to the origin of the culture. Since this plant is native to southeastern India, from tropical regions, the requirements for humidity and temperature are high.

How to grow cucumbers outdoors

The secrets of growing cucumbers in the open field each gardener has his own. Some grow them in a regular bed, others prefer the warm bed method. It should be noted that the main advantage of the second method is the high concentration of carbon dioxide in the air layers bordering the ground.

The more it is, the faster the plants grow. Apply methods of growing cucumbers of two types: seedlings, seeds in the ground. The first method allows you to bring the picking of cucumbers closer, the second simplifies the cultivation and care of ground cucumbers.

Planting in the ground with seeds

The technology of growing cucumbers in the open field with seeds is tied to the weather. It must be remembered that planting cucumbers in cold ground will give a negative result. Cucumber seeds germinate if the soil warms up to 14 ° C.

Frost kills young cucumber seedlings, a long drop in temperature to 8 ° C reduces the germination of seeds that have hatched.

Strong cucumber seedlings - the formula for success

Strong cucumber seedlings grown at home - the key to a high yield. Before planting in the ground, it is grown for 25 days. Not all novice gardeners know how to properly grow cucumbers through seedlings.Sowing cucumbers for seedlings begins with soil preparation. The easiest way is to buy ready-made soil. A more difficult way is to prepare the soil yourself.

For the germination of cucumber seeds, a mixture is suitable:

humus (1 part);
lowland peat (1 part);
1 tbsp l. mineral fertilizer ("Aquarin");
0.5 liters of ash per bucket of mixture.

Cucumbers do not tolerate picking, so they plant the seeds in separate containers (glasses) with a diameter of 7 cm. Before this, the planting material must be disinfected. The usual option is 1 g of potassium permanganate and 100 ml of water. Before sowing, "Epin-extra" is used to stimulate seed germination. Take 100 ml of warm boiled water, drip the product (2 drops). After that, from 2 to 4 days, the seeds are kept in a damp cloth at a temperature of 25 - 28 ° C. Seeds are planted in cups when the root is extended by 5 mm.

The soil in the cups is poured with warm water, after 30 minutes the seeds are laid out in them and covered with a layer of soil, the sowing depth is 2 cm. The glasses are covered with a film, removed after the appearance of cucumber sprouts. Cucumber seedling care standard:

water seedlings every other day;
light up cucumbers in cloudy weather;
feed seedlings twice;
harden seedlings a week before transplanting into the ground, lowering the night temperature to 12 ° C.

Warm beds - paradise for cucumbers

Cultivation of cucumbers in the open field with the help of warm beds is very popular. The site for the construction of the ridge should be fenced off from the north wind by tall vegetables or a structure. This makes it easier to create the right microclimate for cucumbers.

To fill the warm ridge, you can use manure or plant residues (weeds, tops). For disinfection, the plant mass can be heated: poured into an iron barrel, poured with water, heated on fire. Pour the hot mass into a trench dug in advance: trench depth - 35 cm, width - 1 m.

You can put small branches, paper in the trench. Pour the layers with fluffy lime, pour the excavated earth on top of everything. In the spring, carry out the final cultivation of the soil: dig, add humus, ash, nitroammophoska.

Starting from spring, the remains, rotting, emit heat and create the microclimate necessary for cucumbers in the surface layer. A high concentration of carbon dioxide stimulates the appearance of female flowers, which has a positive effect on the volume of the crop.

Transplanting cucumber seedlings into the ground

You need to know some subtleties about how to grow cucumber seedlings. In early June (late May), seedlings can be transplanted into the garden. Before this, ten days before, start warming up the soil: pour hot water over it, cover with foil.

Plant seedlings in rows. Leave a distance between rows of 50 cm, in rows between holes - 30 - 40 cm. Protect the roots from damage when planting. Pour wells with rose water with potassium permanganate. Install plastic arcs over the ridge, stretch the film.

During the day, at an air temperature of 25 ° C, slightly open the film on one side to a height of 25 cm. Further growth of cucumbers and caring for plantings comes down to watering, fertilizing, keeping the ridges clean, and preventing diseases.

About the features of outdoor care

Caring for grown plants, you need to not only water them. It is equally important to harvest fruits that have grown to a normal size in a timely manner. You need to collect greens in the morning, they retain their elasticity longer.

In order not to damage the lashes, do not tear off the fruits, but cut them with scissors or a garden knife. Do not turn the whip once again, the leaves should look up. Fruit picking is carried out every 2 days.

Secrets of the correct watering of ground cucumbers

When growing cucumbers in the open field in the country, there may be difficulties with watering due to rare visits. Don't rely on rain, it doesn't always help. You need to remember the benefits of rainwater - it is better than well or tap water, it has more oxygen and nutrients.

Cucumbers need frequent watering, but there are growing conditions associated with weather conditions. On cool days, with excess soil moisture, plants develop root rot. Proper care of cucumbers - refusal of watering at daytime temperatures below 15 ° C. In such weather, dry watering is carried out in the country in the open field - the soil is loosened between the rows.

Water for watering ground cucumbers should be warm (22 - 25 ° C). Inexperienced summer residents, watering the beds with cold water, may encounter problems:

plants grow slowly;
there are few ovaries on cucumbers;
cucumber ovaries crumble.

The gardener needs to add two more conditions for a good harvest related to watering in his growing rules. The first condition is watering in the grooves located between the rows. From watering under the root should be abandoned. Cucumber roots are shallow and may be exposed. The second condition is not to water after 19 hours.

Fertilizers or how to care for cucumbers in the open field

Regular top dressing helps to properly grow ground cucumbers. During the summer, you need to feed the plants at least 3-4 times. With a competent approach, root dressings alternate with foliar ones. During the peak fruiting of cucumbers, their immunity is increased by ash. To powder 1 sq. m cucumber ridge, take a glass of ash.

For a cucumber in the open field, soil fertility is important, it is improved with the help of fertilizers (organic, mineral).For the first time, gardeners prefer to feed cucumbers with mullein infusion. It is easy to prepare the solution: pour 1 bucket of manure into 2 buckets of water, stir, put for 5 days for fermentation. For he althy cucumbers, add 0.5 liters of liquid fertilizer per bucket.

For sick and weakened plants, increase the concentration of the solution to 1 liter per bucket. You can add to the working solution 1 tbsp. l. urea or ammonium nitrate.

When buds and first flowers appear on the cucumber lashes, repeat feeding the plants. During this period, add fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium to the solution. The plant especially needs fertilizer during fruiting. During this period, feed cucumbers every 10 days, add nitroammophoska to the mullein infusion (per 10 liters 1 tbsp.).

To avoid clumsy greens, take into account when fertilizing the proportions:% nitrogen more than phosphorus,% potassium more than nitrogen.

Gardeners achieve good results by foliar top dressing of cucumbers in the open field. For the active growth of green mass at the beginning of the growing season, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of urea. To process a ridge 1 m wide and 10 m long, dilute 1 tsp in 10 liters of water. fertilizers. Process cucumbers before flowers appear. In June, sprinkle cucumber bushes with soda solution (per 10 liters 1 tablespoon), the leaves will not turn yellow.

Cucumber Bush Formation

The formation of cucumber bushes makes it easier for the gardener to care for them. More and more gardeners are using trellises in their gardens. Tied cucumber bushes get sick less. Varieties and hybrids in the open field form differently.

Pinch varietal ground cucumbers over 4-5 leaves to grow more side lashes. Hybrids should be kept in one stem, plucking out all the lower shoots to a height of 0.5 m. At the interval of the cucumber stem from 0.5 to 1 m, leave one leaf in the axils, higher - 2 leaves, even higher - 3 - 4 each.

Diseases of ground cucumbers

Growing cucumbers in the country in the open field is not so easy. Diseases lie in wait for a plant in the open field throughout the season: immediately after planting, during the fruiting period.

Infection in open ground can be transmitted through the air. The most common diseases of ground cucumbers:

powdery mildew;
root rot;
anthracnose.

The first signs of powdery mildew often appear on ground cucumbers in cool (20 ° C) weather with high humidity. In the early stages, it is a white coating on the leaves, similar to flour. In the later stages, the leaves on the cucumbers begin to turn yellow and dry.

Fruit-bearing cucumber bushes can be sprayed from powdery mildew with an infusion prepared from water (10 parts) and mullein (1 part). Heavily affected cucumber leaves should be sprayed with a solution of iron sulfate (5%).

Root rot can leave you without a crop. The first signs can be seen immediately after planting the seedlings on the ridge. With a daily increase in temperature, the leaves on the plants wither, and with the onset of dusk, the elasticity of the leaves is restored. At the bottom of the stem in such plants, the color becomes brown. Care at this time:

introduce a biological product ("Bactofit") or a fungicide ("Hom") into the soil;
Spud the stems to stimulate the growth of new roots;
treat with Effekton to increase immunity.

Anthracnose affects not only the lashes and leaves of ground plants, but also the fruits. Yellow spots grow on the leaves, pink ulcers form on the greens, the stems dry out, the fruits become unusable. The life of the cucumber bush depends on how quickly the plant is helped. For the processing of cucumber leaves, Bordeaux liquid 1% is taken.

Pests in the cucumber garden

Often, with the onset of hot July days, outdoor care complicates aphids. A small insect can cause great damage to plants in the open field. It is easy to recognize damaged ground cucumbers:

withered leaves;
spoiled buds and ovaries;
yellow spots on the leaf surface.

Insect breeds rapidly, aphid colonies can destroy a whole ridge in 10 days. If an insect is found, prepare a soap-ash solution. Take a liter of water, add 72% laundry soap (2 tablespoons) and ash (2 tablespoons) diluted in hot water to it.

Wash the leaves and stalks of cucumbers with the resulting soapy-ash water. Treat open ground plants in the morning. To avoid burning the leaves, throw covering material over the plants at noon.Repeat the treatment in open ground after 5 days. The ground under cucumber bushes should be powdered with ash to repel pests and feed weakened plants.

Simple protection of ground cucumbers from a bear

Medvedka causes great damage to young ground cucumbers. A simple plastic bottle will protect the ground cucumbers from the pest. For a 1.5 liter bottle, you need to cut off the lower and upper parts, you get a cylinder. Cut the cylinder into 3 equal parts.

Press the resulting rings into the bed, above the surface you need to leave a protruding rim - 0.5 cm high. Plant 3 cucumber seeds in each ring, sprinkled with soil.

Cover the cucumber ridge with cellophane until sprouts appear. The rings will protect seedlings from the bear, will not interfere with the development of the plant, and will facilitate its cultivation.

Choice of varieties for outdoor cultivation

For open ground, it is necessary to choose bee-pollinated varieties The main advantages of varieties for open ground: cold resistance, resistance to temperature fluctuations. An overview of three current outdoor hybrids will help you choose cucumber seeds for next season.

Cucumber Crunch F1

Bee-pollinated hybrid, characterized by long fruiting in open ground. Cucumbers are harvested 48 days after germination. Flowering female type. The fruits are collected in bunches of 2 - 3 pieces. Zelentsy practically do not outgrow, are not prone to yellowing.

The pulp of cucumbers is dense, there are no voids. The fruits are one-sized, the average weight of greens is 90-100 g. It is difficult to spoil the salad with a tasty cucumber, greens are good in lightly s alted and pickled form. Valuable qualities of a hybrid for open ground: resistance to root rot, cladosporiosis, powdery mildew (false, real).

Appetizing Cucumber F1

Early hybrid for open ground (maturing occurs after 45 days), bee-pollinated, productive (14 kg/m²). Fruiting is uniform, long. The hybrid is resistant to a complex of diseases, perfectly adapts to any conditions during cultivation. Flower type is female. At the nodes it forms 2-3 ovaries. Cucumbers grow beautiful, not long, aligned. The shape of the greens is cylindrical, weight is from 80 to 100 g. The fruits can be used in preparations, fresh.

Cucumber Baby F1

Early hybrid, bee-pollinated, can be planted in open ground. Zelentsy begin to sing on the 47th - 50th day. The fruiting of the soil hybrid continues for a long time, the greens are formed on the central stem and on the side shoots. The length of greens is 7 - 10 cm, the shape is beautiful. Cucumbers are large-tuberous with white pubescence. The pulp of cucumbers is dense, juicy, crispy.Zelentsy is used for barrel s alting, pickles do not lose their elasticity.

How easy it is to increase the yield of cucumbers in the open field

Sometimes the advice of experienced gardeners helps to grow a lot of cucumbers in the open field. Here is one such tip: a special watering of ground cucumbers using apple cider vinegar. Pour rainwater or tap water into a barrel. When the water warms up, add apple cider vinegar to it. For 200 liters, 1.5 cups are enough. Water the ground cucumbers with this sour water all summer. Grown ground cucumbers can be harvested 15% more than when irrigated with ordinary water.