Foliar feeding of cucumbers: what fertilizers and how to apply

Cucumbers are a fairly common vegetable, grown by almost every vegetable grower. In order for cucumbers to fully develop, it is necessary to ensure the regular supply of useful elements to the soil. It is for this that foliar feeding of cucumbers is carried out, with the help of which you can not only provide plants with minerals, but also protect them from many pests and diseases.

Foliar top dressing of cucumbers is carried out by spraying the bushes. This procedure should be carried out regularly during the cultivation of cucumbers.

Main recommendations

Feeding cucumbers in the open field must be carried out correctly, so it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the basic tips for this procedure:

You need to feed the bushes very carefully, since initially only a small amount of fertilizer can positively affect them. If there are too many nutrients, then because of this, the inflorescences will begin to fall off and the leaves will turn yellow. Increase the amount of foliar feeding should be gradual.
Feeding cucumbers during fruiting should be done only in the evening or in the morning so that there is not too much sunlight outside. In some cases, due to sunlight, serious burns begin to appear on the leaves. Also, the procedure should be carried out when there is no strong wind and rain outside.
Sometimes it is difficult to independently determine which substances are lacking in cucumbers. In such cases, it is recommended to test various fertilizers in advance on several bushes.If after that their condition began to improve, then it will be possible to start feeding the rest of the bushes. You can also use complex fertilizers, which are universal and will work in any case.
It is necessary to carry out spraying only for prevention. A high concentration of fertilizer can harm young plants.
Don't fertilize on hot sunny days.

When to fertilize

Before applying foliar fertilizer to the ground, it is necessary to determine the period when this should be done. It is recommended to apply top dressing at each of the stages of bush development:

before flowers begin to appear;
before fruiting;
during the period of picking ripe cucumbers.

Fertilization methods

During the foliar feeding of cucumbers in the greenhouse, various solutions are used that contain a large amount of useful substances. Before you start fertilizing, you need to familiarize yourself with which solutions are used for this.

Urea

Urea is a fairly popular fertilizer that is sold in many stores in the form of small granules. It is used in cases where the bushes lack nitrogen, which is necessary for their rapid development. Also, this substance is used during the fight against various pests. It helps protect bushes from aphids or weevils.

To determine the lack of nitrogen, you should pay attention to the appearance of the plant. Its leaves begin to lose their color and gradually turn yellow.

It is necessary to start fertilizing cucumbers with urea during the growing season. Therefore, the first top dressing is carried out immediately after the young seedlings have been planted in the soil. The second top dressing is carried out in a few weeks.

When fertilizing plants with urea, it is necessary to determine the amount of the substance used. To process cucumbers, at least 15 grams of the substance is added to 10 liters of water.

Boric acid

This substance is used to protect bushes from various diseases and increase the yield. After applying boric acid, cucumbers receive more oxygen, which has a positive effect on their taste.

It is recommended to use boric acid when these symptoms appear:

falling fruits;
a small number of ovaries;
appearance of small yellow spots on the sheets.

The first time the treatment is carried out before the plant begins to bloom. The next time the procedure is repeated already during the formation of the first ovaries.

To use boric acid, you need to prepare a special mixture. To do this, the substance is dissolved in heated water and poured into a small container. The mixture is then stirred and several liters of cold water are added to it.

Calcium nitrate

Calcium nitrate is a highly soluble fertilizer that is often used when feeding cucumbers. It contains a lot of calcium nitrate, which is well absorbed by vegetables. The main advantage of this top dressing is that it can be applied even in conditions of high humidity or at low temperatures.

Regular use of calcium nitrate results in:

improve the taste of cucumbers and increase yields;
the emergence of immunity to many diseases;
improve enzyme performance;
increase the shelf life of harvested fruits.

To prepare a solution of calcium, add 2-3 grams of the substance to a liter of water. Then everything is thoroughly mixed and infused for several minutes. The resulting mixture can be used after the third leaf is formed on the bush. After that, it is necessary to fertilize the bushes with calcium nitrate every week.

Iodine

It's no secret that young seedlings are exposed to various diseases during flowering. In order to protect plants from them, it is recommended to use a solution that contains iodine. It is necessary to use this solution after the appearance of the fourth leaf in the bushes. To prepare a mixture of iodine, add 45 drops of the substance and a liter of milk to 10 liters of water.

Some gardeners add soap to it, thanks to which the solution will stay on the leaves longer.

When signs of diseases are already beginning to appear on the bushes, you will have to create a more concentrated solution. To do this, you will have to mix water with iodine in a ratio of two to one. Even if such a mixture does not help save the cucumbers from the disease, then the bushes will have to be removed and burned.

Yeast

Some vegetable growers use dry yeast for foliar dressing. They contain a considerable amount of minerals, vitamins and proteins that young bushes need. Therefore, the use of a yeast solution has a positive effect on the development of plants.

It's pretty easy to make your own yeast mixture. To do this, fresh yeast is added to the water in a ratio of one to five. Then the solution is mixed and infused for several hours. After that, five more parts of warm water must be added to the container with the mixture.

There is another method of preparing the solution.To create it, add 2-4 liters of water to a small saucepan. Then it should be heated to 40 degrees, after which 20 g of yeast and 100 g of sugar are added to the pan. Before using this mixture, it should be infused for 10-15 hours.

You need to use yeast every 7-10 days. At the same time, no more than a liter of yeast mixture is consumed per bush.

Conclusion

When growing cucumbers, do not forget about the periodic application of mineral fertilizers. If you periodically add manure to the soil with other top dressings, cucumbers will grow and develop much better.