Cucumbers are a very popular and demanded garden crop. Everyone loves to enjoy juicy crispy cucumbers: both adults and children. Especially such vegetables come to taste after the long winter cold, when the body needs fresh vegetables to replenish vitamin deficiencies after spring avitaminosis. In order to harvest ripe cucumbers as early as possible, you can successfully cultivate them in a greenhouse.
Subject to the conditions for correct planting, difficulties will not arise either in the Krasnodar Territory, the Kuban, or in the Urals. In the northern regions, you can arrange a greenhouse system or plant it under film. You can grow high-yielding varieties without any secrets.
Features of growing cucumbers in greenhouses
Growing this crop in a greenhouse will not give you much trouble. After all, this completely unpretentious plants... Subject to all the requirements for growing and care in the greenhouse, you can get fruits of excellent quality and excellent taste, the yield of which even will exceed the yield of cucumbers in the open field.
Basic requirements for growing cucumber in a polycarbonate greenhouse
To harvest a good harvest of excellent fruits in a polycarbonate greenhouse, you must adhere to certain requirements and technologies:
- Availability of ventilation... This is a prerequisite. The plant needs sufficient oxygen access, but the holes should be placed so that there are no drafts.
- The temperature in the greenhouse should not drop below 13 degrees and rise above 25 degrees.
- If possible, it is better to cover the greenhouse with glass, the glass cover will provide sufficient sunlight access to the plants.
The correct time to plant a crop in a greenhouse
There are two ways to plant cucumbers in the greenhouse: seed and seedlings.
Seedlings are planted in a greenhouse when the seedlings already have 4-5 true leaves and passed the necessary stabbing.
This is usually done in the beginning of April... But it all depends on the growing region. Of course, the timing of the landing in Krasnodar and Siberia will differ significantly.
Regardless of the growing region, plants are planted in the greenhouse only if the soil is already warmed up enough and the air temperature in the greenhouse not lower than 15-18 degreesotherwise it will be difficult to revive it.
In the colder regions of our country, this temperature can be achieved by heating greenhouses. By seed, the plants are planted in a greenhouse in the second half of April.
Step-by-step instructions for caring for the first shoots
The first shoots usually appear within 5-7 days.
Immediately after they appear, they need to provide decent care:
- You must strictly monitor soil temperature... It should not be lower than 12 degrees, otherwise the tender and vulnerable seedlings may turn black and disappear.
- Young plants very painfully react to temperature changes. It is necessary to regularly maintain a stable air temperature in a greenhouse: not lower than 18 degrees.
- No drafts is also a prerequisite for the active growth of young seedlings.
Lighting
Adequate lighting is a prerequisite for growing cucumbers. Culture needs good lighting.
Depending on the region and seasonality of growing cucumbers, in case of insufficient sunlight, an additional artificial greenhouse lighting.
For these purposes, light relays are perfect, which themselves react to a decrease in the intensity of natural light and turn on automatically. But if it is not possible to use automation, you can use any lighting fixtures.
Cucumbers need continuous good lighting for at least 12 hours. But they also need complete darkness. Plants should be kept in the dark for 6-8 hours daily.
Watering
Cucumbers are 90% water and love moisture very much... Watering plants should be timely. Before flowering, it is necessary to water the seedlings every 5 days. In this case, the soil must be constantly loosened.
During the flowering period, watering needs to be increased and carried out. at least 2 times a week, and on hot days and every other day. According to the norm, it is worth watering with settled water at room temperature. It is necessary to water the soil, but not the stems and leaves.
Top dressing
This vegetable crop is very fond of all kinds of fertilizers. You need to feed the cucumbers during the entire growing season. For these purposes, rotted organic matter, ash, mineral fertilizers are suitable.
You can fertilize the plant Once a week, throughout the growing season. Only before the flowering period, a small amount of fertilizer is used, during the flowering period it is slightly increased, and the largest doses of fertilizers are applied during the period of active fruiting.
Mineral fertilizers must be used strictly following the instructions for use.
Care for grown cucumbers
Garter
Cucumbers in the greenhouse grow very quickly, and they need to be tied up every week... To do this, the upper processes of the cucumber lash are tied up on a string. It is best to cut the lower shoots, leaving only 2-3 sinuses for pollination.
Pinch
Pinching or pruning is necessary to increase yields and improve the taste of the fruit. During the flowering period, both male and female types of inflorescences are formed on cucumber lashes.
Male inflorescences - barren flowers necessary delete, and women - pinch... This will increase yields and extend the fruiting times of your crop if properly cared for.
Possible difficulties
Difficulties in growing cucumbers in a greenhouse can arise in case of insufficient lighting and temperature changes.
If you are growing varieties that require pollination, be sure to provide access to bees in the greenhouse... But if you adhere to all the rules and recommendations, then no difficulties threaten you and the plant will thank you with an excellent harvest.
Reviews
Vladimir: novice vegetable grower. For the first time I tried to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse. I was worried that I could not cope, but everything turned out fine, strictly adhered to the recommendations and for the second week we have been collecting an excellent harvest of crispy cucumbers.
Lyubov Pavlovna: retired. I have been gardening for a long time, since I retired. She grew cucumbers in the open field. But this year, for the first time, my son built a greenhouse for me. I decided to plant cucumbers in it. I did everything as it should and now I canning delicious cucumbers for the winter.
Vasily: an entrepreneur. I have been growing cucumbers in a greenhouse for several years now. The yield and taste of greenhouse fruits are excellent, the presentation is also, I sell my products on the market, I have my regular customers. I'm happy with everything.
Vera: a housewife. The first year I tried to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse. My hopes for a high harvest did not come true, the harvest was meager. I tried to find out the reason for myself and found it: the variety required pollination, but I did not provide access to the bees.
Nikolay: retired. We grow greenhouse cucumbers with my wife. We provide ourselves and our children with an excellent harvest. In the greenhouse, the yield is higher than in the open field.
Adhering to all the rules and recommendations, you will get an excellent harvest of excellent cucumbers grown in a greenhouse.