Growing cucumber from seeds
Growing Cucumbers from Sowing to Harvest
, written by Benedict Vanheems
Crunchy cucumbers, fresh from the garden are in a league of their own, so if you’re wondering whether to grow them or not, the answer should be a resounding ‘yes’!
There are cucumber varieties suitable for growing outdoors or in the greenhouse. Outdoor cucumbers, also called ‘ridge cucumbers’, will tolerate cooler climates and are often spiny or rough to the touch. Greenhouse cucumbers form smoother fruits but do need that extra warmth for success. Some varieties will happily grow inside or out, in a sunny, sheltered spot in the garden.
How to Sow Cucumbers
Sow cucumbers from mid spring into small pots of seed starting or general-purpose potting mix. Sow two seeds about an inch (3cm) deep, then water well.
Cucumbers need temperatures of at least 68ºF (20ºC) to germinate, so either place pots in a propagator for speedier germination, or simply wait until late spring to get started. Once the seedlings appear, remove the weakest to leave one per pot.
Growing Greenhouse Cucumbers
Greenhouse cucumbers can be planted into beds, large containers of potting soil, or growing bags. If using the latter, plant two cucumbers per bag into bottomless pots set on top of the growing bag. These will help to trap moisture every time you water, instead of it running off over the surface.
Put in place supports such as bamboo canes, vertical wires, strong netting or trellis. Train vines up their supports then pinch out the growing tips when they reach the top to encourage side shoots. Pinch out the tips of side shoots after each developing fruit to leave two leaves beyond each fruit.
Feed plants every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer that’s high in potassium and keep these thirsty plants moist at all times.
Unless you are growing an all-female variety, remove all male flowers from greenhouse cucumbers. This prevents bitter-tasting fruits.
It’s easy to identify female flowers by the slight swelling of the embryonic fruit behind each bloom.
Growing Outdoor Cucumbers
Outdoor cucumbers should be planted out when the soil has warmed in late spring or early summer. Gradually acclimatize plants for a week or two beforehand. A cold frame is useful for this hardening off period. In warmer climates you can sow seeds straight into their final growing positions.
Cucumbers prefer rich, fertile soil, so dig in plenty of well-rotted organic matter such as compost before planting. If you’re growing your cucumbers upwards using supports such as trellis, set plants at about 18 inches (45cm) apart. If you’ll be leaving them to sprawl over the soil surface instead, plant them about three feet (90cm) apart.
Pinch out the growing points after six leaves have formed to encourage plants to produce fruiting side shoots. Climbing cucumbers may need tying to vertical supports, particularly as the heavy fruits start to develop.
How to Make a Cucumber Frame
Another option for outdoor cucumbers is a cucumber frame. To make one, stretch chicken wire or netting over a wooden frame and secure it into place with staples or U-shaped nails. Prop the frame up onto an A-frame made of bamboo canes.
The beauty of this type of support is that leafy salads like lettuce may be grown underneath to take advantage of the shade cast by the cucumbers – a clever solution for growing cool season crops in hot climates.
A frame support is great to grow cucumbers upHow to Harvest Cucumbers
Harvest cucumbers while they’re still small and tender. Cut them off plants using a sharp knife or pruners. Pick often to encourage more fruits and, if you can, harvest in the morning while it’s still cool. Gherkin varieties are picked very small – an inch (3cm) long for crunchy cornichons or three inches (8cm) long for larger pickles. Cucumber and dill are perfect pickling partners and the ideal solution for summer gluts.
Sliced into salads or sandwiches, pickled or dropped into cooling summer drinks – I can think of plenty of ways to enjoy cucumbers! Please share your own cucumber recipes and growing tips in the comments section below.
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How to Grow Cucumbers From Seed
By
Angela England
Angela England
Angela England is an organic gardening expert who has authored a book on gardening: "Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less)," focusing on sustainable, self-sufficient gardening. She runs the online publication Blissfully Domestic about home and family. She also founded the Homestead Bloggers Network, which supports bloggers who write about homesteading topics.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 03/23/22
Reviewed by
Julie Thompson-Adolf
Reviewed by Julie Thompson-Adolf
Julie Thompson-Adolf is a master gardener and author. She has 13+ years of experience with year-round organic gardening; seed starting and saving; growing heirloom plants, perennials, and annuals; and sustainable and urban farming.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
The Spruce / Margot Cavin
Project Overview
There's nothing quite as satisfying as the crunch of a fresh, cool cucumber on a hot summer day. They are good for snacks, salads, and even skincare. Cucumbers also can be added to water for light flavoring. And when the summer comes to a close, you can pickle the rest of the harvest to enjoy all year long. Although cucumbers can run into issues with pests, they are still pretty easy to grow from seed. Most varieties are ready for harvesting in 50 to 70 days.
Here's how to start cucumbers from seed for your garden.
Equipment / Tools
- Trowel
- Watering can/hose
- Knife/pruners
- Pest/disease remedies (as needed)
Materials
- Cucumber seeds
- Fertilizer and/or compost
- Support structure (optional)
- Mulch
-
Plant the Seeds
Cucumbers are traditionally planted in rows or mounds.
You'll find bush varieties, as well as vining cucumbers. Bush varieties don't need staking, but they can take up a lot of garden space. Often, vining cucumbers are allowed to sprawl along the ground. However, when they sprawl on the ground, they're more susceptible to disease and pests, plus they take up prime garden real-estate.. Instead, train vining cucumbers to climb a fence, trellis, or other sturdy support structure for a more contained growing site.Wait until the soil has warmed to around 70 degrees Fahrenheit before planting your seeds. Pick a site that gets lots of sun and has rich, well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral soil pH. Seeds also can be started indoors about a month before your area's last projected frost date in the spring.
Plant seeds 1 inch deep. Make sure you know which type of cucumber you're planting: bush or vining. While spacing largely depends on variety, here are some general estimates:
- For rows: Plant seeds around 4 to 6 inches apart in rows that are 3 to 5 feet apart.
- For mounds: Create small hills that are around 1 to 1.5 feet in diameter and a few inches high, spacing mounds 1 to 2 feet apart, and plant two to three seeds per mound.
- For support structures: Plant two to three seeds per foot.
The Spruce / K. Dave
- For rows: Plant seeds around 4 to 6 inches apart in rows that are 3 to 5 feet apart.
-
Thin the Seedlings
Germination generally takes between three and 10 days. Cooler temperatures can slow the process, and temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit will likely prevent germination.
Once the seedlings are around 4 inches tall, it's time to thin them. Use pruners to snip the seedlings off at their base rather than pulling them, as pulling can disturb roots of the plants you're keeping. Add mulch around the plants to retain soil moisture.
- For rows: Thin seedlings to approximately 1 to 1.5 feet apart.
- For mounds: Remove all but the strongest seedling in each mound.
- For support structures: Thin seedlings to around a foot apart.
The Spruce / K. Dave
-
Tend to the Plants
Aim to keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged. Around an inch of water per week is fine, but plan to water more in hot weather. Avoid an irregular watering schedule, as this can result in oddly shaped and bitter cucumbers. Try to keep the foliage dry when you water to help prevent fungal diseases.
Use either an organic liquid or slow-release granule fertilizer that's made for vegetables at the time of planting and then throughout the growing season, following label instructions. You can also side-dress with some compost to boost growth.
The Spruce / K. Dave
-
Watch Out for Pests and Diseases
As the growing season progresses, your cucumber plants will attract beneficial insects like bees that aid in pollination and subsequent fruit production. But they also might bring in some pests and diseases. The cucumber beetle is the most likely pest to target your crop.
Parasitic nematodes can help curb them, as well as simply picking them off. Tansies are thought to deter cucumber beetles, too, so they could be worth planting by your cucumber crop. Choosing a good variety also can help to prevent pests and diseases. Asian cucumbers, for example, are more disease resistant than larger varieties. 'Straight Eight' is resistant to the mosaic virus, a common cucumber malady. And 'Tasty Jade' grows well on a trellis, saving space in the garden.
Another major key to avoid pests and diseases lies in crop rotation. If you have pest-attracting gourds in the same place season after season, they will be prone to problems. Try to plant cucumbers after spinach or legumes, and follow them with a nitrogen-fixing ground cover, such as clover, during the winter.
The Spruce / Margot Cavin -
Harvest
Note the mature size of your cucumber variety, as this can range from around 3 to 8 inches on average. Harvest as soon as they reach this mature size.
Letting them continue to grow will adversely affect flavor and quality. Plus, if just one cucumber grows long enough that the seeds mature, the entire plant will stop producing cucumbers. Check the vines daily for harvestable cucumbers. Use a knife or pruners to cut the stem, as pulling them off can damage the vine. Cucumbers will keep in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic for a little over a week.
The Spruce / K. Dave
planting and care, how to grow from seeds in open ground, photo
Author: Elena N. https://floristics.info/ru/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=19 Category: garden plants reprinted: Last amendments:
Content
- Planting and cucumber care
- Botanical description
- Growing cucumbers from seeds
- How to sew seeds
- Comments
Plant common cucumber , or common cucumber (lat.
Cucumis sativus) , is a herbaceous annual species of the genus Cucumber of the Cucurbitaceae family, a vegetable crop widely grown throughout the world. The name of the plant comes from the Greek word agouros, which means “immature”, that is, at the etymological level, the name is assigned the concept that the cucumber is eaten unripe, that is, green, as opposed to, for example, a tomato, which is not eaten green. The cucumber vegetable has been cultivated for over 6,000 years. It comes from India, where it still grows wild at the foot of the Himalayas. Planting and caring for cucumbers
- Planting: sowing seeds for seedlings - in April, planting seedlings in the ground - in early or mid-May.
- Lighting: bright or partial shade.
- Soil: Highly fertile, well-drained, low nitrogen, neutral to slightly alkaline.
- Predecessors: the best - green manure, onions, cabbage, tomatoes.
Unwanted - lagenaria and any pumpkin crops. - Watering: the first time after transplanting seedlings into the ground - frequent, after rooting - once every 5-7 days at a flow rate of 3 to 6 liters of water per m², during the flowering period - once every 2-3 days with a double water consumption per unit area.
- Top dressing: 6-8 times per season with organic and mineral fertilizers. Do not fertilize during periods of extreme cold.
- Garter: horizontal and vertical. They begin to tie the whips to the supports almost immediately after planting the cucumbers in the ground.
- Pinching: in the open field, to stimulate the growth of lateral vines, pinch the shoots above the 5-6th leaf.
- Stepping: at the 3-4 leaf development stage, then at the 8-leaf development stage, then at the 12-leaf formation stage.
- Reproduction: seed.
- Pests: aphids, gall nematodes, cutworms, mole crickets, tobacco thrips, spider mites, sprout flies, wireworms.
- Diseases: anthracnoch, ascochyta, verticillium, powdery mildew, downy mildew, blackleg, gray rot, black rot, olive spot and ring mosaic virus.
Read more about growing cucumbers below
Botanical description
Cucumber stem is rough, creeping, reaching two meters in length and ending with a mustache, with which the plant clings to a support. Leaves are five-lobed, heart-shaped. The fruit is emerald green, bubbly, juicy, multi-seeded, with a structure characteristic of Cucurbitaceae. The shape and size of the fruit varies depending on the variety.
Despite the fact that the cucumber is 95% water, it contains useful trace elements - iron, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium and vitamins - C, B1, B2, provitamin A. Cucumber juice is a structured liquid that perfectly removes toxins and toxins and beneficial effect on the state of the human body.
Cucumbers are a source of iodine in compounds that are easily digestible. Growing cucumbers from seeds
How to sow seeds
Growing cucumber seedlings allows you to speed up fruiting in the open field by 2 weeks, and also prolongs the fruiting period. Even if you know how to grow cucumber seedlings, after reading the recommendations in this article, you will be able to compare your experience and knowledge with ours, and maybe you will learn something that you did not know yet.
Seeds for seedlings are sown in April. Seeds of cucumbers, when properly stored, do not lose their germination for 8-10 years, but three-four-year-old seeds are considered the most productive. Seedling material for seedlings should consist of full-weight large seeds that have been heated for a month near heaters at a temperature of about 25 ºC. This does not apply to seeds of hybrid varieties - they do not need to be warmed up before planting.
Planting cucumbers for seedlings is also preceded by disinfection of seeds by immersing them for an hour in an infusion of 100 g of water and 30 g of garlic pulp.
After disinfection, the seeds for swelling are wrapped in a damp cloth and kept at a temperature of 20 ºC for 48 hours, after which they are placed in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for the same period. Seeds ready for sowing are laid out in peat-muck or plastic cups 10-12 cm high, filled to the top with coco substrate or soil, which must be prepared in advance: thoroughly mix 2 parts of humus, 1 part of sawdust, 2 parts of peat and for 10 liters of such soil mixture add 2 tablespoons of wood ash and one and a half tablespoons of nitrophoska. In each cup, one hatched seed is laid out with the spout up so that during germination, the peel of the seed remains in the soil.
It is not necessary to sow the seeds deep, it is enough to cover them with a layer of soil mixture 5-10 mm thick, after which the sowing should be moistened, covered with paper and kept at a temperature of 22-28 ºC. Seedlings will be ready for transplanting into open ground in 3-4 weeks.
If you put the seeds not in plastic cups, but in peat or peat tablets with a diameter of 41-44 cm, you will not have to bother with picking, but it should be noted that cucumbers do not like this procedure. Growing seedlings
Caring for cucumber seedlings involves watering, fertilizing, picking seedlings if you grow them in boxes, cassettes or plastic cups, and artificial lighting will almost certainly be needed. When shoots appear, the temperature in the room is lowered to 20-22 ºC during the day and to 15-16 ºC at night, and the seedlings are provided with additional lighting with fluorescent or agro-lamps so that the seedlings do not stretch.
- How to care for zucchini for long and abundant fruiting
At the stage of formation of two true leaves in seedlings, fertilizer for cucumbers of this composition is applied to soil : 3 teaspoons of nitroammophoska are dissolved in three liters of water at a temperature of 20 ºC. And a day or two before planting seedlings in the ground, they are fed with a solution of 15 g of urea, 10 g of potassium fertilizer and 40 g of superphosphate in 10 liters of water, spending this amount of feeding on about 2 m² of soil.
As for watering seedlings , during the entire growing period it is carried out once a week, and the soil is shed completely, and the excess liquid must be drained - for this it is convenient to keep containers on a pallet. If the seedlings grow quickly, and you do not intend to swoop down on them, pour some soil into their cups for stability.
Picking cucumbers
Cucumber picks are not very fond of, so follow our advice and grow cucumber seedlings in peat pots or tablets, but if for some reason you decide to sow seeds in boxes, then picking cannot be avoided, and it is carried out in the phase development of two true leaves in seedlings. Before diving cucumbers, the soil in the box is well watered, then the seedling is very carefully taken out, trying not to shake the soil from the roots, and transplanted into a separate container, immersing the root and part of the stem into a depression made in the soil along the cotyledon leaves.
After picking, the soil around the seedling is compacted in such a way that the seedling cannot be easily pulled out of the ground.
When transplanting, twisted and diseased plants are rejected, however, it should be remembered that picking delays the development of seedlings for 5-7 days. If weather conditions and the level of development of seedlings allow, dive seedlings directly into open ground to a permanent place. Or dive seedlings into peat pots so that they can be transplanted into open ground when the time comes, along with the container. A week before planting seedlings in the ground, they begin to accustom them to the outdoor environment, taking them out into the fresh air for several hours every day, not forgetting to protect them from wind and drafts at first. Also, before planting in the ground, it is advisable to treat the seedlings for preventive purposes with Immunocytophyte or Epin.
Growing at home
For growing cucumbers at home, you should choose varieties that do not require pollination, and cluster and medium climbing cucumbers are best located on the windowsills. Optimal for apartment conditions are varieties Domashny, Rytova, Masha, Room, Marfinsky, Bianka, and hybrids of Claudia and Marinda.
If you want to get fresh, self-grown gherkins for the New Year's table, you need to sow cucumber seeds at the end of October, and if you need them by March 8, sow cucumbers in January. It usually takes 45-50 days from the moment of emergence of seedlings to the ripening of the first cucumbers.
- Sowing early tomatoes for seedlings
Before sowing, cucumber seeds are treated: they are disinfected in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 15-20 minutes, after which they are washed with running water. Then the seeds are laid out in individual seedling cups with a diameter of 6-8 cm with a drainage layer in the form of coarse sand or expanded clay and a light nutrient mixture seasoned with rotted organic matter - it is best to purchase ready-made soil mixture for cucumber seedlings in the store.
The soil is poured with boiling water directly in the cups, then the substrate is allowed to cool and then the seeds are laid out on the surface, covered with damp gauze and placed on the southern or eastern windowsill.
They contain containers at a temperature of 17-22 ºC at night and 22-26 ºC during the day, protecting from drafts and constantly keeping the gauze moist. After a few days, when tiny sprouts appear on the seeds lying in the cups, make a hole 1 cm deep in the center of the soil surface, put the germinated seed in it and cover it with soil, and cover the cups so that moisture does not evaporate from the soil, cover with paper or film. After the emergence of seedlings, the coating is removed. If you do not have the opportunity to illuminate the seedlings, you will have to lower the temperature in the room to 15-17 ºC during the day and 13-15 at night so that they do not stretch out. Watering seedlings is carried out as the topsoil dries up.
At the three-leaf stage, seedlings are carefully transplanted one at a time into larger containers - flower pots with a diameter of 25 cm or buckets, for example. The transplant is carried out on a cloudy day, after which the plants are shaded from the sun for 2-3 days.
As soon as the first ovaries are found, the cucumbers are fertilized: 100 g of wood ash is thoroughly mixed in one liter of hot water and infused for a day, after which the potted soil is poured with this composition. Pinching off the side shoots that appear on the central lash. One plant should carry no more than two lashes that need to be tied up: the easiest way is to pull a large-mesh construction mesh over the window, for which the growing lash will cling with a mustache.
Water the cucumbers after the topsoil dries out early in the morning or in the evening with warm water at about 27-30 ºC. It is very important to maintain a balance of moisture in the soil, since rot can develop from its excess in the roots, and from a lack of moisture, the fruits will be bitter. When cucumbers appear, do not let them outgrow, and then the next fruits will begin to form and develop faster.
Planting cucumbers in open ground
When to plant
Planting cucumbers in the ground is carried out not earlier than the seedlings develop 3-4 true leaves, and the soil warms up to 20-24 ºC and warm weather sets in.
Usually all these signs appear in mid-May. The area reserved for cucumbers should be protected from the wind, well lit by the sun, although partial shade is also acceptable. If there is a possibility of night frosts or a sharp cold snap, the cucumbers planted in the ground will have to be covered with a film, for which metal arcs are dug in throughout the garden, on which, if necessary, covering material is thrown. Also, close to the holes along the beds, a trellis is installed or a large-mesh net is dug in, along which the cucumber liana will climb up. - Autumn sowing of radish and daikon - what varieties are suitable and what is the peculiarity of planting at this time?
Cucumber Soil
Cucumber soil should be well-drained, fertile, low in nitrogen. Acidic soil should be limed before planting. Cucumbers grow best in a soil mixture of 6 parts of peat, to which one part of humus, sawdust and soddy soil is added, but in principle any soil is suitable for cucumbers.
The main thing is that it be loose and warm, and for this you need to arrange beds 25 cm high for cucumbers, directed from east to west with a slight slope to the south. The day before planting cucumbers, the formed beds are watered with a solution of a teaspoon of copper sulfate in 10 liters of almost boiling water, spending three liters per 1 m². The best predecessors for cucumbers are green manure, tomatoes, onions and cabbage, but plants such as pumpkin, watermelon, melon, zucchini, zucchini, lagenaria and other Cucurbitas are undesirable as predecessors for cucumbers.
How to plant in the ground
How to plant seedlings of cucumbers and is it necessary to fertilize the soil on the site before that? Since the root system of cucumbers is unbranched, fertilizers are applied directly at the time of planting: holes are made in the beds 40 cm deep at a distance of 60 cm from each other, a layer of soil mixed with compost or humus is poured into them, then a layer of fertile soil without fertilizer is added, seedlings with an earthen clod are transferred to it or a peat pot with seedlings is placed in the hole, the hole is covered with soil and watered at the rate of 3 liters of water per plant.
In the future, the plot with cucumbers can be mulched with peat or grass, which will attract earthworms to the plot, supplying the soil with humus, or you can cover the aisles with black ground cover to reduce the evaporation of moisture from the surface of the plot and slightly increase the temperature of the soil.
Greenhouse cultivation
Indoor hybrid varieties such as Ant, Marinda, Twiksi, Halli, Murashko, Bidretta and Buyan are used for greenhouse cultivation of early cucumbers. In order to get a crop of cucumbers as early as possible, manure beds are arranged in the greenhouse, which are called hot, or compost beds are warm.
If you have fresh cow dung, put it in a high bed in the greenhouse, cover with at least 25 cm of fertile soil on top and water abundantly, then spread cucumber seeds at a rate of 4 plants per m². Seeds of hybrid varieties do not need pre-sowing treatment. Close up the seeds of cucumbers by 1-2 cm, after which supporting arcs are installed on the bed, on which light covering material is laid.
Thanks to manure that warms the soil, the first shoots appear after 3-4 days. During the day, you need to briefly raise the shelter to ventilate the seedlings. Keep an eye on the temperature of the soil and air in the greenhouse - it can change dramatically and unexpectedly with the weather. The optimum temperature for the development of seedlings in a greenhouse is 18-30 ºC. If the temperature rises higher, the cucumbers will simply burn. In addition to the bottom heating of the beds, seedlings may need additional lighting.
If you do not have manure, instead of a hot bed, you can make a warm bed according to the same principle, only in this case, garden compost is placed under the soil layer instead of manure. Since the soil temperature will not be so high, planting cucumbers in the greenhouse is carried out with already sprouted seeds, right in peat cups or tablets. In cold regions, it is better to arrange manure beds, and in warmer areas, compost beds will be enough.
Further care for cucumbers in the greenhouse is carried out in the same way as for plants in the open field. Caring for cucumbers
Growing conditions
At first, after planting in the ground, cucumber seedlings need frequent watering and shading from sunlight, and in case of a sharp cold snap, they will need shelter - when the temperature drops to 15 ºC, cucumbers slow down growth, and when 10 ºC development stops altogether. After watering, it is desirable to loosen the soil in the area while hilling the bushes, but this must be done carefully, since the root system of cucumbers is located in the upper soil layer. Mulch covering the area allows you to loosen the soil less often or without loosening the soil at all, and also reduces the need for frequent watering and inhibits the growth of weeds. It is advisable to pinch cucumbers for open ground over 5-6 leaves to stimulate the growth of lateral lashes.
Watering
Before flowering cucumbers are watered every 5-7 days at the rate of 3 to 6 liters per m².
When flowering begins, cucumbers need to be watered more often (once every 2-3 days) and more abundantly (6-12 liters per 1 m²). Watering is carried out with settled warm water (about 25 ºC) early in the morning or in the evening. If the water is poorly absorbed into the soil, make punctures in the aisle with a pitchfork to a depth of 10-15 cm - the water should soak the soil to a depth of 20-30 cm. You need to water the cucumbers under the root, trying not to fall on the leaves. So that the jet of water does not erode the soil and does not expose the roots, watering is carried out with a watering can with a divider nozzle. The main thing in watering is balance: remember that due to insufficient moisture, cucumbers grow bitter, and fungal diseases occur from excessive moisture, so before watering cucumbers, make sure that they really need it.
How to tie cucumbers
Growing cucumbers in the open field is carried out in two ways - horizontally or vertically.
Among the vertical methods, there are several witty and even exotic ones. For example, growing cucumbers in leaky barrels, in plastic bags, in a hut or under a black film. Since cucumbers are vines, they need to be tied, a procedure that saves space, avoids contracting certain diseases, and makes harvesting easier. They begin to tie cucumbers to a support in the development phase of 3-4 leaves, in fact, almost immediately after planting in open ground. Like cucumber growing methods, the garter can also be horizontal and vertical. With horizontal tying method , several rows of strong rope or wire are pulled between the two-meter poles driven in at the beginning and end of the row, along which the lashes will rise as they grow.
Vertical method involves the installation of a U-shaped structure on the bed, which consists of two dug-in strong vertical supports with a wire stretched between their upper points, to which ropes will be tied around the stems of cucumbers growing below.
These ropes can be pulled up as the whips grow, but there is no need to pull them hard. Instead of ropes, it is better to use wide fabric ribbons - they will not injure plants in strong winds. Cucumber whip is captured with a rope loop under the first or second leaf. How to form a cucumber bush
Since cucumbers are divided into varieties with strong, moderate and limited lateral branching, this should be taken into account when planting seedlings on the site: the more branchy the variety, the less bushes should be planted. Varieties with strong branching require shaping, which must be carried out in a timely manner and in stages. At the first stage, when the plant has only 3-4 leaves, all stepsons and ovaries must be removed up to the fourth leaf so that the plant expends energy solely on the formation of the root system. When 8 leaves have already developed on the seedling, leave one ovary on the branches from the fourth to the eighth leaf, and pinch the branch following it.
Repeat this procedure every other time from the eighth leaf to the twelfth, leaving two ovaries each and removing the rest of the lateral branch. As a result, the bush will take the form of an inverted Christmas tree, which will allow it to better absorb nutrition and develop, and will also have a positive effect on the quality and quantity of fruits.
Feeding cucumbers
In order for cucumbers to grow healthy and large, they are fed on average 6-8 times per season. The first feeding is carried out at the beginning of flowering, and each subsequent one two weeks after the previous one. How to fertilize cucumbers? Of the organics, cucumbers are best perceived by a solution of bird droppings in a ratio of 1:25 or mullein 1:10. Solution consumption - 4-6 liters per 1 m². Fertilizers are applied on moist soil, trying not to get on the leaves and stems of plants. Do not fertilize cucumbers during a cold snap, as heat-loving crops are not able to absorb nutrients at low temperatures.
Processing
Readers sometimes complain that ground cucumbers are often exposed to fungal diseases and ask how cucumbers can be treated to increase their immunity to various rots. We offer you a folk way that increases the resistance of cucumbers to diseases. Lubricate the lower 10 cm of vertically growing cucumber stems with diluted water in a ratio of 1: 2 with iodine or brilliant green - plants treated in this way do not need fungicides. To protect cucumbers from rot, preventive treatment of plants is carried out with a solution of 10 ml of iodine in 10 liters of water.
Pests and diseases
The fight against diseases of cucumbers and their pests is too serious a topic, and one section cannot fit here, so we will provide detailed information about all cucumber enemies in a separate article. In it, we will also talk about why cucumbers dry, why cucumbers turn yellow and how to process cucumbers when infected with a particular disease. For now, let's just name the diseases and pests that you will have to deal with if you begin to neglect the rules for growing and caring for cucumbers.
So, what are the diseases of cucumbers? Among the diseases dangerous for cucumbers are anthracnose, bacteriosis, ascochitosis, verticillium, powdery mildew (true and false), black leg, black mold, gray rot, olive and brown spot and ring mosaic.
There are also a lot of insects that can harm cucumbers: aphids, gall nematodes, mole crickets, scoops, sprout flies, tobacco thrips, spider mites and wireworms.
Slugs are also dangerous.
To control diseases and pests of vegetable plants used for food, it is desirable not to use chemicals, especially at the stage of formation and development of fruits. There are many time-tested folk ways to get rid of this kind of trouble, and we will definitely tell you about them.
Collection and storage
Cucumbers are harvested as they ripen, and when fruiting begins, this must be done at least once every two days, otherwise the cucumbers will outgrow, turn yellow and prevent the formation of new greens.
In addition to collecting ripe fruits, all unsuccessful and ugly fruits must be removed. The more often you shoot greens, the more abundant new ones will grow. Since cucumbers 8-12 cm in size are used for canning, from 8 to 18 cm for pickling, and larger cucumbers are also suitable for salad, you can adjust the number of fruits for the purpose you need by the frequency of collection. For example, with daily harvesting of greens, cucumbers for canning will begin to grow intensively, with harvesting once every two days there will be more raw materials for pickling. After the first frost, you will have to collect all the fruits.
Greens should be removed early in the morning or in the evening in such a way that the stalk remains on the whip, so it is better to cut the cucumbers, and not to pull or pull. When taking out a cucumber growing in the depths of a bush, try not to turn the whips over. Do not keep the collected fruits in the sun, immediately place them in a cool shade.
Fresh cucumbers are stored, unfortunately, for a very short time, which is why they are marinated and salted in large quantities, but greens can lie down for a week or two with proper handling. You can put the cucumbers in a pot of water and keep them there for up to ten days, tightly covered and changing the water daily. You can lightly beat the egg white, coat it with cleanly washed cucumbers and let this coating dry - after this treatment, the cucumbers can be stored without putting them in the refrigerator. It is good to store cucumbers in a village or in a country house, if there is a deep stream nearby that does not freeze in winter: thick-skinned cucumbers are put in a barrel and lowered into running water. With this method of storage, cucumbers will be fresh until the middle of winter.
Species and cultivars
Cucumber varieties are divided into salad, canning and universal varieties according to their purpose. Cucumbers of canned varieties have a thin skin, they are distinguished by a high content of sugars, which is very important for pickling and canning.
The coarser and thicker skin of lettuce varieties prevents the penetration of brine and marinade into the vegetable, but these cucumbers are much tastier fresh than canned greens. Universal cucumbers can be both canned and consumed fresh. Canned cucumbers include the following varieties: Business, Brigantine, Rodnichok, Favorit, Voronezh, Salting, Harvest 86, Reliable, Nezhinsky local, Competitor, Cascade.
Salad varieties: Adam, Graceful, Movir, Saltan, Phoenix, Parade, Synthesis, Rzhavsky local.
Universal varieties of cucumbers: Stork, Epilogue, Marinda, Regia, Duet, Cruise, Crane, Farmer, Sagittarius, Moravian gherkin, Khabar and others.
According to the ripening period, cucumbers are divided into early-ripening, ripening in 32-45 days, mid-ripening, which need 40 to 45 days for full maturity, and late-ripening varieties, ripening up to 50 days or longer.
Early varieties and hybrids include: Liliput, Graceful, Zabiyaka, Emelya, Zadavaka, Blizzard.
Mid-ripe varieties of cucumbers: Pikas, Athlete, Stepnoy, Solnechny, Unity, Far East 27, Competitor, Topolek.
Late varieties: Nezhinsky, Phoenix, Khrust, Secret, Chinese climbing, Rodnichok, Chinese miracle, Parisian, Mother-in-law.
Cucumbers are divided into hybrids and varieties: hybrids during seed propagation do not retain their properties, like varietal cucumbers, capable of transmitting the characteristics of a variety through several generations. But hybrids begin to bear fruit earlier and more abundantly, in addition, they are stored longer and turn yellow much later than varietal cucumbers, so hybrid seeds are more valuable and much more expensive than varietal cucumber seeds.
Hybrid varieties include: Buyan, Marinda, Othello, Parker, Regina, Pasadena, Business, Ajax, Brigantine, German, Emelya, Katyusha, Lastochka, True friends and others.
According to the type of pollination, cucumbers are divided into bee-pollinated, which are grown in open ground, and self-pollinated, or parthenocarpic, grown both in greenhouses and in the garden.
Bee pollinated varieties of cucumbers: Athlete, Zhuravlyonok, Table, Graceful, Lyubimchik, Slavyansky, Katyusha, Competitor, Casanova, Nugget, Swallow and others.
Self-pollinating varieties: Adam, Aelita, Stella, Yuventa, Russian style, Romance, Picnic, Navruz, Marta, Pasadena, Voyage, Danila, Amazonka, White Angel and others.
According to the size of greens, cucumbers are divided into gherkins, the length of which is not more than 8 cm, and salad-type cucumbers intended for eating raw.
Gherkins include varieties of German selection: Adam, Graceful, Othello, Libelle and others.
By the nature of the surface, cucumbers are small-tuberous and large-tuberous, and the thorns on them can be white or black.
White-thorn lettuce varieties: Emerald stream, Chinese snakes, Chinese heat-resistant.
Black-thorned pickling varieties: Nightingale, Real Colonel, Zasolochny, Lilliput, Aquarius and others.
If you are interested in exotic varieties and hybrids, there are many of them among cucumbers.
For example: Chinese long-fruited cucumbers
whose stem reaches 3.5 m in length, and the fruits are from 40 to 90 cm, but they amaze not only with their size and excellent taste, but also with ease of cultivation, unpretentious care and high yield . The most common varieties are: Chinese miracle, Chinese long-fruited, Chinese farmer's, Chinese white, Emerald stream, Lio Ming, Chinese disease-resistant;
Armenian cucumbers
have a very unusual appearance: ribbed fruits up to 50 cm long and weighing up to a kilogram are covered with a silvery-white fluff. The stems of Armenian cucumbers reach a length of 4 meters. Grow this curiosity both in the open field and in the greenhouse. Varieties: Silver melon, White Bogatyr, Chalk on Flehu-ozus;
Italian Cucumbers
So called because they are the result of the work of Italian breeders. Outwardly, they look like Armenian cucumbers - the same ribbed ones. But the color of the peel, depending on the variety, can be light green, like the Arbuzze variety, or Tortorello, the taste of which simultaneously resembles both watermelon and cucumber, or dark green, which eventually becomes orange-yellow, like the Barrese variety, cucumber flavored with watermelon;
Crystal apple
English breeders have managed to develop an amazing cucumber hybrid that looks more like a lemon, although it tastes like an ordinary cucumber.
For some reason this miracle is called the Crystal Apple. These lemon-cucumbers, called apples, grow on a six-meter stem; White cucumbers
Equally well-growing both in greenhouses and in the garden, they form long whips, are not afraid of diseases and fifty-degree heat. The most delicate sweetish cucumbers reach a length of 20 cm, the only drawback of white cucumbers is that they quickly outgrow. The best varieties: Italian white, Snow Leopard, Bride, Snow White, White Angel, Three White Leaves;
Mini-cucumber
Or melotria rough is an ornamental perennial climber from Africa with rich green leaves that do not change color until October, and small fruits up to 2.5 cm in diameter, similar to watermelons, but to taste which are ordinary cucumbers that can be eaten fresh, or can be salted or canned;
Indian Cucumber
Or Momordica, can be easily grown both in the garden and on the windowsill.
The foliage of the plant is decorative, bright yellow flowers smell like jasmine, and tuberous elongated fruits gradually change color from dark green to bright orange as they grow. When the fruit ripens, it opens and becomes like a crocodile with its mouth open, which is why the vegetable is often called “crocodile cucumber”; Trichosanth serpentine cucumber
Also a cucurbit plant widely cultivated in Southwest Asia. Trichosanth is unpretentious in care and immune to diseases, its fruits, reaching a length of 120 cm, are cylindrical in shape, and they wriggle like snakes, changing color from green to orange as they ripen. Trichosanth flowers resemble weightless snowflakes with a diameter of 4 cm;
Red Cucumber Tladianta dubious
Perennial climber up to 5 m tall native to Southeast Asia. The leaves of the tladianta are light green, heart-shaped, tulip-like flowers are bright yellow, the fruits are small, suitable for canning and pickling, until they outgrow 15 cm and begin to turn red.
Overgrown and reddened fruits become sweet, and excellent jam is obtained from them; Antillean anguria cucumber
A plant with watermelon leaves, stems up to 4 meters long and small fruits weighing 30-50 g, tasting like cucumber and suitable for pickling. Anguria is often grown as an ornamental plant.
Literature
- Read related topics on Wikipedia
- Peculiarities and other plants of the gourd family
- List of all species on The Plant List
- More information on World Flora Online
Cucumbers: diseases and their treatment
Cucumbers: why they turn yellow in the greenhouse and in the gardenSections: Cucurbitaceae Fruit Garden plants Plants on O Cucumbers
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How to sow cucumbers for seedlings: a step-by-step master class
Do you want to get a rich harvest of cucumbers as early as possible? Grow them in seedlings! In the master class, we will tell you in detail and show how to do it right.
Cucumbers can be sown immediately in open ground, but thanks to the seedling method, the harvest can be obtained earlier. Yes, and the number of fruits will be much larger.
When to sow cucumbers for seedlings
To correctly determine the sowing time, you need to focus on the time when you plant seedlings in open ground. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the climatic conditions of your region. In central Russia, this procedure is usually carried out in early May.
Cucumber seedlings are transplanted into open ground approximately 15-20 days after sowing the seeds. To make it easier for you to determine the right time for sowing seeds and planting seedlings, use our table, which shows the recommended dates for various regions of Russia.
Regions Southern and North Caucasian Federal District Central and Northwestern Federal District Privolzhsky Federal District, Belarus Ural Federal District Siberian Federal District Far Eastern Federal District Sowing seeds for seedlings 1st decade of March 2nd decade of April 1st decade of April 2nd decade of April 3rd decade of April 3rd decade of April Planting seedlings under foil cover 1st decade of April 2nd decade of May 1st decade of May 20th decade of May 3rd decade of May 1st decade of June Preparation of seeds for sowing
First of all, the seeds should be disinfected: pour a pink solution of potassium permanganate into a plastic cup, dip the seeds in it, hold it there for 25-30 minutes, then rinse with warm running water.
It is recommended to soak the seeds afterwards. This is optional, but when sowing directly into the ground, you will not be able to reject "dummies". And, besides, the seeds that have hatched will germinate faster.
Place a pre-moistened paper towel or gauze on a saucer and spread the seeds evenly on it. Please note that the seeds should not float in water, so it is better to moisten the fabric with a spray bottle. But at the same time, make sure that the seeds are moist on both sides.
Place the saucer with seeds in a warm place (for example, on a radiator). The higher the temperature, the faster they hatch. So, at 30 ° C, the seeds will germinate in 1-2 days, and if the thermometer is below 15 ° C, they may even rot.
Our seeds sprouted after a day
Substrate
The ideal soil for growing seedlings of cucumbers is a mixture of peat, soddy soil, sawdust and humus (in equal parts). If you do not want to prepare the substrate yourself, you can buy ready-made soil for growing cucumbers in the store.
Growing cucumber seedlings
There are two ways to grow cucumber seedlings:
- In a large container with subsequent picking of seedlings.
- In individual cups or pots (volume 300-500 ml).
We note right away that cucumbers do not always tolerate picking well, so beginner gardeners prefer to sow seeds in separate containers. To understand which of the methods is really better, we decided to experiment and sow some of the seeds in one bulk container, and some in separate containers.
In both cases, germinated seeds should be sown superficially in furrows and lightly covered with soil in a layer of 3 mm. At the same time, do not forget to pre-moisten the soil.
Then, using a spray bottle, moisten the soil well with warm water and place the containers in a warm place with an air temperature of 25-28°C.
To create favorable conditions for seed germination, it is worth covering the container with plastic wrap or a plastic lid.
When the sprouts sprout, the shelter can be removed. At an air temperature of at least 20°C, the first leaves should appear on the seedlings within 5-7 days. At this time, you need to water the plants as the soil dries. It is important not to flood the seedlings, otherwise the roots will rot.
If it is rather cool on the windowsill and the wind blows from the cracks, this is not the best place for growing cucumber seedlings: they will be cold there. Therefore, it is better to put the containers in a place more protected from the wind. If there is not enough light there, at first it is better to illuminate the cucumbers with fluorescent lamps.
Sow 2-3 seeds in separate cups. If they all germinate, you need to leave one of the strongest plants, and pinch off the rest or carefully cut them with scissors. It is not recommended to pull out extra sprouts from the ground, as there is a risk of damaging the roots of the desired seedling.
