Recently, gardeners are increasingly using greenhouses. Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse has some advantages, because it is getting an early harvest and the ability to extend the cucumber season. But not always getting an early crop of cucumbers is the reason for the appearance of greenhouses in our plots. Climate change, adverse environmental conditions, acid precipitation adversely affect the cultivation of crops in the open field. For this reason, the greenhouse preserves our crop better, our cucumbers from outside influences. Of course, gardeners do not get less work, but all the troubles are justified.
Growing in a greenhouse is also justified, but a film greenhouse is easier to maintain than temporary shelter. The greenhouse more effectively maintains the desired temperature and humidity, there it is more convenient to care for plants.
I will not describe to you greenhouse constructions - there are a great many of them. Now you can buy ready-made designs. You can make a greenhouse yourself. The Internet will provide you with numerous drawings, descriptions, exchange of experience. We assume that since you are reading this article, you already have a greenhouse. The article will be useful to residents of various regions.
The greenhouse is covered with a film (of course, this does not apply to polycarbonate greenhouses) early, when there is still snow - for each region - its own time. In the Kuban, this is approximately the first decade of February.
Long-term observations of the temperature regime showed that snow melts inside the greenhouse 5-8 days after its closure with a film. For faster thawing, warming up the soil in the greenhouse, it is useful to cover its surface with a transparent film (you can use the old one). In 3-5 days the earth thaws, warms up to 6-8 ° С. Air warms up faster, especially when the sun is shining. Even at night in a greenhouse, the temperature is 4-8 degrees higher than outside.
Preparing seeds for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse
The crop of cucumbers grown in a greenhouse depends on the variety, the quality of the seeds, and the methods of preparing them for sowing. It must be borne in mind that, regardless of the variety, large seeds germinate faster and, as a rule, give a higher crop of greenery. They are sorted and selected manually.
You prepare the seeds of cucumbers for planting and growing in a greenhouse or in the open ground - there is no fundamental difference. It is better to use seeds 2-3 years old with good germination. Plants from them give more female flowers and bear fruit well. If you use the seeds of the harvest of last year, then they are heated for 3-4 hours in a thermostat or on a battery at a temperature of 55-60 ° C.
A number of diseases (angular spotting, anthracnose, others) are transmitted to the plants with seeds. To avoid this, the seeds are poured for dressing with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per ½ cup of water) for 20 minutes, followed by a thorough rinse under running water.
Instead of potassium permanganate, which is now difficult to buy, you can use a 2-3 percent solution of hydrogen peroxide, previously heated to 38-40 ° C (withstand seeds for 7-8 minutes). Or a solution of boric acid (1/2 teaspoon of powder in 1 glass of water) - withstand seeds for 2-3 hours at a temperature of 25-30ºС. Remember to also rinse the seeds afterwards under running water.
Plant growth and development stimulate hardening of seeds with variable temperatures. To do this, they are first soaked for 12-14 hours at a temperature of 20-22 ° C. Then the swollen seeds are placed in the refrigerator for 16-18 hours. Then 6-8 hours kept at a temperature of 18-20 ° C. So alternate low and high temperatures for 4-5 days. Before sowing a day or two, the seeds are kept warm and, as soon as they start to hatch, they are sown in pots.
Cucumbers in the greenhouse - which containers are suitable for seedlings
You can use different pots - plastic cups (large), paper thermal packs from under dairy products, peat pots, cans. Choose the size of the seedling pots so that there is no intermediate pick before planting in the greenhouse.
Cucumbers do not like transplants, poorly tolerate damage to the root system. Therefore, containers for seedlings should be at least 400-500 ml. Then they are installed in boxes - plastic or wooden, previously covered with a film. Fill with a nutrient mixture consisting of humus and peat (1: 1). You can buy ready-made soil.
½ cup of granular superphosphate and 2 cups of wood ash are added to a bucket of such a mixture or soil. All mix thoroughly.
How to plant sprouted seeds of cucumbers
One potted seed is sown in each pot to a depth of 1 cm. If you have a small amount of seedlings, you can wrap the surface of each pot with a film (I use food). Well, if the amount of seedlings is large, then all the pots are covered with a film on top. As soon as the seedlings begin to appear, the film is removed and the plants are provided with good lighting conditions.
The temperature is maintained at the level of 14-16 ° C for the first 3-5 days, and then at 20-22 ° C in sunny weather, and at 17-19 ° C in cloudy weather.
On sunny days, moderately watered with warm (this is necessary!) Water. They feed it with a mullein solution (1:10) or mineral fertilizers (superphosphate 20-30 g, potassium chloride 10-15 g per 10 l of water).
Soil preparation in a greenhouse for cucumbers
The soil for cucumbers in the greenhouse is usually prepared in the fall. For digging, humus or well decomposed compost is added at the rate of 8-10 kg per 1 sq. m and nitrofosk 30-40 g per 1 square. m. In the spring, digging is repeated, the soil is well leveled, humus (200-300 g) and superphosphate (3-4 g) are added to the intended wells.
We plant seedlings of cucumbers
So, we plant cucumbers in the greenhouse. The distance between rows is 70-80 cm, and between plants 25-30 cm. Seedlings are planted in the last decade of March (in the Kuban) or a month later, in late April (the middle strip of Russia). If the weather is cold, additionally put wire arcs inside the greenhouse and cover the plants with a film.
Cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse, how to care
When heat occurs, plants are tied to a trellis. One end of the twine is attached to a wire stretched in a greenhouse over a row of plants, and the other goes down, it is fixed on the stem above the 2-3rd sheet. Then, as they grow, the plants are twisted around the twine, while plucking a mustache.
In the lower tier (up to 6 cm), pinch the side shoots of cucumbers onto one ovary and one leaf. Higher - in the middle tier - 2-3 ovaries and the same number of leaves. In the upper tier, the number of ovaries and leaves is 4 or more. When the main stem reaches the upper trellis, it is tied with twine to the wire in two places, pinch the top, leaving 4-5 leaves.
During the period of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, the air temperature is maintained at 26-30 ° С during the daytime, at 20-22 ° С in cloudy weather, and 17-19 ° С at night. The optimum air humidity in the sun is 85-90%, with cloudy weather - 75-80%. To increase air humidity, paths and plants are hosed through a strainer.
Topping cucumbers in a greenhouse
Cucumbers grown in a greenhouse respond well to feeding. At the same time, organic fertilizers alternate with mineral ones. From organic, a solution of bird droppings 1: 18-20 or mullein 1: 8-10 is used, 15-20 g of superphosphate are added to 10 liters of solution.
Of mineral fertilizers, urea, superphosphate, potassium chloride, wood ash are used. The ratio of fertilizers depends on the condition of the plants. If the plants grow rapidly, and there are few ovaries, then the soil contains an excess of nitrogen. If this is the case, then only phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are used for top dressing.
The roots of cucumbers are not deep, so watering is carried out after 1-2 days, but with small norms - 12-15 liters per 1 sq.Once a month it is useful to feed with micronutrient fertilizers (1 tablet of the Riga mixture per 10 liters of water).
Often, cucumbers in the greenhouse begin to bloom, and insects (bees, bumblebees and others) still do not fly. Plant self-pollinated varieties, the so-called parthenocarpics.
Zelentsy begin to ripen 40 days after emergence. Charges are first carried out every other day, and then daily. Overgrowing of the fetus should not be allowed.
If everything is done correctly (watering, top dressing, removal of waste leaves), cucumbers in the greenhouse bear fruit until September 5-10, that is, about three months. For this period from 1 quarter. m receive 15-18 kg of fruit.
What gives the mulching of cucumbers in the greenhouse
I want to tell you about another technique that significantly increases the yield of parthenocarpic cucumbers. This is the cultivation of cucumbers under the mulch.
When the plants have reached a height of 12-15 cm, sprinkle a small layer (2-3 cm) of compost under them, and mulch on top with freshly cut grass, it is good if there is clover - the mulch is very high quality.
What is the point of such mulching?
Firstly, you protect the soil under the cucumber from weeds. Because under compost and under the mulch, weeds will not grow, but even if they grow, they will be weak.
Secondly, compost or mulch will protect the soil from drying out. When watering, the mulch will decompose after some time - thus, the cucumber will receive additional nutrition.
It seems to me that it is necessary to mulch the soil under the cucumbers in the greenhouse. Because the mulch keeps it from drying out, but it is known that this vegetable loves moisture very much - covered soil does not require frequent watering. In addition, sparse watering will be more even. Water will not fall on leaves with spray from soil containing pathogens. That is, plants in the greenhouse will be more healthy.
Mulch prevents soil overheating in hot weather, while maintaining the temperature necessary for the crop.
A crust does not form on the mulched soil; water is better absorbed under the mulch. Mulched cucumbers better develop the root system. Therefore, mulch, mulching is a very important technique for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse.