The answer to the question of how to plant cucumbers in open ground is important for both beginners and experienced gardeners. Naturally, the time when to plant is an important factor. There are two most common ways to plant cucumbers in the garden. The first is seed. The second is seedlings. Let's talk about the first.
Many people think that planting is necessary, the sooner the better. This is the wrong decision, because the cucumber is a heat-loving plant. If it is planted in cold soil, when the earth has not yet warmed up to + 15ºС, then of course it will grow, but this is one of the reasons for the large number of empty flowers - cucumbers will bloom, and there will be no ovaries or very few of them.
Often gardeners do not connect one with the other - an early planting in unheated soil with a huge amount of empty flowers or a small crop.
It is advised to plant cucumbers in well-heated soil.
In the Kuban, this is usually a period starting from the last decade of April. Of course, our spring can also be long, cold, rainy - then the dates for planting cucumbers are shifted, sometimes even by 1-1.5 weeks, but preferably not later than May 5-7.
Of course, we will get the best crop at the optimum time for cucumbers - the end of April. I also want to get my cucumbers early.
The choice of landing site must also be approached responsibly. It cannot be anyhow. Cucumbers are not indifferent to where and how you will plant them. Crop rotation and fertility are very important to them. Try not to plant them where cucumbers, pumpkins, and zucchini grew last season. The best predecessors of cucumbers (in descending order) are tomatoes, peppers, onions, cabbage.
Like any plant, cucumbers love fertile, loose, non-acidic soil. Perhaps more than other plants, cucumbers love organic fertilizers. It is believed that the best organic fertilizer for all garden plants is humus, but from the introduction of clean manure the seeds or plants can burn. So it is, but it is for cucumbers that manure is the most preferred organic fertilizer. If you have the opportunity to get this valuable fertilizer, then, without hesitation, be sure to add manure to the cucumber bed. This is not only nutrition, but manure, getting into the soil, releases certain chemicals that cucumbers really like. This positive reaction of cucumbers to the introduction of fresh manure during planting has been noticed by many. I have repeatedly read about this in various publications for gardeners.
Therefore, before planting, I scoop a trench 10-15 cm deep on a cucumber bed with a shovel or small spatula so that there is a place for adding organic matter. I specially stock fresh cow dung for cucumbers. I lay it out in a cucumber trench, without chopping - what pieces are there, large or small, and I lay them out. Evenly, of course, it does not work out, but this is not particularly important.
Another point to the question of how to plant cucumbers in open ground. Cucumber seeds are best planted in sunny weather during the day, and seedlings in the evening, when the sun no longer bakes.
After the manure has been laid out in the beds, we fill it with a thin layer of soil. The trench will become smaller, but it should not be leveled with the edges. Then the grooves are well watered. It is necessary to shed very abundantly, maybe even in a few receptions, since moisture must be in the soil for a long time - this is necessary for seeds or seedlings if you are planting seedlings.
Then you should spread the seeds of cucumbers on the spilled trench. We lay out one seed at a sufficiently large distance from each other - 25-30 cm.
We spread the spread seeds with soil and lightly slap a palm on top so that the seeds are firmly pressed from all sides to the ground.
Once again, water the planted seeds until the contours of the trench are guessed. And the last time, pour the entire garden bed with water from a watering can to wet all the soil on the garden bed.
Now the bed with cucumbers needs to be covered, as they like high humidity. You can cover the garden bed with a film directly on the ground before emergence, or you can install arcs and pull the film over them.
I draw your attention to the fact that before the emergence of seedlings, the bed should be covered with a film, and not with covering material. Due to the fact that the bed was abundantly watered, condensation immediately forms on the film. You do not need to water the cucumbers anymore - wait until the shoots appear. Moisture will not evaporate through the film, and humidity will be sufficient for the comfortable development of plants. That is, the film is required, otherwise the desired microclimate for cucumbers cannot be achieved.
After the emergence of seedlings periodically open the film, especially in hot weather, to prevent thermal burns. But the film is completely removed only after the appearance of flowers on the seedlings.