Cucumbers are vegetables that are always present on the table for those who enter a healthy lifestyle during the spring-summer season. A lot has been written about their useful properties. The simplicity of cultivation was made by this annual herbaceous plant, belonging to the family of pumpkin, very popular and in demand among truck farmers. Observing the useful recommendations given in this article and getting acquainted with the agrotechnics of cultivation of cucumbers in the open ground, you can surprise the household with a magnificent harvest of these tasty juicy vegetables.
Soil Preparation
The soil before planting cucumbers in the open ground should be prepared. And it's worth starting from the fall, making 5 kilograms of humus for every square meter of the garden. If the soil does not receive the necessary portion of organic fertilizers, it will affect the yield. So, the yield of cucumbers grown in the open ground, fertilized with humus, is 2-3 times higher than the yield on soil that was not previously fertilized with organic matter.
As for acidity, neutral soil is suitable for growing these vegetables, and all solanaceae (eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes and peppers), beans (beans and peas), and all kinds of cabbage are considered to be the best precursors of cucumbers.
Growing sprouts
Planting cucumbers in the soil with seeds does not allow you to enjoy early vegetables. The fact is that cucumbers do not tolerate low temperatures, so you can sow seeds (sprouted or dry) not earlier than May. That is why these vegetables are often grown from seedlings. For this purpose, the seeds are sown in a substrate prepared in advance and scattered over individual food glasses. It is prepared by mixing the soil from the garden with humus and shop soil in equal parts. The substrate is additionally disinfected with hot water or a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate, heated to 18 degrees. After the seeds are planted a half centimeter deep, they should be sprinkled with peat on top and covered with a film. After 5 days, when the sprouts appear, the film is removed, reducing the temperature from 25 to 15 degrees. This is necessary to adapt the seedlings and prevent their stretching. Periodically, take the seedlings out into the open air. Watering is carried out under the roots, and no additional fertilizing is necessary.
The most common diseases of cucumbers in the open ground are the black leg and anthracnose. If you spill the first leaves on the seedlings with their precursor, the risk of these diseases will decrease significantly. On day 25, seedlings should be planted in open ground.
We plant the seedlings in the open ground
Before planting seedlings, the bed chosen for planting cucumbers is harrowed. If at night the air temperature does not fall below 12 degrees, you can proceed to landing. Choose for it evening time or cloudy day. Having made holes, adding humus, filled with warm water, transfer the seedling with a clod of earth on the roots. Lightly ground the ground and pour water.
Care for cucumbers
To form cucumbers in the open ground was correct, pinching the first three flowers must be done necessarily! It is they who pull the whole power of the plant, reducing the yield. But the main thing when growing in the open ground cucumbers - is watering. Moisture is necessary during the growth of cucumbers. If water is not enough, your vegetables will be bitter .
In addition, for the successful cultivation of cucumbers in the open ground nutrient (recommended the use of complex fertilizers at the same time with irrigation), weeding, loosening the soil and processing from pests.