Cucumber care in the greenhouse - a troublesome business, but interesting. Such cultures are beneficial for everyone. And it is far from always possible to grow this culture in the open field. In a greenhouse, this is somewhat easier to do, and a large amount of harvest can be harvested from a smaller area if everything is done correctly.
Soil preparation
Before considering how to care for cucumbers in a greenhouse, it is necessary to dwell in more detail on the features of preparing a greenhouse for growing these crops. The main condition for the successful cultivation of this vegetable in a greenhouse is good soil. So, if some plants have already been planted in the greenhouse, then the top layer of the soil must be replaced with a new one in order to avoid the development of diseases.
It is best to use land for greenhouse cucumbers, which in equal parts contains humus, manure, peat and sod soil. The optimum acidity should be about 5-6. If it is higher, then you should definitely lower it with lime. It is also advisable to disinfect the ground if the greenhouse is small. To do this, it is spilled with boiling water.
In order for cucumbers not to get sick with fungal diseases, wood ash should be added to the soil immediately before planting. The greater the amount, the better. You can also sprinkle some mineral fertilizers on the soil in advance. Thus, plants will develop faster.
Watering and feeding
To know how to properly care for cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse, you need to clearly understand what kind of watering the plants need. Everyone knows that a cucumber is 90% water. But this does not mean that it can be poured. This plant, like everyone else, can begin to rot from excess moisture.
At an early stage, while the plants are still small, they need to be watered once every 2-3 days. This will be sufficient while maintaining normal humidity and temperature levels in the greenhouse. But during the fruiting period, watering will need to be increased. Cucumbers will require water every day. And it is important in this case not to overdo it with her.
For watering, you should use lukewarm water, but not cold. It is important that there is no strong temperature difference between water and air in the greenhouse. It is best to preheat the water in the sun. If this is a greenhouse in a house, then the water should be at room temperature. Never use boiled water for watering cucumbers!
Experts recommend watering not only the soil, but also the ground parts of the plants. If this is not possible, then you should spray the plants from a spray bottle at least once every 3 days. Only this should be done when direct sunlight does not fall on the cucumbers. Ideally, for watering cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse, you should use watering cans with special nozzles that allow you to create a rain effect for the plants.
Top dressing also plays an important role in the care of greenhouse cucumbers. The soil in the greenhouse is depleted much faster than in the open field. Therefore, in this case, more frequent fertilizing is needed for good development and abundant fruiting.
It is often not possible to provide sufficient lighting in the greenhouse at all times. Then the seedlings need to be sprayed with nutrients. It is best to use boron, manganese, copper or magnesium for such feeding. But it is not recommended to do this in the fruiting phase in order to avoid getting the listed substances on the fruits.
If the cucumbers in the greenhouse are provided with optimal conditions, then it is quite enough to do with the usual root dressings. Superphosphate is good for this purpose, potassium sulfate and urea. You can even make a mixture. It is necessary to pour 15 g of urea, 20 g of superphosphate and about 15 g of potassium sulfate into a bucket of water, mix everything thoroughly. This amount of fertilizer is enough for about 3-4 m2 plantings.
Temperature and humidity
Almost all experts know how to properly grow cucumbers in a greenhouse. In order for the cucumbers to bear fruit well and not get sick, the optimum temperature of the air and soil should be maintained. So, before the fruiting period, the air temperature should be approximately 17-20 ° C, depending on whether it is daytime or nighttime. When the plants begin to bear fruit, the temperature should be raised to 24-25 ° C.
In the temperature regime of greenhouse cucumbers, a lot depends on the variety of plants. The fact is that there are plants that need higher or, conversely, lower temperatures. Therefore, it is important to take all this into account.
The temperature of the soil and air should be approximately the same. Otherwise, fungal diseases attack the seedlings very quickly. To keep the temperature at the same level, you must ensure good humidity in the greenhouse. The optimal level is 80%. But during the fruiting period, there should be more moisture, therefore it is recommended to increase the moisture content to 90%. This can be easily achieved by spraying the plants more frequently and placing small containers of water in the greenhouse.
Helpful hints
To properly care for greenhouse cucumbers, you should also adhere to a few simple rules.
Compliance with such recommendations will help to protect the seedlings from diseases as much as possible and in the future to get a bountiful harvest of cucumbers:
- It is better to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse on trellises. So, you will not only save space, but also make it easier for yourself to harvest in the future. And the plants will feel better, as their ground parts will be less in contact with the ground.
- When the cucumbers grow large and begin to bear fruit, you need to take care that the lower leaves do not pick up moisture and nutrients. Experts advise periodically to tear off the lower and yellowed leaves. Of course, the plants may not look very aesthetically pleasing at the same time, but there will be more fruits.
- Be sure to take into account the individual characteristics of the varieties when growing in greenhouses. This applies to both small indoor greenhouses and large greenhouses that are built in summer cottages. Each variety may have some special requirements, which will be completely irrelevant for other varieties.
- It should be periodically checked that the walls of the greenhouse located at the summer cottage do not have holes and cracks. This will save the seedlings from drafts and pests, and will help maintain the optimal humidity and temperature regime. But at the same time, it is important that the greenhouse has windows that are needed to get fresh air when it is needed.
- Try not to spray the cucumbers with pesticides, especially during the fruiting period. Of course, this will protect against pests, but it will have a very bad effect on the quality of the crop. If you want to grow organic food, it is best to use harmless pest control methods, albeit not as effective.
So, how to care for cucumbers in a greenhouse is now clear. This is not a very demanding culture, so it will grow even if there is insufficient care. But following the recommendations described above will make it easier to care for cucumbers in the greenhouse, help the plants develop well and give a constant harvest. The long-term practice of gardeners confirms once again that growing cucumbers in a greenhouse method can give a good harvest.
