When growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, certain rules of agricultural technology must be observed. Since only when a favorable microclimate is created, plants can grow and develop well, therefore, give a bountiful harvest. To provide a vegetable crop with comfortable conditions, it is recommended to consider in more detail all stages of cultivation.
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Growing conditions
In order for cucumbers in greenhouses to quickly adapt and be able to produce a quality crop, it is recommended:
- Choose varieties of cucumbers intended for growing indoors.
- Maintain optimum temperature and humidity.
- Prepare fertile soil.
- Determine how flowers are pollinated.
When choosing a place to install a greenhouse, preference should be given to areas protected from the effects of north and northeast winds. It would be better if you equip a fence near it.
You should not build too large structures, it is enough to build a structure with an area of 2 by 1 meter. This greenhouse size allows you to grow vegetables and other cultures, regardless of external temperature changes.
Small greenhouse
Before laying the seeds, it is necessary to disinfect the greenhouse, having processed all the wooden components with a solution of copper sulfate, and the metal elements should be painted. In addition, you need to remove three to four centimeters of the top layer of soil and add undecayed manure (20-25 kg), lime (200 g), phosphorus and potassium compounds (50 g). All components are designed for 1 sq.m.
After that, you need to dig up the ground. During the preparatory activities in the spring, a special low-fat manure is introduced, which does not contain any pathogens.
The following composition is considered the most effective soil option for cultivating vegetables:
- 20% field soil, which is subjected to disinfection with a solution of 7% copper sulphate
- 30% humus
- 50% peat
- sawdust
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Seedlings ready for planting
The height of the ridges should not exceed 20 cm. The distance between plantings should be 30 cm.
To give the plants the opportunity to trail and absorb more sunlight, it is necessary to pull the rope over the rows at a height of 2 m. Having previously installed vertical supports.
While maintaining the temperature in the greenhouse at around 30 degrees, you can get seedlings as early as 5 days after planting the seeds. At temperatures up to 12 degrees, you should not count on the emergence of seedlings. The most optimal temperature for greenhouse cucumbers is considered to be a temperature of 20 degrees, the seed germination period is 20-25 days.
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Necessary Care
In the process of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, it is necessary to form a bush, tie it up periodically, irrigate, add nutrients, pollinate. The cucumber has only one stem. It is required to tie up a vegetable crop after 5 days so that it does not get damaged and does not spread along the ground.
Regular bush inspection
By performing the plucking procedure, gardeners limit branching. It consists in tearing off the upper part of the stem, at the stage of outgrowth of the rope that was stretched over the rows. If necessary, you can pinch off the flowers and side shoots.
Lateral shoots should be pinched off in the middle part of the sprout above the first leaf. The top of the sprout is removed above the second leaf. In addition, you need to remove the antennae, yellow leaves, fruiting shoots.
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Not all varieties of cucumbers are suitable for growing indoors. Only certain specimens - hybrid forms can produce high yields with minimal care. These are hardy plants capable of self-pollination.
In the case of choosing varieties that are pollinated by bees, you should take care of the free penetration of insects into the greenhouse.
Among the varieties with high germination and sufficient resistance to diseases, there are:
- Annushka F1
- Blessed F1
- Northerner
- Buran F1
- F1 legend
- Hector F1
- Adam
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How to properly feed?
It is recommended to fertilize plants in several stages throughout the growing season. At the initial stage of flowering, you need to use a mixture prepared from one glass of chicken manure, one glass of nitrophoska and 10 liters of water.
Good results are obtained by the use of the following drugs:
- Breadwinner
- Giant
- Ideal
Also effective is an infusion of herbs, which is prepared by steaming. Hot water is poured into a container with grass and infused for two days. The resulting mixture is used for top dressing under the bush.
herbal infusion
If necessary, if there are any changes on the plant, perform appropriate feeding. The maximum number of procedures before the harvest is ripe is 5 times.
You can determine the lack of a particular fertilizer by changes in the leaves and shoots. When growing on sandy soil, you need to apply nitrogen fertilizers, but do not overdo it. Since with its excess, an increase in green mass is observed, but there are no ovaries on the flowers.
You can identify a lack of nitrogen by fading and pale leaves, after a while they simply fall off. If the leaves become smaller, have a dark green color with a blue tint, then this indicates a lack of phosphorus, while the shoots stop growing. Similar signs are noted on cucumbers with hypothermia or frequent and abundant irrigation.
Developing bush
- If deformed fruits appear and leaves fall, then potassium must be applied.
- The yellow color of the leaf and green veins indicate an insufficient amount of magnesium.
- Slow stem growth, reduced yields and a poorly developed flower are observed when mineral components are deficient.
This vegetable crop will absorb nutrients faster and more efficiently if they are applied in liquid form. It is better to buy fertilizers in tablets to be diluted with water. When using manure, it is diluted with water and allowed to infuse for several days, stirring occasionally.
- Bird droppings in the amount of 1 kg must be diluted with water in a volume of 20 liters.
- Other varieties of litter are used at the rate of 1 kg of organic matter and 5 liters of water.
The best time to fertilize is the first half, if the weather is cloudy, and in the hot season it is recommended to feed in the evening. A container with manure and water is recommended to be stored inside the greenhouse. In the process of decay, oxygen is released, which is so necessary for plants.
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In order not to cause stress to the plants, it is advisable to use warm water to irrigate the plantings. Watering in cold weather is recommended to be done in the morning in sunny weather. In the warm season, plantings are watered twice a day or very abundantly in the evening.
Watering plants
After each irrigation, the soil in the rows must be loosened, which will help ensure sufficient air flow to the roots of the plants. You also need to control soil moisture, preventing the formation of a soil crust. This vegetable crop is very moisture-loving, as it consists of 90% water.
Given the close location of the roots to the surface of the earth, when watering a watering can, put on a sprayer. To increase the level of plant productivity, the land is sometimes dried.
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Very appetizing harvest.
At the initial stage of fruit ripening, harvesting must be done in the morning. In the following days, it is more rational to harvest every day. If greens are not harvested in time, the plant will produce fewer fruits.
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The use of polycarbonate for the arrangement of greenhouses is due to the presence of high technical characteristics. This polymeric cellular material, which replaced the film and glass, allows you to grow this vegetable crop all year round.
Polycarbonate greenhouse
Among the positive qualities of polycarbonate can be noted:
- Sufficient degree of light transmission. The material is able to delay too bright rays, which have a negative effect on plants, causing burns.
- High thermal insulation qualities. This property is acquired due to the presence of numerous vacuum cells (mini-chambers) located in the cavity of polycarbonate sheets.
- The relatively low weight of the material and its ability to bend, which makes it possible to equip massive structures on soils that are not adapted to serious loads.
- Long service life and margin of safety, due to which the finished structure is not subject to changes in the event of temperature changes, in particular under the load of snow, winds.
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When growing a vegetable crop in winter, you need to know some subtleties that will help you get a tasty and rich harvest.
Soil preparation
Before sowing seeds in protected ground, it is recommended to carry out some preparatory actions:
- remove all garbage, weeds and various auxiliary tools, inventory from the greenhouse (covering film, boxes, containers, boards, etc.)
- disinfect all components of the structure, which will help reduce the likelihood of infection of a vegetable crop in winter
- check the heating system, lighting devices, irrigation system for operability, prepare the soil
The main thing is that all preparatory work must be completed before the end of September, before the sowing of seeds. With this approach, by the New Year, you can get a tasty and fragrant harvest. Re-sowing can be done in the second half of January.
When growing in a new greenhouse, the soil should be well fertilized with organic fertilizers. Dig up the ground by 25-30 cm.
In regions where there is a sufficient amount of peat, it is better to make the base from it, adding garden soil.
Microclimate in the greenhouse
In order for the plants to develop normally and bear fruit, it is recommended to maintain the optimum temperature.
If the temperature in the greenhouse changes dramatically, then, being in a stressful state, the vegetable crop will not be able to pollinate in a quality manner and form ovaries.
The optimum moisture level for cucumbers is 85-90%. With this indicator, a good growth rate and the level of fruiting in a vegetable crop are noted. With a lack and excess of moisture, the ovaries fall off, the leaves fall off, the shape of the greens changes and the overall productivity indicator.
But, a bountiful harvest still depends on the amount of carbon dioxide, with its deficiency, there is a delay in the formation of female-type flowers.
Cucumbers and tomatoes in one greenhouse
Growing methods
There are several ways to arrange a garden crop in protected ground. With the traditional method of planting in the beds, a horizontal arrangement of growing stems is used. It is more efficient to form such ridges on manure or compost bases.
Cucumber bush on a special trellis
A more popular option is the cultivation of greenhouse hybrid forms, the stems of which are placed on special trellises. Plants are planted in rows, growing stems are directed vertically. On average, the height of such a tapestry can be 1.8-2.2 m.
The formation of cucumber bushes occurs through the pinching of shoots.
Vegetable nutrition
To ensure good nutrition, you need to follow the standard rules for fertilizing, where appropriate top dressing is applied at each stage of development. The first top dressing is carried out at the initial stage of fruiting, and one month after planting the seedlings, it is necessary to apply complex fertilizer. Such formulations should be applied 3-4 times a month.
Given the botanical features of the cucumber bush, it is not advisable to use potassium salt and potassium chloride as dressings.
Planting irrigation
Its temperature should be within 25-26 degrees. Cold water delays the appearance of female flowers, weakens the plant, making it vulnerable to various diseases.
The best option would be to equip the greenhouse with a drip irrigation system. Its advantage lies in the ability to provide each plant with a sufficient volume of water, suitable for liquid top dressing.
Airing
Ventilation of the greenhouse
If fresh air does not enter the greenhouse structure, at least periodically, then the plants will wither and get sick. Given that in winter, heaters are used to heat the air inside the greenhouse, stale air accumulates in it. Therefore, it is important to ventilate the room using forced ventilation or windows.
illumination
artificial lighting
Namely, a sufficient level of lighting in winter is a guarantee of obtaining high-quality fruits. For these purposes, you can use fluorescent lighting, mercury, metal halide, sodium or fluorescent lamps.
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When growing cucumber bushes in protected ground, it is required to take timely measures to prevent various diseases and the invasion of garden parasites. It uses a biological method of pest control plantings.
Among the main diseases of cucumber bushes cultivated in protected ground, there are:
- root rot
- root rot
- white rot
- gray rot
- powdery mildew
- peronosporosis
- olive blotch
- fusarium
- anthracnose
- ascochitosis
- bacterio
- mosaic
Of the pests of vegetable crops, potato, melon and greenhouse aphids, whiteflies are noted. To destroy them, it is recommended to use the Aktofit biological product.
