2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Gardeners who have not yet acquired greenhouses and other shelters to protect open ground are looking forward to the first summer months to sow cucumbers in areas warmed by the sun. What other events need to be prepared for those who are going to feast on ground cucumbers from their own beds this year?
Sowing seeds in open ground
In order not to risk the harvest, many people prefer to sow dry seeds from the second decade of May, and germinated ones only at the beginning of summer. If friendly shoots of spring sowing have already made their way on your site, you need to check the beds to see if it's time to start thinning. There should be a distance of at least 10, or better, 15 cm between the plants.
In cooler regions, they are just starting sowing cucumber seeds. They are sown in abundantly moistened furrows. About 60 cm is left between the rows, and a gap of 5 cm is made for the seeds. Why not sow the seeds immediately at the right distance? There is no guarantee that every seed will sprout. In addition, in this way it will be possible to choose a stronger plant from 2-3 shoots during thinning.
You can expect sprouting as early as 4-5 days, and start thinning 2 weeks after sowing. When the plants form 3 true leaves, it is recommended to spray them with a stimulant, which helps to increase the number of ovaries.
Transplanting seedlings into open ground
To avoid overconsumption of seeds and thinning, cucumbers are grown through seedlings. But it is planted in the garden when they are sure that the weather will not fail and frosts are no longer expected. After transplanting into open ground, the seedlings are watered. If the soil has not been filled with fertilizers, then a dry fertile substrate is poured under the seedlings immediately after watering. It will retain moisture in the soil and stimulate new root formation. When the land has been well fertilized in the fall, the planted seedlings can simply be carefully tucked up.
Additional protection measures
Even with the most favorable forecasts, it is useful to acquire basic covering materials. On hot sunny days, the tunnel shelter can always be opened slightly to ventilate the beds. But with strong drops in the thermometer, your cucumbers will be protected overnight.
The subtleties of watering cucumbers
Cucumbers are extremely hygrophilous. Knowing this, inexperienced gardeners water the seedlings and seedlings too often, which only causes harm, especially if the water is used for this completely cold. In such plants, old roots turn yellow, and new root hairs are not formed. Pay attention to the lower basal part of the stem. It should not turn brown or glassy. If the planted seedlings died from too generous watering, it is recommended to replace it with a new one no later than the third decade of June.
For watering, it is useful to stock up on wide, shallow containers (bowls, basins), in which the water will be naturally heated by the sun's rays in warm weather under the open sky. Watering is carried out every three days. After each watering, do not forget to add soil under the cucumbers.
Top dressing for cucumbers
Cucumbers are allocated fertile areas, well seasoned with fertilizers in the fall. Top dressing will be needed during the growing season. It is useful to accompany watering with fertilizers three times a month. Cucumbers respond well to organic feeding. The fertilizer recipe is simple: dissolve 1 liter of mullein in 10 liters of water. You can also add 10 g of urea to the solution.
The fact that plants are lacking in nutrients can be determined by their appearance. For example, when bright leaves turn pale, becoming a light green hue, it is necessary to feed the cucumbers with ammonium nitrate.
During the flowering period, fertilizing becomes more intense. To enhance fertilization with mullein solution, potassium sulfate is added to it. This element can be replaced with superphosphate and potassium magnesium. Also use a universal garden mixture.
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