How to pinch cucumbers in a greenhouse: instructions, photos

Cucumbers

More favorable conditions for growing vegetables can be created using a greenhouse and the use of a crown shaping method – pinching (removing the ends from German) or pinching. Experienced gardeners know this and use it successfully in their plots. Pinching is necessary to form a fruitful bush, which involves carefully cutting off some of the cucumber vines' shoots.

Do cucumbers in a greenhouse need to be pinched?

First and foremost, to grow delicious, beautifully shaped cucumbers, you need to create favorable conditions for the plant's growth. This requires adequate watering and appropriate fertilizer. Secondly, tying and pinching are essential.

By creating favorable conditions in a greenhouse, cucumbers can produce fruit earlier. To do this, you need to properly arrange the space and plant the cucumbers so that the branches grow loosely and vertically. Growing these vegetables requires high humidity and frequent watering. However, if the bush grows too much, it will reduce the plant's light supply and prevent fruit formation. Pinching cucumbers in a greenhouse or hotbed is essential.

Pinching rules

To properly pinch cucumbers in a greenhouse, you need to understand their growth patterns. The stems of very young plants stand upright, but as they mature, they begin to trail along the ground and reach upward if there's support for the tendrils to cling to. Lateral branches extend from the main stem or vine. Shoots also form on the lateral vines. The tendrils cling to surrounding objects, causing the cucumber plant to grow upward.

The stem has nodes or places where other parts of the plant are attached:

leaves;
flowers;
new branches;
antennae.

Lateral shoots are sometimes quite short, and the rudimentary leaves are inconspicuous. They will flower and bear fruit later than the main shoot.

Pinching different varieties of cucumbers

Any cucumber variety requires shaping to produce a harvest. Pinching cucumbers in the greenhouse around the main stem helps:

active growth of lateral branches;
formation of the desired ovaries.

Therefore, the first pinch of the plant should be done carefully above the second true leaf, leaving a half-centimeter stump. After this, branches with female flowers will appear on the sides.

The pinching pattern should be appropriate for the vegetable variety. A variety can be insect-pollinated or insect-free. In the former case, both male and female flowers need to be preserved. In the latter case, male flowers are not required. In greenhouses, insect access to plants is difficult, so for closed greenhouses, it is recommended to grow parthenocarpic cucumber varieties that do not require insect pollination, as these varieties can produce fruit without pollination.

The unique property of parthenocarpic cucumber hybrids allows them to be grown in greenhouses, where green fruits can form without the need for pollinating insects. Since these hybrids predominantly produce female flowers, pinching follows a slightly different pattern:

When the vine stem, secured to the trellis, reaches a height of at least 50 centimeters, you can begin removing all shoots, ovaries, and flowers from the lower part. This will create a blinding zone.
Pinch off the side shoots higher up the stem, preserving one ovary and a pair of leaves.
At a height of 50 cm to 1 meter, in two to four nodes you can leave two ovaries with two to three leaves.
If the cucumber stem continues to grow, at a height of over one and a half meters, you can pinch off the area above the third leaf, preserving up to three ovaries.

Advice!

Any cucumber vines that grow longer should be draped over a crossbar or trellis, and the shoots will continue to grow downward. Once the distance from the soil reaches 20 centimeters, the growing point on the central stem should be removed.

Which varieties do not require pinching?

Pinch-free varieties can be called a new generation of cucumbers. Their distinctive feature is that the bushes grow with short shoots, forming a "bouquet." Breeders have achieved the desired growth of lateral branches and fruiting in a distinctive cluster, with several cucumbers emerging from the leaf axils.

On the positive side, this variety is resistant to adverse weather conditions. However, it is more expensive and requires knowledge of proper care. For example, bunch cucumbers require more frequent feeding. This variety doesn't require pinching, but it should be monitored for growth and ripe fruit should be harvested promptly.

To get a bountiful cucumber harvest, it is recommended to follow a few simple rules:

Plant cucumbers at a sufficient distance from each other to ensure that all branches receive light and nutrition.
The bush should be periodically fertilized and fed to increase its fruitfulness and avoid soil depletion.
Spatulas for vertical growth of vines should be installed in advance, before the shoots form.
The garter should be done delicately, trying not to damage the stems and leaves.
Any rope, twine or wire can be used as a support.
In the future, use garters to separate the main stem and side shoots.
The first pinching should begin when the plant has become stronger and shoots begin to form.
The planting should not be dense.

In the second step, carefully trim the stem without damaging it, using special tools or sharp scissors. Trim above the sixth leaf. Once the resulting side shoots develop into additional vines, tie them up as well.

Advice!

To form a bush of hybrid cucumber varieties, keep three shoots and remove the rest.

For non-hybrid cucumber varieties, you can leave only one shoot as the main stem. When caring for three or one stem, leave at least four growing points on each. Preserve the leaves; they provide nutrition for the entire plant. Be sure to trim off any deformed or weak leaves with a clean cutting tool.