What kind of manure is best for cucumbers: application, how to dilute

To ensure a good cucumber harvest, regular fertilization is essential. Manure is a popular natural fertilizer that does not contain chemicals harmful to vegetables. When using in open ground, it is important to adhere to the application timing, proportions, and dosage to avoid overfeeding the plants.

Benefits of natural fertilizers for feeding cucumbers

Using manure to increase crop yields is a common practice in home gardens and farms. It's a byproduct of livestock activity, mixed with leftover straw and hay for bedding. This natural organic material is highly valued for its many benefits:

• absence of pesticides and chemicals that accumulate in fruits;
• the effect appears gradually over several weeks;
• the soil becomes more fertile and enriched;
• acidity is normalized;
• the number of beneficial bacteria increases;
• oxygen supply to the roots improves.

The main advantage of manure as a fertilizer is its low cost. Many farmers use the product from their own livestock yards. Small farms are happy to give it away for free after cleaning out their barns or poultry houses. Using it allows for profit and the growth of high-quality crops.

In what cases is it recommended to use manure?

Feeding cucumbers with mullein or other fertilizers type of humus in open ground it is carried out in different situations:

• standard pattern as plants grow;
• the appearance of dryness;
• reduction of ovary;
• weak stem;
• whitened leaves;
• poor harvest;
• The cucumbers grow in an irregular shape and are small in weight.

Cow or horse manure, as a fertilizer, contains many beneficial substances, organic compounds, and vitamins. Once applied to the soil, they gradually dissolve and mix with water, forming a nutrient-rich mixture. Applying them before planting cucumbers outdoors boosts the seedlings' immunity and promotes vigorous foliage development.

Types of manure for cucumbers

When growing cucumbers outdoors, it's important to consider the soil's properties. Soil fertility depends on rainfall, composition, and acidity. Sandy and clayey soils require frequent fertilization. A field left to rest for a season will accumulate sufficient nutrients and minerals in the spring without intensive fertilization.

Gardeners recommend watering cucumbers with compost that's been collected and aged for several weeks. This "aged" fertilizer contains more nitrogen compounds and doesn't stimulate rapid growth of green mass. Two types of natural fertilizer are used:

1. Organic. Beneficial compounds are released slowly, eliminating the need for frequent fertilizing and watering as the plant grows. Contains numerous minerals and beneficial bacteria.
2. Inorganic fertilizers. They have increased sulfur, potassium, and phosphorus content. They break down quickly in the soil, so they are used to quickly restore plants after drought or pest infestations.

It's important to carefully select the manure you plan to feed your cucumbers with. It's often obtained from poultry or livestock, or rabbit waste, which affects the mineral composition.

Mullein

An effective way to increase yields with minimal investment of time and money is to regularly feed cucumbers with cow manure. It contains a record amount of micronutrients and makes the soil fertile. During long-term storage, the manure rots and turns into dense humus.

To get the most out of mullein, gardeners create a compost pit. Food scraps, grass, straw, and fruit tree sawdust should be added. All components are tightly packed into layers and then watered with a liquid mullein infusion. The compost is added in the fall to allow the ingredients to mix and turn into a ready-to-use fertilizer.

Horse manure

At feeding cucumbers with horse manure The soil is enriched with phosphorus and nitrogen and saturated with calcium. This type of organic matter is recommended for fertilizing plants in open ground and for use in poor and sandy areas. After application, aeration is increased, and roots grow faster.

Greenhouse cucumbers are best fed with horse manure diluted in water. The concentration should be reduced to avoid damaging the plants. It should be infused with food scraps for at least two weeks. If you need to treat a large area, it's best to create a compost pit.

Bird droppings

Before transplanting seedlings into the ground, you can feed cucumbers with a fertilizer based on bird droppings. This organic matter has a lighter structure and is rich in micronutrients and proteins. When used during fruiting, it increases the number of ovaries without barren flowers.

Gardeners recommend applying chicken or goose manure as a liquid solution. It's first prepared in clean water at a 1:1 ratio and then left to ferment for 10-15 days. However, fresh manure should not be used under cucumbers without dilution: the high nitrogen content can burn small root shoots.

Rabbit ground

Agronomists recommend rabbit manure as the most "gentle" fertilizer, suitable for seedlings or greenhouse soil. Animals feed on plant matter, so the resulting compost contains a uniform amount of minerals and microelements. However, the best way to use it is to make compost or a liquid substance.

To prepare the solution, mix rabbit manure and water in a 1:2 ratio and let it sit for at least two weeks. Add it to the holes before planting and carefully water it between the beds after loosening the soil. When using dry manure, prepare the excrement by thoroughly drying it, crushing it, and mixing it with the soil.

Sheep manure

Sheep manure is considered ideal for fertilizing heavy soils with added clay and sandstone. It enriches the soil with potassium and nitrogen, making it looser and more nutritious. It is best applied after harvesting, during tillage, to gradually release the minerals into the soil.

If you plan to grow cucumbers in a temperate climate, it's best to add sheepskin manure to the holes before planting. This helps improve thermal conductivity, and young plants tolerate frost and temperature fluctuations well. However, the fertilizer should be applied no more than once every 6-8 months.

Pig manure

When growing cucumbers outdoors, pig manure is rarely used. It has several significant disadvantages:

• excess nitrogen, dangerous for the root system;
• not recommended fresh;
• long period of release of useful substances;
• does not regulate heat transfer and humidity.

This type of organic fertilizer is rarely used due to a lack of calcium and increased acidity. It often provokes plant diseases due to an overabundance of pathogenic bacteria.

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Humus

The most effective way to fertilize cucumbers is by adding compost or humus. When mixed with the soil, this beneficial substance improves its composition and structure, making it lighter and looser. In sandy or clay soils, it helps retain moisture after watering, stimulates root growth, and promotes healthy, robust plants.

Humus is produced by adding manure to a compost pit. Over the course of several weeks, the mass decomposes and becomes enriched with beneficial microflora. During autumn work, it is applied to the soil and watered into the planting holes. It slowly releases heat and protects delicate cucumber varieties from frost.

Biohumus

This unique organic fertilizer is produced by processing manure with Californian worms. It contains numerous nutrients and minerals and can be combined with chemical fertilizers.

It has a number of healing properties:

• helps seeds germinate faster;
• the seedlings become more resilient;
• reduces nitrate levels;
• increases crop yields.

Gardeners like it use vermicompost When planting cucumber seeds, it can be diluted in water and used to water the beds: it is safe for humans and does not emit toxic fumes or compounds.

Fertilizer application technology

More and more farmers are reducing the use of chemicals, which negatively impact the taste and nutritional value of their crops. Cucumbers are sensitive to soil conditions, including acidity and oxygen deficiency. Organic vermicompost or compost has long been recognized as an effective agricultural technique due to its minimal side effects.

When using it to feed mature plants, it is recommended to incorporate unprocessed organic matter directly into the soil during tillage. Horse or cow manure is applied at a rate of 5–6 kg per 100 square meters. The liquid substance is diluted with water to the required concentration.

Prepared beds are best treated with slurry: this accelerates the release of nutrients and reduces nitrogen concentration. For cucumbers, compost is recommended, as it forms a thin crust and maintains moisture balance. Special decomposable seedling cups containing organic matter are available at specialty stores.

Experienced gardeners adhere to the following rules when applying organic matter:

• Mullein is best used as a fertilizer for cucumbers before flowering. Add no more than 250–300 g of manure and 5–10 g of phosphate or urea per 10 liters of water.
• Plants can be fed when fruiting or fruiting is weak. At this stage, a composted chicken manure mixture with wood ash is more effective.
• A homemade cucumber fertilizer made from mullein and potassium sulfate (diluted in a 1:3 ratio) can help extend the harvest period.

Concentrated solutions should not be applied to the roots: ammonia fumes burn and cause weakening and death of the bush.

When is it necessary to feed cucumbers?

Organic fertilizers are essential in the fall, when the soil is prepared for the new season and cleared of plant debris. By the time it's time to plant cucumbers, the manure will have rotted, and the melting snow will release the nutrients into the soil. A typical fertilizing schedule is as follows:

• The first stage begins after 2 sheets are fully opened.
• After 2-3 weeks, it is necessary to repeat the treatment or add a little liquid to the holes made for the seedlings.
• Before flowering, you can add a fresh dose of fertilizer. To do this, dig a deep bed between the cucumber plants and carefully pour the mixture into the furrow.
• After 14 days, it is recommended to add additional nutrients.

This scheme can be used in greenhouses where tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplants are planted. Concomitant use with chemical fertilizers does not diminish the beneficial properties of the compost.

Features of biofuel use

Cucumbers thrive in warm conditions, so when setting up a greenhouse, it's essential to provide heating. A cost-effective option is biofuel, which is manure. Decomposing produces heat and carbon dioxide. When combined with sawdust and straw, it can raise the temperature to 35–40°C.

Biofuel is added during greenhouse construction. Warm cucumber beds help save time and effort on seedling care. They can be created in a variety of ways:

1. Mulching. Cattle manure is mixed with dry straw and spread on the top layer to form a thin protective film.
2. Fresh biofuel. Do not use if cucumbers have already been planted. Recommended before sowing.
3. Liquid fertilizer. The best way to quickly feed weakened seedlings. Manure should be diluted in plain water and added at a rate of 0.5–1 liter per plant.
4. Granulation. Fertilizer manufacturers process manure, enrich it, and dry it, releasing it in pressed form. This fertilizer is easy to dose and does not require dilution in water.

Rules and duration of manure storage

The beneficial properties of natural fertilizer are preserved only with proper storage, which is carried out in the following ways:

• Hot. Under a canopy, the manure is tightly packed into a pile and covered with a waterproof material.
• Cold. A hole at least a meter deep is dug outside. Various types of waste are mixed with straw and hay and covered with a waterproof material (film, tarp).

The first option is used in the spring, and the prepared product is used throughout the season. Otherwise, the fertilizer's beneficial properties are quickly lost. If a whitish coating appears on the surface of the pile, the product is discarded; fungal contamination can easily spread to cucumbers.

Manure is an organic product, but overdosing it can harm cucumbers. The choice of fertilizer depends on the climate, region, and soil type. Combined with regular watering and weed control, this technology produces excellent results for any type of farm.