Preparing soil in a greenhouse for planting cucumbers

Cucumbers grow well and produce fruit abundantly in fertile soil. Therefore, in the spring, before planting the seedlings in the greenhouse, soil preparation begins. This involves adding minerals necessary for rapid growth, fruit set, and ripening. The soil is made light and permeable to moisture and air. Plants grow faster and bear fruit faster in well-prepared soil.

Soil suitable for growing cucumbers

In nature, cucumbers grow in subtropical forests with humid air and rich organic matter in the soil. Therefore, to ensure good fruiting, conditions similar to their natural habitat are created. This vegetable crop prefers soils with high water retention and air permeability. Loam is the ideal soil for cucumbers. It ensures good root aeration and even water distribution and retention.

A high concentration of minerals and organic matter ensures rapid plant development. Immediately after planting, nutrients are delivered to the seedlings' root system. Therefore, soil rich in humus and an optimal balance of macro- and micronutrients is ideal for growing cucumbers.

For proper development, plants need the following minerals:

• nitrogen ensures active growth and proper development of the green part of the plant and its root system;
• potassium strengthens plant immunity, reduces susceptibility to adverse weather conditions and pathogenic microorganisms;
• phosphorus is necessary for the proper absorption of nutrients and active fruiting;
• Magnesium is involved in the process of photosynthesis and is necessary for abundant fruiting and rapid growth.

Vegetable crops thrive in warm soil. Therefore, sowing seeds and transplanting seedlings is done only after the soil has warmed to 18°C. If the soil cools to 14°C, root development is inhibited. Cucumbers then grow weak, have poor disease resistance, and produce fewer fruits.

Cucumbers require soil moisture between 75 and 85%. To check this, squeeze a handful of soil in your fist. If your fingerprints remain on the soil, the soil contains the optimal amount of moisture. If moisture oozes out, the soil needs to be dried. If the soil crumbles, the soil is too dry and needs watering.

Determination of the composition and condition of the soil

Not all vegetable growers have specialized equipment for determining the mechanical properties of soil. Therefore, to determine the soil type in a garden plot or greenhouse, a manual method is used. A handful of soil is lightly moistened with water. Then, it is rolled into a cord and, if possible, twisted into a ring.

Depending on the result, the soil type is determined:

• sand and sandy loam quickly disintegrate into small grains, preventing the formation of a figure;
• light loam falls apart when the earth is rolled into a cord;
• medium loam can be rolled into a cord, but it is impossible to roll it into a cord;
• a ring can be formed from heavy loam, on the surface of which cracks later appear;
• A smooth ring is obtained from alumina.

Alumina and heavy loam

Cucumbers don't thrive in soil that's too heavy or dense. It doesn't allow air to reach the roots, causing the plant to dry out over time. To plant cucumbers, prepare the heavy soil first. In the fall, fertilize the soil with manure or compost with a high straw content. Apply 15 kg per square meter in the first year. Then, reduce the amount of organic matter to 5.5 kg per square meter in the third year. Don't work the fertilizer deeply into the soil; leave it on the surface. Otherwise, it will turn into peat. After planting, loosen the beds frequently to improve air access to the roots.

Medium and light loam

This type of soil is ideal for planting cucumbers. It has the ideal structure for maintaining optimal moisture and temperature levels. If the site has medium-heavy loam, it's sufficient to fertilize the soil with compost or manure in the fall, spreading 5.5 kg of organic matter per square meter.

Sand

Despite its lightness, sandy soil is not suitable for growing cucumbers. It doesn't retain moisture, so all the nutrients are absorbed deep into the soil. Sand is a high thermal conductor, so it heats up significantly during the day and cools down quickly at night, creating significant temperature fluctuations.

Improving the quality of sandy soil is possible in the following ways:

1. For every 1 m² of greenhouse soil, add 1 bucket of peat and 2 buckets of rotted manure in the fall.
2. Claying is carried out every 2-3 years. To do this, add 0.75 buckets of clay powder and 0.75 buckets of compost or rotted manure per 1 m² of soil in a greenhouse or hothouse. Then, dig the soil.

Peat-bog soil

Waterlogged, fibrous soil is not suitable for growing cucumbers. Due to the large amount of peat, the soil is too acidic. Normal plant development is impossible in such soil. To improve fertility, a step-by-step preparation is necessary:

• drainage ditches are dug on the site to dry the soil;
• per 1 m² of soil add 1 bucket of clay powder, 1.5 kg of crushed chalk or lime, 0.5 buckets of sand;
• dig up the soil 20 cm;
• To stimulate the formation of humus, add 1 kg of humus or manure per 1 m² of soil.

Sandy loam

This type of soil is easy to cultivate. It warms up well and allows moisture and air to pass through easily. Therefore, humus forms quickly. A disadvantage of sandy loam is that it cools quickly at night. Because of its light structure, minerals are quickly washed out. To ensure a good harvest on a plot with sandy loam soil, it is enriched with fresh manure in the fall. It is sufficient to add 10 kg of organic matter per square meter.

Determining the acidity level

You can determine the soil's acidity using litmus paper. Mix a small amount of soil with distilled water and dip a test strip into the container for a few seconds. Compare the result to a color chart.

Plants will also serve as an additional indicator of the appropriate pH level in the area. If bindweed, ferns, cornflowers, coltsfoot, couch grass, burdock, or knotweed grow in the chosen location, the soil will be suitable for planting cucumber bushes.

Preparing the greenhouse

Preparatory work before planting cucumber seedlings In spring, soil treatment isn't the only thing needed. The greenhouse or hotbed also requires special treatment. Achieving a high vegetable yield is impossible without following crop rotation rules. Therefore, if possible, the greenhouse is moved to another site. If the structure is permanent and difficult to move, the soil is either renewed or completely replaced.

In the fall, after harvesting and removing plant debris, disinfect all surfaces in the greenhouse and treat the soil. For disinfection, use lime chloride, coating all cracks with the solution. Then, dig up the soil. Soil disinfection can be done in several ways:

1. The soil is sprinkled with dry lime powder. When spring arrives, the top layer is removed, and the remaining soil is dug over.
2. Pour boiling water over the soil. Then immediately cover it with plastic wrap and leave for 24 hours. Repeat the procedure after 3 days.
3. The soil is treated with aerosol biofungicides.
4. The soil is watered with a 2% formalin solution. The area is then covered with plastic wrap for 3 days. Seedlings are planted 30 days after treatment.

If plants are grown on shelves in a greenhouse, the soil is completely changed. The spent humus is removed. The bottom of the shelves is covered with a 10 cm layer of cow manure. Fresh soil is added on top to a 10 cm layer. After 2-3 days, another 15 cm layer of fertile soil is added.

Preparing the soil in spring for cucumbers in a greenhouse

Before preparing the soil for cucumber seedlings in the spring, the greenhouse is supplied with meltwater. To do this, snow is raked from the rest of the plot onto the areas where the beds will be. Once the soil has thawed, the interior walls and surfaces of the greenhouse are washed to remove any dirt. The greenhouse and soil are then disinfected. Before planting the cucumber seedlings, the plot is planted with short-season green manure. After mowing the plants, the soil is tilled and fertilized.

Two weeks before planting seeds or grown seedlings, enrich the soil with mineral and organic fertilizers. For each square meter of future plantings, apply:

• 25 rotted manure or 12.5 kg of compost;
• 40 g superphosphate;
• 40 g potassium sulfate;
• 60 g of potassium magnesia;
• 15 g magnesium sulfate.

After digging, water the area with warm water. A week before the expected planting date, enrich the soil with ammonium nitrate at a rate of 30 g per square meter. Then dig again and moisten the soil.

If the soil is highly acidic, liming is performed. Dolomite flour, crushed chalk, and wood ash are added, taking into account the initial soil condition. Since cucumbers grow poorly after this treatment, liming is applied a year before planting, during the cultivation of the preceding crops.

To facilitate cucumber care in a greenhouse, beds for planting seedlings are prepared and marked out. They are arranged according to the height of the bushes, allowing access to the plants from all sides. Plants are positioned from east to west to ensure adequate light from all sides. The beds are no more than 1 meter wide, with plants arranged in 2-3 rows. Borders are created around the perimeter to retain soil moisture and prevent leaching.

If cucumbers are planted from seeds, leave 20 cm between the greenhouse walls or the edges of the bed. The spacing between rows is kept at 50-60 cm. The holes are spaced 25 cm apart. When growing seedlings, the spacing between individual plants is increased to 30 cm.

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When growing cucumbers in greenhouses and hotbeds, annual soil preparation is necessary. The soil is refreshed or completely replaced, enriched with nutrients. Additionally, disinfection of the greenhouse's interior surfaces and decontamination of the soil are mandatory.