Planting cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse: care instructions

Many novice and experienced gardeners are interested in successfully growing cucumbers in polycarbonate greenhouses. Selecting the right cucumber variety and planting them in a greenhouse increases the chances of successfully harvesting a high-quality and bountiful crop. The results of greenhouse cucumber cultivation will only be worthy with proper care.

Planting cucumbers in polycarbonate greenhouses is ideal for both beginner and experienced gardeners. The most important thing is to know how to prepare the planting area to achieve the optimal yield. Proper care is also essential, as this also determines the quantity and quality of the harvest.

Features of preparing a greenhouse for planting cucumbers

Preparing a polycarbonate greenhouse is crucial. This is necessary if other vegetable crops were previously grown in the greenhouse or if the plants suffered from diseases, as the soil may be insufficiently nutritious or harbor harmful bacteria. For this reason, neglecting these preparatory steps is highly undesirable.

The gardener should clean the greenhouse. To do this, the boxes and walls are treated with a special solution of potassium permanganate. If the plants were diseased, the top layer of soil is removed and replaced with fertile soil. If the plants grew well last year, there is no need to replace the soil.

If the indicator is exceeded, it is recommended to improve the soil composition. Regular lime or special fertilizer can be used to improve the soil. In any case, it is necessary to improve the soil quality in advance. It is advisable to carry out this planned improvement at least a month before transplanting the cucumber seedlings into the greenhouse.

Preparing the greenhouse shortly before planting cucumbers is also essential. A small amount of mineral fertilizer is added to each hole. Before applying the fertilizer, the soil is specially treated with a hot potassium permanganate solution. This also determines how suitable the soil is for growing cucumbers.

Features of planting cucumbers in a greenhouse

In most cases, cucumbers are transplanted into the greenhouse at the end of April – beginning of May.

It's best to plant seedlings in rows, with a distance of 25 centimeters between each plant. For easy and quick maintenance of greenhouse plants, proper spacing between rows is also essential: aisles should be half a meter apart.

Each seedling is transplanted into pre-prepared holes. The seedlings are then watered and left for about a week. After approximately seven days, the cucumber seedlings are watered again. After watering, the greenhouse is ventilated to prevent excess moisture from retaining in the soil.

Features of proper care for greenhouse cucumbers

Greenhouse cucumbers require proper care:

• regular watering;
• loosening the soil;
• regular ventilation.

Moreover, all activities must be based on certain principles:

1. It's important to create suitable conditions for cucumbers to thrive, as they dislike dampness and cannot survive without water. The best option is to use automatic cucumber watering equipment, with a drip system allowing for watering without touching the leaves. In spring, water in the morning on a sunny day; in summer, water twice a week or even every other day in hot weather.
2. Loosening the soil is necessary to enrich the root system with oxygen and improve the condition of the soil.
3. It is advisable to use a special tool for loosening.
4. Ventilating the greenhouse is also very important. Ventilation accelerates cucumber growth. In the spring, it's best to ventilate the room once a day. In the summer, it's best to leave the windows or doors open all the time.

It is also advisable to take care of fertilizing cucumbers, properly shaping the bushes and protecting them from pests and diseases.

1. Fertilizing cucumbers is essential.For this purpose, mineral and organic compounds are used. Up to five fertilizing applications are required per season. Organic fertilizers (chicken and cow manure) are commonly used. Popular mineral fertilizers include saltpeter, nitrogen, and potassium.
2. Proper formation of cucumber bushes is essential. Staking is also necessary. This will help regulate the direction of cucumber growth. Proper training will improve fruiting and save space in the greenhouse. For cucumber bushes, it is advisable to use special twine stretched from the bottom up and secured at a height of 10 centimeters. The plants should always grow in the direction of the trellis. To successfully control the growth of cucumber bushes, pinching and removing side shoots is recommended. It is important to note that the method of training the bush largely depends on the variety, as the needs are determined by the growth and characteristics of the root system. Often, the height of the main stem of a cucumber should not exceed one meter.

A more responsible approach is recommended for successfully growing hybrid cucumbers. Experienced gardeners note that varieties with moderate shoot growth are preferable, as they require minimal maintenance.

Before growing cucumbers in polycarbonate greenhouses, it's crucial to select the right variety to ensure successful care and a bountiful harvest. Successful greenhouse cucumber cultivation depends on the correct variety and subsequent care. Planting cucumber seedlings in early May guarantees a fresh harvest in late spring and early summer.