Cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse - planting and care, bush formation

One of the most popular summer vegetables in our country is the cucumber. Forward-thinking housewives salt and pickle the vegetables for the winter, adding them to the traditional Olivier salad for New Year's Eve or simply serving them alongside delicious potatoes.

Result growing cucumbers In open areas, it's difficult to predict; everything depends on the weather. Resourceful gardeners build greenhouses and hotbeds from various materials in their plots. Cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse They ripen much faster and produce many times more fruit. However, caring for these vegetables is slightly different from growing them outdoors.

Advantages and features of growing cucumbers in polycarbonate greenhouses

Building a greenhouse on a plot of land is necessary due to the climate of central Russia. Weather conditions are not always favorable for growing plants, which significantly impacts the quality of vegetables. Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse has its advantages:

1. Favorable conditions for growing plants, controlled by the gardener himself.
2. Less risk of cucumbers being infested by harmful insects and plants being damaged by animals.
3. Higher vegetable yield.
4. Protecting plants from unwanted precipitation, wind and direct sun.
5. Early ripening of fruits.
6. Extending the harvest period of vegetables.
7. Growing plant hybrids adapted to warmer locations.

Polycarbonate is a new generation material. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of other materials, it is undoubtedly superior, offering the following benefits:

1. Under the polycarbonate cover, vegetables receive sufficient light and are at the same time completely protected from the sun's rays, which reduces the potential risk of leaf burn to zero.
2. The plastic consists of vacuum cells that provide additional thermal insulation.
3. The material is flexible, making it easy to install even in unsuitable locations. No foundation is required.
4. Due to its structure, polycarbonate can be installed even on sandy and clayey soil.
5. Plastic is strong and durable. It withstands temperature fluctuations and heavy loads well.

Unlike polycarbonate, glass is heavier and more fragile. It cannot provide a good seal. Film provides a more airtight seal, but it bends light, is not particularly durable, and is susceptible to damage.

Planting cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse

Proper planting is the key to a good harvest. Mistakes made at this stage can lead to unpleasant consequences and disappointment.

General rules

When planting cucumbers, it is recommended to follow the following tips:

1. Seeds must be of high quality. It's best to buy them from a trusted seller.
2. Before planting, the seeds are germinated, otherwise the germination rate will be lower.
3. Polycarbonate greenhouses are the only greenhouses where growing cucumbers from seeds is preferable to growing vegetables from seedlings.
4. The seedlings are directed vertically, tying them to supports.
5. The root ball of the bush should protrude from the soil by 2 cm.

To improve pollination, experienced gardeners plant different varieties of the same vegetable next to each other.

Sowing seeds

Proper sowing of cucumber seeds involves the following steps:

1. Natural selection. Only large, undamaged seeds are suitable for sowing. Even among these seeds, there are bound to be some empty ones. To avoid wasting greenhouse space on empty seeds, they are tested with salted water. After half an hour, all the empty seeds float to the surface, while the good seeds remain at the bottom.
2. Drying. Before the obligatory soaking procedure, experienced gardeners recommend drying the seeds. To do this, pour them into a cloth bag and place it over a heating element for 24 hours.

   

3. Soaking. This procedure is carried out immediately before sowing. Cucumbers should soak in water for 10-12 hours.
4. Germination. The seedlings are wrapped in a damp cloth and left in a warm place for 24 hours.

The seeds are planted in prepared holes at a depth of 1-2 cm. For very loose soil, the depth is increased to 3 cm. To save space, three seeds are placed per hole.

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Seedling planting method

The seedling method allows you to accelerate the cucumber harvest by two weeks. 25-day-old plants, which already have 3-4 full leaves, are ready for planting. No more than four plants are planted per square meter.

When planting seedlings, it is very important to maintain the temperature regime. The temperature in the greenhouse should be between +20-22℃, and the soil temperature should be +16-18℃.

If the plants are overgrown, they should be planted at an angle. After planting, they undergo an adaptation period, during which overgrown cucumbers can break their stems under the weight of their own leaves.

Planting dates

Conventionally, all cucumbers can be divided into the following varietal groups:

• early;
• mid-season;
• late.

Based on this, experts recommend sowing seeds during the following periods:

1. 15.03 – 20.04. At this time, only early cucumbers are sown.
2. 01.05 – 15.05. Favorable period for mid-season vegetables.
3. August 20 – August 30. The end of August is the best time for the new generation of hybrids, which bear fruit until November.

When determining planting dates, it's also important to consider soil and air temperature. Soil temperature should be at least 16°C (61°F), and air temperature should be at least 20°C (68°F).

Planting patterns

In greenhouse conditions, single-row, double-row, and staggered planting patterns are used. The correct choice of planting pattern determines the quantity and quality of the future harvest.

Each layout has its advantages and disadvantages. The most efficient, in terms of space savings, is a staggered planting.

Rules for caring for cucumbers in polycarbonate greenhouses

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse requires special care. During the budding and fruiting periods, greenhouse cucumbers require special watering and fertilizing.

Watering

Cucumbers are considered moisture-loving plants. However, watering should be regular, as overwatering promotes rot.

When organizing irrigation, the following points should be taken into account:

1. The soil under the plant should always be moist, but water stagnation should not be allowed.
2. Wilting leaves are unacceptable. At the first sign of this, the plant should be watered.
3. To speed up the process of ovary formation, cucumbers are watered a little less during this period.
4. The water temperature for irrigation should not be below 18°C. However, water that is too hot should not be used.
5. After watering, the soil must be loosened.

The frequency of watering depends on the temperature in the greenhouse. In moderate temperatures, cucumbers should be watered 2-3 times a week. If the greenhouse is hot, watering should be increased to every 2 days.

Top dressing

No matter how fertile the soil, to get a good harvest, cucumbers need to be fertilized. Cucumbers require specific nutrients at different stages of their life cycle.

It's important to strictly adhere to the dosage specified in the fertilizer instructions. Overdosing on fertilizer can damage the plant's root system.

In addition to fertilizer, cucumbers should be fed with wood ash every 10 days. This fertilizer is essential for this crop. Dilute 10 grams of ash per 1 liter of water.

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Experienced gardeners handle shaping easily. For novice vegetable growers, shaping a bush may seem complicated. In fact, once you've done the shaping yourself once, you'll have no trouble with it in the future.

Step-by-step instructions

During the growing process, cucumber bushes are constantly being shaped. This process is not only necessary to save greenhouse space.

Formation of a cucumber bush involves the following procedures:

1. Pinching out stepsons is the removal of excess leaves and ovaries to ensure the normal functioning of the bush.
2. Pinching is the stopping of shoot growth in favor of the remaining stems on the bush.
3. Pruning is the timely removal of dead wood from a plant.

Pinching out stepsons

Stepsoning involves the following actions:

1. To ensure the stem receives the necessary air circulation, all rudiments and leaves up to the fourth leaf blade are removed. This procedure is also known as rot prevention.
2. When the plant reaches a height of 1 m, remove all excess shoots and leaves. Only 2-3 main shoots and a few good leaves should be left.

   

3. When the plant reaches 1.3 m, its shoots should not exceed 0.4 m. On each shoot, 2 ovaries and the same number of leaves are left.
4. For one and a half meter cucumbers, the number of leaves and ovaries on the shoots increases to 4.

The apical leaves are removed very carefully, as they are often closely adjacent to the main stem.

Topping

Pinching involves trimming leaves and shoots to improve the bush's nutritional status. Lower inflorescences should be removed first. Formed at the base of the stem, they never develop into ovaries, but they will drain the plant of a significant portion of its nutrients.

To prevent overgrowth, pinch young shoots. The maximum shoot length for pinching is 20 cm. Removing longer branches significantly damages the bush.

The third step in pinching is to stop the growth of the main stem. Typically, the shoot is pinched 20 cm above the ground. The top can be pruned earlier, allowing the plant to focus all its energy on developing lateral shoots.

Trimming

Cucumber pruning is sanitary and involves promptly removing wilted leaves and flowers, empty ovaries, and damaged plant parts, including deformed fruits. Tendrils must also be removed.

It's best to prune bushes in the morning to allow the plant time to recover during the day. Use only sharp tools to avoid leaving burrs on the bushes. Leaves should be trimmed as close to the base as possible. Leaving the stumps of the cuttings is not recommended, as they are prone to powdery mildew.

Pest and disease control of cucumbers

Withering and curling leaves, spots, and deformed fruits indicate a cucumber infestation with pests or diseases. The most common plant infestations are:

Plant ailments aren't always related to infections and pests. Cucumbers often suffer from improper care.

Yellowing and drying of leaves can be the result of a fertilizer deficiency. Insufficient fertilizing, overwatering, and abnormal temperature conditions are also indicated by fruit drop and slow growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Growing cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse is easy. If you follow expert advice, you can harvest several healthy vegetables in a single season.