Caring for cucumbers in a greenhouse from planting to harvest

Caring for cucumbers in a greenhouse from planting to harvest isn't as troublesome as it might initially seem to an inexperienced gardener, but there are still some nuances you need to know to ensure a good harvest.
First, select the appropriate seeds and soak them in warm water. While they're gathering strength to open, prepare the soil in the boxes. Make shallow holes (about 2 cm deep), water them with a weak pink solution of potassium permanganate, then with warm water. Then, place the swollen seeds in the boxes and cover with soil. Once your seedlings have grown and the first leaves have appeared, you can transfer them to the greenhouse; the plant usually has 5-6 leaves by now. Find out more. caring for cucumbers until the harvest.

Transplanting into a greenhouse

Initially, while your cucumber seedlings are growing indoors, you need to prepare everything in the greenhouse for transplanting them to their new location. They're still so tender and weak, and their apartment needs to be properly prepared for the move. The soil should already be prepared in the fall—cleared of weeds and crop debris, dug over, and disinfected. If you've been growing cucumbers for two years, replace the top layer of soil with peat, humus, and sawdust. A week before planting, add rotted manure to the soil, drive in stakes, and string ropes—basically, everything should be in perfect order by the time the new residents move in.

Warm the prepared soil, ensure there are no drafts, that the greenhouse can be opened for ventilation, and that the required humidity is maintained. Then, transplant the seedlings. Carefully make holes in the soil 30-35 cm apart, leaving at least a meter between rows, as once the plants grow, you won't be able to walk between the rows and tend to them. Never over-plant the seedlings; keep them for no more than 25 days before transplanting them into the greenhouse.

The temperature in the greenhouse should not drop below 17 degrees Celsius at night, which can be detrimental to cucumber growth, and should not exceed 30 degrees Celsius during the day. If the humidity in the greenhouse is low, you can water the paths thoroughly and briefly close the greenhouse to increase the humidity inside. Avoid drafts, as cucumbers are sensitive to them. Open the greenhouse only on one side, and remember, cucumbers love light.

Caring for cucumbers

Water only with warm water. After transplanting, water every couple of days until fruit sets, and then daily. Loosen the soil, remove weeds, tie up the plants to form a bush, and fertilize. A mixture of urea, superphosphate, and added potassium, dissolved in liquid water, works well for root feeding. For spraying, dilute saltpeter and potassium salt with a small amount of superphosphate. The dosage is detailed on the packaging; check the amount based on the area occupied by the cucumbers. When the first buds appear, reduce watering and resume it when the buds begin to fade. This will help increase the number of female flowers and, consequently, the harvest.

During the first few weeks, nitrogen should be the dominant fertilizer to help plants develop green mass and become stronger. Then, reduce the nitrogen and increase the phosphorus. A couple of hours before fertilizing, water the beds, then water with fertilizer dissolved in water. It's best to mulch the soil. A boric acid solution is suitable for foliar feeding to increase the number of ovaries: 2 g per 10 liters of water. Spray early in the morning or in the evening, when the heat subsides. You can add copper sulfate and a little potassium permanganate. In general, keep an eye on the plants: if they're rapidly growing, there's too much nitrogen in the soil; reduce it with phosphorus or sprinkle with ash. If the leaves have become too light with dark veins, the cucumbers need magnesium; if yellow spots appear, potassium fertilizer is needed. Learn more. How and what to feed cucumbers with.

Pinching cucumbers

Here, opinions are divided. Some gardeners firmly believe that the main stem should be pinched after the plant's fifth or sixth leaf appears to encourage side shoots to develop, thus increasing flowering. Others insist that the main stem should be allowed to grow to a meter and then pinched. A third group argues that in a greenhouse, the main stem can be left alone, pinching out the side shoots. Then, as the stem grows, lower it with a garter, wrapping it in a ring, twisting it, and tying it lower, allowing the main stem to continue growing, and it will bear fruit long before frost sets in. All of these assertions are valid, and it's important to try them all in your greenhouse to see which one works best for you. Every gardener has their own methods and secrets, so why not use them and see what happens, and which method is more effective?

Cucumber diseases

Powdery mildew, a nasty cucumber disease, is a major concern. Leaves become covered in a whitish coating, dry out, become brittle, wilt, and die, resulting in crop failure. To prevent the disease from progressing, use appropriate fungicides. Cucumbers can also be affected by leaf blight, which requires disinfection and soil replacement. Aphids are also a major nuisance—if they colonize cucumber leaves, the crop can be lost. You can combat this problem with folk remedies: remove and burn any leaves heavily infested with aphids, and thoroughly spray the remaining leaves with horseradish root infusion. In most cases, aphids disappear after one or two treatments. You can also place horseradish leaves and the remains of the infusion under the cucumber roots to repel ants, which spread the aphids.

But the main greenhouse disease affecting cucumbers can be downy mildew, also known as peronosporosis. It can be triggered by excessive humidity and high temperatures in the greenhouse. This disease can destroy the entire crop. As soon as the disease is detected, which manifests itself as yellowing, shriveling, and drying of the leaves, it's essential to immediately obtain a downy mildew treatment and treat the plants.

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