For many gardeners, growing cucumbers in the open field is the only way to get a good crop. Not everyone has greenhouses. What will the crop depend on? Firstly, from what seeds you bought, from the selected variety. Secondly, from the method of planting, from leaving, from agricultural farming. Cucumbers belong to the pumpkin family, are grown almost everywhere. In the Kuban, they grow well both in the sun and in the greenhouse. Planting cucumbers in open ground can be carried out by growing or on a trellis.
According to scientists, the cucumber does not have high nutritional value. But this is a very valuable dietary vegetable. Indeed, you have probably noticed more than once that a salad with fresh or pickled cucumber improves your appetite. And doctors believe that metabolism improves with regular use of food, which includes cucumber.
If you eat cucumbers from your garden for 4 days - only they and nothing more, then you will completely renew all the blood in the body.
Cucumber juice can quickly reduce the acidity of the stomach. You can even bring down the patient’s temperature by giving him a fresh cucumber or drink cucumber juice, as it has diuretic properties.
Beauticians willingly use it for the preparation of whitening, refreshing, anti-aging masks.
Cucumber is a thermophilic plant. The most comfortable temperature during the day for him is + 22-26ºС, and at night it is desirable that it does not fall below + 18-20 degrees. In cold weather, lowering the temperature to 10 degrees, the growth of the plant slows down, the vegetation stops, and with prolonged cooling, the vegetable may die. Low air temperature is one of the main reasons for failures when growing cucumbers in open ground. This feature applies to all pumpkin heat-loving plants.
The best predecessors of cucumbers are potatoes, tomatoes, onions, cabbage, peppers, peas. But after the legumes, although after them the soil is enriched with nitrogen, experts do not advise planting them. The reason is that both of these plants are affected by white rot.
I keep my seeds warm in the winter, but so that they do not dry out, this can later affect the germination energy.
Processing cucumber seeds before planting
Before planting, I warm up the seeds: I put a plate on top of the battery, on top I put a paper open box with seeds, I keep them there for 5-6 hours. Just keep in mind that the temperature of the battery should not be higher than 60 ° C. It well reduces the thermal effect, a newspaper from several layers or plywood placed under the box. It is believed that such warming contributes to a greater formation of female flowers.
I disinfect warmed up seeds - treat them with a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 20-25 minutes, then put them in a fine strainer, rinse with cold running water (under the tap). Now more often instead of potassium permanganate (disappeared from pharmacies) I use a 2-3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, which I pre-heat to a temperature of 38-40 degrees - I can withstand 7-8 minutes; or a solution of boric acid - ½ teaspoon of powder + 1 glass of water - can withstand 2-3 hours at a temperature of 25-30 degrees. Then, the seeds should also be washed under running cold water.
After disinfection, the seeds are dried to flowability - it is easier to sow them.
Planting cucumbers in the open ground
I plant cucumbers after April 20 - a depth of 1.5-2 cm. No deeper needed - it will be difficult for seedlings to break through a thicker layer of earth. I put 4-5 seeds in the hole. This is if your seeds. But if the variety is new, there are few seeds, then I put it one at a time, so as not to break through later, not to lose valuable seed material.
Of course, with a single-seeded method, there is a loss of holes (emptiness). The seeds of cucumbers have the shortest germination period (3-5 days), so I do a second planting there, only now with sprouted seeds.
I plant cucumbers in open ground both without support and with support (on a trellis or next to a corn stalk). If this is an unsupported method, then I arrange the rows at such a distance from each other so that when collecting fruits there is free space for movement - usually from 70 cm to 1 meter. By the way, there are also bush forms, they do not weave, so the distance between such plants is 50-60 cm.
Seedling care
The first thinning of seedlings of a cucumber (if several seeds are sown) I spend, when 1-2 real leaves appear, the next 3-4 leaves, removing weakened or ugly plants. I usually leave one plant in the hole.
In vain, many believe that leaving one plant, not two, the crop will fall by half. Practice has verified that this is not so. Cucumber, although it has a poorly developed root system, sucks a large amount of nutrients from the earth. If two plants are left in the hole, they fight for a place in the sun. Each gets less nutrition, and they overshadow each other.
When thinning, it is very important to water the ground well.
Do not pull out the plant, if close next to another. Such must be cut off at the very ground. Why cut? Because the cucumber has a weak root system. The roots of closely growing plants are intertwined and both can be pulled out inadvertently. In addition, pulling out excess bushes, we thereby damage the roots of the main plant. They are shocked for some time. The vegetation is delayed until the damaged place where the sucking root hair was torn off heals. Dangling hairs are not restored. A new root should grow, hairs should appear on it, only then the plant nutrition is restored. That is, five days pass, sometimes a week, and this is bad. Since we want to get the fruits as soon as possible, any delay is undesirable.
I strongly recommend that after thinning, even if you are sure that you have not damaged anything, spray the cucumbers with a solution of the natural growth stimulator HB-101 (1-2 drops + 1 liter of water). This will strengthen, revitalize your plants, stimulate their further growth, increase their resistance to strong winds, acid precipitation. Instructions from the manufacturer give advice on treating with this drug at least 1 time per week. Spraying will not be superfluous from the appearance of seedlings and until the fruit ripens.
Sowing 4-5 varieties per bed gives very good results. This is especially true for varieties of the female type, which at the beginning of flowering do not have male flowers, cannot bear fruit without pollinating varieties.
I once read that the cucumber plant itself regulates the number of fruits to be laid, so female flowers, which, as a rule, are many, fall off. But my observations do not confirm this. Perhaps because I always plant 5-7 varieties, and such as Phoenix-640, when starting to bloom, they give mainly male flowers only.
An important agrotechnical technique for growing cucumbers in open ground is the direction of lashes "downwind". If this is not done, then the wind blowing from the side of the lash or directly to the point of growth can turn the lash over, and the leaves of the cucumber are always drawn to the sun. At the inverted lash, the leaves will tend to occupy their usual position, and for this they need additional energy, which they take from the growth and formation of hearths. Of course, lashes should be laid in the direction of the wind at the very beginning of their formation. For example, in summer, the most frequent wind direction is southwest or west. So, as the lashes grow, I periodically direct the growing end so that it grows to the northeast.
Turned or inverted whip - for a plant, shock, crisis. This should be considered. When collecting fruits, if possible do not injure the lashes, leaves.
The destruction of weeds must be carried out as they grow. Those who claim that weeds protect cucumber plants from burning sunlight are wrong. No, weeds are a favorable environment for the development of pests, fungal and bacterial diseases. In addition, weeds take part of the nutrients from the soil.
Loosening is usually combined with weeding weeds. While the cucumber plant is upright, when loosening, it is necessary to make a small hilling.
I advise you to do summer planting of this vegetable, for example, after harvesting onions. The place has been vacated, and it’s still far from the cold weather - you can take it with cucumbers. My summer sowing succeeds no worse than spring sowing. During summer planting, such varieties as Stork, Nightingale, Rodnichok, Golubchik have proven themselves well.
By this time, spring plantings have already completed their growing season, and summer ones are gaining strength. The harvest is enough not only for food, but also for harvesting, and some part can even be sold or shared with friends.
Watering cucumbers
Cucumber is a moisture-loving plant, but you need to water it only with warm water. When watering with cold water, the appearance of root rot, powdery mildew, and other diseases is possible. Especially for such heat-loving plants, I have a barrel of water in the sun. I water in the evening, water by this time heats well.
A good protection of cucumbers from diseases is abundant watering (1-2 times per season) over the leaves from above or spraying with a milk-iodine solution - 1 liter of real milk, from a cow (out of a bag of packages) + 5 drops of iodine + a bucket of water (10 l).
Cucumbers are very sensitive to violation of the water regime. With a lack or excess of moisture in the soil, the development of plants is disturbed: the fruits are deformed, the ovaries fall, the yield decreases. It is better to water them less often, but abundantly, not allowing the soil to dry out.
Good results are obtained if you make a shower from a watering can or sprayer. Cucumbers love these refreshing waterings, only it is necessary to carry them out so that the plants leave with completely dry leaves for the night. The remaining drops on the leaves create favorable conditions for the development of fungal or bacterial diseases.
How to collect your cucumber seeds
Now about your own seeds. When planting several varieties, even if there are no other cucumber beds around for a kilometer, it is still not recommended to collect seeds due to pollination. All pumpkin, highly pollinated. If you still want to have your own seeds, then if it is not a hybrid (there is no F1 designation), you must do so.
On the best plants, pick a male flower (unopened bud), cut off the corolla (yellow petals). Place the anthers column on the stigma of the female flower pestle, as if to “anoint” it. Then wrap the female bud together with the anthers of the male flower with a thin layer of cotton wool or a piece of gauze bandage so that the bees cannot reach the stigma, bring pollen from other plants. Attach a label to the stem of the pollinated flower.
Pollination is carried out in the early morning (up to 8 hours), when the male and female buds are not yet open. If the plant does not have male flowers, then they can be taken from other cucumbers, but be sure to this variety.
This is a very painstaking work. You can be proud of your own varietal seeds of the pumpkin family, unless, of course, there is confidence that pollination is done correctly, no pollination is allowed.
Varieties, hybrids of cucumbers for open ground
Varieties or hybrids must be selected those in which bitterness is genetically absent. Fortunately, now seed producers put information about this on sachets. Such varieties will not be bitter even at high summer temperatures.
And now briefly about the varieties and hybrids of cucumbers that I grow in open ground.
Crane F1
Hybrid breeding Crimean experimental station for open ground. I advise you to try. Very fruitful. Each nodule has 4-5 fruits. Early ripe, bee pollinated. The cucumber is ellipsoidal in shape, coarse-tuberous, 11-12 cm long, weighing 80-110 g. The taste qualities of fresh and canned fruits are excellent, that is, the variety is universal. The fruits will be harvested until September. Resistant to powdery mildew, bacteriosis. Medium resistant to downy mildew or peronosporosis. There is no bitterness.
Nightingale F1
Hybrid breeding Crimean experimental station for open ground. Can be grown under a film. Early ripening, bee-pollinated, begins to bear fruit in 44-50 days. The shape of the cucumber is oval-cylindrical, I would say - elegant. Color is bright green. Beautiful. The length of the fruit is 8-11 cm, weight 70-95 g. Coarse-tuberous. The taste of fresh, canned, pickles is excellent. No bitterness. Resistant to true and downy mildew, angular spotting, tobacco mosaic virus.
Dear F1
Early ripe bee pollinated hybrid of the Crimean experimental station. Suitable for growing in open ground and greenhouse. This is an improved Nightingale, repeats all its qualities, properties, but even better. Resistant to true and downy mildew.
Levina F1
Hybrid breeding Crimean experimental station. 21st Century Cucumber! Zelentsy type gherkin, without bitterness. Taste qualities of fresh, canned, salty fruits are excellent. Resistant to powdery mildew and real, to fungal and bacterial diseases.
Fontanel F1
The hybrid breeding of the Transnistrian Research Institute of Agriculture for open ground and spring film greenhouses, bee pollinated, mid-ripening, begins to bear fruit in 50-55 days. Reliable grade. Never failed. Zelentsy are cylindrical in shape, 9-10 cm long, weighing 80-100 g. High palatability, without bitterness. Ashing. Resistant to anthracnose, bacteriosis, olive spotting.
Phoenix 640
Variety of selection of the Crimean experimental station for open ground. Bee pollinated, mid-season. The most resistant variety to downy mildew. Zelenets is about 10 cm long. Fruits grow rapidly, become pot-bellied, but this has no effect on taste. It has excellent taste and pickling qualities. Reliable, proven variety. Every year I must plant him.
Competitor
Variety of selection of the Crimean experimental station for open ground. Early ripe, bee-pollinated, begins to bear fruit in 45-50 days. Fruits are 10-14 cm long. The peduncle is very long - 5-7 cm. It is appreciated for its resistance to downy mildew.
What more can be said? Growing cucumbers in the open field is not an easy thing. Increasingly, I hear that the yield in the greenhouse is greater. Recently, heat waves have been the cause of failure. I try to plant cucumbers in partially shaded areas of the plot or stretch the canopy from the south side of the garden. It helps. I don’t stay without cucumbers! What I wish you too!