Step-by-step instructions on how to properly form cucumbers in a greenhouse and open field
There is a certain scheme how to form cucumbers in a greenhouse so as not to harm the plant and to harvest a high-quality crop in the future. Growing, the cucumber branches get tangled together, begin to take up a lot of space, which is not so much in the greenhouse, and block access to each bush. The task of caring for them becomes more complicated, problems arise.
The need for a procedure
The formation of many cultivated vegetables is carried out so that the bushes grow in the right direction. The procedure includes a trimming and a garter.
Forming cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse is recommended not only for order, beauty and cleansing of furrows. The procedure helps to reduce the risk of developing various fungal and bacterial diseases, allows light and air to flow freely to each bush.
When the cucumber grows, you need to pinch the branches. The formation of cucumbers in the open field can not be carried out, but only on condition that the cucumbers are at a great distance from each other, and the weather pleases with sunlight and rains. The greenhouse cucumber requires similar conditions, since every square meter counts for vegetable growers.
Forming cucumbers in a greenhouse is useful for several reasons:
- Uncontrolled branching and formation of ovaries leads to the fact that the root system cannot cope with the distribution of nutrients and moisture throughout the plant. The fruits on the branches will be small, twisted, and will lose their taste.
- The interlacing of a large number of stems and leaves shades and prevents air from entering, which affects the quality of the fruit.
- Through the thickets it is difficult to get close to the flowers of pollinating insects.
- In the event of a disease or pests, their spread will occur quickly, you can lose the entire crop.
- The formation of the bush makes it easier to care for the vegetable in the future. It is convenient to water, loosen, weed the soil.
Many types of cucumbers need to be tied up. It is necessary to install a support near each bush so that the stems do not lie on the ground, otherwise there is a risk that the plant will get sick or rot.
It is better to carry out all actions for the formation of cucumbers in the greenhouse in the early morning, so that during the day, open wounds can tighten. When the plant begins to bloom and bear fruit, do not turn and change the position of the flower or ovary. Rules and schemes that have been popular among agronomists and amateur gardeners for many years will help to form a bush correctly.
The advantages of formed bushes
The main procedures for forming a bush are pinching the shoots and tying the stems. As a result, the formed plant will give a rich harvest and facilitate the maintenance procedure.
The result will be:
- free access to each bush for watering, spraying, loosening and other manipulations;
- comfortable conditions for fertilizing;
- free ventilation of air in the beds where cucumbers grow;
- the stems do not touch the ground and are protected from rot and many insect pests;
- daylight penetration is available;
- easy harvesting process.
The fruits are developing actively, they have excellent taste, but for this, vegetable growers should know how to form cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse.
Useful Tips
The correct formation of cucumbers in the greenhouse is based on the observance of some recommendations:
- Timely need to get rid of barren flowers.
- It is best to use a knife when removing shoots and leaves.
- If a lot of empty ovaries are formed, then for some time it is necessary to reduce the frequency of watering the soil.
- Picking ripe cucumbers is carried out carefully so as not to damage the branches.
- Cucumber leaves that appear close to the ground should be removed.
There are other rules for how to form a bush. Shoot growth should be monitored every week. Whiskers, barren flowers, poor-quality fruits and bad leaves are plucked immediately after detection, as they take away additional nutrients from the plant.
The formation of lashes of cucumbers begins with the appearance of three pairs of leaves above the ground. At this moment, the plant still does not exceed 18 cm in height. If the dimensions have exceeded the recommended norms, then it is already pointless to start forming.
If you pinch the top, then you can extend the fruiting period until late autumn, but provided that the rules for growing are followed.
Cucumber twigs are recommended to promptly get rid of damaged, bad leaves, which contribute to the formation of thickets and increase the risk of spreading diseases. You just need to know that pinching and fighting diseased leaves cannot be done at the same time.
To prolong fruiting, closer to the autumn period, the formed lashes are removed from the support and laid out on the ground. Branches without ovaries are cut off, the earth is loosened and fertilized (a mixture of peat and wood ash is suitable).
As a result, new flowers appear on the stems, and it will be possible to harvest a new, fresh crop.
Methods for strengthening the stems
The first step in how to shape cucumbers correctly is a garter. As soon as the height of the plant reaches 25 cm, the garter procedure begins.
There are the following ways to tie:
- The vertical version assumes the installation of a support with a height of 2 m in the form of the letter "P". A rope should stretch from each bush to the top of the structure. As it grows, the stem of the cucumber is carefully wrapped around the rope.
- The horizontal method involves deepening a wooden peg at a distance of 30 cm from each other. Ropes are tied to them in a horizontal form. The disadvantage is that upon reaching the first horizontal row, the stem stops and does not want to strive further upward.
- The use of a mesh garter is very popular. A net is made and installed near the cucumber garden. Each bush with the help of a mustache will rush up.
Whichever method is chosen for the garter of the cucumber in the greenhouse, the sequence of stages should be observed and important nuances should be taken into account.
Forming options
How to properly form a cucumber bush depends on the type chosen. Different conditions are required for tall or short, hybrid or varietal cucumbers.
In the greenhouse, tall varieties of cucumbers, which can grow up to 1.6 meters in height, feel great. They need to be bound.For this purpose, a wire support is pulled near the beds to a height of at least 1.8 meters. If the support is stretched over the bed in a horizontal position, then it is additionally recommended to tie a dense thread hanging down. Around the support, the stem is twisted clockwise.
The garter of cucumbers often coincides with the 10th day after transplanting. Growing can continue on a sturdy rope or wooden trellis.
Scheme of the formation of cucumbers in a greenhouse with the formation of one stem by tying:
- Approximately 6 days after planting, the seedlings are attached to a support that is located next to the bush.
- At the base of the stem, where the first pair of true leaves is located, shoots and flowers are removed. Thus, more air and light will be supplied to the stem, which is necessary for further development. The risk of rotting will decrease.
- As soon as the lash is still stretched out and the next pair of leaves appears, only shoots and flowers that are located on the side are removed. Shoots must be removed immediately so that they do not have time to grow.
- While the lash is growing, the pinching is repeated at each new site, leaving first two leaves (when the plant reaches 50 cm), then three and four. Thus, closer to the top there will be more leaves on the lateral shoots than at the bottom.
- On the left shoots on the sides, new shoots will soon begin to appear, you need to get rid of them, otherwise the planting will be dense.
- As soon as the cucumber lash reaches the height of the support, the main tip is pinched, allowed to grow slightly and cut off completely.
It is very important to monitor the integrity of the bush with one formed stem. Under the pressure of the side shoots, it can break, so an additional support is being built.
How to properly form cucumbers in a greenhouse in a multi-stem method has its own characteristics. Step-by-step instructions will help you understand the intricacies of the procedure:
- After the appearance of the sixth leaflet, the central stem is attached to the support.
- The top of the plant is pinched, and the lateral processes can not be touched until the first ovaries are formed on them.
- As soon as the additional shoots get stronger, they are raised and fixed near the central stem.
- The whiskers are wrapped around the main stem to provide stability to the plant.
How to form a cucumber bush without tying up, there are secrets. If a low-growing variety is chosen, then the bush does not need support, and it will be much easier to form it. But here the main thing will be whether the cucumber is hybrid or varietal.
Varietal types of cucumbers on the central stem mainly have male flowers that do not form ovaries - barren flowers. Female flowers are located on lateral shoots, therefore, the future harvest should be formed from them. In these types of cucumbers, the main stem is pinched after the appearance of 4 leaves, and the side ones - after 2 leaves.
In hybrid cucumbers, all flowers are capable of forming ovaries, so the main stem does not need to be cut off. Lateral shoots begin to pinch after the second leaf.
Features of caring for a vegetable in an open area
How to form cucumbers in the open field, there are no special differences from the procedure in greenhouse conditions. Follow the same steps:
- They begin to pinch the top from the moment 5 - 6 leaves appear. After that, the plant will begin to branch out and form additional shoots.
- The garter will allow the plant to crawl upwards without disturbing other bushes. In addition, the number of fruits will increase significantly.
- As the lash grows, antennae and barren flowers need to be removed. Some agronomists recommend leaving a few male flowers for pollination.
- Ripe fruits are harvested immediately, as they absorb nutrients. Yellow, dry leaves should also be removed.
The formation of cucumbers in the open field depends on the type of vegetable.In the case of the formation of hybrid varieties, the stem is best led along a vertical support in one stem. Pinch the top only when the maximum height of the installed support is reached. Pinching of lateral shoots begins above the third leaf.
The formation of a cucumber whip and the garter of cucumbers in the open field can be carried out in two main ways:
- The horizontal method involves installing two long sticks next to the bushes, between which a string will be stretched. A cucumber stalk is directed to the bottom row of rope.
- The vertical method involves deepening two long sticks near the bushes, between which a string is pulled. Vertical ropes are tied to the string, and the hanging end is attached to the cucumber stem.
Whether to do pinching cucumbers on an open bed, depends on the variety. If undersized varieties are planted, then there is no need to pinch the top. If the varieties are tall, then pinching is necessary, and the procedure begins when the plant reaches a meter in height.
