Do I need to break off the mustache from cucumbers in the open field and in the greenhouse, and why
There is no definite answer to the question of whether it is necessary to cut off the mustache of cucumbers in the greenhouse. Of course, in order to get a higher yield, various agricultural techniques are used. While trimming the whiskers of cucumbers is associated with additional work, this does not confuse the advocates of the method. Opinions about whether to cut off the mustache from cucumbers are quite contradictory and often poorly argued.
Important! The whiskers of pumpkin plants, which include cucumbers, are called modified shoots and leaves.
With their help, the plant supports a powerful stem, which is not able to fix itself on a vertical support. This quality helped the cucumbers in natural conditions to successfully compete with other species and get enough sunlight.
The reasons for removing the mustache from a cucumber
When growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, this mustache function is not in demand, so it is advised to remove them. Quite convincing arguments are put forward in favor of such an agrotechnical method.
- To obtain an early harvest, at a certain stage of growth, it is necessary to create conditions for the generative development of cucumbers. That is why, along with lateral shoots, the removal of whiskers is practiced, which take away a certain share of nutrition and energy from the plant.
- Quite often, in a thickened planting, plants cling to the shoots of a nearby bush with their whiskers. The tangled lashes of cucumbers shade each other, air exchange decreases. In these cases, the mustache plexus must be cut off.
- The argument in favor of removing the whiskers is that they are not in demand. Indeed, in the greenhouse, the support of the cucumber stalk is carried out with the help of a stretched string or garden net. Therefore, whisker flagella can be removed without any damage.
All these arguments are not sufficiently reasoned, and based on them it is rather difficult to decide whether it is necessary to trim the mustache of cucumbers. Opponents of such methods of fighting for the harvest also participate in polemics, defending their point of view.
Reasons Against Removing Cucumber Mustache
The features created by nature are not in demand only in conditions of growing in a greenhouse, where plants practically do not need to compete. Cucumber seedlings are on an equal footing.
- But to say that they take too many resources from the plant is not necessary. There is no exact data on these parameters. Unlike creeping shoots, which perform a vegetative function in strawberries, tendrils in cucumbers, not finding an obstacle to growth, die off.
- A too thick planting is most often to blame for the plexus of neighboring plants. It is she who does not allow the greenhouse economy to be kept in order, restricting access to plants.
- Trimming the whiskers must be done carefully, and this takes extra time. Why pick off a mustache from cucumbers if there are more effective and efficient ways to increase yields.
- Of course, the shoots of cucumber mustache are often cut off out of necessity. But turning this procedure into a punitive action is pointless. From the bosom of each new leaf, they appear again, trying to fulfill the function laid down in the course of evolution.
Important! Opponents of mustache pruning argue that the procedure is stressful for the plants.
How this affects cucumbers is not known for certain. Perhaps they begin to form fruits more intensively or simply build up green mass.
Questions remain
As you study the topic, more and more questions appear. After all, such an agricultural technique is not present in the recommendations of seed producers for plant care.
What to do with mustache shoots that are formed in cucumbers that do not grow in a greenhouse, but in an open field. After all, under the open sky, the plant is more difficult to protect. There is a chance that a fungal infection will take root in the place of the torn off mustache.
This fear is true for the street greenhouse cucumbers, and those plants that fill the film greenhouses. If a wound appears in place of each removed mustache, in which a potential disease can arise, then why take such a risk.
It is not clear whether it is necessary to remove the very first whisker flagella from cucumber seedlings. There they do not bother anyone. How the pinching of the antennae will affect the development of a young cucumber in the future. Is it necessary to cut them off, like lateral shoots, or can you cut off rather thin flagella with your hands.
The smartest decision
The answers to most of the questions are obvious, and are rooted in traditional agricultural practices.
In fact, the mustache of cucumbers in certain situations is always removed, without even thinking. This process is not at all unusual. They often have to be torn off in the following cases:
- when they capture neighboring plants and the growth of the lash goes in the wrong direction;
- in the case when the plexus of shoots and whiskers interferes with the care of cucumbers, they have to be removed;
- when whisker flagella twist leaves and stems, creating conditions convenient for pests to breed.
At these moments, the thought does not even arise about whether to eliminate the interference or not. But such situations do not happen often, and if you tore off a dozen mustaches, you are unlikely to cause serious damage to the cucumber bush.
But the complete destruction of the mustache seems unwise. How many do not remove them, they will appear again. In addition, whisker flagella are strong enough and have natural shock-absorbing properties. Therefore, they should be cut with garden shears and not cut off. Indeed, with a sharp pull, the stem of a cucumber can break.
The strength of the whiskers can support the plant even in a greenhouse. Why not just direct them towards the retaining twine or trellis. This will help make them complete assistants.
The answer to the question of whether to cut off the whisker flagella from cucumbers is quite simple. If they get in the way, then cut it off without a doubt. Soon, another mustache will appear in the bosom of the new leaf. The plant will find resources for its production. But starting the fight with the mustache, it is easy to go along the too laborious and ineffective way of increasing the yield. It is better to use already proven methods
