How to plant cucumbers with corn in open ground, is it possible?
Corn does not interfere with the normal development of cucumbers, so they can be planted in nearby beds. Experienced gardeners argue that, on the contrary, such a neighborhood has a beneficial effect on the growth of both vegetable crops. To get a good harvest, you need to know the peculiarities of growing corn and cucumbers.
Useful neighborhood
Plants planted in the neighborhood undoubtedly influence each other. But this neighborhood is not always successful. Therefore, you need to know which vegetables get along with each other, and how to place them correctly in the garden.
Properly positioning the vegetable crop can increase yields, reduce the risk of disease and prevent pest attacks. Mutually beneficial neighborhood allows not only to avoid soil depletion, but also to enrich it with certain microelements.
When planting cucumbers on the same bed with other crops, several conditions must be taken into account:
- enough space on the plot of land allocated for vegetable crops;
- good access to sunlight, no shading;
- be sure to take into account the neighbors in the root system;
- even before planting, they are determined with the method of cultivation, on trellises or simply lashes will creep along the ground;
- take into account the ripening time of neighbors, vegetables.
It is not recommended to plant cucumbers in the same place every year. A good option is to plant in the place where tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cabbage used to grow. The unwanted precursor is beans. For compatibility, choose a vegetable crop that needs watering and heat. Predecessors:
- You can grow greens at the same time as corn. It increases yields, supports long cucumber lashes. Powerful trunks of corn cover the cucumber leaves from the scorching sun.
- You can plant cucumbers next to sunflowers. It also serves as a support, and is able to release into the soil beneficial trace elements necessary for the growth and development of cucumbers.
- Peas and beans planted next to cucumbers will enrich the soil with nitrogen.
- You can plant cabbage, onions, beets in the next garden bed.
- Some flowers, such as calendula or herbs, can help protect against pests.
Corn gets on well with all these crops. Therefore, you can safely plant other successful neighbors around vegetable crops. “I planted cucumbers with corn several times. Peas were sown around them. We managed to get a good harvest from all crops ”. It is undesirable to plant cucumbers and corn together with radishes, radishes, tomatoes, potatoes.
Neighborhood with corn
It is noticed that when planting corn together with cucumbers in the open field, the growth and development of vegetable crops is activated.During the formation of tendrils on cucumber lashes, it is recommended to direct their growth towards the corn. It will act as a support and there is no need to install additional support for tying.
In addition, cucumbers grown with corn produce longer fruit. The risk of developing fungal diseases is reduced. Climbing the corn stalk, cucumber stalks free up space, and light and air freely flow to all parts of the plant. Cucumbers spend less energy for evaporation, photosynthesis improves, and most of the energy is spent on the formation of fruits.
Corn with its roots penetrates to a depth of 1.5 meters. Cucumber root system is closer to the surface. The roots go no more than 30 cm deep. Therefore, the root branches do not intertwine and do not interfere with each other.
The only condition is to apply fertilizers on time, and it is also recommended to mulch the soil. You can use cut grass, straw as mulch.
The main, numerous crop will be collected from the greens, the ears are only an additional crop.
Features of planting vegetable crops
Corn and cucumbers are considered heat-loving crops. Planting cucumbers with corn in open ground should be started only when the threat of night frosts has passed. Usually this time coincides with the last days of May.
Having made holes on the garden bed (the distance between them is about 30 cm), sow three cucumber seeds and the same number of corn seeds. The distance between the beds should be at least a meter.
Seeds are disinfected and germinated before planting to accelerate germination. A weak solution of potassium permanganate can be used as a disinfectant. For soaking, the seeds are distributed on two layers of bandage, tied and placed in water with drugs that stimulate growth. They are left in this state for two days.
Corn seeds after several months of storage, they dry out strongly and when sowing dry planting material, shoots appear slowly. Sometimes they may not even germinate at all. Therefore, the grains must be soaked.
To prepare the cucumbers for bad weather conditions, it is useful to carry out a hardening procedure. For this, the prepared seeds are placed in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
After the first shoots appear, the soil is fertilized with humus and mulched with grass. The mulch layer should be at least 10 cm. The procedure will help enrich the soil with the necessary nutrients, suppress weed growth and reduce the need for frequent watering.
It is imperative to carry out the thinning procedure, leaving two strong and healthy sprouts in each hole. It is recommended to pinch the main cucumber whip over the fifth leaf.
It's good if corn grows slightly ahead of cucumbers. Then she will have time to gain strength, and the barrel will be powerful. To do this, you can plant it in the garden a little earlier.
How to plant vegetables?
Corn can be planted directly in open ground with seeds, but cucumbers are best grown at home in peat pots first.
From the experience of vegetable growers: “I have been growing corn with cucumbers for several years in a row. The result pleases with a tasty and abundant harvest. It is best to plant the corn in four rows to protect it from strong winds. And already near each corn bush, plant both one cucumber bush and three cucumber sprouts. Allocate this type of planting you need at least 1 sq. meter".
Can sow corn at a row spacing of about 50 cm and plant the cucumbers in the middle. The tendrils of the cucumbers are directed towards the powerful stems, so the main green mass will be between the bushes, without shading the lower part.
A planting scheme is possible when on a meter-long bed in the center corn is growingand cucumber sprouts are planted on both sides.As it grows, the whips will curl freely through the corn stalks.
