When growing vegetables, it is important to follow the rules of how often to water cucumbers in a greenhouse. The quality of water for irrigation and its quantity play an equally important role. These criteria largely determine the normal growth and development of the plant.
Landing rules
To make cucumber beds easy to care for, they need to be planted correctly. The distance between seedlings in a row should be approximately 55 cm, and between the rows themselves at least 75 cm.
Growing densely planted cucumber bushes becomes much more difficult.Plant growth slows down and fruiting decreases. Sunlight will hardly penetrate through the thickets of greenery in the greenhouse, so excess evaporated moisture will remain at the roots. The risk of developing fungal diseases and pest infestation increases. In addition, excess moisture leads to rotting.
The roots of densely planted cucumbers in a greenhouse will intertwine with each other and grow and develop incorrectly. Dense, intertwined roots will absorb a lot of moisture when watering, and the soil will always be dry. If you slightly exceed the volume of liquid, bacteria and fungi will begin to develop in the soil.
Caring for a greenhouse plant becomes difficult. It is more difficult for gardeners to weed the beds, monitor the appearance of stepchildren, and the watering regime is disrupted. Therefore, cucumbers need to be given free space so that light and air can easily reach all parts of the stem.
How to water cucumbers in a greenhouse, important rules
It is very important that the water for watering cucumbers in the greenhouse is warm. What is considered the normal temperature of water intended to moisten the soil? It should be approximately +20 degrees. It is best to collect water in large tanks and let it sit for a while. Cold water reduces the immunity of cucumbers, growth and development slows down, the vegetable crop gets sick more often and resistance to pests decreases.
In addition to water temperature, there are other rules for watering cucumbers.
- It is necessary to moisten the soil well, but not allowing moisture to stagnate. In this case, there will be a large harvest of cucumbers, without a bitter taste. The soil should be light, enriched with peat and sand.
- After each watering, it is recommended to perform shallow loosening while simultaneously hilling the bushes. In this case, the roots will receive sufficient oxygen and nutrients.
- Watering cucumbers in a greenhouse should be done with water without harmful additives (for example, salts or fluorine). If it is hard, then it is useful to mix it with wood ash. It is enough to dilute 55 g of ash in 10 liters of water.
- Watering cucumbers in a greenhouse should be done once a day. If the question is when is it better to water cucumbers in a greenhouse, in the morning or in the evening, then it is best to choose the evening hours. The best time to water is two hours before sunset. Cucumbers grow more actively at night, so moisture received in the evening will come in handy. A good time for watering is also early in the morning, around 6-7 o'clock.
At what time to moisten the soil depends largely on weather conditions. If it rains for a long time, watering the cucumbers is reduced. During this period, it is imperative to monitor the air parameters in the greenhouse. On cloudy days, it is best to water cucumbers during the daytime.
If you water cucumbers in a greenhouse in the middle of a hot day, there is a high probability that the plant will get burned, turn yellow and die. Mulching will help retain moisture in the soil and prevent crust formation. An additional layer of sawdust, straw, peat or film protects the ground from overheating. In addition, there will be no excessive evaporation and the humidity in the greenhouse will not exceed the norm.
How to water cucumbers in a greenhouse at different periods of development
After planting, you need to water the cucumbers in the greenhouse systematically, evenly with the same amount of liquid. If this rule is not followed, rotting of the root system may occur. If several waterings are missed, you should not make up for them with a large volume of water. The previous volume of liquid returns gradually with each subsequent watering.
Cucumber seedlings can be grown both at home and in a greenhouse.After the first shoots appear, you need to water with a spoon or a small glass so as not to damage the roots. As soon as 2-3 leaves unfold, the cucumber seedlings grow stronger. For cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse, it is better to choose melted or regular filtered, warm water. It is useful to water the seedlings by adding nutrients. As a top dressing for cucumbers, watering with yeast, herbal or ash solution is used.
How often cucumber beds need to be watered depends on their development period. Taking this factor into account, you can significantly reduce infection, prevent pest attacks and obtain a high-quality harvest. How many times the soil should be moistened depends on the age of the seedlings. The first watering of cucumbers after planting in the greenhouse is carried out immediately after transplanting the seedlings. Subsequently, it is enough to water once every 5 days.
A young plant has roots about 4 cm in length, so the rate of liquid consumption will be approximately 4 liters per 1 square meter. m. The length of the roots of an adult vegetable is about 15 cm, so the amount of liquid increases to 15 liters.
It is recommended to water cucumbers in a greenhouse before flowering with moderate frequency, which consumes approximately 4.5 liters per 1 sq.m. During flowering and the formation of ovaries, it is necessary to water the beds more often. During this period, it is recommended to water the cucumber beds every day. Water should be approximately 11 liters per 1 sq.m. If it is hot outside, it is recommended to water once a day and sprinkle.
Experienced vegetable growers advise that the frequency of watering during active fruiting should be reduced. This will stop the growth of tops and speed up the ripening of fruits.The plant will direct all its forces and nutritional components to the formation of fruits, not greenery.
How to water cucumbers in polycarbonate greenhouses in combination with fertilizing
After watering cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse, it is recommended to apply fertilizer. It is useful to carry out not only root, but also foliar feeding. How often you need to fertilize depends on the appearance of the plant, the quality of the soil and the conditions in the greenhouse. It is recommended to apply fertilizer at least four times during the entire growing season.
Root feeding begins after the first leaves appear and is repeated at intervals of two weeks. The appearance of the plant will tell you what fertilizer to apply. For example, gardeners recommend: “If the leaves are pale green and the plant is developing slowly, water the seedlings with water containing nitrogen, urea or nitrogen nitrate.”
A mixture of urea (15 g), superphosphate (25 g) and potassium sulfate (17 g) is considered a useful fertilizer for cucumbers. All components are filled with 10 liters of water. This solution is enough for about 12 cucumber bushes.
The next feeding is carried out after about 2.5 weeks. By this time, the formation of flowers and the formation of ovaries should begin. At this time, it is useful for seedlings to prepare a composition based on mullein. The selected component is left to infuse in water for about three days. You can add 200 g of wood ash. Before watering, the prepared mullein solution is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:6. You can add superphosphate 50 g.
The third and fourth times, cucumbers are fed during the period of mass ripening of the fruits. They are carried out at intervals of two weeks. Foliar feeding of cucumbers the spraying method allows you to absorb nutrients through the leaves.You can use the same compositions as for root feeding, but the concentration should be less.
How to properly water cucumbers in a greenhouse
There are some rules for watering cucumbers in a greenhouse. It is not recommended to pour water under the roots during watering, so as not to provoke rotting. It is best to leave the soil around the base of the stem dry. Do not use hoses for irrigation. Under the pressure of water, the soil around the stem will be eroded, exposing the root system.
A polycarbonate greenhouse retains heat well, but in hot weather this can cause the plants to overheat. Planting cucumbers in a greenhouse, you need to follow the following tips.
- The room must be ventilated. You should not open the windows, which are located opposite each other, as cucumbers do not tolerate drafts well.
- When caring for beds, it is useful to carry out a sprinkling procedure, which helps cool the greens.
- You can darken the roof of the greenhouse during direct sunlight.
Drip irrigation of beds is popular. The drip irrigation mode allows moisture to flow directly to the root system, while the top layer of soil remains dry. Subsurface watering also reduces the risk of blossom end rot. It is easy to build a drip irrigation system in a greenhouse with your own hands. Take an ordinary plastic bottle, cut out the bottom, and close the neck with a lid. Small holes are pierced throughout the entire area of the bottle.
The prepared container is dug into the ground near each cucumber bush with the cut bottom up. As needed, the container is filled with water, and it will slowly seep through the holes and flow to the roots.
