One of the types of vegetable care is hilling and loosening. But you need to know whether it is necessary to hill cucumbers and whether it is possible to loosen the plants in the beds. Cucumbers came to us from the tropical rainforests of India, where the soil is rich in humus and the air is humid and hot. Hence the weakness of the root system of the vegetable, because food and moisture are always nearby, there is no need to extract it from the soil. And now the cucumber is not distinguished by the power of its roots. But how to increase the plant’s consumption of food and moisture from the soil, if not by loosening it.
What is the root system of a cucumber, proper care for it
To get rich yields of a vegetable, you need to know the structural features of its root system. After all, thanks to it, cucumbers receive acceptable growing conditions; they have enough air, food, and water.
The root of the plant makes up one and a half percent of the total mass. It extends to a depth of no more than forty centimeters. The lateral processes are located five centimeters from the surface of the earth. It is easy to damage the delicate roots, but they recover in seven to ten days, stunting the growth of the cucumber. Helps them gain strength:
- soil moisture at eighty percent;
- content of nutrient organic and mineral substances in the soil;
- neutral soil acidity with a pH value of six to seven:
- moderate concentration of salts in the soil.
An excellent vegetable product is obtained by following the rules for caring for cucumbers.
How to properly care for a plant in open ground
Requirements for caring for the root system of a vegetable consist of the following provisions:
- Abundant watering will allow the roots to obtain more moisture. The amount of watering depends on the air temperature. During hot summers, cucumbers in open ground need to be moistened in the morning and evening. Reduce the frequency of watering at the beginning of flowering of the vegetable. Then more female flowers will be formed. Take warm water, using a bucket of liquid per square meter.
- The plants are fed with mullein solution, first in a ratio of 1:8, so as not to cause burns, and then - 1:4. Mineral fertilizers consist of fifteen grams of ammonium nitrate, forty grams of superphosphate, and ten grams of potassium chloride. When the cucumbers begin to bear fruit, the nutrition of the roots is doubled. Feed the vegetable every seven to ten days.
- To form additional roots, cucumbers are placed at a distance of twenty to thirty centimeters from each other. There will be enough food for the vegetable when additional feeding is organized.
- Pinching the tops of the main stem leads to a delay in growth processes, but the appearance of lateral branches of the second and third order occurs. On the resulting branches there are more female flowers than male ones.
- To strengthen the plant, remove the color that forms in the lower axils of the leaves.
Proper care of the root system of cucumbers can double the yield of the vegetable.
Growing in a greenhouse
Greenhouse cucumber is required for the growing season:
- abundant watering;
- application of fertilizers;
- spraying foliage with nutrient solutions once a month;
- pinching varietal cucumbers;
- increasing carbon dioxide levels in the greenhouse;
- pollination of plants by insects.
Watering in a greenhouse depends on the room temperature. In spring and summer, water once or twice, in autumn every three days. At the same time, the water is heated, bringing it to a temperature of 25 degrees.
On hot days, spray the foliage with warm water. The cucumber root system will be stronger if the room temperature is kept at 25-29 degrees and the humidity is not higher than 85 percent.
The main shoot of cucumbers is pinched at the level of the seventh - ninth leaf, and the shoot of the first order, emerging from the axil of the first true leaf, is pinched at the level of the fifth or sixth. The main lash must be pinched when it reaches the top of the trellis.
Produced in greenhouse conditions pollination of cucumbers artificially by taking a male flower and combining it with the anthers of a female one. To attract insects to the greenhouse to pollinate cucumbers, place containers with sweet water.
If it is necessary to increase the level of carbon dioxide, then piles of mullein or barrels of liquid manure are laid out between the cucumbers.
Thanks to the organization of competent care, the root system of the plant is strengthened, new roots are formed, and the cucumber bush is renewed.
How to loosen cucumbers
Although the roots of the plant are located close to the surface, to increase the permeability of the soil it is necessary to loosen it. After frequent watering and heavy rains, the soil becomes so compacted that moisture does not penetrate deep and nourish the cucumbers. And here it is necessary to loosen the top layers of the soil. Carry out the procedure carefully, trying not to damage the delicate roots. It is best to use a rake for this, harrowing the area around the bush.
In order for organic and mineral substances to penetrate to the roots, solutions are applied when loosening the soil according to the following scheme: first, with a tool, the soil is made permeable and loose, and then watered with fertilizers diluted in a bucket of water.
After the loosening procedure, watering will be better. Water does not leave, but easily penetrates through loose layers of soil to the root system of cucumbers. It is best to organize drip or furrow irrigation for this. The soil around the cucumber bushes will be better moistened, and the fruits will set faster.
Cucumbers should be loosened as needed, in combination with weeding the beds.
Is it necessary to hill vegetables in a greenhouse?
The structure of the plant's root suggests that cucumbers do not spud, that this is a useless activity.
But that's not true. Hilling cucumbers in a greenhouse is a prerequisite for obtaining a good harvest:
- Water the plants in the greenhouse along the grooves. If you moisten the plant at the root, it will begin to rot. Before watering along the rows, the cucumbers are hilled, creating earthen ridges on the surface. The moisture will nourish the leaves and stems of the plant.
- As it grows, the roots of the vegetable become exposed. Therefore, they regularly add soil to hill up the cucumbers.
- They prolong the fruiting of the vegetable, creating conditions for the formation of a new root system. As soon as white tubercles with the beginnings of roots appear on the stems below, they begin to spud.
- Another way to rejuvenate cucumbers. The rough, bare stem ages and does not produce new roots. It is lowered to the ground and rolled into a ring. After lying on the ground for a week, it begins to take root. To increase the length of the roots, the stems are hilled, sprinkled with earth.
The hilled shoots of cucumbers will actively develop if:
- watered;
- fed with organic matter and minerals;
- create a comfortable temperature in the greenhouse of 23-25 degrees Celsius;
- increase humidity to 80 percent.
New leaves and vines of cucumbers will begin to grow and produce harvests of greens. After all, the old leaves will already die after living for 44 days.
New leaves and vines of cucumbers will begin to grow and produce harvests of greens. After all, the old leaves will already die after living for 44 days.
How to save cucumber roots from diseases
Due to the shallow depth of the roots of cucumbers, they are damaged by pathogenic fungi. A fungal infection is determined by:
- brown spotting and streaks on the roots;
- growth of the root collar;
- the formation of a rotting interception at the bottom of the stem;
- wilting and deformation of leaves;
- the presence of spots on the leaf plates.
Spread root rot of cucumbers through contaminated seeds and soil. The disease is provoked by watering the plant with cold water, waterlogging of the soil, and sudden temperature changes. Excessive application of nitrogenous fertilizers also leads to the development of infection in cucumbers.
Since the causative agents of fungal diseases live in the ground, loosening and hilling of cucumbers is carried out in order to destroy pathogenic microorganisms. During the procedure, a week before planting cucumber seeds, the soil is spilled with boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate. When the first symptoms of disease appear, the vegetable plantings are treated with fungicides. The disease will not appear on cucumbers if:
- disinfect seeds before planting:
- feed the plants on time;
- treat the greenhouse area before planting vegetables;
- monitor the conditions for growing vegetables;
- avoid dense plantings.
Since many fungal diseases of cucumbers arise due to the lack of air in the soil, then loosening will correct the situation. Moisture and nutrition in loose soil will reach from the roots to the leaves and ovaries of cucumbers faster than in dense soil. Therefore, it is necessary to hill up the plant when the cucumber is in the seedling state. Loosening the soil will not allow pathogenic fungi to develop, and they will die.
