Planting cucumbers in open ground can be done using seeds or without seedlings. Whichever option is chosen, there are certain step-by-step rules. A site should be selected with sufficient access to light, protected from draft winds.
Basic requirements for cultivation
To avoid many problems and make your work easier, you need to know some of the nuances that relate to growing cucumbers.
You can plant cucumbers in the place where tomatoes, cabbage, peas, and potatoes used to grow. For at least three years, you cannot plant where carrots, beans and melons were previously grown.
The timing of planting cucumbers in the ground depends on many factors. The most important thing is the method of planting: seeds or seedlings. Another, no less important factor is the characteristics of climatic conditions. Cucumbers need light, warmth and sufficient moisture.
The deadline for planting cucumbers in the ground with seeds is approximately June 11. At a later date, experienced vegetable growers recommend planting sprouted seeds. If cucumber seedlings are planted in open ground, protected with film, the timing is in early May. Without film and other coverings on the soil, you need to shift the deadlines until the end of May.
Vegetable crops are heat-loving plants, so they are planted when the earth warms up well. Favorable soil temperature should be 16 degrees. It is worth providing shade when the air temperature exceeds 27 degrees.
Starting in the fall, the plot of land for cucumbers needs to be dug up and fertilizer applied. Bird droppings or mullein will do. They will not only replenish the lack of nutrients, but also protect against many pests and diseases. When planting, cucumbers can be fed with organic fertilizers. Diluted manure in water in a ratio of 1:5 is suitable. You can use mineral supplements, for example, Agricola, Ammophos, Superphosphate.
Vegetables need proper and regular watering. If the soil is flooded with water, the roots may rot.
During drought, the leaves first lighten, then turn yellow, and the plant stops developing. You can’t water it with cold water; it should sit for about a day.
Cucumber root system not very branched and does not go very deep.Therefore, you cannot loosen the soil around the plant; weeding should only be done by hand. Mulching is useful. Hay, peat, and sawdust are suitable as mulch. Mulch will retain moisture in the soil, prevent weeds from spreading, and the cucumbers will lie on a clean layer during ripening.
How to properly plant cucumbers in open ground depends on the planting material. The latter is seedlings or seeds, which can also be germinated.
Preparatory stage
How to plant cucumbers is up to everyone to decide for themselves. It is believed that a high yield can be obtained if seedlings are planted in the open sky. If the climate is mild and the soil is fertile, then you can try to immediately sow the seeds in garden beds.
Experienced vegetable growers plant seeds several times at different time intervals, in the tenths of May and the first days of June. This is done in case the cold returns. It is not worth sowing later, since the development of young seedlings is adversely affected by the July heat and long daylight hours.
The first step in how to properly plant cucumbers in open ground is to select the right seeds. You can choose varietal or hybrid types of cucumbers.
Hybrids are bred on the basis of several varieties to obtain the desired characteristics. They are easier to care for, as they are less prone to disease and tolerate temperature fluctuations.
Another important criterion in choosing seeds is the desired timing of fruit ripening. There are early, middle and late varieties. You only need to choose a company that has been proven and proven to be the best.
Sow only large and dense seeds. After selection, they need to be disinfected, for example, by dipping them into a solution with potassium permanganate to get rid of bacteria on the shell.You can heat the grains at a temperature of 60 degrees. This will allow the sprouts to sprout quickly and begin to bear fruit earlier. Another useful procedure is soaking in nutritional ingredients.
In order for sprouts to sprout from seeds faster, many people pre-germinate them.
Any moist environment in which the grains are placed for a while is suitable. You can place the seeds between two layers of towels or use sterile cotton wool placed in a plate.
If cucumber seedlings will be grown at home, on a windowsill, then another germination method is suitable. A layer of matter is soaked in biostimulants for growth and spread on a plate. The planting base is laid out on a damp base and covered with glass or film. A humid environment will promote rapid germination. On average, germination takes from 2 to 7 days.
An important question is how to properly place a seed in a hole when planting cucumbers. The seeds should be placed with the pointed end facing up. It is from there that the root will grow, bending downwards. The sprout, breaking through the soil, cracks the seed and pushes the leaves out. If they are sown with the tip down, the sprout will come to the surface of the earth with a shell and may die. It is also recommended not to plant the seed vertically with the blunt end down, but slightly at an angle.
Seedless method
If cucumbers are planted in open ground using the seedless method, the seeds are immediately sown in the beds. To sow cucumber seeds in open ground, you must first prepare the soil. For this purpose, the site is dug up and fertilizers are applied in the fall.
There are several rules for planting cucumber seeds in open ground. Furrows are made on the site with a depth of 3.5 cm, the distance between the furrows is approximately 45 cm.The distance between the seeds in the furrows should be 4 cm. Then it is useful to sprinkle them with organic components, such as peat or humus.
There is another way to plant cucumbers with seeds in open ground. Instead of furrows, separate holes are dug in the form of a square, the sides of which are 20 cm. At what depth should the seeds be planted? The depth of each hole is approximately 4 cm.
How many seeds should be placed in the prepared hole? It is recommended to plant two or even three seeds in one hole. This will increase the chances of germination. Once the seeds have germinated, the less vigorous plant can be removed. If you manage to carefully dig it up, you can transplant it to another place.
There are many other options for planting seeds, for example, you can sow cucumbers in open ground in the following way:
- in the bed where the seeds are supposed to be sown, dig a trench about 80 cm deep;
- branches of fruit trees are laid at the bottom of the trench;
- the next step is laying out compost;
- then comes a layer of manure;
- at the end, all the nutritional components are covered with loosened soil and the seeds are planted.
Whatever methods are chosen, the main thing is to plant the seeds in the holes correctly. Do not forget that the tip of the seed should be at the top.
After sowing cucumbers in open ground with seeds, it is advisable to install arcs over the beds on which the film is stretched. The procedure will help the heat stay inside and the seeds will sprout faster.
Working with germinated seeds
If you plant cucumbers with seeds, it is better to germinate them first. Sprouted cucumber seeds will allow you to get strong seedlings that will actively develop. It is only important to follow all the rules. Warmth is required for sprouts to hatch. If the air temperature is below 22 degrees, the process may stop.As soon as the seed has hatched, it is removed from the total mass with special tweezers, which have been disinfected.
You need to plant pre-sprouted cucumber seeds when the sprout is 0.5 cm in size. The seed will sprout from the ground on the third day, but provided that the weather is warm.
In well-warmed soil, make holes about 3.5 cm deep into which the germinated seeds are placed in a horizontal position. You need to be careful with sprouts; if damaged, the plant may die. It is recommended to place three seeds in the shape of a triangle in one hole.
As soon as the cucumbers are planted in the ground, they are watered with settled water, mulched and covered with film until the first shoots appear in the garden bed.
Homemade preparation
The scheme for planting cucumbers in open ground using grown seedlings has its own characteristics. At the beginning of May, the seeds are planted in boxes with soil and placed on a well-lit, warm windowsill. It is recommended to prepare the land using peat, potassium and ammonium nitrate with the addition of sawdust.
How to sow grains? In the prepared moistened soil, make depressions equal to 1 cm and place the grains there. After all the seeds have been planted and covered with soil, the container is covered with glass or film. As soon as most of the seedlings emerge, the film is removed.
The plant is ready for replanting when 4-5 leaves appear (this is approximately 25 days after planting the seeds). It is recommended to start hardening off the seedlings a week before transplanting. It is useful to take it outside or onto an open balcony every day. The day before transplanting, water the soil well.
Planting cucumber seedlings in open ground is carried out on a sunny, dry day. Together with a lump of earth, the sprouts are placed in open ground, without going too deep. It is recommended to only sprinkle the roots.When planted deeply, the risk of rotting will increase.
At what depth can cucumbers be planted? The depth of the hole should be equal to the size of the earthen clod that the roots of the seedling envelop. The interval between seedlings should be about 18 cm. The distance between rows is about 35 cm. As soon as the plant is planted, the soil is watered and mulched.
Aftercare
Further cultivation of cucumbers also requires careful and careful care. In the first days after transplantation, or when the first leaves appear on the sprouts using the seed method, you need to monitor the soil moisture. If the leaves are limp, then in the evening you need to water the plant with settled water.
It is useful to thin out the beds by removing weak and diseased sprouts. The first thinning should be when two leaves develop (when the cucumbers were planted using the seed method), the second thinning should be carried out when 5 leaves appear on the plant. Excess sprouts are not pulled out by the roots, but only cut off. Thus, the space between plants will be large, and the root system will not be damaged.
Loosening can be done, but only carefully and not too deep. But when the cucumbers grow, they stop loosening.
Some cultivated varieties of cucumbers require pinching to branch out the side stems to increase harvest. Horizontal or vertical tying to the support can be applied.
If seedlings have been planted, the flowering period should begin after 25 days. If seeds were planted, then a week or two later. To attract insects that pollinate flowers, it is recommended to spray the plants with a sweet solution. Sugar and boric acid are dissolved in hot water.
During the fruiting period, cucumbers require daily watering, provided there is no rain.
Feeding is necessary if the summer is cool, pests have appeared, or the appearance of the cucumbers has changed for some reason. But you shouldn’t get too carried away with fertilizers, since not only a deficiency, but also an excess of some elements can affect the health of the plant.
What fertilizers are useful to add to the soil after transplanting to a permanent place? Most often, it is recommended to apply mineral fertilizers when planting cucumbers. They can be added independently or mixed with organic ingredients. To strengthen the root system, phosphorus is needed, during growth the vegetable needs nitrogen, and during flowering the plant needs potassium.
How to feed cucumbers? The most popular organic fertilizers are manure and bird droppings. These best additives provide the plant with all the necessary elements, help strengthen the roots and stem, and also stimulate growth. Before use, it must be diluted with water. Wood ash can be added to increase efficiency. You can treat it with infusions of other components, such as nettle or potato tops.
Yeast is considered a good fertilizer. A composition based on them will strengthen the roots, activate growth and increase resistance to disease. Both dry and live yeast can be dissolved in water. The plant needs to be watered two weeks after planting.
Throughout the growing season, planted cucumbers can be treated with dry ash or an infusion based on it. Wood ash will not only enrich the soil with nutrients, but will also repel many pests.
An experienced look
Secrets of growing cucumbers from Tatiana, 47 years old.
I always grow cucumbers from seeds.Planting begins with preparing the cucumber bed. I make furrows and water them well. I always choose self-pollinating seeds and never germinate them. I plant the seeds at a distance equal to one of my palms. Then I sprinkle it with a small layer of earth and cover it with film. This will keep them warm and they will germinate quickly.
As soon as sprouts are observed, I install the film on the arcs. I thin out the beds, leaving a large distance between the sown vegetables. After the seedlings get stronger, I install a trellis and begin staking. This method has never failed.
Nadezhda, 54 years old
No matter how many times I planted cucumber seeds in open beds, the result was always different. But young seedlings were often attacked by pests. I didn’t process it with anything. Therefore, I settled on planting ready-made seedlings in open ground. I install an arch with stretched film over the beds. I feed with ingredients only on a natural basis. They use eggshells, banana peels, wood ash, and of course, manure. These components allow healthy and tasty cucumbers to grow.
