Technology and secrets of growing and caring for cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse

Growing cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse is quite a serious job that requires a lot of expense and effort from a person. Growing them in a greenhouse is much more difficult than outside, since you will have to create the best conditions for the plants yourself.

It is also necessary to take into account all the characteristics and properties of cucumbers. Therefore, before you get started, you need to learn how to properly grow cucumbers in a greenhouse.

Choosing the right variety

Before learning the secrets of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse and starting to breed them, you should choose a plant variety. Cucumbers are divided into several groups, among which there are special varieties for greenhouses. At the same time, they are quite diverse and have their own characteristics.

Emelya

A fairly young, early-ripening variety of cucumbers for private gardens and greenhouses. Since the technology for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse is very simple, even people who have not done this before can grow them.

The fruits begin to ripen 30-45 days after the seedlings are planted in the soil. The bushes of this variety are indeterminate and vigorous. Covered with a lot of green leaves.

The fruits reach 20 cm in length. The taste of cucumbers is not bitter and even slightly sweet. Emelya boasts maximum yields of 15 kg per square meter. If you know how to care for cucumbers in a greenhouse, you can increase the yield several times.

This variety also has good cold resistance, so you don’t have to worry about what temperature it should be when growing cucumbers.

Courage

An early-ripening type of cucumber that grows very quickly and ripens within 40 days. The plant does not require care, so it is ideal for people who do not want to understand how to care for cucumbers. However, the optimum temperature for growing must still be maintained.

More than 10 ovaries can form on one Courage bush.The largest fruits are 15 cm in length and weigh 150 grams. They are dark green in color and have a frequently tuberculate surface. The peculiarities of the fruits include their preservation, which is two weeks. Courage is also distinguished by its resistance to many common diseases, which include:

• root rot;
• cucumber mosaic;
• downy mildew.

Masha F1

An early variety that ripens a month after planting in a greenhouse. The bushes of the plant are determinate and low-growing. They do not require tying to additional supports or pinning. Cucumbers are covered with small green leaves and inflorescences. All flowers on cucumbers are female, so gardeners do not have to worry about pollinating them. The fruits of this variety are cylindrical.

On average, the fruits grow to 5-7 cm in length. However, people who know how to care for greenhouse cucumbers get a larger harvest.

It is recommended to plant seedlings in early spring, in early or mid-March. Bushes do not like too low temperatures, so the minimum temperature for cucumbers should be at least 15-20 degrees Celsius. If it is lower, the plant will not be able to grow and develop normally. Also, when growing, you need to monitor the length of daylight hours. It should be about 14-15 hours a day. Such conditions are most suitable for obtaining a good harvest.

Mazay F1

An early ripening variety that is recommended to be planted in tunnels or greenhouses. However, the most popular is growing cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse. Some residents of the southern regions of the country also plant them in open ground, but in this case the bushes may suffer from possible night frosts.

Mazai differs from other varieties in the size of the fruits, which grow up to 15-17 cm. The weight of each cucumber reaches 140 grams. Zelentsy are covered with rather large tubercles and have a cylindrical shape. The taste is characterized by a complete absence of bitterness.

To obtain a high-quality harvest, the correct agricultural technology for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse must be used. If you do not care for this variety well, then the bushes will have very few fruits.

Marinda F1

Quite a popular early ripening variety, which is grown in film greenhouses and greenhouses. The first cucumbers appear on the bushes 50 days after planting the seedlings. Marinda does not require careful care, so even beginners can grow such cucumbers in a greenhouse.

The bushes of the plant are not too dense, which makes harvesting easier in the future. The fruits are dark green in color, their weight reaches 80 grams, and their length is 10 cm. The flesh of the fruit is quite crispy and hard. From one square meter you can collect more than 40 kg of young cucumbers.

Marinda is resistant to many diseases. She rarely suffers from spotting, scab, mosaic and powdery mildew.

Greenhouse preparation

To grow cucumbers in a greenhouse, you need to carry out preparatory work.

Washing

Before growing cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse, you need to wash everything thoroughly:

• glass and films are washed with an ordinary soap solution;
• It is better to clean iron products and PVC with a previously prepared vinegar solution;
• polycarbonate is cleaned with a weak manganese mixture.

After completing work, the room needs to be ventilated so that everything dries faster.

Preparation for disinfection

To prevent grown cucumbers from getting sick, the greenhouse should be disinfected in advance.First, mechanical processing is carried out. To do this, it is recommended to carefully inspect the greenhouse and remove all moss that often appears in the greenhouse ventilation. All walls are then treated with iron sulfate to get rid of any remaining spores.

You also need to clear the greenhouse of any remaining tops. It should be taken outside and burned, as it may contain pathogens.

Lime treatment

A polycarbonate greenhouse can be disinfected with lime. The solution is applied to the entire structure inside and to the soil. It is also recommended to treat equipment and tapes for watering seedlings.

Preparing the lime mixture is quite simple. 500 g of lime is added to 10 liters of water, after which it all infuses throughout the day. Then the solution is applied to the surface of the structure using a regular brush. Particular attention should be paid to cracks, as they most often contain harmful bacteria. After this, the ground is sprayed with a spray bottle.

Disinfection with a saber

It is recommended to use a gray saber, as during combustion it emits gas, with which you can clean even the most inaccessible places. During disinfection, it is recommended to use a special mask and rubber gloves. You need to keep the greenhouse in the smoke for about 3 days, after which you can ventilate it.

Disinfection with a checker is carried out if the temperature in the cucumber greenhouse is within 12-15 degrees Celsius.

Use of biological products

Growing and caring for cucumbers should be carried out in a previously prepared and treated greenhouse. Quite often, special biological products are used to disinfect it. Their main task is to improve the quality of the soil and destroy all pathogens.Biological products are completely safe, so ventilate greenhouse with cucumbers after using them is not necessary.

It is recommended to carry out such disinfection in the fall, and not in the spring, a few days before planting the seedlings in the ground.

Soil preparation

Before studying the features of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules of soil cultivation. This is done to completely clean it of pathogenic microorganisms. There are several most effective processing methods.

Freezing

This method is the simplest and therefore popular among most vegetable growers. The soil must be placed in a thick cloth bag and kept at low temperatures for several days.

Some people don't know what temperature is optimal for freezing. It is best to carry out this procedure at a temperature of -20 degrees. Freezing is done twice to get the best result.

Warming up

If the temperature in the cucumber greenhouse is very high, then many pests will not be able to live under such conditions. However, elevated temperatures can also negatively affect young bushes. Therefore, it is recommended to warm only the soil before planting seedlings. There are two ways to perform proper warming up:

1. Steaming. The most common heat treatment method that many gardeners like to use. To steam the soil, you need to heat a bucket of water on a gas stove with a grate installed on top, on which the soil is placed in a small bag. The procedure takes one and a half hours.
2. Calcination. The soil is completely filled with hot water, after which it is placed in a special container and placed in the oven, which is heated to 100 degrees. Calcination takes no longer than an hour.

Use of insecticides

Quite often, growing cucumbers in a greenhouse is done in soil that has been treated with insecticides in advance. Such drugs are often used during the fight against pests in the soil. Before using them, the soil should be well moistened and loosened so that the drug can better mix with the soil.

It is necessary to use insecticides several months before planting seedlings in the soil. It is recommended that you follow the instructions exactly to ensure everything is done correctly.

Use of fungicides

Some people treat the soil with fungicides before growing cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse. These preparations consist of bacterial groups that improve the immunity of young cucumbers and help cleanse the soil of bacteria. The most commonly used solution is Fitosporin. To prepare it, 20 ml of the drug is mixed with 8-10 liters of water.

Preparing and sowing seeds

Sometimes even careful care of cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse does not allow you to achieve a good harvest. This often happens if unprepared seeds were planted in the soil. There are several methods for preparing planting material.

Soak

Cucumber seeds can take quite a long time to germinate, so it is recommended to soak them before planting. To do this, all the seeds are placed in dampened fabric bags. They are kept in them for 24 hours. During this time, the water must be changed periodically so that it is always clear. The next day, the seeds are taken out of the bag and dried in the sun.

Germination

Sometimes when growing cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse, people have to wait a long time for the first shoots to appear.This process may take longer if ungerminated seeds were planted. To do this, they are placed in a plate covered with filtered paper or a thick rag. Then the seeds are watered and placed in a dark place for 2-3 days. During germination, you need to carefully ensure that the seeds do not dry out completely.

Landing

The agricultural technology of cucumbers and their planting are quite simple. It is recommended to plant them in late or mid-spring. If sowing is early, it is recommended to sow dry seeds, since wet ones can spoil if the soil is not warmed up enough. It is recommended to plant if the temperature for cucumbers in the greenhouse is 15-20 degrees.

The holes are made at intervals of 30 cm, and the rows are 40 cm. No more than three seeds are placed in one hole, the distance between which is 10 cm. It is not worth planting cucumbers densely, as you will have to often thin out thickened crops. Also, densely planted bushes do not develop fruiting vines well.

Care

Not everyone knows how to properly care for cucumbers in a greenhouse. They should be cared for immediately after planting.

Watering

Proper care during cultivation must necessarily include regular watering of cucumbers in the greenhouse, as they love moisture. If you water cucumbers too rarely, the yield will be poor.

If the weather is too hot, the bushes need more liquid, so it is recommended to water them 2-3 times a week. In the first weeks, you can use one bucket per square meter. However, when the bushes grow, the water consumption increases and you have to spend a bucket on one cucumber bush.

You should not water the bushes too often, as this will increase the humidity level in the cucumber greenhouse.

Loosening the soil

Caring for cucumbers in a greenhouse should be accompanied by loosening the soil. It is carried out after each watering, since after drying the soil becomes covered with a dense crust. During loosening, plant loops should not be shifted. They can only be moved a little to the sides or raised. This is done very carefully so as not to accidentally damage the cucumbers.

Top dressing

People who are familiar with the secrets of growing cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse regularly add fertilizer to the soil. This can improve productivity several times.

To prevent the bushes from suffering from a constant lack of nutrients, they need to be fed 4-6 times in one season. For the first time, fertilizers are applied immediately after the appearance of the first shoots. Organic and mineral fertilizers are most often used: chicken manure, mullein or ash.

Such fertilizers are absorbed quite quickly by grown cucumbers. Next time, feeding is carried out only after 15-20 days.

Conclusion

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse is much easier if you like to do it. To do everything right, it is recommended to study the rules for growing bushes in advance. A video that describes this process in detail can also help you grow cucumbers in a greenhouse.