How to grow the best cucumber harvest in the greenhouse — tricks
Many summer residents like to grow cucumbers in their greenhouses because they grow quickly and produce a good harvest, but only under certain conditions. Find out what tricks experienced gardeners use to grow the best vegetables on their plots.
Novyny.LIVE shares useful tips for summer residents.
How to get a good cucumber harvest
Sowing seeds on the side
If you want to accelerate the germination of cucumber seeds, place them in the soil on an edge. It makes it easier for the seed to break through to the light, and the plants sprout at the same time.
Sowing seeds in warm soil
Remember that cucumbers don't like to grow in the cold, so the soil should be warm, ideally 18-20 degrees Celsius. To do this, sprinkle black agrofibre over the beds or cover them with foil a few days before planting the cucumbers.
Fertilization with nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus
At the beginning of growth, cucumbers need a lot of nitrogen, and during flowering and fruiting, they need potassium and phosphorus, a balanced fertilizer or a herbal infusion with ash.
No daily watering
Remember that cucumbers like moisture, but not excessive amounts of water, so you should water them once every two to three days, preferably with warm water. It should be done in the morning or evening, and not on hot days.
Pinching bushes
To increase the cucumber harvest, pinch the top of the main stem after the fifth or sixth leaf.
Removing male flowers
At the beginning of growth, you can remove the male flowers so that the bushes do not waste energy on them.
Mulching bushes
Mulch cucumber bushes with straw or grass clippings to retain moisture in the soil. This mulch also lowers the soil temperature and protects the plants from weeds.
Tying up bushes
You can also tie up the bushes of this vegetable, because this way they are better ventilated, less likely to suffer from diseases, and take up less space in the greenhouse. It is also better to harvest them upright.
Regular harvesting of the crop
To speed up fruit development on the bushes, collect the harvest every day or two.
Spraying with an infusion against diseases
Treat cucumber bushes with garlic infusion once every two weeks to protect them from mites and powdery mildew.
As a reminder, we wrote about how you can grow cucumbers that won't be bitter.
Earlier, we talked about what to plant near cucumbers to protect them from the sun and pests.
We also talked about how to fertilize cucumbers in the garden cheaply but effectively.