How to grow early cucumbers: valuable tips. Planting and growing early cucumbers in a greenhouse, caring for cucumbers How to grow early cucumbers in a greenhouse

And, nevertheless, it is cucumbers that can quite realistically be considered as an early crop, even in our difficult conditions, because their first fruits, if desired, can be obtained as early as mid-June. True, this culture will have to be grown in a slightly different way than is generally accepted.

Theoretically available two options for getting an early harvest of cucumbers – grow them seedlings or sow germinated seeds in a well-heated greenhouse for biofuels.

The first option, which the most enthusiastic gardeners usually resort to, is not very effective, since growing cucumber seedlings at home usually does not allow you to get plants that are strong and accustomed to sunlight. After planting in a greenhouse, such seedlings are very often burned by the rays of the sun, and even if this does not happen (say, it will be possible to save the plants for the first time by covering them with covering material), it still does not give a big harvest in the future. That is, in practice, cucumbers grown through seedlings in our conditions can usually be considered only as a basis for obtaining several dozen early cucumbers, but not for mass harvesting of fruits. Therefore, those gardeners who prefer this path should sow a dozen seeds at home for an early harvest, and sow the rest of the seeds later in the greenhouse - it is these plants that will provide the bulk of the fruit.

The second option allows you to form plants that are accustomed to the sun from the first shoots - strong and not elongated. But there are some difficulties here, because you need to sow very early (we have been practicing sowing in the last decade of April for many years), when the ground in the greenhouses has just thawed and is very cold, and not all the snow has even melted around the greenhouses. Of course, it is completely pointless to sow cucumber seeds in such soil, therefore, it is necessary to carry out special preparation of both the seeds themselves and unheated glass greenhouses. And, of course, sow only hybrids, since one of the main features of hybrids is their increased resistance to adverse weather factors and numerous diseases, which is very important for obtaining early production. Moreover, you need to choose highly productive hybrids, such as Break F1, Courage F1, Murashka F1, Navruz F1 and others.

Ways to increase the cold resistance of cucumbers

Presowing hardening of seeds. Unsprouted seeds in a damp cloth are placed in the refrigerator for two days and kept at a temperature of 0 ° C, after which they are immediately sown. The fabric must be kept moist at all times. The event is quite dangerous, because if the seeds hatch, they will inevitably die. They will die at a lower temperature, although if all the requirements are met, this method gives good results.

Pre-sowing soaking of seeds in the growth stimulator Epin "or in the preparation Krezatsin and regular(once every 5-7 days) spraying vegetative plants with the same Epin and humic preparations. These actions increase the cold resistance and endurance of plants to adverse conditions.

Cultivation on fallow beds. Cucumber plants, in which the root system, thanks to the heated biofuel, is in normal temperature conditions, tolerate short-term drops in air temperature much more easily, since cucumber roots are more sensitive to low temperatures than the aerial part.

Greenhouse preparation

In mid-March, the entire surface of the greenhouse is covered with a layer of snow about 15 cm thick so that after the snow melts, the soil is saturated with moisture as much as possible. At the end of March, the entire surface of the greenhouse is covered with a film (preferably black) in two layers to ensure maximum defrosting and warming of the soil while maintaining moisture in it. True, this technique will have an effect only if there are sunny days, when the air in a closed greenhouse is very hot. In cloudy weather, the soil will be better thawed in the absence of a film, but, alas, then it will have to be additionally spilled with water afterwards.

After defrosting heaps with earth and organics, you should immediately start filling the greenhouse with fresh manure. Usually we have it happens in the first decade of April. Then the manure is sprinkled with fresh sawdust (sawdust increases the air permeability of the soil and absorbs excess nitrogen from fresh manure) and, if possible, mix them with a pitchfork with organic matter laid in the lower layer. After that, it is desirable to spill the organics with boiling water taken from the bath. And then immediately throw soil from the heaps prepared in the fall. If the soil has not completely thawed, then it is not worth waiting for complete thawing (this is a long time). It is necessary to first transfer the thawed soil, and from above evenly distribute clods of frozen soil over the ridges. After that, the ridges should be closed for a week with a film to warm the soil.

Sowing seeds

2-3 days before planting in the greenhouse, the entire surface of the ridges is covered with a film, the edges of which are carefully embedded in the soil - this allows you to achieve more active heating of the soil and create comfortable conditions in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe future location of the roots.

Then, longitudinal rectangular areas are cut out in the film along the ridges in the places where the cups with seeds are supposed to be placed - in standard greenhouses this will be two rows on each of the ridges (see diagram). The edges of the cuts are carefully sprinkled with soil. Then the surfaces of the ridges are covered with a second layer of film.

Before planting cucumbers, the second layer of the film is removed from the ridges, and the cups with seeds are planted in the marked grooves (the paper is not removed).

We can usually remove additional arched shelters only after June 20, and the film covering the soil a little later, but in any case before the onset of extreme heat, otherwise it will be too hot in the root area. Naturally, this film can be removed only by cutting it first, therefore, for such purposes, it is more reasonable to use film material from greenhouses that has already served its time.

Care during the growing season

Cucumber roots are demanding on aeration and do not tolerate compacted soils., however, it is difficult to loosen the ridges with cucumbers, since a considerable part of the roots is located very close to the surface. Therefore, it is wiser to refuse loosening, but immediately after removing the mulching film layer, it is imperative to mulch the soil around the plants with humus in a layer of 3-5 cm, and on top also with foliage (it can be collected in the fall after birches and other hardwoods have fallen off).

Cucumbers are very photophilous- in case of insufficient lighting, a normal harvest cannot be expected from them. As for moisture, it is somewhat more complicated here - on the one hand, cucumber is a moisture-loving crop, and it needs to be watered often, and only with very warm water (+33 ... + 35 ° С). But watering is not very plentiful, so as not to provoke the appearance of root rot.

Highly productive hybrids of cucumbers belong to the so-called intensive type hybrids - that is, they require fractional application of increased doses of fertilizers. Such intensive nutrition can be provided in two ways - through a series of frequent top dressings or using long-term fertilizers (for example, APION), since such fertilizers provide a continuous supply of nutrients. If your choice is in favor of dressings, then they will have to be carried out once a week with a complex fertilizer, for example, Kemira - best of all in the form of a liquid solution enriched with huminates every other time. But that's not all. Cucumbers consume nitrogen very actively, and at low temperatures and on cloudy days they require large doses of potassium, so you need to carefully monitor the plants and additionally, depending on the situation, feed them with urea or potassium sulfate, respectively. The use of slurry as a nitrogen fertilizer is undesirable, as this can provoke the development of root rot.

It is worth noting that fertilizing cucumber plants with weak solutions of nitrogen fertilizers can be carried out until the end of the growing season, but this should be done only if signs of nitrogen starvation are noticeable (that is, by the type of plants and fruits), otherwise accumulation of nitrates in fruits is possible.

In order to stimulate the development of plants, as well as to speed up the ripening period and increase the yield, it is worth spraying them with growth and development stimulants (Epin, Citron, etc.) about once every two weeks.

And also carry out regular spraying with fruit formation stimulants (Ovary, Bud, etc.), otherwise fruit set may turn out to be poor due to cold weather, strong changes in day and night temperatures, too high temperature in the greenhouse in the sun on hot days and other reasons .

Shaping and garter

In the future, it should pinch each side lash over the second or third sheet. The indicated option of pinching the side lashes will lead to the formation of a crop not only on the main trunk, but also on all the remaining fragments of each side lash.

The main shoots are vertically tied to the supports located in the upper part of the greenhouse. At the same time, the lashes should be distributed in such a way that the top of any shoot is always maximally illuminated - the lack of light reaching the top of the plant is one of the reasons for the sterility of the pollen of future flowers.

When the whips reach the upper part of the support for further growth, they are directed vertically down, and not along the horizontal supports of the greenhouse, otherwise the horizontally growing lashes with their leaves will cover the entire light space from above. This will lead to a sharp decrease in the illumination of plants and, as a result, to a decrease in yield.

Besides, it is necessary to remove all yellowed leaves on the plants in a timely manner, as well as leaves that are located below the fruiting zone, leaving 2-3 leaves up to the first green. The leaves in the fruiting part of the lash do absolutely no good, at the same time absorbing their share of nutrients and creating an excessive shade. In addition, they prevent the resumption of fruiting in this part of the lash due to additionally growing side shoots.

Protection against diseases and pests

To prevent the appearance of root rot, when sowing seeds, preparations such as trichodermin are introduced into the soil. In the future, in no case should water be allowed to enter the root collar and near it - that is, plants should be watered at some distance from the root collar. And in cold and wet weather, the root neck area should be periodically sprinkled with crushed coal.

In order to avoid the appearance of powdery mildew and olive blotch, preventive spraying is carried out with drugs that increase plant immunity (Immunocytophyte) and biological preparations for diseases (Gamair).

As for aphids and spider mites, it is advisable to treat these pests at the very beginning of the growing season, when there are still a few pests and no fruits yet, since insecticides can still be used at this time. If the moment is missed, then you will have to do several treatments with alternative means, for example, Fitoverm. The use of infusions of various herbs with soap for spraying, of course, is also possible, but it is very laborious and less effective.

Harvest

Good luck to everyone in the new season!

Any gardener wants to get a crop of young cucumbers as early as possible. Therefore, the growing season of cucumber seedlings begins very early. Each farmer has his own secrets of growing these vegetables, but there are several points that are important for everyone to know: both the novice gardener and the experienced gardener. And then in early July, or even in mid-June, you can boast of young gherkins.

Basics of planting cucumber seedlings

Before dealing with seedlings, of course, you need to decide on the variety of cucumbers. For this purpose, the early varieties Buyan, Cheerful guys, Mazay are perfect. You can plant several varieties at once. Early maturing are both hybrid varieties and pollinated. For an early harvest, the time for planting seeds in greenhouse soil should be no later than April 25 - May 10.

For better germination of cucumber seeds, pre-soak them for a day in spring or rain water. When planting, try to prepare the soil so that it is more "fertile" - fertilize, clear of weeds.

Humidity for cucumbers is also an important criterion for early maturity. Watering is best in the evening. Do not pour water over the entire plant to avoid putrefactive processes and yellowing, pour water only under the root. Cucumbers should not be given abundant air baths, they love peace and do not like sudden changes in temperature. The grown seedlings must be tied up. "Pinching" also speeds up fruiting. This process stimulates the cucumbers to produce more fruits.

Care for cucumbers during growth

The soil under the vegetables must be gently, shallowly hilled and loosened from time to time. If cucumbers are planted in open ground, then seedlings of such vegetables as kohlrabi cabbage, corn, lettuce in the form of heads of cabbage should be planted around them to shelter them from excessive wind blowing. A layer of peat or manure mulch also leads to an excellent harvest due to the absence of weeds.

Ripe fruits are harvested as they mature and are best cut rather than torn. Try not to step on or bend the stems when harvesting. Feeding cucumbers with such preparations for rapid growth as AVA, Agricola 5 fertilizers will allow you to quickly get a crop.

Make sure that your cucumbers are not damaged by various pests, such as powdery mildew, spider mites. To do this, treat the plants with fungicides, monitor the humidity.

It is imperative to ventilate the plants and make sure that the temperature in the greenhouse is not higher than 33 degrees. It is necessary to feed the plants at least 1 time in 10 days.

After planting seeds, you will get a bountiful harvest in 40-50 days, and after planting seedlings even earlier - in 25 days. Success!

Many gardeners do not have heated greenhouses and greenhouses, so they are forced to use window sills, loggias and other unsuitable places to get seedlings. We asked Svetlana SHIRYAEVA, an agronomist at the Research Institute of Protected Ground Vegetable Growing, how to grow cucumber seedlings under such conditions.

You can take on the cultivation of cucumber seedlings if the windows face the south or at least the southeast or southwest sides. High and long-term illumination is the basis for obtaining high-quality planting material. But if your windows look to the north, then it is better to refuse such an undertaking, or you will have to provide good lighting.

BY SEED AND FRUIT

After the vegetable grower has chosen the desired variety or hybrid, his attention should be focused on the seeds. Folk wisdom says: "by seed and fruit." Remember that the size of the crop and the timing of its arrival on the table depend on the quality of the seeds, so choose only the best. Before sowing, the seeds must be sorted, selecting large, full-bodied, uninjured ones, and discarding the frail, broken and ugly ones.

In general, cucumber seeds remain viable for 5-6 years, the most productive are 3-4-year-olds. Next, you need to determine the desired number of seeds. It depends on planting density: in a greenhouse for bee-pollinated varieties and hybrids, 2.5-3.5 plants per 1 sq. meter, for parthenocarpics - 2.5-3.0, in open ground - 3-4. For insurance, it is desirable to sow 10-15% more seeds.

NEW CUCUMBERS

Lilliput F 1 - the smallest cucumberwith a bouquet of 10 fruits in each node! The fruits are dark green, often tuberculate. The hybrid has complex disease resistance. Its peculiarity: to obtain pickles and gherkins, collections should be made daily.

Mu Mu F 1 - the easiest to grow, minimum shaping, unique pickling qualities! There are 4-6 black-thorn greens in one knot. The fruits have unique pickling qualities: crispy, fragrant, tasty, do not lose their properties during canning. The hybrid is resistant to powdery mildew, olive blotch, relatively resistant to downy mildew and root rot. Productivity - 6-7 kg per plant.

red mullet F 1 – friendly return of the crop, universal use! Early maturing parthenocarpic hybrid of a predominantly female type of flowering. Friendly return of the crop, in the nodes on the main shoot forms up to 8-10 pieces of fruit. The use of fruits is universal (fresh, for pickling, pickling). The yield of one plant is 6.0-7.0 kg.

WHEN TO SOW

To obtain early production, seedlings are indispensable. It is very important to correctly calculate the time of sowing seeds. The time for sowing cucumbers for seedlings should be counted from the period of its intended planting in open ground or in a greenhouse. Late sowing leads to a delay in development and the forced use of undergrown plants, and too early - stretched ones.

The optimal age of cucumber seedlings is 20-25 days from germination. Usually in the Yaroslavl region, it is planted in open ground when the threat of frost has passed, that is, in early June. Therefore, sowing seeds of cucumbers for seedlings should be no earlier than the beginning of May.

But if you plan to grow this crop in a film greenhouse or in a greenhouse under non-woven material, then the planting dates are shifted to mid-May. So, it is necessary to start sowing in the second or third decade of April.

HOW TO SOW

Cucumbers do not tolerate transplanting well, so prepared seeds, better germinated, are sown directly into glasses filled with peat humus - plastic, from a thick film without a bottom with a diameter of 8-10 cm and the same height, but 6-7 cm is also possible. The nutrient mixture is poured into pots 1 cm below the edge. You can buy it at the store or make it yourself.

Mixtures of the following compositions are used (components are given in parts):

• lowland peat - 5-7, humus - 3;
• humus - 1, turf or garden land - 2;
• peat - 5, humus - 1, sawdust - 1;
• humus - 4, sod land - 2, sawdust - 1;
• peat - 6, turf or garden land - 1, humus - 1, mullein - 1;
• low-lying peat - 3, soddy land - 2, rotted compost from household waste, plant residues and waste - 4, sawdust or coarse sand - 1.

Then the mixture is poured with warm water, a dimple of 1.5-2.0 cm is made in the center of the glass and two germinated or dry seeds are placed in it, covered with earth. After sowing, the pots are again watered with water, but carefully so as not to wash the seeds. Cover with a film and maintain a temperature of 25-28°C, when shoots appear, remove the shelter and reduce the temperature to 18-20°C. Further, the temperature regime is as follows: in sunny weather during the day up to 22-25 ° C, on cloudy days and at night up to 20-22 ° C.

During the cultivation of seedlings, soil or a nutrient mixture is poured under the plants once or twice. The first feeding is carried out during the formation of the second true leaf (5-10 g of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water). To increase the cold resistance of seedlings, a second top dressing should be carried out before planting (15-30 g of potassium sulfate and 40-60 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water). 5-7 days before planting, the plants begin to harden, taking them out into the open air (for example, a balcony) or ventilating the room.

Seedlings should be leveled, which will ensure uniform growth and development of plants after planting, and facilitate crop care. Weak, ugly plants, specimens with a weak root system are culled. Standard seedlings should be squat, with short internodes, 25-30 cm high, with 5-6 true dark green leaves and a well-developed root system. It is recommended to plant cucumber seedlings vertically, which can only be done with standard seedlings. Planting is carried out carefully, since seedlings are very sensitive to damage.

A detailed guide to growing early cucumbers in a home greenhouse.

Cucumbers are now more often grown in open ground than in protected ground, even in the middle lane. In greenhouses, the crop is planted for early or late harvest, when the open field season has not yet begun or has already ended. Varieties of cucumbers for greenhouses Parthenocarpic varieties are suitable for greenhouses. They tie greens without pollination. No bees or wind are required to form a crop. Growing self-pollinating and bee-pollinating plants in protected ground is difficult. There are not enough insects and wind in the greenhouse, so pollination of such varieties often does not occur. In a cucumber, each flower lives for 5 days, and if pollination does not occur, then it falls off. However, when favorable conditions are created, both varieties can be grown in a greenhouse. The best option for greenhouses are hybrids. Most of them are parthenocarpics, while the varieties are mainly bee-pollinated plants. In taste, hybrids are not inferior, and, most often, even surpass varieties. Long-branched cucumbers with medium and strong branching are grown in protected ground. Long-branched varieties with low branching are also suitable for indoor cultivation. Bush cucumbers are not suitable for greenhouses. When choosing a variety, always read the information on the package. If you grow cucumbers intended for planting in open ground in a greenhouse, then they will be too hot there, too humid, which, in the end, will lead to crop loss. Several varieties can be planted in one greenhouse. It is important that they have the same method of fruit setting. You can not plant parthenocarpics next to bee-pollinated and self-pollinated cucumbers. As a result, cross-pollination can occur, and greens will turn out ugly, twisted, bent and small. Soil preparation for cucumbers Cucumbers need a fertile, humus-rich, water- and breathable soil with a slightly acidic or close to neutral reaction (pH 5.5-6.5). Culture loves fresh manure. To increase soil fertility, it is introduced in autumn: 4-5 buckets of cow or horse manure per 1 m 2. Bird droppings are the most concentrated, so less is required: 2-3 buckets per m 2. Pig manure is not suitable for cucumbers. During the winter, the manure will perepreet, enriching the soil with nutrients and significantly increasing its fertility. If it is not possible to apply manure in the fall, it is brought in in the spring, but in a semi-rotted form. For growing early cucumbers in a greenhouse in the spring, a warm bed is being prepared. For its preparation, either manure or compost is used. Soil heating carried out in early spring. Reception allows you to sow seeds 10-14 days earlier. For ultra-early sowing in the middle lane, the earth is warmed up in the 20th of April. In the south, this event can be held 2 weeks earlier. The earth is poured with boiling water so that it is soaked for at least 20 cm, and covered with black film or sheets of iron. Leave for 2-3 days, then repeat the procedure again. In cloudy cold weather, the soil is treated 3 times. After such intensive processing, the land warms up to 18-20 ° C and is suitable for sowing cucumbers. How to prepare seeds for sowing Hybrids and varietal seeds are prepared in different ways. Both varieties and hybrids are calibrated before sowing. They are poured into a glass and filled with water at room temperature. Floated seeds are unsuitable for sowing, they are discarded. The highest germination has a 2-3-year-old seed material. Sowing seeds in a greenhouse Planting cucumbers in a greenhouse is carried out 3-5 days after the incorporation of organic matter, or heating the soil to at least 18 ° C when filling it with mineral fertilizers. The air temperature in the greenhouse should be at least 18°C, but preferably 22-25°C during the day and 18°C ​​at night. Direct sowing into the ground Cucumbers in any conditions are best grown from seeds. Seedlings bloom and bear fruit earlier, but as a result, their yield is 2 times lower than that of plants grown by direct sowing into the ground. Cucumbers are planted in manure beds using a tape method. Above the trench, in which manure or compost is embedded, a groove is made and seeds are sown in 2-3 pieces. after 25-30 cm. (After germination, the strongest plant is left, and the rest are carefully cut with scissors.) The groove is covered with earth by 2 cm, watered with warm settled water. If it is cold outside, then the crops can be covered with foil. But it should be borne in mind that manure and compost emit a large amount of heat. If the temperature is more than 36 ° C, cucumbers will not sprout. Cucumbers are planted on a manure bed in the first decade of April, on a compost bed - by the end of the month. On beds filled with mineral fertilizers, planting is carried out in a nested way. The distance between nests is 35-40 cm, between seeds in one nest - 3-4 cm. Crops are covered with earth and must be covered with a film, since it can be cold for crops on such a bed. Landing on beds without heating is carried out in early to mid-May. Growing through seedlings A wire is stretched under the roof of the greenhouse and whips are tied to it with twine. The loop on the stem is left free, because with age it thickens, and the twine cuts deep into the tissues of the plant. Cucumbers are tied under the 3-4th sheet, and the free whip is wrapped around the twine. If the lash does not cling enough to the support, then once a week the stem is twisted onto it. When growing early cucumbers, shoots and buds are removed from the axils of the first 5 leaves. If they are not removed, then the cucumbers will begin to branch strongly, the number of shoots will reach 4-6 and the plant will not be able to tie greens. If, however, the fruits are allowed to start in the lower part of the stem, then they will pull all the forces onto themselves and will not allow the rest of the flowers to start. During summer planting, shoots and buds are plucked from the first 3 leaves. Such cucumbers, unlike early cucumbers, have growth factors in the optimal ratio and grow faster. As the lash grows, the emerging side shoots are pinched after the 2nd leaf. When the main stem is thrown over the trellis, it is pinched and 2-3 lateral lashes are allowed to develop, also plucking out young shoots from them in the axils of the leaves. These whips give the main crop of greens. The lower leaves of cucumbers turn yellow and dry as they grow. As it should be, they are removed. With a very high yield, the lower leaves are cut off: 2 of the lowest leaves per week. Harvesting Zelentsy should be tied only after the 5th leaf for early planting and after the 3rd for summer. They are collected every 2-3 days, if the weather is warm, then the borage is viewed every day. The first greens are harvested when they are the size of a finger. They are the most difficult for the plant, since it is not yet fully formed at this time. If they are kept to a normal state, then the cucumber will give all its strength to the firstborn and in the future the harvest will be low. The rest of the greens are harvested when they reach the marketable condition, carefully, without twisting the whip. Collect all the fruits: marketable, ugly and overripe. Freed from the load, the culture will again and again tie greens. It is undesirable to allow the overgrowth of greens. Overgrown cucumbers take away all the nutrition and inhibit the development of new ovaries. Diseases and pests With early planting of cucumbers, major diseases can be avoided. They infect the crop more often during summer cultivation. Diseases With an improperly created microclimate, cucumbers can be affected by bacteriosis and various rots. The main pest of early cucumbers is the spider mite. Powdery mildew, anthracnose and root rot do not usually affect early cucumbers. Any diseases in the greenhouse spread much faster than on the street, so disease prevention indoors is required. Pests There are practically no pests in cucumbers. When grown in a greenhouse, they can be attacked by omnivorous spider mites and black melon aphids. spider mite- a very small pest that sucks the juices from the leaf. The affected leaf first becomes light green, then turns yellow, and finally dries out. All spraying is carried out on the underside of the leaves, since the tick lives there. Preparations Fitoverm, Iskra-bio. Black melon aphid attacks plants throughout the season. Cucumbers are sprayed with infusion of garlic, a strong solution of potassium permanganate, soda solution. Pests infect crops extremely rarely. Cucumbers have no specific pests. Problems with cucumbers in the greenhouse They occur when plant nutrition is disturbed. It is advisable to plant cucumbers in a greenhouse only for an early harvest. In summer, it is better to grow them in open ground, where they are less affected by diseases, and fruiting is usually higher.

In the spring, gardeners count the days and weeks until the first vegetables appear on their plot. But, alas, cucumbers are thermophilic, and frosts occur in spring. Especially in the new conditions of a changed climate. However, even in these difficult conditions, the first fruits can be obtained

already in the middle of June.

Two Paths to an Early Harvest

True, they need to be grown in a slightly different way than is generally accepted. There are 2 options for getting an early harvest of cucumbers.
1. Growing through seedlings. The first option is usually resorted to by the most enthusiastic gardeners, but it is not very effective, because. when growing seedlings of cucumbers at home, plants that are strong and accustomed to sunlight are usually not obtained. After planting in a greenhouse, such seedlings are very often burned by the rays of the sun, and even if it is possible to save the plants by first covering them with covering material, they will not produce a large crop in the future.
In the Urals, this method is only suitable for obtaining a few dozen early cucumbers. Therefore, it is better for gardeners to sow at home a dozen seeds for an early harvest, and to sow the rest later in a greenhouse - it is these plants that will provide the main harvest.
2. Early sowing in greenhouses. The second option allows you to form plants that are accustomed to the sun from the very shoots - strong and not elongated. But there are difficulties here: you need to sow very early (we have been practicing sowing in the last ten days of April for many years), when the ground in the greenhouses has just thawed and is very cold, and all the snow around the greenhouses has not yet melted. It is pointless to sow in such soil, therefore, it is necessary to carry out special preparation, both for seeds and unheated glass greenhouses.
In addition, only hybrids with increased resistance to adverse weather factors and diseases should be sown, which is even more important in case of early production. Moreover, you need to choose highly productive ones, such as F1 Siberian, F1 Primadonna, F1 Break, F1 Navruz, etc.

How to increase cold resistance?

Here are some proven agricultural practices for increasing the cold resistance of cucumbers, on which the possibility of obtaining an early harvest directly depends.
Presowing hardening of seeds. Unsprouted seeds in wet matter are placed in a refrigerator for 2 days and kept at a temperature of 0 ° C, after which they are immediately sown. Matter must be constantly moistened. The event is quite risky (if the seeds hatch, they will inevitably die; they will die at a lower temperature), although if all the requirements are met, it gives good results.
Pre-sowing soaking of seeds in the growth stimulator Epin or in the Krezatsin preparation and regular (1 time in 5-7 days) spraying of vegetative plants with the same Epin and humic preparations.
Cultivation on fallow beds. Plants in which the root system, thanks to the heated biofuel, is in normal temperature conditions, are much easier to tolerate short-term drops in air temperature, because. in cucumbers, the roots are more sensitive to low temperatures than the aerial part.

An important stage is the preparation of greenhouses

Greenhouses begin to prepare for early spring crops in the fall. Remove all soil in order to reduce labor costs (only in the absence of diseases in the past season), only the upper part of the soil is removed, and the lower part is left to form ridges, while the soil from the lower layer is raked into several compact piles. The fragments of the ridges freed from the soil are filled with a variety of organic residues (leaves, grass, tops, straw, etc.), preferably mixed. Moreover, leaves or straw should be approximately 2/3 of the total volume (for a quick warm-up of the pound in the spring). When using the leaves of deciduous crops, they are sprinkled with lime, because.
they may be acidic.
In mid-March, the entire surface of the greenhouse is covered with a 15 cm layer of snow, so that after it melts, the soil is abundantly saturated with moisture. At the end of March, the entire surface of the greenhouse is covered with a film (preferably black) in 2 layers, which contributes to maximum defrosting and heating of the soil while maintaining moisture in it. True, the effect will be only on sunny days, when the air in a closed greenhouse is very hot. In cloudy weather, the soil thaws better without a film - but then it will then have to be additionally spilled with water.
After defrosting heaps with earth and organic matter (in our country - in the first decade of April), they immediately start filling the greenhouse with fresh manure. Then it is sprinkled with fresh sawdust (it increases the air permeability of the soil and absorbs excess nitrogen from fresh manure) and, if possible, is mixed with a pitchfork with a lower organic layer. After that, it is advisable to spill the organic matter with boiling water and immediately throw it with soil from the heaps prepared in the fall. Don't wait for a complete thaw. First, it is necessary to transfer the thawed soil, and from above evenly distribute clods of frozen soil over the ridges, and then close the ridges for 1 week with a film to warm the soil.

Plant cucumbers in cups

Sprouted seeds 1 week before moving to the greenhouse are sown in peat pots, cassettes or containers
2-3 days before planting in the greenhouse, the entire surface of the ridges is covered with a film, the edges of which are carefully embedded in the soil, which contributes to more active heating of the soil and the creation of comfortable conditions in the zone of the future location of the roots.
In the film along the ridges, where the cups with seeds will be placed, longitudinal rectangular areas are cut out - in standard greenhouses - 2 rows on each of the ridges (see diagram). The edges of the cuts are carefully sprinkled with soil. Then the surfaces of the ridges are covered with a second layer of film.
Immediately inside the greenhouse, additional shelters are installed in the form of arcs covered with a thick covering material. The air layer formed between the glass of the greenhouse and the coating of the inner greenhouse works on the principle of a thermos - as a result, it will be much warmer inside the greenhouse.
Before planting, the second layer of film is removed from the ridges, and the cups with seeds are planted in the marked grooves (or they are carefully removed from the containers and cassettes and planted without destroying the earthen coma.).
We can usually remove additional arched shelters only after June 20, and the film covering the soil a little later, but in any case before the onset of extreme heat, otherwise the temperature in the root area will be too high. To remove this film, you can only preliminarily
but having cut it, therefore it is more reasonable to use film material from greenhouses that has already served its time.

Be sure to mulch the soil

Cucumbers prefer very fertile, light, breathable soils with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction of the environment. Heavy clay soils with a close groundwater level are not suitable for them.
The roots of cucumbers are demanding on aeration and do not tolerate compacted soils, however, it is difficult to loosen the ridges with cucumbers - a considerable part of the roots is located very close to the surface. Therefore, it is better to refuse loosening, but as soon as the mulching film layer is removed, it is necessary to mulch the soil around the plants with a 3-5 cm layer of humus, and also foliage on top (it can be collected in the fall).

Nutrition must be balanced

Highly productive cucumber hybrids belong to the so-called. intensive type hybrids, i.e. require fractional application of increased doses of fertilizers. Such intensive nutrition can be provided in two ways: through a series of frequent top dressings or using long-term fertilizers.
Top dressing is carried out once a week with a complex fertilizer with trace elements - best of all in the form of a liquid solution enriched with huminates after 1 top dressing. But that is not all. Cucumbers actively consume nitrogen, and at low temperatures and on cloudy days they require large doses of potassium, so you need to carefully monitor the plants and additionally, depending on the situation, feed them with urea or potassium sulfate, respectively. It is undesirable to use slurry as nitrogen supplements - root rot may develop.
In order to stimulate the development of plants, as well as to speed up the maturation period and increase the yield, about 1 time in 2 weeks it is worth spraying them with growth and development stimulants (Epin, Citron, etc.) and - regularly - fruit formation stimulants (Ovary, Bud, etc.). P.). Otherwise, fruit set may be poor due to cold weather, large differences in day and night temperatures, too high a temperature in the greenhouse in the sun on hot days, etc.

Get your plants right

The first rule for the formation of cucumber hybrids is the removal of ovaries and lateral lashes from the first 4 leaves. Then the first greens do not take all the food for themselves - and a powerful vegetative mass is quickly formed, which provides a large harvest.
In the future, you should pinch each side lash over the 2-3rd sheet. And the harvest is formed not only on the main trunk, but also on all the remaining fragments of each side lash.
The main shoots are tied vertically to the supports located in the upper part of the greenhouse. At the same time, the whips should be distributed in such a way that the top of any shoot is always illuminated as much as possible - the lack of light is one of the reasons for the sterility of the pollen of future flowers.
For further growth of the lashes that have reached the top of the support, they are directed vertically downwards so that the light space at the top remains free.
In addition, all yellowed leaves are removed in a timely manner, as well as leaves located below the fruiting zone, leaving 2-3 leaves until the first green. The leaves in the fruiting part of the lash do not bring any benefit, while absorbing their share of nutrients, creating an excessive shade and preventing the resumption of fruiting in this part of the lash due to additional side shoots.

Glanoe - prevention

Cucumbers have an abundance of diseases and pests. The most dangerous in the Urals are root rot, powdery mildew (common and downy) and olive spot; pests - spider mites and aphids.
To prevent the appearance of root rot during sowing, preparations such as Trichoder-min are introduced into the soil. In the future, water should not be allowed to enter the root neck and near it. And in cold and wet weather, the root neck area should be periodically sprinkled with crushed coal.
Against powdery mildew and olive blotch, preventive spraying is carried out with drugs that increase plant immunity (Immunocytophyte) and biological preparations for diseases (Gamair).
It is advisable to treat aphids and spider mites at the very beginning of the growing season (when there are still a few pests, but there are no fruits yet), because. this allows the use of insecticides. If the moment is missed, then you will have to do several treatments with alternative means, for example, Fitoverm. It is also possible to use infusions of various herbs with soap for spraying, but this is very laborious and less effective.
Cucumbers are harvested early in the morning (at 6-8 o'clock): in hot weather - every day, in cool weather - every other day. Then the total yield will be much higher, and the fruits will be of better quality. They are immediately folded into ajar plastic bags and sent to the refrigerator.