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More and more vegetable growers grow cucumbers in greenhouses. They have special climatic conditions, different from the open ground. It is necessary to follow the correct agricultural practices for growing cucumbers in order to get a high yield of tasty and healthy vegetables. This primarily concerns the features of top dressing. Cucumbers ripen quickly, not every fertilizer can be used for top dressing.
The first dressing of cucumbers after planting in the greenhouse is an important procedure that should not be neglected. With its weak root system, a green vegetable is not able to obtain the necessary amount of nutrients for a fast-growing green mass, such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Inadequate nutrition at first negatively affects the growth and fruiting of cucumbers, and as a result, a low yield.
Soil preparation
As such, feeding cucumbers in a greenhouse or greenhouse begins with soil preparation so that the planted cucumbers at first, until they take root well, have enough nutrition.
We prepare the soil in autumn
In order for the first feeding of cucumbers after planting seedlings to be effective, it is necessary to take care of the soil and the cleanliness of the greenhouse since autumn. Disinfection of all surfaces is carried out with bleach. For 10 liters of water, 300 grams of the product is required. After the composition is infused, spray the greenhouse or greenhouse, including the soil. The remaining thick fill all the cracks.
Before digging the soil, humus or compost is added: one bucket per square area. Since in greenhouses, as a rule, the acidity of the soil is increased, you need to sprinkle it with dolomite flour (up to 0,5 kg per square) or fluffy lime.
What to do in spring
In the spring, about 7 days before planting cucumber seedlings, ammonium nitrate (30 g), potassium sulfate (20 g), superphosphate (30 g) are added to each square as top dressing for cucumbers. After that, the soil is dug up and spilled with boiling water, adding 1 gram of potassium permanganate.
We feed cucumbers
The first feeding of cucumbers grown in a greenhouse must be carried out after planting. A good remedy is mullein. Grooves are made in the aisles, mullein is brought in and sprinkled with soil. The mullein will not only feed the soil for cucumbers with microelements, but will also begin to “burn”. This will release a sufficient amount of carbon dioxide. Cucumbers need carbon dioxide, just like humans need oxygen.
The lack of carbon dioxide in the greenhouse can be replenished using dry ice. For a greenhouse of 10 squares, 200 grams are enough. Ice needs to be laid out in the morning at 9 o’clock. For unfolding, use coasters that rise above the ground and do not reach the root system of the cucumber. Such first aid cucumbers need.
Immediately after planting in a greenhouse or greenhouse, plants need to be supported with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. During the first and subsequent feeding of cucumbers, you need to focus on their appearance: growth, the state of the green mass, the abundance of flowering.
An excess of micronutrients adversely affects development.
What are supplements for?
Beginning vegetable growers often wonder why else to feed plants in a greenhouse or hotbed, if mineral and organic fertilizers have already been added to it when preparing the soil. The fact is that the root system of cucumbers is superficial, they are not able to extract nutrients located in the depths. Consequently, having spent the reserves stored in the surface layer, cucumbers can reduce their immunity, they will be less resistant to diseases and temperature changes.
Cucumbers grow well with high humidity and little fertilizing. Any procedures related to watering and fertilizing plants are carried out early in the morning, until the rays of the sun appear on the horizon. Evening watering should be carried out after sunset. Otherwise, powdery mildew and anthracnose may threaten cucumbers.
The first time cucumbers are fed after planting in a greenhouse or greenhouse. But the effectiveness of top dressing will be low if the plants experienced “hunger” at the stage of growing seedlings.
When to fertilize
In general, in order to obtain a rich harvest of green crispy fruits, it is necessary to take into account the stages of feeding. Let’s deal with these activities in more detail, so that in the future, when growing cucumbers, beginners do not have questions about the need for this type of work.
Feeding stages:
- You need to start feeding greenhouse cucumbers at the stage of growing seedlings. First of all, you need to prepare high-quality, nutritious soil. When and how many times to feed cucumber seedlings? Twice before planting in the ground: the first time when the first true leaves appear, then after 14 days.
- Before transplanting cucumber seedlings into the greenhouse, they are fed again in about a week. Plants must be sprayed with a nutrient composition to increase immunity and reduce planting stress.
- After the seedlings have been planted in the greenhouse, they are fed again. You can use both the root version and the non-root version. In addition to accelerating survival, cucumbers get an impetus to build up green mass and the appearance of embryos.
- During flowering and fruit growth, fertilizers are used that do not accumulate in cucumbers.
Feeding cucumber seedlings
As a rule, cucumbers are grown in greenhouses and greenhouses for early production. Sowing seeds is not very effective. You can get seedlings of cucumbers not only in the apartment, but also in the greenhouse itself. Only seedlings will have to be covered at night.
The boxes are filled with nutrient soil, a small amount of wood ash is added and a hot solution is spilled, adding a little potassium permanganate. Wood ash is a source of potassium, potassium permanganate will nourish the seedlings with manganese and potassium. These trace elements are an important component of the successful growth of cucumbers.
How to feed seedlings after planting
As soon as cucumbers are planted, it is necessary to support it, reduce stress. At the first feeding in the greenhouse, cucumbers are watered with superphosphate, mullein, ammonium nitrate.
There are a number of special fertilizers for cucumbers that do not contain nitrate nitrogen:
- Crystalline A;
- Humatized fertilizers;
- potassium sulfate.
Top dressing at the root
Mineral feed
When cucumbers are planted in a greenhouse, they should usually have 3 to 4 true leaves. Part of the nutrients necessary for proper development, they have already spent while growing in seedlings. At the time of planting, plants, like air, need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Getting them from the soil is not always possible. Therefore, cucumbers need the first feeding.
What can be used when first feeding newly planted seedlings:
- Cucumbers can get the necessary trace elements from such a solution. Double superphosphate (20 grams), ammonium nitrate (15 grams), potassium sulfate (15 grams) are added to a ten-liter bucket of water. The elements of the solution are thoroughly mixed until completely dissolved. This portion is enough for 15 cucumbers.
- Azophoska or nitroammophoska gives good nutrition. These mineral fertilizers contain a full range of microelements necessary for cucumbers for the first feeding after planting in a greenhouse or hotbed. They are made up of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. To feed cucumbers with such fertilizers, the following solution is prepared: clean water at room temperature is poured into a ten-liter watering can or bucket. Azofoska or nitroammofoski will need 1 tablespoon. This solution is enough to feed ten cucumbers.
You can use the following complex fertilizer for the first feeding of cucumbers in a greenhouse and a greenhouse:
- in 500 ml of mullein add a spoonful of nitrophoska and bring the amount of liquid to 10 liters;
- then add ash (1 glass). You can use potassium sulfate (50 g) + manganese sulfate (0,3 g) + boric acid (0,5 g) instead of wood ash.
The mixture is well mixed. This fertilizer is enough for 3,5 square meters.
When feeding plants at the root, try not to get on the foliage so that chemical burns do not form on them. Use a watering can without a sprayer or a regular ladle.
How to properly feed cucumbers, you can find out by watching the video:
Organic fertilizing
Not all gardeners agree with the use of mineral fertilizers to feed cucumbers in a greenhouse. Most often, they find a replacement for them among organic options.
The most popular type of top dressing after planting cucumbers in a greenhouse is an infusion of herbs. It is an excellent organic fertilizer option containing easily digestible nitrogen.
Take an equal amount of grass and water. The infusion will be ready in 3 or 4 days. Readiness can be determined by the appearance of bubbles and a sour smell. When diluted with 5 parts of water, add 1 part of herbal infusion.
Watered under each cucumber on pre-moistened soil. Up to 5 liters of organic fertilizer are needed per square meter. Some gardeners, after watering, sprinkle the soil with ash. Such top dressing will provide cucumber lashes with phosphorus, calcium and trace elements.
If there are first ovaries on the seedlings planted in the greenhouse, then it is necessary to use such organic fertilizers for feeding: mix infusions of mullein and chicken manure. Plants will receive the necessary portion of nitrogen and potassium. 1 liter of mullein and 500 ml of chicken manure are added to a ten-liter bucket of water. This composition is enough for 10 plants.
You can use a solution of ash for the first feeding of cucumbers. A glass of wood ash is added to a bucket of water, mixed and cucumbers are immediately fed.
Root feeding plants allows you to grow a rich crop of pimply crispy fruits, such as in the photo.
Foliar top dressing
Greenhouse cucumbers can be fed both root and foliar. The choice of first feeding option will depend on soil temperature. The fact is that mineral and organic fertilizers are poorly absorbed by the root system in cold soil. If the soil has not yet reached the desired temperature, and the cucumbers are planted, you will have to use plant nutrition for foliage.
For foliar top dressing, you can use the same fertilizers as for watering under the root. The difference is only in the concentration of solutions: it is reduced by half. Spraying is best done with a fine sprayer. The smaller the droplets, the faster the plants absorb their “vitamin” supplement. For work, they choose a day without a bright sun, so that the leaves slowly “eat”. Drops in the sun can cause cucumber leaves to burn.
In addition to liquid dressings for green mass, you can use dusting cucumbers with ash after planting. It must be sifted and sprinkled on each leaf. Work is best done in the evening. In the morning, dew drops form on the plants, microelements will quickly enter the plant. This is not only top dressing, but also protection, for example, from aphids.
About the types, forms and mode of dressing cucumbers:
If too much fertilizer is applied…
Cucumber lashes are better not to feed than to overfeed. Let’s look at how cucumbers look with an excess of any trace elements:
- If there is too much nitrogen, the formation of ovaries on cucumbers slows down. The lashes become thick, the leaves are dense and unnaturally green.
- With an excess of phosphorus, yellowness and necrotic spots are observed on the leaves. As a result, leaf fall begins.
- The presence of a large amount of calcium is also reflected in the leaves, leading to interveinal chlorosis.
- Excess potassium slows down the growth of the cucumber, and its lack leads to twisting of the fruit, as in the photo.
Summing up
Proper care of cucumbers, the implementation of timely top dressing, compliance with agricultural standards will delight you with a plentiful harvest of crispy fruits with pimples.
Each gardener chooses for himself which dressing option to use if cucumbers are grown in a greenhouse or greenhouse. You can combine mineral fertilizers with organic fertilizers, or you can feed only organic matter. The main thing is to do everything according to the rules, observing the dosage.
If cucumbers grow normally, then the number of dressings can be minimized.