Feeding cucumbers with folk remedies

Cucumbers are demanding on soil fertility, but an excess of nutrients has a depressing effect on them (1). So fertilizer must be used wisely.

Classic fertilizers

Mineral fertilizers act very quickly and give a good effect. But in the greenhouse it is important to strictly observe the application rates. If you overdo it in the open field, it’s not scary – rain and watering will wash away excess fertilizer into the lower layers of the soil. And indoors, “mineral water” will not wash off anywhere. So be careful.

During the season, it is enough to fertilize greenhouse cucumbers 3-4 times (2), but it is important to do it right:

• 2 weeks after planting seedlings: 1 matchbox of double superphosphate, 1 tbsp. spoon of potassium sulfate and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water, the consumption rate is 1 liter per 1 plant;
• during mass flowering: 0,5 l of liquid mullein, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of nitrophoska, 1 cup of ash (or 2 tablespoons of potassium sulfate), 0,5 g of boric acid and 0,3 g of manganese sulfate per 10 liters of water, mix everything thoroughly, the consumption rate is 3 liters per 1 sq. m;
• during the mass education of Zelentsy: 2 tbsp. spoons of potassium nitrate, 5 tbsp. tablespoons of urea and 1 cup of ash per 10 liters of water;
• 10 days after the third: 1 glass of ash per 10 liters of water (this is under the root), plus you also need to sprinkle the plants on the leaves with a solution of urea: 1 matchbox per 10 liters of water (the purpose of such top dressing is to extend the fruiting period of cucumbers).

Ash

In general, this is a completely safe fertilizer; ashes are often poured into the beds by eye. And in a greenhouse, it must also be used with caution – in large quantities it alkalizes the soil, and cucumbers love a neutral reaction of the environment.

During the season, cucumbers in greenhouses can be fertilized with ash 4 times:

• When do the first true leaves appear?
• at the beginning of flowering;
• at the peak of fruiting;
• 2 weeks after the third feeding.

The ash should simply be evenly scattered around the bushes (1 cup per 1 sq. M) and lightly repaired with a rake or just with your hand.

The ash contains all the necessary elements for the growth of cucumbers, except for nitrogen. Therefore, ash alone will not be enough – along with it, you need to add organic matter – compost or humus.

Folk remedies

Now all sites and various practicing gardeners advise fertilizing cucumbers and other vegetables with products that no agronomist would use – it’s just pointless. But it would be okay if these dressings did not bring any effect. Some of them can harm plants! Especially in a greenhouse.

Yeast. They have a good effect on the growth and fruiting of cucumbers – as they say on the Internet. Experts do not see any point in such feeding, it is hardly possible to expect benefits from it, but, as they say, it will not be worse. But it’s in the open. But in the greenhouse, yeast is dangerous! For example, yeast with sugar can play against you – mold mushrooms also love sweets, and there is always high humidity in the greenhouse. So your top dressing can turn into a serious problem.

Iodine. This tool, popular with summer residents, can be used in the open field, although there is not much point in this. But even there it is used infrequently and strictly observing the dose. But in the greenhouse it is better not to use it at all.

Firstly, iodine vapor is toxic to humans, and when watered with iodine solution in a closed space, you can easily inhale it.

Secondly, in a limited amount of soil, it is very easy to make a mistake with the right proportion, and you will receive continuous losses.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about feeding cucumbers in a greenhouse with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova – Discussed options for folk dressings.

Sources of

1. A group of authors, ed. Polyanskoy A.M. and Chulkova E.I. Tips for gardeners // Minsk, Harvest, 1970 – 208 p.
2. Shuin K.A., Zakraevskaya N.K., Ippolitova N.Ya. Garden from spring to autumn // Minsk, Uradzhay, 1990 – 256 p.