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Almost all gardeners grow cucumbers on their plot. And they know firsthand that it is very difficult to get a good harvest without additional dressings. Like all vegetable crops, cucumbers need minerals and organic matter to actively grow and bear fruit. Many are interested in what kind of mineral fertilizers for cucumbers to use. It is also necessary to know what feed should be applied at each stage of the growth of this crop.
When to feed
Healthy and strong cucumbers can only be grown with the right feeding regimen. Fertilizers will help cucumbers grow well and set fruit. For the entire period of growth they are fed 3 or 4 times. To do this, you can use both organic and mineral substances. Each gardener decides for himself what he likes best. But you still need to follow the basic rules:
- the first feeding is done 2 weeks after planting cucumbers;
- the next feeding is necessary for the plant during the period of the appearance of flowers;
- the third time nutrients are added during the formation of ovaries;
- the fourth and last dressing is optional. It is performed in order to prolong the period of fruiting during the mass formation of fruits.
In this case, it is necessary to monitor the amount of fertilizer applied. Remember that an excess of minerals can be bad for plants. If the soil on your site is already quite fertile, then it is not necessary to carry out all four top dressings, you can get by with only two. It is recommended to use both organics and minerals for fertilizer, alternating them with each other. This technology will help you achieve better results.
Top dressing cucumbers can be divided into 2 types:
- root.
- Foliar.
Foliar top dressing is carried out with poor absorption of nutrients by plants and the appearance of various diseases. For example, due to a lack of nutrients in cold rainy weather, plants are sprayed with special mixtures and solutions.
Fertilizing cucumbers with mineral fertilizers
The use of mineral fertilizers, along with irrigation and compliance with the rules of agricultural technology, will help plants quickly develop green mass, as well as form high-quality fruits. To make the first top dressing, the following compositions of mineral fertilizers are used.
Feeding cucumbers with urea:
- 45-50 g of urea;
- 10 liters of settled water.
The solution is mixed and used for irrigation. For one seedling you will need about 200 ml of the finished mixture. As a result, this amount of solution is enough to water more than 45 sprouts.
Mixing these substances leads to the fact that most of the nitrogen simply evaporates.
Ammophoska is also suitable for the first feeding. It is manually distributed over the surface of the soil between rows of cucumbers. Then the soil is loosened, digging the substance deep into the soil. Such top dressing is effective on any type of soil, especially on clay and sandy. Ammophoska has a number of advantages that distinguish it from other mineral fertilizers. It does not contain nitrates and chlorine, so the harvest will be exclusively natural and harmless. It contains a large amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Such top dressing is used both in open ground and in greenhouses.
It is not necessary to fertilize cucumbers during the flowering period. Feeding should be done only if signs of disease or insufficient amounts of trace elements are visible. You can also stimulate the growth of seedlings if it has slowed down. To do this, use the following mixture:
- 10 liters of water.
- 1 tablespoon of superphosphate.
- 0,5 tablespoon of potassium nitrate.
- 1 tablespoon of ammonium nitrate.
Also suitable for this option of feeding:
- Bucket of warm water.
- 35-40 grams of superphosphate.
Plants are sprayed with similar solutions in the morning or in the evening so that the sun’s rays do not fall on the leaves.
Some gardeners use boric acid for feeding. She is excellent at fighting fungi and rotten diseases. To prepare such a fertilizer, it is necessary to mix 5 grams of acid, potassium permanganate at the tip of a knife and 10 liters of water in one container. All ingredients are mixed and the plants are sprayed with this solution.
During the period of active fruiting, cucumbers are fed with potassium nitrate. To do this, 5–10 grams of saltpeter are dissolved in 15 liters of water. This top dressing is able to strengthen the root system of cucumbers, and also helps plants get the necessary nutrients from the soil. At the same time, saltpeter protects the roots from rot.
For spraying plants during fruiting, a solution of urea is used. This procedure will help cucumbers to form ovaries longer, and, accordingly, bear fruit longer.
Fertilizing cucumbers with organic fertilizers
Organic cucumber fertilizers must be applied throughout the growth. At the same time, it is important to know the measure and observe the regimen. Too much organic matter can lead to the fact that cucumber foliage will begin to develop very rapidly, and the ovaries will not appear or there will be few of them. But by judiciously applying homemade food, you can strengthen the plants and increase the amount of the harvest. For these purposes, various improvised means are used. For example, yeast is good for cucumbers. They can increase the resistance of plants to various diseases, and also strengthen the root system and sprouts in general. The quality and quantity of cucumbers with such feeding increases significantly, and the taste improves.
Yeast contains almost all trace elements necessary for cucumbers:
- nitrogen;
- phosphorus;
- potassium;
- iron;
- manganese.
To feed cucumbers with these nutrients, you need to dissolve 1 pack of yeast in a bucket of water. The prepared mixture is left for a day so that it ferments. Then this solution is carried out by watering the bushes. To water 1 seedling, you need a liter of liquid. Other minerals can also be added to this solution. Such feeding can be carried out no more than 2 times a month.
It is very effective to use a solution of ordinary wood ash to fertilize cucumbers. To do this, add about 200 grams of ash to a bucket of water at room temperature, and then mix everything thoroughly. Each bush is watered with 1 liter of this mixture. You can also use dry ash. It is simply sprinkled on the soil around the cucumbers. This procedure will serve as an excellent prevention of fungal diseases of the root system.
Many gardeners praise chicken manure. For this method, both fresh litter and rotted litter are used. Before using the solution, the soil should be well watered so that the litter does not cause burns in the plants. For 10 liters of water, you need 0,5 kg of chicken manure. With this solution, cucumbers are watered under the root at the rate of 800 ml of liquid per 1 bush.
You can also prepare bread infusion to feed cucumbers. Stale bread is placed in an empty bucket, it should occupy more than half of the capacity. Then the rest of the bread is poured with water, pressed down with oppression, and left for a week in a warm place so that the solution ferments. After that, the mixture is diluted with water in a ratio of 1/3. Now the fertilizer is completely ready and you can start watering.
Not only to strengthen the plants, but also to increase resistance to diseases, feeding on the basis of onion peel will help. To prepare the infusion, pour 200 g of husk with a bucket of water and put on fire until it boils. After that, the infusion should cool completely. To water 1 plant, you need a liter of this infusion.
Feeding cucumber seedlings
When growing cucumbers in open ground, seedlings are planted first. In warm climates or in greenhouse conditions, this is not necessary. Seedlings are grown for about a month. At this time, she also needs nutrition with minerals. The future harvest depends on how strong and healthy the seedlings will be.
For feeding cucumber seedlings, mixtures based on superphosphate and saltpeter are used. Cow dung can be used as organic fertilizer. When feeding seedlings of cucumbers, it is very important to fertilize the top layer of soil. The fact is that the seeds of cucumbers are planted shallowly, and the roots of this plant are compact. Because of this, it can be difficult for seedlings to extract nutrients from the soil.
Cow dung and ash can be added to the soil for seedlings. The components are mixed in the following proportions:
- 1м2 soil;
- 7 kg of manure;
- 1 glass of ash.
And for feeding the seedlings themselves, solutions are prepared from superphosphate, saltpeter or the same manure. You can also purchase ready-made fertilizers for cucumbers in specialized stores. Such mixtures do not contain nitrates and are completely safe for human health and life.
Top dressing during the active growth of cucumbers
Plants need nitrogen for normal growth. While the cucumbers have not yet begun to bloom and bear fruit, fertilizing should be carried out using fertilizers containing nitrogen. This is done in the following ways:
- By watering.
- Spraying.
- Using a drip irrigation system.
During the period of active growth, plants need phosphorus. This element is responsible for the development of the root system, the growth of green mass, the setting and ripening of fruits. It should be applied in small portions, but often, as it is necessary for cucumbers throughout the entire growing season.
With the help of potassium, plants can freely receive nutrients. It is potassium that is responsible for the transport of trace elements from the roots to other parts of the plant. With normal development, cucumbers in the open field are fed only 2 times. But greenhouse vegetables will have to be fertilized up to 5 times per season.
Top dressing during fruiting
When small cucumbers appear on the bushes, the composition of the feed should be changed. Now cucumbers simply need magnesium, potassium, and nitrogen. But it is important to remember that at this time the amount of nitrogen should be reduced, but potassium, on the contrary, should be increased.
Potassium nitrate not only has a positive effect on the growth of fruits, but also improves their taste. Such fruits will not be bitter, which often happens with a lack of mineral fertilizers. Also, bitterness can appear as a symptom of an excess of phosphorus and potassium. Feeding the bushes during this period will contribute to the appearance of additional ovaries, due to which fruiting will become longer.
Signs of lack and deficiency of trace elements
Due to the incorrect process of fertilizing cucumbers, growth can be disrupted, and the appearance of the bushes will also deteriorate. Signs of malnutrition will be the following:
- With an excessive amount of nitrogen, flowering is delayed. Also on the stems there are a large number of leaves, but very few flowers.
- Excess phosphorus negatively affects the leaves. They turn yellow at first, and then they can completely become stained and crumble.
- A large amount of potassium in the feed does not allow the plant to receive the necessary nitrogen. Because of this, the growth of the bush is delayed.
- Excess calcium is manifested by the appearance of pale spots on the leaves.
Having noticed the first signs of malnutrition, you should immediately stop applying the feed or change its composition depending on the needs of the plants.
Conclusion
By feeding cucumbers with the methods described in this article, you can achieve excellent results and grow an excellent crop of cucumbers in your area.