Caring for cucumbers in a greenhouse is troublesome, but interesting. Such cultures are beneficial to everyone. And it is far from always possible to grow this crop in open ground. In a greenhouse, this is somewhat easier to do, and a large amount of crop can be harvested from a smaller area if everything is done correctly.
Soil preparation
Before considering how to care for cucumbers in a greenhouse, it is necessary to dwell in more detail on the features of preparing a greenhouse for growing these crops. The main condition for successful cultivation in a greenhouse of this vegetable is good soil. So, if any plants have already been planted in the greenhouse, then the top layer of soil must be replaced with a new one in order to avoid the development of diseases.
It is best to use land for greenhouse cucumbers, which contains equal parts of humus, manure, peat and soddy soil. The optimal acidity should be about 5-6. If it is higher, then it should be lowered with lime. It is also desirable to disinfect the ground if the greenhouse is small. To do this, it is poured with boiling water.
In order for cucumbers not to suffer from fungal diseases, wood ash should be added to the soil immediately before planting. The larger the number, the better. You can also sprinkle some mineral fertilizers on the soil in advance. So, the plants will grow faster.
Watering and feeding
To know how to properly care for cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse, you need to clearly understand what kind of watering the plants need. Everyone knows that cucumber is 90% water. But this does not mean that it can be filled. This plant, like all others, can begin to rot from excess moisture.
At an early stage, while the plants are still small, they need to be watered once every 2-3 days. This will be enough while maintaining a normal level of humidity and temperature in the greenhouse. But during the fruiting period, watering will need to be frequent. Cucumbers will require water every day. And it is important in this case not to overdo it with it.
For watering it is necessary to use slightly warm water, but not cold. It is important that there is no strong temperature difference between water and air in the greenhouse. It is best to preheat the water in the sun. If this is a greenhouse in the house, then the water should be at room temperature. Never use boiled water for watering cucumbers!
Experts recommend watering not only the soil, but also the ground parts of plants. If this is not possible, then you should spray the plants from a spray bottle at least once every 3 days. This should only be done when direct sunlight does not fall on the cucumbers. Ideally, for watering seedlings of cucumbers in a greenhouse, you should use watering cans with special nozzles that allow you to create a rain effect for plants.
Top dressing also plays an important role in the care of greenhouse cucumbers. The soil in the greenhouse depletes much faster than in the open field. Therefore, in this case, more frequent feeding is needed for good development and abundant fruiting.
It is often not possible to provide sufficient lighting in the greenhouse at all times. Then the seedlings need to be sprayed with nutrients. It is best to use boron, manganese, copper or magnesium for such top dressing. But it is not recommended to do this in the fruiting phase in order to avoid getting the listed substances on the fruits.
If the cucumbers in the greenhouse are provided with optimal conditions, then it is quite enough to get by with the usual root dressings. Superphosphate, potassium sulfate and urea are good for this purpose. You can even make a mixture. It is necessary to pour 15 g of urea, 20 g of superphosphate and about 15 g of potassium sulfate into a bucket of water, mix everything thoroughly. This amount of fertilizer is enough for about 3-4 m2 plantations.
Temperature and humidity
Almost all experts know how to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse. In order for cucumbers to bear fruit well and not get sick, the optimum temperature of air and soil should be maintained. So, before the fruiting period, the air temperature should be approximately 17-20 ° C, depending on whether it is daytime or night time. When the plants begin to bear fruit, the temperature should be raised to 24-25 ° C.
In the temperature regime of greenhouse cucumbers, much depends on the variety of plants. The fact is that there are plants that need higher or, conversely, lower temperatures. Therefore, it is important to take all this into account.
The temperature of the soil and air should be approximately the same. Otherwise, fungal diseases attack seedlings very quickly. In order to maintain the temperature at the same level, it is necessary to ensure good humidity in the greenhouse. The optimal level is 80%. But during the fruiting period, there should be more moisture, so it is recommended to increase the humidity to 90%. This can be easily achieved if the plants are sprayed more often, and small containers of water are placed in the greenhouse.
helpful hints
To properly care for greenhouse cucumbers, you should also follow a few simple rules.
Compliance with such recommendations will help to protect seedlings from diseases as much as possible and in the future to get a bountiful harvest of cucumbers:
- It is better to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse on trellises. So, you will not only save space, but also make it easier for yourself to harvest in the future. Yes, and the plants will feel better, as their ground parts will be less in contact with the ground.
- When the cucumbers grow large and begin to bear fruit, you need to make sure that the lower leaves do not take moisture and nutrients. Experts advise to periodically cut off the lower and yellowed leaves. Of course, the plants may not look quite aesthetically pleasing, but there will be more fruits.
- Be sure to consider the individual characteristics of varieties when grown in greenhouses. This applies to both small indoor greenhouses and large greenhouses that are built in summer cottages. Each variety may have some special requirements that will be completely unimportant for other varieties.
- It should be periodically checked that the walls of the greenhouse located in the summer cottage do not have holes and cracks. This will protect seedlings from drafts and pests, help maintain optimal humidity and temperature conditions. But at the same time, it is important that the greenhouse has windows that are needed to get fresh air when it is needed.
- Try not to spray cucumbers with pesticides, especially during the fruiting period. Of course, this will protect against pests, but it will have a very bad effect on the quality of the crop. If you want to grow organic food, it is best to use harmless pest control methods, albeit not as effective.
So, now it’s clear how to care for cucumbers in a greenhouse. This is not a very demanding culture, so it will grow even if care is insufficient. But following the recommendations described above will facilitate the care of cucumbers in the greenhouse, help the plants develop well and produce a constant harvest. The long-term practice of gardeners confirms once again that growing cucumbers in a greenhouse way can give a good harvest.