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Every gardener or gardener knows that cucumber is a plant that is quite demanding on its watering. Moreover, this factor does not depend on where the plant grows: in a greenhouse or not. Before planting seedlings, you should know in advance how to properly water cucumbers in a greenhouse. This article will be devoted to this issue.
Basic watering rules
To get a plentiful and tasty crop of greenhouse cucumbers, first of all, you need to provide seedlings with good and plentiful watering. You can find a lot of information about how to water cucumbers. But in this matter, it should be remembered that it is not recommended to overdry or overmoisten the soil. In order to prevent these phenomena and avoid a decrease in plant yield, you need to focus on the state of the seedlings. But watering cucumbers depends not only on the condition of the plants themselves, but also on the age of planting.
Before the beginning of the flowering period, watering cucumbers should be moderate and normally be approximately 4 to 5 liters of water per 1 m2. Such watering will provide the plant with the necessary amount of water and will not allow the formation of many leaves, and as a result, ovaries will form more actively. If a lot of leaves are still formed on the bushes, then it is allowed to “dry” it slightly, i.e. leave the seedling once without watering.
Most often, cucumbers need to be watered during the formation of the first ovaries, during the active phase of fruiting and after harvesting the fruits. So how to water cucumbers during these periods? Cucumbers need to be watered every 2-3 days, based on climatic conditions and a calculation of 9 to 12 liters of water per 1 square meter. After flowering has ended, watering the seedlings is carried out every other day. In the case when the leaves of the cucumbers are “withered”, you need to additionally water them.
Remember that watering cucumbers in a greenhouse is carried out only with water at room temperature (+ 20-25). Cold water can provoke the development of a disease such as root rot.
Regarding how to water cucumbers correctly, there are several recommendations, following which you will certainly achieve an excellent harvest.
The general rules for proper watering are as follows:
- regular, but not too frequent watering;
- you can not water the cucumbers directly under the root;
- you need to water the cucumber bushes only with warm water, which is as close as possible to the temperature of the soil;
- periodically pay attention to the quality of the leaves, so as not to miss the moment of “withering”.
Rules for watering cucumbers in closed and open ground conditions:
- watering cucumbers is carried out only “under the root”. But you should be very careful not to expose the roots of the seedlings too much. Otherwise, there will be a deterioration in both the quality and quantity of cucumbers. If exposure does occur, then the plant should be immediately spudded or fertile soil should be placed on top;
- in a greenhouse, it is necessary to water cucumbers through specially dug grooves along the beds of plants.
In addition to these tips, there are other recommendations on how to water cucumbers:
- the soil at the base of the bush must be dry throughout the growing season to avoid root rot;
- in order to prevent overheating of cucumber bushes in a greenhouse, it is recommended to spray glass from the outside with a special aqueous solution of chalk (low concentration);
- on hot days, cucumbers are watered from a watering can about 4-5 liters per 1 m2. This simulates natural rain watering. In this way, a significant decrease in temperature and an increase in air humidity can be achieved;
- before watering cucumbers in cloudy weather, you should assess the condition of the soil and do not increase the humidity unnecessarily.
How to make an irrigation system
Usually, to make life easier for themselves, many gardeners install an irrigation system in the greenhouse. Such installations can be bought or assembled independently. You can find a lot of information about how to water cucumbers using such installations, and therefore you should understand this issue in more detail.
To date, the most optimal non-industrial option is considered to be drip irrigation of cucumbers. in a greenhouse. There is simply a huge selection of different drip systems and every gardener can choose the one that suits his greenhouse. But it is quite possible to build a similar design on your own.
Advantages of the drip systemplum of cucumbers:
- the ability to automate the process;
- economical water consumption;
- accurate distribution of watering;
- the ability to cover fairly large landing areas;
- accessibility and simplicity, both in operation and in installation;
- resistance of the structure to temperature and atmospheric influences;
- there is no erosion and washing out of the soil;
- improved fruit quality and yield.
There are two options for such systems:
- water supply by gravity;
- pumping water.
Gravity water supply
In order to create your own drip irrigation system, you will need:
- faucet with valve;
- canister or barrel (there may also be another suitable container);
- base or platform on which you will need to install the container;
- hose with several holes (the distance between them should be about 30 cm).
In addition to these devices, it will also be necessary to build a pedestal to a height that can be adjusted – in order to provide the necessary water pressure for its supply. On this platform is installed a container with water. Next, a crane is mounted here, and you should not mount it at the very base of the tank. It is best to do this at a distance of about 5-10 cm from its bottom, so you can avoid clogging the tap with various debris. Then we connect the hose to the tap. If you have not previously made holes in the hoses, then this can be done before laying them between the beds. When using such a system, it is advisable to first lay the hoses, and then plant the seedlings.
Delivery through a pumping station
A similar design can be equipped with a pump and a faster irrigation system can be obtained. To create such a drip irrigation system, you will need to connect hoses to either a pump or a mains water supply. But before watering cucumbers with such a system, you will need to additionally install a pressure regulator. This will limit the water pressure in the hose within 1 atmosphere. Remember that the water from the tap is cold and is not suitable for simultaneous watering of plants.
The pump is more preferable because it pumps already warm water from a heated tank. The pump is installed between the hose and the tank. You can also install a check valve and filter. When the tap is opened, the pump will automatically turn on and supply water to the bushes. Since the water will drip slowly, the pump will work alternately.
By organizing the right watering cucumbers, you can get an excellent harvest in the future.
Video “Drip irrigation of cucumbers”
In the video below, you can see how to organize drip irrigation of cucumbers in a greenhouse.
