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Autumn is harvest time, for some crops the last of the year. But you want to eat fresh vegetables not only in the summer. If everything is done correctly, then until the coldest weather, crispy green cucumbers will delight the whole family, reminding them of the past summer.
TO growing cucumbers in a greenhouse In the fall, it is appropriate to start preparing at the end of summer. Temperature With the arrival of autumn cool air, it often no longer allows seedlings to develop in open ground. Already in September, everything should be ready for planting seeds, from which young shoots of cucumbers should soon grow. The first necessary step is preparing the greenhouse.
If any vegetables were grown in the greenhouse during the summer, then the ground must be cleared of remnants of leaves, shoots and roots.
The frame of the greenhouse can be wooden or metal. In any case, the frame material must be treated before planting seedlings: wood with a solution of bleach or water-based paint, metal with copper sulfate. This is done in order to protect future shoots from pests, rust and mold that can settle on the greenhouse frame.
The main materials used in greenhouses are film, glass or polycarbonate. Film is the simplest, but not the most durable type of coating. It is used more often for temporary summer greenhouse options.If planned plant cucumbers in such a greenhouse, you need to carefully check the integrity of the coating and provide protection for young shoots from cold condensation, which always forms on the film in the morning. Because of this, plants can freeze and die.
A polycarbonate greenhouse is the most durable and reliable option, but such a structure costs a lot of money.
Therefore, it is not worth installing it for 3-5 kg of cucumbers. But if growing cucumbers in a greenhouse is a profitable business, then you should not skimp on a good polycarbonate greenhouse with heating, lighting and air ventilation.
Preparing seedlings and planting cucumbers in the ground
In September, the soil temperature in central Russia still allows for planting seeds in a greenhouse directly into the ground.
If there are concerns that it will be cooler at night, the seeds can be planted in special pots that are installed in the greenhouse before the shoots germinate.
When planting cucumbers in the open ground of a greenhouse, you need to pre-treat the soil to get rid of harmful bacteria, rot and weed, which can harm the future harvest, and places for beds should also be created. Preliminary soil preparation before planting includes several stages:
- The soil in the greenhouse is removed by 5-10 cm to remove unnecessary elements from the soil remaining from previous plantings.
- The land should be treated with diluted lime and fertilizers, organic and mineral.If we are talking about compost and unrotted manure, then small depressions are made for their placement, into which you need to place the selected type of fertilizer at the rate of 20 kg per 1 m2.
- The beds can be placed in the greenhouse in a way that is convenient for its owner. But if you plan to combine the cultivation of cucumbers with other types of vegetables, then the side for planting cucumber seedlings should be sunny. The height of the beds can be from 20 to 30 cm.
- Before planting cucumbers, holes are made in the beds at a distance of at least 30 cm. This is necessary so that as the bushes grow, they do not interfere with each other. Planting cucumbers too closely reduces their yield and fruit quality. Before planting seedlings, you need to water the hole. Then carefully insert the root part of the shoot and sprinkle it with soil. Watering the seedlings immediately after planting is not required.
- Planting of ready-made seedlings occurs when the height of the stem reaches 15-25 cm. It is worth taking care in advance about preparing trellises to which the growing shoots will need to be tied.
The peculiarity of planting cucumbers in a greenhouse in the fall is that during this period of time there is no need to use nitrogen fertilizers. It is enough to treat the soil against pests and enrich it with manure. Particularly suitable for these purposes chicken droppings, previously soaked in water. Fertilizers containing nitrogen are used only in spring.
Caring for cucumbers in a greenhouse
Cucumbers are plants that love moisture. The humidity level in the greenhouse should be at least 80%. But this does not cancel regular watering of vegetables. It is enough to do it every other day. If autumn is sunny and hot, you can water the cucumbers daily.Watering cucumbers should be done with water at room temperature, strictly under the bush, trying to prevent splashes from falling on the leaves.
To do this, it is better to use a watering can with a special nozzle. You need to make sure that the water pressure when watering is not too strong.
After all, it can damage the young root system of vegetables. Don't use too much water. Excess moisture will lead to rot and plant death. In mid-autumn, at lower temperatures, you can water cucumbers less often, about once every 10 days. Water consumption per 1 m2 should be approximately 8-9 liters.
As the air temperature drops, the soil gradually cools. If the greenhouse is not heated additionally, then young cucumbers in the fall cannot receive all the necessary nutrients from the soil and need feeding. The best option would be water-soluble fertilizers that can be sprayed onto the bushes. But their use must be carried out in strict accordance with the instructions on the packaging.
How to care for shoots
Growing shoots of cucumbers need to be pinched from the moment they reach a length of 50 cm. This is done as follows:
- Lower side shoots are removed using pruning shears.
- It is customary to pinch the side shoots above the first leaf.
- The upper part of the main shoot and the upper shoots are secured above the second leaf.
All excess tendrils, dead ovaries, dry leaves and parts of side stems must be removed in a timely manner so that they do not interfere with the development of the main fruiting shoot. In order for the harvest to be large and the cucumber fruits to grow to medium size, it is necessary not only to maintain the level of humidity, to fertilize and water the plantings. It is important to ensure that fresh air enters the greenhouse.It is recommended to ventilate 1-2 times a week. However, strong autumn drafts can harm young plants, so this must be done very carefully, covering the stems with film if necessary.
These include hybrid varieties of vegetables. They are resistant to small temperature changes and pests, and at the same time produce high yields even in unfavorable conditions. If you follow all the rules for caring for cucumbers, you can harvest them 1-2 times a week.
