Content
In order to know how to properly pinch cucumbers in a greenhouse, you need to understand why this is needed. After all, the larger the plant grows, the more it will have the opportunity to produce a good harvest of fruits. However, in conditions of a short growing season and limited greenhouse space, pinching cucumbers is a measure to optimize the harvesting process.
Cucumber vines and features of their formation
A cucumber bush is, of course, not a bush in the botanical sense of the term. It’s just that in agriculture it’s common to call a single specimen of a plant called a cucumber. In fact, it is an annual herbaceous vine, which, like all plants, consists of a root, stem, leaves, flowers and fruits.
Lianas are plants with a special strategy for capturing space and holding a place in the sun. The main thing for them is to find a support and climb up it, to where no one blocks the sun. To do this, each vine develops its own devices, the essence of which is to catch on, hold on and pull up. Cucumbers are one of those types of vines that use special transformed shoots called tendrils.
Despite its apparent fragility, the mustache has great strength and is able to firmly cling to a support, pulling the entire shoot towards it.
The better the conditions, the more shoots the cucumber bush has. All of them are usually divided into the main lash and the side ones. The task of gardeners growing cucumbers is to take timely measures to form a bush. The goal of these actions is to make the cucumber bush produce maximum yield in a minimum space. This is achieved by forming a vertical support, tying, trimming and pinching.
The meaning of pinching actions
Pinching cucumbers means caring for them for optimal bush formation. To do this, it is necessary to solve the following problems:
- Reduce the number of male flowers. They cannot be completely eliminated, since they are a source of pollen, without which there will be no fruit set. Most cultivated varieties are currently cross-pollinated, so the greenhouse must be provided with about a fifth of the flowers supplying pollen. To do this, it is advisable to decide in advance where and how many male flowers you will leave; all the rest must be removed. It must be remembered that, as a rule, male flowers are formed on the main shoot. You should expect fruit to form on the side shoots, because this is where the female flowers appear. For this reason, it is necessary to stimulate the most abundant branching. It is very easy to distinguish male flowers from female ones. Firstly, females have only a pistil, and males only stamens. Secondly, male flowers are located on shorter and thinner stalks. Thirdly, pistillate flowers have a noticeable cucumber ovary. And finally, male flowers are placed in groups of 5-7 pieces, and female flowers - individually, or 2-3 copies.
- Eliminate everything that is not aimed at producing fruit. As a rule, the antennae are considered a secondary organ that takes over resources. In greenhouse conditions, this position is justified. If you take care of every centimeter of limited space, you should not let the process of weaving shoots take its course. It is very difficult to keep track of how the tendrils cling and where they direct the whip. It is better to simply tie the vines to the trellises, taking on the role of tendrils.
- Optimize the arrangement of leaves, flowers and shoots. The advisability of pinching off in this case is dictated by the need to maintain the optimal level of illumination of all leaves of the vine, the correct branching of shoots for a given variety, as well as the optimal arrangement of flowers.
In order to achieve the desired result, you need to know how to properly pinch cucumbers using certain patterns.
Sequence and features of pinching greenhouse cucumbers
The answer to the question: how to pinch cucumbers depends on what varieties you grow. The fact is that the pattern of influencing the bush using pinching may be different for varieties with different types of pollination. Cucumbers of parthenocarpic varieties do not need pollination, so you don’t have to worry about leaving male flowers here. For insect-pollinated varieties, it is important to maintain the minimum acceptable proportions of male and female flowers.
Caring for cucumbers using the excess removal system must be done in the following sequence:
- The first procedure is carried out immediately after the appearance of the fifth leaf. Flowers, tendrils and side shoots are removed from the lower axils.It is necessary to remove any flowers, since the early fruits, formed by the vine that has not yet matured, turn out to be small and often irregular in shape.
- Further care involves pinching after the appearance of the seventh or eighth leaves. It is necessary to remove two side shoots on each side of the main stem.
- When the eleventh leaf appears, it is necessary to pinch off the top of the main shoot. This is done so that the plant does not develop too large a lash, but spends all resources on the formation of fruits.
- Parthenocarpic varieties are usually grown in one stem. This means that you need to pinch in such a way as to reduce branching. When the main shoot reaches a height of about half a meter, in its lower part it is necessary to remove all shoots, leaves and flowers. Above this zone, all lateral shoots must be pinched to the level of the first leaf, leaving the ovary and several leaves.
When carrying out operations to form cucumber bushes, it should be remembered that any pinching is an injury to the plant, so pruning should be carried out only with a sharp and clean tool. A knife or scissors are best suited; they should be protected from contact with soil and other environments where pathogens of cucumbers may be located.
