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Do you know how to pollinate? cucumbers in the greenhouse? The whole problem is that insects have limited access to the enclosed space. The yield of varieties with heterosexual flowers is especially reduced.
How can we solve the pollination problem?
Pollination of cucumbers in a greenhouse can be carried out in two ways - using natural and artificial fertilization.
It is not always possible to use the labor of insects in a confined space, however, it is quite possible to transfer most of the work of moving pollen to them. At least during most of the summer, pollinators can be allowed into the greenhouse space using an aeration system.
Artificial pollination is necessary in the following cases:
- during periods of reduced insect activity;
- during breeding activities that require the exclusion of accidental fertilization;
- inability to provide access for pollinators to the greenhouse.
The best option is natural pollination, the usual is a mixed version.
How to ensure natural pollination
The best way to rely on insects for pollination is to have a hive of bees. This, of course, is additional trouble, but you will have cucumbers and honey. Many gardeners who take their business seriously do just that. With proper care, bees begin to fly very early.In central Russia, they can fly out during the flowering of willow and primroses, that is, in April. So ensuring pollination in this case is not a problem; the main thing is to place the hive in the right place in time.
If you don't want to bother with hives, there are several ways to use the environment to your advantage.
The more diverse the environment of the area where the greenhouse is located, the more pollinators there will be. Where there is a lot of rotting organic matter, pesticides are not used, and the ground is not dug up, not only bumblebees and wild bees, but also many different flies and bugs that feed on nectar and pollen can settle for permanent residence, which makes them fly from flower to flower. flower.
Some gardeners resort to forming sweet baits. If you spray the plants with a sugar solution (2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water), this will attract many nectar lovers. True, at the same time they will be tempted to collect sweetness from the leaves, and not from the flowers. However, there is one peculiarity in this method. Bees have a good collective memory. They will remember the place where they were well treated and will come here regularly.
Areas where the earth is dug up can serve as a source for the appearance of various butterflies. However, they are not able to ensure complete pollination of a large number of cultivated plants. In addition, most of the larvae of these butterflies feed on these same plants.
It is best to place a nest of bumblebees or wild earth bees in your greenhouse. However, this requires knowledge of their biology, patience and the transfer of part of the greenhouse space to the uncultivated category.
A heterogeneous environment on a plot is always beneficial to the farmer.It supplies not only pollinators, but many small predators that inhibit the reproduction of herbivorous organisms.
Artificial pollination
If you decide to replace the bee, you can do it as follows:
- Find a male flower, carefully pick it, bring it to the female one and shake the pollen onto the pistil. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that pollination actually occurs. A bee, due to its size, transfers pollen carefully and sparingly, but a large person will very quickly lose all the pollen. Arm yourself with a magnifying glass and periodically look at the male flower. If all the pollen has already flown around, pick a new one.
- The entire procedure of pollen transfer can be carried out using a soft artistic brush. Collect the pollen with a few waving motions, then place the brush in a small porcelain, plastic or glass container to prevent excess material loss. With such a brush you can pollinate many more female flowers than with just one picked male one.
- Particularly valuable varietal plants, the genetic purity of which you are very concerned about, must be protected from any accidental pollination from specimens belonging to other species. It is necessary to isolate varietal flowers even before they bloom, immediately after it becomes clear which gender the species belongs to. Wrap the desired flower in gauze, opening it only during pollination or after the ovary has begun to form. In this case, artificial pollination is best done using a plucked flower. This procedure is resorted to if they want to grow seed material.
Artificial pollination is not a very complicated process, although it is troublesome.
However, it also has its own subtleties. They are as follows:
- It is recommended to carry it out in the morning, before the sun begins to dry out the air. In cloudy weather, pollination is allowed at a later time.
- It is important to choose a period with air humidity of about 70%. If the air is more humid, the pollen will form clumps; if it is too dry, it may not germinate in the pistil.
- In order to preserve the genetic integrity of the varietal affiliation of a given bush, it is necessary, first of all, to provide it with a label.
- Hand pollination is carried out one day after the flower has fully bloomed. The result of your efforts can be seen in just 3 days. In a fertilized flower, the ovary will begin to grow rapidly.
- Don't forget to mark flowers that have already been pollinated. Otherwise, you will spend too much time and money playing the role of a bee. You can use, for example, marks made with watercolor paint or gouache. You can do it easier - tear off a petal from a pollinated flower.
Thus, if you are interested in getting a harvest, pollination of cucumbers in greenhouses should be a mandatory procedure. Once it becomes a habit, it won't seem so difficult.
