How to feed cucumbers in a greenhouse

Thanks to unpretentiousness, rapid growth and ripening cucumbers are represented in almost all gardens, and in many countries.

Since this is one of the vegetables that grows wonderfully in the greenhouse, it is one of the first to enter our diet after a long winter without vitamins. The cucumber itself, unlike other vegetable crops, cannot boast a wealth of nutrients for humans.

However, it is difficult to imagine a lot of salads and first courses without this vegetable. In order to eat beautiful, juicy and tasty fruits grown on their own, they need to be fed throughout the development. And do it by the rules, so as not to ruin the harvest. We will talk about the peculiarities of growing and feeding cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse in this material.

Features feeding cucumbers in the greenhouse: how to make a schedule fertilizer

Today, everyone is resorting to growing vegetables in polycarbonate greenhouses. Their popularity is due primarily to ease of assembly and excellent qualities that are favorable for growing plants.

In particular, the ability to transmit enough sunlight and retain heat. In addition, when breeding cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse, there is no need to pre-plant their seedlings.

When growing greenhouse cucumbers, it is important not only to maintain the correct temperature and humidity. For their successful development and fruiting, nutrients are needed to feed them. They are carried out during the whole process of vegetation - from the moment of planting the seedlings until fruiting.

Each owner of the greenhouse by his own trial and error, applying someone else's experience and advice, he will choose the most appropriate mode of fertilizing, will prefer any type of fertilizer and the application option. This will depend on the composition of the soil, the cultivated variety, the conditions created.However, there are general recommendations that it is desirable to take into account for all those involved in growing cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse.

And first you need to know how this vegetable develops throughout its growth, during what period and in what particular substances it needs.

For the successful development of cucumber, three elements are necessary:

• nitrogen;
• potassium;
• phosphorus.

During the growing season, the most necessary for cucumber is nitrogen. During the growth of the whips he needs potassium. And when new shoots appear and at the beginning of fruiting, the vegetable needs additional feedings. nitrogen. During the fruiting period the cucumber needs in potassium and phosphorus.

In accordance with these needs of vegetable culture, you can make a schedule of feeding for cucumbers in the greenhouse.

Fertilizers are applied three to four times, taking into account the allowed norms. Although, if required, supplements may be more, but not more often than once in 14 days.

The first feeding is carried out before flowering. Further, various types of fertilizer should be applied on demand plants. Information on how cucumbers signal what they lack, you can read in the last section of this article.In the meantime, we will understand what types of fertilizers are and how to properly apply them for cucumbers.

Types of fertilizer for cucumbers in the greenhouse

Cucumbers fertilize with two types of fertilizers:

• organic (manure, droppings, compost, peat, etc.);
• mineral (ammonia, potash, phosphate, microfertilizers).

Variants of organic fertilizers

The best option for feeding cucumbers would be aqueous solutions. Here are a few formulations of organic fertilizers.

In a 10-liter bucket of water dissolve 0.5 liters of mullein with the addition of 1 tbsp. Spoons nitrofoski. After mixing well, add 200 g of ash (50 g of potassium sulfate), 0.5 g of boric acid and 0.3 g of manganese sulphate. Consumption - 3 l / 1 square. m It is recommended to carry out such top dressing during flowering and formation of ovaries. It is carried out 20 days after application of the first fertilizers to the newly sprouted and given three or four leaflets of seedlings.

If you have the opportunity to prepare organic fertilizers, then the third and fourth fertilizing can also be carried out using organic matter: bird droppings or mullein. It is recommended to fertilize for the third time, after waiting two weeks after the second. The soil must be watered with the following composition: 2.5 Art. Spoon mullein diluted in 10 liters of water. Consumption - 8 l / 1 square. m. The same composition is used for the following feeding.

For watering plants are also used diluted in water. chicken droppings (1:15), dung (1: 6), slurry (1: 8). In addition, apply infusions of green grass (1: 5). Humus is applied dry.

Infusion of green grass can be prepared as follows: 1 kg of crushed plants of quinoa, plantain, nettle pour 12 liters of hot water, insist for three days. Before use, strain. Use for watering beds. Consumption - 2-3 liters / 1 square. m. Used and other herbs.

Not very common among gardeners, but effective feeding cucumbers in the greenhouse with yeast. This method allows you to achieve better yield. A fertilizer is simply prepared: 100 g of yeast dissolved in 10 liters of water.The infusion should ferment for one day. This mixture of plants watered at the root.

Mineral fertilizers for greenhouse cucumbers

Mineral fertilizers in the absence of organic should be used when first feeding cucumbers after planting in the greenhouse, which is carried out when the seedlings will give three or four leaves. Prepare it in this way: 20 g of double superphosphate, 15-20 g of potassium sulfate (10-15 g of potassium chloride), 10-15 g of ammonium nitrate. This solution is enough to feed 10-15 sprouts.

From other mineral compounds, than it is possible to fertilize cucumbers in the greenhouse, it is recommended the following:

1. For the first feeding:

• 1 tbsp. spoon urea, 60 g of superphosphate diluted in a 10-liter bucket of water;
• Sprinkle 5 g of ammophos on the soil and loosen;
• 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 10 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potassium salt pour 10 liters of water.

2. For the second feeding:

• 20 g of potassium nitrate, 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 40 g of superphosphate;

3. For the third feeding:

• 15-20 g of potassium nitrate diluted with 10 liters of water;
• 50 g of urea pour 10 liters of water;

4. For the fourth feeding:

• 28-30 g of baking soda dissolved in 10 liters of water.

Thus, based on the recommendations, you can make an approximate scheme of feeding cucumbers in the greenhouse, which will look like this:

1st feeding - before flowering, when the seedlings gave the first leaves - organic or mineral fertilizers, rich in nitrogen;

2nd feeding - during the formation of ovaries and the beginning of flowering (two to three weeks after the previous one) - organic fertilizers (in the absence of organic matter use minerals with a reduced dose of nitrogen and increased potassium content);

Recommended doses of minerals before fruiting: ammonium nitrate - 5-10 g; superphosphate - 20 g; potassium sulfate - 10 g per 10 liters of water.

3rd feeding - in the period of mass fruiting (not earlier than two weeks after the previous one) - potash, phosphate fertilizers, and nitrogen fertilizers with the addition of sulfur;

4th dressing - during the fruiting period (14 days after the third) - with potassium and phosphate fertilizers.

Recommended doses of minerals during fruiting: ammonium nitrate - 15-20 g; superphosphate - 20 g; potassium sulfate - 20 g per 10 liters of water.

Types of feeding cucumbers in the greenhouse

By the method of making the feeding are divided into:

• foliar;
• root.

Foliar feedings

When you will make your own scheme, what, in what period and how to feed cucumbers, it is important to add foliar nutrition to it - spraying the leaves with useful substances. For this method is used as ready-made compositions, purchased in specialized stores, and cooked with their own hands.

Here are some recipes for foliar fertilizing:

• 10 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium nitrate, 1 g of boric acid, 0.4 g of sulfur manganese, 0.1 g of zinc sulfate;
• 50 g of a 1.5% urea solution / 10 l of water;
• 1 tsp boric acid, 10-12 crystals of potassium permanganate dissolved in a liter of water.

From ready-made mixtures suitable "Zircon", "Appin", special fertilizers for cucumbers. 1 tbsp. spoon of these substances is diluted in 10 liters of water. Consumption - 5 liters / 1 square. m

Foliar nutrition of cucumbers folk remedies implies spraying infused hay. It is filled with water (1: 1), insist 48 hours. This infusion fertilized cucumbers three times at intervals of seven days.

The main advantage of spraying with fertilizers is the fastest, compared with root dressings, action, as well as less loss of useful material. However, you should be aware that foliar top dressing is only an additional source of nutrients, they will not be able to fully saturate the plant with the necessary elements.

The main indicators for the introduction of foliar feeding cucumbers in the greenhouse is the lack of one or more essential nutrients and the cold summer period with frequent cloudy weather and lack of sunlight. They are held in small doses in the evening or in the absence of the sun. Sprayed in small drops evenly on the leaves.

Root top dressing

It is recommended to irrigate under the root immediately after precipitation or abundant watering in the evening or in cloudy weather.

Perhaps the implementation of some root dressings and only organic or onlymineral fertilizers, and it is possible the alternation of organic matter and minerals, foliar and root dressings.

What to do if cucumbers began to lag behind in development, how to determine what the plant lacks

If cucumbers need any nutrients, they will tell you about this change in their appearance. So, the cause of light green spots on the leaves or their yellowing, stopping the plant in growth, can be magnesium deficiency or potassium oversupply.

The reason for slowing down the development of cucumbers becomes and iron deficiency. In this case, the leaves they acquire light colors, almost turn white.

Cucumber gives fruits, shaped like light bulbs or pears (narrowed at the stem) - so he tells you that to him need potassium. In this case, it is recommended to introduce watering with a solution of ash or root and foliar spraying with a solution of potassium phosphate (1 tsp / 1 l of water), an aqueous solution of potassium sulfate.

Cucumbers, narrowed at the tip and thickened at the stem, in the form of a hook, signal about nitrogen deficiency. With nitrogen starvation, plants also become thin lashes, small leaves, and fruits are light in color.Yellowing of the edges of the leaflets is also possible - later they twist downwards and shrivel. With this problem will help root feeding mullein or other organic matter.

The formation of your cucumbers "waist" (narrowing of the fruit in the middle) indicates a sharp jump in day and night temperatures, watering with too cold water and a lack of magnesium and iron. Complex fertilizers will help solve the problem.

About calcium deficiency evidence of light yellow spots on young leaves, inhibition of plant growth, the rapid aging of the root. The fruits of these plants are small and tasteless.

Phosphorus deficiency will affect the leaves, which at first will acquire a dark color, and then wither and turn black. Scourge in plants suffering from phosphorus deficiency slows growth.

If the fruits begin to taste bitter, they lack moisture, and it is necessary increase watering.

When plants look healthy, bear fruit well with large fruits, it can be limited to one or two additional feedings.

In the event that you paid attention to the fact that the appearance of cucumbers has changed for the worse, and it is impossible to determine exactly what element they lack at this stage, it is recommended to apply complex fertilizers.

Regular and properly conducted feeding cucumbers significantly reduce the risk of plant diseases, increase yields by 10-15%, increase the size of fruits and improve their taste.