What covering material is best for cucumbers? We grow vegetables under protection. Specifics of growing vegetables in open ground: pros and cons

The main purpose of covering materials is to protect plants from harsh climatic conditions and other negative influences external environment. This article will consider covering material for beds and the features of its selection. As well as methods for watering the floor with covering material.

Thanks to modern technologies, it has become possible through covering materials:

• Protect crops from low temperatures.
• Protect crops from weeds.
• During periods of persistent heat, reduce moisture loss.
• Accelerate the ripening of the crop.

The covering material not only protects the plants, but also greatly facilitates the work of the gardener when caring for the plants. Plants and soil do not require frequent watering and weeding. Covering material is used in two ways:

• Stretch the material onto the frame, supports or arcs.
• Cover the area with material and make holes in the right places into which the seedlings are planted.

In the table we consider the main functions of covering material throughout the year:

Types of covering material: advantages and disadvantages

There are two types of covering material - polyethylene and non-woven (agrofabric or agrofibre). Let's consider the disadvantages and advantages of two types of material:

1. Polyethylene covering materials They are primarily used to protect plants from low temperatures and precipitation. The main advantages of the film are that it transmits light well and retains heat. Disadvantages: the material is suitable for use in the construction of a greenhouse or greenhouse. Additional installation of supports or frame is required. The film does not allow air and moisture to pass through, which leads to soil drought and condensation accumulation. In this regard, frequent watering and regular ventilation are required. The accumulation of condensate is a favorable environment for the development of pathogenic microflora. With heavy and persistent precipitation, the film sags. The service life of the film is designed for no more than one season.

1. Non-woven covering materials (agrofabric, agrofibre). The main advantage is environmentally friendly material. When using, no installation of supports or frame is required. Nonwoven materials, thanks to polypropylene fibers, are highly permeable to moisture, light and air. There is no need to remove the film when watering plants. By external characteristics agrofibre is very similar to polyethylene film, in technical properties agrofibre is twice lighter and softer than polyethylene. The service life of agrofabric is quite long.

Tip #1: Agrofibre transmits light well and accumulates heat, so use this type covering material is best in early spring. Agrofabric allows air and moisture to pass through well and is used as soon as the soil warms up.

Features and advantages of covering material in color and density

Covering material varies in density and color. Based on density, covering materials are divided into light, medium and dense. Color: black and white. In the table we consider the features and characteristics of materials by density and color:

Advantages of lightweight covering materials : The protective cover does not harm growing plants due to its light texture. Moreover, during the process of growth and development, plants will be able to easily lift the tissue. Despite the low density, lightweight materials can reliably protect plants from spring mornings and return frosts. Protect from the rays of the scorching sun, as well as from insects and birds.

Advantages of medium and dense covering materials: reliably protect late and early crops. Used to protect berry bushes and ornamental shrubs from low winter temperatures. Dense and black in color agrofibre is ideal for mulching the ground. This material does not allow sunlight to pass through, which prevents the germination of weeds. Landing cultivated plants produced in a slot.

Tip #2: To prevent weeds and provide additional warmth for plants, it is recommended to use a modern two-color non-woven fabric. Method of use: the black side is placed on the soil, respectively white surface will reflect the sun's rays. The two-layer material simultaneously protects the soil from weeds and overheating, and an additional light source will allow you to develop more strong plants and get an early harvest.

Covering material for beds: features and properties of spunbond

Spunbond – the most reliable and durable of all types of non-woven materials . It is characterized by high strength and a long service life, on average up to 7 years. Used for the following purposes:

• warming up the soil;
• obtaining early shoots;
• protection of the top layer of soil;
• protection of plants not resistant to frost and frost.

The technical characteristics of spunbond improve the growth and development of the plant. Spunbond improves the formation and ripening of the crop. The technical features of spunbond include:

• high permeability of the material, which allows air to easily penetrate under the shelter;
• homogeneity of the material structure, which allows for even distribution of heat;
• high ability to withstand adverse environmental influences;
• resistant to pathogenic and putrefactive bacteria;
• resistant to chemicals when treated with fungicides and pesticides.

Properties and features of covering material lutrasil

Lutrasil – synthetic fiber, produced in two types - spun fiber and non-woven fiber. It is lightweight and superior to polyethylene film in almost everything. Spun fiber is used to create shelter for greenhouses and greenhouses. Non-woven black material is used to mulch the soil. Spun and non-woven lutrasil is designed to protect fruit trees and shrubs, as well as plants that are grown in flower beds and beds from frost and sunlight, as well as from pests and diseases. Technical features material:

• rot-resistant;
• easy to store;
• convenient to use;
• breathable;
• safe for humans and plants.

Features of SpunBel: properties and purposes

Spunbel is a non-woven material that is resistant to ultraviolet rays. The material has high light and air permeability. Designed to create a favorable microclimate for growing crops. Reliably protects against heavy and heavy rains, as well as strong winds and persistent heat. Spunbel is characterized by high strength and wear resistance.

Spunbel is used for growing vegetable and fruit crops. Used to protect flowers and ornamental shrubs. The main advantages of the material are that it prevents the development of weeds and promotes early harvest.

Main characteristics of the covering material Agrospan and Agril

Agrospan is a non-woven material that is distinguished by its ability to maintain an optimal microclimate, which has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of the plant. Reliably protects the plant and soil from drought and excess moisture. It is used to create greenhouses and greenhouses, allowing you to control optimal temperature and air humidity.

Agrospan in dosed quantities allows ultraviolet rays and moisture to pass through. The lightweight type of agrospan carefully protects seedlings. Protects plants from frost and frost. Agrospan is used for soil mulching. Used all year round.

The table shows the types of covering material for vegetable and berry crops:

Common Mistakes

1. To protect seedlings in open ground use covering materials with high density. Young stems are not always able to bear the weight of such material.
2. In order to prevent the development of weeds, covering material is chosen white, which promotes the development of weeds due to the transmission function of sunlight and light.
3. To construct frame shelters for plants, lightweight materials are used, which leads to sagging of the shelters after heavy rainfall.

FAQ

Question No. 1: What density of covering material should be used to cover plants for the winter?

Answer: The higher the density, the better it will protect the plant from frost and frost. Experts point out that “Lutrasil”, the density of which is in the range of 20-22 g/m2, is capable of protecting early shoots from return frosts down to -4°C. As for medium-density agrofibre, it is able to protect young plantings at temperatures of -5°C..- 6°C.

Question #2: Is it possible to use lightweight covering material to protect plants from strong winds?

Answer: For reliable wind protection, it is better to use materials of medium or high density. It will be enough to sprinkle such material with soil for stability.

Question #3: Which non-woven material is good for covering tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers?

Answer: Most suitable material are “Lutrasil” and “Agril”.

Question No. 4: What material is used for shading garden plots and nurseries?

Answer: For shading, a special mesh is used that protects the plant from sunlight. Shading levels vary. In sultry heat, use a mesh with a degree of 60 to 80%.

Question #5: how to use agrofibre when growing cucumber and zucchini plants?

Answer: To grow cucumbers and zucchini, use any medium-density agrofibre. Since cucumbers and zucchini are plants that require pollination, the covering material should be removed daily and covered at night.

Three years ago I tried growing cucumbers on black spunbond - and now I use only this method. This year, spunbond cucumbers did not let me down again; the harvest was good.

1. I make a bed 1.2 m wide and approximately 6 m long. I level the surface with a rake.

2. I retreat 40 cm from each edge of the black spunbond (1.5 m wide and 6.2 m long) and mark two lines along with chalk (70 cm between them). Exactly along these lines on both sides with scissors I make cross-shaped cuts 10x10 cm at intervals of 30 cm.

I take the spunbond wider so that the edges around the perimeter can be covered with earth.

3. I prepare the holes: at the site of each cut, I select soil into a bucket, add humus, a handful of ash and 1 tsp to the hole. complex fertilizer. I mix everything and pour water on it. I plant cucumber seedlings in the holes, sprinkle them with the selected soil, and water them again.

4. I place it over the garden bed. metal arcs at an equal distance. And it doesn’t matter that I have to pierce the spunbond here and there—next year I’ll put the arcs exactly in these holes. From above, while the nights are cold, I throw white spunbond over the arches. 5. When the plants grow, I stretch a thick wire along arcs at the top, as if holding them together. I tie cucumbers to it with twine. 6. I water abundantly - 1-2 times a week. Every ten days I feed at the root with a solution of “green soup”: in a barrel I mix 12 liters of water, nettle and celandine herbs, 0.5 liters of horse manure or bird droppings, 2 tbsp. superphosphate and 1 tbsp. growth regulator RostMoment; Before use, I dilute 1 liter of the strained composition in 10 liters of water.

5 ADVANTAGES OF GROWING CUCUMBERS ON SPUNBOND

1. Preparing such a bed takes a little more time and money, but in the fall I don’t throw away the spunbond: I take it off, shake it out and put it away until the next season.

2. Absolutely no weeding is needed. In addition, the grass under the spunbond, not receiving light, rots and rots into fertilizer.

3. If the summer is hot, spunbond retains moisture, preventing it from evaporating from the soil surface. Conversely, if the summer is rainy, it absorbs moisture well, and plants with fruits do not come into contact with the ground, which means they are not susceptible to disease.

4. Saving fertile soil and fertilizers, because everything is introduced directly into the hole of the plant, and not throughout the entire bed.

5. Plants bear fruit longer, and harvested cucumbers are always clean!

Below are other entries on the topic “Do-it-yourself cottage and garden”

It would seem that this is the most unpretentious vegetable, growing without unnecessary effort in everyone’s dachas, but it still raises a lot of questions about growing among new gardeners.

How to form cucumber vines

The most lazy summer residents Cucumbers are grown spread out without using trellises. But then it becomes difficult to water the bushes, because you need to lift the vines; watering on the leaves is prohibited.
The most important rule is that the plant must be well ventilated. Therefore, everything should be done to ensure that the bush is illuminated as much as possible, the side shoots do not lie on the ground, but top part did not crawl along the trellis, forming a tent - then it would be gloomy in the greenhouse, and the dying off of the leaves could not be avoided.

All pinching should be done in the morning on a sunny day, so that by evening the wounds will heal. There is no need to leave stumps from stepsons, like tomatoes. In cucumbers, these stumps will become wet and cause disease. And rather, this procedure is not called pinching, but pruning, since pinching damages the cucumbers more than a neat cut with sharp scissors. It is undesirable to remove large shoots 20-30 cm long; cucumbers also suffer from this, so the formation of lashes must be done in a timely manner, pinching only the ends of the lashes.
I grow only hybrid cucumbers (F1), in which female flowers are formed on the main stem, so I use the following pinching scheme: do not pinch the main stem, pinch the lower side shoots after the first leaf, the next ones after the second, etc. When the plant reaches the trellis, you need to carefully bend it, pointing it down. Continue shaping, and when 30 cm remains to the ground, pinch the shoot.

Fig.1. Pinching the lashes of hybrids in a greenhouse (“Your Garden”, N.V. Borisov, PKF “Hermes”).

If the cucumbers are varietal, then female flowers will appear only on the side shoots. Such cucumbers need to be pinched above 5-6 leaves, then they will branch into two parts, will appear on them female flowers.
Growing shoots should be sent around supports or a fabric garter, twisting them clockwise.

The vagaries of varietal cucumbers

If varietal cucumbers (not marked “F1” on the packs) grow only barren flowers - male flowers, which are also needed for tying, but which do not bear fruit, then we need to understand the reasons.
1. Overfed with nitrogen and forgot about phosphorus fertilizers? The tops will be beautiful, lush, bright green, there will be a sea of ​​barren flowers, and female flowers will not appear very soon.
2. Are the seeds fresh, last year’s? Female flowers will appear very late. If you still prefer to collect your own seeds rather than buy them, then you need to warm the dry seeds before planting at a temperature of 55 degrees for two hours. In the old days, women placed a bag with last year's seeds near their chest and warmed it for half a day. You can harden the seeds - put them in a damp cloth at room temperature, and then put the swollen seeds in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
3. Do you water with cold water? Is groundwater close? This is also not possible, you need to water with water at a temperature of at least 25 degrees. The bed should be high.
4. Are you pouring a lot of water? This also delays the appearance of female flowers.

How to water cucumbers

Watering is best done in the morning and before 17:00 with warm, settled water. In hot weather, you can do moderate refreshing watering, but once a week give plenty of water - about a bucket of water is consumed per 1 sq.m of bed.
Cucumbers are very thermophilic, even the root part must always be warm, so most often cucumbers are planted on raised or high beds with loose, breathable soil or heaps of compost. You can cover the bed with black agrotex, cutting holes for the plants themselves, then weeding will be excluded from the list of garden chores. But black agrotex gets very hot in the sun, so this method for busy or working gardeners is only good when growing in open ground.

Do I need to loosen cucumbers?

The roots of cucumbers are superficial, they look like a thin mesh, so under no circumstances should you loosen the cucumbers. If the main trunk or roots are exposed due to excessive watering, then it is best to sprinkle them with humus, and this can be done regularly - once a week, the day after heavy watering.

How to feed so that there are no excess nitrates in cucumbers

Cucumbers need carbon dioxide, so-called air feeding. To do this, we dilute bird droppings in water, place the container in the greenhouse, and stir periodically for better fermentation. If there is no droppings, you can soak woodlice or tomato shoots, or nettles, let it brew, and when it ferments, stir it too.
Mineral fertilizers are also suitable; now they sell ready-made nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium complexes for cucumbers. There is no need to prepare them yourself, especially since there is a nuance: cucumbers do not tolerate chlorine, so it is better to use potassium-magnesium concentrate as potassium salt. It’s better to take ash in double the amount of potassium chloride, which is completely excluded from the feeding if you prepare a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium yourself.
To prepare the fertilizer yourself, we take 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 10 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium salt per 10 liters of water for the first time, the second and third time we double the dosage, and phosphorus by 3-4 times. For foliar feeding, you can add potassium in the form of potassium permanganate, 10 crystals per 1 liter is enough, and if the cucumbers do not set well, you can add boric acid, 1-2 g per 1 liter of water.
Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is best accepted by cucumbers as a foliar application, especially if the summer is cold. It is necessary to spray on both sides of the leaves, in the 6-7 leaf phase and, as usual, on a cloudy day or in the evening. Root feeding is possible only in hot summer, after abundant watering, in the evening or in cloudy weather. The first feeding is done a couple of weeks after the emergence of seedlings, the second - in the flowering phase, the third - when the cucumbers begin to set en masse. We alternate these fertilizers with organic ones, do not forget to dilute the infusion 1:10, and bird droppings - 1:15. Although an infusion of weeds can be used in a ratio of 1:5.

Cucumbers will be bitter if:

1. Plant both parthenocarpic and bee-pollinated varieties in the greenhouse at the same time.
2. Water not regularly, but from time to time and not enough. Try watering not only in the hole, but also over the entire surface of the bed.

Why do cucumbers turn yellow?

1. If, when picking cucumbers, you twist the shoots back and forth, move them and hang them on the trellis again, the leaves will begin to turn yellow and the yield will decrease. Therefore, tie up the cucumbers in time so as not to have to straighten the fallen lashes later.
2. Below the fruiting zone you don’t need a lot of leaves at all, they will still turn yellow very quickly, three leaves are enough, but healthy green ones.
3. The leaves are large, but pale - this means there is not enough nitrogen, you need to feed them with organic matter.
4. The leaves are small, dark green at first, then dry out quickly - urgently apply phosphorus fertilizers or you can simply sprinkle the bed with ash after watering, then carefully shed it.

Irregular shaped cucumbers

The plant itself will tell you what it is missing:

1. In case of a general lack of nutrition, feed with the complex.
2. A cucumber looks like a light bulb - it means there is not enough potassium. At the same time, a light border appears along the edges of the leaves.
3. It is a form of parthenocarpic hybrids pollinated by insects. Or watering with cold water and a large difference in night and day temperatures gave such a “waist” effect. You should open and close the greenhouse on time.
4. The cucumber hangs down - it is not pollinated. If it is a bee-pollinated hybrid, we attract insects and sprinkle 1 liter of water with 100 g of sugar. We do not allow the soil to dry out and water unevenly; such an unsightly shape may be due to this.
5 and 6. Nitrogen starvation. The fruits are pale, the lower leaves are yellow, the stems and vines do not grow quickly. We need organic matter. Don’t forget to dilute it in a ratio of 1:10, water 1 liter per plant.

Cucumbers are cultivated in open ground in almost every household plot. After all, such cultivation at low cost and with proper care can not only provide the family with a healthy and favorite vegetable, but also serve as additional income. How to grow cucumbers and how to achieve high plant productivity, what points in their cultivation should you pay special attention to?

Specifics of growing vegetables in open ground: pros and cons

When growing cucumbers in open ground, you need to know that this pumpkin crop is very demanding of moisture, light and heat. It needs protection from the winds, shelter from unexpected frosts, and regular watering. It is not always possible to grow an excellent harvest, since it often depends on weather conditions. The process from seed to fruit is very labor-intensive. In addition, it requires the necessary knowledge of some of the features and secrets of growing fancy plants.

Advantages of growing cucumbers in open ground:

• low costs;
• the ability to clear the field of weeds before sowing (since late sowing is carried out);
• huge sales market;

Flaws:

• requirement for heat;
• the need for regular watering;
• dependence on weather conditions;
• manual collection

How to grow cucumbers in open ground: popular methods

Growing up

With this method, cucumbers are grown in beds. The cucumber lashes are evenly distributed on them and get enough sunlight for the growth of the entire plant. But the downside is that changing the position of the vines, which cannot be avoided when caring for them, leads to oppression of the leaves and delays the ripening of fruits in the future.

Trellis method

This is a two-line method of planting cucumbers on a support. It is more labor-intensive, but has many advantages: space is saved, free access of air, good lighting and convenient care of plants, long-term fruiting and better quality of fruits, less susceptible to disease.

With this method, trellises or slats are installed on metal supports, which are driven into the ground to a depth of 30–40 cm. The bushes are formed and tied when the trellis is at least 1 m high. If the trellises are low, the cucumber stems are thrown to the other side without shaping and not tied. The trellis method is rightfully considered more productive than growing.

Growing in barrels

Metal barrels are filled with rotted plant residues, compost, the last layer is ordinary nutrient soil. The substrate is well watered and covered with plastic film for heating for a week. 5 seeds are sown in a container or planted ready seedlings, covering with film. After the plants begin to grow, supports in the form of arcs are installed around the barrel. Plants are watered regularly as the soil dries out. This original way allows you to get an earlier harvest, saves space and time for caring for the plant, the fruits are always clean, and the structure itself with curly cucumber vines has a beautiful aesthetic appearance.

A barrel with a cucumber roof is an incredible sight!

Preparing soil and beds

Selecting a site for sowing seeds

You need to choose a site for planting cucumbers carefully, taking into account all their whims. First of all, choose a well-lit place, protected from cold winds. If there is no such place, it is created artificially by planting tall plants in the cucumber rows. Typically, corn and sunflowers act as protective barriers.

Proper crop rotation plays a role main role in preparing future cucumber beds. Under no circumstances should you plant cucumbers where beets and pumpkin crops were previously grown. Good predecessors are legumes (with the exception of beans), nightshade crops, and cabbage.

Soil preparation

It is necessary to take care of fertile soil in the fall. Cucumber responds well to organic matter. Therefore, when digging or plowing for the winter, compost and rotted manure of 5–8 kg/m2 are added to future beds. If there is no manure, use mineral fertilizers (potassium salt - 200 g/m2, superphosphate - 300 g/m2). Plants do not like acidic and heavy clay soil. If there is no choice, it is diluted with limestone sand 10 kg/m. 2 And, conversely, sandy soil is diluted with the same amount of clay.

10 days before sowing experienced gardeners It is recommended to add ammonium nitrate 100 g/m2, and add mullein (1:10) or chicken droppings (1:20) diluted in water to the planting holes.

Beds for cucumbers

How to correctly choose the type of future bed? It all depends on several factors: the depth of the underlying groundwater, soil maintenance, readiness to perform labor-intensive work.

Regular beds

In areas with prepared soil, ridges 1 m or 0.5 m wide are formed with the same passages between the rows. For vigorous growers

– on beds without insulation, we form them 90–100 cm wide, 20–25 cm high, leaving a 30–40 cm path between them. However, narrow beds (45 cm each) with wide passages (70–90 cm) are more suitable for vigorous plants ). Then the strands of cucumbers will not intertwine and therefore be damaged. If you plan to grow cucumbers in a virgin area, it is better to form the beds in the fall, especially if the site is located in a damp lowland, or the soil in the garden is heavy clay, or the fertile layer is small.

Raised beds

Ridge beds (width 0.4–0.5 m, height 0.3 m) will be appropriate on clay soils and areas with shallow groundwater. This helps ensure that the root system of cucumbers does not dry out. After all, in such a bed, water flows from the ridges during watering and rain. The beds are easy to maintain: tillage, fertilization. Disadvantage: in rainy weather, after contamination of the leaves, cucumber diseases may develop.

Warm beds

Creating warm beds is ideal for cucumbers. There are two types of such ridges:

1. Dig a trench (at least 1 m), fill it with organic matter (use rotted and unrotted plant residues, manure) to the level of the path. In the future, the contents of the trench will not only nourish the plants, but also provide them with heat and saturate the root system with carbon dioxide.
2. Everything is done in the same way as in the previous version. A side is made around the trench with wooden planks or flat slate 20–30 cm above the ground level. Raised beds protect from cold and retain moisture well.

Warm beds allow you to make a film shelter, reduce the number of soil treatments, and water the cucumbers easily and simply. The large amount of work required to prepare the beds is daunting.

Note: area with heavy clay soil and shallow groundwater will contribute to moisture retention in the trench, which can lead to plant rotting.

Photo gallery: arrangement of different types of beds

Raised bed Ridged bed Traditional bed

How to properly plant cucumbers in open ground with seeds

Preparing seeds for sowing

Cucumber seeds that are 2–3 years old are considered productive, although they can remain viable for up to 8 years. When buying seeds, you should give preference to pelleted ones, which do not require preparation for sowing. Other seeds are prepared for sowing in advance:

note: early sowings are done with dry seeds to avoid frost damage. In later lines when steady heat Sprouted seeds are sown in moist soil.

This is what properly germinated seeds look like

Time for planting in the ground

The timing of sowing cucumber seeds in open ground has long been associated with church holidays And folk signs. These days almost always coincide with favorable days for sowing this crop in lunar calendar. You can never go wrong if you stick to these traditions. And using all the recommended dates and sowing in stages, you will enjoy cucumbers until the first frost. Of course, the exception will be situations when the soil has not had time to warm up to 18 o C, and the night temperature is below 12 o C.

• The first sowing falls on May 19 and is dedicated to the memory of Job the Long-Suffering;
• The day of Falaley-Borage, Gryadochnik, Teplovey (June 2) will be suitable for the second stage of sowing;
• The last stage is mid-June. At this time, the poplar blossoms (folk sign). It is necessary to choose a favorable day according to the lunar calendar.

Sowing seeds in open ground

To sow cucumbers, make a furrow with a hoe or by hand, 3–4 cm deep. If possible, water it, and place the seeds at a distance of 15 cm from each other. First, they are covered with 1.5 moist soil, and then always dry, in order to avoid the appearance of a dry earthen crust, which retards the growth of seedlings and air access. The soil is compacted well.

Read also about what you can plant in summer in our article -

How and what to cover

Table: covering materials for cucumbers - advantages and disadvantages

How and when to cover

After sowing, the soil is sprinkled with peat, rotted manure, sawdust, straw to a depth of 3–4 cm, that is, mulched. Mulching not only helps conserve moisture, protects against diseases and weeds, but is also the first shelter for crops from the cold (soil temperature rises by several degrees when mulching). In order to maintain moisture and provide protection from return frosts and cold weather, the crops are covered with plastic film or other covering material even before germination. The film is removed 2 times a week to ventilate the beds. If the shelter is made of non-woven materials, it does not need to be removed. After the appearance of young shoots, the shelter is removed. In early June there are unexpected night frosts. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the weather forecast and make shelter in time. You can regularly cover your cucumber beds at night until mid-June.

Good protection for seedlings - covering the bed after sowing with spunbond

Some gardeners use covering materials until the end of fruiting in order to create additional warmth and protection from rain and wind.

Care

After the cucumbers have 2 true leaves, the seedlings are thinned out. This is done carefully, manually pinching the sprout at the base so as not to damage the roots of neighboring plants. You can leave two plants in the nest. The number of plants per linear meter depends on the variety of cucumbers. Vigorous cucumbers (Buyan, Farmer, Little Boy, etc.) require more area for stems. Therefore, on 1 linear meter you can leave 2 plants with a distance of 0.5 m between them. For varieties with small vines (Parker, Gherkin, etc.), a distance of 30 cm between plants is sufficient. After thinning, the soil in the beds is loosened to a depth of 10 cm. When 5–6 true leaves appear, the plants are hilled up by adding moist soil to the base. Thanks to this operation, new roots are formed and the cucumbers receive additional nutrition.

How to form a bush

Formation of a cucumber bush

In the beds where bee-pollinated varieties of cucumbers with a large number of fruit-bearing shoots are grown, it is necessary to pinch them. Usually it is done after 4 sheets. Without this procedure, the development of many shoots with unlimited growth will lead to depletion of the plant and a decrease in yield. Hybrids do not need pinching.

How to form plants growing on a trellis?

Plants grown on a trellis are much more difficult to shape. Vigorous varietal cucumbers and hybrids are subject to formation. First of all, the lower leaves on the stem are removed up to the 5th leaf, which promotes free access of air to the entire plant. During the growth process, side shoots are pinched one by one, starting from the bottom. First, shoots are pinched after the 2nd leaf, then several shoots are pinched after the 3rd leaf. AND the last row shoots - after 4 leaves. The upper lash of the central stem is lowered down, leaving 1 leaf on it and pinching it at a height of 1 m to the soil level. The result is a bush in the shape of an inverse pyramid. This is a professional and labor-intensive scheme for plant formation.

The cucumber bush after reverse pyramidal shaping looks compact and aesthetically pleasing

If you are not ready to do the shaping according to professional patterns, just pinch the plant after the 6th leaf and tie the side shoots to the trellis. In this case, the lower 3 leaves are removed, and later additional shoots appearing from the axils of the shoots are cut out. After removing leaves and shoots, stumps should not be left behind!

Note: Not all varieties require shaping and do not need to be pinched.

How to tie

Nature has endowed this vegetable with tenacious tendrils that silently ask for support. This fact confirms the idea of ​​the need to garter the plant. A tied plant saves a lot of space, produces more shoots, is less susceptible to disease, resulting in increased productivity.

The plant begins to be tied when it reaches a height of 30 cm and at least 4 true leaves appear. An older plant breaks when tied up. Carefully tie the stem under the first leaf, pull the rope loosely and tie a knot so that young plant not uprooted. The best material for a garter is a durable soft fabric tape 2–3 cm wide.

The easiest to perform is a horizontal garter. A rope is pulled in three rows between the supports driven into the ground. Young shoots are directed around the bottom row of the stretched rope.

When tying vertically, a rope or wire is attached to the supports on top. Along the entire length of the wire, ropes are tied above each plant, the lower end of which is tied at the base of the stem.

The plant feels comfortable on a mesh trellis, which is attached to the supports. Cucumbers on a high trellis (from 1 m) need a garter.

Recently, triangular and spherical supports have been made, which have decorative look. The choice depends on your capabilities and imagination.

Cucumbers tied on a triangular support look original

How to water and feed

Watering

Water the cucumbers with settled, warm water (not lower than 22 C). In summer, water can be heated in the sun in any container. Best time for watering - evening. But if the night temperature is too low, watering is done in the morning. Before flowering, plants grown in areas with light soil need to be watered 2 times a week, and in clay areas - 1 time. But with the onset of flowering and fruiting, they require daily watering. In this case, the soil must be constantly moist to a depth of at least 10 cm. Of course, weather conditions are taken into account.

Young plants can be watered using a watering can and a hose with a sprayer. Adults may be susceptible to fungal diseases from such sprinkling. As a result of watering at the root, the root system is exposed and gradually dies, and the yield of the vegetable decreases. Therefore, it is better to water them in furrows, mulching the soil after watering.

Top dressing

The plants are fed for the first time after the first loosening. It is better to feed with a solution of mullein (1:10) or chicken manure (1:20). If there are no organic fertilizers, complex mineral fertilizers (50 g/10 l) are suitable. The solution is evenly distributed along the grooves around the roots at a distance of 10 cm from the plant. The second feeding is done during mass flowering. Both organic and mineral fertilizers are used. It is advisable to add 0.5 g of boric acid, 0.3 g of potassium permanganate, 30–40 g of potassium sulfate to the bucket. The third feeding is done during fruiting. Along with the organic matter, add 1 teaspoon of urea and potassium sulfate to the bucket. If necessary, after two weeks, feed the plants for the fourth time in the same way as the third feeding.

Whether cucumbers need feeding or not can be seen by their condition. Ugly fruits indicate a deficiency of potassium and nitrogen. A lack of phosphorus is indicated by the predominance of male ovaries on the vines. In this case, it is useful to foliar feed the cucumbers.

Features for regions, including the Moscow region

If in the south and central zone of Russia (including the Moscow region) it is quite possible to grow cucumbers in open ground without seedlings, then in Siberia it is better to prepare seedlings. The short summer and harsh climatic conditions of this region make growing the crop difficult.

In the Moscow region, the soil warms up to 12 o C, usually in the last days of May. Therefore, cucumbers are sown in this zone, starting from the end of May and ending in the second ten days of June. In the south, sowing in open ground can be done as early as the third ten days of April, ending with the second ten days of July. Warm, stable weather in the southern regions allows for several cucumber harvests.

For the south, it is appropriate to take varieties from ultra-early to late; in other regions, late varieties in ordinary open-ground beds simply will not have time to bear fruit. Therefore, residents of central Russia and Siberia try to grow plants mainly on warm ridges in order to get a harvest as early as possible. At the same time, preference is given to early and mid-ripening varieties, the ripening period of which does not exceed 50 days (for the central regions) and 40 days (for Siberia).

In order not to be left without a harvest, it is necessary to select zoned hybrids and varieties that have been tested in the climatic conditions of the region. Usually 5–7 varieties are sown, among which there are bee-pollinated and parthenocarpic varieties. For Siberia, the bee-pollinated varieties Altai, Brigantina, Dalnevostochny, hybrids Miranda, Chinese, Crocodile Gena, etc., have proven themselves well. For the climatic conditions of the Moscow region, Magnificent, Nezhinsky, Competitor, VIR 505, etc., universal hybrids Annushka, Aist, Masha, Metelitsa, etc. are suitable. Rodnichok, etc. Released varieties for the south - Success, Signal, Yubilei, Donskoy, Pobeditel, etc.

Every year, new regionalized hybrids of cucumbers are developed, surprising with their productivity, resistance to diseases and adverse weather conditions. But we should not forget that in order to receive excellent harvests in any region, it is important not only to select a zoned variety, but also to follow simple rules, from preparing seeds to harvesting.

A teacher by training. My hobby is growing flowers. I try to experiment in the selection of garden and indoor plants(irises, Saintpaulia). I share my experience with the viewers of my channel on You Tube.

As we approach summer season Many people are beginning to think about how to grow vegetables in their garden plot, while achieving maximum yields. The most pressing issue is growing cucumbers - a rather capricious crop. To minimize negative phenomena, many use special covering material. This technology made it possible to grow this vegetable even in cold climates.

Why do you need black covering material for cucumbers?

The culture is rightfully considered one of the finicky ones, although it is traditionally planted by every owner. Plant does not tolerate cold and heavy shade, but it can also burn under strong sunlight.

Of no small importance is the humidity parameters of soil composition and air, which must be maintained mainly artificially. There are still a sufficient number of conditions that are necessary to obtain decent yields.

In fact, creating optimal conditions for growing cucumbers under open air It is almost impossible, for this reason the crop is planted under cover.

This allows in the middle spring season sow seeds or transplant seedlings without fear of any late frosts.

Covering with film allows you to plant seedlings in the ground already in mid-spring

The use of covering material immediately eliminates a number of problematic issues. If you cover the cucumbers, the sowing season can begin a little earlier than usual, and the first harvest will arrive faster, because the plants will reliably protected from wind and frost.

Covering materials are different. Today the market offers consumers:

• reinforced polyethylene film;
• air bubble film;
• PVC film;
• non-woven “spunbond”;
• plain polyethylene.

The most popular are opaque agricultural canvas and film. The beds with seedlings are first covered with canvas, which creates protection from wind and frost. As an addition, a plastic film is stretched on top.

Advantages and disadvantages of using spunbond when growing cucumbers

You can create a shelter on the beds without using a frame base.

Soft and lightweight covering material does not harm the culture, perfectly transmits light, air currents and moisture to the ground. It is resistant to ultraviolet rays, accumulates heat, protecting plants from harmful radiation. Can be used in greenhouses as a second shelter. It is easy to use and does not require large financial expenses.

Watering is carried out along its top. It should be added that the film is resistant to damage, it can be stitched, glued and even washed if necessary.

You can cover cucumbers with soft material without using a frame.

But at the same time the canvas is not a panacea for all negative phenomena. Much depends on how correctly the variety of cucumbers for growing is chosen and how the soil is warmed up.

The density of the film and even the slope of the beds also influences. In addition, cucumbers require pollination, so the fabric will have to be removed in the morning and put back on again in the evening. Protection should be provided from dogs and crows - the main sources of ruptures.

Types of black covering material

Based on its origin, it can be divided into two groups - organic and inorganic.

As a rule, inorganic materials not only cover plants, but also perform decorative functions. These include:

• slate;
• gravel;
• crumbs of stone, granite, marble;
• crushed stone;
• multi-colored synthetic materials.

A separate line should be highlighted black polyethylene. Holes are made in it to add water and fertilizer compounds to the soil. The film retains heat perfectly, warming up the beds.

Agrotextile fabric- another interesting option. A special type of material is often used in agriculture. It is used in greenhouses and open beds. With its help, moisture in the soil is perfectly retained and protection against pests is created.

A distinctive feature of organic materials is the ability to nourish the earth, slightly changing its acidic environment.

Organic species include the following:

• compost from garden waste;
• rotted leaves;
• rotted manure mixed with straw;
• shavings, tree bark, sawdust;
• pine needles, peat chips;
• mown grass.

Mown grass as a shelter for cucumbers

Which material is good and how to choose

Before purchasing material for protecting beds, it is necessary to study the characteristics of each of the known types.

From frost White non-woven fabric - spandbond, agril, agrospan, spantex - will provide excellent protection. They perfectly allow moisture and air to pass through, are light in weight and quite durable. Their main difference is thickness.

The thinnest ones can be laid directly on the seedlings, pressing down the edges. The thicker one is suitable for arranging small greenhouses.

In addition, the material must create reliable protection from harmful insects, which are a threat to your harvest.

Black films, tightly laid on the beds, will prevent the development weeds.

Preparing beds in open ground

The ridges are prepared in advance, the place should be lighted and warm. Their width is seventy centimeters, need to dig to the depth of a shovel bayonet.

The width of the beds should be about 70cm

After this, organic fertilizers, compost, and humus are scattered over the surface. The top layer of soil is leveled with a rake. Now you can make furrows for sowing cucumbers.

Disembarkation

For ten liters of water heated to fifty degrees, we dilute two ampoules of a liquid stimulant. We pour the furrows generously with the resulting solution.

Seeds are sown at intervals fifty centimeters. They are carefully pressed into warm, moist soil, sprinkled on top, and pressed lightly with your hand.

The whole bed dusted with ground black pepper so that the seeds are not damaged by ants, and the sprouts are not eaten by slugs or mice.

After this, the bed can be covered with two layers of spunbond.

Features of care

In the spring, the material will reliably protect from frost, and in the summer it will save you from the heat. But the conditions necessary for the normal development of cucumber plants should be maintained.

Watering cucumbers under film is carried out 2 times a week

Having planted a crop in early April, you should not water frequently. This procedure is enough twice a week using warm water. The film should be lifted once every seven days in sunny weather to give the seedlings additional light.

It is allowed to start in May feeding, but during the day temperature regime should be about twenty degrees Celsius, not lower.

It is best to use sodium humate for this, which is dissolved in water at the rate of one spoon per bucket of water. The solution is consumed in the amount of eight liters per planting square. Bird droppings are used as fertilizer once a month.

When the plants form the third leaf, you can install supports. Yes, and we should not forget about pollination - the material must be removed from the beds every day, allowing access to insects.

Protection can significantly increase the possibilities of growing cucumbers in different climatic conditions. A properly selected covering product will make it possible to increase productivity and reduce labor costs for caring for beds.

Using covering material: early and abundant harvest

The approaching start of the dacha season makes us think about planting vegetable crops on the available land. Summer residents invariably face the problem of how to achieve maximum yield of certain cultures. Particularly acute in this case is the question of how to grow decent harvest cucumbers, which would be enough not only for summer preparations vegetable salads, but also for preservation for the winter.

To save cucumbers from freezing, they must be covered with warm oilcloth.

Cucumbers are actually one of the most finicky vegetable crops that gardeners traditionally plant. The thing is that these plants do not tolerate cold weather and strong shading of the area, but at the same time, they can burn under the scorching sun. In addition, air and soil humidity are of particular importance, which must be maintained mainly artificially. There are many more conditions necessary to obtain an excellent harvest.

In fact create optimal conditions It is almost impossible for cucumber to grow in the fresh air, so it is advisable to grow this crop under cover. Growing cucumbers under covering material allows you to plant seeds and cucumber seedlings already in mid-spring, while outdoors Planting can be done only towards the end, when there are no serious frosts and temperature changes that can destroy only the sprouts that have emerged.

Greenhouse reinforcement diagram.

Not only cucumbers grow better under covering material. Growing strawberries in such conditions allows you to get a really large harvest of this berry. Surprisingly, the strawberry, from which the strawberry originated, is not so demanding to environmental conditions and easily survives any frost, but its domesticated relative requires special care. Considering some similarities in growing cucumbers and strawberries under covering material, it is worth considering the advantages of this technology on these plants.

The use of covering material solves several problems at once. Firstly, it allows you to start the sowing season earlier and, accordingly, get the first harvest earlier, since the plants will be protected from frost and strong wind. Secondly, throughout the season, the protective material allows you to reduce the impact of the sun on plants, increase humidity, and also protects plants from pests and diseases that can completely destroy the crop. Growing vegetables and berries under cover can significantly increase the yield, so it is worth considering in more detail exactly how to use protective materials and how to properly plant and care for plants growing under covering material.

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Site preparation

It’s worth saying right away that you can plant cucumbers under covering material already in early April, since the covering will protect them from unexpected drops in temperature.

Scheme for assembling a portable arched greenhouse from arcs.

There are several ways to hide seedlings under covering material. First, you can stretch the covering material over the arches. Secondly, you can make a rectangular mobile frame and stretch the existing material onto it. Thirdly, it is quite possible to fix such plant protection directly on the ground, but this method is the least effective, since the film can be blown away by the wind, and the growth of plants under it will be greatly limited, so this method is not entirely practical.

As a protective material, ordinary polyethylene film, reinforcement polyethylene film, agricultural canvas, PVC film can be used, air bubble film and much more. The main parameters when choosing a protective material are: density, ability to protect against temperature changes, transparency, safety. When choosing, you need to proceed from own preferences and material opportunities.

Arranging a site for growing cucumbers begins with cultivating the land. First, you need to dig up the ground to the depth of the shovel. After digging the selected area, you need to carefully break up the existing lumps and level the selected area with a rake. Next, you need to make longitudinal beds with a hoe so that one bed is located 50 cm away from the other.

After preparation land plot Before planting, you can begin to design the frame, that is, install arches or a rectangular box prepared in advance. It is worth considering that optimal height structure is 1 m, since in this case the owners of the summer cottage will be able to install supports under the structure so that the cucumbers can climb along them.

Scheme of a greenhouse with a wooden frame.

If desired, you can make an arc structure yourself or purchase a ready-made one. Installation of an arc structure usually takes little time, since in this case the segments are either simply stuck into the ground, or are connected to each other at the bottom and can be fixed by pinning the bottom part of the structure to the ground.

A rectangular box is usually formed on site from old boards or old metal scraps. It is not necessary to make a very strong structure, so its parts can be knocked down or bolted together so that it can be easily disassembled in the future. The structure on which the covering material will be attached should be slightly larger than the prepared bed. After making the basic preparations, you can begin planting the plants directly.

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Planting seeds and seedlings of cucumbers under film

In order for cucumbers to grow better, they need to be planted as seedlings.

Cucumbers can be planted either from seeds or seedlings. If you want to get the first harvest as soon as possible, it is best to use seedlings, since in this case the plants will already get a little stronger before directly planting in the ground, with further coating protective material.

Planting seeds is also possible, but it is best to use this method when planting in early May, since at this time strong temperature changes that can destroy only hatched sprouts are unlikely. It is worth considering in more detail how to plant cucumbers in one way or another so that the plants begin to grow as quickly as possible and delight you with a bountiful harvest.

Cucumber seedlings can be grown right on your windowsill in deep beer glasses filled with a mixture of peat and soil. The seeds are first germinated and then planted in glasses and develop in a warm environment. After the first normal leaf appears, the seedlings can be planted in the ground. In order for the seedlings to take root in a new place and not experience stress due to transplantation and the temperature difference that takes place outside and in the living room, the soil in which the planting will be done must be warmed up. The easiest way to warm the soil is to pour boiling water over it.

Scheme for growing cucumbers.

In this case, boiling water will also destroy a large number of pests. Boiling water should be poured directly onto the formed beds. Cucumber seedlings are planted in pairs at a distance of 50 cm. Seedlings need to be planted so that not only the roots are firmly planted in the ground, but also part of the stem up to the first true leaves.

When growing cucumbers from seeds, you need to first prepare them before planting - for this you need to germinate them. Germinating cucumber seeds is quite easy. In this case, you need to take gauze, fold it in several layers so that it is not too thin and at the same time allows enough air to pass through. Next, the gauze is moistened with warm water and the seeds that are planned to be planted are laid out on one end, and the seeds are covered with the other end of the gauze. Thus, the seeds are covered on all sides with a damp porous cloth. Before pecking, the gauze is placed on a plate, which is placed in a warm place.

Depending on the variety of cucumber, seed germination can take from 3 to 10 days. It is better to plant the seeds two at a time in one place with a distance between plantings of approximately 50-75 cm. The depth of planting the seeds should not exceed 1.5 cm, and it is very important to plant them with the narrow part up and not damage the leaves that have already begun to hatch. After planting, you need to cover the frame with a protective film to retain heat and protect the seeds or seedlings. At the base, the film is securely fixed with stones or by pouring a significant amount of earth onto it.

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Proper care of early cucumbers

Diagram of an automatic irrigation system.

In spring, covering material serves as protection from frost, and in summer from heat, but it is very important to maintain other conditions necessary for plant growth. When planting cucumbers in early April in the first month, you should not water the plants too often. Ideally, watering should be done with warm water 2 times a week. In April, it is recommended to lift the protective cover at least once a week, but only on sunny days, to provide the young plants with additional light.

In May, when the weather improves, you can start feeding the plants, but you need to keep in mind that feeding can only be done when the temperature during daylight hours does not fall below 18-20 degrees. It is better to fertilize with sodium humate, although any other can be used. Sodium humate must be dissolved in a ratio of 1 tbsp. for 10 liters of water. The consumption of the fertilizer solution is approximately 8 liters per 1 sq.m. In addition, it is recommended to fertilize cucumbers with diluted bird droppings at least once a month. After 2-3 true leaves appear, you need to make supports for the cucumbers so that the plants can climb up. This is very important, since plants lying on the ground, as a rule, do not bear fruit very abundantly.

Scheme of planting and gartering cucumbers in greenhouse soil.

When planted in early April, the first flowers appear already at the end of the month, so at this time it is important to leave the plants at least partially open during daylight hours as often as possible so that pollinators have access to the flowers. In the future, when the temperature in direct sunlight exceeds 28 degrees, it is necessary to open the protective material only in the early morning hours, that is, from 5 to 10 o’clock in the morning, and in the evening, after 4 o’clock, this is very important, since the leaves cucumbers are often damaged in direct sunlight.

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Agricultural technology for growing strawberries under covering material

In a greenhouse, it is important that strawberries receive enough light and moisture.

As mentioned earlier, the agricultural technology for growing strawberries under a protective film is in many ways similar to the technology for growing cucumbers, but still there are some specifics that must be taken into account in order to get a large harvest of berries. Firstly, you need to take into account that strawberries bear fruit only in the second year after planting, so strawberries are planted in advance - in the fall. The shelter above the strawberries is formed around the beginning of May. If you plan to grow strawberries, it is best to use arc structures, while leaving the end parts open throughout the daylight hours. This is very important as pollinators need to have maximum access to flowers. At night, strawberries should be completely covered to reduce heat loss.

From mid-May, it is recommended to water strawberries 2 times a week, and it is better to water abundantly, since strawberries require a large amount of water during the period of active flowering and fruit formation. Growing strawberries in semi-greenhouse conditions, which are obtained by using protective materials, allows you to provide the partial shade necessary for plants, high air humidity, high temperature and protection from slugs, which are the main pests of strawberries.

Under the protective film, strawberries begin to bloom about one week earlier. After the berries form, strawberries need to be opened for several hours of sunshine to speed up the ripening process.

The harshness of climatic conditions in Russia forces many gardeners to build greenhouses or install greenhouses. But this is a very expensive and complicated matter, so the natural desire is to find an easier way, which turns out to be growing vegetables under a layer of covering materials.

General information

Planting cucumbers under covering material turns out to be the most acceptable solution because this plant is extremely capricious. This is quite predictable, because the cucumber was originally grown in hot tropical forests, where it was constantly damp and warm. Even in those regions that are considered warm by Russian standards, growing such plants is difficult and that is why they try to plant them under cover. Skillful application modern technologies allows you to get stable yields almost everywhere. Moreover, the weather vagaries that are inevitable in some cases will not spoil them.

If the shelter is made according to all the rules of agricultural technology, you can sow seeds or move seedlings into free soil already in mid-spring. Let the frosts return, they no longer pose any danger. As a result, the receipt of the first collection is accelerated.

Varieties

When farmers realize that they have essentially no alternative to using a cover system, it is logical to next question– what to apply? Now the solution to the problem is mainly:

• designs with a simple polyethylene film;
• film with air bubbles;
• reinforced polyethylene;
• polyvinyl chloride;
• non-woven material (spunbond).

The leading positions in the market are occupied by opaque fabric and film. They can even be combined with each other. In this case, the beds with seedlings are covered with a cloth that stops the destructive effects of cold and wind. The polyethylene film is already stretched over this canvas. Now it’s worth examining these options in more detail and clearly.

Polyethylene

Polyethylene films for covering plants are supplied in various designs. The main difference between them is due to the thickness of the protective material. There are options for 120, 200, 150, 30, 100, 60 microns. Unlike a number of other coatings, polyethylene with such parameters allows sunlight to pass through. It is elastic and does not allow moisture from the outside to pass through, and does not collapse if cold weather suddenly sets in.

It should be remembered that when growing plants that are susceptible to direct sunlight, it is advisable to use film covers of different colors with a diffusing effect. The ability to protect plantings from frost directly depends on density. But in any case, to make this absolute protective function not worth it.

But the fact that a denser film is also stronger is much more important.

Transparent material, for all its advantages, is easily damaged by ultraviolet rays, therefore, when choosing it, you need to give preference to light-stabilized coatings.

Non-woven

No less popular than polyethylene is now non-woven spunbond. It allows you to form a shelter even without frames. This material does not harm the plantings and is soft. Even with close contact it does not deform the plants. The non-woven coating will allow light, air, and precipitation to pass through, and will not itself be destroyed by ultraviolet radiation.

The strength of non-woven fabrics is well known, but not everyone knows that such material restores its structure if it is sewn or glued together. Spunbond can be washed. It is permissible to water the cucumbers directly from above, without removing the cover each time. This significantly reduces the labor intensity of care.

But it is important to understand that the canvas will give a good effect only if the basic requirements of agricultural technology are met:

• choosing the right variety;
• normal soil heating;
• selection of healthy seeds;
• accurate assessment of the required film density;
• normal slope of the beds;
• protection from animals and birds (which mainly tear the covering material to get to the plants).

Which is better?

The decision to cover cucumber beds with your own hands logically flows into the search for an answer to the question - what is the best way to cover them? What’s important is that when answering it, you won’t be able to simply refer to the advantages and disadvantages of the two options already discussed above. If the goal is to save a vegetable from early frosts, it is recommended to use white spunbond stretchable on arcs. The most suitable non-woven material with a density of 0.023 kg per 1 square meter. m.

The permissible spread for this parameter is from 17 to 30 g per 1 square meter. m. For full-fledged winter shelters in the form of greenhouses with arcs, materials with a density of 42 to 60 g per 1 square meter are recommended. m.

When arranging greenhouses, film with multi-colored sides (white and black, respectively) also brings good results. The light edge should be at the top, it reflects excess light, and the dark surface makes it difficult for weeds to live. When choosing a classic polyethylene film you should give preference to its reinforced varieties.

No other type of polyethylene will provide the same strength and resistance to mechanical damage. The reinforcing layer is located in the middle between the two main layers. Most often, a particularly strong film is also protected from ultraviolet radiation.

It is worth considering an alternative such as polycarbonate. It is difficult to find a coating more resistant to precipitation and gusts of wind. Bacteria do not multiply in polycarbonate, it is relatively light, mechanically strong and almost as good as glass in transmitting light. Another important circumstance is that polycarbonate does not catch fire. One of the disadvantages is that it is unsuitable for laying on the ground; it only allows for the construction of permanent greenhouses and hotbeds.

Covering and care technology

When preparing beds in the open ground, you should choose a well-lit and as warm place as possible, this is where it will be easier for the shelter to fulfill its task. The width of each strip is 0.7 m, and you need to dig deep with the bayonet of a shovel. Be sure to scatter organic fertilizers, selected as needed, and distribute them evenly with a rake along with the top layer. Then planting furrows are formed. A couple of ampoules of a liquid stimulating substance are dissolved in 10 liters of water at a temperature of 50 degrees and the area is thoroughly watered.

You should not plant seeds too often; 1 for every 0.5 m is enough. Covered cucumbers need to be watered once every three days, only with warm water. At least once a week, if the weather is warm, the shelter is raised to add light.

Feeding usually begins in May, but be sure to wait until the air during the day is no cooler than 20 degrees. The best feeding for a covered vegetable - sodium humate: 30 g is diluted in 10 liters of water and 8 liters of the prepared solution is poured onto 1 square meter. m of plants, and bird droppings are added once a month for additional fertilizer.

To provide complete shelter, it is necessary to install an arc support. Moreover, there should be several arcs at once; they are placed at an equal distance from each other. The canvas should be thrown over at night, covering it on top with polyethylene hanging down to the surface of the ground. These edges are pressed down with bricks, boards, pipes without sharp parts. Then neither air nor various animals will penetrate inside.

The recommended height of the arches is approximately 1 m. In mild frosts and calm weather, when the sun shines moderately, a simple non-woven fabric is enough for protection. In the summer, it is better to avoid plastic film. But protective sheets will still have to be used in the heat to protect from the sun. Occasionally shelters are placed in autumn months, if early frosts began before the last harvest.

You can learn about the types of covering material from the following video.

Recently, some summer residents have adapted to growing cucumbers under spunbond, preferring this method to the usual one. In particular, this method of cultivating vegetable crops is suitable for those who live in areas with cold climatic conditions. Growing cucumbers on spunbond, with the correct use of this method of cultivating vegetables, gives high yields and provides optimal conditions for the growth and development of cucumber bushes throughout the calendar year.

Rules for growing cucumbers under spunbond

Description of the method

Agrofibre, or spunbond, is Alternative option well-known polyethylene, which gardeners have been using to cultivate vegetables for many years. This material is made from an environmentally friendly polypropylene component that has a fine fibrous structure.

The essence of the method of growing cucumbers on spunbond is to create a favorable climate for plants at cold air temperatures and insufficient sunlight in northern regions with short summers and at the same time at elevated temperatures in areas with soaring sun.

Types of spunbond

Spunbond for agricultural needs can be used in several types:

• white material, which is used in open soil conditions, its density is 17-30g per 1 sq.m,
• white polypropylene with a density of 30 to 60 g per 1 sq.m, used for greenhouses and greenhouse structures,
• black, the density of which is from 50 to 60g per 1 sq.m, used for mulching soil,
• black and white spunbond with a density of 50g per 1 sq.m, intended for mulching directly vegetable crops and for the purpose of growing berry bushes in beds, it has a black layer protective property against weeds, and white serves as a reflector of sunlight and protects the root system of plants from overheating,
• white-red, yellow-red materials that protect vegetable crops from bad weather.

Pros and cons of the method

Among the main advantages of using spunbond when cultivating cucumbers and other vegetable crops:

• softness and lightness of the material, which when covering the bushes does not damage or injure them,
• light transmittance of polypropylene, which makes it possible to provide plants with a sufficient amount of light, while preventing overheating,
• air and moisture permeability, which provides ventilation under the covering material and allows water to enter the soil,
• UV resistance,
• ability to accumulate and retain heat,
• ease of use, wear resistance and relatively cheap price.

During use, spunbond can be washed, glued and stitched, which gives additional advantages when using it on a personal plot. Wherein polypropylene material It is possible to cover cucumber bushes even without creating frame structures.

You can water the plants without removing the covering material, right on top of the spunbond. Under the fabric, all the weeds, without receiving sunlight, begin to rot and rot into a natural fertilizer useful for cucumbers. This eliminates the weeding process.

The only disadvantage when growing cucumber varieties without self-pollination is the need to remove material in the morning during the formation of ovaries and cover the cucumber bushes with it in the evenings.

White polypropylene

White spunbond allows more light to pass through

White spunbond is most often used by gardeners instead of the usual polyethylene film cover. They can be used to cover cucumber bushes planted with seeds or seedlings in a greenhouse or on open ground. Some people use white spunbond to build fabric greenhouses.

To create a structure in the form of a greenhouse, white spunbond is required high density that will withstand the wind.

White spunbond with a low density of 17g transmits 80% of light. A white covering material with a maximum density of 60g is capable of transmitting 65% of light.

For light-loving varieties

Plants with seeds of light-loving varieties of cucumbers are covered with white fabric material. In this case, material with a density of 17,19,23 g per 1 sq.m. is used. It can be used both for sowing and for already grown seedlings.

When using such a thin white material We must not forget that it has low frost protection:

• fabric density of 17g can protect plants down to -3°C,
• 19g spunbond protects plants from frost not lower than -4°C,
• material with a density of 23g can withstand temperatures down to -5°C.

For shade-tolerant varieties

For the purpose of laying on the bed and for creating greenhouse effect white spunbond is used, the density of which starts from 30 g and reaches 42 g per 1 sq.m. In this case, the first density is applicable for covering arcs up to 30-35 cm high, and the latter is used for greenhouse tunnels of greater height.

Agrofibre with increased density can create protection for plants when temperatures drop to -6°C, maintaining integrity during wind and precipitation in the form of snow and hail. However, they transmit less light, therefore they are suitable for those varieties of cucumbers that are shade-tolerant.

For heat-loving varieties

In unfavorable climate regions, summer residents use white spunbond with a maximum density reaching 50-60g per 1 sq.m. This agrofibre can protect plantings from strong winds and frosts down to -10°C. It is intended for heat-loving cucumber varieties.

Black polypropylene

When planting cucumbers as seeds or seedlings, black spunbond is used primarily for mulching the soil and is not used to create a greenhouse effect. Its density is 50-60g per 1 sq.m.

Tips for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in the garden

We plant cucumbers in the soil. Growing cucumbers on trellises, under covering material

Cucumbers under film without watering or weeding.

GROWING CUCUMBERS IN A GREENHOUSE IS VERY EASY. GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE

The main purpose of black agrofibre is to rid the earth of weeds, turning them into organic fertilizer For vegetable crop, and create a suitable microclimate in the soil.

Unlike white agrofibre, cucumbers will not grow on black spunbond.

Black spunbond is used to cover the soil during the process of planting cucumbers, cutting holes in it and planting cucumber seedlings into the ground through them. As a result, plants grow only in cut places, and rot and mold do not develop without moisture and sun. Black spunbond protects ripe vegetables from contact with the ground, so the cucumbers always remain clean when harvesting.