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Wherever you grow vegetables, for their full development and high yield, it is important to make in soil micronutrients. There are not enough nutrients in the soil, which is why it is necessary to apply fertilizers to it. This article will discuss how feeding cucumbers during flowering and fruiting.
It is worth noting that cucumbers have a poorly developed root system, as a result of which they do not receive nutrients hidden in the deep layers of the soil. And the lack of micronutrients leads to poor yields. Therefore, we suggest that you read this article to find out when, how and with what fertilizers it is best to feed cucumbers. For the development of the bush and the fruiting of cucumbers, the following trace elements should be in sufficient quantities in the soil:
- phosphorus;
- nitrogen;
- calcium.
Preparing the soil for sowing cucumbers
To improve the yield of cucumbers, you first need to prepare the soil. This should be done in the fall and again in the spring. The features of soil preparation during these seasons will be considered separately.
Autumn soil preparation in the greenhouse
After harvesting, the beds should be carefully cleaned of bushes and leaves, as well as weeds, and then dig up the soil. All elements of the greenhouse, both metal and wood, must be disinfected. This procedure should also be carried out with glasses. A bleach solution can serve as a disinfectant. So, you need 300 g of lime, which must be diluted with 10 liters of water. The composition should be infused for 3-4 hours. The elements of the greenhouse are sprayed with water, and the slots are treated with sediment. After that, the soil is dug up, but fertilizer is first introduced into it. It can be humus, rotted manure or compost, 1 m2 you will need a bucket of fertilizer. After digging, 300-500 g of fluff-lime or dolomite flour is added to the soil per 1 m2... This is necessary to reduce the acidity of the soil.
Spring soil works
In the spring, you need to fertilize again and dig up the soil:
- 20 g sulphate Potassium;
- about 30 g of ammonium nitrate;
- about 30 g of superphosphate.
It is important to apply fertilizers in advance, at least 7 days before planting the cucumbers in the greenhouse. After that, the soil must be disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate at the rate of 3 g per 10 liters of water. Then the ground is covered with a transparent film, which will need to be removed immediately before sowing seeds or planting seedlings.
Fertilizers that increase yields
For the cucumber harvest to please you, it is important to fertilize the soil. What fertilizers are suitable for this?
Nitrogen
If the soil is saturated with nitrogen, then all stages of plant growth will pass safely, which will increase the yield of cucumbers. ABOUT shortage nitrogen fertilization is indicated by yellowing of the leaves and slower growth. List nitrogen fertilizers:
- chicken droppings;
- ammonium nitrate;
- cow / horse manure;
- compost.
If you decide to purchase ready-made nitrogen fertilizers, then keep in mind that some of them contain nitrates (toxic substances). They accumulate in the soil, are absorbed by plants and through the fruits enter the human body. Check the fertilizer composition. Discard those containing nitrate nitrogen.
Cooking chicken droppings
Organic fertilizers increase the fruitfulness of cucumbers. Fermented chicken droppings are an excellent feeding tool. To prepare it, you need to dilute the droppings with water and keep it in a warm place, at a temperature above + 20 ° C. This mixture needs to be poured over the dug earth and slightly loosened with a rake.
Potassium
Potassium, like nitrogen, increases yields and contributes to the normal development of bushes. In the case of a lack of potassium, the fruits are small and tough. Fertilization is best done before planting the bushes in the ground.
Cucumbers respond well to Potassium Sulfate. So, you will not only increase the fruitfulness of plants, but also strengthen their immunity. Potassium sulfate is used to feed the root system. At the beginning of fruiting, the application of potash fertilizers should be increased. The amount of potassium introduced into the soil depends on the quality of the soil and on the condition of the cucumber bushes.
Calcium
A sign of a lack of calcium is the drying out of blossoming flowers and cucumber ovaries. In this case, the fruits have an irregular shape and immediately turn yellow, lose their taste. Top dressing is carried out before the beginning of the flowering period. Eggshells contain a large amount of calcium. Pound it and sprinkle the resulting flour on the soil.
Top dressing during flowering and fruiting
If a feeding cucumbers in the greenhouse implies the introduction of nitrogen-containing components, then for the bushes planted in open ground, you need to prepare another vitamin complex and trace elements. When feeding garden cucumbers, the following composition is introduced into the soil:
- 30 g of ammonium nitrate;
- 20 g of potassium salt;
- 40 g superphosphate.
All these components are diluted with 10 liters of water.
At the beginning and after the end of the flowering period, the cucumber leaves must be sprayed with a solution boric acid... For 10 liters of water, you will need ¼ tablespoon of this product. Fertilizing cucumbers during fruiting is especially important, since during this period vegetables take all the nutrients from the soil. And, therefore, it is important to saturate the soil with them, thereby making up for the shortage. In greenhouse cucumbers, top dressing is applied after the formation of the first fruits. To do this, make a solution of nitrophoska. For 10 liters of water, you will need 1 tbsp. l. this tool. After 7 days, the beds should be fertilized again, but with a different composition - 1 tbsp of water will be required for 1 bucket of water. l. sodium sulfate and 0.5 liters of mullein. Further feeding of cucumbers in the greenhouse is carried out once a week, but now you need to make growth promoters... These include herbal infusions and compost.
Urea must be added to bushes growing in open ground by diluting 50 g of the composition per 10 liters of water. Spraying is carried out on a cloudy day or in the evening. In addition, it is recommended to make mineral fertilizers, alternating them with organics. It would be nice if the feeding of cucumbers in the greenhouse includes phosphorus. This is important, as otherwise the roots will develop poorly and the bushes will no longer bear fruit. With the timely introduction of phosphorus into the soil, it is possible to achieve an intensification of flowering, which contributes to an increase in yield. Among other things, potassium aids in the absorption and movement of other nutrients through the root system.
The role of wood ash in feeding cucumbers
Ordinary wood ash can provide excellent protection against most ailments of cucumbers. It contains many useful substances, including potassium. Ash can be applied even during the harvest period, as it is absolutely harmless to the body. There are several ways to fertilize cucumbers with ash:
- sprinkle the soil with pre-sifted ash;
- spray the leaves with an ash solution;
- pour the ash solution under the roots.
The ash solution is prepared in the proportion of 1 glass of ash to a bucket of water. It must be insisted within 24 hours. If you will use a solution for spraying bushes, then it should be pre-filtered. The water must have a temperature of at least 20 ° C.
Yeast as a feeding option
Some gardeners prefer to use yeast as a fertilizer for cucumbers. The recipe for the composition is to dilute 1 kg of fresh yeast with 5 liters of water. To use this fertilizer, you will need to take 0.5L of diluted yeast and dilute it with a bucket of water. It is enough to pour 0.5 liters of liquid under one bush.
This simple organic fertilizer recipe will allow you to grow healthy cucumber bushes that will bring you a rich harvest.
Excess and shortage of items. Why are they dangerous?
It is worth noting that as the lack of nutrients in the soil is destructive for cucumbers, so is their excess. How to determine if there are not enough elements for the bushes or there are too many of them? This can be done visually:
- An excess of nitrogen leads to a delay in flowering. In addition, the leaves will have a characteristic dark color and will also be too dense. With a lack of nitrogen, fruits with an enlarged stalk will appear.
- Excess potassium slows down the growth of the bush. Lack of this element leads to the development of irregularly shaped fruits with a thin stalk.
- Excess phosphorus leads to early yellowing of the leaves.
- Interveinal chlorosis is a sign of a large amount of calcium in the soil.
After the ovaries of cucumbers have appeared on the bushes, you need to feed in 2 stages. The first is designed to ensure a high-quality and plentiful harvest, and the second is to increase the fruiting period.
Treatments that prolong fruiting
To cause secondary flowering of the crop, additional fertilization is required. In this case, you can use:
- a solution of a glass of ash in 1 bucket of water;
- a solution of baking soda and water in a proportion of 30 g per 12 liters;
- urea in a proportion of 15 g per 12 liters of water;
- infusion of rotted hay, aged in water for a day.
Conclusion
With the correct use of fertilizers during flowering and fruiting, your harvest will not only be plentiful, but also of high quality. You will forget about sluggish, yellow and crooked cucumbers. We suggest you also watch a video on the topic:
