Cucumber is grown almost at each summer cottage. Cultivating cucumbers does not require much time, but you should know the rules of cultivation: what are the popular ways of feeding cucumbers, how to properly water and care for cucumbers. Many folk remedies for fertilizing your cucumbers can be prepared at home, using simple preparations and products.
Essential elements
Cucumber is a thermophilic vegetable crop and therefore, demanding on humidity soil and air. From an early age, you need to give the cucumbers more sunlight and get rid of weeds. Cucumber is sensitive to drafts and all kinds of cultivations, transplants, acidic soil.The necessary substances for the best development are nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, calcium, copper, boron.
- Nitrogen [N] strengthens leaves and stems, in addition, it is responsible for a healthy green color.
- Magnesium [Mg] supports the root system. If it is deficient, the whole plant does not absorb calcium from the soil.
- Phosphorus [P] is responsible for the timely flowering and ripening of the vegetable, does not allow colorful spots to appear.
- Sulfur [S] supports the vital activity of tissues and their integrity.
- Calcium [Ca] gives elasticity to leaves, prevents them from bending and twisting.
- Copper [Cu] supports shoots and flowers during development.
- Bor [B] prevents tissue necrosis at the edges of leaves.
- Iron [Fe] eliminates discoloration of young leaves and tops of cucumber.
N grip or excess of these substances destroy the plant. The leaves are covered with a pale yellow color, asymmetry, necrotic spots appear, and after that they stop growing and die off completely.
Folk remedies for feeding
You can use almost any folk feeding for fertilizing cucumbers. The main requirement is nutritional nutrition. The main means of folk feeding cucumbers:
- Onion and garlic husks.
- Bread infusions.
- Organic ash.
- Yeast.
- Chicken or cow (horse) litter.
- Nettle.
- Egg shell.
Onion and garlic husks
Use caution
The composition of the infusion is determined by the name itself, but it should be noted that such components are quite concentrated, therefore, before the fertilizer procedure, the infusion should be diluted with water. You can water and spray under the root or on the leaves of the plant itself (infusion proportions 40 grams of husk to 10 liters of water). For the whole season it is enough to feed 4 times.
Bread infusions
The most simple and affordable product for fertilizing cucumbers. One solution is prepared for 3 applications. It is enough to put bread in a bucket (you can use crackers) for more than half the volume of the container and pour water at room temperature, close the lid and put a heavy object on top. Top dressing is carried out in the period from planting growth to the dying of the plant every two weeks.
Organic ash
Universal fertilizer, but the complete chemical composition is difficult to determine due to the ignorance of the age of the processed plant and its development, but the value is calcium, which is the standard of elasticity and hardness. It is enough to use organic ash 6-7 times during the growth period: for the first time 10 days after planting, the second time at the beginning of flowering, and then every 14 days.
Methods of application
Methods of feeding with ash:
- Dry ash, which is preferable to use before watering.
- Ash diluted with water (20 tablespoons of ash in 10 liters of water and infuse for 10 days).
Yeast
Very effective for rapid growth, increased stamina endurance with a lack of heat and light, increase the immunity of plants to pathogenic bacteria, increase the vegetative mass of a vegetable. It should be used no more than 2 times: for the first time 14 days after planting, the second time after phosphate top dressing. To prepare the solution, pour a pack of yeast with 10 liters of water at room temperature for 3 days.
Chicken droppings or cow (horse) droppings
Nitrogen fertilizer, which is recommended to use 3 times: at the beginning of the growing season seedlings (growing season – the period of growth and development), flowering and active fruiting in dry or diluted form. Under one root, about 0.5 l of infusion of chicken droppings (in the proportion of infusion 1:25) should be applied.
Nettle
Nettle due to trace elements, sugar, vitamins, organic acids, this roasting perennial can serve well in growing cucumbers. To do this, chopped nettles need to be poured with boiled water in an enamel bowl. The structure should be covered for 3-5 days. This is necessary to preserve all the beneficial properties of nettle.Throughout all days, it is recommended to squeeze the resulting mass as actively as possible, so that the process takes place more intensively. After the resulting infusion, it is necessary to strain and dilute with water (in a ratio of 1:20). You can improve the effect of the infusion by using it together with organic ash.
Be sure to use non-blooming, still young nettles, and non-iron dishes for the brew (to avoid oxidation).
Egg shell
The mixture will help in development root system
Increases soil fertility and reduce acidity, improve oxygen supply to the root system of a vegetable. To use the eggshell, it is necessary to grind the shell from 10 eggs, pour 1 liter of boiled water into it and put in a dark place for 7 days. The resulting mixture must be diluted with water and water the plants once a week.
Preparation of fertilizing
First feeding (1-7 days):
- Chicken litter in a concentration of 1:20.
- Egg shell.
Second feeding (8-14 days):
- Organic ash .
- Yeast.
- Nettle.
Third feeding (15-21 days):
- Bread infusions .
- Onions and garlic husks.
Fourth feeding (22-28 days):
- Organic ash.
- Onion and garlic husks.
- Chicken droppings.
This is a small example of the use of fertilizers, you can create a different schedule, taking into account the time limits given above. There is no universal plan, one should proceed from the availability of certain fertilizers.
Useful tips for gardeners
If you do not adhere to the proper care of planting, then even with optimally selected fertilizer, you can not get a plentiful crop. It is recommended that gardeners growing cucumbers in their area observe the rules for planting care:
- It is preferable to plant cucumbers in warm and bright places. Planting depth depends on the frequency of watering, the less often, the deeper (up to 6 cm).
- The optimal distance between the beds is 40-50 centimeters.
- It is better to water up to 5 times a week, avoiding drought and overflow plants.
- Extra tendrils should be removed immediately so that they do not take away nutrients for their growth.
- To strengthen the root system, it is better to remove early shoots.
- Remember the main rule Before fruiting, the cucumber needs more nitrogen, boron, sulfur, and then potassium, nitrogen, and iron are needed.
- You should not overfeed the plant with chemicals, it is better to use folk remedies.
- You need to regularly inspect the external type of plants, as a visual inspection can tell a lot about the condition of the vegetable.
- Loosening is preferably carried out after every heavy rain or watering, and you need to shift the whips very carefully, without damaging their structure.
- If it is impossible to determine which element is missing, it is better to use complex fertilizers.
- For the best pollination of flowers, you can spray the plant with a solution of boron with sugar, this will attract bees and other pollinators.
- Do not forget about the climatic conditions, variety and place of growing cucumbers.
If stick to the recommendations, you can grow a rich harvest for the joy of the whole family. Any actions performed with love and care will certainly bear fruit.
