Do you dream of cucumbers growing well and producing an excellent harvest? But at the same time, you don’t want to once again poison your plants with “chemicals”? Then this article is for you.
Experienced summer residents try to resort to using various “chemicals” on their site as little as possible. This is especially true for a crop such as cucumber, because it is often consumed fresh. There are many common and safe types of fertilizers for good growth of cucumbers. Learn to use them correctly and enjoy a good harvest.
Fertilizer from bread
How to prepare top dressing from bread?
To prepare high-quality fertilizer for cucumbers from bread, fill a regular bucket 2/3 with chopped crusts of regular black bread, fill with water and place under a press in a warm place for about 7-10 days.
To properly use the resulting bread starter, dilute it three times and add 1 matchbox of universal fertilizer per 12 liters of liquid.
This product can be used to water cucumbers from the beginning of flowering until they begin to wilt once every 7 days.
Bread starter is acidic and is therefore particularly suitable for alkaline soils. To neutralize the acid, you can add chalk or dolomite flour to the starter before diluting with water.
This bread will be useful not only on the table, but also in the garden.
Ash
Ash– an excellent organic fertilizer, the exact chemical composition of which is difficult to determine in advance. The fact is that it depends on the type and age of the burned plant. However, the ash invariably contains calcium, which is so necessary for the growth of cucumbers.
How and when to use?
Ash is added only 5-6 times during the growth period of cucumbers. The first time this is done at the very beginning of the plant’s formation, when 2-3 leaves appear on the stem, the next time at the beginning of flowering, and only then as the fruits grow, with intervals of 14 days between feedings.
Ash can be used in two forms:
- dry ash;
- ash infusion.
Sprinkle dry ash on the soil before watering the plants. To prepare ash infusion, pour 10 tbsp. l. ash 5 liters of water and leave for 8-10 days, stirring the infusion regularly.
Advice from practitioners on feeding
- Carry out any feeding of cucumbers only in warm weather after watering the plants, so as not to harm the root system of the plants.
- You cannot add ash and nitrogen-containing compounds at the same time - a lot of ammonia will be released, and the plants may die.
- For fertilizing, it is strictly forbidden to use ash obtained after burning polymers, rubber, paper, garbage, etc.
It is very important that the ash is wood, without any debris or plastic.
Yeast
Yeast fertilizer for cucumbers is used quite often, because it has a mass benefits :
- increases the endurance of seedlings when there is a lack of light;
- improves root formation;
- is a source of natural bacteria that enhance plant immunity;
- is an excellent plant growth stimulator.
How to prepare yeast feeding?
Preparing yeast fertilizer is easy and simple:
- take 10 g of dry yeast and dissolve it in 10 liters of warm water;
- add about 2 tbsp to the solution. l. Sahara;
- let it brew for 2-2.5 hours and dilute with 50 liters of water.
How and when to use yeast nutrition?
Cucumbers respond well to yeast fertilizing; after using it, they quickly increase the vegetative mass and fruit ovaries.
During the entire growing period, use this fertilizer no more than 2 times:
- approximately 12-14 days after transplanting the seedlings into the ground;
- after phosphorus feeding.
Yeast promotes the rapid and active growth of cucumbers
Chicken droppings
How and when to use chicken manure?
This fertilizer can be used either diluted or dry.
Experienced summer residents advise using fertilizer based on chicken manure 3 times per season:
- the first time - in May-June (at the beginning of the growing season);
- the second time - during flowering;
- the third time - during active fruiting.
Using dry chicken manure is easy and simple. It is better to do this at the beginning or end of the season. You can use whole or crushed litter.
Apply it to the soil for digging at the rate of 500 g per 1 sq.m.
Summer residents often use an infusion of chicken manure on their plots. It's easy to prepare:
- fill the container 1/3 with chicken droppings and add water to the top;
- let the mixture brew for 2-4 days, stirring it constantly;
- dilute the finished fertilizer with water (1:3 or 1:4) and apply to the beds at the rate of 1.5 liters per 1 sq.m.
To make chicken droppings decompose faster, you can add Tamir or Baikal-M preparations to it (at the rate of 1 tablespoon of the preparation per bucket of water).
Chicken manure is one of the most affordable and popular fertilizers.
Zelenka + iodine
In search of safe and effective solutions, summer residents find unusual uses for familiar means and things. Thus, experienced gardeners successfully use iodine and brilliant green to combat various diseases of cucumbers.
To get rid of root rot, first dilute 10 drops of brilliant green in a bucket of water and water the plants with this solution. Then dilute 10 ml of iodine in 10 liters of water and also spray the shoots and leaves of cucumbers with this mixture.
Another option for using these products also allows you to protect plants from root rot: dilute 1 part iodine or brilliant green in 2 parts water and lubricate the cucumber stem 10 cm from the ground with the resulting solution. Just two such treatments are enough to get rid of the fungus that causes the disease.
The secret of brilliant green and its antiseptic properties is in copper, which is part of the drug. Copper not only protects plants, but is also an excellent fertilizer for cucumbers. This fertilizer will be especially useful on marshy soils.
From powdery mildew A simple recipe can help with cucumbers: mix 9 liters of water and 1 liter of low-fat milk, dissolve 10-12 drops of iodine in them and treat the plants with the resulting solution.
This fertilizer and preventive measure against various diseases can be found in every first aid kit.
Homemade fertilizer for cucumbers
An effective and simple homemade fertilizer for cucumbers includes: onion peel infusion. This feeding is especially important if the plants’ leaves begin to turn yellow.
To prepare the infusion, pour 8 liters of water into a glass of onion peel, put on fire, bring to a boil and cover with a lid. Let the mixture sit for 3-4 hours. Then strain the infusion and pour it over the cucumbers at the root. If you irrigate the plants with this mixture, you will get excellent foliar feeding, which, moreover, will protect the cucumbers from various diseases.
Onion peels are useful not only on the eve of Easter, but also during the cucumber season
Anti-yellowing remedies
A solution of regular soda. Just dilute 1 tbsp. l. soda in 10 liters of water and pour the solution over your plantings.
If 1 tsp. Dissolve soda in 1 liter of water and spray cucumbers with this mixture, then you will get an excellent preventative against powdery mildew.
You can also stop the yellowing of cucumber leaves using kefir. To do this, dilute 2 liters of kefir in a bucket of water and spray your plants with the resulting mixture.
For good growth and development of cucumbers, it is not at all necessary to use complex compounds and chemicals. Often things that are familiar in everyday life contain a lot of useful properties.
Any experienced gardener knows: to get an excellent harvest, it is not enough to sow seeds and occasionally water the plant. This requires creating ideal conditions for growth and fruiting. In addition to watering, loosening and weeding, these also include fertilizing.
The need for fertilizing is due to the poverty of garden soils. After all, every year we plant various vegetable crops on our plots, and the soil cover is gradually depleted. Cucumbers are demanding on nutrition - they need both mineral and organic fertilizers. So, let's find out what you can feed cucumbers in the garden or in the greenhouse and how to do it correctly.
First, let's figure out when it's best to apply fertilizer. This is usually done in the spring, filling the top layer of soil with manure. Thus, the bed will be heated from the inside during the period of active plant growth. In addition, there are two main types of fertilizing - root and foliar. The first ones are suitable for warm weather; they are usually carried out after heavy watering in the evening or after rain.
If the summer is damp and cold, then the root system of the plant may not be able to cope with root feeding - in this case it is better to spray the leaves.
In order for fruiting to be abundant, you must adhere to the timing of fertilization. So, the first feeding is usually done 2 weeks after planting, the second - at the very beginning of flowering, the third - when the cucumbers begin to bear fruit, and the fourth - a little later, since its purpose is to extend this period.
In addition to traditional agricultural fertilizers (manure, wood ash, chicken manure), there are also special preparations for a good harvest of cucumbers and tomatoes. These are superphosphate, urea, ammonia and potassium and others.
Now let's figure out what exactly should be watered with cucumbers to get a good harvest in each of the four feedings per season: From organic matter, it is better to use fresh chicken manure diluted in a concentration of 1:15 with water, slurry (1:8) or an infusion of green grass (1:5). Mineral fertilizers for the first feeding are ammophos, which is embedded in the ground by loosening, a mixture of ammonium nitrate with superphosphate and potassium salt, or urea.
When flowers appear on the plant, add an infusion of green grass, dry or diluted ash. For foliar feeding we use superphosphate and boric acid with sugar dissolved in hot water.
Adult plants no longer need such an abundance of nutrients, you just need to maintain their content at the proper level. To do this, we still apply green and mineral fertilizers - potassium nitrate, urea, diluted in water.
Towards the end of fruiting, to prolong it, feed the cucumbers with a two-day infusion of rotted hay 
or diluted baking soda. Foliar feeding at this time should consist of 15 g of urea dissolved in 10 liters of water.
Also keep in mind that the cucumber harvest will be good only when the rules of crop rotation are followed on the site. This means that the predecessors of cucumbers should be plants such as cabbage, beans, potatoes, celery or tomatoes. And of course, you should not plant cucumbers in one place for several years in a row - this will reduce their yield and harm the vegetables that will grow here in subsequent years. If you have relatively little space allocated for your garden, then green manure may be the solution - planting so-called green fertilizers that will improve the health of the soil, loosen it and saturate it with nutrients.
Cucumber is one of the most popular vegetables, consumed both fresh and canned. Pickled and pickled cucumbers are the first holiday snack on our tables. To grow cucumbers, you should try and give the vegetable all the necessary elements to get a good harvest.
A little theory: basic rules for feeding cucumbers
Cucumber is considered the most capricious garden crop. For good development and fruiting, a cucumber needs nutritious soil, but at the same time the plant cannot tolerate a strong concentration of useful elements in the soil. To balance the amount of nutrition and balance it with the nutritional value of the soil, you need to know what to feed the cucumbers after planting in the ground.
Did you know? The first greenhouses in history were built in Ancient Rome. Cucumbers were grown in them - the favorite vegetables of Emperor Tiberius.
Types of fertilizers
Cucumbers respond equally well to organic and mineral fertilizers; you just need to figure out what is best to fertilize cucumbers. From organic compounds culture best accepts mullein infusion– it is rich in nitrogen, copper, sulfur, iron and potassium. In addition to nutrition, the infusion provides the plant with protection from infections.
Chicken droppings contains nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, also increasing resistance to disease and activating plant growth. An infusion of rotted grass will be an excellent source of nitrogen; moreover, when rotted, such fertilizer loses ammonia, which is harmful to plants, faster than animal organic matter.
Important! Horse manure is categorically unacceptable for cucumbers: it contains too much ammonia, which, when disintegrating in the soil, releases nitrates that are absorbed by cucumbers. The fruits of such a plant are dangerous to health.
Mineral fertilizers for cucumbers in open ground are also important, since in organic fertilizers some elements are found in minute quantities. The most important in all life processes of cucumbers are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Potassium can provide cucumbers with a natural mineral remedy - wood ash- the best source of nitrogen for cucumbers, and phosphorus will be provided by adding superphosphate.
Forms of fertilizing according to method of application
There are two main forms of fertilizing cucumbers.
Basalfeeding cucumbers in open ground - a method of applying fertilizers under the bush, as close to the roots as possible. In this case, be careful, since it is undesirable for the fertilizer to get on the deciduous mass. Such fertilizing can severely burn the leaves and stems.
Foliar feeding cucumbers - this is a spraying aimed at the above-ground part of the cucumbers: leaves and shoots. This method is safe for foliage, because feeding is not as concentrated as root feeding.
How to create a calendar for feeding cucumbers after planting in open ground
In addition to what to fertilize, you need to know how often to feed cucumbers in open ground. In order to control the process and not make a mistake with the timing and type of feeding, to give cucumbers the elements necessary for a specific life period and to prevent a shortage or excess of any substance, you need to draw up a feeding calendar. Make it in the form of a table with columns of dates, types of fertilizing (organic or mineral fertilizer), method of application (root and foliar) and a column that takes into account the added nutrient element (nitrogen, phosphorus, etc.), its quantity.
What, when and how to feed cucumbers after planting in the ground, we will consider further.
First feedingAfter planting the crop in the ground, it is carried out when two or three strong leaves appear. Nitrogen is required for better growth. This could be a mineral fertilizer - urea. Application method: root, quantity: 1 tablespoon of powder per 10 liters of water. You can also use organic mullein - dilute 500 g per 10 liters of water, fertilize using the root method.
Second feeding for cucumbers in open ground, it is carried out after two weeks. The same types of fertilizer and application methods are used. You can also use an infusion of chicken droppings or rotten grass. The grass is introduced by spraying.
Third feedingnecessary during the flowering period. Cucumbers need potassium to form full-fledged ovaries. Foliar fertilizing with wood ash is suitable: two glasses per ten liters of water.
How to feed cucumbers in open ground fourth time? This feeding is carried out already during the fruiting period., the plant needs nitrogen and potassium.
The first feeding is after the fruits appear. Apply a solution of nitrophoska (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water), foliar application method. A week later, a second feeding is carried out using the root method, a solution of mullein with the addition of potassium sulfate (10 liters of water, 500 g of mullein, 5 g of potassium).
What is the best way to feed cucumbers after planting in the ground?
Feeding cucumbers is a necessity at all stages of the plant's life. Compliance with fertilizer dosages, alternating mineral and organic compositions, and timely application of the elements necessary for each period will provide you with a tasty and abundant harvest.
Did you know? The first mention of cucumbers in Russia was made by the German ambassador to Russia, Herberstein. In 1528, he described this vegetable in his travel diaries about a trip to Muscovy.
How to fertilize cucumbers immediately after picking seedlings
Nitrogen stimulates the plant for further development. When picking in open ground, they often add a teaspoon of ammophoska. 
Cucumbers are also fed with organic fertilizers containing nitrogen - mullein infusion, chicken manure and herbal.
Wood ash is sprinkled between the beds, which is absorbed into the soil after watering. Ash is rich in calcium, which accelerates plant growth. In addition, since ash is a natural remedy, it can be consumed several times during the growing season.
Fertilizing cucumbers during flowering
Just before flowering begins, add stimulatingfertilizer for cucumbers in open ground– mullein infusion with the addition of superphosphate and potassium sulfate. In this case, the following proportions are observed: 200 g of mullein, 5 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate per 8-10 liters of water.
A week later, already in the flowering phase, fertilizing is repeated, replacing mullein additives with nitrophoska (1 tbsp.) and reducing the dose of mullein to 100 g.
How to feed cucumbers during fruiting
Let's figure out what to water cucumbers for a good harvest. Fertilizer has proven to be effective during fruiting chicken droppings. The content of zinc, copper and nitrogen saturates cucumbers with substances necessary for the growth and taste of fruits. Chicken manure is used mainly in liquid form.
Fertilizing cucumbers during the fruiting period should also contain magnesium and potassium.
During the period of active fruiting, use potassium nitrate(25 g of nitrate per 15 liters of water), applied by the root method.
Important!During periods of frequent rainfall, cucumbers are highly susceptible to scab. When applied, potassium nitrate acts not only as a fertilizer, but also as protection against diseases.
How to properly feed cucumbers after planting in the ground, tips for gardeners
Before fertilizing cucumbers in open ground, it is advisable to find out what elements they need, in what quantities and what consequences will occur due to a lack of certain substances.
Cucumbers need nitrogen to grow, but before feeding with nitrogen-containing compounds, think about how much watering the cucumbers need. If there is a lack of moisture, the root system will not be able to absorb the required amount of the element. If there is a shortage of the substance, the stems and side shoots of cucumbers stop growing, the leaves turn yellow, the fruits change color to pale green and lose their taste.
Fertilizer for cucumbers in open ground should include phosphorus. Phosphorus is involved in all processes: growth, flowering and fruiting. This element strengthens the root system of cucumbers, stimulates the growth of foliage, and increases resistance to disease and weather conditions. A deficiency of the element leads to disease, slow development and empty ovaries. A sign of phosphorus starvation is a purple tint to the foliage.
No less necessary for cucumbers is potassium. It is enough to feed the cucumbers twice, and the growing season will pass without complications. If there is a lack of potassium, cucumbers will taste bitter, since it is potassium that is responsible for the sugar content in fruits.
What else do cucumbers like to feed the plant with, besides the main elements listed? For cucumbers, calcium, boron, magnesium, manganese, iron, sulfur, and zinc are also of great importance. That's why, to grow a good and tasty harvest, it is necessary to alternate organic and mineral fertilizers.
The advantage of ready-made mineral fertilizers is that during production all the necessary minerals and substances are added to them in different proportions. These compositions are complex and balanced; you can choose from the abundance on store shelves for both a crop and a specific life cycle.
Take the time to learn more about the crops you grow. Knowledge of the peculiarities of their cultivation and care will ensure that you receive tasty, healthy and, best of all, self-grown products.
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During budding, flowering and fruiting, cucumbers in greenhouses and open ground need a lot of nutrients. However, this crop does not absorb fertilizers well, especially if they are improperly diluted and have a high concentration. Therefore, in order to grow a good harvest of cucumbers, you need to know how best to feed cucumbers in a greenhouse and open ground.
During flowering and fruiting, plants need a complex of various fertilizers. For good growth, cucumbers are fed with fertilizers that contain nitrogen, and for plants to form buds and ovaries - potassium, phosphorus, and microelements. This vegetable crop loves organic matter, to which mineral fertilizers can be added.
Feeding recipes:
- Mullein diluted with water 1:10 or bird droppings 1:25. Per square meter of bed - from 4 to 6 liters of solution.
- Nettle infusion prepared from 1 kg of chopped fresh herbs and 10 liters of boiling water. When the infusion has fermented, it is filtered and the plantings are watered, using 2 liters for each bush.
- If plants are delayed in development, feed them with onion infusion husks. The recipe is simple: pour a liter of boiling water into a glass of onion peels and leave for 2-3 days. After this, add a tablespoon of infusion to a bucket of water (10 l) and water the bushes.
- Ash extract contains a large amount of microelements. To prepare a nutrient solution, you need to take 7 liters of water and pour it into 3 liters of ash. After a day, add 1 liter of ash extract to 10 liters of water and you can water the cucumbers.
- To speed up the growth and fruiting of cucumbers, you can prepare a solution that includes organic matter and microfertilizer with boron: add a solution of a liter of water and fertilizer granules with boron to 10 liters of mullein solution.
- Twice in July, add compost to the soil before loosening.. The effect of such fertilizer will be long-lasting.
- For good development of bushes and roots, you can use yeast feeding. You can use it for watering cucumbers 3 times during the summer. Fertilizer is prepared from 3 liters of warm water, in which 100 g of live yeast is diluted. Add 8 tbsp to the mixture. l sugar and put away for 3 days in a warm place. Before feeding, 1 glass of yeast infusion is diluted in 10 liters of water.
- In order not to bother with preparing infusions, you can use ready-made fertilizers, which are simply diluted in water before use. Fertilizing with zinc sulfate (0.1 g), manganese sulfate (0.4 g) and boric acid (0.5 g) will compensate for the deficiency of many elements in the soil. This amount of fertilizer is diluted in 10 liters of water.
Attention! Use all fertilizers only after watering, so as not to burn the roots of the cucumbers. You should also know that root fertilizing is not carried out in cold weather, since in cold soil plants do not absorb nutrients.
How and what to feed cucumbers in cold weather
If there is long-term cold weather with a temperature of about +15 degrees, cucumbers are fertilized with foliar fertilizers.
The best recipes for foliar feeding of cucumbers:
- Ash infusion brewed for 24 hours(per 10 liters - a glass of ash) is filtered and used for spraying foliage as a potassium fertilizer.
- Herbal infusion It takes about 10-14 days to prepare. To prepare it, a barrel or bucket is filled with grass (thistle, burdocks, dandelions, nettles), which is filled with water. While the solution is infused, it is stirred every day. For foliar feeding of cucumbers, the infusion is diluted with water (1:20).
- Crystallion, Mortar or Kemira solutions. To spray leaves, weak solutions are prepared from these mineral fertilizers (10-15 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of water).
It is important! In open ground, foliar feeding is carried out in dry, windless weather in the morning or evening. In a greenhouse, it is better to spray cucumbers in the late afternoon, when the sun's rays do not reach the building. In cloudy weather, foliar feeding can be carried out during the day both in the greenhouse and in open ground.
In closed ground, it is necessary to carefully monitor the nutrition of plants:
- fertilize once a week;
- alternate organic matter with mineral fertilizers;
- provide the plants with carbon dioxide, which is necessary for the formation of fruits (containers with slurry will help, which will ferment and release the necessary gas);
- carry out foliar feeding with a solution of mullein infusion (1:10), which will additionally protect the cucumbers from powdery mildew.
Keep an eye on the leaves of the cucumbers, by which you can recognize what elements the plants lack, and apply the necessary fertilizers, you can find out by clicking on the highlighted link.
Features of feeding cucumbers in open ground
During active fruiting in July and August, cucumbers in open ground are fed every 10 days. However, the frequency of fertilizing and the type of fertilizer used depends on the composition of the soil in the cucumber bed.
Growing on fertile black soil Cucumbers are fed with a small amount of organic matter, and complex mineral fertilizers are completely excluded. If poor soil, it is fertilized with both organic and mineral fertilizers.
Sample recipes for feeding cucumbers in July and August:
- at the beginning of fruiting– ash and nitroammophoska;
- during active fruiting– a solution of mullein infusion or chicken droppings;
- at peak fruiting we stimulate the second wave of flowering with yeast infusion.
Between the main feedings, fertilizers are used, which are selected according to the condition of the plants.
Properly selected fertilizers and timely fertilizing will guarantee a good harvest that can be harvested before the autumn cold.
Cucumbers need fertilizing because the plant, with a not very developed root system, forms a lot of ovaries. Are these ovaries destined to grow into crunchy and tasty cucumbers? It all depends primarily on the availability of sufficient nutrients. So what do you need to feed cucumbers to get a high-quality harvest?
Cucumber is a capricious but grateful plant
The homeland of the cucumber is the tropics and subtropics of India. This country has a hot and humid climate. Cucumbers grow there in natural conditions, on the fertile lands at the foot of the Himalayas. In the wild, no one cultivates the land; it is independently enriched with nutrients obtained as a result of the decomposition of fallen leaves, pieces of bark, ground cover plants and other organic matter. Russia is far from the Himalayas, therefore, in order to achieve a good harvest, it is necessary to create conditions suitable for this crop.
In addition to being located in a sunny area and regular watering with warm water, the plant needs feeding, every 7-14 days. After all, the cucumber rapidly increases its green mass, then forms many ovaries throughout the season. For such active life, good nutrition is necessary, and the roots of the cucumber are small. Moreover, with scanty watering, they are able to concentrate in the upper layer of soil, where tropical humus and natural mulch are not waiting for them.
That is why in Russian regions this culture is considered whimsical, but at the same time very grateful with proper care. Of course, zoned varieties are being created that are resistant to diseases and unfavorable conditions. However, the warmth and moisture-loving essence of the cucumber cannot be changed, as well as its natural need for good nutrition.
Why do the leaves turn yellow?
If a capricious vegetable does not please you with beautiful green leaves, but, on the contrary, scares you with its yellowness, it means that something is going wrong in its plant life. The cucumber gives signals that experienced gardeners have long deciphered.
- Only the lower leaves turn yellow - they simply do not have enough light. After all, the cucumber is distinguished by its vigorous growth. The sun's rays have difficulty penetrating the lower tiers. In this case, simply pick off periodically yellowed leaves. This “thinning” will have a beneficial effect on both the soil and the plant.
- The edges turn yellow and curl - uneven watering is to blame. The cause may be either a lack of moisture or its excess. In dry summers, cucumbers need to be watered every day, and in normal summers - 2-3 times a week. Test the soil for moisture: take a handful of soil from a depth of 10 cm and squeeze. The soil is sufficiently moist if the formed lump crumbles easily when pressed. Otherwise, the cucumber either did not receive enough water (a lump does not form) or is flooded (the lump does not crumble).
- Yellowness first appears in small spots that grow, cover the entire leaf, and it falls off. This is to be expected when the air temperature drops sharply after rains. The cucumber “catch” a fungal disease. Experienced gardeners have a universal recipe for all cucumber diseases in their arsenal. Dissolve in a bucket of water: 30 drops of iodine, 20 g of laundry soap and 1 liter of milk. You need to spray when the third true leaf appears, and then every 10 days.
Video: ways to combat cucumber diseases and pests
The cause of yellowing may also be nutritional deficiency. Its signs: the upper leaves or leaf roots change color, dark green veins appear on the leaves.
What, how and when to feed cucumbers?
Modern manufacturers of various fertilizers and top dressings these days are doing everything possible to make us feel like modern gardeners. It is enough to go to a good specialized store or department of a hypermarket to find many different bags, bottles, and packages containing life-giving “potions” for our cucumbers.
It is not necessary to engage in alchemy, combining 10 g of urea with 50 g of superphosphate, etc. Already balanced mixtures are sold, which are always accompanied by detailed instructions. You can find fertilizers for seedlings, fruit-bearing cucumbers and universal ones - for all vegetable crops or specifically for pumpkin crops. Well proven: Biohumus, Orgavit, Gumistar.
Cucumbers in a greenhouse and in the ground
There is a difference in growing cucumbers in open ground and in greenhouses. Nowadays greenhouses are made from polycarbonate. This material perfectly transmits sunlight and retains heat. A good microclimate is created for the cucumbers inside. However, you need to remember that in greenhouse conditions the plants are completely dependent on you. The rain won’t shower them, the breeze won’t blow them, and diseases and pests in a confined space spread at double speed.
In open ground, the cucumber is exposed to all winds; it is not tied to trellises, as in a greenhouse. The vines are warmer and calmer near the ground, but if they come into contact with wet soil, the fruits and leaves may rot or become sick. Therefore, it is recommended to cover the ground with mulch, such as straw.
Unplanned rains wash away nutrients that the cucumber did not have time to absorb. Applying more fertilizer in open ground than in a greenhouse is a dangerous option; there is a risk of overfeeding and “burning” the plant. In open ground, when the air temperature does not rise above +12 °C for several days, foliar feeding is more effective.
First feeding - active growth (spring - early summer)
During the period of growth of green mass, the plant needs nitrogen. Do not rush to feed young cucumbers with the first leaves if they are already growing well. The soil is probably well-dressed before planting, and there is enough nutrition to start growth. But if the bores are thin, pale, and barely grow, then you need to give nitrogen in an accessible form. Suitable for this:
- complex fertilizer ammophoska - 1 tbsp. l. for 10 liters of water;
- bird droppings are diluted with water 1:20; if you use raw droppings, you can water them immediately; dry droppings must be given time to dissolve;
- fresh horse, pig manure or mullein is placed in a 200 liter barrel, filling it to a third, fill it with water to the top, leave for 2-3 days, before use mix 1 liter of infusion with 10 liters of water;
- infusion of herbs, weeds, nettles (1:5), the solution ferments for 1–2 weeks; There is no need to dilute with water before use.
Choose one thing, no need to feed everything at once!
Cucumbers also love wood ash. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of ash on the damp soil around the plant, without touching the leaves and stems. You can add ash to the solutions, one glass per bucket.
Second feeding - flowering period (summer)
The cucumbers have bloomed, that is, the growth of vines and leaves has stopped. Now they need nitrogen, but less than other elements. At this stage use:
- herbal infusion 1:5 + 1 glass of ash per 10 l;
- mineral fertilizers: potassium nitrate (20 g) + ammonium nitrate (30 g) + superphosphate (40 g) + a glass of ash per 10 liters of water.
The third feeding is fruiting (summer - autumn)
The following solutions will promote the formation and growth of ovaries:
- the same infusion of herbs 1:5 with ash;
- mineral fertilizers: potassium nitrate (25–30) g + urea (50 g) + a glass of ash per 10 liters of water.
Fourth feeding - prolonging fruiting (late summer - autumn)
The following will help cucumbers bear fruit before frost:
- baking soda (30 g) + a glass of ash per 10 liters of water;
- foliar feeding: urea 15 g per 10 liters of water.
You need to choose or alternate organic and mineral fertilizers. For example, if the first feeding was an infusion of grass, then the second can be made with a solution of mineral fertilizers. It is recommended to use ash at all stages.
It is necessary to feed every 1-2 weeks. Perhaps more fertilizing will be possible, it all depends on the condition of the plants and the needs of the gardener. Cucumbers can be forced to bear fruit until frost.
Video: how to fertilize cucumbers? Basic Rules
How and with what to do foliar feeding?
Foliar feeding is auxiliary and cannot replace basic nutrition through the soil.. The method is good for providing emergency assistance to the plant, for example, in cold weather (not higher than +12 °C), when nutrition through the roots is difficult or when a deficiency of some element is detected.
- ammonium nitrate - no more than 20 g per bucket;
- urea - from 40 to 50 g;
- simple superphosphate - 300 g;
- potassium sulfate - 100 g;
- potassium chloride - 50 g;
- magnesium sulfate - 200 g;
- copper sulfate - no more than 2 g;
- boric acid - 3 g;
- zinc sulfate - 2 g;
- manganese sulfate - no more than 10 g;
- borax - 5 g;
- ammonium molybdate - 1 g.
In addition, to extend the fruiting period, flowering cucumbers are sprayed with a weak urea solution: 15 g per 10 liters of water. You can buy special Uniflor fertilizer as a top dressing; it contains microelements that promote the preservation and growth of ovaries.
Cucumbers should be sprayed in the morning or evening in dry weather. The solution is completely absorbed within 2 hours. If it rains at this time, the treatment must be repeated. In greenhouses, foliar feeding can be given in any weather, but after it it is necessary to cover the plants from sunlight.
A new type of fertilizer - regular yeast
Improving the growth of cucumbers using yeast is a new method that not everyone knows about yet. Yeast is a living microorganism, therefore, it can be used as an organic fertilizer rich in nitrogen, as well as vitamins and minerals. But as a result of applying such fertilizer, the soil loses potassium and calcium, so it is also necessary to add ground shells and, again, ash.
Advantages of feeding with yeast:
- Seedlings become resistant to unfavorable conditions, stretch less and easily tolerate transplantation.
- The root system is actively growing.
- The soil structure improves, yeast actively multiplies, decomposes organic matter, and nitrogen and phosphorus are released.
- The number of ovaries increases, hollowness is halved.
Recipes for yeast feeding for cucumbers
- Pressed yeast (1 kg) is diluted in warm water (5 l). The temperature should be around 35°C. Give the microorganisms 2–3 hours to begin active life, and then dilute the solution with 50 liters of warm water. The feeding is ready.
- Dry yeast (10 g) is dissolved in warm water (10 l), a couple of tablespoons of sugar are added and left for 2 hours. As in the previous version, dilute the resulting solution with 50 liters of warm water and water it.
Video: options for using yeast
The main conditions for this technology: the soil must be warm and the yeast must be fresh and viable. Fertilizing should be done in the evening, after a warm day, when the soil is warmed by the sun. Cucumbers can be fed with yeast three times per season: during the period of seedling growth, during the formation of ovaries and fruiting.
If you are using fertilizer for the first time, test the prepared solution first on one plant. If nothing happens to it during the day, then feel free to use the product on the entire cucumber area.
Many gardeners know the problems associated with growing cucumbers, but do not want to deal with them and plant this crop at different times. The leaves in one bed have turned yellow and are moving to another with younger and still healthy plants to collect the harvest. But with a little effort and paying due attention to the whimsical cucumbers, you can harvest from one hole (4-5 plants) enough for both summer salads and winter preparations. And it is better to use the vacated land for the equally effective cultivation of other crops.
