When planting cucumbers in a greenhouse or hothouse, summer residents expect to receive a bountiful and high-quality harvest, but their expectations are not always met. The reasons that plants do not bear fruit well can be different. There are 5 typical mistakes that can lead to a problematic situation.
Choosing the wrong variety
All cucumbers can be divided into two groups - varieties and hybrids. Vegetables of any type grow well in the southern zones. But summer residents of the middle zone and northern regions should opt for hybrid plants. Hybrids are more resilient than varietal cucumbers, they are not so capricious to growing conditions, and respond well to sudden temperature changes and other unfavorable phenomena.
If you plant varietal and hybrid cucumbers in the same greenhouse, the yield of the latter will be 25% higher. At the same time, hybrids are in no way inferior to ordinary varieties in terms of taste. They can also be eaten fresh and used for pickling. Unfortunately, hybrids do not pass on their properties to the next generations, so it will not be possible to use your own planting material next season.
Failure to comply with the sowing scheme
Sometimes, in order to save space in the greenhouse, gardeners violate the cucumber planting pattern by planting them too often.While the bushes are small, they have enough nutrition and moisture for development, but later the situation changes. As plants grow, they begin to shade each other, and competition for water and microelements arises between them.
Too often, planted cucumbers are affected by fungal diseases. Under such conditions, good yields are out of the question. According to the rules, the interval between plants in one row should be at least 40 cm; a gap of 60 cm is left between rows.
Improper ventilation
When it's hot, the air inside the greenhouse becomes hot. If the temperature does not go beyond +30 °C, the cucumbers feel fine. At higher numbers, flowers and ovaries fall off, and plants become depressed. At the same time, we must not forget that the culture loves warmth and does not tolerate drafts and temperature changes.
For this reason, cucumbers are ventilated during the daytime. It is better to keep the vents and greenhouse doors closed in the morning and evening. Ventilation of the cucumber greenhouse is carried out in parts. First, open the door on one side, then close it and ventilate the opposite part of the building.
Violation of the watering regime
There are no general watering rules for all vegetables; each crop requires an individual approach. Cucumbers are moisture-loving plants, but this does not mean that they need to be watered. When the soil becomes waterlogged, pockets of rot will begin to develop on the bushes.
In this case, you will have to treat the diseased plants; they simply will not have the strength to bear fruit.At the same time, an insufficient amount of moisture will lead to the fact that the fruits will not pour well, and their taste will be filled with bitterness. In normal weather, the vegetable is watered once every 2-3 days, adding 5-6 liters of water under each bush. Of course, the weather can make adjustments - in extreme heat, cucumbers are watered daily.
Late harvest
Experienced gardeners already know that the greenhouse with cucumbers needs to be visited regularly, otherwise the crop will ripen unevenly. The greens will turn out to be of different sizes. Overgrown fruits have a worse taste and larger seeds.
In addition, the plant spends a lot of energy on the growth of greens, which inhibits the formation of new ovaries. It is better to look into the greenhouse with cucumbers every 2-3 days. In this case, they will all be as if they were selected. Neat, even fruits look beautiful in jars and are good when served fresh.
If you avoid the listed mistakes, you will also be pleased with your cucumber harvest. But even in this case, we must not forget about the rules of crop rotation. Next year, it will no longer be possible to plant cucumbers in the same greenhouse, since the soil is depleted over the season and accumulates pathogenic microorganisms. It will be possible to grow eggplants or tomatoes in a greenhouse. For cucumbers you will have to find another place to plant.
