Growing cucumbers on his plot, every gardener hopes to get a good harvest. By the end of summer, there are fewer fruits on the vines and soon they run out completely. There are several ways to prolong fruiting and eat cucumbers from your garden until the cold weather. Let's highlight 5 proven and effective techniques.
Timely harvesting
You need to pick cucumbers as they ripen, it is better to do this daily. You can't leave them on the lashes longer. The plant spends the energy that young ovaries need on the growth of overripe fruits. In addition, overripe fruits signal to the entire bush that the goal of the annual plant - producing seeds - has been achieved. In this case, it does not require further fruiting.
Removing old leaves
Leaves take away nutrients from plants that fruits need. Therefore, you need to regularly remove dry and yellowed leaves from cucumbers. Also, leaves are not needed in the lower part of fruiting and on those shoots where there are no flowers or ovaries. Removing excess leaves from bushes stimulates the growth of new shoots. It turns out that the leaves remain only next to the small growing cucumbers.
Warming and mulching beds
Towards the end of summer, the nights become colder, but cucumbers love the warmth. Mulching will help protect the soil from hypothermia. It is better to use natural materials such as humus, peat or sawdust.The optimal thickness of the mulch layer will be 4-7 cm. Mulching the soil not only protects it from cold weather, but also helps keep the roots healthy.
The minimum temperature for continued growth of cucumbers is 15°C. When the night temperature drops below this level, you need to think about additional insulation of the beds. You can cover the beds at night with any covering material: plastic film, spunbond.
Prevention and protection of cucumbers from diseases
To protect plants from diseases in the future, regular prevention should be carried out, starting from the appearance of 2-3 leaves. In August, along with cold weather and rain, a number of diseases appear. The most common are true and downy mildew. To prevent the spread of diseases, you need to spray and water the bushes with special preparations - fungicides. Experts advise using Alirin, Fitosporin, Topsin-M.
If, despite all the measures taken, white spots appear on the leaves of the cucumbers, then the plants are sick with powdery mildew. This fungal disease interferes with photosynthesis, resulting in reduced yield. In this case, the bushes should be treated with Topsin-M, Topaz or HOM.
Feeding and fertilizers for lashes
During the entire growth period, plants need to be fed. This will increase the number of ovaries on the vines and allow the cucumbers to bear fruit longer. Fertilizing can be root or foliar. Root feeding is carried out throughout the entire period of plant growth, and from August it is recommended to add spraying to it. This is due to the fact that with the arrival of cold weather, the roots do not absorb nutrients from the soil well.
Experts advise reducing the number of root dressings by 2 times and spraying at least once a week. For fertilizing, you can use both ready-made fertilizers and those prepared at home. An excellent option is an infusion of rotted hay, a solution of urea and milk with iodine.
Now, knowing the secrets of experienced gardeners, you can enjoy fresh cucumbers from your garden until the cold weather.
