How to feed cucumbers with natural fertilizers. Feeding cucumbers in a greenhouse or open ground with fertilizers - mineral and organic. Feeding cucumbers with boric acid

To get a good harvest of cucumbers, timely and optimal feeding is necessary. However, inept “good intentions” can bring harm to plantings instead of benefit. This is why it is very important to be aware of both deadlines and correct use fertilizers

What does a cucumber need?

You need to select products for feeding cucumbers as they grow and develop. After all, at each stage you will need certain microelements. For seedling growth, for example, an increased amount of nitrogen is initially required. In spring, it makes it possible to quickly grow green mass - leaves, side shoots. But when greens are planted, the plant no longer requires further growth and “fatification” of the cucumber bush. At this moment, it needs phosphorus and potassium more.

Excess nitrogen can lead to the spread of fungal infections, delay the formation of fruits and contribute to the accumulation of harmful nitrates in them.

Experienced gardeners carefully observe plantings, and by the appearance of the plant itself, its leaves and ovaries, they can tell which elements it lacks in the soil. Here are the main indicators that require attention:

A pale tint of leaves or young cucumbers indicates nitrogen starvation. At the same time, the growth of the lashes is slow, lower leaves drooping and yellowed. Few Zelents are formed, they are small. Cucumbers grow with a pointed or curved tail in the flower part.
A lack of phosphorus is indicated by the falling of flowers and young ovaries, the leaves become small and bluish, and growth is weak.
Round leaves with a bend towards the bottom and the death of growing points indicate calcium deficiency.
If the leaves acquire an intense dark green color, but at the same time become smaller and become dome-shaped, then for feeding cucumbers you need potash fertilizers. This is also evidenced by a light stripe along the edge of the leaf, which subsequently turns brown and dies. The fruits grow in the form of bulbs, they are round and tapering at the stalk.
Light-colored veins, yellowness and spots on the leaf blades indicate a lack of magnesium.
The apical buds of cucumbers die, the leaves fall off, and flowering is inhibited in the absence of fertilizing with boric acid.

Types and methods of fertilizing

For cucumbers, in addition to filling the soil before planting permanent place, are regularly required liquid nutritional supplements. Plants enter the fruiting period early, and to obtain good harvest they must have powerful stems and leaves. Liquid fertilizers are better absorbed, but cucumbers do not tolerate high dosages of useful elements, so they have to be fed little by little, but often.

New high-yielding hybrids especially need enhanced nutrition.

Types of fertilizers are grouped according to the fertilizers that are planned to be used. They are divided into:

mineral;
organic;
mixed.

Mineral fertilizers for cucumbers are as follows: mono-component(nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), and complex, which include elements necessary for plant nutrition. Excellent results will be obtained if you use environmentally friendly organic matter when caring. Cucumber reacts especially positively to it.

Often, gardeners prefer to alternate organic and complex mineral fertilizers, considering this to be the most appropriate.

You can make fertilizer mixtures yourself, or you can use ready. The industry produces numerous types of similar products. Many people successfully use “Zdraven” - this is a special fertilizer for cucumbers; it contains all the elements necessary for their development. Good results when sprayed and watered at any stage of cultivation it gives “Baikal EM1”. There are biological growth stimulants used when planting cucumber seedlings (Athlet, Etamon, Radifarm, etc.), as well as complex organomineral mixtures for feeding adult plants.

Any product must be thoroughly dissolved in water! Before use, carefully read the instructions for use.

Such original ones are often used traditional methods how to feed cucumbers with yeast, malt infusion for good growth, on rye flour, from black bread, etc.

Depending on the method of fertilizing, there are:

root;
foliar.

The application of liquid fertilizer mixture during root feeding is carried out at the root cucumbers Foliar feeding involves spraying aboveground part plants, which is capable of absorbing useful solutions and using them in the process of life. If you have to do such processing of cucumbers for the first time, you can watch a video on this topic.

Liquid root dressings

As a rule, the first nutrient waterings are carried out 11-15 days after transplanting seedlings, and then repeated at intervals of 7-14 days, depending on the condition of the plants and soil. For example, on fertile soils there is enough 2-3 treatments. You can adhere to a scheme of alternating mineral and organic fertilizers, or make mixed solutions.
Rules and recommendations:

Feeding cucumbers open ground It is carried out on cloudy days, in the late afternoon, so as not to cause burns.
All fertilizing is carried out only after watering the soil or after precipitation. The nutrient liquid is poured into grooves made close to the roots. Usually a bucket of solution is added per square meter. Be careful not to get it on leaves or vines. If necessary, wash it off with clean water.
Plants do not tolerate high concentrations of nutrients; the total dose of fertilizer in dry matter should not exceed 65-70 g per bucket of water.
Cucumber reacts poorly to chlorine, so it is better to avoid potassium fertilizers containing it, replacing them with sulfates and nitrate.
Fertilizers made from mineral fertilizers cannot be combined with ash.

Organic based recipes:

Organic cucumbers respond well to water infusions cow or horse manure (it is pre-soaked, diluted 10 times and fermented for 2-4 days). Bird droppings filled with water (25 parts water to 1 part droppings) are infused for 3-5 days. If there is no manure, humus can be used.

When flowers appear, tablets of microelements and ash (1 cup per bucket) are added to the liquid manure fertilizer. Organic and mineral fertilizers are often combined: for 1 liter of mullein, take 10 g of urea and a bucket of water. You can also add ready-made complex garden mixtures and nitroammophoska (30 g per 10 l) to mullein solutions.
Herbal nutritional infusions can be used for watering. They are prepared from any weeds (dandelions, burdocks, nettles) by filling containers with them, preferably made of plastic. Experienced practitioners specially sow green manure for this purpose that is beneficial for cucumbers (lupine, mustard, legumes). Fill with water (1 to 1) and leave for a week. To neutralize unpleasant odor Add a few drops of valerian infusion to the barrel. Before watering, the fermented solution is diluted again with water 1 to 10.
During fruiting, prepare an infusion of ash at the rate of 0.5 tbsp. for 5 liters of water (soak for several days), water the cucumbers with weak potassium permanganate.

Recipes for mineral supplements:

During the growth period, the need for nitrogen increases, so you can fertilize cucumbers in open ground and greenhouses with urea or ammonium nitrate (1 g per liter of water). But in case of danger of appearance powdery mildew, such nitrogen-based mono-feedings are not recommended, they can lead to the spread of infection. It is necessary to combine it with phosphorus and potassium.
It is recommended to use calcium nitrate as a source of nitrogen before flowering - take 2 g of the substance per 1 liter of water. This feeding of cucumbers in a greenhouse prevents the development of root rot, helps reduce the fragility of leaves and brittleness of stems, which is important for greenhouse conditions.
For complex fertilizer solutions, you can take the following recipe as a basis: for 10 liters of water – 25-37 g of urea, 35-38 g of superphosphate and 18-23 g of potassium sulfate.

Foliar feeding

If the weather is cool, the cucumber roots begin to absorb nutrition worse. During this period, foliar feeding is advisable, which will speed up fruiting and increase the yield.

After processing, there should be no salt stains left on the cucumber leaves; they must be washed off with water using a watering can.

Foliar feeding of cucumbers in a greenhouse is undesirable. It is better to water at the roots so as not to create excessive dampness and cause outbreaks of diseases.

Spraying of cucumbers is carried out with weaker solutions, no more than 20 g of fertilizer per half bucket of water. The treatment is done in cool or cloudy weather, consumption - 0.5 liters per 1 sq.m.
In the absence of a ready-made complex fertilizer, make up a mixture of simple ones according to this recipe: per 10 liters of water - 7 g ammonium nitrate, 12 g superphosphate, 8 g potassium nitrate.
Solutions with microelements - sulfates of iron, manganese, magnesium, boric acid - will give a good effect. To process cucumbers, take 0.5 g of each substance per half bucket of water, adding 3-4 g of potassium sulfate and 5 g of superphosphate. Spraying is carried out once a month.

Traditional methods

Often when growing, quite effective traditional methods, which gardeners willingly share with each other. Let's look at some of them.

Feeding cucumbers yeast. It has been noticed that such treatments are especially useful for strengthening and endurance of seedlings, for soil and indoor cucumbers. They stimulate the growth of roots and green mass and are useful for increasing productivity. Yeast feeding cucumber planting is carried out 1-3 times a season, half a liter of infusion is poured under the root. The compositions are prepared according to the following recipes:

100-150 g of fresh yeast are diluted in warm water (the amount is given per bucket) and left for one day.
1-1.5 tbsp. dry yeast mixed with 1.5 tbsp. sugar and 3 g vitamin C, pour warm water(5-7 l) and leave for a day. Before watering, the solution is diluted with water (1 to 10) - for 1 liter of the resulting mash you will need a bucket of water.

Grain feeding. An interesting option is to use stale rye bread in fertilizing cucumbers:

The bread loaf is filled with heated water (7-8 l) overnight and soaked, you can add a couple of tablespoons of malt. In the morning, mix everything thoroughly, add iodine (up to 7-10 drops). For spraying, the infusion is diluted 10 times.
For root treatments of cucumbers, the kvass grounds that remain during its preparation are also perfect; before watering, it is diluted 1 to 8.

Please note that fermented yeast absorbs potassium from the soil, so it is advisable to add ash to solutions (1 tbsp per 10 l) or sprinkle it on the soil before watering.

Watering and spraying cucumbers baking soda. Leaves and stems will not turn yellow if you water them with a solution regular soda(0.5 tbsp dissolved in 5 liters of water). For spraying take 1 tsp. per liter of liquid is also an excellent prevention against powdery mildew.

Recipes with 3% hydrogen peroxide. The solution is prepared at the rate of a bottle (40 ml) of peroxide per 2 liters of water. If you water or spray plants (especially seedlings) with it, it will give the roots and leaves additional oxygen, disinfect the soil, and increase disease resistance and survival.

Thanks to unpretentiousness, rapid growth and ripening, cucumbers are represented in almost all gardens, and in many countries.

Since it is one of the vegetables that grows wonderfully in a greenhouse, it is one of the first to enter our diet after a long time. winter period no vitamins. The cucumber itself, unlike others vegetable crops, cannot boast of a wealth of useful substances for humans.

However, it is difficult to imagine many salads and first courses without this vegetable. In order to eat beautiful, juicy and delicious fruits, grown on their own, they need to be fed throughout their development. And do it according to the rules, so as not to ruin the harvest. We will talk about the features of growing and feeding cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse in this material.

Features of fertilizing cucumbers in a greenhouse: how to create a fertilizing schedule

Today, people everywhere resort to growing vegetables in polycarbonate greenhouses. Their popularity is explained primarily by their ease of assembly and excellent qualities favorable for growing plants.

In particular, the ability to transmit a sufficient amount of sunlight and retain heat. In addition, when growing cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse, there is no need to pre-plant their seedlings.

When growing greenhouse cucumbers it is important not only to maintain the correct temperature regime and humidity. For their successful development and fruiting, feeding with nutrients is necessary. They are carried out throughout the entire growing season - from the moment of planting seedlings until fruiting.

Each greenhouse owner, through his own trial and error, using other people’s experience and advice, will choose the most suitable feeding regime for himself, and will give preference to any type of fertilizer and application option. This will depend on the composition of the soil, the variety grown, and the conditions created. However there is general recommendations, which it is advisable to take into account for everyone who is involved in growing cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse.

And first you need to know how this vegetable develops throughout its growth, during what period and what specific substances it needs.

For successful development, a cucumber needs three elements:

nitrogen;
potassium;
phosphorus.

Did you know? Potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus are contained in cucumber in the following ratio: 3:2:1.

During the growing season, the most necessary thing for a cucumber is nitrogen. During the growth of the lashes, he needs potassium. And when new shoots appear and at the beginning of fruiting, the vegetable needs additional feeding nitrogen. During the fruiting period, the cucumber needs in potassium and phosphorus.

In accordance with these needs of the vegetable crop, you can create a feeding schedule for cucumbers in the greenhouse.

Fertilizers are applied three to four times, taking into account the permitted norms. Although, if necessary, there may be more feeding, but not more often than once every 14 days.

The first feeding is carried out before flowering. Further different kinds Fertilizers should be applied as required by the plant. You can read information about how cucumbers signal what they lack in the last section of this article. In the meantime, let’s figure out what types of fertilizers there are and how to properly apply them to cucumbers.

Important! Cucumbers do not respond well to excess nutrients. Excessive feeding is undesirable for cucumbers in a greenhouse, as it can lead to inhibition of their growth.

Types of fertilizers for cucumbers in a greenhouse

Cucumbers are fertilized with two types of fertilizers:

organic (manure, litter, compost, peat, etc.);
mineral (ammonia, potassium, phosphorus, microfertilizers).

Organic Fertilizer Options

The best option There will be aqueous solutions for feeding cucumbers. Here are some organic fertilizer formulations.

In a 10-liter bucket of water, dissolve 0.5 liters of mullein with the addition of 1 tbsp. spoons of nitrophoska. After mixing well, add 200 g of ash (50 g of potassium sulfate), 0.5 g of boric acid and 0.3 g of manganese sulfate. Consumption – 3 l / 1 sq. m. It is recommended to carry out such feeding during the period of flowering and formation of ovaries. It is carried out 20 days after applying the first fertilizers to seedlings that have just hatched and produced three or four leaves.

Did you know? It is believed that fertilizing is very useful for cucumbers. wood ash(100 g / 10 l water). It can be fertilized at any time at intervals of 10 days.

If you have the opportunity to prepare organic fertilizers, then the third and fourth fertilizing can also be done using organic matter: bird droppings or mullein. It is recommended to fertilize for the third time, waiting two weeks after the second. The soil must be watered with the following composition: 2.5 tbsp. Dilute spoons of mullein in 10 liters of water. Consumption – 8 l / 1 sq. m. The same composition is used for the next feeding.

Diluted in water are also used for watering plants. chicken droppings (1:15), manure (1:6), slurry (1:8). In addition, they use infusions of green herbs (1:5). Humus is added in dry form.

Can be prepared as follows: 1 kg of crushed quinoa, plantain, nettle plants pour into 12 liters hot water, leave for three days. Strain before use. Use for watering beds. Consumption – 2-3 l / 1 sq. m. Other herbs are also used.

Not very common among gardeners, but effective feeding cucumbers in a greenhouse with yeast. This method allows you to achieve better harvest. And preparing the fertilizer is simple: Dissolve 100 g of yeast in 10 liters of water. The infusion should ferment within one day. This mixture is watered at the roots of the plants.

Mineral fertilizers for greenhouse cucumbers

Mineral fertilizers, in the absence of organic ones, should be used when first feeding cucumbers after planting in a greenhouse, which is done when the seedlings produce three or four leaves. Prepare it this way: 20 g of double superphosphate, 15-20 g of potassium sulfate (10-15 g of potassium chloride), 10-15 g of ammonium nitrate. This solution is enough to feed 10-15 sprouts.

From others mineral compositions The following are recommended for fertilizing cucumbers in a greenhouse:

1. For the first feeding:

1 tbsp. dilute a spoonful of urea, 60 g of superphosphate in a 10-liter bucket of water;
Sprinkle 5 g of ammophos on the soil and loosen;
10 g of ammonium nitrate, 10 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potassium salt pour 10 liters of water.

2. For the second feeding:

20 g of potassium nitrate, 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 40 g of superphosphate;

3. For the third feeding:

Dilute 15-20 g of potassium nitrate with 10 liters of water;
50 g of urea pour 10 liters of water;

4. For the fourth feeding:

28-30 g baking soda dissolve in 10 liters of water.

1st feeding- before flowering, when the seedlings have produced their first leaves - organic or mineral fertilizers rich in nitrogen;

2nd feeding– during the period of formation of ovaries and the beginning of flowering (two to three weeks after the previous one) – organic fertilizers (in the absence of organic matter, minerals with a reduced dose of nitrogen and an increased content of potassium are used);

3rd feeding– during the period of mass fruiting (no earlier than two weeks after the previous one) – potassium, phosphorus fertilizers, as well as nitrogen with the addition of sulfur;

4th feeding– during the fruiting period (14 days after the third) – with potassium and phosphorus fertilizers.

Recommended doses minerals during fruiting: ammonium nitrate – 15-20 g; superphosphate – 20 g; potassium sulfate – 20 g per 10 liters of water.

Important! Fertilizers are applied together with watering. It is better to fertilize cucumbers after watering or rain.

Types of feeding cucumbers in a greenhouse

According to the method of applying fertilizing, they are divided into:

foliar;
root.

When you draw up your own scheme of what, in what period and how to feed cucumbers, it is important to include foliar feeding in it - spraying the leaves with useful substances. For this method it is used as ready-made compositions, purchased in specialized stores, and prepared with your own hands.

Here are some recipes for foliar feeding:

10 g superphosphate, 30 g potassium nitric, 1 g boric acid, 0.4 g manganese sulphate, 0.1 g zinc sulfate;
50 g of 1.5% urea solution / 10 l of water;
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of boric acid, 10-12 crystals of potassium permanganate in a liter of water.

Did you know? If spraying with a urea solution is combined with mulching the roots with pine needles, sawdust or humus, you can achieve long-term fruiting of cucumbers.

From ready-made mixtures“Zircon”, “Epin”, special fertilizers for cucumbers are suitable. 1 tbsp. a spoonful of these substances is diluted in 10 liters of water. Consumption – 5 l / 1 sq. m.

Foliar feeding of cucumbers folk remedies implies spraying rotted hay with infusion.It is filled with water (1:1) and left for 48 hours. Cucumbers are fertilized with this infusion three times at intervals of seven days.

The main advantage of spraying with fertilizers is the fastest action compared to root feeding, as well as less loss useful material. However, you should know that foliar feeding is only an additional source of nutrients; they will not be able to fully saturate the plant with the necessary elements.

The main indicators for foliar feeding of cucumbers in a greenhouse are the lack of one or more essential nutrients and cold weather. summer period with frequent cloudy weather and lack of sunlight. They are carried out in small doses in the evening or in the absence of sun. Spray small drops evenly onto the leaves.

Important! Foliar feeding is first tested on one cucumber bush. If after 24 hours the sprayed crop has not reacted in any way in appearance, then you can spray the rest of the cucumbers.

Root feeding

It is possible to carry out only root dressings and only organic or only mineral fertilizers, or it is possible to alternate organics and minerals, foliar and root dressings.

What to do if cucumbers begin to lag behind in development, how to determine what the plant lacks

If cucumbers need any nutrients, they will tell you this by changes in their appearance. So, the cause of light green spots on the leaves or their yellowing, stopping the plant in growth, may be lack of magnesium or excess potassium.

The reason for slowing down the development of cucumbers is also iron deficiency. At the same time, their leaves acquire light colors, almost turning white.

Cucumber produces fruits shaped like light bulbs or pears (tapered at the stalk)- this is how he tells you that he need potassium. In this case, it is recommended to introduce watering with an ash solution or root and foliar spraying with a solution of potassium phosphate (1 teaspoon / 1 liter of water), an aqueous solution of potassium sulfate.

Cucumbers, narrowed at the tip and thickened at the stalk, in the form of a hook, signal about nitrogen deficiency. With nitrogen starvation, plants also become thin, the leaves become small, and the fruits become light in color. Yellowing of the edges of the leaves is also possible - subsequently they curl downwards and wrinkle. With this problem, root feeding with mullein or other organic matter will help.

The formation of a “waist” in your cucumbers (narrowing of the fruit in the middle) indicates sharp jumps in day and night temperatures, watering too much cold water and lack of magnesium and iron. Complex fertilizers will help solve the problem.

About calcium deficiency the bright ones testify yellow spots on young leaves, inhibition of plant growth, rapid aging of the root. The fruits of such plants are small and tasteless.

Phosphorus deficiency will affect the leaves, which will first become dark in color and then dry out and turn black. Scourges in plants suffering from phosphorus deficiency slow down growth.

If the fruits begin to taste bitter, they do not have enough moisture, and it is necessary increase watering.

When the plants look healthy, they bear fruit well large fruits, then you can limit yourself to one or two feedings.

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678 once already
helped

There are no trifles in gardening: the future of the harvest equally depends on the quality seed material, and on the number of waterings, and on the timing of fertilizer application. Proper feeding of cucumbers in the open ground helps the plants form a full-fledged ovary and fully resist diseases and pests.

Feeding cucumbers in open ground - rules

When it comes to fertilizers, the cucumber crop shows itself to be a real capricious picky plant - as soon as you don’t please it, instead of even crispy cucumbers, “mutants” curved in all directions appear in the garden bed. Therefore, fertilizing cucumber seedlings should begin at the two-leaf stage. In the future, cucumbers will have to be pampered with increased nutrition at least four more times: 15 days after moving to open ground, after the first flower stalks appear, and twice at the time of fruiting.

Each cucumber grower has his own treasured recipe for feeding cucumbers in the open ground, from which the cucumbers grow by leaps and bounds and become the most delicious and crunchy. Don't get confused and choose correct option will help simple rule: the type of fertilizer directly depends on how warm the summer was. The fact is that cucumber roots are only able to fully absorb everything in warm weather. nutrients from the soil. In cold summers, you should give preference to foliar feeding of cucumbers in open ground.

Whatever method of feeding cucumbers (root or foliar) is chosen, for its implementation it is better to choose the evening or a cloudy warm day. Fertilizers should be applied to the soil after heavy watering or good rain. When spraying the fertilizer, you must ensure that the solution falls on the leaves in small drops in an even layer. How long it stays on the surface depends on how many benefits the cucumber lashes will receive. Another trick is that the warmer the nutrient solution, the faster it will be absorbed.

First feeding of cucumbers

Cucumber seedlings successfully migrated from seedling boxes or pots into open ground, took root and even began to grow little by little. And here, in all its glory, the gardener faces the question - how to feed the cucumbers after planting? As mentioned above, the first fertilizing occurs 14-15 days after moving to open ground, and for this it is better to use organic fertilizers: infusion or chicken manure, diluted in a ratio of 1:10. These products must be used with extreme caution, because they can damage fragile roots.

Feeding cucumbers during flowering

A proven way to get even, “one-on-one” cucumbers is to fertilize them during flowering. To carry this out, it is recommended to use green fertilizer prepared from freshly cut grass. The grass collected after mowing must be filled with the same amount of water and allowed to brew for at least a week. The resulting slurry must be diluted five times with warm water. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to compensate for the lack of minerals by feeding the cucumbers with a mixture of superphosphate, ammonium and potassium nitrate (40+30+20 g).

Foliar feeding of cucumbers in open ground attracts insects that are so important for pollination, promoting better education ovaries To carry it out, you can use a mixture of boric acid (2 g) and sugar (100 g), diluting them in 1 liter warm water. Another way to strengthen cucumbers is to spray them with a superphosphate solution (35 g per 1 bucket of warm water).

How to feed cucumbers at the beginning of growth?

During active growth All plants need nitrogen vitally. If cucumber seedlings develop sluggishly and are in no hurry to bloom, the question arises: “How to feed cucumbers for growth?” Green fertilizer in combination with a solution of minerals will help solve the problem. A solution can be used as foliar feeding. It should be remembered that this substance is aggressive and can harm delicate cucumber shoots. Therefore, fertilizing cucumbers in open ground with urea should be carried out with a very weak solution - no more than 40 g per 1 bucket of water.

How to feed cucumbers during fruiting?

Actively expending energy on the formation of the ovary and the growth of fruits, cucumber vines pull out all the nutrients from the ground. Competent feeding cucumbers during fruiting not only restores the balance of substances in the soil, but also significantly extends the fruiting period. Feeding cucumbers in open ground during this period should be comprehensive and include organic matter (infusion of green grass or rotted hay, diluted 5 times), minerals (1 glass of ash, 25 g of potassium nitrate and 50 g of urea per 10 liters of water) and foliar treatment (10-12 g of urea per bucket of water).

Cucumbers grow poorly - what to feed them with?

The situation when the cucumber shoots wither, wither, and instead of even cucumbers, monsters of different sizes appear on it, indicates that the soil is catastrophically lacking in nutrition. Moreover, the cucumbers themselves will help the gardener understand how to feed cucumber seedlings in the open ground:

light bulb fruits, narrowed at the base and widening towards the tail, indicate potassium starvation, which can be eliminated by spraying with ash or a solution of potassium phosphate;
fruits that are thick at the stalk, but quickly disappear, light coloring of fruits and canes, poorly developing leaves and canes signal a lack of nitrogen, which organic fertilizers will help replenish;
dark green leaves with a purple tint that darken when they die indicate a phosphorus deficiency, and yellow or pale spots on the leaves are a manifestation of a magnesium deficiency, to eliminate which it is best to use ready-made mineral complexes.

What is the best way to feed cucumbers?

No matter how many years a person has been friends with the cucumber crop, the debate about how to properly feed cucumbers in open ground and greenhouses continues. What is better, foliar feeding of cucumbers or incorporation of nutrition into the ground, ready-made complex fertilizers or more environmentally friendly folk methods - there is no definite answer. But when growing cucumbers in your own garden, on a far from industrial scale, you should not forget about their safety for humans. After all, all the substances that are used to feed cucumbers in open ground, to a greater or lesser extent, end up in the fruit and in our body.

Feeding cucumbers with yeast

The common expression about growth by leaps and bounds also applies to cucumber vines. Yeast nutrition for cucumbers is an excellent stimulator of growth and fruiting. Yeasts activate the process of decomposition of organic matter in the soil, which helps the roots receive many times more nitrogen and potassium. Cucumbers grown with this fertilizer are better able to resist diseases, weather conditions and pest attacks.

To prepare yeast fertilizer, you can use both classic briquetted yeast and its dry version. Classic recipe The feeding is as follows: for 5 liters of water, take 1 kilogram of fresh (briquetted) or 5 grams of dry yeast, add a little sugar and leave in a warm place for 1 day. The resulting slurry is diluted in 50 liters of water and bushes in the open ground are watered with this solution at the root.

Feeding cucumbers with ash

The ash remaining after burning wood waste is a great way to kill two birds with one stone: clear the area of unnecessary branches and strengthen the plants. It must be remembered that only combustion products of plants can be used as fertilizers, but not building materials and household waste. Wood or stove ash contains calcium, magnesium, lime and magnesium. Feeding cucumbers in the open ground with ash helps protect them from fungal diseases and some pests and improves the composition of the soil.

How to feed cucumbers with ash? It can be used either dry or by preparing a solution. Ash dusting is done in the morning, before the dew has dried or immediately after rain. To prepare the solution, 100 grams of raw material are diluted in 1 bucket of water and left for a week. The resulting mash is sprayed onto the cucumber lashes, ensuring its even distribution throughout the plant. This feeding is especially important during the period of flowering and ovary formation.

Feeding cucumbers with iodine

One way to grow healthy cucumbers- feeding with iodine. This microelement not only has a beneficial effect on the growth and formation of the ovary, but also copes well with the main scourge of cucumber beds - root rot. For spraying, prepare a nutrient solution by dissolving 30 drops of iodine tincture in 10 liters of water. To enhance the effect, add milk and a little soap to the solution. Primary treatment of cucumbers is carried out immediately after planting the seedlings, and then repeated every 15-20 days.

Bread fertilizer for cucumbers

A very simple and inexpensive way to feed cucumbers in the ground is fertilizer prepared on ordinary rye bread. It can be used as part of a yeast feed by adding bread crusts to a bucket of fermenting yeast. Or you can simply place a sealable barrel on the site, fill it with water and dispose of all the grain waste there. As you use it, the container will be topped up with pure water. In this simple way, the plants will receive useful nutrition, and nothing will go to waste on the farm.

Feeding cucumbers with boric acid

Boron is one of the substances without which fruiting or the harmonious development of any plant is simply unthinkable. Moreover, the amount of this element in the soil should remain at the same level throughout the entire season. A lack of boron affects the color of plants and their ability to bear fruit. Feeding cucumbers with folk remedies, such as boron, gives the vines the strength to grow actively, making the fruits juicier and sweeter.

To prepare a nutrient solution, 10 grams of acid are dissolved in a liter of warm water, and then the volume of water is adjusted to 10 liters. The resulting mixture is sprayed onto the leaves and ovaries of cucumbers, choosing early morning or a cloudy, cool day for this procedure. The treatment is carried out twice per season: the first time after planting in the garden, and the second time during the formation of fruits.

Feeding cucumbers with milk

Another option for feeding cucumbers is milk. This tasty and nutritious product will bring considerable benefits to cucumber beds:

the potassium and calcium contained in milk will serve as a growth stimulator for the plant;
the milky film formed on the surface of the leaves will become an insurmountable barrier to pests and pathogens;
nutrients and lactic acid activate the decomposition of organic matter in the soil.

To prepare milk feeding for cucumbers in open ground, a liter of milk must be diluted in five liters of water and carefully watered at the root of each plant. You can also carry out milk spraying, to enhance the therapeutic and protective effect of which it is recommended to add 30 drops of iodine to the solution. At the same time, cucumbers will receive the necessary dose of potassium and calcium, and protection from fungal diseases.

Fertilizing cucumbers with saltpeter

Cucumbers for which fertilizers were applied at the wrong time or incorrectly become unable to form a full-fledged harvest. In small beds, calcium nitrate is a real panacea for cucumbers. It not only stimulates the rapid growth of green mass, but also strengthens the plant’s immunity. Unlike ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate can be used without fear, as it causes minimal harm to cucumbers. Foliar feeding of cucumbers in open ground with saltpeter can be carried out every 10 days, preparing a solution at the rate of 10 grams of fertilizer per 5 liters of water.

When growing cucumbers, questions often arise - how much, what and when to fertilize. To obtain a good harvest of these vegetables, it is necessary to carefully understand the types, timing and volumes of fertilizers applied.

What types of cucumber feedings are there?

Fertilizers for cucumbers are divided into:

: potassium nitrate; ; ash; ; urea.
Organic: chicken manure; cow (horse) manure; compost; herb (infusion); black bread (infusion).

The best effect will be as a result complex application both types of fertilizers.

Plants are fertilized in the following ways:

Root feeding - when fertilizer is applied directly to the soil for absorption by the roots.
Foliar – fertilizer is applied to the plant from above, usually using a sprayer. In this option, fertilizer is supplied through the leaves and stems.

Root feeding of cucumbers is carried out after watering or rain in the evening or in the absence of sun. The best option will alternate both methods of feeding.

At different stages of cucumber development, it requires certain substances for nutrition. During bush growth, cucumbers primarily need elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium. During the fruiting period, the emphasis in nutrition will shift towards nitrogen, potassium and magnesium. In this regard, the composition of fertilizers will differ depending on the growing season:

Top dressing cucumber seedlings
Feeding cucumbers after planting in the ground
Feeding during flowering
Feeding during fruiting

Thus, the classic number of feeding cucumbers per season is four. Any changes may depend on appearance bush and fruit, and also depending on where the cucumbers grow - in a greenhouse or open ground.

Features of feeding cucumber seedlings

Feeding cucumber seedlings should be carried out with a certain degree of caution, since it is during this period that the probability of “overfeeding” young plants is especially high. For example, applying certain organic fertilizers (manure) in larger volumes than required can burn root system. Therefore, most safe way fertilizing - use of special complex fertilizers for seedlings. The main thing here is to comply with the requirements set out in the instructions for the drug.

Cucumber seedlings begin to bloom quite quickly. At this time, you can use the preparation “Ovary for cucumbers”, which contains sodium salts of gibberellic acids; they reduce the abscission of flowers and young ovaries, and stimulate fruit formation. You need to dissolve 2 g of the drug in 1.4 liters of water. Spraying should be done twice: at the beginning of flowering and after 2 weeks during mass flowering.

Fertilizing cucumbers in a greenhouse

The first fertilizing should be done 2 weeks after planting the seedlings in the greenhouse. During this period, the cucumber develops leaves and stems, so nitrogenous fertilizers are preferred.

Approximate “diet” of feeding:

From mineral fertilizer will do urea: 1 tbsp. spoon per 10 liters of water.
As organic fertilizer mullein: dilute 1 liter in 10 liters of water, let it ferment for 2 days, then mix it again with water at the rate of 1:5, add and stir a glass of ash (10 liters) to the resulting mixture. Chicken manure gives good results; it is diluted with water in a concentration of 1:20.

The second feeding is carried out during the flowering period. At this time, the priority in cucumber nutrition will shift towards potassium. The ratio of nitrogen and potassium should be approximately 1:2. Accordingly, use ready-made potash fertilizers or ash solution:

Dissolve 1 glass of ash in 10 liters of water.

If there is no ash, use 20 g of potassium sulfate or 20 g of potassium magnesium - this is about a tablespoon without top.

The third feeding is done during fruiting.

Preference is again given to potassium and nitrogen fertilizers. Many gardeners perform root feeding during this period. chicken droppings at a concentration of 1:20. Potassium nitrate is used as a mineral fertilizer: 25 g per 10 liters of water. As a foliar feeding, you can spray the plants with urea: 1 tbsp. l. for 10 liters of water.

It should be noted that it is best to alternate the above fertilizing with organic matter and mineral fertilizers. Those. first feed with organic matter, after 14 days with mineral fertilizer and after another 14 days, perform foliar feeding. This method will make the fruiting of cucumber bushes longer.

Fertilizing cucumbers in open ground

The first feeding is carried out after the appearance of two true leaves, not to be confused with cotyledons. The composition and method of fertilizing are no different from those in the greenhouse.

Carry out the second feeding 14 days after the first. As a rule, mullein provides the best nutrition; it contains approximately the same amount of nitrogen and potassium: dilute 0.5 liters of slurry in 10 liters of water and water it at the root.

The rest of the fertilizing is carried out in the same way as when growing cucumbers in a greenhouse.

Traditional methods of feeding

As additional feeding after flowering, during the formation of ovaries, you can try a solution based on black bread. The loaf is cut into pieces and filled with 5 liters of water and allowed to stand for 2 days. Use as root or foliar feeding at the rate of 1 liter of infusion per 10 liters of water.

Perfect for any vegetables - liquid green manure: after weeding, pour the grass or weeds with water in a ratio of 1:3 and let it brew for 2 days. Used as an organic fertilizer at the rate of 1 glass per 10 liters of water.

If compost was added to the soil during planting of seedlings and the growth of cucumbers does not raise any questions, then the first fertilizing is carried out during flowering. In case of weak plant growth, it is necessary to apply fertilizers according to plan.
You can determine by the shape of a cucumber what elements it lacks. If the cucumber is narrowed at the tail or it is very curved, then it lacks potassium. On the contrary, when a cucumber is narrow at the tip and thick at the tail, it lacks nitrogen.
If cucumber seedlings have small dark green leaves, short internodes, and then a light border appears along the edges of the leaves, the cucumbers do not have enough calcium. Feeding with calcium nitrate helps here.
You can determine the lack of nutrition in cucumbers by the changed color of the leaves and their drooping appearance. This may be a sign of either a lack of phosphorus or another element. Determining the cause is not so easy, especially for a novice gardener. In this case, it is recommended to feed the cucumbers with ready-made complex fertilizer.
When “overfed” with nitrogen, cucumbers grow “green” - there is abundant growth of dark green leaves and vines. Fruit growth in this case will be minimal. To correct the situation, fertilize with ash or superphosphate.

Feeding cucumbers... Are they necessary? There is an opinion among summer residents that cucumbers do not grow without manure and that they are very demanding of fertilizers and soil. In fact, of all vegetable crops, cucumber ranks one of the last in terms of the amount of nutrients absorbed from the soil.

A large amount of mineral salts in the soil is detrimental to cucumbers, and therefore pre-sowing fertilization of the future bed with fertilizers is not recommended. The best option is to apply rotted manure under the top layer of soil in the spring when preparing a cucumber bed, because the main condition for obtaining a good harvest of cucumbers is moist, but warm earth(during the period of active growth, the soil temperature should be higher than the air temperature). And manure serves as an excellent “heater” for the garden bed.

As for fertilizers, then summer season It is enough to fertilize cucumbers 3-4 times: root or foliar, mineral or, or maybe alternating one with the other - here each gardener decides for himself.

Everything is quite simple here. Depending on the fertilizers used, fertilizing cucumbers can be divided into:

Organic. Only natural ones are added natural fertilizers, for example, infusion of grass, manure, vermicompost, bone meal, etc.
Mineral. Solutions of mineral one-component or complex fertilizers (superphosphate, urea, ammonium nitrate, etc.) are used.
Mixed. Mineral fertilizers are added to organic matter to increase efficiency. For example, add a little superphosphate or potassium salt to the mullein infusion.

Based on the method of “delivery” of nutrients from the fertilizer to the plant, the following are distinguished:

Root feeding when plants are watered nutrient solution under the root.
Foliar, when plants are fed by spraying leaves and stems.

What is the best way to feed cucumbers? The choice between organic and non-organic fertilizers for feeding depends, first of all, on our own beliefs and wallet. Some gardeners, as a matter of principle, do not use mineral fertilizers on their plots, others can afford to buy vermicompost and manure, and still others feed them with what they have on hand.

The decision on root or foliar feeding is made for us by the weather. As a rule, root feeding is good for warm summers, when the roots of plants are well developed and are able to quickly absorb nutrients from the soil. If the weather is mostly cloudy, and the roots practically “do not work,” foliar ones help out.

Cucumber feeding schedule

The first feeding of cucumbers is carried out two weeks after planting in the ground.
The second feeding occurs at the beginning of flowering.
The third feeding is necessary during the period of mass fruiting.
A fourth feeding is rarely needed. It is suitable for those gardeners who grow a small number of plants, want to extend the life of each bush and get the maximum return from each.

First feeding of cucumbers (14 days after planting)

Mineral fertilizers and their mixtures for the first feeding

Option 1. Root feeding: for 10 liters of water, 1 tablespoon of urea and 60 grams of superphosphate.

Option 2. Root feeding: 4-5 grams of ammophos (or 5-10 grams of diammophoska) per 1 square meter, evenly scattered over the surface of the soil, followed by embedding during loosening.

Organic fertilizers for the first feeding

Option 1. Root feeding: slurry in a ratio of 1:8.

Option 2. Root feeding: (comfrey is best) in a ratio of 1:5.

Option 3. Root feeding: fresh chicken manure is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:15 and immediately used for feeding.

Second feeding of cucumbers (flowering)

Mineral fertilizers for the second feeding

Option 1. Root feeding: for 10 liters of water 30 grams of ammonium nitrate, 40 grams of superphosphate, 20 grams of potassium nitrate.

Option 2. Foliar feeding: 2 tablespoons of superphosphate per 10 liters of water.

Option 3. Root feeding: per 10 liters of water, 10 grams of potassium magnesia and an extract of 40 grams of superphosphate.

The extract from superphosphate is prepared as follows: superphosphate is poured hot water mix well to obtain a cloudy white solution. This solution sits for a day. As a result, a superphosphate extract and a white precipitate are formed at the bottom.

Option 4. Foliar feeding: ¼ teaspoon of boric acid and a couple of crystals of potassium permanganate per glass of water. This feeding activates the flowering of cucumbers.

Organic fertilizers for the second feeding

Option 1. Root feeding: one glass of ash per 10 liters of water.

Option 2. Root feeding: dusting the soil under cucumbers with ash or crushed coal at the rate of 1 cup per 1 square meter.

Third feeding of cucumbers (fruiting)

Mineral fertilizers for the third feeding

Option 1. Root feeding: 50 grams of urea per 10 liters of water.

Option 2. Foliar feeding: 1 tablespoon of urea per 10 liters of water.

Option 3. Root feeding: 2 tablespoons of potassium nitrate per 10 liters of water.

Organic fertilizers for the third feeding

Option 1. Root feeding: herbal infusion in a ratio of 1:5.

Option 2. Root feeding: 2 teaspoons of “Gumi” per 10 liters of water.

Optional fourth feeding of cucumbers (topping up the life of the vines)

Option 1. Root feeding: 1 tablespoon of baking soda per 10 liters of water.

Option 2. Foliar feeding: 10-15 grams of urea per 10 liters of water.

Foliar feeding nitrogen fertilizers rejuvenate cucumber leaves, prevent their yellowing, improve photosynthesis and all metabolic processes in plants. By combining spraying the leaves with urea and adding loosening materials (humus, sawdust, pine needles) under the roots of the cucumber vine, you can significantly extend the fruiting period of cucumbers.

Option 3. Foliar feeding: rotted hay is filled with water in a 1:1 ratio and left for two days. Cucumbers are sprayed with hay infusion 3 times at weekly intervals. This feeding not only prolongs the growing season of cucumber vines, but also protects the plants from powdery mildew.

Fertilizing with organic and mineral fertilizers can be alternated.

Do not forget that cucumbers are fertilized on a cloudy day or in the evening, always after abundant watering or good rain. To avoid burning the leaves, it is better to water the cucumbers with a watering can without a sprayer directly into the hole or between the plants.