by To harvest cucumbers for as long as possible, you can sow them not only in May-June, but even in July or August.
For late sowing of cucumbers, it is worth choosing late self-pollinating hybrids. They tolerate minor temperature fluctuations and lack of sunlight well. At the same time, their yield is quite high, and for the fruits to set, the help of insects is not needed.
Which hybrids to choose
When choosing seeds, it is worth focusing not only on the timing of sowing cucumbers, but also on their varieties or hybrids. Give preference to hybrids that withstand cold well. These include: Buyan F1, Virenta F1, Trump card F1, Grasshopper F1, Maryina Roshcha F1, Ant F1, Sultan F1. These plants will produce fruit for 3 months non-stop. Hybrids are also good: Garland F1, Courage F1, May F1, Moscow F1, Palekh F1, Surprise F1.
Choose hybrids for sowing, not varieties, because these plants are less susceptible to diseases and are less often damaged by pests.
Preparing cucumbers for sowing
To ensure that the plants are strong and resilient, the seeds should be hardened before sowing. To do this, pour them out of the bag onto damp gauze and place them at a temperature of 2-1°C for 2 days (usually it is enough to simply put the seed in the refrigerator).
After hardening, it is recommended to keep cucumber seeds in a solution of microelements (for example, Uniflor Micro) for 10-12 hours – this will also increase their viability. They should hatch, but not sprout. After this, you can sow cucumbers in a greenhouse.
Late cucumbers should be grown in a greenhouse, because they will have a hard time surviving in open ground at the end of summer. It is best to sow cucumber seeds in one row so that they do not block each other’s light. In addition, this will make it easier to harvest the fruits.
How to water and feed late cucumbers
Early sown cucumbers should be watered in the morning. In warm weather, plants can be watered every 2-3 days. There should be 1 liters of water per 4 sq.m. After the cucumbers have finished flowering, the consumption should be increased to 9-10 liters per 1 sq.m.
When it gradually starts to get cold outside, watering should be reduced. The fact is that in cool weather, cucumber roots absorb moisture and nutrients worse, and if they are flooded, rot may develop. Therefore, at first, the frequency of watering should be reduced to once a week, and with the onset of autumn – to once every 1 weeks. At the same time, up to 1-2 liters of water should be used per 1 sq.m.
In order for cucumbers to survive the stress of a drop in temperature, they need to be fed once a week long before the cold snap. An excellent fertilizer for this is an infusion of herbs (nettle, dandelion, comfrey). This infusion is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and the crop is watered with it at the rate of 1 liter per plant or 3-5 liters per 1 sq.m.
Protection against cold
To insulate the old roots of plants, it is recommended to mulch cucumbers with a thick layer (8-10 cm) of rotted compost. The upper part will be protected from the coming cold snap by spraying with a preparation such as Epin-Extra. For 5 liters of water, you need 4 ampoules of 0,25 ml. This solution is stored for only two days, so it is better to treat cucumbers with it immediately after its preparation. In this case, Epin acts as an anti-stress drug.
To prevent cucumbers from getting sick…
Since late cucumbers grow in conditions that are not very favorable for them, the plants are often affected by rot. Therefore, if you notice that the root collar of one or several bushes has begun to turn brown, and the leaves have begun to wither, you should water the cucumbers with warm water and low-fat milk (1:1) at a rate of 1 liter per 8 plants.
Condensation that accumulates on the walls of the greenhouse can also cause a lot of trouble. Increased humidity provokes the development of not only rot, but also powdery mildew. To reduce dampness, it is best to water cucumbers early in the morning and strictly under the root. But this must be done so that drops do not fall on the plants themselves.
After watering, cucumbers should be covered with spunbond or non-woven material until the air in the greenhouse warms up well. This recommendation is more suitable for film greenhouses, because condensation forms much less in a glazed greenhouse.
Trichoderma Veride 471 will help you cope with powdery mildew. The drug contains fungal spores and works as an antibiotic.
That’s all about the peculiarities of growing late cucumbers. We hope that fresh cucumbers picked from your own garden will appear on your table until October.
