Why remove mustaches from cucumbers: how to pinch cucumbers correctly

Many plants from the vegetable squash family do not have sufficiently strong stems for vertical growth of vines. That's why they spread out on the ground. Cucumbers are no exception. They grow tendrils on their shoots, with which this plant immediately grabs onto any support, trying to climb up it.

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Reasons for trimming your mustache

In cucumbers, shoots and leaves that have taken this form are usually called mustaches. They are formed from the axils of the leaves to support the stem, which is not able to independently maintain itself in an upright position. The main advantage of this type of fastening is shock absorption - the stem stretches and then returns to its previous position. Thanks to this feature, the plant can receive more of the sunlight it needs.

Trimming the mustache of cucumbers is practiced when growing them in a greenhouse. In such conditions, there is no need for additional support, so they can be removed. Yes, and it will be easier to harvest this way.

Important! The flexible shoots sometimes curl the leaves, making them an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.

Hair plucking with tweezers: features of the procedure, advantages and disadvantages

Some cosmetologists argue that using tweezers is extremely undesirable for removing a woman's mustache. They argue that the skin above the lip is delicate and when the vegetation is pulled out, irritation appears on it. However, you can notice that employees of beauty salons themselves use tweezers as needed - they grab with them those hairs that were not removed during the hair removal process.

Removing facial hair with tweezers is not difficult; all you need to do is equip yourself with a high-quality device that can pinch even thin dark mustaches. You can use a device for plucking eyebrows; it comes in two types: with scissor-type handles and a regular configuration.

The process of getting rid of a mustache on the face is carried out in the following order:

A disinfectant is applied to the treated area - it cleanses the skin of dirt and grease. The device itself and hands are washed with the same product.
The most noticeable hairs are removed initially.
The small fluff under the nose and on the hollow of the upper lip is left untouched - this area is covered with vegetation from the first years of life and serves as protection.
Then move on to the area of the corners of the mouth, pull out the antennae in this area.
At the end of the procedure, disinfect the skin again, and after several hours, apply a softening cream to the areas. This product can also be used during plucking.

Note! It is necessary to pull out hairs with sharp movements in the direction of their growth. Do not leave the follicle under the skin, otherwise the hair will grow back.

Many girls are interested in the question of how to pluck their mustache painlessly and effectively. To do this, you should follow a number of recommendations for working with tweezers:

grab the hair as close to the root of growth as possible, while trying to stretch the skin a little;
make sharp and short movements - smoothness is of no use here, it will only bring pain;
You shouldn’t pull out several hairs at once, it’s better to work one at a time;
choose tweezers of the correct length, which are easier to handle - cosmetologists advise choosing the 7 cm option;
tweezers must be made of high quality steel, other materials can oxidize and cause irritation to the skin;
It is necessary to work in good lighting;
a pre-steamed face will help reduce pain.

When answering the question whether it is possible to pluck the mustache of young girls with tweezers, it is worth noting that the procedure at an early age may entail its constant repetition. Due to inexperience, the hair follicle remains intact, after which the hair grows again, harder and darker.

The positive aspects of the process brought widespread popularity to this procedure:

accessibility – there is no need to visit the salon and spend money;
simplicity - you can do the plucking yourself;
accuracy - the girl controls the process herself;
effectiveness - helps in the fight against mustaches of any color and structure;
reliability - after constant pulling out, the structure of the onion weakens;
cleanliness – there is no need to use additional products, as when shaving and hair removal;
no serious contraindications.

Among the possible prohibitions for this technique, it is worth highlighting dermatological diseases, allergies, inflammation, irritation, and rashes. In addition, it is not recommended to pull out the antennae at the locations of moles.

The disadvantages of the procedure are the average duration of the effect, minor damage from tweezers, low speed of the process, and the obligatory regrowth of hair to a sufficient length to be captured by the device.

Removing hair above the upper lip with tweezers is a simple and effective method that will bring quick results at no extra cost. Use this method to remove small amounts of hair.

Arguments for removing the mustache of a cucumber

There are several main arguments in favor of carrying out such treatment of plantings. All of them relate to those cases when cucumbers grow in a greenhouse and they do not need to compete for lighting:

if you need an early harvest, then the tendrils of cucumbers will only slow down the process of fruit ripening, taking away nutrients from them;
when cucumber bushes are planted close to each other, the tendrils often cling to neighboring stems, becoming tangled and creating unwanted shading;
if dense thickets appear, they interfere with the proper care of the plants;
in greenhouse conditions, plants are fixed with twine, so they do not need tendrils.

The listed reasons are based on the characteristics of this culture. But to some gardeners they seem insufficiently justified.

Garter of cucumbers to a trellis

In a greenhouse, cucumbers definitely need support. This way the usable area will be used rationally, and the plants will receive more lighting.

Trellis are installed as support before planting seedlings:

A vertical trellis is a wire stretched horizontally at a height of 2 to 2.2 m along the entire row of cucumbers, from which ropes are lowered down to each bush;
Horizontal support - 3-5 levels of wire are pulled horizontally along the row in increments of 40-50 cm;
V-shaped trellis - mounted according to the vertical principle, but two ropes are lowered from the upper support to the bushes, placing them on different sides;
Cucumber mesh is a nylon trellis with large cells, which is stretched along a row onto supports.

Seedlings are planted at a distance of 35-40 cm from each other so that there is enough space for the bushes to grow and care for them. This is also necessary so that pruning the leaves of cucumbers is not difficult. 7-10 days after planting, they begin tying the cucumbers to the trellis, after watering them.

When gartering, fragile seedlings are easily pulled out of the ground, so you need to act very carefully. A loop of fastening rope is placed on the bush under the second leaf. It should not be tight and have a gap to thicken the stem. The second end of the rope is attached to the trellis so that its tension is free. As they grow, the direction of the lashes is adjusted by wrapping them around with a fastening rope.

Arguments against cucumber mustache removal

Not all experts are sure that it is necessary to cut off the tendrils on cucumbers. It is worth listening to their arguments in order to form your own opinion on this matter:

there is no reliable evidence for the fact that such shoots take away the strength of the plant;
the antennae die off on their own if they do not find obstacles in their path;
pruning requires a lot of time and effort;
the procedure must be performed very carefully, otherwise it may damage the plant;
shoots appear again with great speed.

The benefits of this technique are questioned by many summer residents. After all, it is possible to achieve high yields without such a technique.

Tips and tricks

Pinching cucumbers is a simple technique. Even a novice gardener can master it.

Before you begin agricultural practices, you should familiarize yourself with the recommendations for growing your particular variety.

It is important not to confuse hybrids with plants that are pollinated by insects

In order for the plant to properly distribute nutrition and useful substances to be used for the formation of fruits, the “male” flowers are removed. In this case, nutrients and moisture will evenly flow into the side shoots, where there are more “female” fruiting flowers.

The pinching procedure is carried out in dry weather, in the morning. If pinching is done in the rain, the risk of developing diseases increases.

How to properly rid a cucumber of mustaches

To trim the mustache of cucumbers, you need to know how to do it correctly. It is not recommended to tear off or pinch them off with your hands, because... this method often causes injury to the bush. It is much more convenient to use sharp garden shears or pruning shears.

In the greenhouse and on the balcony

Many people plant cucumbers in a greenhouse, and some even manage to grow them at home in window boxes. In a polycarbonate greenhouse or on a balcony, it is better to remove the whiskers. It will be enough to leave only a few shoots so that the bush can hold onto support. When the plant is firmly fixed on the trellis, all other shoots can be cut off.

A dull tool will leave creases at the cut points, so the scissors must be sharp enough. After pruning is completed, the beds are watered and fed with mineral fertilizers to strengthen the immune system and speed up recovery from stress.

In the open ground

The question of whether it is necessary to remove shoots from cucumbers growing in open ground remains open at the moment. It is more difficult to secure plantings in outdoor garden beds; they are exposed to negative environmental factors. There is a real risk that a fungal infection will develop at the site of damage left during removal.

The disease can affect every wound that appears. Such pruning will then cause more harm than good. Young whisker flagella in seedlings cannot be considered a serious obstacle to its development. But plucking them can have a bad effect on the condition of the entire cucumber bush.

Important!

For normal fruit growth, cucumbers require space.

Basic rules of formation

During the initial and further formation of cucumbers, it is important to visually monitor the intensity of growth of the bushes and carry out the necessary technical and agronomic measures in a timely manner.

plant plants at a sufficient distance from each other to prevent competition for space and food;
do not thicken the bottom of the stem for unhindered air flow to the roots;
try to maintain the given direction of growth;
carry out basic measures to reduce green mass early in the morning to provide optimal conditions for wound healing during a sunny day;
use a sharp and clean (preferably disinfected) pruning tool, avoiding roughly tearing off the sprouts;
regularly remove barren flowers, yellowed and curled leaves, sluggish and weak shoots in order to neutralize the risk of spreading infection and improve the nutrition of fruit ovaries;
avoid strong turning and bending of the lashes during processing;
water correctly without directly moistening the foliage with streams of water, especially cold or under pressure;

Important! The most practical way to garter cucumbers is with trellises at a height of 1.5-1.7 meters with a large number of twisted ropes, around which young vines are wrapped after 4-5 leaves have appeared.

Precautionary measures

Removing any part of the plant can cause infection of its tissues with infectious or fungal diseases. If the tendrils of cucumbers are cut off, the risk of problems of this kind increases significantly. It happens that harvesting in a greenhouse becomes increasingly difficult due to overgrown shoots clinging to everything around. Then there is a need to cut off at least some shoots.

You need to cut off excess tendrils at the very base. Experts advise treating all wounds with ash or a weak solution of manganese. It is convenient to apply the substance with a cotton swab. It is better to choose morning or evening time for the operation. During the day, especially in the heat, the bushes will be too vulnerable.

If you analyze the reviews and recommendations, it becomes clear that you only need to cut off the mustaches of cucumbers in a greenhouse if they really get in the way. It makes no sense to do this to increase productivity; it is better to use other, more effective methods that have proven themselves.

What is needed for the procedure

To carry out the pinching procedure, you will need a sharp stationery knife, pruning shears or regular scissors. Of course, you can pinch the stem with your fingers, but in this case the tip of the lash becomes frayed. It is easier for infection to get into such a wound, and then the stem will begin to rot.

After processing each bush, the instrument is disinfected. Disinfection of scissors is carried out primarily to protect against the spread of viral diseases that are transmitted through the sap of diseased plants.

Various means are used for disinfection. Alcohol wipes and medicinal sprays work well. You can use household products containing chlorine or alcohol.

conclusions

Now you know whether it is necessary to remove leaves from cucumbers and how to do it correctly. Shaping cucumber vines by pruning helps fight disease and increases yield. The plants are well ventilated, the sun's rays evenly illuminate the leaves and fruits, and insects can easily pollinate the inflorescences.

You also learned how to remove leaves from cucumbers so as not to damage the ovaries or break the vines. By removing the male inflorescences, you will direct the plant’s energy to the growth and ripening of fruits. Carry out pruning carefully using our recommendations and advice.

Which leaves should be removed?

Now that we have learned that it is still necessary to pick off the leaves of cucumbers, we can begin to consider the question: which of them should be removed. Here we can answer briefly: those that interfere with the normal life of the plant. Among them:

dead foliage,
damaged,
affected by insects,
affected by diseases.

The above leaves take some of the nutrients, but do not give anything back. Also, for example, in the case when some of them are affected by some kind of disease, if the cleaning procedure is not carried out, then it can spread to the entire seedling, which subsequently dies.

Scheme for pinching side branches ↑

On varieties that produce crops on side stems, pinching is carried out very carefully and carefully

Tall branched bushes in the lower 20 cm part are completely cleared of side shoots. Conventional varieties and hybrids in the lower part are freed from leaves and side shoots up to 3-4 leaves. This is necessary so that nutrients reach the upper part of the plant and contribute to its enhanced development.
In the middle part of the bush (height up to 1 m) side shoots are left, shortened to 1-2 internodes. They form cucumbers in the leaf axil. Thickening leaves, after the formation of the ovaries, are removed.
From 1.0 to 1.5 m on the side shoots of the first order, 2-3 internodes are left, one of which is turned into a continuation shoot.
On the upper part of the bush (height approximately 1.5 to 2.0 m), first-order side shoots can be left at 3 internodes. Cucumbers form on these shoots. The shoots themselves lengthen the growing season of an aging plant, as if rejuvenating it.
Bushes are left above 2 m if the height of the greenhouse allows. If the height is limited, the upper strands are pinched 8-10 cm and wound onto a parallel wire (support). Cucumber stems are always wrapped clockwise to avoid breaking off. The mustache is usually removed.

Scheme of formation of cucumbers in a greenhouse

You can shorten the lateral shoots of the first and second order throughout the bush after the second leaf. The result will be a bush with one stem, forming a sufficient harvest. This pinching method is the most accessible for beginning greenhouse growers when growing climbing varieties of cucumbers.