Forming cucumbers into one stem in a greenhouse: step-by-step instructions, video

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Author of the article

Yakov Pavlovich

Professor, Head of the Department of Vegetable Growing

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The choice of variety and agricultural cultivation technology significantly influence the yield and allow rational use of greenhouse space. It is useful for every vegetable grower to know how to properly form cucumbers in protected ground into one stem. This is the most effective and widespread method of care, and its basic rules and schemes are simple and accessible.

Is it necessary to form cucumbers in a greenhouse?

Rules for caring for cucumber plantings in a greenhouse or open ground must necessarily include care for the shape of the bushes. This is not important from an aesthetic point of view. Not everyone knows why it is necessary to form cucumbers into one stem, but experienced gardeners with experience actively use it.

Without this technique, the likelihood of trouble with mature bushes is quite high. For normal fruiting, they require not only watering and fertilizing. It is unlikely that you will be able to grow cucumbers without making additional efforts. The measures taken rejuvenate the plants and prolong the life of the vegetable crop.

Important!

The optimal height of the trellises is at least 1.5 meters; they are constructed before planting the seedlings in the greenhouse.

If you do not form a cucumber into one stem, excessively dense plantings will create ideal conditions for the development and spread of diseases. Lack of lighting will contribute to the appearance of pests in the beds. Numerous shoots appearing on the bushes take away nutrients and moisture, leading to a decrease in the number of ovaries formed. The size of the fruit is noticeably reduced.

Due to the overgrown crown, the stems and roots of plants no longer receive sunlight. This causes disruption of photosynthesis processes and negatively affects the harvest. When bees and other insects pollinate crops, it will be difficult for them to get through the thickets. All these arguments leave no doubt that shaping is very useful.

How to tie it correctly

The first garter of cucumber shoots is carried out when they reach the lower tier of the support net or other support device, for example, plastic tape or metal wire. Garter tapes about 25 cm long are used. When gartering, care must be taken not to uproot the seedling. The lashes are either wrapped around a support or attached to the mesh. To prevent shading of the bushes, the side lashes are attached at an angle of 30-35°.

When mounted vertically on long cords fixed under the ceiling of the greenhouse, the stem and tendrils of the plants are wound and secured with long tapes. Horizontal fastening involves arranging arcs or trellises from long pieces of wire to which cucumber vines are attached.

What varieties of cucumbers can be grown with one stem?

Before planting cucumbers in your garden, you should know about the growing characteristics of different varieties. First generation hybrids are marked F1 on packets of seeds. They can be grown in a greenhouse or in open beds, but seed material for propagation cannot be obtained. To do this, you need a varietal cucumber, the characteristics of which will be preserved.

Some varieties are pollinated by bees, others are capable of self-pollination and do not require the presence of insects, and there are also parthenocarpic-type crops that do without pollination. The formation of a single stem is most often used for hybrids that are grown in greenhouse conditions.

Important!

The ideal time for the operation is two weeks after planting the seedlings.

Properly formed cucumber bushes have several advantages compared to those that have not been subjected to such treatment:

increasing productivity;
saving space in the greenhouse;
higher quality vegetables;
making it easier to care for garden beds;
resistance to common diseases and pests;
lack of barren flowers on the bushes;
Plants bear fruit longer;

For the sake of such results, it is worth trying and spending some time. In order not to harm the plantings through your actions, before starting work, it is recommended to carefully study the algorithm of the procedure and the issues of caring for cucumbers after it.

Basic techniques used when shaping cucumbers

Carrying out the molding procedure into one stem makes it possible to plant parthenocarpic hybrid forms with an interval of only 30 cm in a limited greenhouse space without loss of yield.

Cucumber lashes are subjected to the following manipulations during molding:

vertical tying to supports. This technique allows the cucumber stem to develop well, receiving sufficient light and air, and to avoid the development of rot. The tying should be loose to avoid damage to the bushes. The cucumber lash is twisted around the supports only in a clockwise direction, while its top should be left free.

Formation of cucumber bushes

Advice. It is convenient to use special nets as a support for cucumber lashes. With them, the lashes do not need to be tied up.

removing lower foliage. Since the lower leaves become wet during watering, they often become a source of rot. To avoid this, the lower foliage - the first 2-4 leaves - of cucumber vines should be trimmed. The lower leaves should be cut off at the root, without leaving a stump, as it can provoke the development of putrefactive processes. In no case should the leaves be broken off, as this will create large lacerations that become a source of fungal infections.
removal of stepchildren. The lateral canes growing in the leaf axils take away nutrition from the main stem and cause thickening of the plantings. Refusal of pinching causes lengthening of internodes, a reduction in the number of ovaries and, accordingly, a decrease in yield. Conversely, removing stepsons, especially in the lower part of the cucumber vines, promotes an earlier harvest and the formation of more female inflorescences. Their removal should be carried out when the stepsons grow 3-5 cm. Later removal of side shoots can lead to weakening of the plants, slower development of the ovaries, a reduction in their number, and a decrease in yield.

Shoots must be removed with caution, otherwise you may lose your harvest.

Growing cucumbers with the formation of a bush into one stem: diagram

There is a scheme that most gardeners use. Varieties with a bunched type of ovary formation are considered the most profitable. Indeed, under favorable conditions, you can get about 15 kg of tasty greens from one square meter. In such bushes, from 4 to 7 ovaries are formed at the nodes of the central stem. In this case, the load on the conductor increases significantly, so it is necessary to reduce it.

The operation is carried out step by step. At the first stage, the plant is fixed on a vertical support, as shown in the photo. The next step is to remove the lower and side shoots. After this, they begin to remove the flowers, except those that have ovaries. Then the shoots are shortened in the middle part of the bush, and in the upper part they are left to 3 nodes. When the height of the bush reaches two meters, work with it stops. If the greenhouse has a small height, then the plants are pinched on the 8th leaf.

Important!

In rainy weather, the restoration of plantings after pruning is slowed down due to increased humidity.

Removing side shoots and pinching

The shoots must be removed, otherwise they will draw strength and energy from the bush. They are not torn off, but cut off with sharp tools so as not to damage the tops. The side leaves are removed, and flowers are removed from the first axils of 3 leaves. Side shoots are left only in the upper part of the bush. You can start the procedure when the stepsons reach a size of 3 cm.

Pinching is important for low-climbing varieties when pinching is not necessary. It stimulates the growth of additional branches, which are also fixed on the trellis. This is carried out no earlier than the stem reaches the top of the support. You need to count 7 nodes from the bottom of the plant and pinch off the crown. Side shoots appear in the axils. It is enough to leave only a few of the strongest ones, the rest should be removed. As the bush grows, its vine will wrap around the wire clockwise. You cannot twist or pull the lashes, this will weaken the plant.

Proper care of the plant after the procedure

After cucumbers form in a polycarbonate greenhouse, the plants require additional care. This is explained by the stress that the bushes experience from such damage. Even if everything is done very carefully, microtraumas are inevitable. Every week it is recommended to remove barren flowers, dry shoots and leaves. This will prevent the plantings from getting sick.

Cucumbers do not tolerate cold weather and drafts well, so plantings must be protected from adverse factors. Water the plants only at the roots; the water must be preheated in the sun. Fertilizing with complex fertilizers containing nitrogen and potassium helps strengthen the crop's immunity.

Important!

The best time to treat bushes is the morning, then by evening they will return to normal, and the risk of infection will be minimal.

Prevention

Prevention of vegetable diseases begins even before sowing. The seeds are soaked for some time in a solution of potassium permanganate. Industrially produced fungicides can be used for this purpose. The soil also needs special preparation to get rid of fungal spores or pest larvae contained in it.

It is useful to sometimes spray growing seedlings with nettle infusion. Regular inspection of the bushes will help you notice in time the first signs of the presence of diseases or parasites on them. You need to remove ripe greens every other day, then the plant will have enough resources for the appearance of new ovaries.

Some tips from experienced summer residents

Remove no more than 2 stepsons at a time; if you miss the moment, the length of the lateral stepsons exceeds 25 cm, the formation of lashes can lead to the shedding of ovaries and flowers. Do not forget to feed the bushes that have suffered the removal of stepsons . For these purposes, complexes tested by summer residents (“Giant”, “Giant”) and herbal infusions are suitable. If the weather is damp and cool, spraying the bushes with a fungicide will not hurt.

A good prevention of fungal infections is treatment with the drug “Oxychom”. The product acts systemically and protects the plant from the inside and outside. If fungal spores get into the wound, Oxychom will neutralize and prevent infection from developing.

Reviews

Pauline
Last year I started forming cucumber bushes into one stem, as a friend advised me. I had never even heard of this method before, although I have been keeping a garden for a long time. The harvest was always not very good, and I didn’t know how to improve the situation. Now I’m wondering what to do with so many cucumbers. And she took the vacated space in the greenhouse for eggplants.

Katerina
I used to be too lazy to pick cucumbers until I learned about the effectiveness of this technique. The main thing is not to injure the bushes, so it is better to use sharp scissors or pruners. If everything is done exactly according to the plan, the yield will increase noticeably. And it will become easier to move between the rows. This summer I was able to verify this from my own experience.

Forming cucumbers is an important agrotechnical technique that is not known to everyone. It ensures the growth of vines in the desired direction and helps increase the productivity of each bush. The plant does not have to waste energy on growing green mass, which has a beneficial effect on fruiting.

Formation options

How to properly form a cucumber bush depends on the chosen type. Tall or short, hybrid or varietal cucumbers require different conditions.

Tall varieties of cucumbers, which can grow up to 1.6 meters in height, feel great in the greenhouse. They require mandatory tying. For this purpose, a wire support of at least 1.8 meters in height is pulled near the beds. If the support is stretched over the bed in a horizontal position, then it is additionally recommended to tie a thick thread hanging down. The stem is twisted clockwise around the support.

Gartering of cucumbers often coincides with the 10th day after planting the seedlings. Cultivation can continue on a strong rope or on a wooden trellis.

Scheme for the formation of cucumbers in a greenhouse with the formation of one stem using the tying method:

Approximately 6 days after planting, the seedlings are attached to a support, which is located next to the bush.
At the base of the stem, where the first pair of true leaves are located, shoots and flowers are removed. Thus, more air and light will flow to the stem, necessary for further development. The risk of rotting will be reduced.
As soon as the lash continues to stretch and the next pair of leaves appears, only the shoots and flowers that are located on the side are removed. The shoots must be removed immediately so that they do not have time to grow.
While the lash is growing, pinching is repeated in each new area, leaving first two leaves (when the plant reaches 50 cm), then three and four. Thus, closer to the top there will be more leaves on the side shoots than at the bottom.
On the left shoots, new shoots will soon begin to appear on the sides; they need to be gotten rid of, otherwise the planting will be dense.
As soon as the cucumber vine reaches the height of the support, the main top is pinched, allowed to grow a little and cut off completely.

It is very important to monitor the integrity of the bush with one formed stem. It can break under the pressure of side shoots, so additional support is built

How to properly form cucumbers in a greenhouse using a multi-stem method has its own characteristics. Step-by-step instructions will help you understand the intricacies of the procedure:

After the sixth leaf appears, the central stem is attached to a support.
The top of the plant is pinched, and the lateral shoots can be left untouched until the first ovaries form on them.
As soon as the additional shoots become stronger, they are lifted and secured near the central stem.
The tendrils are wrapped around the main stem to provide stability to the plant.

There are secrets to how to form a cucumber bush without tying it up. If a low-growing variety is chosen, then the bush does not need support, and it will be much easier to form it. But here the main thing will be whether the cucumber is a hybrid or varietal.

Varietal types of cucumbers mainly have male flowers on the central stem that do not form an ovary - barren flowers. Female flowers are located on the side shoots, so the future harvest should be formed from them. In these types of cucumbers, the main stem is pinched after the appearance of 4 leaves, and the side stems - after 2 leaves.