How to fertilize the soil in the fall for cucumbers? In order to replenish spent substances in the soil and maintain its fertility, it is important to improve chemical composition, adding fertilizers. Autumn is a great time to prepare for the next season.
When choosing fertilizers, you need to consider biological features crops grown, soil properties and weather conditions. After applying fertilizers, you need to monitor the reaction of the plants, as well as the effectiveness of the combined application of several different components.
Each crop requires its own nutritional regimen for optimal growth.
What you will learn from this material:
In this article we will tell you how to choose autumn fertilizers for planting cucumbers. The soil for spring planting of cucumbers is prepared in the fall. The allocated beds are dug up with manure, peat, humus or any accessible organic matter(kitchen waste, fallen leaves, potato peelings, vegetable tops).
Choosing a site for cucumbers
To get good harvest cucumbers, you need to choose the right site for sowing them. The culture is quite demanding regarding soil and air humidity, as well as light and elevated temperature, therefore, beds for cucumbers should be laid out in places protected from piercing winds, without shading.
Areas with low relief – lowlands – should be avoided, as water flows into them. cold air. The best soils for growing cucumbers are loamy and sandy loam.
Liming the soil in autumn for cucumbers
The highest crop yields are obtained in well-fertilized fertile areas with neutral or slightly increased acidity. When preparing a plot for cucumbers, it is also important to consider the acidity of the soil.
For a good harvest, it should be slightly acidic or closer to neutral (pH 6.0-6.5). If the soil is acidic, then add lime during digging in the fall - 300-500 g per 1 m2 (depending on the acidity level). As dacha experience has shown, it is better to plant cucumber beds 2-3 years after liming.
The best predecessors of cucumbers
According to the rules of crop rotation, the most suitable predecessors of cucumbers are:
- potato,
- cabbage,
- tomato,
- various green manure plants (alfalfa, clover, mustard, rye, oats, etc.).
Many gardeners have adopted the method of planting cucumbers on compost heap, which is decorated with boards made of boards. The heat that cucumbers so need is produced due to the rotting of the lower layers of such a bed, and vegetables can be sown much earlier by covering them with film.
Since the branches are not capable of rotting in one season, it is possible to arrange a place for cucumbers in the same place more than once, while replacing the top fertile layer of soil.
Why you need to fertilize cucumber beds in the fall
Garden plants accept organic and mineral components well. Their balanced application maintains ideal conditions for comprehensive nutrition of crops.
Since the funds are applied not for the purpose of fertilizing the soil, but the plants, autumn feeding will enrich next year's harvest. Nutrients added to the soil are part of the organo-mineral complex; plants will live throughout the entire growth period due to their slow decay and release of nutrients.
Preparing the soil in autumn for cucumbers
Soil cultivation for cucumbers should also be carried out starting in the fall. To do this, you must first remove all residues from the previous crop, and then add 6-7 kg of manure and 8-10 g of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers to the soil while digging up the soil. square meter soil.
It is better to dig up the soil in the fall to a depth of at least 25 cm. In this case, there is no need to break up the clods. When choosing a place for cucumbers, do not forget that frost is destructive for them. Ideally, the site should be oriented to the south, this can protect the plants from cold winds.
Application of mineral fertilizers in autumn for planting cucumbers
Plants can absorb all useful substances from the soil only in the form of an aqueous solution. Therefore, many people prefer to use liquid complex fertilizers: they penetrate to the roots more quickly and, naturally, are absorbed faster by plants.
How to fertilize the soil in the fall for cucumbers? What else needs to be taken into account: mineral fertilizers applied in the fall should have a minimum nitrogen content; on the packaging of such compositions it is usually written: “autumn” or “for autumn use.”
These mineral mixtures contain almost no nitrogen, but contain phosphorus, potassium, calcium - microelements necessary for the ripening of shoots, strengthening plant immunity, increasing resistance to low temperatures. Information about the rate of fertilizer application is also available.
Applying organic fertilizers in the fall for planting cucumbers
The most beneficial effect on the growth and development of cucumber plants is provided by organic fertilizers. Cucumbers are very responsive to organic fertilizers. On soils well amended with organic fertilizers, the effectiveness of mineral fertilizers also increases sharply. Manure is the most valuable organic fertilizer.
Turning into humus, it improves the structure of the soil, heavy clay soils makes it more loose, and gives cohesion to sandy ones. Manure contains: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium. Horse and sheep manure is richer in nitrogen and phosphoric acid, it is looser, contains less, decomposes faster and heats up better.
It is called hot manure. Cattle and pig manure contains more water and breaks down slowly. Manure is applied in two periods: the first half in the fall, for digging, and the second part (in rotted form) in the spring, when processing plowed land, or into holes when sowing seeds.
On light soils, manure should be applied immediately before sowing cucumbers, before plowing or digging up the area. In heavier soils, where manure decomposes slowly, it is applied early in spring or autumn.
The plots for cucumbers dug up in the fall and fertilized with organic matter are loosened in the spring. The consumption of organic fertilizers for cucumbers can be reduced several times if they are applied not under digging, but in a hole when planting seedlings or in a row when sowing seeds.
Adding ash in the fall for planting cucumbers
How to fertilize the soil in the fall for cucumbers? Ash, being the residue after burning wood, is an excellent fertilizer that contains potassium and phosphorus. It is usually used as the main fertilizer in the fall, and as a top dressing in the spring and summer - during planting and growing season.
Phosphorus and potassium are elements essential for plants, and ash contains them in accessible forms. In addition to the main elements, it also contains magnesium, calcium, iron and other trace elements.
The composition of the ash is determined by the raw materials from which it was obtained. Ash from deciduous trees and grass will contain more calcium, and from coniferous trees and bark deciduous trees– phosphorus. Wood ash for cucumbers cannot be stored for a long time - all useful substances evaporate from it.
Proper care of cucumbers cannot be imagined without autumn feeding.
How to fertilize the soil in the fall for cucumbers video
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Did you like the article? Share with friends on social networks:To get good harvest of cucumbers, it is necessary to choose the right site for their cultivation, prepare the soil and follow the rules of proper crop rotation. The crop is quite demanding in terms of soil and air humidity, as well as light and elevated temperatures, so beds for cucumbers should be laid out in places protected from piercing winds, without shading.
Areas with low relief - lowlands - should be avoided, as cold air flows into them.
Soil requirements
The best soils for considered loamy and sandy loam. The highest crop yields are obtained in well-fertilized fertile areas with neutral or slightly increased acidity.
Cucumbers are very responsive to the addition of organic matter. Cucumber plantings require regular and sufficient frequent watering. Uncultivated, acidic, poorly heated and heavy soils with a shallow arable layer are considered unsuitable for cultivation.
The best predecessors of cucumbers
Fertilizing cucumbers
The amount of nutrients (in a form easily accessible to the plant) in the ground should be sufficient, since the root system of cucumbers is located in the upper layers of the soil and is characterized by a relatively high rate of their consumption.
During a short growing season, cucumbers produce not only a powerful leaf apparatus, but also a lot of fruits. That's why it is necessary to add a sufficient amount of organic matter, which, when decomposing, supplies the roots with additional portions of carbon dioxide.
Organic fertilizers for cucumbers
Fresh manure on cucumber beds Most often applied in the fall. Transforming into humus, it structures the soil, loosening heavy clay soils and binding sandy ones. If the soil in the garden is heavy clay or loamy, slowly warming up, then it is advisable to incorporate fresh manure into it 30-50 days before sowing the seeds (immediately after the snow melts) - this leads to rapid heating. On soils well fertilized with organic matter, the effectiveness of mineral fertilizers increases several times.
Adding peat It makes sense only on heavy, damp soils, as this improves the structure and its physical properties.
Mineral fertilizers for cucumbers
When cultivating cucumbers they use mineral fertilizers and, which can act as a complete replacement for potassium compounds. Ash is covered at a rate of about 200 grams per square meter. meter. Mineral fertilizers must be added when digging up the soil in spring: ammonium nitrate - 15 g/sq.m. m, superphosphate – 40 g/sq. m, potassium salt (in the absence of ash) – 25 g/sq. m.
If you are using complex fertilizers, then when adding them you should follow the instructions and dosages indicated on the package. Most of the minerals are added immediately before sowing or when sowing seedlings and seeds in holes, and the rest is added in the form of liquid root dressings.
Soil liming
If the soil has increased acidity, then it should lime (deoxidize) using dolomite flour, ground limestone, tuff. This stage of work is carried out in the fall during digging.
The simultaneous application of fresh manure and lime is not allowed - this leads to chemical reaction, which results in loss of valuable nitrogen.
During autumn liming of the soil, which is carried out every 4-5 years, rotted manure is applied in the spring. Ash plant waste It is not only a natural potassium-phosphorus fertilizer, but also a means of reducing soil acidity.
Spring cultivation of beds for cucumbers
Dug up since autumn plots for cucumbers, fertilized with organic matter, are loosened in the spring. If manure was not applied in the fall, then humus is scattered early spring, and dig up the earth to a depth of a shovel bayonet.
From the moment the snow melts until the sowing of cucumbers, it is necessary to monitor the looseness of the soil and immediately remove any emerging weeds. Mineral fertilizers are applied around May 20-25, the soil is dug up, the top layer of soil is leveled with a rake and planting begins.
Kirill Sysoev
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Content
To obtain a rich harvest, proper care of cucumbers in the ground is necessary. In addition to following the rules of planting and watering, you should take into account the plant’s needs for certain minerals and microelements, which can only be obtained from fertilizers. There are several options for feeding seedlings and improving soil quality.
Why do you need to fertilize cucumbers in open ground?
In good, fertile soil, the plant will bear fruit without additional help, but when the soil low quality Without various mineral elements, you will get a meager harvest. Fruiting also decreases when the same crop is planted several times in a row in the same soil. Feeding will help solve these problems, has positive points, for example:
- Seedlings that are fed show faster growth compared to other plants.
- You will be able to collect fruits longer (fruiting is often extended for a long time).
- With proper soil cultivation, you can increase productivity and positively affect the taste of cucumbers.
- At optimal selection By feeding plants in the ground, they receive additional protection from diseases. This is an important condition when planting cucumbers in the soil, because they are poorly protected from natural factors and pests.
How to fertilize cucumbers
It is important to consider that plants may have a lack of organic elements or an excess of them. Both conditions have a bad effect on this crop, so you should choose correctly which fertilizer is best for cucumbers and whether they need it. The main rule on how to feed cucumbers is to do it often, but little by little. The procedure can be carried out under the root or extra-root method. There are several stages of feeding plants in the ground after planting:
- It is carried out immediately after the appearance of 2 leaves on the tops. During this period, there is a lack of nitrogen, which is important for increasing green mass. It is necessary to use urea with water, water it at the root. If desired, you can replace the product chicken droppings or mullein.
- The next feeding of cucumbers in the ground is carried out after 15 days. The plant still needs nitrogen.
- The third feeding is carried out during the flowering of cucumbers. Plants have the greatest need for potassium. Any potash fertilizer or wood ash is suitable for this.
- On the 4th, 5th, 6th feeding, fruiting occurs, during which the plant needs nitrogen and potassium.
Root feeding of cucumbers
This method involves introducing nutrient solutions or substances as close as possible to the root system of cucumbers. There is no need to dig holes or “lay” mixtures directly to the roots of the plant. As a rule, the prepared substances are poured under the leaves of the seedlings. Fertilizer should be poured onto the soil, without getting on the tops and leaves. In some cases, due to the concentration of substances, the liquid can leave a burn or even kill the plant. As a rule, the cost of such additives is low; you can make your own solution from inexpensive components.
Foliar feeding of cucumbers during fruiting
This method of feeding, on the contrary, is carried out exclusively on vines and leaves (extremely rarely on fruits, if too many pests have appeared or a disease has begun). Foliar treatment can also be called spraying, in which the solution is not as concentrated as compared to root feeding. As a rule, they fertilize using this method in the morning and evening in cloudy weather without precipitation. sun rays when spraying, they can damage the green mass of cucumbers.
How to feed cucumbers in open ground
When fertilizing, it is important to find out what minerals and microelements the seedlings lack at this stage. It depends on what to water the cucumbers with for a good harvest, what organic matter or complex substances are needed. At certain stages, bird droppings and animal manure should be used; at others, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium or nitrogen substances should be used.
What fertilizers to apply when planting cucumbers
The first portion of fertilizers is applied to the soil before planting the seeds. After this, young plants need a whole complex of elements that should be fed to them in order to obtain a rich harvest. An important component is potassium fertilizers, which ensure rapid growth, plant formation, and improved taste of the fruit. Typically, the following types of microelements are used:
- potassium nitrate;
- urea;
- granulated superphosphate;
- potassium sulfate;
- double superphosphate;
- potassium chloride.
At large quantities in the soil phosphorus should not be forgotten nitrogen fertilizers, otherwise there will be few ovaries and more male flowers; adding them after the fact will not change the situation. Phosphorus is needed by cucumbers for the proper functioning of the root system, timely flowering, and growth of greenery mass. Its excess leads to yellowing of the plant, falling off, and rapid death.
Application of mineral fertilizers for a good harvest
This method of feeding cucumbers after planting is the most common step to achieve better yield. Mineral fertilizer for cucumbers open ground Can be mixed with organic substances or used independently. To strengthen the root system, phosphorus is needed, and for proper plant growth, nitrogen is needed, and when flowers appear, potassium is needed. Chlorine is extremely harmful to cucumbers, so mineral salts containing this element should be excluded. How to properly feed seedlings in the soil with mineral fertilizers:
- alternate organic, mineral substances;
- saturate the bed with clean water before feeding the plant;
- introduce fertilizers into the furrows, which should be made at a distance of 5 cm from the seedlings;
- The substance can only be poured onto the ground, avoid contact with leaves and tops.
Fertilizing cucumbers in open ground with organic fertilizers
Those who grow cucumbers in the ground know that the lowest price for organic fertilizer will be available when purchasing bird droppings and mullein. They are diluted in a bucket with liquid in a ratio of 1:15. You can also add about 500 g of ash here. There are also traditional methods preparation of organic fertilizers, for example:
- collect all the weeds from the garden;
- add nettle, plantain, dandelion leaves to it, chop finely;
- 1 kg of the mixture is diluted with 10 liters of water;
- Let the product steep for a day, strain it;
- Feeding costs at the rate of 4 liters per 1 square meter of land.
How to fertilize cucumbers with yeast
An additional option for feeding cucumbers after planting in the ground is yeast. Gardeners often use this fertilizer; it has the following advantages:
- improves root formation;
- stimulates growth;
- plant endurance increases;
- becomes a source of bacteria that increase the immunity of seedlings.
Preparation:
- Dissolve 10 g of dry bread yeast in 10 liters of water.
- Put 2 tbsp. l. sugar into solution.
- Let the starter brew for 2 hours, stir it in 50 liters of liquid.
How to use:
- You can use this option as an answer to the question of how to feed cucumbers, but no more than 2 times.
- The first application should be made on the 12-14th day of planting.
- The second is after phosphorus fertilizing.
How to feed cucumbers in open ground with ash
This substance is an excellent organic fertilizer. Every gardener should know how to feed cucumbers in open ground using ash. It contains calcium, which is very important for the plant. Rules of use:
- During the entire growth period, ash is added no more than 6 times.
- You need to feed the first time when 3 leaves appear, the second time when the plant begins to bloom.
- As the fruits grow, you can feed the cucumbers in the soil with a small amount of solution every 14 days.
- Dry ash or ash infusion can be used to fertilize the soil. The first option is poured onto the ground next to the plants before the watering procedure.
Complex fertilizer for cucumbers
When you are not exactly sure what to feed the cucumbers after planting in the ground, you cannot find out exactly what element the plant is missing, you should use complex fertilizers. A popular example of such a fertilizer is nitroammophoska, which contains potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. After planting, the fertilizer granules are dissolved in liquid and used as foliar feeding. It can be easily ordered or bought in an online store, the price is 10,000 rubles per ton.
Microelements for cucumbers
For healthy growth of cucumbers in the ground after planting, a rich harvest, and the development of immunity against pathogens, it is necessary to feed the plant with microelements. There are several basic substances that seedlings must have:
- Nitrogen. An important trace element during plant growth, it provides green mass and protects against yellowing.
- Phosphorus. Cucumbers need a little of it, but it should be supplied regularly. Phosphorus ensures the plant proper and healthy development of the root system and rapid growth of green mass.
- Potash fertilizers. Various options fertilizers containing potassium. Fertilizer will ensure the transport of nutrients to the seedlings from the root system. Fruiting and vegetative growth are promoted by the optimal amount of potassium.
How to choose fertilizers
When a gardener is faced with the question of how to feed cucumbers after planting in the ground, one should take into account the growth characteristics of cucumbers in the ground. Many novice vegetable growers believe in the unpretentiousness of seedlings, but a truly good harvest can only be obtained if the seedlings are properly fed. You can make a choice based on the following recommendations:
- Mullein is well suited for any home seedlings that are being prepared for planting in open ground: it contains different nutrients, useful for cucumbers. There is 1 liter of solution per plant. It is prepared in a ratio of 1:10 with liquid (1 part fertilizer and 10 parts water).
- You can find bird droppings in any store. Its price is low, so it is often used to feed cucumbers. For 10 liters of water you need 1 liter of litter. After this, add 2 cups of ash: you can periodically feed the seedlings with the resulting mixture.
- Complex fertilizers have a higher price, are sold in stores and have preparation instructions on the package.
The price of fertilizers for feeding cucumbers after planting in the ground
You can find feeding substances in online stores, specialized outlets that sell seedlings, products for gardeners, summer residents and vegetable growers. As a rule, large landowners purchase them from companies that produce fertilizers. This option is not suitable for an ordinary summer resident, because the price is set for wholesale purchases of several tons. In packages, the cost of feeding can range from 100 to 3000 rubles per kilogram/liter.
Video: how to fertilize cucumbers in open ground
Found an error in the text? Select it, press Ctrl + Enter and we will fix everything!Due to their properties, cucumbers are rightfully included in the list of the most common agricultural crops. However, in order for them not to lose the wealth of benefits for human body substances, you should adhere to the rules for their cultivation. The latter includes the timely application of suitable fertilizers, which will strengthen root system bushes, accelerate their growth and increase the future harvest.
Preparing the soil for planting cucumbers - what to pay attention to?
Immediately before the process of planting grown bushes, the soil should be prepared. It is necessary to take into account that in open and closed spaces the conditions for the growth of cucumbers will be different, therefore the soil composition should be different.
How to prepare soil in a greenhouse?
In a favorable climate, greenhouses for growing cucumbers need to be heated with a kind of biological fuel, mainly of organic origin. The soil for growing cucumbers in greenhouses should be formed from last year's compost, humus and black soil, which should contain a small amount of mineral fertilizers. If we consider the exact proportions, then the soil should contain 1 part of peat, the same amount of humus or compost and the same amount of chernozem or turf treated with potassium permanganate.
All components used should be thoroughly mixed and 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 15 g of potassium sulfate, 30 g of superphosphate should be added to the mixture. It is necessary to form half-meter piles from the prepared soil and lay them 7 days before transplanting the grown bushes. During this time, the soil will have time to settle and compact.
Self-preparation of soil in garden beds
The place chosen for transplanting cucumbers into open ground should be prepared in the fall. Weeds need to be collected from the site and dug up, and in the period from September to November the soil composition will need to be enriched mineral fertilizers, fresh manure, 20 g of superphosphate and complex feeding in the form of 15 g of ammonium sulfate, 10 g of potassium salt and 20 g of ammonium nitrate per bucket of water.
How and what to feed cucumbers at the seedling stage?
To significantly speed up growth and improve the quality of the harvest, cucumbers will need to be grown separately, after sowing their seeds in boxes or containers, with eggshell or peat cubes.
Seeds should be sown no later than 40 days before transplanting to a permanent place of growth. Before this, the seed will need to be etched with a solution of potassium permanganate and soaked for 12 hours in a mixture of 1 liter of water, 10 g of potassium nitrate, 10 g of superphosphate, 0.2 g of manganese, zinc and copper.
The soil for sowing seeds of grown bushes must be watered abundantly, enriched with ash, black soil and humus. In most cases, the first shoots will appear within 5–7 days. At the same time, you will need to feed the cucumbers for the first time. This must be done in several stages:
- 1. Immediately after the first leaf appears, 15 g of superphosphate, 7 g of ammonium nitrate, 8 g of potassium sulfate and 1 liter of mullein solution diluted in water in a ratio of 1:4 must be dissolved in 10 liters of water. Ready mixture you need to add to boxes with seedlings at the rate of 2 tablespoons per sprout;
- 2. The same scheme should be used when the second leaf appears, with the only difference being that 2 times more minerals are needed to prepare fertilizers;
- 3. 15 days after applying the fertilizer, the procedure should be repeated again. At the same time, if the second fertilizing could not be done, then the third time the fertilizer must be applied. The same recipe is used for this, however, you will need to additionally add 0.3 g of manganese and half a gram to the prepared mixture boric acid.
You can transplant the sprouts into soil after 3–4 full-fledged leaves appear on their stems. Before this, you will need to harden the seedlings by ventilating the room in which they are located.
Features of fertilizing cucumbers in a greenhouse
Bushes planted in a greenhouse should be fertilized at least 4 times. It is extremely important to adhere to one rule - do not overdo it with the dosage of chemical and organic fertilizers, as this will have a bad effect on the growth and development of the bushes, as well as on the taste of the fruit.
Between feedings you need to take breaks of 13–15 days. The duration of the latter may vary depending on the type of crop grown. If necessary, the amount of fertilizing can be increased, but in this case you will need to use more organic fertilizers.
To fertilize the soil, it is best to use preparations such as Azogran or Agricola-6 - these products stimulate the growth and development of plants, increasing their fruiting period.
Foliar feeding of the crop should be done no earlier than a month after transplanting the bushes into the ground. To do this, it is best to use an infusion of 25 g of the drug diluted in 10 liters of water, based on 25 m2 of territory. Bird droppings will be extremely effective when growing crops: 1 tablespoon of which should be diluted in a bucket of water, adding 1 teaspoon of potassium phosphate to the mixture.
Feeding cucumbers when grown in open soil
Bushes grown in open ground need to be fed twice. The first fertilizer is applied immediately after transplanting the seedlings from the boxes, and the second - after 2 weeks. If the condition of the bushes is poor and they grow too slowly, then the amount of fertilizing can be increased, focusing on mineral fertilizers.
To prepare the fertilizer, you should use the following components:
- 40–45 g superphosphate;
- 25 g ammonium nitrate;
- 20 g viburnum salt;
- 15–20 g of potassium chloride;
- 10 l warm water.
After fourteen days, feeding must be repeated. To do this, you need to use chicken manure diluted in clean water, based on 1 kg of fertilizer per 8 liters of liquid.
After this, you will have to monitor the condition of the seedlings. If the leaves on the bushes change color and wither, it means they need to be fed again. In this case, there is no need to wait and immediately prepare a solution from a glass of ash and 10 liters of water. You need to spray the bushes with the prepared product, and if necessary, repeat this procedure at least once a week.
Features of feeding during flowering and fruiting
Immediately after the first flowers appear on the bushes, you will need to re-feed. If, in order to treat bushes grown in greenhouses, it is necessary to use complex products with a large amount of nitrogen, then for feeding garden crops you will need to make a completely different additive. Its recipe should include the following components:
- 30 g ammonium nitrate;
- 20 g viburnum salt;
- 35 g superphosphate;
- 10 liters of water.
In addition to using this kit, the bushes will need to be sprayed with a solution of 1/4 spoon of boric acid per 10 liters of water.
As soon as the first fruits appear on the bushes grown in the greenhouse, the plants will begin to consume much more nutrients from the soil. In order to prevent a decrease in the amount of the latter in the soil, it will be necessary to feed the soil. A solution of nitrophoska, prepared at the rate of 1 tablespoon of the product per 10 liters of warm water, is suitable for this. After 7 days, you need to use organic fertilizers in the form of a mixture of half a liter of mullein, diluted in the same amount of liquid.
Bushes grown in open ground are best treated with urea at the rate of 50 ml per 10 liters of water. Spraying should be done in the evening or in cloudy weather.
The use of mineral complexes will be beneficial for the growth of cucumbers. To strengthen the root of the bush and accelerate the growth of the crop, the soil must be watered with a special herbal infusion. To do this, you need to prepare a concentrate from 1 part of cut grass and the same amount of warm water. After a week of infusion, the mixture will need to be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:1.5 parts of water. The prepared solution can be used for watering fruit-bearing bushes.