Cucumbers are one of the most popular members of the pumpkin family in our gardens. They are grown everywhere - from southern latitudes to northern latitudes. In Russian conditions, it will take more effort to get a rich harvest than in the southern regions. However, knowing the peculiarities of the agricultural technology of these plants, you can get not only a good harvest of cucumbers, but also grow the fruits already in bottles.
Features of growing cucumbers
Cucumbers are native to the tropical regions of India. The plant is thermophilic and moisture-loving, prefers very fertile soils. The best temperature for growing cucumber plants is +22 - + 28 ° C. At lower temperatures, growth slows down, then stops altogether. Prolonged cold snap will lead to disease of cucumbers and further death. Cucumbers need sunlight, but unlike most of their cousins from the pumpkin family, the yield will not decrease very much if the site is shaded daily for 2-4 hours.
Watering plants
It is necessary to water the cucumbers with warm, settled water, since the roots of the plants absolutely cannot stand the cold and watering with cold water. That is why planting is best done in a high bed so that the earth warms up well from all sides. Also, to heat the root system, heat is used, which is released during the decay of manure or plant compost. Despite the moisture-loving nature, cucumber plants do not tolerate stagnant water - it will cause rotting of the root system. For this reason, the soil for growing cucumbers must be well drained and contain a lot of sand and humus. Clay admixture is unacceptable.
Root system care
Even inexperienced gardeners know what cucumber plants look like. These are herbaceous vines 2-3 meters long. The root system of cucumbers is weak, does not penetrate deep into the soil, therefore it does not like damage and anxiety. After watering, it is better not to loosen the ground in cucumber beds, and in order to avoid the formation of a crust after watering, it is better to mulch with humus. Loosening is carried out only after abundant watering and very carefully.
Placement and formation
Cucumber plants grow up to 3 meters long per season. They can be grown on a trellis up to 2 meters high, on a low trellis up to 1 meter, or left to creep along the ground.
Growing cucumbers in a bottle
Often on sale you can find drinks in beautiful bottles with fruit inside. It will be interesting to try to make something similar on your own, but use a regular cucumber instead of fruit. In order to grow a cucumber in a bottle, you need a beautiful transparent container and a cucumber plant with cucumber ovaries. It is most convenient if the cucumber is grown not on a trellis, but on the ground. It is necessary to select the formed small cucumber ovary, remove the flower from it, and carefully place it in the bottle, trying not to damage the plant itself. The plant needs care like an ordinary cucumber - timely watering, feeding, loosening. As soon as the cucumber in the bottle grows to the required size, you need to carefully separate it from the cucumber lash. A cucumber in a bottle can be poured with vodka and infused for at least two weeks.
