Agricultural techniques for growing and caring for cucumbers in block greenhouses

Besides tomatoes, you can grow cucumbers in block greenhouses: despite limited experience in this matter and the imperfection of block greenhouses, Stakhanovite vegetable growers have achieved good yields here as well. Comrade Fartusova M. N., from the "Bodroye" state farm, obtained a cucumber yield in these greenhouses of 140 tons per hectare, and Comrade Akhmatova from the M. Gorky state farm, Moscow Region, obtained 118 tons.

Cucumber transplants are prepared in propagation and standard greenhouses. The cultivation agrotechnics are basically the same as this

To enhance fruiting, side shoots are pinched.

There is still no precise established data (unlike for hotbeds) on the issue of pinching cucumbers in block greenhouses. Experience from Stakhanovites, supported by a number of scientific data, still shows that the best result is obtained when pinching is done on second-order shoots above the second leaf and on third-order shoots above the first or second leaf.

During flowering, artificial pollination is performed, just as in hotbeds. It is better to have a bee apiary in the greenhouses at this time, at a rate of one hive per 200 m² of greenhouse. Otherwise, care when growing cucumbers in block greenhouses consists of loosening the soil and watering with warm water, moderate during the initial period after planting and more intensive by the beginning of fruiting.

Stakhanovite greenhouse growers make wide use of liquid fertilizer applications when cultivating cucumbers in greenhouses, using solutions of cow manure or poultry manure with the addition of mineral fertilizers. It is advisable to alternate organic and mineral fertilizer top dressing at intervals of 5 — 10 days.

The first top dressing is done at the moment of fruit set.

In case of vigorous stem and leaf development, the proportion of nitrogenous fertilizers in the top dressing should be reduced, and phosphoric fertilizers should be added.

As the plant root system expands, turf soil is added to the soil. This has to be done several times.

To enhance fruiting, the amount of carbon dioxide in the greenhouse is increased artificially.

Protection of cucumbers from diseases and pests

Great damage to the cucumber crop in greenhouses, just as in hotbeds, is caused by the spider mite and certain fungal diseases (powdery mildew, bacteriosis, etc.).

The main control measures here should be preventive:

• thorough disinfection of greenhouses;
• keeping them clean (removing plant residues, etc.).

Upon the appearance of the spider mite, an effective agent is the spraying of plants with solbar and anabasin sulfate.