To get fresh, crisp, juicy cucumbers, it is important to grow and harvest this vegetable successfully. This is why we give you these 5 tips.
How to grow cucumbers and get a crisp, juicy harvest?
To get crisp, juicy cucumbers when you harvest them, you must first grow them successfully. For this, you can follow these 5 tips.
Sow cucumbers at the right time
Before sowing or planting a vegetable plant, it is important to know its planting period. You can sow cucumbers between March and May. </Furthermore, the cucumber appreciates a sunny location and a temperate climate.
Sow cucumbers starting in March under a heated shelter with 2 or 3 seeds per pot and a temperature of 20°C. After the seeds have germinated, it is possible to transplant vigorous seedlings outdoors only from mid-May, at the end of the frosts. Maintain a distance of 1 m between plants.
Note that cucumbers do not like cold and frost. If you want to sow them directly into the ground, do so only after the frosts, usually around mid-May. Plant up to 3 seeds per bag, i.e. per hole, and maintain a distance of one meter between plants.
Mastering watering cucumbers
Cucumbers love moisture, but don’t like soggy soil. Keep the soil around cucumber plants moist, but not too moist, to avoid root rot. Don’t water with cold water, because it could make your vegetables bitter. </In this case, prefer warm water to obtain sweet cucumbers.
Water cucumbers generously at planting time and then maintain a regular watering frequency. Water stress can also make cucumbers taste bitter. Try not to wet the foliage when watering to avoid fungal diseases. You can also add mulch to the base of the plants to keep the soil cool.
Stake cucumber plants
Pruning plants is important, it protects them from diseases, promotes healthy and vigorous growth and stimulates fruiting or flowering. However, it is important to prune cucumbers to optimize their growth and obtain a good harvest. To do this, pinch above the second <leaf once the plants have developed 4 leaves. This will form two new stems. Pinch them on the 4th leaf when they have 6 leaves. Once the cucumbers are formed, keep only 4 leaves per stem. Caution: pinching a plant means pruning the end of the stem and removing its growth tip.
Fertilizing cucumbers
The cucumber is an avid horticultural plant that appreciates soils rich, especially in nitrogen and potassium. Fertilize the cucumber during planting and harvesting. To be