How often to water cucumbers in the greenhouse?
Cucumber is a sun-loving culture that reacts badly to the lack of enough moisture. Professional gardeners know that to achieve a good harvest even in a greenhouse is not always easy, if you do not observe the temperature and do not follow the level of humidity. That is why it is important to provide high-quality irrigation system.
General rules
Growing cucumbers in the greenhouse has become popular in all regions of the country, because it allows you to get an early harvest and enjoy fresh vegetables. Only sufficient and regular watering will provide high-quality fruits in large quantities. Not only volume, but also water temperature plays an important role for plants, so watering should be taken particularly responsibly.
Indeed, studies have shown that the use of cold water adversely affects the growth of cucumbers: they slow down the development and often get sick. The temperature of the irrigation water should be that which the ground warmed up. It is possible to irrigate manually from a tank with separated water, but it takes a lot of time and effort, which is why automatic irrigation systems have recently become popular.
Speaking about the general rules of irrigation, it should be noted that the soil in the greenhouse should not dry out, at the same time the gardener should ensure that it is not too wet, and provide high-quality ventilation. In this case, the automatic system with the installed program has a lot of advantages, since it produces watering in the required amount strictly at a certain time.
Before the beginning of the appearance of the flower ovaries, cucumbers are watered moderately, since this will make it possible to stop the growth of greenery and will direct all forces to the formation of the ovaries. As soon as small fruits began to appear, the amount of watering increases, because this is the only way to give the required amount of moisture to form the crop.
Regardless of the type of irrigation system, it is impossible to pour water directly onto the root system: it may become bare, which will not improve the development of cucumbers for the better. If the root system has opened, it should be immediately covered with earth.
In a greenhouse, there is a greater likelihood of fungal diseases, so the gardener is required to ensure that the top layer of the soil is always dried. For this, a high-quality ventilation system is created, which helps not only to keep the moisture balance in check, but also to lower the temperature on days when it becomes unbearably hot.
Experienced gardeners recommend watering with a strong increase in temperature, not cucumber bushes, but their leaves. The method received its name in agricultural technology - sprinkling. It not only lowers the temperature, but also increases the humidity, gives the required amount of moisture to the foliage so that it does not burn out inside the greenhouse.
In case of cloudy weather, there is no need to water the soil too often, it is better to look into the greenhouse more often and look at the state of soil moisture. In the issue of high-quality irrigation, a gardener will need to moisten the soil regularly in normalized quantities, do not use cold water, watch the foliage of the plants so that it does not grow weak, do not pour directly on the root system.
Often beginner gardeners think when it is necessary to water cucumbers in a greenhouse. According to professionals, this should be done either early in the morning, when the sun is not very active, or in the evening after sunset.
In glass
Not every summer resident has a modern polycarbonate greenhouse, some still use glass. It cannot be said that watering in such a greenhouse has any significant differences, since in all greenhouses the same microclimate is created.
One of the main tasks of the gardener is to monitor the soil: it should not be allowed to be swamped, because the cucumber does not like too much water, like overdried soil.If there are deviations, then the ovary will not give a harvest, but simply begin to fall off, small cucumbers are deformed, the roots rot or leaves will fall. In any case, the summer resident threatens to reduce yields.
Abrupt jumps from severe drought to waterlogging have a bad effect. This is one of the reasons why rot begins to form on the roots. If it is hot outside, it is better to provide daily watering. From 5 to 10 liters of water are required for each square meter, it all depends on the soil. In the absence of an active sun, this expense should be reduced by half or watering is not every day, but every other day or when the need arises.
It is best to irrigate the crop in a glass greenhouse in the evening, when the sun is already less active, and there is a cool night ahead. During the day, ultraviolet penetrates glass and works like a magnifying glass through water, heating leaves and soil even more, which adversely affects cucumbers. A prerequisite for obtaining a quality crop is regular airing, but there should be no draft in the greenhouse.
It is important to monitor the level of humidity and maintain it, otherwise a spider mite may appear in the overdried air.
Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate greenhouses - a modern version of the greenhouse, which is used in different regions of the country. Not only cucumbers, but also other cultures grow remarkably in it, however, timely and abundant watering is also important here.
As everyone knows, cucumber fruits are mostly water. If you do not give quality irrigation, the flesh inside becomes hollow, bitter. Polycarbonate perfectly retains moisture and heat - this is exactly what culture needs. Gardeners with great experience pay attention to the regularity with which watering should be done on warm days.
It is required to do this from the beginning of the emergence of the germ and until the last ripening of the fruit, if you want to receive a quality crop throughout the entire time. Even if irrigation is carried out through a hose under pressure, it is better not to pour under the root. Many make grooves around the bushes - this is the best option that protects the root system of the plant. Thus, the summer resident not only saturates the bushes with moisture, but also saves them from the appearance of rot.
It is very dangerous to water the plants with cool liquid on cloudy days, because a decrease in temperature contributes to the growth of rot and fungal infections.
It is easy to learn about the lack of moisture in cucumbers, because the leaves react first. As soon as they fell to the ground, it was time to replenish the moisture in the soil. This can be done by sprinkling or spraying the bushes with water.
Ways
Providing regular watering is not so easy, you need to constantly monitor the greenhouse, live near or come almost every day, but not every summer resident can afford it. That is why today automatic systems are becoming increasingly popular when you do not need to water the soil yourself - you just need to install the equipment and install the necessary mode. To better understand what we are talking about, let us consider separately the two types of irrigation that are available for greenhouses.
Drip irrigation
Drip irrigation systems have been used for decades on an industrial scale, since it is difficult for a person to independently monitor the condition of the soil on large greenhouse complexes. Precisely because the installation requires some cost, private country farms rarely decide on this method of irrigation.
In fact, as agrotechnical research has shown, drip irrigation is the best option to give cucumbers the necessary amount of moisture for their normal development. Modern manufacturers began to produce systems designed for small areas at an affordable cost. On average, they can provide water to 50 or more plants.Any gardener can choose an automated system for himself, taking into account the size of the greenhouse and its features.
Among the main advantages that drip irrigation can boast:
- automated work;
- economical water distribution;
- ease of installation and ease of management;
- durability of the structure;
- big choice;
- the ability to organize high-quality irrigation in a greenhouse of any size;
- lack of waterlogging;
- no washing out of soil under bushes;
- best quality fruit.
Water can be supplied in such automated systems in various ways:
- gravity flow;
- through the water supply.
Any option gardener can organize himself, if the approach to work with all the responsibility. To make the system with water supply by gravity, you need to take the water tank, put it on the stand. This position will create the necessary pressure. A tap is installed on a barrel or canister, which must have a valve and be located at a height of 10 centimeters from the bottom.
A hose is laid under the bushes, which, in turn, is put on the crane. Be sure to make holes on the site, which lies on the ground, so that through them the water comes under the cucumber bushes. When watering is necessary, the tap opens and closes when it is necessary to stop it.
It is impossible to call such a system fully automatic, but a minimum effort is required from the summer resident, which already saves time. It is worth saying that such technological irrigation methods are very popular with plants, because they respond to high-quality and rich crops. Automatic irrigation will allow to moisten the soil, even if the owner can not come to the cottage.
From the pumping station
Greenhouse hoses for drip irrigation can also be used for irrigation from the pumping station, but in this case you will need to install a pressure regulator. That he will be responsible for the amount of fluid supplied. Returning to what has already been said, the water must be warm, that is, not out of the water supply, so it is advisable to use a pumping station that will pump the liquid from the tank, where it has already heated up.
The pumping station is necessary, to ensure the necessary pressure without it will not work. The source can be any large-capacity tank, a filter and a check valve are installed on the unit to ensure stable operation. At pressure drop the pump turns on automatically. Since the drip irrigation system slowly delivers fluid under the bushes, the pumping station can be installed indoors, as it will turn on and off when necessary, without the participation of the gardener.
Frequency
Inexperienced gardeners often wonder how often watering is needed, whether there are irrigation rules to be followed. It should be said that at different times of the year and at different vegetative periods, the irrigation regime will be different.
After planting, it is necessary to water immediately, and wait a bit during the flowering period. Despite the fact that cucumbers love water, watering is too often impossible, otherwise the plants simply rot.
In the summer, when it becomes especially hot in the greenhouse, daily watering in the evening is considered the norm. Per square meter, depending on the temperature inside, enough from 5 to 10 liters of water. If it's cool outside, then 2 is enough, as long as the ground is not constantly wet.
The appearance of the first flower buds indicates the termination of watering for some time.
If this is done in this way, then the plant will spend its strength not on the foliage, but on the development of the fruit.
Every summer resident should know that aridity only harms the crop. If you plan to get a rich harvest, then it is worthwhile to bring in moisture and follow the soil, which in no case can be covered with cracks or crusts. If the plant does not receive water, it will affect not only its general state of development, but also the taste of the fruit.Mindfulness and meticulous care will become helpers and will guarantee a mountain of crispy fruits for a long period.
When forming fruits, it is especially important not to skip watering, otherwise the plant will not have enough moisture to feed cucumbers with it, as a result a product will grow that does not want to eat. Moreover, the bushes react to the lack of moisture by shedding flowers and ovaries, thus reducing the load.
Recommendations
As mentioned above several times already, it is right to water cucumber bushes next to the root system, not on it and do it better in the morning or in the evening, but in no case during the day when the sun is especially active. Norm at a time can be more in the heat and less on cold days.
Before deciding how to irrigate the beds in the greenhouse, it is necessary to put a container where the water will not only settle, but also heat up. Like tomatoes, cucumbers will not tolerate a sharp decrease in temperature, even if they are watered with clean water. Seedlings also after planting should be watered, but with warm water, otherwise it will be sick for a long time.
You do not need to fill the beds before the appearance of puddles, there is a water rate per square meter, you must comply with it, if the gardener does not want to face rot and mold.
The best option is to make grooves or grooves around the bushes that protect the root system from undermining and washing.
In the summer in the greenhouse it becomes very hot, the ventilation system can not cope with the heat of the temperature, because creating a draft inside the greenhouse is strictly prohibited for the benefit of cucumber bushes. To improve the situation a little, it is advised to take lime mortar and spray it on the outside of the greenhouse walls.
If sprinkling is done, they do it when the sun is already inactive, otherwise it will cause serious burns through the leaves. After each irrigation, it is advisable to spud the bushes in order to remove the crust on the ground surface and open access to oxygen for the root system.
The most reliable and safe for the plant was and remains drip watering. It allows you to moisten the soil in accordance with a given mode, so the soil does not dry out, but it is not too wet. Among other things, it saves time.
When the seedlings are only planted in the greenhouse and until the first flowers appear, the water consumption rate should be 5 liters per square meter. During the appearance of the ovaries, the flow must be increased to 10 liters, but watering should be done at least once every two days.
With the appearance of fruits, irrigation is carried out every other day, and with a strong increase in air temperature every evening. You can use mulching. This method allows the soil to retain moisture longer and provide the plants with the necessary nutrition.
Few people know, but the root system of a cucumber is poorly developed, regardless of whether it grows in an open garden or in a greenhouse. Much of the culture has to spend on the formation of foliage and shoots, which is why on hot days the moisture from the soil is consumed faster.
Watch what happens to the ground under the bushes during watering. As soon as the water ceases to flow away, it means that the bed is soaked enough and it is time to stop irrigation. It is desirable that the liquid as little as possible fell on the base of the stem, since this often causes the development of rot.
As soon as it became noticeable that the amount of greenery on the plant increased, it was time to take a short break, otherwise there would be no big harvest. The appearance of a large amount of foliage takes a lot of strength and nutrients from the plant for its content, in which case the fruits will not be able to get anything useful for themselves.
You can add pressed yeast to watering, which is a wonderful fertilizer at the time of fruiting bushes. Such organic nutrition not only strengthens the immune system of the culture, but also contributes to the rapid growth and improvement of the taste of the fruit.
In any case, a gardener should remember that without regular and standardized watering, cucumbers in a greenhouse will not develop normally, so it is better to install a drip irrigation system if it is not possible to irrigate independently every day.
How to water cucumbers in the greenhouse, see the following video.