How to pinch cucumbers?

Cucumber deservedly enjoys love among the people.This vegetable has excellent taste, thanks to which it finds its use in cooking: it is marinated, and also used to make snacks and salads. In addition, it contains a large amount of substances and trace elements useful for human health, and is also capable of exerting a cosmetic effect. It is not surprising that the cultivation of this crop is approached with full responsibility not only in a professional, but also in an amateur environment.

Beds with lush green bushes or climbing vines of cucumbers can be found in almost any garden. This culture is perfect for growing in our climatic conditions, and therefore, even though cucumbers require the care and attention of the gardener, they have remained steadily popular for many decades. Moreover, with the right approach and in the case of planting the most suitable variety, even with a small area or a greenhouse you can really get a big harvest of this tasty and healthy vegetable. The only thing that can confuse a novice gardener, who decided to plant this vegetable, is the need to perform various procedures for the care, and we'll discuss one of them below.

Many summer residents and gardeners seek a truly abundant harvest of such a tasty and healthy vegetable as cucumber, for which they conduct a number of preparatory activities on the site. However, to achieve truly impressive results is achieved not only by the professional agrarians, but also by those who have not so much experience. Among the many procedures that can effectively affect the rate of productivity, it is the staining (or pinching) of the bushes with cucumbers is considered one of the most important.

Even before starting to pinch cucumbers, it is necessary to study in detail why this event should be held at all. It should also be noted that many gardeners sincerely doubt whether it is necessary to stepchild and tear leaves and shoots from the bushes. Despite the fact that in some cases it is possible to harvest a good harvest of vegetables even without pinching, it is still necessary to do it, because this is the way to affect the formation of fruits. It is no secret that on the main stalk of the cucumber bush in the process of growth, hollow flowers are formed, that is, male plants that do not give fruits as a result, and female flowers grow only on side shoots, and they are the key to high yields.

As you know, cucumber is a crop that biologists refer to the family of lianas, and therefore the process of its cultivation will be somewhat different compared to other vegetables. This plant begins to show its specific features already in the second week after emergence of shoots - at this time the plant needs the first garter. But the support is far from the only thing that a bush needs for proper growth and development, since it is still necessary to separate the young shoots from each other and let them run along the ropes. If you do not hold these events, then collect a large number of cucumbers from the garden is unlikely to work.

The main stem of the cucumber, as is known, does not bear fruit, and therefore it is the side shoots of this plant that need special care. It is necessary not only to closely monitor the timely appearance of the ovaries, but also to ensure the optimal distribution of nutrients to the bush, which it receives from the soil. In the period of the appearance of flowers, most of the nutrients and trace elements they receive. However, due to the fact that the central stem is the main one for cucumber, in the period of active flowering side shoots will receive an extremely small amount of food they need. And this, in turn, will have a very bad impact not only on the yield, but also on the quality of the vegetables themselves.

Thus, the main purpose of pinching (or blinding) cucumbers is to eliminate a certain number of flowers from the bush so that the side shoots receive enough nutrition and the fruits can gain mass. An important point during staining is the preservation of the green mass of the plant, since a large amount of nutrients are concentrated in the leaves.

Accordingly, if it is right to pinch cucumbers and remove unnecessary shoots:

• a large number of female shoots will appear;
• productivity of a bush significantly increases;
• The cucumbers themselves will not be bitter in the end.

Thanks to the hard work of breeders, it is now possible to find varieties of cucumbers, which simply do not need pasynkovanie. Such a plant does not form climbing vines, and grow in the form of a lush bush. First of all, it is about cucumbers of such varieties as “Sarovsky” and “Petrovsky”. There are also varieties with short side shoots - it is not necessary to pinch them either.

It is necessary to create support for the cucumber creeper fourteen days after the seedlings are planted. After that, preparatory activities are carried out that precede blinding. So, the bush is neatly divided into a central stem and lateral processes, for which ordinary twine or any other similar material is used. It is important to strictly observe the time of pinching and to remove male flowers and extra leaves in time, because they do not give fruit, but only take nutrients and trace elements.

The optimal time to start the blinding procedure for each bush will be different. Pinching cucumbers begin on reaching the side shoots of the plant at least five centimeters in length. In this case, pinching will be absolutely safe for the cucumber vine, and the plant will not be damaged. If you perform this procedure when the size of the shoot is less than five or four centimeters, you can cause significant damage to the plant by damaging the whip. If, however, you begin to tear off excess leaves and shoots, when the lateral processes reach a length of fifteen to twenty centimeters, then this procedure will not bring the expected result.

The final stage of pinching and pinching a given culture begins around mid-July. At this time, the bush is trimmed so that no more than two side lashes remain. In addition, during this period, it is necessary to engage in active pruning of the dried branches of the plant, as well as to remove its parts affected by any diseases or insect pests. The land under the cucumber bushes is treated with special means and infusions of herbs, various preparations and supplements based on peat and wood ash are also added there. Already at the end of summer, when cool weather is observed at night, the plants can be covered overnight with plastic wrap. Such measures can significantly extend the fruiting period, since the shelter will protect the young shoots, which can then develop into a full whip, bearing fruit.

Before proceeding to the pinching, you need to study the characteristics of different varieties of cucumbers. Thus, plants of self-pollinated and parthenocarpic types are characterized by the absence of the need for external pollination, and therefore such cucumbers form very many flowers of the female sex, and shoots grow extremely rapidly.Thus, to pinch these plants to obtain a bountiful harvest is not very rational. However, glare and pinching are still used in growing such varieties, since this agrotechnical measure helps to effectively form a shrub, regulate planting density and light level.

It is also commonly accepted that the cultivation of cucumbers in the open field and in the greenhouse requires a completely different approach, which, in turn, dictates its own specific pinching. So, today there are active debates about whether to conduct glare for cucumbers growing in a greenhouse. But even so, skeptics recognize that if you remove too much flowers and leaves, the fruit will have much better taste.

At that moment, when the main stalk of cucumbers begins to curl along the trellis, it must be pinched so that three or four leaves are left on it. You also need to remove the leaves, winding around the trellis and securely tie the central trunk to the support. During the formation of additional shoots, they must be pulled out and dazzle to a height of approximately half a meter. If this procedure is done in strict accordance with all the rules, the plant will bring a large number of tasty fruits and will do it for a long time. However, it must be remembered that the correct shaping of the culture and the garter of a cucumber lash require a number of specific skills and knowledge that are acquired only with experience.

When growing cucumbers in the open ground, the pinching technique will differ significantly, due to the difference in care between the plants planted in the greenhouse or directly under the open sky. The need for this event for cucumbers on the garden is dictated primarily by planting density. But it is not necessary to pluck those bushes whose stems are not too long, because they will not take food from the shoots, and the yield will remain at a normal level.

To pluck the tops of unnecessary shoots from time to time should be mandatory. Cut the tops of the shoots of cucumber begin when their length reaches at least one meter for the main stem and half a meter for the side shoots. The plant during this period should already have secondary shoots (approximately twenty centimeters in length). On the main shoot, you need to destroy the ovary of the fourth leaf, and on the side shoots place after the second leaf.

The step-by-step instructions for pinching and blinding a cucumber bush in the open field will be a specific sequence of steps.

• First of all, you need to equip the supports, to which as the plants grow, they will become attached. It is very important not to tighten the garter material too tight, so that the plant can grow and develop freely.
• Even before the start of preparatory procedures and before the device of the trellis, care should be taken of the optimal conditions for growing this agricultural crop. Regardless of the cucumber variety, this plant is not planted too thickly so that the shoots have enough space for development. You also need to remember that in order to get a good harvest, the soil must be fertile, and its acidity is balanced for cucumbers.
• Accordingly, it is only at the next stage that one can proceed directly to the active formation of the plant lash. In this pinch the top of the vine over the fifth or sixth leaf, and the bush itself is left no more than three shoots. This technique is optimal for hybrid cucumbers, and for normal enough to leave only one stem, which will act as the main one.
• All subsequent procedures are pruning, care and pinching of the central cucumber shoot. It leaves only four points of growth. Such a number of experts believe the best for most varieties, and they will be able to actively produce good fruit for a long time. Absolutely all leaves cannot be removed from the creepers, since the proper nourishment of the bush depends on them - only the most stunted and deformed leaves and processes are removed.

From the foregoing, we can conclude that, with faithful observance of all points of the instruction, the pasynkovan procedure can be successfully performed even by the most experienced gardener. You can additionally consult with a professional landowner, especially in case of any difficulties. But if it is correct to care for the plant and blind the stepchildren in time, then it will not be difficult to get a solid crop of tasty and crunchy fruits.

The very name of this variety gives us a clear notion that fertilization takes place only thanks to insects. Insect varieties must be blinded, as male flowers are formed on the main stem of the plant.

There is a step-by-step scheme that tells you how best to cope with this task.

• Even when planting cucumbers do not thicken the beds, as this will later affect the quality and quantity of the crop.
• Choose fertile soil. Otherwise, the cucumbers will need to be fed.
• Prior to the procedure, it is necessary to provide beds with structures to which the grown loops will need to be tied. Tying the sheets should be so that they are in a free position, and this did not prevent their further growth.
• Tying up the plant is better thirteen days after planting the seedlings. You need to tie up so as to clearly branch the central trunk and side processes.
• The initial stage of pinching is the formation of lashes. To do this, cut off the lower leaves and cut on the main stem of the cucumber tops, which are located above the sixth leaf. This stimulates the growth of lateral shoots.
• Leave no more than three shoots, the rest must be cut.
• When shoots are formed, healthy leaves should be left on them.

Insect-based cucumbers have a number of characteristic features that are inherent in these varieties. In such plants, the formation of ovaries and, accordingly, the formation of fruits for the most part occurs precisely on the lateral processes. This is because, on the central stem, male inflorescences are born, which are not capable of bearing fruit, while female inflorescences appear in large numbers on the side shoots.

Cucumbers, which belong to these varieties, begin branching quite late, and therefore experienced agronomists recommend stimulating the speedy formation of lateral vines. To do this, it is necessary to do glare in the first place of the main, central trunk, so that it will consume much less nutrients and microelements necessary for growth, and the plant will begin to form lateral lashes and fruit ovaries much more active.

Parthenocarpic varieties of this agricultural crop do not require insect intervention for fertilization, since they are self-pollinated. As a result, female flowers predominantly grow on the cucumber of this variety. Compared with other species, these varieties of lashes and branches appear much faster.

Since female inflorescences are formed on the main stem, it is impossible to pinch the plant over the fifth or sixth leaf - the first four leaves should be removed in the axils. Moreover, the need to cut and leaves and flowers. The fifth lateral stem should be shortened to twenty centimeters in length, and pin apex.

Next, leave the shoots at a height of forty centimeters, and above - fifty centimeters. The main shoot can be fixed only when it grows one meter from the surface of the earth, and only then pinch.

Owners of vegetable gardens with extensive experience in growing cucumbers and other crops recommend pinching not only male flowers, but also the first ovaries, where fruits have already begun to form. At first glance, such advice may seem at least contradictory, but it has quite rational grounds. This is done because the next fruits will begin forming in a period of one to two weeks. It is also known that the first cucumbers taken from the bush have far from the best taste and visual characteristics.

To shrubs planted in a greenhouse or greenhouse, gave not leaves, but tasty and beautiful fruits, it is recommended to eliminate every shoot up to the fifth leaf in such a way that one main stem is formed. Such measures help the plant to develop powerful roots and put the maximum number of forces on active fruiting. Often, gardeners do not pinch on a regular basis, but only once, removing only the first ovary. However, this approach is rather controversial due to the fact that it is impossible to say whether it has any advantageous sides compared to traditional constant pinching.

For those summer residents who do not have time to constantly pick leaves, pinch shoots and form a shrub on a regular basis, good low-branched varieties or single-stem plants will be good ideas. Also, such cucumbers show good results when grown in small greenhouses and greenhouses. If you plan to plant on a large area of ​​land, it will be best to opt for the traditional varieties of this agriculture.

If the cultivation of cucumbers will be carried out in greenhouse conditions and the gardener is ready to regularly dazzle and carefully form a bush, then it will be optimal to plant varieties that bear fruit from the first months of summer until the first frost.

The most suitable tool for making pinching and blinding is small scissors with sharpened blades. It is strictly forbidden to simply tear off unnecessary parts of the plant. For disembarking, it is best to buy only proven varieties, since breeders constantly produce hybrids, the pinching pattern of which can be very different from the usual one.

There are some more tips that can greatly facilitate the life of the gardener. So, when pinching it is necessary first of all to pay attention to the nib mustache that the plant does not need, and to quickly cut them off. Such formations actually only interfere with the bush and, rather, have a negative impact on its condition, since they consume quite a lot of micronutrients and also thicken the bush. This technique, among other things, contributes to a better recognition of the side lashes - they can be pinched in time.

There are also recommendations that will help the plant more easily withstand the stress inevitably associated with the staking process. For example, in order to cause a minimal damage to the cucumber bush when pinching, it is necessary to cut off the shoots and leaves strictly at the base, without touching all other parts of the plant. In order to do this correctly, it is necessary to push the leaf a little aside with maximum caution and only then carefully cut the process.Such caution is a necessity, since a cucumber is a crop that is extremely susceptible to any damage, and in order to restore the damaged parts of a plant, it spends a rather large amount of its strength.

Professional agrotechnologists, when cultivating such a culture in the conditions of open ground, strongly recommend carrying out another procedure related to stading - this is picking of the root system of the bush, which will significantly increase the number of fruits obtained from the bed. To perform a picking, while planting seedlings in open ground, you need to slightly pinch the roots of the plants, and the optimum time for this will be about the seventh day after the emergence of shoots, that is, the period of formation of cotyledon leaves.

Despite the constant debate about whether it is necessary to carry out the stading of hybrid varieties in greenhouse conditions, this is still necessary. Moreover, when growing this culture in an enclosed space, the removal of excess shoots and leaves is of particular importance, since excessive thickening of the bushes entails the rapid spread of fungal diseases, which can simply kill all the bushes. In addition, they will not receive a sufficient amount of light, because of what the fruits will form incorrectly and be small and tasteless.

For information on when and why to pinch cucumbers, see the video below.