Prune cucumbers. How to properly trim cucumbers. The purpose of pruning cucumber vines

Pruning cucumbers is one of the important stages when growing a crop. If the work is carried out correctly, not only will the harvest increase, but its quality will also change. better side. Pruning leads to the fact that the vegetative mass is reduced, and the freed up capacity is directed to feeding the fruits.

Why prune?

Many gardeners wonder whether it is necessary to prune if the harvest is already good.

Features of the method

You can carry out work only if you know how to do it. If the process is carried out incorrectly, .

• Don't delay pruning side shoots. In this case, you need to remove the growth point and leave the whip. Trimming is carried out using sharply sharpened scissors. You cannot break out the shoots, otherwise wounds will appear that will not heal for a long time.
• If there are many shoots on the bush that look beautiful in the photo, it is right not to rush with pruning. Just remove the growing point, reduce nitrogen fertilizing, and dry the soil in the greenhouse. As a result of manipulations, nutritional elements will pass into the fruit.
• Once every couple of days, it is necessary to remove yellowed leaves located below the fruiting zone. Only a couple of leaves are left to reach the presented area.
• During the harvesting process in the greenhouse, you should not change the location of the upper vines. This may cause the cucumber to stop growing and the fruits to turn yellow.

General rules

Proper pruning depends on the plant variety. The method of pollination plays a big role during the work. So, self-pollinating plants are grown in one stem. It contains a “bookmark” of 1/3 of the harvest. The remaining fruits are formed on the side shoots.

• In the greenhouse, divide the vines into 4 zones.
• Remove the flower ovaries at the bottom of the stem; it is also worth removing the side shoots in the axils located from the 2nd to 4th leaves. Leaves should be left.
• Next we move on to the next zone. It represents 4 nodes. 1 cucumber and 2 leaves are left here. The growth point is removed.
• The next zone is the height of the plant on the main stem, a meter and a half. In three nodes you need to leave 2 leaves and 2 fruits.
• In the fourth zone - the upper part of the stem - 3 leaves and 3 fruits are left.

Once the main stem reaches the wire, you can wrap it around the metal base a couple of times. Next, the growth point located after the 4th leaf is removed. And the whip is attached to the trellis with twine. The first shoot that appears in the axil of the first leaf is eliminated. The next 3 shoots are left and distributed along the wire.

As the vines grow in the greenhouse, they will have to be pinched at intervals of 0.5 meters. The new shoot is left as a continuation of the lash. During the fruiting process, shoots that extend beyond the border of the row are pinched.

Pruning cucumbers in a greenhouse (video)

Features of lightening pruning

Lightening pruning can be done from time to time. It is required so that plant growth does not slow down. Eliminate side stems and leaves hanging down. Fruit ovaries are left in 2 pieces.

To increase the yield, the side stems located in the first nodes are left. And the side shoots are placed on the ground in a loose fan pattern. As a result, the stem will stop growing, but the fruits will begin to swell. We must not forget about the vegetative mass.

For getting good harvest cucumbers, the plant should be rid of excess leaves. In this case, you need to strictly follow some rules recommended by experts:

• Pruning of the cucumber vine should not be done in full, but to the point of growth. If the shoot is injured, it will simply dry out.
• If a lot of barren flowers form, dry the soil. Then the growing points on the plants should be removed. Empty flowers are picked off. After the work useful elements will begin to go into fruit.
• Do not delay pruning, as this can lead to thinning and tangling of the vines.
• Yellowed leaves are cut off every 10 days. Those leaves that are located lower than the level of the fruit are also removed. At the fruiting level, leave a pair of leaves on the shoot. The part of the plant located above is not touched.
• You should not direct the tendrils at the top of the shoot along the fence. This will lead to the fact that they will begin to weave along, and as a result a shadow will fall on the fruits.
• If you are growing bee-pollinated cucumbers, it is important to give the insects free access to the flowers.
• During the harvesting process, do not touch the knotted lashes and mustaches. Otherwise, the subsequent ovary will decrease sharply.

Important nuances

The top of the growing shoot should be provided with good lighting. After the whip reaches the top of the support, it cannot be directed in a horizontal plane near the trellis. This will result in a “tent” of cucumbers. It may look beautiful, but it negatively affects the yield and significantly reduces the penetration of light to the plants.

The growth pattern of a whip thrown over a trellis is such that even if you direct it downward, it will stubbornly go in reverse side. You will have to control this at least once every 7 days - point the whip down, hooking it on the plant.

Varieties with small cucumbers, pollinated by insects, form 1 stem. The main stem is pinched immediately after it reaches the top of the trellis. The shoots are pinched above the second leaf, and the three lower nodes are blinded.

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse (video)

Pruning is carried out mainly to obtain an excellent harvest. But it should be done correctly. It is important to know that the whip is removed only to the growth point. You cannot put off work, otherwise the plants will become thinner and weaker.

Cucumber lashes shouldn't grow without appropriate care. And that's why it exists a number of reasons:

1. In dense plantings difficult for pollinating bees to reach. And insufficient pollination leads to a small number of ovaries.
2. Heavily overgrown bushes are an excellent environment for the development of and.
3. The length of the lash is inversely proportional to the quantity and quality of the fruit, since all my strength the plants are leaving into shoot growth.
4. In a greenhouse, it is important to prevent overgrown bushes from blocking the plant from the sun's rays.

There are varieties of cucumbers that do not require pinching or pinching. Read about the rules for cucumbers in a greenhouse on our website.

Stepsoning

Growing cucumbers in greenhouse conditions do for that, to direct all your strength plants into the main stem.

If this is not done, then with a large number of branches Mutual dimming occurs and the plant begins to reach out even more towards the light and will occupy a larger area.

How to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse? Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse occurs in several stages:

1. In the lower part of the plant, you need to remove all side shoots and flower primordia up to 3–5 leaves. This is done to fully ventilate the stem below and to avoid rotting of the lower part. Disease prevention occurs root rot.
2. At a height of 70–100 cm from the surface of the earth, a couple of shoots are left, not allowing them to grow longer than 20 cm. There should be 1–2 leaves.
3. Height 130 cm. At this height, the lateral processes do not exceed a length of 40 cm, and on them leave two or three sheets and the same number of ovaries.
4. When the plant grows 150 cm, 4 leaves and 3–4 ovaries are left on each side shoot.
5. When whips grew to the top of the trellis, they should be tied up. The exception is the low ceiling of the greenhouse. In this case, the whip can be thrown down for its further growth. To stop development, you should pinch it when there are 18–20 cm left to the ground.

Particular attention should be paid to leaf thinning and shoots at the very top of the trellis under the ceiling.

How to properly plant cucumbers in a greenhouse, see the figure below:

Formation of the main stem

Harvest can be extended through simple manipulations. After harvesting the fruits remove all leaves from the bottom and stepchildren. When the top of the lash has reached the top of the greenhouse, you can lower the cord on which the stem curls to the height of the peeled stem.

After this, the cord is secured again and now the cucumbers there is room for further growth. In this way, you can get a harvest right up to frost.

How to form cucumbers in a greenhouse can be seen in the diagram below:

Pinching and trimming

• all manipulations, such as pruning, pinching, and removing leaves, are carried out early in the morning. This is done in order to so that the plant can recover within a day.
• considering very fast growth cucumber, you need to remember that at the beginning of the growth of the lashes in the lower part they can form flower ovaries, which actually do not produce fruit, but take away the strength of the main shoot. In order for the root system to form correctly and the plant to gain strength, all these flower axils must be removed .
• during activities carried out in the greenhouse and when harvesting fruits it is important not to change the direction of growth of the lashes and do not turn them in the opposite direction. As a result, the leaves and lashes may turn yellow;
• adult plants need to remove yellowed and withered leaves.

It is important to prevent the shoot that has reached the top from starting to weave along the top of the trellis. otherwise the lashes will intertwine with each other and form a dome.

Rules

How to pinch cucumbers in a greenhouse: step-by-step actions and photos.

Tendrils, damaged cucumbers and male inflorescences on the plant must be removed in a timely manner. The antennae take almost everything nutrients and energy, preventing the plant from developing.

This general recommendations and the rules are generally suitable for the main varieties of greenhouse cucumbers. But each variety has its own characteristics garters and pinching. And the formation of a cucumber bush in a greenhouse must be carried out based on the characteristics of certain species. You can also see on our website how to do it in greenhouse conditions.

Video about the formation of a cucumber bush in a greenhouse:

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Cucumber is not only tasty, but also healthy. They are eaten and used in medicine and cosmetology. This recognition by nutritionists and cosmetologists is justified by the huge number useful substances and minerals. A rich cucumber harvest is the key to the health of the whole family. In order for cucumbers to appear on your table earlier than usual, you should grow them in a greenhouse and not in open ground. Caring for cucumber bushes requires compliance certain rules.

So that cucumbers grow quickly and have beautiful shape, they need appropriate care. This means proper planting, tying, fertilizing and pruning. Not every gardener knows how to prune cucumbers grown in greenhouse conditions. And this skill will not only increase the amount of harvest, but also extend the fruiting period.

Removing unnecessary greenery gives the developing plant more strength. The bush will not expend energy on maintaining leaves that are not involved in the process of photosynthesis and nutrition.

Cucumber varieties can be divided into 4 types:

• salad,
• canning,
• pickling,
• universal.

All of them belong to certain group:

• traditional,
• modern,
• hybrid.

The characteristics of each variety are reflected in the rules for caring for vegetables.

Basic rules for pruning cucumbers

Self-pollinating (parthenocarpic) varieties are planted in the greenhouse. They are grown on one stem; it is on it that one third of the entire cucumber harvest will ripen. The rest of the vegetables will set and ripen on the side shoots. For proper pruning, conditionally divide the branches of the cucumber bush into 4 zones. The downside of greenhouse conditions is poor ventilation. To improve stem aeration, remove shoots and flowers between the second and fourth leaves. This will prevent the greenhouse from turning into a jungle, and the plant will be protected from root rot.

Removing the shoot

The second zone is approximately from 0.5 m to 1 m. It covers 4 subsequent nodes. The growing point in this area should be removed, and one cucumber and one leaf should be left on the side shoots. In the third zone, leave two fruits and two leaves, and in the last zone, respectively, three. Correctly place shoots with future fruits in a checkerboard pattern. This will lead to better ventilation of the bush and better light penetration.

When the main stem of the plant grows to the level of the tied wire, it should be wrapped around it twice and then the growing point should be removed (after the fourth leaf). The whip is tied to the trellis with twine. The shoot that appears from the axil of the first leaf must be removed. The next three shoots must be left and distributed in a checkerboard pattern along the trellis.

The scourges will develop very quickly. They should be pinched every 50 cm. After mass fruiting begins, form the plant, directing all the shoots inside the row. Shoots that have crawled beyond the boundaries of the row should be cut off, not paying attention to the possible rich ovary.

Important Rules

1. The entire procedure of pruning or removing excess shoots and dead leaves should be carried out early in the morning, so that during the day the wound on the plant has time to “heal” and dry out.
2. For old bushes, dying, browned leaves need to be removed every 5 days. They do not allow light and air to pass to the base of the stem, which can lead to its rotting due to the accumulation of excess moisture.
3. Make sure there is good lighting at the top of the plant. You cannot direct the lashes along the trellises, because the formed “tent” will lead to a decrease in yield due to poor lighting.
4. The lashes of cucumbers always tend upward, no matter where you direct them. From time to time, check the course of the lashes that you have given them, and attach them more firmly to the trellis.
5. If you decide to plant insect-pollinated cucumbers in a greenhouse, the bush should be formed with only one stem. Immediately after reaching the top of the trellis, the main stem must be pinched.

Cucumbers can only be trimmed with sharp, sterile instruments. Tearing off the lash will lead to possible death of the plant due to severe wounds. If you notice a lot of barren flowers on the shoots, do not rush to remove them. Perhaps by changing the conditions and feeding the bushes, you can achieve ripening of the fruit. Most likely, you should lower the soil moisture level and reduce the amount of nitrogen.

Don't spare old diseased leaves

All diseased and yellowed leaves must be removed, because they only cause harm to the plant. They do not participate in metabolic and nutritional processes and can become a source of development of fungal diseases. Once every three days, make a walk around the greenhouse, looking for and tearing off dead leaves.

If you notice a slowdown in the growth of bushes, you need to carry out lightening pruning. Its scheme is as follows: all shoots hanging down are cut off. One or two cucumber ovaries should be left on the shoots. The lightening procedure has a positive effect on yield, reducing the vegetative mass of the bush.

Each variety requires special care, and this must be taken into account. Only with proper care is it possible to harvest a rich, juicy harvest.

Mid-July is the time for cucumber bushes to form and the first flowers to appear. It's time to think about pruning the plants, since the future harvest depends on this procedure. Very often, summer residents ignore it, letting the process take its course. In the garden, where there is enough space to spread long vines, this is not so scary. It’s a completely different matter in closed ground, where space is limited and every centimeter of it must be used rationally. Under this condition, the harvest in the future will depend on which cucumber pruning scheme is chosen in the greenhouse.

Methods for forming a cucumber bush in a greenhouse and increasing productivity

Since we are talking about closed ground, methods for forming bushes that belong to parthenocarpic (not requiring pollination by insects) hybrids will be considered. The first pruning method involves performing the following steps step by step:

• tie a young plant 30 cm high vertically, putting a loop of twine under 2-3 leaves and securing its other end to the top crossbar of the frame;
• carry out “blinding” from the soil surface to the 5th internode: remove all shoots, flowers and ovaries in the leaf axils;
• as the vine grows from this place to the point where the height of the plant is 1 meter, remove all future shoots, leaving only one ovary;
• then, at a height of 1 m to a point of 1.5 m, pinch the stepsons above the 2nd leaf, leaving 2 ovaries;
• after reaching a length of 1.5 m, the shoots should be pinched above the 3rd or 4th leaf, this time keeping 3-4 ovaries.

Once the main stem reaches the top row of the trellis or greenhouse rung, you can proceed in different ways. The first option is to wrap it around the crossbar 2 times and direct the growth vector downward. Pinching is carried out over 3-4 leaves, leaving 3-4 ovaries. When the hanging stem is 1 m from the ground level, the growing point is pinched. The tops of the side shoots are shortened when 3-4 internodes are formed on each of them.

Formation of cucumber bushes in a greenhouse

The essence of the second method is to shorten the top of the main lash when it “outgrows” the level of the trellis by 20-30 centimeters. A pair of shoots are released from its nodes, and as they grow, their tops are also shortened (each time they grow by 50 cm). On the last leaf (in the axil) a continuation shoot is formed. Similarly to the first option, the growth of all shoots is stopped.

Purposes of pruning cucumbers in greenhouses

Without pruning, both the plant itself and future yields may suffer. Therefore, you should know how to trim cucumbers in a greenhouse. The event must be carried out on time in order to:

• Collect an abundant, friendly harvest of beautiful fruits of the same size.
• Forming a powerful leaf apparatus is the key to obtaining a large number of fruits.
• Do not thicken the space of the polycarbonate greenhouse, as with uncontrolled growth, long vines will fill it. In this case, nutrients will be spent not on fruits, but on the growth of new leaves and stepsons.
• Have access to plants to carry out proper care, watering, fertilizing and collecting greens.
• Collect all the fruits without leaving some of them unnoticed. Otherwise, they will remain hanging on chaotically growing shoots. Increasing in size, the giant fruits will consume useful elements, and the growth of the greens from the new ovary will stop.
• Avoid shading when the density is created, otherwise the shoots may be susceptible to various diseases.
• Avoid crowding to avoid uneven distribution of light.
• Protect the crop from infections from the soil that can infect the lower leaves in contact with the ground. They should be removed when pruning.

Beginners in gardening often wonder whether it is necessary and whether it is possible to pick off the leaves of cucumbers. The answer is simple: no, but they can and should be pruned, because they consume the nutrition that the plant and fruits need. It is advisable to also remove the leaves located on the segment of the stem from the soil to 30-40 centimeters in height, because they no longer provide nutrition for the vine.

Advice. Thinning pruning should be done when large leaf plates block access to light and sunlight.

Basic principles of pruning cucumber bushes in a greenhouse (diagram)

The main purpose of pruning is to shape the bush, which limits the growth of the vegetative mass of the plant in order to supply maximum nutrients to the fruits. In order for pruning to justify the effort expended and lead to the expected result, you need to do it according to approximate diagram, taking into account some nuances:

• pruning should be carried out only in the morning and no earlier than 10 days after the plants are planted and tied up;
• to avoid infecting the cucumber bush, you need a sterile knife or scissors;
• The shoots should be trimmed completely, without leaving stumps, and the ovary should be “rolled out”;
• monitor the plant and, as the stems lengthen, re-cut off excess shoots and ovary buds;
• remove shoots only with scissors, and not tear them off with your hands;
• after the procedure, the culture should be watered with warm water (22-26 ° C); if wounds appear, the sections should be sprinkled with crushed coal;
• before picking cucumber fruits, you should stock up on scissors and cut them;
• dried brown leaves are removed every five days so as not to disrupt the circulation of moisture;
• growth should be controlled by attaching the whip to the trellis and directing the growth vector;
• It is advisable to form plants pollinated by insects with one stem;
• if after pruning the bush resembles an isosceles triangle with the base upward, then it is pruned correctly: the stems are ventilated near the soil surface, and the main shoot is gradually loaded.

Timing for pruning cucumbers when grown in greenhouses

It is impossible to determine exact dates indicating dates and months, since they depend on the time of planting, pruning method, variety, and climate. But the main regulator is the growth and development of the vegetative mass (leaves, stems, lateral shoots). Initially, the ovary, leaves and stepsons (no more than 5 cm long) are removed on a 40-50 cm segment of the lash. It is time to cut off the top of the main stem descending down when it is located at a distance of 1 m from the ground surface. The growth points of stepsons are cut off if there are any 3-5 knots.

How to shape cucumbers

Methods for pre-tying cucumbers before forming in a greenhouse (table)

The first step is to decide which garter method to choose. The process of forming cucumber bushes will depend on it. There are several basic methods that are most often used indoors.

Parthenocarpics (they are the ones most suitable for a greenhouse) need access maximum quantity Sveta. Being self-pollinating varieties, they do without the presence of insects and bees. Bushes are convenient to grow on plastic mesh or other type of trellis.

Peculiarities of pruning parthenocarpic and bee-pollinated cucumber species

Pruning is also necessary, taking into account the nuances described above. The formation of the bush is carried out as the stem grows. Plant staking is required. And pruning the bush (depending on the conditions of closed ground) can be similar to that used for varieties pollinated by insects.

On a note! Plants of this type usually form a single stem, on which barren flowers, male flowers, first appear.

The ovary and fruits are formed from female flowers, which are placed on the side shoots. To increase their number (and, accordingly, the yield), pinching should be done over 4-5 nodes.

Caring for cucumbers in a greenhouse after formation (table)

Forming a bush is only part of the activities on the way to a bountiful harvest. In addition, you will have to constantly care for the cucumber crop.

Everything is not so difficult, the main thing is that there is a desire to work and achieve good result. And it will definitely happen if you follow the recommendations of experienced gardeners, watch video lessons and follow agricultural practices.

Video

The task of any gardener is to grow a rich and tasty harvest. In this matter, it is important to follow the rules for growing crops. As for cucumbers, some gardeners prefer not to pick off the leaves of cucumbers, or do not pay due attention to this procedure.

One of the important stages in caring for cucumbers is pruning, which helps not only to increase the number of fruits removed from the bush, but also to significantly improve their quality. The fact is that cucumber often forms male shoots on the main stem, which later turn into so-called “empty flowers” ​​that do not produce fruit. They need to be pinched, which will promote the formation of female shoots that form on the side parts of the stem.

Even if the harvest is good, you shouldn’t worry about the precious leaves that are wasted a large number of nutrients and moisture necessary for the development and ripening of fruits. It is especially important to remove dry and diseased elements so that infections and pests do not spread further throughout the bush and lead to complete loss plants.

There is no need to completely strip the bush. It is correct to leave some of the leaves, since healthy tops provide the plant with the necessary oxygen and ultraviolet light, without which the crop may die.

Why and why

If you trim leaves that do not participate in the process of photosynthesis and nutrition of the seedling, this will give more strength to the development of the bush and prolong the fruiting period. As a rule, excess tops are cut off, which shades the plant and interferes with the growth of shoots.

As a result, nutrients are not wasted and contribute to accelerated maturation cucumbers Many gardeners note that unpruned male shoots often lead to the fact that the fruits begin to taste bitter.

Video “Removing cucumber leaves”

Video about why and how to remove leaves from cucumbers.

Which leaves to remove

It is necessary to trim the greens correctly, taking into account the variety of cucumbers, the characteristics of cultivation, the method of pollination and the time of harvest.

IN mandatory remove leaves that:

• mechanically damaged;
• infected with diseases or pests;
• covered with unknown stains, rotting and drying out.

For hybrid plants, all top part from the sixth leaf, leaving only three shoots. For ordinary varieties of cucumbers, formation is carried out into one stem, and the remaining leaves and weaker shoots are torn off.

Self-pollinating plants contain most of the fruits on the main stem (1/3), so the vine is left, and the side shoots can be removed. The same applies to varieties that are pollinated by bees. Insects need to be given access to the flowers by cutting off excess tops.

Yellowed leaves that are located below the fruiting zone should be removed, leaving a few at the level of the fruit, and everything that is located above should not be touched.

If a bush in a greenhouse is strewn with shoots, then gardeners advise trimming the growing point, reducing nitrogen fertilization and drying the soil. This procedure will direct nutrients to the fruit.

How to prune

All manipulations must be carried out correctly, otherwise the cucumbers will die. In any case, you should not delay pruning, as the lashes begin to tangle and become thin.

Let's look at which leaves need to be trimmed and how to do it correctly:

• Pruning is done with sharp, sharpened scissors, because broken shoots leave wounds that take a long time to heal, and injured shoots begin to dry out;
• Yellowed leaves are torn off every 10 days;
• Barren flowers are completely removed.
• When the main stem grows to the wire, it can be wrapped around its base several times and secured with twine. The growth point after the 4th leaf is removed, just like the first shoot in the axil of the first leaf. The next 3 shoots are not cut off, but distributed evenly along the wire.
• The lashes are pinched at intervals of half a meter as they grow, leaving new shoots for weaving the bush.
• Shoots that extend beyond the border of the row during the fruiting period are pruned.
• The upper leaves are not touched during harvesting, otherwise the stem will change its location, which will lead to slow growth and yellowing of the cucumbers.