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Whether as a snack or in a salad, the cucumber is a permanent guest in our kitchens. So it makes sense to grow them yourself and enjoy them freshly harvested in summer. But the popular cucumber loves cozy warmth while growing, which it can only get continuously in a greenhouse. In it, she tirelessly produces fruit and thus does not let the supply break off. You can find out in the following text which care still increases the harvest quantity.
Planting cucumbers in the greenhouse
Popular Varieties
- 'Eiffel' and 'Domenica' form fruits that are about 30 cm long
- 'Euphya' is tasty and fast growing
- 'Fitness' combines rapid growth with good fruit quality
- 'Futura' offers maximum yields
- 'Helena' is a new breed with smooth, long and dark green fruits
- 'La Diva' is free of bitter substances and has few seeds
- 'Loustik': high yield, can be stored for a long time
- Mini cucumbers 'Picolino' and 'Iznik' are the ideal snack
- 'Qualitas' is vigorous and particularly productive
You can try one of the strains listed above and plant it again and again if you like it, or you can regularly go on a voyage of discovery for new breeds.
planting
seed
You can start growing cucumbers in a heated greenhouse as early as mid-March. However, if the grow house is unheated, you can gain a head start by planting cucumbers on a windowsill prefer.
- Half fill small pots of about 8 cm in diameter with potting soil
- Place two to three seeds in each pot
- Then cover the seeds with a 1 cm thick layer of soil
- Place the pots in a light but protected from the sun place with an air temperature of at least 20 °C
- Keep soil constantly moist
- After 3 to 4 days the seeds will germinate and the first leaves will follow
- first let all plants grow, if they outgrow the edge of the pot, decide on the strongest specimen and rip out all the others
- Fill the pot with humus-rich soil, the covered stem section then develops roots.
Preferred plants
Just in time for the start of the season, small cucumber plants are available in specialist shops that you can use to save yourself sowing. These little plants are mostly grafted, their rootstocks are mostly more robust pumpkin seedlings.
- has stronger roots
- is more resistant to fungal diseases
- optimally supplies the plant with water and nutrients
plant out
Young cucumber plants of 20 cm in height are ready for transplanting. However, since they sensitive to cold are not allowed to enter an unheated greenhouse too early.
- the right time has not come until mid-May
- when no more frosts are to be expected.
- in the heated greenhouse even at the end of April
- choose warmest place to plant
- Night temperature should be above 12 °C
- the planting distance is about 60 cm
- pile up the plants
tip: Cover the soil with black foil to increase soil temperature. However, make holes in them so that air can circulate and the irrigation water can penetrate to the roots.
floor
The cucumber, botanically Cucumis sativus, is a heavy-consuming plant that needs plenty of nutrients throughout the growing season. You should therefore plant them in well-supplied soil from the start. Mix in horn shavings or horse manure in good time before planting.
In the greenhouse, the four-year crop rotation is difficult to maintain because space is very limited. It is therefore advisable to plant the cucumbers straight away in sacks or tubs and to change the soil every year.
maintenance
climbing aids
It doesn't take long for the cucumber plant to grow in competition. But it can only stretch its tendrils upwards if they are guided or tied to suitable, latticed climbing aids. Cucumbers can also grow creeping, but this is not optimal. The damp soil quickly leads to mildew and mold. The fruit can rot too.
pour
Cucumbers love water, but tolerate it no waterlogging. This is a major challenge for irrigation. Instead of pouring vigorously, you often have to use the pot in good doses. The following should also be noted:
- Always keep the soil slightly moist
- Pour in when the top layer dries
- water several times a day in summer
- use warm water
- Rainwater is also ideal
- water better in the morning in the evening
tip: A layer of mulch can prevent rapid soil drying by reducing evaporation.
Fertilize
Cucumbers need a lot of nutrients to deliver a good harvest. Since these plants are sensitive to lime and salt at the same time, you should avoid them with a mineral fertilizer. An initial supply of horn shavings or other long-term organic fertilizers is much better.
Strongly growing cucumber varieties should be fertilized with an organic liquid fertilizer at intervals of one month.
To cut
A cucumber plant should not put too much energy into it tendril formation invest, so these must be limited to an acceptable level in good time. The energy saved benefits the growth of the fruit.
- Cut the top to the height of the climbing aid
- Remove all side shoots up to a height of 60 cm
- Shorten remaining side shoots
- leave a maximum of six fruits per main shoot
- there may be two per side shoot
- do not grow more than eight fruits per plant at the same time
- the fruits should hang at least 60 cm above the ground
shading
In addition to excessive humidity, excessive temperatures or excessive solar radiation can also become a problem. The greenhouse would overheat and burn the cucumber plants. It should definitely be shaded on such days. During the midday heat, brushwood mats or fleece can be placed on the greenhouse roof and provide the necessary shade.
For shading, cords can also be stretched inside the greenhouse, to which the mats or fleece can be attached if necessary.
Diseases
Fortunately, snails rarely get lost in the glass house. On the other hand, powdery mildew can be seen more often. Downy mildew likes high humidity, powdery mildew comes in dry times. Both are not good for the cucumber plant. Ensure good air exchange in the greenhouse and keep the humidity that cucumbers love to a minimum. Thin out too thick a dress of leaves so that wet leaves can dry off more quickly. This is also the best protection against spider mites and aphids.
harvest
In the greenhouse under ideal conditions already from May cucumbers are harvested. However, you don't have to wait until the fruit has reached typical supermarket size to harvest. Smaller cucumbers taste much better. They are separated from the mother plant by the stem with a sharp knife. The plant delivers new fruits in a rush, so that it can usually be harvested twice a week.
Growing cucumbers outdoors
It's not ideal, but it's by no means impossible: cucumbers can also provide acceptable yields outdoors if the desired conditions are largely met. In particular, this includes a continuously warm summer, which can occasionally also be seen in our latitudes.
- pruning the cucumber plant
- fertilize regularly and water abundantly
- However, do not spray wet with the garden hose
Since the nights can still be frosty until mid-May, you may only plant cucumber plants that have been brought forward after this time. Direct sowing is also possible, but delays the start of harvest by a few weeks. A place in full sun and sheltered from the wind is ideal. It is also possible to start by covering the cucumbers with greenhouse film at night to keep them warmer. A climbing aid is also advantageous in the bed.
Snails love small cucumber seedlings and can eat them bare in no time if they are not discovered and fought in time.
