Cucumber is one of the most common garden crops. In Russia, almost all gardeners grow on their summer cottages. Many summer residents make a large number of mistakes when growing cucumbers. The main one is the wrong garter of the plant, which ultimately affects growth and yield.

Experienced gardeners are ardent supporters of cucumber tying. And you can't argue with them, because the yield of the crop depends on it. You cannot be late with a garter, you need to do it on time so that the bushes have the opportunity to grow up, and not spread out over the garden. Tied plants will get enough sunlight and ripen faster.

What is a garter of cucumbers for?

Cucumber is one of the most common members of the pumpkin family. This is a very powerful plant, which by mid-summer can reach 2 m in length. There are tendrils on his lashes, with the help of which he clings to the supports and tries to reach up.

Important! Antennae of cucumber plants cannot be cut off.

Many gardeners probably noticed that if corn or some other taller trees and shrubs grows next to cucumbers, then the plant tries to use them as a support. And this is a common property of the cucumber, as nature created it. If the gardener is satisfied with such a neighborhood, then the question of how to tie the cucumbers disappears by itself.

Tying cucumbers

There are at least three reasons why cucumbers should be hung:

  • First of all, tied plants give long lateral shoots. It is on them that a large amount of the crop will be formed.
  • Secondly, if cucumbers grow in the beds, then they are often affected by diseases and fungi. As a result, the garter will help to increase yields and in some way protect the plants from diseases.
  • And thirdly, cucumbers, as already mentioned, are powerful plants that quickly spread over the beds and interfere with neighboring crops planted nearby. If they grow in the shape of a pyramid, then they will take up much less space on the site and will not crowd anyone.

Skeptics will say that if the cucumbers are not tied up, they will still yield a harvest. You can't argue with that either. However, the harvest will not be as large as if the crop was tied to a trellis. In addition, being on the ground, the plants are likely to get sick faster, therefore, the cucumber season on the site will end much earlier. And yet, rainy summers can also damage crops. Due to heavy rainfall, the greens, being on damp ground, will begin to rot.

How to tie cucumbers correctly

How to water cucumbers outdoors

Summer residents are interested in the question: how to tie up cucumbers in the open field? To begin with, it should be noted that it is recommended to choose long strips of thin fabric for the procedure. The width should be at least 2-3 cm. It is no secret that cucumbers are delicate plants, and such fabric will not damage the shoots in any way. It should also be remembered that the strips of fabric should not be tightened tightly. The nodes must be weak. The ropes themselves should not be taut, it is better if they dangle.

Summer residents tie up cucumbers in the open field in different ways. The most common are three simple options.

Method 1. Horizontal

It is this method that should be adopted by novice summer residents or those who, for a number of reasons, have never tied cucumber plants. The method is very simple. The first step is to prepare two long and strong sticks or two metal pipes. They are well driven into the ground. Making sure that the supports do not dangle and hold tightly, they pull ropes or thick ropes in a few nearby. The distance between them should be about 30 cm. Pull the ropes all the way to the top.

Horizontal tying

Note! Pull all ropes or ropes at once. Don't wait for the cucumber plants to grow to the top. Otherwise, in the process of pulling the last rows, you risk damaging the mature bushes. Then young plants are sent to the lower tier. To prevent them from falling off, they can be fixed. Further, the cucumbers themselves will do everything themselves and with the help of the mustache they will crawl up, clinging to the next rows.

Some gardeners recommend making vertical ropes as well. However, this is not required. As practice shows, plants do an excellent job without them.

Method 2. Vertical

Another, also quite well-known among experienced gardeners, method of tying cucumber plants is vertical formation. This method also requires two supports made of metal or wood. They must be strong and strong, since the load from adult plants with the harvest will be quite large. It is advisable to use high supports - 2-2.5 m in height.

First of all, the supports are driven into the ground. When the pipes or stakes are well secured, you can stretch the rope starting from the top. It is needed in order to tie vertical strips of fabric to it along the entire length. It is along them that cucumber plants will trudge up. There are as many strips or thin ropes as planted in the plant bed. The lower end of the strip is tied to the plant and carefully wrapped around the piece of fabric. You don't need to do anything else with it, since the cucumbers will subsequently twist along the string with the help of the mustache and by the middle of the season will reach the top of the structure.

Vertical tying

This method of forming bushes is very popular among gardeners and there are two reasons for this. Firstly, it is easy to use, and secondly, it saves space on the site, since you can plant seedlings more often. As a result, more crops will be harvested from the garden. By the way, some gardeners, growing a small amount of cucumbers, do it differently. They simply drive in supports next to each plant, and the cucumbers are no longer twisted along ropes, but along metal pipes or wooden stakes. However, in this case, a large number of supports are needed. And this method is suitable only for those who grow cucumbers in a limited amount. You can try this method of garters on the balcony, only pick small pegs.

Method 3. On the grid

Many people ask: how to tie up cucumbers and at the same time spend a minimum of free time on it? There is a way out, if the first two methods do not suit you, then you can use another simple method - a garter of cucumbers on a grid.

Garden shops have recently presented an assortment of special nets. They are intended specifically for growing plants, which by their nature must trail and strive upward. As a rule, all meshes are made of good materials. They are durable, easy to install and use, have large sections and, if used correctly, will last for more than one year. However, in order to install a special mesh on a cucumber bed, you also need to drive supports into the ground first. Here again, each gardener chooses for himself - metal or wooden, the main thing is strength. Then everything is simple: a net is pulled onto the supports, fixed (so as not to be carried away by a strong wind). Initially, the bushes are directed to the net and, if necessary, tied. However, after a while, when the cucumbers become strong and release a mustache, the need for this will disappear.Powerful cucumber plants will traverse the structure on their own.

Cucumbers on the grid

Other options for hanging cucumbers

How to tie cucumbers in a greenhouse

There are several other ways to tie cucumbers in the open field. Many of these methods are not popular, but they also give excellent results. Some gardeners plant cucumbers near the fence. But not just any fence will do. It is best to plant cucumbers near a wooden fence (picket fence). The bushes will not only wrap around the boards, but will also decorate the fence, if for some reason it looks ugly. There is only one drawback to this method - in the fall you will have to work hard and clear the fence of dried lashes.

Other gardeners use conventional arcs as supports. Thin ropes are tied to them, along which the plants are already twisting. This method is simple, however, the arcs must be high, otherwise there will be little sense from such a garter method.

And another interesting and new way - cucumber seedlings can be planted in a high barrel. First, it is filled with nutritious soil. Plants grow and cascade down. Many gardeners praise this method for the fact that there is little space for cucumbers, and the harvest is higher than all expectations.

Growing cucumbers in a barrel

Important! The barrel should be high, preferably 1-1.5 m high.

This method will not only be practical, but also make the site beautiful. And it is also easy to care for such cucumbers in a barrel, because the hand can easily reach the planting hole.

When to tie cucumbers

Growing cucumbers outdoors in Siberia

Many summer residents are interested in the question: when do you need to start tying cucumber plants? Nobody will name a specific date. The bushes must reach the required parameters, namely 30 cm in length and have at least 4 true leaves by the time of the garter.

Important! Cotyledons are not considered to be leaves.

If the gardener missed the time for the garter, and the bush reached the above parameters, then it's okay, you can still tie the plant, although it will not be so easy, and it is better to hurry with it. However, this must be done very carefully, as there is a danger of damaging the lashes. Therefore, it is best to tie up the lashes in a timely manner so as not to injure overgrown bushes during work.

Even novice gardeners do not know how to tie cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse or in a greenhouse. In a greenhouse, as a rule, they use the same methods as in the open field. But the vertical method is better for greenhouses. But in greenhouses, the formation of plants is done differently. There, twines, which are sold in any garden store, have proven themselves well. One end is attached to the top of the greenhouse, and the other is tied to the plant, while the knot is not tightly tightened.

Note! Recently, bamboo sticks have been popular. With the help of a mustache, a cucumber climbs up such supports almost without problems.

Caring for cucumbers after garter

Cucumbers are capricious plants. After the garter, care continues. After all, it is at this time that the bushes are either preparing for fruiting, or the first greens are already beginning to give. Therefore, you need to immediately provide them with proper care. First of all, the beds are constantly weeded. These plants do not like weeds, in addition, the weed takes a large amount of nutrients from the cucumbers. After weeding, it is recommended to loosen the soil under the cucumbers well, this will not only allow the soil to breathe, but also destroy the roots of many weeds. But hilling cucumbers is undesirable, since fragile plant stems can be damaged.

Loosening the soil near cucumbers

During the growing season, cucumbers need abundant watering. It is better to water in the evening, but no later than 18.00. They need a lot of water, with a lack of moisture, the fruits will be bitter and grow slowly. In hot weather, cucumbers are watered every other day. Also, for the entire season, plants need at least 3-4 feeding. You can alternate organic fertilizers with mineral fertilizers. However, the first 2 dressings must necessarily contain nitrogen, which is so necessary for young bushes at the very beginning of growth.When cucumbers begin to bear fruit, they need phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. It is also recommended to feed the cucumber beds with infusion of brown bread crusts. It is an ecological fertilizer, but quite effective. After it, the plants grow vigorously and resist diseases well.

Surely, many gardeners will find in the article answers to all their questions regarding the garter of cucumber lashes. There are many ways, but which one to choose, everyone decides for himself. As a rule, this depends on the availability of free time for the construction of trellises and financial resources, if it is expensive to buy a ready-made mesh.