Cucumbers are a popular crop found in almost every vegetable garden. However, not all, even experienced gardeners, know how to properly harvest this plant in order to get the maximum benefit and high taste. Now I will tell you a few secrets.
Optimal harvest time
Most summer residents do not pay due attention to harvesting cucumbers. You can approach the bush at any time and pick the most attractive fruit. However, I recommend harvesting either in the early morning hours or in the evening after sunset. So the fruits will accumulate the maximum amount of moisture, which will make them firm and crispy.
In addition, I advise you to adhere to certain rules for harvesting.
Cucumber harvesting rules
In order for the plants to remain healthy and continue to bear fruit, I advise you to take note of certain nuances:
- Do not pick cucumbers with your hands, but carefully trim them with a sharp, disinfected pruner. Proceed in such a way that the stalks remain on the loops.
- Do not pull on fruits, yank lashes, or turn leaves. So you can harm the plant, damage the trunk and roots.
After harvesting, I put the cucumbers in a dark, cool place, covering them with a cloth. So they are stored for a long time - they do not deteriorate as in the refrigerator and do not overripe on the bush.
How to get ripe fruits in June
Already in June, I get the first harvest of cucumbers. To do this, I plant early varieties, with ripening periods of up to 40 days.
I recommend paying attention to the following:
- Pace;
- Quadrille;
- Anyuta;
- A real colonel.
These are the best, in my opinion, varieties for planting in a greenhouse. They belong to self-pollinated hybrids, with a long fruiting period and high resistance to fungal diseases.
To get an early harvest, I advise you to follow the procedure:
- Sow cucumber seedlings at the end of March. And to land on a permanent place in a greenhouse - at the beginning of May.
- In the greenhouse, dig a trench on the bayonet of a shovel.
- Fill it 1/2 full with manure.
- Add one handful of wood ash.
- Sprinkle with a layer of humus.
- Plant seedlings.
As soon as the young seedlings produce a mustache, I tie them to the trellis.
It is possible to get a high yield with excellent taste if you follow the care rules:
- Timely watering. In hot weather, I recommend watering the planting daily. In cloudy - as the topsoil dries up. I use only soft, settled, warm water, so as not to provoke the appearance of fungal diseases. If the plants do not have enough moisture, the fruits will be bitter and small.
- Top dressing. I bring in mineral and organic fertilizers.
- Protection against insects and diseases.
If you follow these simple rules, I already enjoy delicious cucumbers at the end of June.
Determination of the degree of fruit ripeness
You can understand whether the fruits are ripe or not by the following signs:
- Formed vegetable structure.
- Drying of the secondary flower fragment.
- Uniform color at the junction of the fetus with the lash.
- Withering tip.
In addition, I recommend paying attention to the nuances of harvesting, depending on its use. For example, for fresh consumption and preparing salads, I cut off fruits that have reached 10 cm.
For preservation, it is better to use those with a maximum length of 8 cm.
To collect seeds, I wait for biological maturity and do not use hybrids.
Considering the nuances of harvesting cucumbers, I get tasty, juicy fruits with high palatability. They are suitable for fresh consumption and conservation.
Read also: Let's figure out whether it is worth leaving the polycarbonate greenhouse open in winter or not.
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