Greetings to all amateur vegetable growers!
Every year, each of us plants cucumbers on our plot, but it is not always possible to get a generous harvest. I propose today to talk about whether it is necessary to pinch the tops of the lashes and whether this can increase the yield of cucumbers.
What is a pinch for?
Pinching (or pinching) a cucumber branch is necessary to achieve the following goals:
- cessation of growth of the main lash and activation of the growth of its side shoots;
- proper formation of the bush and saving the strength of the plant for better fruiting.
Why is this procedure carried out?
There are good reasons for pinching:
- The main cucumber lash forms only male flowers. In the absence of side shoots, which produce "female" flowers, male flowers form empty flowers, which leads to crop loss.
- Thus, pinching the top on varietal cucumbers is a necessary condition for improving yields.
Pinching has other positive aspects:
- It reduces the thickening of the bushes, as a result of which the penetration of sunlight to the lower parts of the whip increases and the risk of diseases decreases.
- Reduces the likelihood of bitter fruits.
- Reduces the ripening period, increases the duration of fruiting and productivity.
- Gives active development of the root system.
Features of pinching hybrid varieties
Hybrid varieties are single-stemmed and branched.
- Branched hybrids are bred in such a way that the main whip gives both female and male flowers at once. You can pinch such hybrids only for the purpose of thinning the bushes.
- In branched hybrids, the yield is much higher than that of single-stem ones, since the crop gives first the main stem, and then the side lashes.
- It is strictly forbidden to pinch single-stem hybrids, otherwise you will not wait for the harvest.
Pinching insect pollinated varieties
It is recommended to adhere to the following algorithm:
- After planting seedlings in the ground, cucumbers are tied up at the development stage of 4–5 leaves. The height of the bush at this moment is about 30–35 cm.
- A peg is dug in near each bush, a bar is fixed at a height of 2 m. A string is pulled between them, around which the lash is “wrapped” as it grows.
- At a height of about 50 cm, all side shoots below the 6th leaf are cut off.
- At a height of one meter, side shoots are cut off, leaving only one ovary on each.
- At a height of 1.5 meters, 2 shoots with 2 ovaries are left.
- When the whip outgrows 2 meters, you should pinch the top.
- Two lateral shoots emerging from the upper leaves are left to grow freely. They are pinned when they reach a meter length.
Important! Do not leave stepsons that are too long, they thicken the main whip.
Pinching self-pollinating varieties
Experienced gardeners adhere to the following scheme:
- Initially, 3 ovaries are removed from below on the main stem.
- Above the sixth leaf, the top of the main stem is removed to stimulate side shoots.
- After the formation of 3-4 ovaries on the stepchildren, the tops are also removed from them.
- Each new shoot is tied up separately so that they do not intertwine with each other.
Pinching branched hybrid varieties
The procedure for pinching hybrids is as follows:
- below the 4th leaf, all shoots with flowers are removed;
- 6 lateral shoots are pinched at a distance of 25 cm;
- the next 6 shoots - upon reaching a length of 35 cm;
- another 6 of the following are pinched at 45 cm in height;
- the main stem is shortened at a height of 1.5–2 m;
- all shoots are fixed separately on trellises.
Hybrid varieties give a good harvest, but they have a minus - they do not produce seeds.
Do not pinch
The procedure does not apply in the following cases:
- As I said, do not pinch hybrids with one lash. They are bred specifically for greenhouses with a small area and have bouquet fruiting, which in itself has a high yield.
- The top is not removed in determinant varieties either, since they already have limited growth and a small number of side shoots.
If you are going to grow cucumbers, you must immediately determine which type is best for you, and in accordance with this, whether or not to pinch the top. If everything is done correctly, you are sure to get a generous crop of cucumbers.
Write what varieties you grow in your area and what the crop is like. I look forward to your comments.
Read also: Potato Tuleevsky: variety description, cultivation and care
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