How to water cucumbers in open ground and a greenhouse?

Cucumber — one of the most hygrophilous plants, it requires that the earth is always moistened. Gustatory qualities primarily depend on the proper watering of this crop. If the plant suffers from a lack of moisture, the fruits become bitter, and the leaves and flowers dry out.

Watering time and frequency

Irrigation must be approached responsibly: if you water it at noon, when the sun bakes, you can not, then you can not avoid the appearance of burns or holes on the leaves. For cucumbers in the open field, the best time — evening, for the greenhouse — morning. But you should not water the beds at night: if the water does not have time to soak before midnight, the problem of root rot will appear. When the nights are cold, you can water it in the early morning, but make sure that there are no drops of water left on the leaves before the sun appears.

The frequency depends on the soil, weather conditions and the region in which the crop is planted. On average, one plant needs from 2 to 5 liters of fluid, regardless of whether it grows in the soil or greenhouse. If the soil on the bed is sandy and loose, more frequent moistening is required, if clay is rare.

On a bed with 3-4 cucumber bushes you will need 10-12 liters. Humidify the earth about once every 2 days. If the weather is hot, then you can do it every day, and even bring the greenhouse up to 2 times. And during the rainy season, on the contrary, reduce it so as not to flood the plant and cause rotting of the root system.

Water temperature

Cucumbers love warm water, so it is best to pour it in containers in advance, you can do this in the evening or early morning. During the day, it will heat up to the desired temperature, not lower than 17 degrees, and preferably 20-25. If the nights are cold, you don’t need to specifically heat anything, just put the barrels or containers in the greenhouse, and during the day the required temperature will be reached.

Do not water cucumbers with freshly picked water or from watering hose, well, well, where it is cold. The lash will suffer from this, rot on the roots or powdery mildew may appear, and in some cases the plant even dies. The fruits also suffer, in the first place this is reflected in the taste, they acquire bitterness and the amount of the crop decreases.

Watering Techniques

From a watering can or bucket, they are watered portionwise so as not to flood the plant, it is necessary to ensure that moisture is completely absorbed into the ground. You should not do this from a hose or pour it directly under the roots, so water flushes the ground and exposes them. To moisten the soil for cucumbers, you can not only use a regular watering can or bucket, but use special tools.

Watering methods:

1. Drip.
   It is carried out using a hose with holes made, which should be located at a distance of about 20 cm from each other. In addition, you will need a large barrel or an old bath for a set of water. It must be installed on a small hill and attach the hose. To prevent fluid from flowing out of it ahead of time, attach special taps with which it will be possible to regulate watering.If there is no way to make such a design yourself, you can purchase a ready-made set in the garden store.
2. Bottle.
   This method involves the use of plastic bottles. Make one or more holes in the container, and then place it in the ground near the cucumber bush so that the liquid falls on the ground near the roots.
3. Sprinkling.
   In the open ground, this process takes place without outside help, but in the greenhouse the method can be applied, but not often, to avoid fungal diseases. It is better to use a watering can or spray gun. And to protect against infections, it is sometimes worth adding urea or iodine there.

With frequent watering, the earth above the roots becomes denser, but do not start loosening it, this will damage the upper roots. After watering, it will be good to sprinkle it with a layer of mulch or peat. It is undesirable to use hard water for cucumbers, this will negatively affect their development. It should be acidified and softened by adding vinegar or citric acid. Subject to the rules, cucumbers will be delicious, crispy and without bitterness. And if you adopt one of the techniques, for example, drip irrigation, it will also reduce the time spent in the garden.