You often grow a vegetable garden in your own outdoor area. Cucumbers are undoubtedly a popular vegetable not only in summer and therefore have a well-deserved place in your own vegetable garden. If you want to count on a rich harvest, you should take care of the plants properly. You absolutely have to fertilize the cucumbers if you attach great importance to a good harvest. Below you will find out what kind of fertilizer is suitable for cucumbers and how often it is necessary to provide the popular vegetable with nutrients.
Fertilizing Cucumbers – Cucumbers need to get enough nutrients in order for them to bloom profusely
Growing cucumbers in the garden
Cucumbers are a cucurbit family and are annual plants. As they grow, the cucumbers are directed upwards. They contain hardly any calories and are rich in vitamins and mineral acids. There are different types for different purposes. As a rule, a distinction is made between salad cucumbers, pickled cucumbers and peeled cucumbers.
However, cucumbers are generally divided into outdoor cucumbers and salad cucumbers. Cucumbers are mainly cultivated in greenhouses.
Suitable companions for the cucumbers in the bed are peas, beans and celery.
The cucumbers come from India
location and soil
If you want to grow cucumbers in your own garden or in a bucket on the terrace, you should choose a warm and wind-protected place. A loose, air-permeable and humus-rich soil is best suited. The plant does not do well in cold soil.
You could also put a layer of straw mulch around the cucumbers to keep the soil loose.
Plant
Cucumbers are planted from April. However, outdoor cucumbers are later planted in the bed. At the beginning of May, the young plants are grown and in the second half of May the most suitable specimens are then placed outdoors. Arrange the plants in rows so that they are 30-40 cm apart, and the rows themselves – one meter. A trellis would be of great help in tending and harvesting the plant.
Important to know: Cucumbers are very frost-sensitive plants. They appreciate garden fleece and slit film at low temperatures.
The scientific name of cucumbers is Cucumis sativus
The right care
As heavy feeders, cucumbers need a lot of water and nutrients. Especially from the end of June to mid-August, they need plenty of water, because then the fruits form. Even during dry periods, you have to supply them with water regularly. But the water must not be cold. Rainwater is therefore a good solution.
Potassium, magnesium and trace elements are crucial for cucumber growth
Fertilize cucumbers – how often and with what are cucumbers fertilized?
Cucumbers are hungry for nutrients. For this reason you should fertilize them several times. First and foremost, it is important to fertilize the bed with manure, compost and horn shavings before planting. A mineral fertilizer would also be helpful.
The cucumbers develop very well if you enrich the soil with manure and compost. Those who plan to use mineral fertilizers should take into account that cucumbers should absorb less salt during fruiting. The reason: their roots are very sensitive. So you don’t have to work very often with a mineral fertilizer.
Ash can also be used as fertilizer. Since it is rich in potassium, it is also very suitable for cucumbers. Coffee grounds would also be a good natural fertilizer for the cucumbers.
You can prepare the soil for planting by making a base dressing with rotted cow manure or mature compost
In the main harvest time, occasional fertilization with horn meal or organic liquid fertilizer proves to be very good. You can encourage the formation of fruit by using stone or bone meal.
Nettle manure diluted with water is also perfect as a natural fertilizer for the cucumbers. If you want to fertilize, you could use nettle manure or liquid guano for this purpose. This is done weekly, starting in July. Once the flowers have appeared, fertilize every two weeks.
Slow-release fertilizer works just as well.
Use special fertilizer
Cucumbers like fertilizer that is high in potassium. This can be a complete or a special fertilizer. The special fertilizer is given once when planting and the second time in July. However, the special cucumber fertilizer is slightly more expensive than the complete fertilizer.
Hopefully we have helped you to make a list of the most important care tips for cucumbers and in particular when it comes to feeding them.
The warmth-loving vegetables should not be fertilized too little or too much
Cucumber juice also plays an important role in cosmetics, especially in skin care
Do not plant the cucumber plants too closely, otherwise there is a risk of powdery mildew
The common spider mite and aphids also pose a threat to the plant
It is advisable to water the cucumbers with lukewarm water in the morning
