Cucumbers belong to a culture that needs water no less than for humans. In order to harvest a good crop that will delight you with delicious, crispy and healthy cucumbers, you need to know how to water cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse. Watering plays an almost advanced role in the proper cultivation of this tropical vegetable. The conditions for caring for plantings in open ground and in a polycarbonate greenhouse are slightly different, so some recommendations should be followed.
Watering cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse
Why do cucumbers need water?
The fruits of cucumbers are madly in love with water and humidity, but it is also important that the leaves and roots along with the soil around the plant receive the necessary moisture. Getting the necessary moisture, the plant will look healthy, with rich color and without a painful look. Those gardeners who have extensive experience in growing greenhouse crops are advised to irrigate plantings and walls not only inside the greenhouse, but also outside. Of course, it is best to do such irrigation with a solution of chalk, which is diluted to a liquid state. It is this type of dew that can not evaporate for a long time and will help maintain the necessary humidity.
If your plantings lack moisture, the fruits may turn yellow and stop developing.
How often to water cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse in the heat or during fruiting? If the plant does not receive enough moisture, then it will die very quickly. Especially in a polycarbonate greenhouse, this applies to crops such as tomatoes or cucumbers. The temperature in the greenhouse is very high on hot summer days. A plant that can please its harvest for a long time, without the necessary watering, reduces the fruiting time by several times. Also, with a lack of water and nutrients, diseases can appear. For these reasons alone, watering for planting in a greenhouse is so important.
Watering Rules
At first glance, it seems that moistening in the open ground and in the greenhouse has no particular differences, but this is not so. In the open ground, the plant receives natural ventilation of the root system, as well as the ground part, and therefore, regardless of when it happens, in the heat or in winter, the soil is always aerated. In the greenhouse, ventilation must be created independently.
- Watering place. The best option for choosing a place of watering will be made furrows. It is best to make them, closest to the plant itself, so that moisture penetrates immediately to the plantings and lasts longer in the soil. You can not direct a stream of water directly under the root, because this can expose the root system, which in turn will lead to root rot, due to which the plant will die. In the event that, due to negligence, some of the roots are still exposed, it is necessary to immediately sprinkle them with earth and spud the plant.
- Regularity. In this case, we are talking about the same amount of water and approximately equal time intervals between irrigation. How often you need to moisten the plantings depends on their age. Seedlings need to be drunk more often than an adult plant.
- Temperature mode. It is very important to use water with a temperature of room temperature for hydration. Cold water is very harmful for planting and such watering threatens the appearance of dampness, which means soreness.
- Checking the situation. Do not forget to watch how plants develop. Even with regularity, you can miss something, but if you constantly monitor the situation, you can notice the problems and have time to fix them.
Watering Methods
If you have a small greenhouse, then naturally, you can water the plantings manually and it will not be difficult. But imagine how to carry out high-quality and regular watering if there are several dozen greenhouses. Of course, in such cases we are talking about automatic irrigation.
Manual watering
Use a spray hose for watering.
Apply this method in a small greenhouse with the number of plants no more than 4-5 dozen. You can water cucumbers from an ordinary watering can for a garden, but since planting loves to be completely doused with water, it is imperative to have a hose for uniform irrigation. It is advisable that the irrigation hose be with a sprayer, since a direct, powerful stream of water can damage the root system.
Advantages of the manual humidification system
- There are no costs for the purchase of equipment.
- The gardener decides on his own when and how best to moisten his plantings.
- An automatic system may break, unlike a manual mechanism.
Automatic watering
To facilitate watering in a large greenhouse or several hotbeds, there are special automatic systems. You can make them yourself, or you can buy ready-made ones at certain stores. This is simply an amazing invention for any gardener, because in an automatic system there are only advantages for both cucumbers and people.
It is not difficult to create a drip irrigation system and it is best to take care of this in the winter, so that during fruiting in the heat you have everything set up. To do this, it is enough to purchase a hose and make holes along the entire length, about 30 cm apart. Of course, you can purchase a ready-made special hose that is already marked and ready for use. The cost of automatic humidification of landings is low and if you need equipment for several years or no time to make holes yourself, then buying a special hose will be a great idea.
A water tank is placed on a hill to create a certain pressure. Water is supplied to the tank from a water supply system or well. If possible, it is worthwhile to make an automatic water supply system, which will significantly save resources and the necessary regularity will be achieved. But even using a drip irrigation system in a polycarbonate greenhouse, you still can not do without sprinkling or irrigation.
Pros of watering
- System automation.
- Cost-effective water consumption.
- Ability to calculate the amount of water.
- The system will easily tolerate any effects that are associated with atmospheric phenomena or temperature extremes.
- You can organize the humidification of large areas.
- Easy installation and material availability.
- No soil leaching.
- An increase not only in yield, but also in the taste of the grown fruits.
Watering organization
Cucumbers need timely watering
It is very important to observe the humidification regime in the greenhouse where cucumbers are grown. It is impossible to overfill, it is also impossible not to add water, because then it will result in problems with the crop and soreness or death of all plantings. After the seedlings have been planted in the soil of the greenhouse and until the moment when the cucumbers begin to bloom, it is better to water with a sufficient amount of water - about 5 liters per 1 square meter of the greenhouse.
It is this volume of water that will prevent the plant from growing a large number of excess leaves, but will go to the formation of ovaries. There are cases when the fruits, despite the proper watering, do not form an ovary, but the leafy system is actively growing. In such cases, the best option is to skip the moistening of the plantings, that is, slightly drain the soil.
It is very important to make regular and sufficient watering at a time when there is an increased formation of ovaries, when plantings are actively bearing fruit even after harvesting.
Water dosage
The dosage is calculated based on 10-12 liters of water per 1 square meter, every 2-3 days. If the cucumbers have faded, then it is worth watering them every other day. If the leaves began to fade, then watering them is recommended immediately, as soon as this is noticed. It is impossible to moisten plantings with cold water or under the root. The temperature of the water is important to observe, otherwise you can lose the entire crop of cucumbers. When to water - in the morning or in the evening? If you read books about growing cucumbers, you can find information that it is best to moisten the plantings in the early morning or after the sun has already set.
On especially hot days, when the air temperature exceeds 26 degrees, irrigation must be carried out along with irrigation.
It is really better to do this in the morning or in the evening, since water procedures during the sunshine are dangerous because there is a risk of burning leaves. Sometimes, greenhouse owners do not have the opportunity to devote enough time to their plants and give them proper watering. Why is this happening? The fact is that garden or garden plots can be located away from their immediate place of residence, which is very inconvenient. This is one of the most important reasons why people install drip irrigation in their greenhouses. Of course, this type of hydration is considered the most favorable for your plantings.
Useful tips for gardeners
Growing any vegetables in a greenhouse has its advantages and disadvantages. Of course, the greenhouse protects plants from the external environment, weather, the temperature in the greenhouse is much higher, which means growth will be better. But there are some disadvantages. It is imperative to monitor humidity; humidification must always be carried out regardless of the weather outside. Sometimes, planting leaves in the greenhouse may turn yellow. This is not a huge problem and can be easily solved. Feeding on time with special fertilizers, which is very convenient to apply along with watering. Also, do not leave the fruit harvest on the plants for a long time, because they overload the delicate stems, which also entails negative consequences.
Material value for the greenhouse
It seems like there is no difference what the greenhouse is made of and how it relates to soil moisture and planting. But in reality, everything matters. The temperature regime, humidity level, and hence the amount of watering, depend on the material from which the greenhouse is made. If the soil dries up, then naturally more water will be needed. Polycarbonate proved to be very good as a material for making greenhouses. It is durable, flexible and this means that the greenhouse can be given different shapes. Polycarbonate is resistant to mechanical damage and, in addition, has an attractive appearance.
Of course, there are some disadvantages. But they are few and it is a significant and costly cost of the material and its combustibility. But observing security measures, you can not worry about it. And the high cost is justified by the long shelf life and excellent harvest of vegetables that can be grown year-round in a greenhouse. In a polycarbonate greenhouse, you can grow a crop of delicious, crunchy, wholesome fruits. Caring for them is easy and simple, if you facilitate your work by installing a drip humidification system. There is nothing complicated or impossible, the main thing is to ventilate the greenhouse in time and moisten the plantings. Only in this case, you can get a plentiful and healthy crop of cucumbers.
