At what temperature can cucumbers be planted in open ground?
Almost every gardener grows cucumbers on his plot. They are used not only fresh, but also for conservation. However, in order to get a large harvest, it is important to pay attention to the temperature regime, since it affects the quality and quantity of vegetables.
Peculiarities
For growing cucumbers, it is very important to consider the temperature at which they grow.
- As a heat-loving plant, cucumber can develop in open ground only at an air temperature of +14 degrees. Frosts, drops adversely affect the overall development. The optimal temperature for fruiting is the range from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius, and at night the air should not cool below +15 degrees.
- Seeds germinate in the ground when the air temperature rises to +10 C, the first leaves and ovaries are formed at +16 C. Experienced gardeners know that if the temperature is forcibly raised to +25 C, then after sowing the seeds will break through the soil in five days. Such a noticeable acceleration makes it possible to grow vegetables in greenhouses and greenhouses, where the harvest can be obtained much earlier.
- A decrease in air temperature after the appearance of the first leaves leads to a cessation of growth, yellowing and decay. If the process continues for several days, then irreversible changes occur in the vegetable cells, which adversely affect further development.In most cases, the plant dies.
It should be understood that too much increase in temperature does not lead to accelerated growth, but to the combustion of the plant.
Optimal Performance
At the required temperature, seedlings can be planted in open ground and not be afraid that they will die. But, if the night is still minimal, then gardeners are advised to wait, because cucumbers cannot withstand the cold.
Air
Success in growing a large crop depends not only on temperature, but it is crucial. When planting in open ground on beds, it is difficult to regulate it, but the ability to adapt to changes in weather conditions will allow you to properly build the process of growing an agrotechnical crop.
Depending on the phase of development, conditions, the required air temperature for cucumbers varies. Substances synthesized by the plant during the day leave at night to the root system and shoots. Temperatures above 25 degrees contribute to the formation of fruits, moderate has a positive effect on the root system and shoots. In the absence of extreme heat, cucumbers can bear fruit longer, and overheating is the root cause of the rapid aging of the plant.
At + 15 ... 18 degrees, cucumber bushes grow poorly, growth slows down, although they sprout normally. One of the simplest methods of regulating the regime is planting in a greenhouse or greenhouse. Doors and windows can be opened during the day and closed at night, so the plant does not experience sudden changes. A prerequisite for obtaining a good harvest is the ventilation of the greenhouse, since stagnant air with high humidity negatively affects development.
Soils
Since the planting of cucumber seeds occurs in the soil, its temperature is of particular importance. The optimal indicator can be considered + 20 ... 24 C. If planted in such conditions, the first shoots appear after 4-5 days, if the soil has warmed up only to +14 C, then you will have to wait more than a week, and the seeds will not germinate at the same time. Sprouts that appeared under adverse conditions cannot produce a quality crop in the future, since they are damaged at the cellular level.
Cucumbers can grow and develop at a minimum soil temperature of +16 degrees. A decrease in the indicator leads to negative consequences. If non-hardened seedlings are planted, then they may die when the temperature drops to +14 C.
Before sowing seeds, it is worth measuring the condition of the soil at a distance of 10 centimeters deep. If the thermometer shows +13 C, you can safely land.
What to cover from the cold?
The problem with frosts in the spring is especially relevant for summer residents, since cucumbers are afraid of a decrease in heat, freeze, and die. Bushes die at low temperatures, stop growing. A good harvest of cucumbers largely depends on how professionally the gardener can protect the plants. In a greenhouse, it is much easier to create the comfortable conditions that are needed for growth than in open ground. Can be used:
- firewood firebox;
- heat gun;
- any type of heater.
Planting seeds in cold, frozen soil will not give results, the critical temperature is +12 C. There will be no shoots until the soil warms up. If the landing is made in a region with a sharply changing climate, then protective wings are used. This is when another plant is planted around the cucumbers, which has a larger growth, for example:
- wheat;
- corn;
- beans;
- peas.
The air temperature around the cucumber plantation should be at least +16 C, and under such conditions it rises 4 degrees higher. In the southern regions, they save not so much from the cold as from the exhausting heat and the scorching sun.
Salvation from frost can be a simple hilling up to the first leaves, but it should be understood that even short-term drops in temperature to 1-2 degrees lead to the death of the plant.
An early harvest can be achieved by planting in a greenhouse using manure. Spread it in a deep bed, covering it with soil of 25 cm. Seeds are planted 2 centimeters, with high-quality watering, shoots appear on the surface in a few days. A garden bed is organized two weeks before planting seeds.
During the day, the greenhouse is allowed to ventilate, close at night. Manure warms the soil, due to which the seeds germinate much faster. It can be replaced with compost beds, which are especially popular in the south, since they do not need much heating of the earth. For its organization, a biomaterial such as:
- waste from the table;
- fallen leaves;
- cut grass and tops of plants.
On such an organic pillow, when cucumber seedlings are covered with a film, a greenhouse effect is created, so the plant is not afraid of frost. The bed can be decorated decoratively using metal or plastic arcs. Such designs have many advantages:
- ease of fixing the covering material;
- rapid warming up of the soil;
- the absence of a large number of weeds;
- no stagnant water.
In cold weather, cucumber lashes receive the necessary protection from a decrease in air temperature if they are covered, which means that the gardener is guaranteed a high-quality crop of cucumbers ahead of schedule.As a dense covering material, you can use polyethylene or spunbond, which perfectly provide adequate protection from the spring cold. It is worth taking into account the fact that the material density of 23 g / sq. is considered the best. m. It is quite enough for the structure to withstand the wind.
The low temperature is definitely fatal, the bushes will freeze at +5 C, in most cases they will not recover and may die.
Practical recommendations
You can enjoy your own cucumbers earlier if you grow seedlings rather than planting seeds. Accelerates the emergence of sprouts germination. If the seed is placed in a moist, warm environment, it will swell and sprout within a few days. You can use a wet cloth, but the room temperature should be +20 degrees.
For quick germination in the ground, it must be watered with high quality and warmed up to + 24 ... 28 degrees. Covering with a film significantly reduces the germination process. After three weeks, the seedlings will be ready for planting, but it is permissible to produce it only when the soil warms up to +15 degrees. It is also worth watering the plants with warm water, this will additionally not only moisten the soil, but also maintain the temperature necessary for the formation of the root system.
Gardeners warn novice gardeners against mistakes and do not recommend watering with water at a temperature of +10 degrees and below. As a result of such exposure, plants often begin to hurt, the optimum temperature should be + 20 ... 22 degrees.
It is important to monitor the cooling at night, because cucumbers grow at night. They must be warm, at least 13 C with a plus sign.If the region is characterized by high daytime temperatures and low at night, then a greenhouse and a greenhouse come to the aid of the gardener.
At the first stage, before the appearance of the first sheets, the room should be at least + 25 ... 28 degrees. Then the thermometer should be up to +22 C, while additional containers with water must be installed, which allow you to easily achieve the proper level of humidity.
At night, the temperature drops to +17 C, since it is necessary to ensure that the seedlings do not stretch upwards, but take root. Ten days later, when the root system becomes quite large, the air is heated to +22 C, but it should not be more than +27 C.
Despite the fact that the cucumber is a heat-loving plant, when the air warms up from +35 to +40 degrees, the number of dried ovaries on the bushes increases. The gardener is required to organize constant ventilation and provide the necessary humidity. Irrigation in extreme heat is required to be done twice a day:
- in the evening;
- early in the morning.
Even when growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, the irrigation liquid needs to be heated. Water the plant exclusively at the root.
Growing a large and high-quality crop is not so easy if the gardener does not follow the recommendations for observing the temperature regime. Planting seedlings without preliminary hardening leads to the death of more bushes. Even the strongest variety can not always withstand a sharp cold snap. A difference of even a few degrees is an obstacle to the normal adaptation of a plant in open ground.
Some professionals advise pouring boiling water over the bed and covering it with a film before placing cucumber seedlings there. This technique makes it possible, without spending a lot of effort, to warm the earth to the required level.In cold regions, it is acceptable to use crop harrowing, which raises the soil temperature by 4 degrees.
At low temperatures, plants are weakened, and as a result, they are easier to hit by diseases. A short-term cold snap is not terrible, but a long one can lead to the fact that the bushes will need several weeks to recover and restore growth. It is not easy to regulate the mode, but it is possible if you familiarize yourself with the described technologies. As a result of the strict implementation of all recommendations in the fall, the gardener will have a big harvest.
For information on how to plant cucumbers in open ground, see the following video.