Whether mini gherkins or large cucumbers - both are greenhouse cucumbers that thrive better under glass in the warm, humid climate. If you care for them perfectly, you can enjoy many organic quality cucumbers fresh from the garden with your family and neighbors all summer long from just a few greenhouse cucumber plants.
How to plant greenhouse cucumbers correctly?
To successfully plant greenhouse cucumbers, grow young plants from April onwards, choose a location protected from the wind, prepare loose, humus-rich soil and add organic fertilizer. Provide climbing aids, water regularly with lukewarm rainwater and protect from excessive sunlight.
Modern varieties of greenhouse cucumbers are free of bitter substances and produce fruits without prior pollination. Such as these greenhouse-suitable F1 hybrid varieties:
- Dominica – cucumber
- Saladin – midi cucumber
- Midios – mini snake cucumber
When to prefer and plant greenhouse cucumbers?
In order to be able to harvest cucumbers as early as possible in the year, you should start growing cucumbers in pots on the windowsill at the beginning of April. Sowing can take place in mid-April in a heated greenhouse or, after the Ice Saints, in an unheated greenhouse.
Optimal greenhouse soil – good preparation is half the harvest
Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse gives them enough warmth and light to live. You can harvest and enjoy the first cucumbers as early as the end of June. Loose, humus-rich soil promotes the growth of cucumber plants. To achieve the optimal soil condition in the greenhouse, the following steps are required:
- Removing weeds
- loose up the soil
- Mix in compost and manure
- Add horn flour
- Water the soil
What location do greenhouse cucumbers want?
Cucumbers love a place protected from the wind. Therefore, do not plant greenhouse cucumbers directly at the door or ventilation window. Even though greenhouse cucumbers prefer sun and warmth, on hot days they need shade under glass. To do this, stretch shade fabric under the roof. It can't hurt to squeeze out greenhouse cucumbers before they climb wildly.
Planting greenhouse cucumbers perfectly step by step
Select only strong young plants for the greenhouse after the first leaf formation, water well and plant:
- 60 centimeters distance between the individual plants
- 1, 5 meters distance between rows
- Protect from the cold with bark mulch or mulch film
- Wrap the cucumber trellis around the main shoot of the plant for climbing up
To maintain a he althy greenhouse climate, water the greenhouse cucumbers regularly with lukewarm rainwater. Cucumbers that fall off on their own suffer from a lack of water or strong temperature fluctuations. Don't forget: greenhouse cucumbers also need sufficient organic fertilizer and nutrients.
Tips & Tricks
Mix germ-free greenhouse soil yourself - heat the seasoned, sifted compost in a closed cooking pot in the oven at 120° degrees for 30 minutes. Mix cooled compost 1:1 with fine sand. To increase the water storage capacity, simply add some fine clay or clay. Finally, moisten the germ-free soil with water.
