During a growing season, it is necessary to trim or remove parts of cucumber plants to achieve more growth and yield. If you want to harvest as many cucumbers as possible, you should max out the plants. But cutting is not the same as cutting. Why, when and how to use the sharp blade on cucumber plants
How do I prune cucumber plants correctly?
To prune cucumber plants correctly, you should trim the main shoot, pinch out side shoots, break out the royal flowers and harvest ripe fruits. Pruning after the first harvest also promotes a second harvest.
Why cut cucumber plants?
- Prune the main shoot to prevent limitless growth
- Pulse out side or cross shoots for more harvest
- Break out the royal blossom to stimulate flower and fruit production
- Cutting cucumbers to harvest ripe fruit
- Cutting back cucumber plants for a second harvest
Greenhouse cucumber plants, when and how to cut them?
The following applies to greenhouse cucumbers: As soon as the main shoot reaches the upper end of the trellis, it should be trimmed back and guided downwards or along the roof. Please note that you let the two side shoots at the top of the cucumber plant continue to grow. The side shoot fruits will later form from them.
In addition, pinch out the side shoots up to the 5th leaf. From the 5th leaf onwards, leave one fruit per leaf axil. Below the 5thRemove all fruit from leaves. If you want to stimulate flower and fruit formation, you can break out the first, the so-called royal blossom. This means that 10 to 12 fruits will ripen on each cucumber plant using concentrated plant power.
When and how to cut outdoor cucumber plants?
For cucumber plants outdoors, apart from cutting ripe cucumbers, neither pruning nor thinning is absolutely necessary. BUT instead of ground-covering cucumber plants, you can also let outdoor cucumber plants climb up trellises. The advantage? It's easier to care for and harvest because you're protecting your back. Provided you pinch off the lower cucumber flowers up to a height of 50 centimeters and remove the side shoots after the first fruit. This means that more light and air reaches the cucumber plants and they dry faster - this supports plant he alth.
IMPORTANT: When harvesting and cutting cucumbers, always pay attention to clean and sharp blades! When breaking out, stripping or clipping off with your thumb and forefinger, wear thin gloves or finger protection to protect the skin and nails from discoloration.
One pruning – two harvests
Not only professional but also recreational gardeners confirm that cutting back cucumber plants after the first harvest promotes better flower formation.
Everything done properly? If you have cared for, cut and trimmed your cucumber plants properly, then you can enjoy a bountiful organic cucumber harvest.
Tips & Tricks
Test different pruning measures such as thinning on the same types of cucumbers and gain valuable green thumb experience - experimentation makes you wise! ?
