How to pinch cucumbers - 130 photos and videos of simple and effective cucumber processing schemes

Vegetable growing »Cucumbers

825

Article rating

Before you start growing vegetables in a greenhouse, keep in mind that a good harvest can only be obtained if all the rules for caring for plants are followed. Temperature regime, air humidity, regular watering and fertilizing with mineral fertilizers - you will have to pay special attention to all these procedures every day, in the morning and in the evening. In addition, there are secrets in growing individual vegetables. For example, pinching cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse is a must if you want to grow tasty and fresh fruits and reap a good harvest. So what is the meaning of pinching and is it necessary at all?

Rules for pinching cucumbers in a greenhouse

What is pinning

Pickling cucumbers
Stepping - This is the removal of lateral shoots ("stepchildren") from the main stem of a cucumber bush according to a special scheme.

Stepsons grow in leaf axils. If they are not cut, they will develop over time and turn into large lashes. By the way, cucumbers will also grow on them.

Why then remove the shoots that will bear fruit?

The fact is that in the early stages of plant development, it is very important to direct energy and nutrients to strengthen the root system and form the main stem. Stepson will take some of the nutrients.

To prevent this from happening, side shoots must be removed. A little later, when the cucumber bush grows and gets stronger, the stepsons can be left to grow.

Second phase

It is necessary to start forming seedlings into one stem immediately after planting them in greenhouses. To begin with, they cut off all the extra buds and side shoots, which are located not far from the fourth leaf. At the same time, all this must be done very carefully so as not to accidentally damage the plant.

Correct pinching of cucumbers should be done with sharp scissors or a sharpened knife so that everything goes painlessly for the plant. However, some gardeners prefer to remove everything with their own hands.

When all the extra shoots are removed, the bushes will need to be tied to a special net. To properly tie the cucumbers to the supports, you need to tie one end of the rope to the main stem. The second edge is tied directly to the support. This procedure will further simplify the process of pinching cucumbers in the greenhouse.

The well-known vegetable grower Oktyabrina Ganichkina, recommends adding additional fertilizing to strengthen the plants before the start of the second stage. For this, it is recommended to use ready-made fertilizers from stores. For example, you can use top dressing Giant or Breadwinner. After fertilizing, each bush should be watered with warm, settled water. It is recommended to spend at least 1 liter of water per plant.

Having finished with the preparatory work, you can start removing unnecessary shoots. This pinning scheme is quite simple. It is necessary to start removing stepchildren when 5-8 leaves are fully formed on each bush. At the same time, one should not forget that at the second stage, at least one ovary should be left on the cucumbers.

During the procedure, it is necessary to pull off the leaf near which the stepson is located and carefully pinch it off.There is no need to rush so as not to accidentally touch the main stem or leaf. When all the work is completed, all the bushes are again tied to the supports.

When about 10 leaves are formed on one of the bushes, it will be possible to proceed to the next stage of removing shoots. During the third stage, two leaves and one young fruit are left on the bushes. In this case, all the other stepchildren of the cucumbers are removed.

Further care for cucumbers in the greenhouse is very simple, since after the formation of the eleventh leaf, it will be possible to get rid of all unnecessary ovaries. It will be enough to leave 2-3 leaves and fruit on each side of the bush.

After removing the ovaries, the bush is tied to the supports. However, at this stage, this must be done very carefully, since the bushes are already too large. If you accidentally damage the top of the head during the garter, the plant will gradually dry out and die as a result.

On this we can assume that the pinching is completely completed. However, many growers still recommend keeping an eye on cucumber bushes during cultivation. Over time, extra ovaries will appear on them, which can slow down the development of the fruit. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly inspect the plants and remove excess shoots before harvesting.

How to choose a pinning time?

The time for pinching cucumbers depends on the following factors:

When you have planted the plant.
The climate of the region.

In Central Russia, the procedure is carried out from mid-July to early August.

ADVICE. It is best to focus not on specific dates, but on the development of the plant itself. The variety of cucumbers can be early or late, but the stages of its development will still coincide.

Experienced gardeners advise to carry out the pinching procedure when the lateral shoots grow at least up to 3 cm. Optimally - up to 4-6 cm. There is no practical sense in removing the shoots earlier. But it is also not worth delaying the procedure. If the shoot gets stronger, you will have to leave it. Otherwise, you can harm the entire bush.

Do I need to pinch the cucumbers in the greenhouse?

The output of finished products, cucumbers, depends on the total area of the leaf mass. The more leaves there are on a plant, the more active photosynthesis and the more energy is produced to produce fruits.

But a large volume of leaf mass is a thickening of the plant, poor ventilation, favorable conditions for the development of fungi and pests. Individual leaves are removed to improve ventilation. In addition, plants are not adapted by nature for maximum fruiting. And a large mass of leaves will take nutrients from the fruit. The harvest will not be very large, and the fruits will not be very large. Therefore, periodic pinching of cucumbers, from planting to harvest, is imperative.

Important! The leaf removal procedure is stressful for the plant. Try not to overdo it. Take away more

—
and the plant will lose color or deformation of the fruit will occur.

How to calculate the stepson?

Stepson
Finding a stepson on a cucumber lash is very simple. They form in the axils of the leaves, that is, in the place where the leaf is attached to the main stem.

Stepsons are the future whip of cucumbers. In other words, if they are not removed, then over time they will develop and will be only slightly thinner than the main stem.

The first stepchildren usually appear when the bush grows up to 30-40 cm.

Indoor grazing

The procedure for pinching cucumbers in greenhouses and greenhouses is extremely important. If you do not remove the side shoots, then the cucumbers will grow, but will bring almost no harvest. The pinching procedure in the greenhouse takes place in several stages.

You can read more about this in our article "How to pinch cucumbers in a greenhouse step by step".

How to prolong fruiting by shaping until frost?

First of all, take care of the health of the cucumbers.Remove yellowed leaves and fertile stepchildren. You cannot pick off all the leaves at once to the nearest cucumber! Expose the stem gradually as fruiting progresses upward. There should always be one leaf under the bottom cucumber. If there is no goal to get a rich harvest in a short time, you prefer extended fruiting until frost, then in the case of a hybrid in a greenhouse, form one trunk, remove all stepsons, and do not pinch the top. Then, as the stem is exposed, it can be twisted into loops.

The bare stem was twisted into a noose

Gently lower the entire stem down the rope, roll the exposed lower part into a ring and secure with wire to the trellis. The top will now grow upward and bear fruit again. When it reaches its maximum height again, and the lower nodes give up all the cucumbers, repeat the procedure. In the open field, twist the bare stems into a loop, lay them on the ground and pin them. The tops of the shoots will receive room for further growth, and the stem in a loop, pressed to the ground or chained, will provide roots and additional nutrition.

Open field shoveling step by step instructions

Many, especially novice gardeners, believe that there is no need to pinch cucumbers. But experienced summer residents know that this procedure is very important. The fact is that the side shoots consume too much nutrients. As a result, the yield of one bush is reduced by 3 - 5 kg.

Of course, if you have a lot of cucumber beds, then such yield losses will be insensitive. But, if you do not have too large a summer cottage, then you need to spend the usable space wisely.

IMPORTANT! To carry out the pinching procedure, cucumbers must be tied to a trellis or support. Bushes growing on the ground usually do not stepchildren. For open ground, it is best to use triangular supports.

Triangular supports

How to form cucumbers into 1 trunk, removing all lateral shoots?

This is one of the simplest and most common pinching schemes. The formation of cucumbers in 1 trunk is common in small summer cottages and in commercial organizations that grow vegetables.

At a height of 30-40 cm from the ground, all leaves are removed.
Side shoots are removed at a height of 40 - 80 cm. At the same time, leaves and ovaries are left on the main lash (1 ovary per 1 sheet).
At a height of 80 - 120 cm, 1 ovary and 1 leaf are left on the side shoots. In this case, the shoot is pinched when it reaches 20 cm in length.
At a height of 120 - 150 cm, 2 - 3 leaves and the same number of ovaries are left on the lateral shoots. Anything that grows further is pinched.
At a height of 150-200 cm, shoots are not removed or pinched. If the trellis is low, then the lashes are simply thrown over it and lowered down.
The main vine is pinched upon reaching the top of the trellis or support.

Formation into 1 stem

REFERENCE. Only self-pollinated varieties and hybrids of cucumbers are formed in one trunk.

How to pinch in multiple stems

Usually indeterminate varieties of cucumbers are formed into several stems. That is, those that are constantly growing.

Stage 1. When the bush has 5 true leaves, it is tied to a support or trellis.

Stage 2. When a second shoot appears, it is tied up separately. In this case, it is advisable to direct the second stem in the other direction so that the lashes do not interfere with each other.

Stage 3. As soon as both lashes grow to the top of the support, remove stepsons, flowers and greens up to 4 leaves. Do not be afraid to remove the fruit, the plant will still bear fruit.

Stage 4. In the interval from 5 to 9 leaves, leave 1 ovary in the bosom and remove all other processes.

Stage 5. Pinch the next 4-5 stepsons at a distance of about 30-40 cm from both stems.

Stage 6. Anything that grows higher does not need to be deleted. The bulk of the zelents will be formed here.

Forming into 2 stems

This is a scheme for the formation of cucumbers in 2 stalks. But in exactly the same way, you can create 3 and 4 main lashes.

Formation of self-pollinated varieties

Self-pollinated varieties must be pinned. The fact is that mainly female-type inflorescences develop on them, which will later become cucumbers. This creates a high load on the bush.

If such varieties and hybrids are not formed, then you can lose both in the volume of the harvest and in the taste of the fruit.

Parthenocarpic cucumbers are formed mainly in 1 stem (in rare cases in 2). The general principles of pinching are as follows:

removal of all ovaries and processes at a distance of 30-40 cm from the ground;
pinching of shoots according to the inverted pyramid method (shorter shoots at the bottom, longer at the top);
control over the harvest.

Formation of bee-pollinated varieties

The peculiarity of the pollinated varieties and hybrids is that male-type inflorescences are formed on the main stem, that is, barren flowers. Female-type inflorescences are formed on stepchildren. Therefore, the pollinated varieties and hybrids are formed into several stems, and the male inflorescences are removed.

In this case, the main lash is pinched as early as possible so that the plant directs all its energy to the growth of the lateral shoots.

REFERENCE. You don't need to cut off every single one of the barren flowers. Be sure to leave a few pieces on the lash.

How to form bunch cucumbers

Bunch cucumbers must be pinned. The algorithm looks like this.

Stage 1. We remove all stepsons and ovaries at a distance of half a meter from the root. Please note that you do not need to remove the leaves.

Stage 2. 50 - 100 cm from the root. We leave 1 ovary in the leaf axil. We remove the rest of the shoots.

Stage 3. 100 - 150 cm. On each shoot in this area, we leave 2 leaves with 2 ovaries. We remove all the processes above.

Stage 4. 150-200 cm. On each shoot in this area, we leave 3 leaves with 3 ovaries. We remove all the processes above.

Stage 5. We count 4 sheets and pinch the top of the head. We leave 1 ovary for each leaf.

Formation of bunch cucumbers

This is the most common scheme for pinching bundle cucumbers. You can also see the diagram recommended for each specific variety on the back of the seed package.

Other ways of carrying out the procedure

In addition to the ones described above, there are several more ways to pinch.

For example, when forming cucumbers into one trunk, some summer residents remove all stepchildren and leave leaves. That is, the fruits appear exclusively on the main stem. At the same time, the productivity of the bush does not suffer. Just in place of the harvested greens, new ones are formed.

The advantages of this method are good illumination and ventilation of plantings, as well as easy harvesting.

The need for a procedure

What is pinning? Lateral shoots are called stepchildren, which do not allow the cucumber vine to develop normally. They take up moisture and valuable components necessary for the formation of fruits. Stepchildren are formed between the leaf and the stem. Stepping out is getting rid of lateral ramifications. They begin to remove them when the plant reaches a height of 6 cm.

It is important for beginners to know what stepchildren are and how to distinguish them from a regular sheet. Lateral shoots appear between the central stem and the leaf. First, the leaf itself unfolds, and only then, a little higher, branches are formed. Only the upper sprout should be cut off. The best time for pickling cucumbers that grow in open beds is mid-July. At this time, the plant will gain enough strength to produce a good harvest.

The answer to the question whether it is necessary to pinch cucumbers is unequivocally positive. It is necessary to get rid of the side lashes, but this must be done carefully. The procedure is not just about removing all excess vegetation. Correct pinching of cucumbers is to maintain healthy, strong leaves. It is they who enrich the plant with ultraviolet light and oxygen.Without knowing these features, you can lead to the death of the culture or a decrease in the number of ripening fruits.

The procedure for forming a stem in cucumbers has a number of positive qualities:

the number of crops is increasing;
fewer weeds appear, so there is no need for frequent weeding;
in a rainy summer, the likelihood of rotting decreases;
a ripe crop is easy and simple to harvest;
it will not be difficult to care for the beds.

Do I need to pinch cucumbers of all varieties? Not all varieties of cucumbers will benefit from pinching. Single-stemmed species do not form long stems, therefore they do not curl. In such crops, as they grow, a neat bush is formed, and the inflorescences are mostly female. Male inflorescences are usually called barren flowers, since they are needed only for pollination.

Most of the male inflorescences must be removed. Otherwise, the cucumbers will form bitter.

It is necessary to remove not only side branches, but also diseased, dry, damaged leaves. Only pinching and cleansing of diseased leaves are not carried out in one day. Do not use the same cutting tools so as not to spread disease.

How to pinch?

There are 2 schemes for pinching cucumbers. It depends on them whether you will harvest the bulk of the crop from the main whip or from the side shoots.

Scheme 1. The pinching of the main stem is done when the plant grows to at least 1 m. In this case, the lateral shoots are pinched after 2 leaves.

Pinching scheme 1

Scheme 2. The main stem is pinched as soon as it grows to half a meter. Lateral shoots are pinched when they grow up to 1 m.

Pinching scheme 2

REFERENCE. The first method is preferable for self-pollinated varieties and hybrids, and the second for bee-pollinated ones. The fact is that male-type inflorescences develop on the main stem, but most of them are barren flowers.

What varieties do not stepchildren?

If you do not have time to do pinching and pinching, then you need to pay attention to those varieties that do not need to be formed.

These are mainly hybrids that grow in a lush bush, and not in lashes. It is not necessary to form varieties in which the lateral shoots do not grow and do not thicken the planting. Also, some parthencarpic varieties of cucumbers do not stepchildren.

The most popular varieties and hybrids that do not need to be pinned are Alphabet F1, Bouquet F1, Regina-Plus F1, True friends F1.

Alphabet F1

Do you need to pick the leaves?

When carrying out pinching, you can also cut off some of the foliage on the cucumbers. Removing excess leaves is necessary to improve air and light access, prevent plantings from thickening and prevent diseases.

In this case, you cannot pick off all the leaves at once. There is a certain scheme that must be followed.

The whole cucumber bush is divided into 4 parts:

Base. All inflorescences, ovaries and leaves that lie on the ground, turn yellow or dry are removed.
1 m from the root (about 4 real sheets). Waste flowers are removed. A few leaves (4-6 pieces) and the same amount of cucumbers remain.
Next 50 cm. All leaves are left on one half of the shoots. On the other, half of the foliage is removed.
Top. From the end of the lash, 4 leaves are counted and trimmed.

Such a scheme of cutting leaves provides good ventilation and uniform illumination of the entire plant, stimulates the formation of fruits on untouched lashes.

Care after work

If you want pinching to bear fruit, it is imperative to take care of the cucumbers. Care should be taken even when the cucumber bushes are fully formed.

Water the cucumbers on time. This crop loves moisture and regular watering. But you only need to use warm water that has settled outside. You cannot water the cucumbers with a hose. The water from the mains is too cold and has a detrimental effect on the plant.
Loosen the soil regularly. In the heat, the soil at the roots dries quickly and turns into a hard crust.
Remove weeds in a timely manner. First, they take nutrients from the cucumber. Secondly, they shade the bushes.
Remove diseased and damaged leaves in a timely manner. They can cause disease in the entire bush.
Remove the fruits from the lashes in a timely manner. If you do not grow cucumbers for seeds, then do not let them linger on lashes. First, they lose their taste. Secondly, they consume useful nutrients that would go to other greens.
Additionally, feed the bushes of the plant. Pickling is a necessary procedure, but it is still stressful for the plants. Therefore, it is recommended to additionally feed the cucumbers after pinching the side shoots.

Further care

To get a rich harvest, they not only correctly stepchild, but also take care of the plant.

Care rules:

watered in the morning, the water should be the same temperature as the air;
it is best to use water from lakes or rivers for irrigation (if this is not possible, then pour it into a container, let it settle and warm up);
fertilize at a time when new ovaries stop forming.

If, despite all the measures taken, the number of ovaries is constantly decreasing, then they are looking for a mistake in leaving. To increase yields, the following steps are taken:

weed and loosen;
lay a layer of mulch;
improve the illumination of plants;
watered daily.

Proper care and timely formation of lashes will help to collect many more vegetables from one plant.

Possible mistakes

Stealing is a simple procedure, but some inexperience mistakes can be made:

Rough removal of side shoots. Stepsons need to be cleaned carefully, without injuring other parts of the plant. Little stepsons are usually removed with their fingers, and grown-up ones with scissors. If this is your first time to carry out the procedure, then it is better to use garden tools.
Deviation from pinning schemes. Each action that you perform in the process of removing scions has a specific practical meaning. If you do not follow the rules, then pinching will become simply a useless exercise.
Bad time to start the procedure. If you start removing shoots too early, you injure the plant and can destroy it. If you are late with pinching, then the shoots will grow too much. In this case, you can no longer delete them.
Lack of proper care. Do not think that after removing the side shoots, the work with cucumbers is over. The plant must be watered, fed and loosened.

Grazing is a way to increase the yield of your cucumbers. There is nothing complicated in this procedure. It is enough to adhere to the described schemes and carefully work with the plants.

How can you get additional harvest

Around July, new ovaries stop forming on the bushes, which indicates that the bush has exhausted its potential. Special resuscitation actions will help provoke a new flowering. This will require fish waste. They are filled with water in a ratio of one to two. The container is left in a warm, dark place. The solution is ready when foam forms on the surface. Drain the liquid, add a glass of wood ash for each liter and mix. Pour the mixture over the bushes. Cut off all the leaves from the vine, leaving only the top. Gently roll the stem in a spiral and secure it to the ground. Soon, new shoots will appear from the upper points of growth. Remove most, leaving one - the most powerful.

Important! All lower stepchildren must be removed, as they slow down the development of the fruit. Thanks to this procedure, a powerful root and a strong stem will form in the plant, which will speed up maturation at times.