Foreign breeders never cease to be amazed at the ingenuity of our gardeners, who are able to find a way out of any situation and cope with the most difficult whims of nature. For example, already at the beginning of May, in the beds in Lukhovitsy, a suburb of Moscow, you can see the first harvest of sweet bubble cucumbers. And without the help of chemical fertilizers and other nonsense.
It is not for nothing that a monument is erected in the center of the city – a symbol of a cucumber. The inscription under it reads: “To the cucumber-breadwinner from grateful inhabitants!” This vegetable culture really deserves attention, since not only the capital, but also most of the nearby regions eat the famous Lukhovitsy cucumbers all year round. In winter, pickled cucumbers are eaten as a snack, and in summer fresh fragrant cucumbers go with a bang. About 15 thousand people living in the area are engaged in the cultivation of the cucumber crop. Some of them manage to achieve a harvest of 30-50 tons per garden per season. Such an occupation is an excellent income for the local population and a salvation from unemployment. Cucumbers are the real pride of Lukhovitsky gardeners.
Thanks to a simple technique and hard work, cucumbers grow here much earlier than in other regions of the country..
Do you need to follow the rules?
The spread of cucumbers began in India, which is famous for its warm climate. Sowing seeds is done later than other crops. Transplanting into open ground is carried out in June, after dangerous spring frosts have passed. Even a slight cold snap disrupts the development of seedlings, then the growth of seedlings slows down. It is believed that for southern crops, a favorable ambient temperature should be within +22 0С. However, the weather conditions in the Moscow region and the middle zone of the Russian Federation are not stable. Summer is often rainy and cool.
As a result, gardeners receive the long-awaited harvest of cucumbers only at the end of July or in August. Until that time, you have to be content with Turkish greenhouse vegetables..
What is the secret of the inhabitants of Lukhovitsy? How They Deceived Natural Laws?
How to create a warm garden environment
The method of warming beds and growing heat-loving crops using organic fertilizer – fresh manure – was mastered by our ancestors back in the last century. Observing the sequence during planting activities, the beds can be effectively heated with biofuel.
Bright green Lukhovitsky cucumbers look pimply and appetizing. Before starting sowing, it is important to prepare the beds..
- In autumn, the soil is fertilized with fresh manure and covered with a thick earthen layer on top..
- With the arrival of spring, the manure heap is freed from the soil and dug up. Thanks to oxygenation, bacteria are activated, which heats the manure in a very short time. If you put bricks heated in a fire on the site, the process goes even faster..
- The beds are cleared of snow and covered with black foil. Beneath it, the ground begins to thaw. Cucumber seeds are sown in the warmed soil. A successful harvest depends on the right planting site. The site should be well lit and away from drafts. The optimal location is south side near the fence. It is better to choose the direction of the garden from east to west. The width of one ridge should be within 80-100 cm.Seeds are planted in a checkerboard pattern in two rows.
- After thawing the soil, you can start digging. First, the top layer of earth 40 cm wide is removed. Sawdust mixed with urea is poured onto the vacant space. The thickness of the sawdust layer is 10 cm. Warm loose lumps of cow dung are placed on top. There is about 1 ton of fertilizer per 3 m2 of area. Such an overestimated consumption of manure will certainly meet expectations. Complete the collection of the beds with a previously removed layer of soil. When the bed is completely ready for sowing, it is covered with black plastic wrap so that the earth can warm up further..
How to sow cucumbers
After a few days, the site will be ready for sowing activities. Without removing the film, small-diameter cuts are made with an interval of 30 cm. Place 2 pieces of seeds inside and sprinkle them with moist earth. The material is taken dry, skipping the soaking stage. The beds are equipped with arcs and covered with a transparent film.
The released heat from the manure layer persists throughout the spring. Seedlings show their heads after a week. Young cucumbers grow and bloom quickly. Lukhov residents often harvest their first harvest by May holidays.
Alternative to manure
If there is a problem with manure extraction, it is worth trying to replace organic matter with an equally productive biofuel. Of course, the amount of heat from animal waste cannot be overestimated, but there is an alternative method of feeding the beds. We are talking about rotted forest leaves and vegetable tops.
In addition, a double film frame can be installed over the ridge, which will provide an additional layer of thermal insulation. The earth is simply heated with boiling water and covered with foil..
How to care for cucumbers
Such beds do not need watering, since the spring thaw fully saturates the cucumber seedlings with moisture. In dry and sunny weather, the beds need regular ventilation. It is also important to avoid drying out the topsoil..
In order for cucumbers to develop faster, they are fed with diluted organic and mineral compounds. Concentrated solutions can harm the delicate roots and leaves of young seedlings.