Where and when to plant cucumbers in the ground in central Russia

Cucumber is the only vegetable whose fruits are eaten unripe (greens). This is one of the most common vegetables cultivated in Russia. Therefore, novice gardeners often have a question: where and when to plant cucumbers in the ground?

When choosing a location, you should definitely take into account the love of cucumbers for light, warmth and soil fertility. In terms of its love for warmth, this crop surpasses all other garden crops grown in central Russia in open ground.

Where and when to plant cucumbers

Cucumbers are planted both as seedlings and seeds directly into the garden bed when the soil has warmed up sufficiently. For central Russia, this is usually the end of May.

Before planting seeds, they need to be pre-warmed and then wet (immediately before planting). Warming disinfects and significantly reduces the incidence of disease.

It is better to prepare the bed in this way. Dig a small hole (about 30 cm wide and deep). Fill the lower part halfway with humus or manure, and cover the top with a layer of earth mixed with manure, forming a small mound (ridge) to improve drainage.

Sow the seeds in rows to a depth of 2 cm, at a distance of 12-15 cm in a row, between them - 60-70 cm. For efficiency, 2-3 seeds can be planted in one hole, and after germination, leave the strongest one.

In cold climates, the bed with plants is protected with a film cover from return frosts and cool mornings.

Sometimes seedlings are also used for planting, but you need to take into account that cucumbers have a rather fragile root system, which has a bad effect on transplantation. To prevent injury to the root system during transplantation, it is advisable to plant seeds for seedlings in peat-humus pots and plant them in open ground directly in them about four weeks after sowing.