Tear off mustaches from cucumbers in a greenhouse. Is it necessary to cut off the mustaches of cucumbers and their meaning? Should you remove the mustache from cucumbers in a greenhouse?

And whether to pick off the mustaches of cucumbers. Let's take a closer look at this issue.

Why do they do this?

• improved ventilation;
• preventing root rot;
• better illumination of the plant;
• increasing productivity;
• correct plant formation;
• removing diseased, limp and old leaves;
• getting rid of .

Did you know? The Russian name “cucumber” came to us from Ancient Greece. There it was called “aguros”, which means- "unripe, unripe"

How to trim (pluck) leaves

There are several ways of pruning - general and lightening pruning. They are used for different. General pruning is recommended for self-pollinating varieties. Lightening pruning is only needed for weakened plants and plants that are sick. Let's look at how to prune leaves correctly.

General

General pruning is carried out for. Most cucumbers are of this variety. These varieties grow best in a single stem.

In this case, such a main stem grows strong and can bear a large number of fruits. You don't have to worry about the harvest not being enough. On this main stem, side shoots are also formed. Usually there are a lot of them, and they also produce a harvest.

Before pruning, the plant is divided into four parts. The first part is the base of the lash near the ground, the second is the next meter of the lash (approximately 4 knots of growth), the third is, respectively, the next 0.5 meters, and the fourth part is the top.

Let's consider whether it is necessary to tear off the lower leaves of. In the first part, it is recommended to remove all the inflorescences that are very close to and those shoots that are in the axils. Leaves that touch the ground and turn yellow need to be removed. This is done to ensure good ventilation and to prevent root rot of the plant.

On the third part of the plant, three nodes are selected on which 3-4 fruits will grow. Half as many leaves are left in this area. Other nodes can be left alone.

This pruning ensures even ripening and makes them juicier. After such pruning, the yield increases in the nodes of the vine that were not touched. On the fourth part of the plant, cut off the growing point on the fourth leaf from the top. This allows the plant to grow and develop faster. Next, the antennae are secured to the very top garter part of the wire (or fishing line/thread).

This part of the cucumbers is constantly adjusted - from time to time the tendrils are fixed on a wire, and they need to be thrown in a checkerboard pattern. Such actions ensure uniform illumination of the plant and allow convenient harvesting.

Brightening

Let's take a look at this question: is it necessary to trim the leaves on cucumbers during lightening pruning?

This pruning is done along the entire length of the plant. You also need to remove excess ovary. This should leave approximately six ovary nodes and some foliage on the plant.
Such radical pruning improves the ventilation of the plant and increases illumination. After pruning, the nutrients are used to restore the vine and form a good harvest of cucumbers.

Is it necessary to trim (tear off) the mustache to get a larger harvest?

Many agronomists are sure that pinching cucumbers, that is, trimming leaves and shoots, is an unnecessary procedure. Let's look in more detail at whether it is necessary to trim only the leaves of the cucumbers or also the tendrils.

The cucumber produces both male and female shoots. Male shoots grow on the main stem. These shoots are barren flowers. They don't produce crops. To increase the yield, female shoots must appear, which grow exclusively on the side shoots.

That is why you need to pinch the male shoots from the main stem. It is recommended to leave the leaves, because thanks to them the plant absorbs nutrients. When pinching, you need to leave side shoots with female flowers that produce a harvest. If the male shoots are not removed, then perhaps this will cause bitterness.

If you grow ordinary varieties of cucumbers, it is recommended to leave one stem. At the same time, you need to get rid of the remaining shoots. Thanks to these recommendations, you can increase your homemade cucumbers.

To increase yield, you need to prune the leaves. Below are some expert tips to follow when pruning.

• The cucumber vine should not be trimmed completely, but only to the point of growth. When completely pruned, the shoot is injured and dries out.
• When formed on a plant large quantity Barren flowers need to dry the soil. Then the growth points are removed. Pick off the empty flowers. After such actions, the beneficial substances go into the cucumbers.
• If you delay pruning leaves for a long time, the lashes become thin and tangled.
• Every 10 days it is recommended to remove yellowed leaves, as well as leaves that are located below the fruit. At harvest level, only a couple of leaves per shoot should be left. The top of the plant is not touched.
• It is not recommended to direct the tendrils of cucumbers, which are located at the top of the shoot, along. Since it begins to weave along, the crop will be shaded.
• When growing non-self-pollinating cucumber varieties, it is important to provide bees with free access to the flowers.
• When harvesting, it is forbidden to touch the knotted tendrils and lashes. Since this sharply reduces the subsequent ovary.

One of the main points when caring for cucumbers is this recommendation: it is imperative to provide good lighting to the top of the growing shoot.

Some time ago, Russian vegetable growers were faced with advice to cut off the mustache of cucumbers. According to one popular TV presenter, this procedure significantly increases crop yields. Since then, controversy surrounding this issue has not subsided. In this article we will tell you whether it is necessary to trim the mustaches of cucumbers in a greenhouse, on a balcony, in open ground, consider the rules and timing of the procedure.

Physiological role of whiskers in cucumber vine

Cucumbers are herbaceous vines of the Cucurbitaceae family. The wild ancestors of this plant grow in tropical forests, where there is fierce competition between plants for sunlight. Therefore, in the process of evolution, cucumbers have developed a special device for climbing vertical supports - whiskers.

Cucumber mustaches are modified shoots that appear from the axils of the leaves. They are able to find any suitable support and spiral around it. This method of clinging has an important meaning - good shock absorption. With any gust of wind or push, such an elastic spiral can quickly stretch and then return the stem to its previous position.

Thus, the mustache for a cucumber is an evolutionary adaptation that plays an important role for the survival of the plant in a competitive environment.

The influence of mustaches on cucumber yield

To justify the need to cut off the mustache of cucumbers, supporters of this method cite the following thesis: supposedly, the mustache takes away nutrition from the ovaries and reduces the overall yield of the plant.

In fact, internal and external factors affecting the yield of cucumbers have been well studied. These include the following:

• the presence of an extensive and healthy root system;
• the presence of a powerful and healthy leaf apparatus that carries out photosynthesis;
• the predominance of female flowers over male ones;
• sufficient amount of diffused sunlight;
• successful pollination;
• suitable temperature conditions;
• adequate irrigation;
• soil fertility.

Whiskers cannot take away nutrition from developing greens. Rather, this is done by uncontrollably growing side vines and overgrowing fruits. Numerous experiments show that breaking the mustache of cucumbers does not have a significant effect on the yield of the crop.

Tip #1. To get the maximum possible harvest from a cucumber bush, you need to properly form the plant, tie it up and regularly remove the overgrown greens. Frequent harvesting of fruits stimulates the plant to form new ovaries.

Possible consequences of breaking the mustache of a cucumber

All of the above does not mean that it is not necessary to remove mustaches from cucumbers under any circumstances. This may be beneficial in some situations. To understand in what cases it makes sense to cut off your mustache, you need to consider all the pros and cons of this procedure:

Tip #2. An additional risk of infection of cucumbers by pathogens appears when growing plants on compost or manure heaps, where spores of pathogenic fungi can persist. With this growing method, it is better to avoid unnecessary injuries to the cucumber vines.

When can you cut off the mustache of cucumbers?

Sufficient grounds for removing mustaches on cucumbers appear in the following cases:

• the tendril is entwined around its own stem, leaf petiole or around greenery and threatens the normal nutrition of any vegetative part of the plant;
• the tendril has caught on a neighboring plant and interferes with the care of the plantings, creating an impenetrable thickening;
• the tendril wrapped itself around a young leaf and twisted the leaf blade into a tube, creating a refuge for pests;
• the mustache directs the growth of the lash in an undesirable direction.

How to properly remove mustaches from cucumbers?

If there is a need to remove an unwanted tendril from a cucumber stem, this should be done carefully and correctly, avoiding the following mistakes.

Mistake #1. Inaccurate break.

The tendril should not be torn off by hand, but carefully trimmed with a sharp garden tool. In this case, the risk of injury to the stem epithelium is reduced, and the wound is small and clean. Its healing will be easier and faster.

Mistake #2. Circumcision with a dirty instrument.

Garden tools need constant cleaning and disinfection. Otherwise, pathogenic microorganisms remain on them, which are introduced into the wound and provoke decay or various infections.

Mistake #3. Sloppy unraveling.

A tendril that has curled around a stem or leaf must be removed with special care so as not to damage the plant. You can't pull a mustache like that. First, it is cut at the base and then carefully untwisted.

After removing the mustache, it is better to lubricate the resulting wound with some fungicidal solution, moistening a clean brush in it. For example, you can use the following:

Current questions about removing mustaches on cucumbers

Question No. 1. Is it necessary to cut off the mustache of cucumbers that are grown on the balcony?

As in all other cases, it is advisable to do this if the mustache for some reason interferes with caring for plants or threatens the normal development of a leaf or stem. Considering that no more than one cucumber bush is usually grown on the balcony, the need to remove the mustache is extremely rare.

Question No. 2. Do I need to trim the lower leaves and tendrils of greenhouse cucumbers?

The point of removing the lower leaves is to improve plant aeration and reduce the risk of infections and root rot. To do this, cut off all the leaves that touch the ground, as well as those that are dried or yellowed, from the stem. All stepsons or antennae are removed from their sinuses. Since plants are planted quite densely in greenhouses, and the greenhouse microclimate is favorable for many fungi, such a procedure seems advisable.

Question No. 3. Is it true that you can tell by the mustache whether the cucumbers will still bear fruit or whether it’s time to remove the bush from the garden?

Is it true. When the whiskers stop forming on the stem, the plant has reached the end of its growing season. If the tendrils continue to grow, it means that the cucumbers will still bear fruit.

Many plants from the vegetable squash family do not have sufficiently strong stems for vertical growth of vines. That's why they spread out on the ground. Cucumbers are no exception. They grow tendrils on their shoots, with which this plant immediately grabs onto any support, trying to climb up it.

Photo: https://fermoved.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/nuzhno-li-obryvat-usy.jpg

Why is it so necessary to remove the mustache of cucumbers?

Every season, gardeners, especially beginners, have new doubts and an almost Hamlet-like question: should you remove the cucumber tendrils or let them grow further? Today there is simply an incredible selection of varieties of this climbing vegetable. And cucumbers are grown not only in open beds and greenhouses, but also on window sills in rooms and on balconies.

Naturally, it greatly depends on the growing conditions of the crop whether the vines need additional means of fastening or whether they can be easily dispensed with.

Should you remove the mustache from cucumbers in a greenhouse?

Everyone has already appreciated the convenience of greenhouses covered with polycarbonate. There are the best conditions for harvesting any vegetables. The sun's rays penetrate freely through polycarbonate coating, but it also traps cold air. The comfort of heat-loving crops is maintained even during recurrent frosts.

For ventilation in polycarbonate There are windows in greenhouses. The plastic coating slightly diffuses the sun's rays, so the leaves do not get burned. Trellis are installed along the cucumber rows for tying up the main and side vines.

In greenhouses, the tendrils will grab not only the trellises, but also the already tied neighboring plants. This will create a dense planting, the leaves may become deformed, and all this will not have the best effect on the development of the vine. Therefore, cutting off the mustache in greenhouse conditions, thereby giving the plants freedom of growth and development.

This is also important for maintaining row spacing to ensure easy access for harvesting and tending crops. All lashes must be neatly tied. If you hope that they will stay in place only on the tendrils, in the end, the plants will slide to the ground after they dry out - they have a short lifespan, in a month and a half they die.

Along with the obligatory tying to supports, cucumbers are demanding in maintaining a comfortable temperature and air humidity, regular watering and fertilizing. We must not forget about loosening the top layer in the beds and controlling weeds.

Is it necessary to cut off the mustache of indoor and balcony cucumbers?

The same dilemma arises when growing cucumbers in containers on balconies and window sills. Should I remove my mustache? The answer is clear. After all, the area is very limited; the balcony and window sill cannot be compared with garden beds. Therefore, in container growing, varieties formed into one shoot predominate.

And the containers are in close proximity. If they are not pruned, they will intertwine and twine around the nearby stems. As a result, the cucumber vines will begin to shade each other and will receive less light and attention, since caring for them will be difficult. Therefore, trimming the mustache will be a regular task during the formation of the lashes.

It is highly undesirable to allow them to grow. In cramped conditions indoor growing trellises are not installed. The garter is usually carried out using thick wires or a rope fixed to the ceiling. When attached to ropes, part of the tendrils can be directed towards them without cutting them off.

Indoor cucumbers also need care. But it is limited to standard watering and loosening. Although fertilizing is more frequent, since the feeding area of ​​the plant roots is limited by the size of the container, and the seeds are planted at a shorter distance.

Do I need to trim the mustache of cucumbers in open ground?

In beds without shelter, the issue of tendrils becomes less acute with the use of nets stretched along the rows as support. The meshes can be with large or small cells, but the whiskers will grab onto them in any case. And yet, it is not worth allowing spontaneous growth and interweaving.

You will have to conduct regular inspections of the plantings and remove tendrils that claim the territory of someone else’s bush. It is convenient to combine this operation with tying, which remains mandatory. No matter how tightly the mustache clings to the mesh, such fastening is not durable. Therefore, lashing remains the mainstay in plant care.

The tops of the shoots are wrapped around the upper tier of the mesh, then pinched. Further care includes 3-4 feedings during the growing season, loosening the rows after regular watering with heated water and removing weeds. Control of detected pests becomes important. The leaves are regularly inspected so as not to miss the first signs of cucumber diseases.

Experts' opinions on removing mustaches from cucumbers

On the Internet and in specialized literature, you can find many substantiated arguments in favor of mustache removal. Some experts call for shortening them. However, in reality, the harvest is not affected in any way by their cutting or presence on the vines. It is not the mustache that determines the quantity and quality of the collected greens.

To increase productivity, other methods exist and are used. This especially applies to applying fertilizers under the roots and along the leaves at different stages of the plant’s life. You can come across the opinion that by completely cutting out the mustache, the fruiting period is extended. However, such claims cannot be scientifically substantiated.

Due to their complete lack of evidence, they can be considered erroneous. The only thing that is true and confirmed by practice is that the appearance of new tendrils indicates that the cucumber vines have enough strength to grow and form new ovaries.

Trimming mustaches help cucumbers grow

But whether it is possible to make the shoot grow by cutting the tendrils is a rather controversial issue. But an indisputable argument for their removal is the fact that tying has become part of agricultural technology. Cucumbers are grown only with supports, attracting the vines with ribbons to the net, trellises or ropes stretched on posts.

Consequently, there is no need to preserve the entire mustache. There is not the slightest reason to suspect that the whiskers somehow take away nutrition from the vines during the formation and growth of the greens. The peculiarity of the pumpkin family is that the tendrils that do not find something to cling to simply die off.

To prevent the tendrils from grabbing neighboring plants, you can try planting them at a greater distance. But for indoor growing, and sometimes even in limited areas of greenhouses, this option does not suit anyone. When there is little space, you want to compact the plantings for the sake of a decent harvest. So it turns out that there is no way to do without circumcision.

How to properly remove mustaches from cucumbers

The removal operation is similar to surgery. It requires great care and is never carried out in a hurry so as not to damage the main shoot. Trimming takes a lot of time, especially with large-scale plantings. In addition, circumcision is not limited to one, it has to be repeated periodically.

As long as plant growth continues, new tendrils will appear. They are cut only in dry weather, choosing daytime during cloudy periods and evening hours in the sun. The operation is carried out with sharpened scissors so as not to cause injury to the stem. The cut is left smooth.

The tendril is not completely cut off. It is recommended to retreat from the escape by a centimeter or one and a half to avoid injury. Before starting work and at the end of it, the instrument is washed in a disinfectant solution, which can be prepared from copper sulfate or potassium permanganate.

Hands are washed with soap before and after work. The cut areas are sprinkled with coal powder or wood ash. But first it is recommended to disinfect them with a solution of potassium permanganate.

A simple solution: no mustache, no questions

It takes a lot of time to remove a mustache, and the event itself takes a lot of effort and labor. How obligatory is it to carry it out? If the presence of tendrils has absolutely no effect on the yield, and pruning itself is only needed to facilitate collection and care, there is a temptation not to do it at all.

But every gardener must make the choice himself. Many summer residents no longer have the problem of mustaches, preferring to purchase modern cucumber varieties for their crops, which practically do not form them and do not grow an excessive number of side vines. And if there is no mustache, there are no questions about what to do with them.

Cucumber is a vegetable crop with vine shoots and edible fruits. There is no strong stem, and in order to reach for the light, the plant has special devices - tendrils. They secure cucumbers to supports and nearby trees. There are two opposing opinions: overgrown tendrils negatively affect productivity, weakening the shoots, and, on the contrary, increase resistance to diseases and temperature changes. Which one is correct and when should the antennae be removed?

Opinions of gardeners and research by breeders

With the help of their mustache, cucumbers reach out to the sun, reducing competition with surrounding plants. By the presence of thin shoots, you can understand whether the vines will still bear fruit or whether there will be no more ovaries this year. While thin shoots are forming, the growing season continues.

A common belief is that if you remove “unnecessary” shoots, the yield will increase. Breeders have precisely established that shoots require a minimum of nutrients, and the vitamin and mineral reserves are not depleted. But if removed inaccurately, the stem becomes injured and pathogenic fungi and bacteria can penetrate into the broken areas. In addition, any plucking and cutting is stressful for cucumbers. While it is overcome, flowering and fruit formation slows down.

Attention!

In order not to expose the plant to stress, incomplete removal is used.

When a plant doesn't need whiskers

Agricultural crops in continental climates are often grown not in open ground, but in greenhouses, on balconies, and in greenhouses. The approach to plucking the mustache depends on the planting location.

Attention!

Despite the presence of tendrils, cucumbers must be tied up. Natural “devices” for fastening dry out after 1-1.5 months, and the plant, along with the formed fruits, will end up on the ground. A damp environment is the ideal conditions for rot to begin.

If there are a lot of tendrils, they should also be removed, at least partially, when the fruit is formed. Too thick growth shades, does not allow it to form normally, dehydrates it, and does not allow it to reach the desired size. In addition, choosing ripe cucumbers is difficult.

Under no circumstances should you break off “unnecessary” parts of the plant. It is necessary to prepare for the circumcision process. Put clean gloves on your hands - “protective devices”, like tools, garden shears, it is advisable to treat them with a weak solution of manganese. You cannot pluck shoots with your fingers - the risk of rotting increases.

To properly trim the mustache, step back 1.5 cm from the stem and carefully make an oblique cut, leaving a stump. Using a cotton swab, it is treated with wood ash, a solution of copper sulfate or a fresh, weak solution of potassium permanganate (the remainder after sterilization of the instruments cannot be used, it is already contaminated).

All climbing plants, which nature has not endowed with strong stems, are forced to perform their “body movements” with the help of special aids - tendrils. This convenient device is also available for cucumbers. However, many newcomers to the land business, and even experienced gardeners, are constantly bothered by the age-old question: is it necessary to cut off the mustache of cucumbers?

Myths about mustaches

For the sake of a large harvest of vegetable crops on a small plot of land, many summer residents are ready to believe in any myth, to do anything to make their cherished dream come true. This is especially true for those people who grow greens on a tiny windowsill or balcony (loggia).

There is an opinion that if you tear off all the tendrils that are on a cucumber bush, you can significantly increase the yield of the crop, since it is these shoots that draw out all the nutritional elements from the depths, and leave nothing significant and valuable to the young fruits. However, this is a completely unfounded statement, because the yield does not depend in any way on the presence/absence of antennae.

There is also a myth among landowners that if you cut off all the whiskers, the reproductive life of the plants will increase significantly. This is also self-deception for inexperienced gardeners. It is by the mustache that the reliable age of the climbing crop is determined.

If tendrils continue to appear on the cucumber vine, it means the plant still intends to bear fruit. When the supports stop growing, we can assume that the growing season has finally ended.

To cut off or not?

More often, the tendrils of greenhouse cucumbers are cut off because they grow vertically on supports. In open space, such activities are carried out much less frequently, because the cucumber vine lies on the ground and does not need additional support.

To understand the question of whether to remove auxiliary shoots of climbing plants or not, you should carefully study the available information and weigh the pros and cons. Every experienced gardener with deep knowledge of the matter will say that mustaches are necessary for pumpkin crops to develop a strong stem. However, these same shoots help the plant not only to grasp and fix itself on any support, they often tangle its own leaves and newly emerging fruits.

As a result, the leaves begin to grow with deformation, they crumple, curl, lose their strength, that is, they become vulnerable to attack by various types of bacteria. Many gardeners decide that by cutting off their mustache or at least shortening it, they can prevent the onset of an unpleasant situation.

Also in narrow circles it is believed that the lateral outgrowths draw all the strength from the plant, and it stops growing and cannot bear fruit. But you also need to understand that dirt, microorganisms and infection can get into remote parts of the stem, which will have an even worse effect on the development of the crop, and sometimes even lead to its death.

The belief that by removing the tendrils can significantly extend the life of plants is groundless. There are no reliable facts confirming this information.

The truth remains that determined by the presence of living mustaches life cycle vegetable crop of the Solanaceae genus. As long as mustaches grow on the stems, the cucumber bush can continue to bear fruit.

In greenhouses, pruning of the mustaches is carried out regularly, since the plants grow on trellises, at a minimum distance from each other. With their antennae they grab onto their own shoots and leaves, as well as neighboring bushes, preventing them from developing properly. Therefore, pruning allows you to obtain more viable plants.

In addition, removing the mustache in enclosed spaces contributes to better air ventilation and convenient passage of workers between the bushes during harvesting. That is, the nightshade crop becomes easier to care for. This is why removing side shoots in greenhouses is an important necessity.

The tendrils also need to be trimmed because they are a temporary extension of the bush. After about a month, the shoots dry out completely and the plant, left without reliable fastening, may fall to the ground and be damaged.

If cucumbers grow in open space, so that the bushes develop normally, you can stretch nets or install trellises. This way, the cucumbers will have the opportunity to easily attach to something, and the crop will not suffer once again.

Features of the procedure

Any action can have not only positive but also negative consequences. Therefore, before cutting off the tendrils of cucumbers, it is necessary to find out under what circumstances this manipulation still needs to be performed.

The reasons for trimming the mustache on a cucumber vine are the following factors:

• the mustache has wrapped itself around its own stem, leaf or young fruit, which threatens the nutritional processes of any part of the crop;
• the mustache grabbed onto a neighboring plant, making it difficult to pass between the bushes;
• the mustache twisted the cucumber leaf into a tube, thereby creating optimal conditions for the reproduction and life of pests;
• The mustache directs the cucumber branch in a direction undesirable for the gardener.

There are certain rules aimed at reducing the negative impact on vegetable crops, thanks to which the plant will experience minimal stress after pruning.

Cucumber mustaches cannot always be completely removed. In some situations, it is enough to simply shorten the process.

The supports cling to the support, leaves and neighboring bushes with their tips, which means that only this active part can be cut off. Disinfection options in this case remain the same as in the above circumstances.

A tendril that has wrapped itself around a stem or other important part of the bush must be removed very carefully so as not to snag the plant. Pulling, sharply tearing or yanking such a process is unacceptable. First, it must be carefully cut off at the base, and then carefully unscrewed.

You can learn more about whether you need to cut off the mustache of cucumbers in the next video.