Experienced gardeners involved in the cultivation of cucumbers have their own views on when the time for harvesting comes. However, they pay attention to the size and degree of maturity of the fruit. In the article we will tell you when it is better, and how to properly harvest the cucumbers, as well as how to maintain the harvest.
How to collect cucumbers?
In order to collect ripe cucumbers in time and correctly, as well as to obtain a sufficient number of them, you need knowledge of the rules, which are determined by what period of the year the vegetables ripen, what time of the day the picking takes place, how often and by what technology.
Did you know? Fresh cucumbers contain flavonoid fisetin, which protects brain cells from aging.
In what month?
In our latitudes, there can be different times for picking a cucumber crop, since, starting from the middle of summer, and until the beginning of autumn, cucumbers ripen in summer cottages and fields.
What time of day?
Another important nuance that must be taken into account during harvesting is the appropriate time of day to pick fruits from the bush. It is better to do this early in the morning or late in the evening. The reason for the choice is the property of cucumbers to acquire greater elasticity due to the abundance of moisture received from irrigation at these time intervals, which affects the presentation of the product and its taste.
How often?
According to experienced gardeners, it is advisable to carry out cleaning regularly, preventing the fruits from overgrowing. The schedule depends on the required size of vegetables and their intended use. It will also stimulate the growth of new ovaries, for the nutrition of which cucumber lashes will always have strength.
If you miss the right moment of harvesting, the fruits will outgrow, their skin will become rough, the development of new ovaries will be delayed and there will be less of them. Therefore, it is important to know how many days after collecting the last batch of vegetables you need to repeat the procedure. The frequency of fruit removal from the bush is 1 time in 2-3 days or more often.
Did you know? Although cucumbers are vegetable crops in cooking, in botany they are classified as fruits and are considered a false berry.
Collection technology
It may seem that collecting cucumbers is not difficult. It is important to remember that during the separation of vegetables from the bush there is a threat of damaging the plants with their overly active actions. If you sharply pull, twist or pull the fruits, delicate lashes can be injured, and their roots will be undermined, which will entail the drying of the plants.
It is necessary to adhere to the following technology for removing cucumbers from mother plants:
- It is necessary to separate the cucumbers with the help of sharp tools - secateurs, scissors or a knife.
- The stems of the cut fruits are left on the vine.
- Try not to turn the foliage and the creepers themselves during the collection, and also not to step on the whips.
Features of harvesting cucumbers
There are some features of the collection of cucumbers, depending on where exactly they grow - in a greenhouse or in an open garden.
In the greenhouse
Planting cucumbers in greenhouses provides different ripening periods, and, therefore, different terms for harvesting fruits.
When growing vegetables in a greenhouse, it is important to remember some features of the fruits in question:
- fruits with a ripening period on the 35th day after the appearance of sprouts are considered the earliest
- later ripeness - the 50th day from the moment of sowing seeds;
- there are types of cucumbers with a prolonged (extended) ripening period, which allows you to take fruits throughout the warm season;
- there are hybrids that have a bouquet type of ripening, in which many small fruits are tied in one sinus of the leaf, which ripen together, after which they are simultaneously cut;
- film cucumbers are preferably cut in the early morning hours;
- greenhouse fruits must be carefully cut off at their very base;
- it is necessary to remove all substandard fruits (with scratches, spots) first from the bush, preventing them from growing and taking away excess juices from the vine;
- on one ovary there should not be more than one fruit so that each cucumber can get maximum development;
- in the greenhouse, harvesting is carried out 1 time in 2 days.
Important! At the end of fruiting, it is not recommended to bury cucumber lashes on the site: they may contain microorganisms that next year will not allow a good crop of cucumbers to grow.
In the open ground
On average, in an open garden, cucumber lashes begin to bear fruit on the 40th day, after which the harvesting time depends on the purpose of the crop.
On an open bed, cleaning is carried out according to the following rules:
- for fresh consumption, cucumbers are removed at the age of 3-4 days;
- in conservation use 2-day green-pickles (5 cm) and 9 cm gherkins for 4 days;
- damaged and diseased specimens are necessarily removed in order to avoid premature depletion of the vine and reduce the fruiting period;
- on open soil, cleaning is carried out in the morning and in the evening;
- on average, harvesting cucumbers growing in the open ground is performed every 2 days.
Can I pick cucumbers?
There are rules for picking cucumbers under various weather conditions, which must be taken into account so that vegetables do not lose the necessary qualities for storage, canning or transportation.
In the rain
In cloudy and rainy weather, you should refrain from harvesting cucumbers, because in such weather they contain fewer vitamins and minerals (especially potassium). It is also not advisable to rip off the lashes immediately after the rain ends.
The reason is that vegetables that have been exposed to rain have a shorter shelf life and a high susceptibility to decay.
During the heat
At the peak of heat, it is not recommended to harvest cucumbers, since at high air temperatures in vegetables the quality of taste decreases and useful properties are lost.
Cucumber storage rules
The selection of fruits for preservation begins at the stage of their removal from the vines - overgrowths and substandard cucumbers are discarded. Harvested vegetables must be protected from wind and ultraviolet radiation by covering them with a cloth and placing them in a cool room.
For the preservation of the crop, the following rules are observed:
- From the collection of cucumbers to their bookmark for preservation, a short period of time should pass. Vegetables that are stored at room temperature for several days are unsuitable for further long-term storage.
- It is impractical to wash them with cucumbers before filling the store - they have natural protection against decay.
- Vegetables should not be damaged, as this significantly reduces their shelf life.
- The best products for laying for storage are thick-skinned vegetables collected from an open garden bed.
- Overgrown, watery and thin-skinned fruits are not suitable for harvesting for long-term storage.
- If you need to keep the crop for three to five days, you can use the refrigerator or the basement (+10 ... + 15 ° С, humidity 93–95%), placing the products in cardboard boxes.
- At a temperature of +6 ... + 8 ° С, the crop will remain fresh up to 7-12 days.
- For a long time, cucumbers are stored in the freezer if they are preliminarily prepared (they are washed, dried, stacked in plastic containers or wrapped in cellophane). Frozen vegetables are stored at a temperature of –18 ° C for 1 year.
When growing cucumbers, you need to consider that only timely removal of them from the bush will allow you to get a plentiful harvest.Important! Storage of cucumbers at 0 ° C is unacceptable: they will become softened, the shell structure will become loose and covered with mucus.
Observing all the recommendations for cleaning and storing cucumbers, you can enjoy fresh fruits all summer long, as well as save them for a longer period.
