All the secrets of pinching cucumbers in open ground

Why pinch?

Pinching is primarily necessary to ensure a higher yield per season, as seedlings constantly produce sterile flowers. These are male inflorescences that do not produce fruit on their own, and after a while, they gradually begin to wither and fall off.

Since they no longer serve any function other than pollination during growth, it's advisable to pluck them. This is necessary to avoid feeding the extra shoots, which only weigh down the plant.

It's crucial to ensure the growth and development of a larger number of "female" flowers, which determine the yield per bush. These flowers bloom on lateral shoots, so it's important to ensure their growth is optimal. This is achieved by inhibiting the growth of the main stem, thereby promoting more vigorous growth of the "female" flowers. This is precisely what pinching is all about.

It's also worth noting that this technique has a very positive effect not only on the harvest volume but also on the plant's overall health. The more green mass a plant has, the more nutrients and moisture it requires. Pinching off male shoots can facilitate cucumber growth.

When male shoots develop on bushes for a long time, this can affect the taste of the fruit. It turns out that unpinched cucumber seedlings produce bitter fruit. Thinning them out promptly can produce sweeter cucumbers. To do this, remove about 90% of the male inflorescences.

Video: "How and When to Pinch Cucumbers. Why Pinch Cucumbers?"

In the video, the author talks about shaping cucumbers using pinching and pinching methods.

How to properly pinch cucumbers

Experienced gardeners often need to properly shape cucumber plants. This includes pinching the seedlings to prevent the main stem and foliage from growing too quickly, allowing the remaining shoots to receive more water, light, and air. However, care must be taken not to remove excess shoots, as this can damage the plant's main supply.

To pinch cucumbers, you need to be able to distinguish male from female inflorescences. This isn't a difficult task; you just need to know a few characteristics that distinguish sterile flowers from fruiting ones. Male flowers bloom on thin stalks, while female flowers have a noticeable ovary, despite their small size.

Furthermore, male flowers don't grow singly, but in clusters of 5-7, while female flowers bloom close together in groups of no more than 2-3. By correctly identifying their type, you can pinch them off with the appropriate tool, resulting in a bountiful cucumber harvest.

It's also important to remember that pinching requires proper hygiene. It's important to use clean hands to prevent infection from spreading to the area left after pinching.

After pinching, it's important to properly care for the plants. First, treat the affected areas with charcoal or ash. Then, ensure the soil is moist and the seedlings have constant access to sunlight.

How to pinch in a greenhouse

Pinching cucumbers grown in a greenhouse, rather than in the open ground, may require a different procedure. To ensure proper pinching, it's best to do everything within the prescribed timeframe. If done too late, the cucumbers will taste bitter.

When growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, it's important to follow the correct pinching pattern, which consists of four stages. The process works in a staggered pattern.

After the first petals appear on the bush, pinch the seedlings for the first time. Then, water the bush thoroughly to help the affected area heal faster.

The next step should be done when the bush has 6 to 8 leaves. You'll need to remove the male flowers on the side stems on each side.

The third stage will need to be completed when about 10 leaves have appeared on the bush. Lateral shoots and male inflorescences will need to be properly removed.

The final stage of the procedure is carried out when the bush has formed 11-13 leaves and the main stem has reached a length of over 60 centimeters. The top of the plant is pinched to prevent further growth of green mass. After this, proper care of the bushes will be required to ensure a good harvest by the end of the season.

When growing cucumbers in both greenhouses and open ground, it's advisable to secure a special reinforcing mesh to which the vegetable stems will be tied. By this time, they've grown large enough to be easily secured and tied when lifted from the ground. Once the bushes are tied, removing male flowers is much easier, as it's easier to inspect the seedlings during the process.

How to pinch plants in open ground

The process of pinching cucumbers will depend on whether the vegetable is planted indoors or outdoors. The feasibility of this procedure will depend on how densely the seedlings are planted. If the stems are too short, this step is not necessary, as these shoots don't significantly affect yield. However, if the shoots are quite long, pinching the cucumbers is better.

When growing cucumbers outdoors, the first step is to remove the tops of the plants. This is usually done when the main shoot has grown to a height of over a meter, and the side shoots have only reached half that length. It's important to note that the side shoots should develop secondary shoots no longer than 20 centimeters.

If there are no garters, then you can simply remove the germination point after the 4th leaf on the main stem, and on the lateral shoots - after the second.

If hybrid cucumber varieties are grown outdoors, pinching should only be done on lateral shoots. Axillary shoots that form on the vines should also be pinched. Experienced gardeners recommend removing not only barren flowers but also the first fruit set. The next fruit set may occur in 2-2.5 weeks.

When growing parthenocarpic cucumber varieties outdoors, pinching is not considered advisable. This is because pollination occurs primarily through insects, and the plants themselves primarily produce female flowers, which appear quite quickly.

For this reason, it's important to ensure proper care for cucumbers, and pinching can be avoided to ensure a good harvest. When caring for parthenocarpic cucumber varieties, they should be planted as densely as possible. They should be planted outdoors to allow maximum light exposure to the seedlings.

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