When it comes to cucumber plants, there is disagreement among garden professionals on the subject of stinging. Either way - it neither harms the cucumber plants nor does it guarantee a lush cucumber harvest. And knowing how to pinch cucumbers is beneficial for anyone who wants to grow cucumbers.
When it comes to tomatoes, gardeners agree: In order to achieve decent harvest yields, you have to use up your crops regularly. On the other hand, when it comes to pinching cucumber plants, there is only one good answer: if you want to know for sure, try it yourself. Just take two of the same type of cucumber. The one exhausted and the other not. Differences or not - next year you will be smarter and benefit from the experience.
Side shoots are sterile side shoots that grow from the leaf axils between the summer shoot and the petiole. There are some good reasons for cutting out unnecessary side shoots, buds and flowers on cucumber plants:
- controlled growth
- stronger and more robust cucumber plants
- increased flowering and fruiting
Harvest cucumber plants - a one-time action
Proper pinching directs the energy of the cucumber plants to flowers and fruits instead of side shoots. By the way: In contrast to tomatoes, cucumbers do not need to be cut out regularly. Exhausted is exhausted! This work is only due once.
If you are leading cucumber plants up on a climbing aid, it makes sense to pinch off flower buds and shoots from below up to half a meter high. As a result, more buds form above. It also allows you to work on the plants while standing and prevents the lower fruit from lying on the ground. It is also particularly advisable to pinch out greenhouse cucumbers at the top.
Pinch cucumber plants - step by step
- remove all side shoots
- below a height of 60 centimeters, pinch off all flowers and fruits
- from a height of 60 centimeters leave 1 fruit in every 2nd leaf axil
- Shorten the main shoot at eye level and leave two side shoots
With cucumber plants without climbing aids, after a while it is almost impossible to distinguish between the main and side shoots. Here you regularly remove individual side shoots when watering or harvesting cucumbers. If cucumber plants grow too large, a sparse cucumber crop can result.
tips and tricks
Excessively practical - simply pinch off side shoots in the leaf axils as early as possible with your thumb and forefinger or break them out to the side.