Why cut cucumber plants?
- Main impulse lean against limitless growth
- Maximum lateral or transverse drives for more harvest
- Break out the royal flower to stimulate the formation of flowers and fruits
- Chop cucumbers to harvest ripe fruit
- Cut back the cucumber plant for a second harvest
When and how to cut greenhouse cucumber plants?
The following applies to greenhouse cucumbers: As soon as the main shoot reaches the upper end of the climbing aid, it should be trimmed back and guided downwards or along the roof. Please note that you let the two side shoots at the top of the cucumber plant continue to grow. The side shoots later form from them.
also read
- Tried and tested instructions for pruning cucumber plants
- Cucumber plants in the greenhouse
- Cucumber plants in the greenhouse - special features under glass
In addition, remove the side shoots up to the 5th leaf. From the 5th leaf onwards, leave one fruit per leaf axil. Remove all fruit under the 5th leaf. If you want to stimulate the formation of flowers and fruits, you can break out the first, the so-called royal flower. This means that 10 to 12 fruits ripen on each cucumber plant with concentrated plant power.
When and how to cut outdoor cucumber plants?
For cucumber plants in the open air, apart from cutting ripe cucumbers, neither pruning nor pruning are absolutely necessary. BUT instead of ground-covering cucumber plants you can also let outdoor cucumber plants climb up trellises. The advantage? It is easier to care for and reap because you protect your back. Provided you snap off the lower cucumber blossoms up to a height of 50 centimeters and remove the side shoots after the first fruit. This allows more light and air to reach the cucumber plants and they dry off faster - this supports plant health.
IMPORTANT: Always use clean and sharp blades when harvesting and cutting cucumbers! Wear thin gloves or finger guards for breaking out, pricking out or clipping with your thumb and index finger to protect the skin and nails from discoloration.
One pruning - two harvests
Not only professional gardeners, but also hobby gardeners confirm that pruning the cucumber plants after the first harvest promotes better flowering.
Did everything properly? If you have properly cared for, cut and stripped your cucumber plants, then you can enjoy an abundant organic quality cucumber harvest.
Tips & Tricks
Test different pruning measures such as pruning on the same types of cucumber and gain valuable green thumb experience - trying makes you smart! 😉
