When strawberries begin to bear fruit, gardeners are advised to cut off the runners and rosettes with new bushes - they take away nutrition from the mother bush, which affects the harvest.
It is recommended to trim excess vines from watermelons and no one doubts this. But what about cucumbers? Who even came up with the idea that they also need to trim their whiskers?
Let's find out whether it is necessary to trim the shoots on cucumber shoots or whether this is another myth of summer residents.
What do they talk about in chats?
Gardeners believe that such a measure increases crop yields.
Opponents of this concept have good reason to fear that removing the shoots could harm not only the crop, but also the plant itself.
To answer this question correctly, it is necessary to understand why cucumber vines have these shoots at all.
Why do cucumbers have whiskers?
With their help, the whip is held on the support, allowing the stem to grow upward. Thanks to this, the whip does not need to be tied up even during fruiting.
As is known, cucumbers are a delicate and sickly crop. Therefore, pruning and other interventions on the part of the gardener can contribute to the defeat of the plant by various infections.
So is it worth cutting?
The only argument that seems plausible is the removal of undergrowth in order to preserve nutrients.
Supposedly, they can be cut and then the resources will be directed towards flowering and fruiting.
It is also believed that removing shoots simplifies the care of cucumbers, improves ventilation, and reduces the risk of disease, but not everyone may agree with this.
Conclusion
If you are a supporter of this method, then when cutting off the shoots (excess?), use sterile instruments, carry out the work in dry weather, treat the cuts with a solution of potassium permanganate or powder them with ash.
Whether you did the right thing by removing the whiskers on your cucumbers - time and your harvest will tell.
Author: Igor Zur