Business plan for growing cucumbers. Growing cucumbers as a business

If there is land, there will be money. So decided Sergey Kovalev, guest of the magazine Reconomica who managed to open almost from scratch profitable business growing cucumbers in a greenhouse. Half a million rubles a year from a small heated greenhouse, and without breaking away from the main work - a decent result.

Sergey will share his experience in greenhouse management, talk about unexpected difficulties that await the farmer, about his victories and failures. In addition, it will provide a detailed calculation of income and expenses. His experience will be of interest to novice farmers, and the numbers will give optimism to those who believe that there is no way to make money on the land today. Read the interview - there is something to think about!

My name is Sergey Kovalev. I am 39 years old, I live in Volzhsky Volgograd region. I will tell you about my experience in running a small business - a small greenhouse farm.

It all started four years ago. We lived with my family in the village of Tsarev. We have a big family: me, my wife, three children and mother-in-law. We lived in a private house with a decent plot of land - 1700 m2. They kept a vegetable garden and a small garden.

I worked as an electrician on duty in the water utility service in the district center. Earnings - you know, small. And my wife, a teacher primary school in a rural school, she received a modest salary. I was on duty for a day, rested for three days - there is a lot of free time. And my wife and I began to think about what else to do.

In our village, everyone earns as he can: fishing, repairing houses, trading. I wasn’t very good at fishing, but for trading I need initial capital and grip.

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse is a profitable business.

By chance, I came across a newspaper with an article about a farmer who grows vegetables. all year round in your greenhouse business. The topic interested me greatly. I started looking for information on the Internet, bought books on growing vegetables indoors.

My greenhouse business

At that time, I studied in absentia in the last year of the Volgograd Agricultural Academy at the faculty of "Electrification in agriculture". I chose the appropriate topic for my diploma - electrification of a greenhouse with irrigation automation.

After defending his diploma, he began the construction of a greenhouse according to his project. The project included two greenhouses of 1000 m2. I decided to start with a smaller area.

The issue was about money. My parents gave 50 thousand rubles for the development of production, plus I took a loan from the bank - 200 thousand rubles.

The greenhouse was attached to the house to be heated by a gas boiler installed on the veranda. The boiler is powerful, and easily pulled the second circuit for winter heating of a greenhouse with an area of ​​150 m2.

The area of ​​the greenhouse allocated for cucumbers is 150 m2.

The greenhouse warmed up well due to solar insolation. The heating was turned on at night, during the day it turned off the circuit so that the pipes were barely warm.

The frame of the greenhouse was made of metal square profiles, which were welded together. Wall and ceiling covering - from cellular polycarbonate. I also made several large vents for ventilation.

A glass greenhouse would be better, but its cost is at least twice as high.

Greenhouse everyday life: basics of technology

We decided to grow cucumbers. They are unpretentious indoors, but require sufficient watering, they love moist air and rich soil.

There were no problems with fertilizer. A local tractor driver brought manure from the farm at a price of 500 rubles. for a trailer. Irrigated according to my own project - automated, drip. The water was taken from a well. In winter, he heated it with a water heater, in summer he warmed it up a little in containers in the sun.

In just a year, I had four cycles of planting and harvesting. Between cycles, I paused for about one month.

In general, the technology for growing greenhouse cucumbers is not complicated. In July-August, I carried out preventive maintenance in the greenhouse, fed with organic matter and disinfected the soil. In August, he dug up, loosened and cultivated the soil, then planted cucumbers again.

There are many subtleties in growing cucumbers.

It is important to process the soil in time, pick up the seeds, tie them up correctly, pinch the plants in time and collect ripe cucumbers from the lashes. They quickly outgrow, lose their presentation and taste.

The first harvest and the first difficulties

I grew the first batch of cucumbers in mid-December. And suddenly faced with the problem of marketing. Trading networks and cafes did not take products from me: they had their own suppliers. Yes, and for the conclusion of the contract you need to register an IP. But even with a contract, they offered me a ridiculous price.

I decided: the volume of production is small, I will not issue an IP. And he began to try to sell his products on the market on his own.

First I went to the city of Volzhsky. On the first day, the trade went well: I sold 60 kg for 5100 rubles. On the second day, young people came up and offered to buy cucumbers in bulk - at half the price. I refused. When I went outside, I saw that two front wheels of my car were punctured.

Greenhouse cucumber business is a dangerous business.

The dawn of the cucumber business

I realized that it was not worth going to the city: the orders of the 90s still reign in the market, and I began to sell cucumbers in the regional center and in my village. Soon there were regular customers who themselves came from the regional center. Especially vegetables sold well to new year holidays. In addition, he also sold greens, which he grew in the aisles.

My prices have always been reasonable, and the quality is better than that of products in chain stores. I tried not to use chemical fertilizers, only organic. At the beginning of growth, he fed with urea to strengthen the plants and eliminate nitrogen deficiency.

Working in the greenhouse did not take much time - only 2-3 hours a day. Automated watering helped a lot to save time.

The most interesting: we consider profit

In the tables, I list my expenses and income for the first two years of running a greenhouse business. Costs for labor not included: I did everything myself, with the help of my brother when assembling the greenhouse and drip irrigation. The prices in the tables are averages for the year.

Tab. 1. Expenses

On average, from 1 m2 (the useful area of ​​the beds is 120 m2), I collected from 17 to 20 kg of cucumbers.

In winter, the price of cucumbers reached 100 rubles. per kg, at the end of June already 20-25 rubles.

Tab. 2. Income

Calculation of income for two years.

In total, initial expenses amounted to 271 thousand rubles. in the first year. Income amounted to 410.4 thousand rubles. Profit in the first year amounted to 139.4 thousand rubles.

In the second year, expenses amounted to 53 thousand rubles. Income amounted to 470 thousand rubles. Net profit- 379 thousand rubles. in year. A small associated income was brought by the sale of greenery: about 50 thousand rubles. in year.

In the second year, my greenhouse farm brought 500,000 rubles!

A drop of tar: the difficulties of greenhouse affairs

If we consider the difficulties and my mistakes, then let down the cellular polycarbonate. I myself am to blame: I took a thin one to save money. Or maybe he got a poor-quality one, could not stand the summer heat and frost in winter - it cracked in places. If I started building a greenhouse again, I would choose glass.

It is difficult to find elements for drip irrigation in our area: relays, sensors. It was necessary to finish something on the spot, to invent. The same droppers get clogged, and you have to clean them several times a year.

Growing cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse is good, but glass is better.

In general, already in the second year of operation of the greenhouse there was a tangible profit. In addition, we had salads from fresh vegetables and herbs all year round. Perhaps we would still be doing greenhouse business. I was ready to build a second greenhouse, but at the beginning of 2017 I was offered a good position at a plant in Volzhsky.

Our whole family moved to live in the city, leaving my mother-in-law in the village. Working in a greenhouse is hard for her, and she plants some vegetables for herself in the garden. My brother also did not want to deal with the greenhouse: he is a specialist in fishing.

In conclusion. Is greenhouse work worth it?

Working in the greenhouse painstaking work, and not for everyone. But I consider this business promising and profitable for the village, especially when grown on large areas. But even a small heated greenhouse is on the table all year round. fresh vegetables and good income. However, you can earn very, very well, you just need to show patience and diligence, make accurate calculations, automate the project. The result will not keep you waiting - I already know.

Cucumber appeared in human culture more than 6 thousand years ago. The first mention of this vegetable in Russia dates back to the first half of the sixteenth century. Today, the use of this vegetable was found not only in cooking, but also in cosmetics and medicine.

The total territory of Russia, occupied by the cultivation of cucumbers, is about 90 thousand hectares, and more than 90% of this area is occupied by households. The remaining 10% of the territory is distributed among small enterprises, agricultural organizations, as well as peasant farms.

It should be noted that most of the territory of Russia belongs to the category of land with an increased risk for agriculture. Any vegetable growing here is faced with rather unstable summer weather, as well as a long winter period. Poor soils, as well as an unstable amount of moisture, should also be attributed to negative natural factors. All this leads to the fact that even unpretentious crops do not grow very well. Cucumbers, eggplants and tomatoes are well represented in the southern regions of the country, but even there the volume of industrially grown cucumbers is significantly inferior to the volume of cucumbers grown in private farms.

IN winter period and during the off-season, on the shelves of stores there are mainly imported cucumbers, the taste of which quite often does not match the prices. Nevertheless, people have to buy them, because during this period there are practically no domestic cucumbers on the shelves. It is worth noting that one of today's trends is the revival healthy lifestyle of life, which, of course, is accompanied by an increase in consumer demand for natural foodstuffs, including cucumbers.

Thus, the cucumber growing business is good because:
during the year, the demand for cucumbers does not fall;
in winter competition between domestic producers becomes very low
against the background of imported cucumbers transported still unripe, domestic cucumbers are in an advantageous position.

1. Personal subsidiary plot;
2. individual entrepreneur;
3. Peasant farming.

Each of the forms has its own characteristics, but the simplest of them is personal subsidiary farm. Such a farm is recognized as a form of non-entrepreneurial activity. Thus, growing cucumbers in the form of private household plots frees the entrepreneur from many taxes. However, personal income tax when selling grown goods will still need to be paid.

One of the restrictions is the establishment of the maximum area of ​​the site. Art. 5. Federal Law of July 7, 2003 N 112-FZ (as amended on June 21, 2011) “On personal subsidiary farming” establishes its maximum area of ​​0.5 hectares. It should be noted that the area can be increased by the legislation of the subject of the Russian Federation, but not more than 5 times.

Thus, it is better to run a personal subsidiary plot for those who plan to grow cucumbers on their own, without involving additional workers. If you plan to hire workers or open a small retail network sales of products, it is more expedient to start a business in the status of an individual entrepreneur.

If you want to start a cucumber growing business on a partnership basis, then it is best to register a peasant farming. KHF is full legal entity, however, it receives a number of tax benefits.

As a taxation system for vegetable growing, it is better to choose a single agricultural tax. In this case, it will not be necessary to pay VAT, as well as taxes on property and profits. With ESHN, the tax rate is 6% and is levied directly on net income.

Growing cucumbers outdoors

This method of cultivation is available to anyone who has their own garden.

Cucumbers have one feature - they do not like too oily soil. Therefore, their seeds are often sown on the territory already used, for example, for growing cabbages. If the ground prepared for cucumbers is fertilized with fresh manure, then this will lead to spotting in the fruits, as well as a bitter taste. That is why fertilizers for cucumbers are best applied in the fall.

Due to the fact that cucumbers love heat, you need to start sowing seeds no earlier than May. You can sow either dry seeds or already germinated. In the steppe area, as a rule, dry seeds are used. In areas where a humid climate prevails, germinated seeds are used. By the way, this allows you to get an early harvest of cucumbers. Breeding with germinated seeds means first sowing them in pots or special bowls, and then waiting until the plants develop the third leaf. After that, the sprouts are transplanted into the ground at a distance of 3-4 inches from each other. After the final development of the third leaf, the sprouts are pinched off, as a result of which two to four new shoots appear, which later give rise to fruitful branches.

Near the roots, it is necessary to periodically loosen the soil and cover it with straw - this helps to prevent it from drying out quickly. Before the development of the third leaf, seedlings should be watered frequently, after the appearance - no more than three times a week, while evening watering remains mandatory.

Cultivation of cucumbers open field mainly used to meet personal needs. organize industrial cultivation it is more expedient in greenhouses, since in this case there will be no dependence on climate change. Of course, greenhouse cultivation involves relatively a large number of investment.

Greenhouse Growing Equipment

Literally 10-15 years ago, the construction of our own greenhouse facilities was accompanied by multimillion-dollar expenses that were spent on the construction of huge complexes. However, much has changed with the introduction of polycarbonate and lightweight metal structures, thanks to which it is possible to build good greenhouses in a short time.

The second problem of vegetable growers planning to grow cucumbers in winter is heating the air and soil. To heat the air in the greenhouse itself, it is advisable to use a traditional pipe system closed to the boiler. It is better to purchase a boiler with the ability to work not only on solid, but also on liquid, as well as gaseous fuels.

A few years ago, the problem of soil heating was solved by installing pipes with air or water heating. The big disadvantage of such pipes was the possibility of overheating of the soil, which led to the death of seedlings. Today, special ground heating systems are available on the market, with which you can maintain the best temperature conditions.

For lighting it is more expedient to use LED lamps. Thanks to them, you can significantly speed up the process of photosynthesis. It is worth noting the cost-effectiveness of LED lamps, as well as the duration of their operation.

Automatic watering systems allow you to save time required for the care of seedlings. In addition to saving time, such systems allow the use of water-soluble fertilizers that can be added to water tanks.

Thus, in order to organize winter greenhouse cultivation of cucumbers with an area of ​​400 sq. m. must be purchased:

• 2 Polycarbonate greenhouses- 20-40 thousand dollars;
• 8 automatic irrigation systems - 1.0 thousand dollars;
• 80 llamas for lighting plants - 18.4-20.0 thousand dollars.
• 2-3 boilers - 2.3-3.5 thousand dollars;
• 30 sets for soil heating - 4.3 thousand dollars

Costs and payback

Investment volume for year-round cultivation is 91-111.8 thousand dollars.

1. Purchase of a plot - 15-20 thousand dollars;
2. Purchase of equipment - 46-68.8 thousand dollars;
3. Erection of general farm buildings - 5-6 thousand dollars;
4. Purchase of transport - 10-12 thousand dollars;
5. Other expenses (purchase of electrical wiring, pipes, fertilizers) - 5 thousand dollars.

Annual expenses:

1. Electricity - 0.6 thousand dollars;
2. Acquisition of seeds - 0.5 thousand dollars;
3. Purchase of fertilizers - 1.0 thousand dollars;
4. Purchase of firewood, coal - 4.8 thousand dollars;
5. Wages of workers - 10-12 thousand dollars.

Total: 16.9-18.9 thousand dollars

Taking into account annual expenses, the estimated profit of the cucumber growing business will be approximately 43.1-46.1 thousand dollars. Thus, the return on initial investment will be 2-2.5 years.

A large volume of grown products entails the problem of finding new distribution channels. As a rule, cucumbers are needed in large quantities by large vegetable bases and markets, as well as chains. grocery stores. To organize your own channel in the form of direct sales of products, it is not enough to grow only one type of vegetable, therefore it is initially more expedient to cooperate with wholesale buyers. In the future, you can expand the range of vegetables and start selling them through your own network or directly from the place of production. It is worth noting that it is necessary to conclude new contracts with buyers even before the start of the mass harvest, otherwise it significantly increases the risk of product loss.

Now in stores you can buy cucumbers not only in summer, but also all year round. But we rarely use this opportunity, because their taste is much worse than summer ones. This is due to the fact that the most rapidly fruiting varieties are grown in greenhouses, chemical fertilizers. I don’t even want to talk about imported greens from China, their cucumbers taste like plastic.

winter greenhouse requirements

If you decide to grow delicious crispy cucumbers all year round for your family or for sale, you will need a heated, and by no means biofuel. Most often they are heated by a converter method. To do this, a boiler is installed inside the greenhouse or a separate boiler room is built near it. From the boiler pipe and heating radiators are conducted to the greenhouse.

The boiler can be solid fuel or liquid fuel. With the help of fuel, water or steam is heated in it, which goes through pipes to radiators that heat the greenhouse. Obviously, such heating will be quite expensive and will only pay off if you sell products. However, heating with electricity will cost even more, even if you install economical infrared heaters. In the southern regions, greenhouses are often heated with the help of elementary bourgeois stoves, but in the middle lane in winter they will warm up the greenhouse only in the case of round-the-clock tossing of firewood, but sometimes you need to sleep.

In addition to heating, you will need additional lighting. Cucumbers need a long daylight hours, 12-14 hours, and in winter the sun shines for a much shorter time. For greenhouses, special sodium lamps are produced that emit the spectrum necessary for photosynthesis. They are relatively inexpensive, but difficult to install. Energy-saving high-pressure mercury lamps are also suitable for lighting winter greenhouses, but until they are difficult to dispose of, it is better not to install them. Fluorescent lamps are inexpensive, but they will look very cumbersome. You can arrange LED lighting, but it is also not cheap.

In the greenhouse, ridges with a height of at least 20 cm should be prepared from fertile soil in half with humus. For irrigation, you will have to install a special system. You can, of course, manually water, but do not forget that the water should be warm enough. Although cucumbers love warm, moist air, minimal ventilation should be provided.

Varieties of cucumbers

Naturally, varieties of cucumbers should be chosen that are not bee-pollinated, since there will be no insects in the greenhouse in winter. But now there are a lot of parthenocarpic varieties and hybrids on sale, there are plenty to choose from. For a quick harvest, choose from short term maturation, for example, "Boy-with-fingerF1", "Claudia F1", "Mother-in-law F1", "Son-in-law F1". And if you like long lettuce cucumbers, then you can buy Zozulya F1.

Whatever seeds you buy, it is better to use cultivation, and the seedlings will also need additional lighting. It is easier to organize it at home, it is enough to use a table lamp and foil, as when growing early flower seedlings. Just put the cups with seedlings in the box from under household appliances, one side of which is cut off and turned to the window, and the other is covered with foil. From above, turn on the lamp in the dark or cloudy weather.

Agricultural technology

Seedlings should be planted in the greenhouse when the soil warms up to 20-25 degrees, but before that it is disinfected with a 7% solution blue vitriol. Between the rows of plants, you need to leave a distance of about a meter, between the plants themselves - at least 30 cm, otherwise thickening and, as a result, the appearance of gray rot is possible.

The air temperature in the future should be maintained during the day in the region of 20-25 degrees. at night - not lower than 18 degrees. Good illumination should last 14 hours a day. The lamps are turned off at night. As they grow, cucumbers are tied up using a trellis. The formation of the plant is carried out as follows: the lower side shoots are pinched above the first ovary, the second - above the second ovary, etc., so that the plant looks like an inverted Christmas tree.

Watering is carried out every day so as to deeply wet the soil, otherwise the fruits will be bitter. Soil moisture is recommended to be maintained at the level of 50-60%, air - up to 90%. It is necessary to feed the plant at the beginning of the growing season with nitrogen fertilizer, and closer to ripening - with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. Mineral fertilizers can be combined with mullein infusion. Foliar top dressing is also recommended, especially in case of violation thermal regime. They are carried out with the help of copper sulfate, boric acid and potassium permanganate. A couple of grams of these substances are dissolved in warm water and the plants are sprayed, preferably in the early morning or, conversely, in the evening. To avoid powdery mildew, plant leaves are sprayed with mullein.

You can use black mulch film. Weeds do not grow under it, it retains heat and moisture well in the soil.

The cultivation of cucumbers began about six thousand years ago. This vegetable is native to the tropical and subtropical forests of China and India. Currently, it is grown in all countries of the world, even in the far north. It is not known exactly where the cucumber was brought to Russia from, but it has been grown in our country since at least the 16th century. Cucumber has become so firmly established in our diet that it is already difficult to imagine both everyday and festive table without this tasty and healthy product. Cucumbers are eaten raw, added to salads, salted, pickled, preserved, there is even a recipe for cucumber jam.

In the territory Russian Federation about 90 thousand hectares are occupied by cucumber. The largest distribution area is the Central, Southern and Volga districts. Depending on the climate, the vegetable is grown in greenhouses or outdoors. 92 percent of the total area occupied by cucumbers is households, 4.5% - agricultural organizations, 3% - peasant and farm greenhouses, 0.5% - small businesses.

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse brings the highest yield. This not only allows you to meet all microclimatic conditions, but also ensures year-round production. The profitability of greenhouse cultivation can be up to 500 percent, with a winter crop bringing about twice as much income as a spring or summer crop.

One of the options for greenhouse cultivation of cucumbers is growing on coconut mats, briquettes, into which a nutrient solution is supplied; they develop the root system of the vegetable. The coconut mats are laid on the polystyrene boards in such a way that excess nutrient solution flows freely. In the film in which the mat is located, holes for plants and drainage holes are made. Irrigation system is automatic. Each plant is equipped with a micro-dropper for moisture supply, thanks to which the mat is saturated with moisture evenly even in the presence of a drainage system. In addition, a fogging system (cooling, humidification), upper foggers, a fertilizer pumping system, water tanks, an irrigation control controller, as well as lighting and a heating system are installed. The cost of installing one greenhouse with an area of ​​350 sq. meters will be about 900 thousand rubles.

For successful cultivation of cucumbers, it is necessary, first of all, to choose the right seeds. For greenhouse cultivation, you can use several dozen cucumber varieties and a large number of hybrids. F1 hybrids have proven themselves best, as they give a good harvest and do not require pruning. For example, the late-ripening hybrid Hercules F1, which begins to bear fruit 62 days after germination. It needs artificial pollination, as does the mid-season hybrid Annushka F1, which is valued for its disease resistance and stable yield. The Emelya F1 hybrid ripens very quickly, in just 39-43 days. Its bush has an unlimited number of lashes and does not need pollination, and the fruits reach 150g. Also does not require pollination hybrid Dynamite F1.

The cost of one thousand cucumber seeds is on average 1500-1600 rubles.

They practice seedling and seedless cultivation of cucumbers. It is believed that with the seedling method, the development of the plant occurs faster. However, seedling cultivation has opponents who note the painful reaction of cucumber to transplantation due to the fact that the plant has a delicate root system and takes a long time to take root during transplantation. With seedless cultivation, cucumber is sown under the film.

Seeds before planting must be filled with a solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 100 ml) for disinfection, and then rinsed with water. Salt water rinsing also helps to remove poor quality seeds that float to the surface.

The nutrient mixture for seeds consists of peat, humus, sawdust and soddy soil in a ratio of 1:1:1:1. Seedlings appear in 3-4 days. Seedlings can be planted for 20-25 days. After the emergence of seedlings, it is necessary to maintain a daytime temperature of about 17 degrees, a night temperature of about 14, provide additional lighting on cloudy days, water the seedlings with warm water, and feed them. If 2-3 dark green leaves appeared on the bushes, the seedlings are ready for planting.

There are vertical and horizontal ways to grow cucumbers. With the vertical method, the plants are woven along special supports, with the horizontal method - on the ground. With industrial greenhouse cultivation use the vertical method, as it facilitates the care of the plant, contributes to the formation of the correct bush. Plant density in vertical cultivation is 20-25 thousand plants per hectare.

Daylight hours for cucumbers should be 10-12 hours. During the growth period, the temperature should not fall below 18 degrees. The temperature of the soil must be the same at different levels, otherwise it will adversely affect the development of the vegetable.

The yield of cucumber when grown indoors is approximately 3-3.5 tons per hectare.

It is also possible to grow cucumber on open ground as a tilled crop. In this case, the yield will be lower, but the financial investment will also be much lower, therefore, if there are not sufficient funds for the equipment of greenhouses, open cultivation can be considered.

The best predecessors of cucumbers are corn, tomato, peas, onions and early potatoes. Growing cucumber after pumpkin, zucchini and squash is highly discouraged. All types of soils with sufficient aeration and drainage are suitable for growing cucumbers, although light, humus-rich soils should be preferred.

In autumn, the soil is harrowed to crush the remains of the predecessors. Cucumber feels comfortable on the layers of perennial grasses, wheat, silage corn, etc. IN without fail when plowing, mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil.

Seeds are prepared for sowing: soaked in a salt solution, washed and produced heat treatment, keeping for about six hours at a temperature of 55 degrees, then etched with apron.

When the soil warms up to 8-12 degrees at a depth of 8 cm, sowing can be carried out. Plants with long growth are sown in an amount of up to 70 thousand pieces per 1 ha, plants with short growth - up to 150 thousand. Using a precision seed drill allows you to optimize seed consumption. If a conventional planter is used, then thinning is performed after the appearance of the first true leaf. Seeding rate with a conventional seeder is 9 kg/ha, with a precision seeder – 6 kg/ha.

A week after sowing, harrowing is carried out using a seed or mesh harrow. Row spacing should be loosened with a cultivator to a depth of 7-8 centimeters each time after irrigation.

Cucumbers should be protected from weeds and diseases. For this, herbicides and fungicides are used. The first treatment with fungicides is carried out during the period when two leaves appear in the cucumber, the subsequent ones - with a two-week interval.

The volume of irrigation is about 300 cubic meters. meters per hectare, watering is done at least five times, since the cucumber needs high soil moisture.

Harvesting is done at two-day intervals. You can use both manual harvesting and platforms POU-2, UPNS-10, PNSSH-12, wide-cut conveyor TNA-40, which allow you to reduce costs.

According to the requirements of GOST, it is necessary to collect vegetables for fresh consumption until short-fruited varieties reach a size of 14 cm, medium and long-fruited - 25 cm; diameter not more than 5.5 cm. Pickles 3-5 cm long, gherkins 5-9 cm long, greens up to 11 cm long are collected for conservation.

The yield of cucumber in open ground is about 15-20 tons per hectare. Fruits are stored at a temperature of 12-15 degrees. Vegetables should reach the consumer within a few days after harvest.

You can sell cucumbers in bulk on agricultural exchanges, the cost depends on the season and variety. The preferred marketing option is contracts with vegetable shops and food production.

Growing cucumber for seeds

When growing cucumber for seeds, isolation of crops is observed for at least 800 meters in open areas. Sowing is carried out at an earlier date than on production crops, and at a higher density.

In addition, regular varietal cleaning is necessary to remove weak plants and plants with deviations. If hybrid varieties are grown, then sowing is done with alternating rows of paternal and maternal forms. To improve the pollination of plants, you can place bee colonies, about 5-6 per hectare.

The fruits of the seed plants are harvested 50-55 days after the start of mass flowering. Cucumber seeds are extracted using a grinder-selector IBK-5. A used car can be purchased for 110-150 thousand rubles. This device highlights the seeds of watermelon, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin.

Then the seeds are washed, dried first in the open air, and then in dryers. Preliminary cleaning is carried out on VS-2 and No. 5 winnowing machines, final cleaning - on Petkus-Super K-212. Sieve equipment costs about 500 thousand rubles, and Petkus grain cleaning machines can be purchased from the hands for 100 thousand rubles.

The yield of seeds from 1 ha is 8 centners. Seeds retain high sowing and yielding qualities for 5-8 years, subject to storage conditions: air humidity 30-45%, temperature 15-20 degrees.

The cost of a kilogram of seeds at retail is 17500-18000 rubles. Having realized the harvest from one centner, you can get 14.4 million rubles.

Probably, many are interested in the question of whether it is possible to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse all year round. In fact, fresh, juicy and crispy cucumbers in the refrigerator in winter, even in the most northern regions, is not just a dream, but a real reality. Of course, for this it will be necessary to create ideal conditions for the cultivation of this vegetable, and, as you know, they can be achieved only in greenhouse conditions. Also, the farmer will need to work hard.

Before embarking on this lesson, so that the invested forces are not wasted, the technology of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse must first be studied, which has its own nuances. Firstly, there are bee-pollinated and parthenocarpic groups of cucumbers, and not every one of them is suitable for an artificially created environment. Therefore, it all starts with choosing a variety of cucumbers.

There are two main varieties of cucumbers for growing in a greenhouse. The first option is best cultivated in natural conditions, and the second is most acceptable to plant in greenhouses. This is due to the fact that insects cannot fly into the greenhouse or they can, but in insufficient quantities, therefore, the first group will need to be pollinated daily with their own hands, which will add additional trouble to the gardener.

In addition, not everyone knows how to produce the correct pollination, and if the gardener made a mistake in something, then the ovaries of the plants will simply fall off. In a word, the agricultural technique for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, first of all, includes the correct selection of varieties, and this moment must be taken with all due attention.

The most common and well-established cucumbers include the following greenhouse varieties:

1. High-yielding F1 hybrid cucumbers include: Makhaon, Hercules, Emelya, Dynamite, Hummingbird, Maysky, Buyan, Twiksi and others.
2. With its unpretentiousness, good yields are observed in the varieties "Manul", "Pomegranate" and "Moscow greenhouse".
3. Shade tolerance and adaptability to low humidity temperatures are distinguished by such varieties as "Russian", "Marfinsky", "Domashny", "Relay" and "Regatta".

Secondly, there are other features of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, which should be studied in stages. This includes the preparation of seeds and soil, as well as further care of the plants until harvest in general.

So, what other secrets are there for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse? Let's consider each process in more detail.

seeds

After the seeds of the desired variety have been purchased, they should be prepared for sowing and properly planted. Each process has individual rules.

Sowing preparation

On this stage First you need to calibrate the seeds. Next, they are disinfected. To do this, they are placed for half a day in a cloth, which must be moistened in an aqueous solution of copper sulphate, boric acid and nitrophoska (a pinch of copper sulphate and boric acid is added to 1 liter, as well as 1 tsp of nitrophoska).

After that, the seeds are rinsed with plain water and placed in a refrigerator for hardening. Pre-seeds are placed between layers of gauze, which must be constantly moistened in the process. This procedure is carried out for a week at zero temperature.

Sowing and growing seeds

In heated greenhouses, cucumber seeds can be sown at any time, since it is easy to set the temperature there at 23-25 ​​degrees, which is necessary for their germination. But if the structure is unheated, then the seeds will have to be sown at home. It is better to do this in the first half of April, in order to plant the finished seedlings in the greenhouse by mid-May.

Note! After the first sprouts appear, the daytime temperature in the room should be lowered to 15-18 degrees and at night - to 12 degrees.

For sowing seeds, it is better to use low containers: pots, plastic cups, and so on. Each of them is planted in a separate container and deepens into the soil by 2 cm. Seedlings are watered every 2 days, periodically feeding them with a solution of mullein (proportion 1:6).

Preparing for planting seedlings

While the seeds germinate, you can simultaneously prepare the soil in the greenhouse. It should be neutral, fertile, loose, able to retain and absorb moisture well, as well as air.

soil for cucumbers

When some other crop was already harvested in the greenhouse before planting cucumbers, then the soil will need to be disinfected with a hot solution of potassium permanganate and re-fertilized. You will also need to process directly the inside of the structure itself with a solution of bleach.

If you pay attention to the tips for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, which are given by experienced farmers, then the best soil for cucumbers can be obtained by mixing humus and soddy land. A mixture based on peat is also successfully used, to which humus and field soil are added. The ratio is as follows: peat is taken 50% , humus need 30% , and the field soil is added 20% .

Advice! In order to increase the profitability of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, a sawdust substrate is often used. It is prepared in the following proportion: 50% of field soil is taken for 50% sawdust from coniferous wood.

Cucumber beds

Exist different ways growing cucumbers in a greenhouse. For example, in northern regions with a cold climate, it is better to use the technique of growing cucumbers in "warm beds". For their manufacture, either horse or cow dung is used, which also serves as plant food.

If there is no way to get manure, then you can replace it with compost. Sawdust, last year's foliage or tops and other organic materials can be used for it.

Moreover, to speed up the processing of organic matter, special preparations are often added to the compost, which can now be purchased at any specialized store. The price for them is quite low, so it does not make sense to save on this, since it significantly helps the farmer's work.

Cucumber beds are formed in such a way that the interval between them is from 60 to 70 cm. They should have a height of 15 to 20 cm and a width of about 60 cm. It is better if their orientation is from north to south. This will increase the resistance of cucumbers to diseases.

Planting cucumber seedlings in the main place

You can plant seedlings under the following conditions:

• if the plants have been hardened;
• if the plant has 4 leaves (25 days old).

It is planted in the early days of February, and in the spring with the presence of warm beds without a heating system - from about April 20 to 25, with biofuel and heating - from the first days to April 5. But in simple designs with a film coating on one natural heating, seedlings can be planted no earlier than the beginning of May.

Immediately before planting, it is necessary to carry out moisturizing watering of the soil. Cubes with seedlings are buried in the soil mixture by one third of the height so that their upper edge slightly rises above the surface of the beds. To do this, holes are first made about 10-11 cm deep.

When planting seedlings in the main place, it is very important to ensure that the soil does not cover the hypocotyl knee. The interval between seedlings of cucumbers should not be more than 40 cm and less than 50 cm. Finally, you need to mulch the soil with peat. It is enough if its layer is small - 3-4 cm.

Cucumber care

Feeding and watering

In order to achieve good yields, cucumbers should be fed. This procedure is divided into types. So, there are foliar and root top dressing. For these purposes, both mineral and organic fertilizers. When cultivating cucumbers, the mullein has proven itself very well. The foliar feeding method is mainly used for weakened plants, in which the activity of the root system is reduced.

Also, this method improves the quality of cucumbers and has a positive effect on the resistance of cucumbers to adverse conditions. The root method is used when the soil has sufficient fertility. Usually two such top dressings are enough.

The first is carried out in the phase of the 3rd true leaflet, and the second - during the growing season. Water cucumbers every 2 days. If the weather is too hot and sunny, then the greenhouse should definitely be well ventilated. For cucumbers, the optimal daytime temperature is 26-27 degrees, and at night - from 18 to 20 degrees.

Shaping and garter

For 3-4 days after planting seedlings, plants should be tied to a trellis, which will serve as a support. A wire is stretched along each bed in 3 rows. The first row should be at a height of 20 cm, the second at 60-80 cm, and the third at 150-180 cm from the ground. Cucumber lashes will be tied to them with the help of twine.

The formation of cucumbers is an important procedure for a good indicator productivity. It is carried out depending on the characteristics of the variety or hybrid. The condition of the plant itself is also of great importance.

When forming cucumbers, experts recommend using the following methods:

1. If cucumbers are grown in a greenhouse on trellises, then the main shoot does not need to be pinched. As it grows, the plant should be carefully folded over the top row of wire and lowered down. Lateral shoots should be pinched the following rules: the lower ones are over 2, the middle ones are over 3, and the upper ones are over 4 ovaries.
2. The second method of forming cucumbers is applied if the stem outgrows the trellis. Then its top is bent through the wire and twisted one turn. The growth point should first be pinched behind the fourth leaf, and then tied up. Directly behind the trellis, the shoot, which is located in the axil of the leaf, must be removed, and the remaining shoots should be evenly distributed over the support. After that, they are pinched at a distance of every 50 cm. When mass fruiting begins, the shoots that go into the aisle, it is also necessary to pinch and direct them down.

Note! In order for the plants to heal faster, this procedure must be carried out at low air humidity. Also, you can not simultaneously remove diseased leaves and pinch young shoots, otherwise this will lead to the spread of infection.

Conclusion

Of course, it is impossible to write everything about growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in one article, therefore this instruction is only a quick guide. If you want to get even more information about the cultivation of cucumbers, then we recommend watching the video in this article, which will help even a novice gardener to better understand the whole technology of growing this healthy, juicy and tasty vegetable.

By the way, the industrial cultivation of cucumbers in a greenhouse occurs in almost the same way as described above. If you plan to build a business on this agricultural business, then you should first try small. After you manage to collect, albeit a small, but high-quality crop from the planted plants, you can increase the turnover every season.