Healthy, fertile soil is the foundation for successful cultivation and abundant harvests. Its condition depends not only on fertilization, but also on what plants grew in a given bed earlier and in what order they were cultivated. They largely influence the development of subsequent plantings. No wonder then There is more and more talk about sowing forecropsespecially in the case of more demanding vegetables, such as tomatoes or cucumbers.
requires carefully prepared soil, and a properly selected forecrop can help achieve this goal. This term covers: a plant grown in a given bed before the planned cultivation of actual vegetables.
In gardening, it is an element of rotation that its purpose is to prepare the soil before the next planting and at the same time prevent it from sterilizing. A well-selected forecrop improves soil structure and aeration, enriches it with organic matter, and also reduces the risk of diseases.
This is also a smart way to limiting the development of weeds and reducing the risk of pest accumulation. There are so many advantages of this form of preparing soil for crops that gardeners eagerly return to it every season, especially in the case of plants such as peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers.
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Cucumbers grow best in fertile, humus and slightly moist soil. A correctly selected forecrop helps to achieve such conditions for them and at the same time enrich the soil with valuable nutrientssuch as nitrogen. However, you need to know which plants will work as a forecrop for cucumbers.
One of the most frequently recommended is oil radish. Thanks to its strong and deep root system effectively loosens even heavy soils. It belongs to the cabbage family and characterized by a fast growth rateso even if sown a little later, it will have time to fulfill its purpose before planting the cucumbers.
Its advantages do not end with improving the soil structure. Oil radish quickly covers the surface of the bed, limiting the development of weeds, protects the substrate against erosion and enriches it with organic matter. Additionally has a phytosanitary effect, helping to reduce the presence of certain pests.
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Oilseed radish is certainly one of the best plants when it comes to green fertilizer before growing demanding vegetables such as cucumbers. After digging it, the soil becomes more fertile and retains moisture better.
To get ahead of the cucumbers, which usually go into the ground in mid-May, Oil radish is best sown in spring, in March or April. It is best to do this as soon as the soil thaws. This plant grows very dynamically, therefore, after just a few weeks it densely covers the soil.
The best results are obtained when before flowering begins, it will be crushed and dug into the soil. This procedure is worth performing about two weeks before the planned planting of cucumbersso that the substrate has time to prepare properly.
