Is it possible to plant tomatoes and cucumbers in the same greenhouse, and how to grow them together correctly
Of course, one of the most popular questions, most often asked by novice summer residents who have just started a greenhouse, is: "Is it possible to grow tomatoes and cucumbers in it?" Of course, there are opposite opinions on this matter.
However, on the Internet you can easily find examples of successful cultivation, which means that there is a positive experience.
Next, you will learn how to properly plant and grow tomatoes and cucumbers in the same greenhouse, what you need to do to protect plants from diseases and reap a good harvest.
Content
How to properly grow cucumbers and tomatoes in the same greenhouse
As you know, the main problem of growing cucumbers and tomatoes in one greenhouse is that crops different growing conditions are required, namely the watering regime:
- So, cucumbers need more frequent watering and high humidity,
- and here tomatoes you need to water less often, but more abundantly, while the humidity should be lower.
In other words, tomatoes like drier air, while cucumbers like moist air.
Airing
The fact is that too humid air can provoke disease of tomatoes late blight, accordingly, the greenhouse must be periodically ventilated so that condensation does not accumulate inside.
The best way to combat condensation in a greenhouse is to ventilate it.
If it was very sunny during the day, then condensation will necessarily form without night ventilation.
However, it is not indisputable that cucumbers do not like drafts very much and they need to be aired less often.
Nonetheless, cucumbers can also suffer from high humidity (condensation) and stagnant air. For example, they may be affected by a fungal disease such as powdery mildew and / or downy mildew, various root rot may begin.
However, significant fluctuations in night and day temperatures really negatively affect the cucumbers, so at night, as a rule, the greenhouse must be closed. Whereas tomatoes are more resistant to temperature extremes, and, on the contrary, it is better to keep a greenhouse with them open around the clock.
Important! And yet, the fear of cucumbers for airing is too exaggerated, condensation is more dangerous in any case. Therefore, it is necessary to ventilate the cucumbers.
Therefore, you must clearly understand what is dangerous for one crop and what is for another, and how you can minimize these risks.
So how to be, how to please both?
Go to compromise, in other words, create an average microclimate.
In other words, you can keep the greenhouse completely open during the day, and close the main doors at night, leaving only the vents open.
Mulching
You can reduce sudden temperature fluctuations by mulching, especially for cucumber beds. Moreover, they can be mulched immediately after planting seedlings in the ground.
Mulching will also keep the soil from overheating in summer.
In general, it is also advisable to mulch tomatoes (but only 1-2 weeks after planting the seedlings, when the soil warms up even more). The mulch will prevent moisture evaporation and moisture build-up in the greenhouse.
How to mulch?
Freshly cut or slightly dried grass (in a freshly cut large number they can start slugs ), straw or hay, sawdust.
Advice! Instead of mulch early in the spring you can plant mustard in a greenhouse (like siderat)... Only later, when the mustard already has buds, it will need to be mowed and left as mulch.
Watering rules
As we have already found out, tomatoes need to be watered less often, but more abundantly.
Note! If the topsoil is constantly wet, evaporation will occur and condensation will form on the walls of the greenhouse, then late blight will not keep you waiting.
But the soil under the cucumbers must always be kept slightly moist, because they have a rather shallow root system. In other words, they need water little by little, but more often.
Respectively, you can't make the same drip watering for cucumbers and tomatoes. You will have to water it separately.
By the way! Thanks to mulching, moisture will be better preserved and will have to be watered less often.
The location of the beds
It all depends on how the greenhouse is located on your site and how many beds there are.
Tomatoes are much more sun-loving plants than cucumbers, so it is better to place them on a more sunny side.
Remember! Tomatoes are grown from the south (southwest or east) and cucumbers from the north (northeast or west).
However, it is even more correct to arrange plants according to their height (growth), i.e.taller from the north - cucumbers, then tomatoes, to the south - the shortest - eggplants and peppers.
Thus, depending on the number of beds in the greenhouse, you can place tomatoes and cucumbers as follows:
- If you have only 2 beds, then on the one hand (more sunny) - tomatoes, and on the other (shady) - cucumbers.
- If there are 3 beds, then again from the more southern - tomatoes, in the central garden - eggplants and / or peppers (you can give half of a separate bed), from the north - cucumbers.
- Or on the south side - eggplants and / or peppers, in the center - tomatoes, on the north - cucumbers.
Landing scheme
If you do not want your cucumbers and tomatoes, due to the thickening and lack of normal ventilation between the bushes, to be quickly struck by fungal diseases and they had enough food space, then they need to be planted at a sufficient distance from each other and preferably in a checkerboard pattern:
- Cucumbers - at a distance of 30-50 centimeters between plants in a row and 50-80 between rows.
- Tomatoes - from 50 to 80 cm between plants in a row and from 60 to 90 cm between rows (relevant for tall indeterminate varieties, undersized determinant can be planted closer, but not closer than 20-30 cm in a row and 30-40 cm between rows).
By the way! The site has a separate article about at what distance to plant tomatoes in the greenhouse.
And remember: the better the light, the faster the fruits will ripen.
Other rules of care
It is very important to monitor the thickening of the plantings, which means that you should definitely do pinching tomatoes and cucumber bushesand also don't forget trim off excess leaves.
Timely (i.e. in advance, around June, when the plants are still healthy) carry out preventive treatments for diseases with fungicides biological origin (Fitosporin, Gamair).
Most dangerous tomato disease — late blightmost intrusive pest — whitefly.
Cucumbers most often amazes peronosporosis (downy mildew), and attack - aphid and spider mite.
Of course, regularly feed.
Note! The site contains separate detailed articles on when and how to feed cucumbers in summer and tomatoes in a greenhouse for abundant fruiting.
By the way! About, how to care for tomatoes in a greenhouse, detailed in this separate article.
Answers to popular questions about the joint cultivation of cucumbers and tomatoes in the same greenhouse
Is it worth dividing the greenhouse into 2 parts with a curtain?
No, the idea is not only meaningless, but also harmful. After all, there must be constant air circulation in the greenhouse.
Can I add peppers or eggplants to cucumbers and tomatoes?
Yes, it is quite possible to plant along the edge of the beds.
In other words, peppers and eggplants will normally coexist with cucumbers and / or tomatoes in the same greenhouse.
Is it obligatory to swap tomatoes and cucumbers?
Of course, according to the rules of crop rotation, it is impossible to grow the same crop in one place for 2 years in a row. In other words, you need to swap places.
However, to restore fertility and disinfect the soil, you can sow green manure and / or to treat the soil in the greenhouse with biological fungicides (the same Fitosporin).
Do tomatoes and cucumbers have common diseases and pests?
No, these are crops of different families - nightshade and pumpkin, which means that they cannot have common diseases and pests.
As you understand, if you take into account the requirements (care rules) of both crops, then they can be successfully grown in one greenhouse. So don't be afraid, plant together! You will succeed.
Opinions:
- «I plant tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in the same greenhouse. All is well, wonderful harvests. But I still dream of a second greenhouse«.
- «Since 2005, I have been planting everything in one greenhouse, everything is growing, we are distributing it. Swapping places in the beds. Greenhouse - from June to September. While it's warm, I don't close it. I think that is why phytophthora is not on tomatoes. Cucumbers bear fruit until October«.
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