With proper crop rotation, the crop returns to the place where it grew after four years.
But it is not possible to organize a full-fledged crop rotation in the greenhouse, since only two types of plants are grown there – cucumbers and nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants).
Most summer residents use crop rotation to alternate tomatoes and cucumbers, but this is not enough. The soil becomes depleted, and toxins and pathogens accumulate in it. To reduce the risk and increase the yield, other crops should be planted after cucumbers.
The best plants for restoring soil after cucumbers in a greenhouse
Ideally, at least once every four years, give the greenhouse a rest from cucumbers and tomatoes for the entire season. You can grow several generations of different green manures. For example, sow oats in early spring, then dig them into the soil. After oats, sow phacelia or buckwheat, and dig them into the soil in the second half of summer. And then sow mustard or oilseed radish, which grows well in the fall. This will improve the soil and enrich it with organic matter, which cucumbers love so much. And next season they will thank you with a bountiful harvest.
You can also grow several generations of vegetable crops in a greenhouse after cucumbers. For example, sow greens and radishes in the spring, and plant heat-loving beans in May. The roots of beans contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria that saturate the soil with nitrogen.
This nutrient is actively absorbed by cucumbers throughout the growing season, so beans are an ideal crop for crop rotation in a cucumber bed.
If it is not possible to give up growing tomatoes and cucumbers in a greenhouse even for one year, you can imitate crop rotation with early-ripening crops. In early spring, sow greens and radishes in the greenhouse, plant Chinese cabbage. By the time you plant cucumbers, these plants will have already been harvested. You can also sow early carrots along the edge of the bed. They can be harvested a little later.
Dill goes well with cucumbers. Some of the greenery will be removed in the spring, and some can be left. These two crops get along well with each other.
Another option for crop rotation in a greenhouse is planting peas. If you sow an early variety of peas in the spring, you can get a harvest in June. After that, plant cucumbers in the bed. They will grow later, but the yield will be higher, because the soil will not only rest, but also be enriched with nitrogen, since nitrogen-fixing bacteria are present on the roots of the peas. Also, early peas can be sown at the end of summer, when the cucumbers have already fruited. In a greenhouse, it will not only improve the condition of the soil, but also give a small harvest.
