When to plant cucumber seedlings for the greenhouse

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Cucumbers are a thermophilic culture. Therefore, they are often grown indoors. Those who first decide to grow cucumbers in this way are wondering when to plant cucumber seedlings for a greenhouse and what are the features of its cultivation.

Seedlings of cucumbers for the greenhouse

Optimal sowing time

Cucumbers are one of those plants that require precise sowing and planting times. This is due to the following factors:

• seeds germinate at a temperature not lower than 20 ° C;
• plants grow when the soil is above 15 ° C;
• the optimal transplant time is 20-25 days after emergence.

It is recommended to plant cucumbers for seedlings for a greenhouse starting in mid-April. This is the optimal time for sowing.

In the middle lane, the soil in the greenhouse warms up to 15 ° C in early to mid-May, this is the time when the weather stabilizes and night frosts or sudden temperature fluctuations are already unlikely. At this time, it will be possible to plant grown plants with minimal stress for them. And also in mid-May, you can plant cucumbers for seedlings directly in the greenhouse. But making sure that the soil temperature is sufficient for seed germination.

And also it is worth focusing on the weather characteristics of your own region.

Auspicious days in the sowing calendar

Many gardeners often use the sowing calendar. It indicates auspicious days for sowing. They are based on the phases of the moon.

In 2018, according to the sowing calendar and the phases of the moon, cucumbers for seedlings for the greenhouse should be sown

1. In March, between the 17th and 29th. Particularly favorable days: March 19, 24, 27, 28.
2. In April, between the 16th and 28th. Auspicious days: 5,6,7,8,9,20,21,22,23,24 April.
3. In May between the 15th and 27th. Particularly favorable days May 4,5,6,7,8,9.

It is not recommended to sow seeds and plant plants in the full moon phase.

But you should not completely rely on the lunar calendar. In the modern world, a more reliable way to determine the landing time will still be a hiking forecast.

Why early sowing is dangerous

Of course, many gardeners want to get their first harvest as quickly as possible. Sowing cucumbers early for greenhouse seedlings often leads to negative consequences.

Seedlings at home will lack daylight. Which leads to stretching of the plant, thinning of the stems. The bushes are fragile and weak. Plant growth slows down due to a slowdown in the process of photosynthesis and the production of insufficient amounts of nutrients. As a result, weak plants are not able to produce a good harvest.

Or vice versa, favorable conditions and very rapid development and growth, which leads to early flowering, overgrowth and aging of the bushes with a delay in planting time. As a result, the plants do not tolerate transplanting well and often die. Or weak bushes grow, are easily affected by diseases and pests. That also will not allow you to get the expected harvest.

This crop is very sensitive to wrong and early sowing dates.

The only exception to the rule will be the cultivation of cucumbers in greenhouses with heating and special lighting for year-round production.

Growing seedlings

Seedlings are ready in a month

Having chosen the date of planting in the greenhouse 25-30 days before it, you need to plant the seeds.

Growing stages:

• variety selection;
• soil preparation;
• selection of containers for growing;
• seed treatment and sowing;
• care and feeding.

Variety selection

Choosing the right variety for your greenhouse is essential. Parthenocarpic (self-pollinated) varieties with an indeterminate type of growth are suitable for this type of cucumber cultivation. A variety of any ripening time will do. But for an early harvest, it is worth choosing early varieties with a growing season of 40-45 days. An important characteristic will be resistance to diseases such as late blight, antariosis, powdery mildew, fusarium.

Among these varieties, the best are worth highlighting:

• Herman F1
• Zozulya F1
• Courage F1
• Chinese farm F1
• Aristocrat F1
• Bettina F1
• Delpina F1

Soil preparation

For sowing seeds, both purchased and prepared soil mixture are suitable. For cucumbers, you should choose a universal mixture or a special one for vegetables. Both species are ideal for growing healthy seedlings. They are enriched with trace elements and well-drained with agroperlite. No additional processing or fertilization is required. These mixtures are ready to use.

But it's also a good idea to prepare the formula yourself. To do this, you need to mix:

• peat 2 kg;
• humus (compost) 2 kg;
• rotted sawdust 1 kg;
• ash ½ cup;
• urea ½ tsp;
• superphosphate ½ tsp;
• potassium sulfate ½ tsp.

This soil needs to be disinfected. This can be done in the oven at 90 for 30 minutes, or spilled with boiling water. And also often use potassium permanganate for this purpose. A pale pink solution is prepared and soil is spilled on it.

Choice of capacity

Waiting for cucumbers

For sowing cucumber seedlings for the greenhouse, individual containers are chosen, these can be plastic cups, peat pots or peat tablets.

Plastic cups must have a volume of at least 0.5 liters. They should be doused with boiling water. And in the bottom, make drainage holes with an awl so that excess moisture comes out during watering. The walls and bottom of such glasses can be laid out with newspaper. When planting, this will make it easy to get the plant without damaging the earthen lump. Which will reduce transplant stress.

You can use peat pots. Suitable for sowing seeds with a volume of at least 300 ml. These pots are filled with soil. And when the time comes for planting, the bushes are planted in the ground along with a pot, which will easily dissolve after a short time.

Professionals in modern gardening distinguish a convenient way of planting seeds in peat tablets. It does not require any soil mixture, but no additional processing and disinfection of containers. For cucumbers, tablets are chosen in size from 3 cm. It is enough to spill them with water, they will swell in size and will be ready for sowing seeds. Together with the tablets, the bushes are planted in the ground, the roots can easily make their way through the peat shell.

Processing and sowing seeds

If the purchased seeds are not processed, they must be treated with a disinfectant and stimulant before planting.

For disinfection, you can use potassium permanganate or ammonia. A weak 0.1% solution is prepared and soaked in it for 30 minutes. seeds. To stimulate germination, seeds are treated with Epin's solution following the instructions.

If the seed is treated by the manufacturer, then such procedures will not be required.

Seeds are sown one seed in each separate container. Close up in the soil by 1.5 cm. The first shoots appear in 5 days.

Care and feeding

It is very easy to care for cucumber seedlings. Cucumbers do not need picking like tomatoes. And care comes down to timely watering and feeding with nutrients.Watering is carried out as the soil dries out. And feeding in the seedling stage will be enough to carry out once in 14 days after the cucumbers have sprung up. Then the bushes will be resistant to any negative influences.

You can use special mineral or organic fertilizers for pumpkin crops.

Disembarkation

When the seedlings of cucumbers for the greenhouse reach the age of 20-25 days, they are ready for planting in a permanent place. This should not be delayed. Later, it takes a hard time to take root and stops growing.

But you need to remember that cucumbers can be planted in a greenhouse no earlier than the soil warms up to 15-16 degrees.

In case the seedlings are already ready for planting, and it is still cold in the greenhouse, use the method of heating the beds with manure. To do this, use horse manure, it is sealed between the rows to a depth of 30 cm. For one square meter. 3 kg of manure is enough. Cover the manure from above with soil. After 3-4 days, young plants can be planted. And additionally cover them with agrofibre until the temperature stabilizes.

Conclusion

It is difficult to determine exactly when to plant cucumbers for seedlings for a greenhouse, since the weather in central Russia is often unstable, and not every spring is equally early and warm. Before April, sowing seeds is definitely not worth it. Often, even sown plants two weeks later catch up and overtake those that grow at temperatures below the recommended ones.