What to do if the cucumber seedlings are stretched out
One of the main problems in growing cucumber is that the seedlings tend to stretch out. Gardeners often encounter such a situation and cannot always give an answer on what to do if the cucumber seedlings are very elongated: perhaps it needs to be planted correctly or there are other methods to prevent the problem.
If the seedlings of cucumbers are stretched
general information
The first question that arises for novice gardeners is why the cucumber seedlings are strongly elongated and how can this situation be corrected. Experts assure that if you notice the elongation of the plants in time, there are great chances to return the bush to its normal state.
What affects the cucumber
With a 100% guarantee, experts say that pests do not affect stretching in any way: yes, they can bring many other troubles, but not of this kind. Also infectious and mold-like diseases have nothing to do with pulling out the bush.
Cucumbers are delicate plants and react immediately to poor conditions. You could lose all of your crop due to pulling. We will analyze the reasons below.
- If the cucumbers are very elongated, it means that the plant does not have enough light, while the air temperature is high and this causes discomfort in the bush. In such a situation, stretching is a normal reaction of cucumbers to external conditions of detention.
- If the cucumber seedlings are stretched out, this indicates that the plant is not being watered correctly. Most often, stretching is observed due to abundant watering. If this condition is seen in young seedlings, this indicates that the pots are too tight. To avoid such a problem, it is necessary in advance to select a container so that it is spacious enough.
- The last but not least factor is the quality of the soil. Cucumbers do not tolerate soil in which there is a high percentage of acidity; in such a situation, it is best to select neutral soils. Such a reason rarely affects plants, but it should be remembered that the reason may not be one, but a whole complex.
Actions to prevent
Not everyone, even the most experienced gardener, knows what to do if the cucumber seedlings are stretched out. When disembarking, it is very important to immediately begin to fill up the new soil, it must be warmed up and dry. This will significantly help moisture not to linger and will play the role of a thermal insulator. The cucumbers will root better and the pulling process can be delayed a little.
Topping
The second way is pinching. The method is that you remove the growth buds over 2 true leaves. The procedure will completely stop the pulling of the bush and before planting in an open area you will not have any problems with the young.
Lack of light
Lack of light will cause the sprouts to stretch upward.
An overabundance of light rays is not so terrible than its lack. When there is not enough light, the sprouts begin to stretch upward to receive it. That is why it is necessary to install the light yourself.An ultraviolet lamp is perfect, but you can only use it for no more than 8 hours. Experts also advise to install the mirror so that the sun's rays constantly fall on the cucumbers.
If, even after such procedures, the bush is stretched, it means that it is cramped and needs to be transplanted into a large container. In such a situation, you should not be alarmed by the fact that cucumbers do not like being transplanted, because if you do not do this, you will lose the young.
Top dressing
After transplanting, constantly feed the bush with complex fertilizers and then the seedling will well endure the change of land and place of residence. Proper care when watering is done on time and quality fertilization is done. For example, saltpeter is not the kind of feeding that is suitable for young animals. Best of all - potash type feeding.
It is impossible to use saltpeter due to the fact that it stimulates the growth of the green part of the bush and in such conditions the cucumber begins to stretch even more upward. You should know that even if the seedlings are stretched out, but you took all the preventive measures on time, then the bush can give a good harvest.
Important: young bushes will not stretch if comfortable conditions for growth are provided for them in advance. Cucumber culture is capricious, especially young ones, so it is important to adhere to the optimal temperature - 21-23 ° C, and at night - 19.
Correct transplanting of young stock into the ground
Many even experienced gardeners do not understand why the cucumber seedlings are strongly stretched, because all the rules and regulations have been followed. They don't even know that the cucumbers are stretched out due to a wrong planting that was made a few weeks ago. If the seedling is very thin, then when planting it must be reinforced with a mineral additive to improve the trunk of the bush.
Transplanting stretched material into open ground is carried out according to strict rules. If the bush is too tall, then a deep planting in this case is not an option.
The young are transplanted to the level at which it grew in the pot. The trunks should not overlap, so we attach them to the support from the very beginning. If the young grew up in greenhouse conditions, then it will be necessary to make vertical feeding. In open soil, plants grow so that their antennae connect.
Conclusion
Be careful when planting a seedling, especially in open ground. You need to be sure that the ground is warm enough and ready to accept the new culture.
To get a harvest and delicious cucumbers, you need to correctly and correctly grow a seedling. This is not an easy task and you may encounter various obstacles. The main thing is to water on time, use only high-quality fertilizers and make sure that the cucumbers receive the maximum amount of light. Elongated, long and thin seedlings are not a sentence, the main thing is to plant the bush correctly and not deepen it, everything else can be corrected, it is important to do everything very carefully.