Correct cultivation of cucumber seedlings
The cucumber can be sown both in open ground and in a greenhouse. To increase the percentage of germination and protect the crop from late frosts, experts recommend planting it in seedlings. Growing cucumber seedlings at home will not take much time. If you know all the secrets of this process, you will be able to grow powerful and high-yielding plants.
Correct cultivation of cucumber seedlings
Sowing dates
The first point to which attention is paid is the sowing time. To determine when to sow cucumbers for seedlings, take into account the following points:
- vegetable growing region;
- growing method (in a greenhouse or outdoors);
- the distance of the landings from the summer resident's place of residence.
Seedlings of cucumbers must be protected from frost. Accordingly, the timing of planting in regions with a long winter and cold spring will differ from the timing of planting in regions where spring comes early. Only summer residents, on whose site there is a heated greenhouse, can ignore the climatic conditions. If the greenhouse is not heated, the planting of cucumber seedlings should be postponed.
The last point worth paying attention to is the frequency of visiting the suburban area. For those who live in the country or who have a vegetable garden nearby, you can plant grown and matured plants early. This risk is justified by the fact that if the temperature drops below 0 ° C, it is possible to have time to save the plantings. If the summer cottage is far from the house, frost will destroy all the plants.
When planting cucumbers for seedlings in 2018, it should be remembered that plants cannot stay in containers or cups for more than 30 days, so you need to decide on the approximate date of planting a vegetable crop before sowing the seeds.
Seed selection
Much depends on the quality of the seed. It is best to give preference to hybrid varieties, most of which are resistant to cucumber diseases and are distinguished by high yields. Pay attention to the description and characteristics of the variety. There are varieties that are adapted to cold climates. They can be grown even in cold Siberia. And there are those that do not tolerate low temperatures. They are recommended for cultivation in the Moscow region, Moscow and other regions with a similar climate. Seeds should only be purchased from specialized stores.
Those who grow cucumber seedlings from seeds harvested from the previous harvest should select the best specimens. The seeds should be large and not hollow. Specimens with mechanical damage, various spots or other defects should not be used: most likely, they will not sprout. The best harvest is obtained from seeds that have been sleeping for 3-4 years. Older seeds are not recommended.
Growing seedlings
Follow the instructions for growing seedlings
Consider the step-by-step instructions for growing cucumber seedlings with a detailed description of each stage.The whole process consists of 5 stages:
- preparation of planting material;
- preparation of containers for sowing;
- soil preparation;
- sowing seeds;
- seedling care.
Once you have decided when to plant cucumbers for seedlings, you need to prepare everything you need (containers or cups, planting material, soil). At the time of sowing, everything should be at hand.
Preparation of planting material
This is the most important step. Sleeping seeds need to be awakened. This is done with heat and moisture or cold. The second technology is used by fewer gardeners.
Seed soaking
Some put the planting material in a container filled with water. This is strictly prohibited. For the normal development of sprouts, oxygen is needed, and oxygen access to the seeds in the water is difficult. It is best to place the planting material in gauze soaked in warm water and leave it for 24-48 hours in a room where the average air temperature is 26 ° C. The gauze should remain damp throughout the entire time. If necessary, spray it with water at room temperature.
The seeds are sprouted using a roll-up machine. To do this, they are placed on toilet paper soaked in water and rolled up, then the end of the roll-up, free of seeds, is immersed in a glass of water and covered with a plastic bag. This method of seed soaking is quite new; it has not yet gained wide popularity.
Seed hardening
Some summer residents recommend hardening the seeds. This process helps to improve cold resistance. Only non-germinated seeds are hardened, after which they are immediately planted in the ground. In this case, it is not possible to engage in seed germination. Either one or the other is chosen.
For hardening, the seeds are placed in gauze or a cotton rag, previously soaked in water, and then placed in the refrigerator. Hardening is carried out at a temperature from -2 ° C to 0 ° C. Keep seeds in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days.
Selection of containers for sowing
Seeds are sown in containers or in separate containers. Since picking is stressful for a given vegetable crop, it is better to use the second option. These can be plastic or peat-distilled cups. The advantage of peat cups is that they can be planted in the soil directly with the plants, but they do not rot very quickly in the ground. If cucumbers have a weak root system, it will not be able to break through the walls of the peat-melting cup, which inhibits root growth, which negatively affects the development of the plant itself.
Soil preparation
The soil for cucumber seedlings can be prepared independently or purchased at a specialized store. Light soil is suitable for growing cucumbers. It is prepared from leafy earth. It is poor in trace elements, therefore humus, superphosphates, ash and potassium sulfate are added to it. For 4 kg of leafy earth, take the same amount of humus, 100 g of ash, 5 g of potassium sulfate and 10 g of superphosphate. All components are mixed. To make the soil looser, add a little peat or sawdust, previously treated with boiling water, to it.
The soil for seedlings must be prepared
It is permissible to grow cucumbers for seedlings in 2018 in peat tablets. They are washers with a thickness of 8 mm, which, in contact with water, increase 5-6 times. Initially, a seed hole is made in each peat pellet. Before planting, tablets from peat are soaked in water and wait until they increase in volume, then a sprouted seed is placed in each resulting glass and covered with peat, which can be pinched off from the glass.
When choosing peat tablets, pay attention to the diameter. To prevent the cucumber seedlings from overgrowing the glass, its diameter should be 42 mm.
Sowing seeds
One sprouted seed is placed in each glass.Before the sprouts appear, the cups with seeds are kept in a room with an air temperature of 25-26 ° C. The minimum allowable temperature is 22 ° C.
To speed up the sprouting process, the cups are covered with a plastic bag.
Seedling care
When growing cucumber seedlings in 2018, you need to observe the light and temperature conditions and water the plants in a timely manner.
Light mode
This vegetable crop needs a lot of light. With insufficient light, cucumber seedlings are pulled up. Daylight hours should last at least 10 hours, if possible - 12.
It is best to use fluorescent lamps for illumination. They are economical and do not additionally heat up the space. It is not worth illuminating the plants for more than 10-12 hours: an excess of light has the same negative effect on the development of plants as its lack.
Watering
Weak and thin plants are initially watered with warm water only. Experts recommend using water with a temperature of 22 ° C. Running water is not used for this purpose - it is defended for at least 48 hours. It is highly undesirable to water the plants with boiled water.
After the emergence of shoots, water is added at least 4 times a week, while not flooding the plants. The soil should be moist, not wet.
As the cucumber vine grows, the need for water increases, as does the frequency of watering. If necessary, the plant is moistened daily. After watering, do not forget to loosen the ground, otherwise the access of oxygen to the roots will be limited, which will negatively affect the growth and development of plants.
Since nutrition occurs not only through the root system, but also through the leaves, spraying is carried out. Perform this procedure in the morning.
Temperature regime
If the temperature regime is not observed, the plants grow poorly and stretch upward. Until the first shoots appear, the room temperature is maintained at 26 ° C, then the temperature is lowered by 5 ° C. After the emergence of all shoots, the temperature is maintained at 22 ° C on a sunny day, 20 ° C on a cloudy day and 19 ° C at night.
If it is not possible to adjust the air temperature in accordance with the above standards, make sure that it does not rise above 25 ° C during the day. At night, so that the seedlings do not freeze, the air temperature is kept at a level not lower than 15 ° C. Since planting is mainly carried out in May, there are no problems.
It is important to plant the plants in open ground in a timely manner. Seedlings that have overgrown even for several days are poorly accepted and bloom less actively than those planted in the ground in a timely manner. If the seedlings have bloomed even before planting in the ground, there will be no good harvest. No matter how much time is left before planting cucumbers in the ground, it is best to reseed them.
Conclusion
In order not to deal with the treatment of cucumber seedlings, it is enough to properly care for it. The appearance of the plants will indicate the presence of problems. If the seedlings are thin and weak or grow too slowly, there is a risk of losing part of the crop. It is important to establish what negatively affects the development of the plant and eliminate the problem. If all the norms are met, and the plants are not strong enough, they are fed with complex mineral fertilizers. Sometimes the problem lies in the overly close planting of plants, then they should simply be planted.