How to plant cucumbers for seedlings: growing at home

Cucumbers, no matter how familiar and familiar they may seem, are in fact quite a capricious culture: it is easy to plant, but difficult to save when it starts to ache and dry.

Many summer residents have seen more than once how lush, bright green thickets, covered with numerous flowers and ovaries, in just a few days turn into ugly yellow lashes.

That is why it depends on how well the seedlings are prepared, which crop you can count on during the season.

When to start?

Regarding cucumber seedlings, there are two extremes. Some people prefer not to get involved in additional work at all and sow the seeds directly in open ground.

The reason for such a “neglectful” attitude to a vegetable is very simple: its seeds grow extremely fast and grow, especially in the first days, right before your eyes.

On the other hand, it is very difficult to transplant a large, curling bush from the pot into the ground, and it is very difficult to tolerate such stress.

Other inexperienced gardeners, on the contrary, are trying to plant cucumbers for seedlings at the same time as they sow tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cabbage, etc. - that is, in February-March. As a result, they have the problem described above.

Planting seeds directly in open ground has two significant drawbacks. Firstly, in this way you lose several precious weeks when the early harvest is the most desirable: at the bazaar vegetables are still expensive, and you already have the opportunity to taste your own fruits.

In addition, usually all diseases and other troubles begin to occur with the inhabitants of the beds by the middle of summer, with the arrival of really dry days.

June, thus, is precisely the time when there is every chance to remove neat young and sweet cucumbers from the whip, and, consequently, here every day is worth its weight in gold.

Secondly, by planting seedlings on a bed, you can already see how many bushes you have grown, and you can distribute them at the right distance from each other, whereas, sowing seeds, you either get too close to each other shoots, which are still you need to seat, or, conversely, lose area due to the "holes" formed in the places of non-seed seeds.

Conditions for seedlings

Of course, it is not enough to know when to start planting cucumber seedlings, you still need to create favorable conditions for growth and development. These conditions primarily include light, temperature, humidity and, of course, the right soil.

Light mode

Cucumber sprout for the correct development need a lot of light. Consider in advance where you can put boxes of seedlings to create the appropriate conditions for them. Good strong bushes are formed, provided that they are actively illuminated by the sun for at least 10, and better - all 12 hours a day.

On the one hand, in the middle of April, when the corresponding work begins, daylight hours are already quite long, and in this respect, cucumbers create much less trouble than their nightshade.

But if the spring is cloudy, or in your apartment there is, in principle, no well-lit area (acute problems with this may, for example, be experienced by residents of the lower floors of old high-rise buildings where the light covers thick greenery), the seedlings will need to be artificially illuminated.

Of course, it is not always necessary to highlight the seedlings, but only on cloudy days or even hours. The fact that the shoots are not enough light can be judged by their appearance - such plants stretch upwards and have thin and frail stems, while well-lit cucumbers look healthy and joyful “sturdy”.

Temperature and humidity

To grow cucumber seedlings at home, you need to try to create the optimum temperature.

These vegetables love heat, but its excess, especially in low light conditions, leads to the fact that the seedlings form weak and elongated.

Before the appearance of the first cotyledon leaves, the boxes with the seedlings can be kept warm up to +30 ° C, however, when the shoots appear above the surface, the temperature must be significantly reduced. The optimal conditions for growing are + 19-22 ° C during the day (if the day is overcast, but the temperature does not fall below 19 degrees, this is perfectly acceptable) and 15-17 degrees of heat at night. At higher temperatures, the plants will not be healthy and strong.

Increased moisture requirements are another feature of cucumber seedlings. If the seedlings of most crops develop optimally when the humidity is 60-70%, cucumbers need more humid air - 70-80%.

At the same time, if the air is more humid, the seedlings will turn out to be too pampered,will not be able to endure dry summer days; Inadequate moisture adversely affects the rate of ripening of the crop, and sometimes its total quantity.

In addition, with a lack of moisture, seedlings can wither even before planting in open ground.

Priming

There are several varieties of soil that can be used for growing cucumber seedlings.

The easiest way is, of course, to buy ready-made mixture for cucumbers (they are sold under different names: "Gardener", "Gardener", "Flora", "Sturdy", and also "Special Soil No. 2"), adding to it for improvement of the result sawdust in an amount equal to the volume of the soil, and biohumus in the amount of half of this volume.

You can prepare the soil mix yourself, but this will require turf ground.

So, for the preparation of the soil mixture, in addition to the sod land, it will be necessary: ​​decomposed peat and humus - in equal parts with the ground, river sand or packed sawdust - 1/3 of the ground.

If the sawdust is fresh, they should first be thoroughly scalded with boiling water, since we do not need the resin contained in them at all.

By the way, it is still not recommended to steam the already prepared mixture, as some summer residents do, because the soil contains its own microflora, which is necessary for plants as well as for any other living organisms.

In addition to these components, wood ash is added to the mixture (approximately a glass of 10 liters), a pinch of urea, and two pinches of nitrophoska or superphosphate.

Seed preparation and sowing

Cucumber seeds are a whole storehouse of secrets and subtleties. To begin with, these seeds, in principle, can be stored for up to ten years (if they do not overheat above 15 degrees Celsius and retain humidity in the range of 50-60%), but this does not meanthat the harvest from such sowing over the course of all ten years will be the same. Moreover, in this case, the “the fresher the better” formula does not work at all.

So, we chose the seeds that were optimal in terms of terms and conditions of storage, and now let's start preparing them. First, it is recommended to warm the seeds.

There are several options here. You can simply leave the envelope with the seeds on the battery or somewhere near another heat source (for example, near the stove, if you cook often) for a few days. For seeds stored in the cold, this procedure is all the more necessary. Another option - accelerated. Just a couple of hours is enough to soak the seeds in hot water (so that it does not cool, you can use a thermos).

Heated in such a way the seeds sprout faster and better and demonstrate higher productivity.

Now it's time to discard the "dead" material. Seeds are placed in water or in a weak solution of ordinary table salt, they wait a few minutes and then they throw out all the seeds that have not sunk to the bottom, they still will not sprout.

The tested material after the brine should be well washed and disinfected.

For these purposes, the seeds are dipped for half an hour into a weak solution of potassium permanganate, garlic infusion or for a day - into aloe vera juice (you must first hold the cut leaves of the plant for about five days in the dark at room temperature, and only then squeeze the juice). After such dressing, the seeds should be washed and dried. But that's not all.

To improve germination, cucumber seeds are recommended to soak for 10-12 hours in a growth stimulator (they are sold in specialty stores in specialized stores).

You can use the infusion of wood ash for the same purpose (1 tablespoon per liter of water, leave for 24 hours, then strain).

The extreme option - plain water, better than melt. Liquid for soaking should be slightly above room temperature - about 28 degrees.

You can not rush with the termination of soaking, until the seed "proklyutnetsya": at its tip appears first tiny, then like a small white worm spine.

In this case, you can see exactly which of the seeds will sprout, but here it is important not to delay the planting so as not to destroy the germ.

To make the result even better, especially the meticulous gardeners harden the seeds that have already turned, putting them in wet gauze and placing them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for several days. And, finally, a special “chic” is to arrange contrasting seeds for the seeds, alternately placing them in the refrigerator for several hours and taking them out of the room.

By the way, it is in the fridge that the sunflower seeds should be kept,to keep them for several days in a “canned” form, if for some reason you cannot start planting right now (for example, you need to postpone the procedure until the weekend).

And finally, everything is ready for growing seedlings. Choose a day when you are at home and do not hurry anywhere, and proceed.

First of all, the prepared containers should be filled with the soil mixture prepared in advance and it should be watered well with very hot water (not boiling water, but distinctly hot, about 70 degrees) - this will give the soil additional disinfection.

Wait a few minutes before planting so that the soil has time to cool slightly.

If the seeds have passed all the necessary stages of preparation, one seed can be planted in each cup, because we are almost sure of their germination. If you didn’t wait for pecking, you can plant two, but this option is still undesirable, because cucumbers have a very delicate root system, and trying to separate plants from one another after subsequent transplantation, you risk irreparable harm to them.

For this reason, when planting two seeds in one pot, the weaker must still be removed immediately after appearing.otherwise, instead of one high-yielding cucumber, you will get two sick and weak, or even lose both.

In this case, the term “remove” should be understood not to be pulled out by the root - this alone is enough to disturb the sprout left in the tank - using a manicure scissors, cut off the “extra” seedling at ground level, depriving it of its chances of survival.

Due to the weak root system, the ideal capacity for cucumber seedlings is peat cups, however, if you are able to cross the plants without damaging the earthen room, you can use ordinary cardboard or plastic ones. By the way, if you feel sorry for the money on the peat pots, but you are not sure about your qualifications, you can use the “grandmother’s method”: make a bag from a regular newspaper and place it in a glass prepared for stability.

Fill the tank with earth, plant a seed, care for it as usual, and before planting on the garden bed, carefully remove the sprout together with the newspaper, put it in the hole, sprinkle the ground on the sides and on top.

In the process of watering the newspaper will get wet and decompose, and cucumbers will easily take root through such soft paper.

In the prepared cup, a toothpick or other object is made a 1.5-2 cm indentation, a sprouted seed is carefully put into it, after which the earth is leveled over it just as gently.

If you are afraid of hurting the spine, you can lay it directly on the surface, and carefully pour the necessary layer of slightly damp soil from above.

The pots are placed in a warm, bright place, and after the appearance of the first shoots above the ground, the temperature, as already mentioned, is reduced to 23-25 ​​degrees Celsius.

Sprout care

After planting and during the first weeks, seedlings should not be watered, otherwise the lightest seed may fall deeper and not germinate.

So that the soil does not dry out, it is only sprayed out of the sprayer, while it is necessary to ensure that the water is warm.

It is good before the shoots appear to tighten the box with the pots installed in it with a film, thus creating a small improvised greenhouse, but in this case the film must be removed periodically so that the soil under it can “breathe”, for cucumbers it is very important.

We have already said that cucumber seeds sprout very quickly. After how many days exactly this happens, it depends on the outside temperature and on whether the seeds were germinated before planting.

If the air is heated to 25-28 degrees, the cotyledon leaves from germinated seeds appear on the surface within three days, worse prepared seeds and lower temperatures can stretch this process twice, or even three times. Now remove the film (if it was taut) and begin to prepare future cucumbers for "independent living." The first thing you need to worry about is that the seedlings do not start to drag up.

For these purposes, just for a couple of days we place it in a bright, but cool enough place - 17-19 degrees during the day and 13-14 degrees at night (in April, an indoor balcony or loggia should fit well for these purposes, but remember that seedlings need a lot amount of light).

After a couple of days, the external temperature should be raised to the optimum for the cultivation of cucumber seedlings, we talked about it in detail above.

To regulate the temperature, in the absence of a closed loggia, it is recommended that seedlings be separated from the living area with a film, and inside this kind of greenhouse, opening and closing the window, create the most suitable temperature.

And again: do not forget about lighting or artificial lighting!

Watering seedlings can be started only after the first cotyledon leaves are fully formed. In order to prevent the leaching of the roots, at first it is better to use a teaspoon.

Too cold water slows the growth of the plant and can even lead to its death, so it is better to heat it to about 30 degrees.

Properly developing seedlings form the first true leaf by the end of the first week after germination. Dive cucumbers should not be. Firstly, these plants are very difficult to tolerate any transplants, even if you are a professional in transshipments without damaging the earthen coma, the procedure still does not pass without stress for the plant.

Secondly, we have already said that the seedlings are formed very quickly, so it should be planted immediately in a separate pot of sufficient size to be transplanted only once - on the bed (or in the greenhouse).

For a short period of formation of seedlings, it must be fed at least once (if the land for planting was not fertile or the seedlings look painful and frail, then once may not be enough).

This is best done a few days before landing in open ground, using complex mineral fertilizers such as nitrophoska (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) at the rate of about half a cup of solution for each plant.

In addition, as a preventive measure, cucumbers should be treated several times against pathogens of fungal diseases and pests already at the stage of growing seedlings, and for these purposes it is better to use non-toxic modern biological products, for example, Rizoplan. Another way to strengthen the seedlings - regular spraying growth stimulant (for cucumbers a good result shows the biological product "Epin").

If the seedlings are in close proximity to the battery, it is also necessary to constantly humidify too dry air. For this purpose, it is advisable to place as close as possible a large container of water near it, and put a damp towel on the battery and ensure that it remains wet.

Hardening and landing in the ground

Any seedlings before planting in the open ground must be prepared for the new conditions - harden. Cucumbers are no exception.

For a start, it is enough to open the window for a few hours before the seedlings, and later begin to carry the pots to the open air for a short time, gradually lengthening the sessions.

It is better to carry out hardening on cloudy days or after the sun is too bright, and will no longer cover the balcony, otherwise its rays will simply burn the young leaves.

Planting cucumbers in open ground is carried out after the formation of three to five true leaves on the seedlings. With proper care of this phase, seedlings reach about four weeks after sowing or a little earlier. They must be sturdy, with a thick stem and dark green leaves and white intact roots that fill the entire pot.

The optimal air temperature for cucumbers is about 18 degrees of heat during the day and not less than 15 degrees of heat at night.

If you have not guessed with the deadlines, and it is still too cold by that time, the cucumbers begin to turn yellow, which, of course, cannot be allowed, so be careful!

In the extreme case, in order not to destroy the plants, plant them on the garden bed, but for the first time cover it with a film in order to avoid freezing.

Possible difficulties

There are a lot of difficulties with cucumbers, so many summer residents are trying not to grow this product at all. Let's try to stay on the main.

If the seedlings are drawn out, this may indicate problems with two parameters - light or temperature (or both, at the same time). Unfortunately, at home, in contrast to equipped greenhouses, it is almost impossible to create optimal conditions suitable for these capricious plants.

Above, we talked about the need for additional lighting, but not all gardeners-amateurs can afford such pleasure. At a minimum, you should try to ensure a large distance between the individual pots, so that the plants simply do not overshadow each other.

Sometimes it is possible to add light by means of the system of side mirrors installed directly on the windowsill.

Planting is not very strong seedlings need to be heated in the soil knowingly, and the soil should not be too wet. Another problem is that cucumber seedlings grow too fast. You did not have time to come to your senses, and bright yellow flowers have already blossomed in your pots.

In principle, there is nothing fatal in this, but if the plant is weakened, it will be much more difficult for him to survive a transplant after the beginning of flowering, so it’s best not to delay this procedure.

In a pinch, it is better to remove the first few flowers so that the bush focuses on rooting. He will begin to bear fruit later, but he will not get sick, otherwise you should not count on a good harvest from a weak plant anyway.

Further, cucumbers, as already mentioned, need much more humid air than most crops. However, even small droplets on the leaves, including dew, almost overnight can destroy the plant.

Actually, it’s not the water itself that is destroying the cucumber, but powdery mildew and other fungal infections, for which water on the leaves is excellent conditions for reproduction.

In order to avoid such problems, water cucumbers better in the morning, the same applies to preventive sprays.

Watering young cucumbers is a whole art. It should be regular and at the same time moderate in order to prevent neither overmoistening nor drying out.

To maximize the preservation of light and heat, a special dark film is sometimes used, it is placed on the surface of the garden bed, and cross-shaped cuts are made directly into it, in which seedlings are planted from pots (or directly from pots if they are made from peat or from a newspaper).

Even a slight cooling can completely kill healthy and strong seedlings after planting in open ground. The same effect can arise simply from too large (over seven degrees) difference between day and night temperatures.

To prevent this from happening, as already mentioned, it is better to cover the plant just in case. Nevertheless, the cultivation of cucumbers is a truly delicate matter, starting, as they say, with a seed. But if you do not ignore any of the above conditions, spring works will be rewarded a hundredfold,since the prepared, tempered and promptly treated in case of possible problems, the seedlings will transfer any tests much better than the seed thrown into the ground, which rises very quickly, but also dies quickly, without having time to please with a tasty and fragrant harvest.