Whether you’re growing cucumbers in the garden, in containers on your balcony, or in a greenhouse, there are a few important secrets that will help you grow strong plants and get a really fast harvest.
Who in our time does not want to get the harvest of the cherished cucumbers as soon as possible? We are in a hurry in everything, and growing plants is no exception – the summer is short, we miss vitamins, we have accumulated zeal over the winter. And then inexperienced gardeners can make several mistakes that will not bring them closer, but on the contrary, they will postpone the harvest. So, the cherished 5 secrets of a quick harvest of cucumbers.
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Secret 1: Do not sow cucumbers for seedlings too early
When should cucumbers be sown for seedlings? By the time of planting, cucumbers should have no more than 3-4 leaves, that is, it is quite enough to sow cucumbers in late April – early May. Look at the description of the variety on the back of the bag of seeds. There, the manufacturer indicates how many days after sowing the cucumbers will yield a crop. As a rule, for early ripening (early) varieties we are talking about 30-40 day old plants. So consider for yourself whether you need to sow cucumbers in early April, and then toil with overgrown seedlings. Many believe that the fruiting of cucumbers can be accelerated by planting adult seedlings of cucumbers in the ground or greenhouse. Believe me, this is a big mistake. You do not need to sow cucumbers a month and a half before planting in the ground. Ready seedlings of cucumbers in open ground in the middle lane can be planted after June 10. And in the same period, film shelters are removed from plants. Since the weather gives surprises every year, it is better not to be tied to specific dates, but to follow the weather.
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Secret 2: When growing seedlings, constantly increase the volume of the pot
All pumpkin plants do not develop well in a small amount of soil. The roots of cucumbers should not intertwine into a ball. If this happens, then in the future it will affect the growth, and most importantly, the yield of your cucumbers. The roots for a month of seedling growth in a cramped pot intertwine and age. That is, you will plant a plant with a non-working root system in the ground. It takes about a month to adapt such seedlings, which means that the harvest will move a lot.
Cucumbers love a large pot
There is no point in trying to grow adult cucumber seedlings in a cup, or even in a liter volume. You will get a pampered plant on a thin stem with consumptive leaves. The longer the shoots of cucumber seedlings, the more weakened the plant you have grown. Therefore, once a week, transplant cucumbers into a larger pot if the planting dates are shifted. But itβs best to follow advice 1 and not sow cucumbers too early.Β
Of course, do not forget about feeding cucumber seedlings! Once every 10-14 days, feed cucumber seedlings with liquid fertilizer for seedlings according to the instructions. If you bought a universal fertilizer, the concentration for seedlings should be 10 times lower, otherwise the fertilizer may burn the roots. Cucumbers prefer organo-mineral or organic fertilizers – for example, a weak solution of mullein infusion.
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Secret 3: Give Cucumber Seedlings Good Light
Cucumber seedlings need very good light, natural light from a window is not enough. If, by the time the cotyledon leaves are formed, the plants are not illuminated with special lamps for seedlings for 8-10 hours, the cucumbers will be weakened.
Many people say that cucumber seedlings grown at home do not grow after planting in a greenhouse. Having spat, they sowed the cucumbers in the ground again, and they caught up with the seedlings, and later they overtook them, giving a wonderful harvest. Now you know why this happens: in the apartment it is dark for cucumbers even on the brightest window.
Secret 4: Plant cucumbers when the weather is consistently warm
To obtain an early harvest of cucumbers, soil temperature comes first. It should not be lower than 17 Β° C, and better – higher. But gardeners in the greenhouse measure the air temperature, and most often during the day. First of all, pay attention to night temperatures and soil temperature. Planted in cold soil, cucumber seedlings often turn yellow because the roots cannot absorb nutrients in cold soil. In this situation, it is absolutely pointless and even harmful to pour everything under poor plants – fertilizers, chemicals, soil fungi. If the weather is cold, first think about ways to heat the greenhouse.
Cucumber seedlings planted in open ground must be monitored daily; this method of cultivation is well suited only to those gardeners who constantly live in the country. In the event of a cold snap or rain, you need to put arcs over the plants and stretch the film, in hot weather – water every 2-3 days.
What to do if it’s time to plant seedlings, but you can’t see the heat? In a greenhouse, any heating method you can afford is good. A compromise is to temporarily grow cucumbers in raised beds under a film or in barrels of at least 50 liters (so that the soil does not have time to cool overnight), filled with fertile soil.
The volume of soil in a barrel for cucumbers must be at least 50 liters
Secret 5: Sow cucumbers in a greenhouse!
The most reliable way to get an early harvest of sweet cucumbers is to sow cucumbers for seedlings in a greenhouse. But not in the ground, but in plastic boxes, for example, for fruits. The soil in the boxes warms up faster than in the beds, perforation contributes to the rapid drainage of excess water, good air capacity of the soil – the roots breathe, develop normally.
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In such boxes, seedlings can be grown for a week and a half, during which time 2-3 true leaves will grow in good weather, and the soil in the beds will warm up, and it will be possible to plant strong, healthy seedlings with a good root system. Don’t forget to water your plants regularly! From seedlings to mature plants, cucumbers need a constant supply of water to reach their full potential. After planting the seedlings in the garden, it will take about 25-30 days, and you will receive your earliest crop of cucumbers.
So, we talked about what secrets you need to consider in order to grow good seedlings of cucumbers for an early harvest. But there are still many secrets and tricks to know when your cucumbers start to develop:
Of course, to get a good harvest, cucumbers need to be fed; find out how >>>.
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