Buying cucumber seeds in a store is almost always associated with certain risks, because not a single, even the most reliable and decent seller is able to 100% guarantee the high quality of planting material. It is known that a large number of factors affect the viability and germination of seeds, ranging from the characteristics of their harvesting to storage and transportation conditions. To avoid unnecessary risks associated with the purchase of cucumber seeds “from hand”, you can try to get planting material yourself at home. In this article, we will look at what needs to be done for this.
Variety choice
Many gardeners who have never encountered harvesting cucumber seeds at home before mistakenly believe that any fruit in its full maturity phase can be used to obtain planting material. However, it is not: experienced summer residents know that the fruits obtained from hybrids are absolutely unsuitable for harvesting seeds (the F1 or F2 marking is always present on the packaging with the seeds of such cucumbers). Varietal characteristics of plants (including the quantity and quality of future fruits) bred from such seeds are preserved only in the first or second generation. Plants of all subsequent generations inevitably lose their original advantages and characteristics of the variety. Accordingly, the yield of such cucumbers, as well as the size and taste of the fruit, change for the worse over time.
In this way, to obtain high-quality planting material, fruits obtained from cucumbers that were grown from seeds that are not labeled F1 and F2 should be used. This is one of the main conditions that should guide the selection of fruits of a suitable variety.
Other recommendations for choosing a variety include plant yield, taste, keeping quality, fruit transportability and other significant features.
How to choose a fruit?
For the subsequent receipt of seeds with your own hands, it is necessary to determine in advance on the site 2-3 of the strongest, well-developed and healthy bushes. Plants must be free from visible damage, insect pests or disease. It is undesirable to select cucumbers purchased in a store or on the market for seed collection, as they may turn out to be hybrid (labeled F1 or F2).
During the fruiting period, 2-3 largest, visually attractive and healthy greens are selected on each plant.
In order not to confuse these greens with other fruits during the harvest period, gardeners usually mark them by loosely tying the stem with ribbon or colored twine.
Next, seed cucumbers are left on the plant until fully ripened. If the fruits touch the surface of the earth, they are placed on a substrate – a plastic grate or plank (otherwise the cucumber may rot). If possible, the fruits are arranged so that they are well lit by the sun.
The fact that the seed cucumber is fully ripe is evidenced by such signs as:
the fetus has acquired maximum dimensions and weight;
the color of the fruit has become golden-bronze or orange-yellow;
an openwork light yellow “mesh” appeared on the peel;
the peduncle is completely dry and/or has fallen off.
To the touch, a ripe seed cucumber should feel pliable, slightly soft. The elasticity and hardness of the pulp usually indicate that the fruit is not fully ripe. Such cucumbers are recommended to be temporarily placed in a warm, dry and sunny place (for example, on a windowsill), where they can reach the required maturity.
During ripening, the fruit should be turned over periodically, otherwise its peel on the underside may burst under the weight of the pulp, and the cucumber itself may rot.
How to collect?
After full ripening, the seed fruit is carefully cut in half, the top and tip of the fruit are removed. Seeds located in these parts are not used for collection, storage and subsequent planting, since plants grown from them often produce small and bitter fruits.
After cutting the seed fruit, they are armed with a spoon, and with its help, the seeds are carefully removed along with a small part of the adjacent pulp. The extracted seeds are sent to a jar with clean settled water. The amount of water should be such that the seeds are completely covered with it. The top of the jar is tied with a piece of clean gauze or cotton fabric.
Next, the jar is cleaned in a dark and moderately cool place, every next two days replacing the water with fresh water. Strong fermentation of the contents of the jar should not be allowed – otherwise the seeds will become unsuitable for planting. If the contents of the jar have fermented, the seeds must be washed as thoroughly as possible and poured with a portion of clean, settled water. It is absolutely impossible to fill the seeds with fresh tap water, since it usually contains a large amount of chlorine. To eliminate it, water is pre-collected in jars and settled for 1-2 days.
Each time you change the water in the container, the contents of the latter are well shaken or mixed with a clean spoon. After 2-3 days, part of the seeds will sink to the bottom of the container, and the other part will float up. The planting material that has risen to the top is discarded by gardeners as barren and, accordingly, useless. The same seeds that have settled to the bottom of the jar are considered full-bodied, viable and promising. They are washed in clean, not very cold water, using a sieve with small cells, and left for several hours to dry.
Dry the seeds for several days, laying them out in an even layer on clean paper or cotton cloth. The fact that the planting material has completely passed the drying cycle will be evidenced by its lightness, uniformity and flowability.
Storage Tips
It is recommended to store cucumber seeds harvested at home in paper bags or cotton bags. Plastic bags (zip bags) are not suitable for storing seeds, because planting material can “suffocate” in them and lose viability.
Dark, dry and cool places are suitable for storing seeds. It is important to bear in mind that with an increase in temperature and / or air humidity, cucumber seeds may start to grow, after which they cannot be used for sowing. Dark, cool rooms are optimally suited for storing planting material, in which the air temperature is stably kept at + 10 … 15 ° С. And also it should be taken into account that darkness (the complete absence of light) is also a prerequisite for storing seeds.
Damp basements, cellars, as well as balconies and loggias are unsuitable for storing seed material. Usually in such places there are sharp temperature drops and changes in air humidity.
When harvesting planting material with your own hands, you must also remember about the labeling of the packaging (bags). So, on each bag of seeds sent for storage, the date of collection and the name of the variety should be indicated. Additionally, many gardeners add other characteristics to this description – for example, the weight and size of the fruit, its taste, keeping quality, and portability of transportation.
