How to grow seedlings of cucumbers?

In our country, cucumbers are a popular and often grown crop, which is popular not only among experienced gardeners, but also among beginners. To harvest early, increase fruiting, use the method of planting seedlings.

If you form it at home, and then plant it in open soil, the result will be more effective. Such cucumbers grow stronger, bear fruit faster and more actively.

Deadlines

Seedlings of cucumbers are grown without problems at home on the windowsill, but you need to decide on the timing. The planting period is determined by the approximate date of the desired harvest. Do not forget that seedlings that have already exceeded their optimal age take root worse – they should not be overexposed. Seedlings strengthen and mature at different times – from three weeks to 30 days.

Individual varietal, hybrid features of a particular variety are also taken into account. Often the growth is very fast, early seedlings can be planted after two weeks. Decide on the following details:

• harvest date;
• region of growth, climate;
• place of growth.

If in the southern regions sowing can be carried out in January and February, then in the Siberian regions the period is shifted to spring – March-April. It is also important to take into account the degree of development of seedlings. You can drop off when:

• the root system is fully formed;
• leaves have a dense structure and dark green color;
• stems are strong with short internodes.

It should also be taken into account where the seedlings are transplanted, the timing varies on this basis.

For greenhouse

If the greenhouses are heated, the timing, in principle, is not important, you can grow a crop in any season. If the greenhouse is not heated, then it is worth counting a couple of weeks from the proposed landing in the ground. In Siberia, for example, the sowing time is mid-March, in the south – January-February.

For open ground

It all depends on the weather conditions, until the frosts have finally stopped, the transplant cannot be carried out. The soil should not only unfreeze, but also warm up to 15 ° C, and the air temperature should be set at around 20 ° C.

As a rule, this is May-June, when it comes to cold regions. In any case, the defining moment is the climate of the region where the crop is planted. The sowing date of seedlings is counted backwards.

The planting process

Planting seeds by seedling method has its advantages:

• the fruiting period is significantly increased;
• the harvest is guaranteed even in harsh regions;
• fruits begin to ripen earlier.

But for the result to be like this, you need to prepare and do everything right. Sowing, soil, processing – all this has its own characteristics, cucumbers are considered a very delicate culture. To begin with, the earth and containers are being prepared, the soil requirements are as follows:

• this culture needs a light type of soil, but rather moisture-intensive;
• a good level of breathability should be ensured, drainage should be prepared;
• minerals and organics must be present in optimal amounts.

You can purchase a suitable soil mixture, which has already been disinfected, in specialty stores. But experienced gardeners prefer to prepare and process the soil on their own. It is made up of the following elements:

• riding type peat;
• sand;
• leaf type land;
• mature compost.

Peat can be excluded if it is not present. A mixture of this type must be disinfected, this is done with the help of steam, calcination or freezing. After these procedures, the soil mixture is fed, this is necessary so that the root system is quickly formed, and mold and fungi do not develop. For 1 bucket of soil mixture you will need:

• ash – 1 glass;
• phosphorus supplement – 2 tbsp. l.;
• nitrophoska – 3 tbsp. l.;
• “Fitosporin”, “Trichodermin” – for treatment with fungicides.

After that, the seed material is prepared, the technology of this process is very important. If you cook seeds with violations, this will affect the health and strength of the plant, the timing of spitting will shift. Planting material is stored for up to 10 years, but the peak of germination occurs on four-year-old seeds.

If you collect seeds yourself, keep in mind that annuals will not bring a large harvest, and varietal options will repeat the yield of the year they were harvested.

The purchased material has already been processed, but self-harvested seeds need help and carry out several procedures:

• disinfection in a manganese solution;
• soaking in any environment until pecking;
• tempering procedures in a refrigerator or other place at 0°C;
• bubbling material older than 6 years.

Seeding instructions:

• first you need to fill the planting containers with soil on the drainage layer, the depth of the soil is approximately ⅔ of the entire container;
• the soil is thoroughly moistened, all excess water is allowed to leave, the soil is generously nourished;
• you need to plant the seeds in a wet-type soil that crumbles and does not stick to your hands;
• seeds are placed in the middle of the container, they should not be buried, it is enough to sprinkle with earth, tamp with a finger;
• the soil is watered again, covered with polyethylene and placed in a room with a temperature of 16 to 20 ° C.

After disembarkation, airing and watering of a light type is sufficient – until shoots appear. Then farming practices change.

Growing methods

Properly planting cucumbers in seedlings is very important, but it is also necessary to properly grow seedlings. You can sow cucumbers at home in different containers, there are many ways to grow landless. In an apartment, these methods are in particular demand, as they are simpler, there is no excess dirt, dust. The landless planting variation guarantees good protection against the black leg, the plant will be completely free from the threat. Cucumber seedlings are planted on toilet paper, isolon or polyethylene:

• the bases of the tape type are laid out, a certain number of layers of paper soaked in water and Epin are placed on them;
• seed material is placed on top;
• from above they are covered with paper, slightly moistened and wrapped with a “snail”;
• the roll is inserted into a container of water so that the moisture is at a sufficient level;
• this design for moistening on the wicks is covered with polyethylene;
• when the first sprouts appear, the “snails” with wicks are transferred to a warm, well-lit area.

There are many other successful seed planting methods.

In peat tablets

You will need a plastic container in which the tablet is placed. The thickness of the latter varies from 5 to 8 mm. Watering is carried out, when the tablet swells, the excess moisture is removed. In the center of the tablet, a recess is formed into which the seed is placed. From above it needs to be sprinkled with peat, soaked with humus.

After that, the container is covered with polyethylene and cleaned in a warm place. It is important to lift the film after the appearance of the sprout and add water in time. The grid of the tablet that holds the peat filling can break. In this case, the seedlings need to be transplanted, the mesh is removed, soil is introduced. Before landing in a permanent place, the grid is cut off.

in shell

This growing method is considered the most extraordinary, it is important to collect the shells in advance and choose the containers in which they will be placed. An egg tray or a box will perfectly fulfill this role. It is necessary to form a hole in each shell to remove moisture, this can be done with an ordinary awl. The shell must be thoroughly washed and disinfected before the procedure, then it is filled with soil mixture.

On the outside of the shell, you can write the date of planting, the name of the variety. After placing the material in the ground, it is covered with polyethylene and placed in heat. Every day you need to provide ventilation and humidification if necessary. When planting in a permanent place, the shell is broken in the palm of your hand and placed in a prepared hole along with the ground. Calcium from the shell is an additional fertilizer.

In peat pots

Special pots are sold in stores, they are filled with soil mixture and 2 seeds are placed in the center. They are sprinkled with sand or soil, rammed without fanaticism and moistened. Before the emergence of seedlings, the pots must be covered with a film.

in cups

Any plastic container that has the bottom removed will work. Glasses are placed on a special pallet, soil is poured inside, 2 seeds are placed in each container. When they germinate, it will be necessary to remove unhealthy and weak shoots. Deepening is carried out by about one and a half centimeters, then everything is sprinkled with soil in a small amount.

It is necessary to spray the ground with water from a spray bottle, cover with polyethylene and put in a warm room. When the seeds sprout, the film is removed. Seedlings are planted in a permanent place by transshipment. The bottom is bent, the lump with the soil is pushed out and sent to the moistened hole.

in sawdust

The soil mixture is successfully replaced with sawdust when growing seed material. They should be small, this method has a number of advantages. For example, the root system is formed faster and stronger, and landing in the ground does not cause problems. You need to take a plastic container with holes for drainage and pour sawdust into it. Layer thickness – 5 cm.

After that, they are poured with hot water – boiling water. Seeds are placed on top, sprinkled with a 1,5-centimeter layer of a similar material. It also needs to be steamed first. Then the container is closed with polyethylene and placed in a warm place.

Care

Regardless of the method of sowing, as soon as cotyledon-type leaves appear and open, it is necessary to reduce the air temperature to 21 ° C during the day, at night – to 16 degrees. Caring for seedlings before transplanting is very important. To grow strong bushes, it is usually enough to feed them after germination, water and monitor the lighting.

Watering

When the seedlings appear, you do not need to immediately moisten them, you should wait 5 days. Use settled water at room temperature, cucumbers do not tolerate cold liquid. To ensure accurate, high-quality watering, use a pipette, syringe, spoon or watering can without a nozzle. It is important to irrigate the container from the edges without affecting the plants themselves.

Moderate moisture and drainage of water from the drainage holes will ensure the good development of seedlings. When the seedlings grow up, they are fed with water using a pallet. After each procedure, it is necessary to loosen the soil and mulch with dry type sand.

Lighting

When the seedlings sprout in mass, it must be placed in an area with sufficient illumination. If there is little light, you will need backlighting with a phytolamp, and the containers are placed at a distance from each other, avoiding thickening. Cucumbers are very fond of light, so they need a long daylight hours for active growth. But it is important to provide protection from direct sunlight, otherwise burns cannot be avoided.

The optimal light is diffused, you can organize it with the help of a tulle curtain. A light day of more than 10 hours guarantees the rapid growth of seedlings, but if it is shorter, the plants will begin to wither and turn pale.

The lamp must be turned on in the morning and in the evening, when there is little light, lighting devices are located above the sprouts by at least 5 cm, and a maximum of 10 cm.

Additional fertilizing

Despite the introduction of minerals and organic matter during planting, watering and lighting in sufficient quantities, seedlings can still wither. In this case, you need to make additional fertilizers. For example, when planting, you can crush the seeds with a mixture of sand and ash. The first time you need to feed the plants only if necessary, if the plant develops according to plan, this item can be skipped. Additionally, seedlings can be fertilized with “Kemira” in solution, boron, and other microelements. Feeding method – spraying or watering, in the first case, the solution should be slightly concentrated.

After the seedlings get stronger, it needs to be hardened off in order to gradually lead to planting in a permanent place. Picking cucumbers is done only when necessary, this culture does not like transplantation. Seedlings dive only in a grown form.

Diseases and pests

Sometimes seedlings do not grow at all as expected, they look unhealthy. It is dangerous to let this process go by itself, the cause of growth failure may be a disease or the presence of pests. If you see that the seedlings are disappearing, you need to determine the cause. Yellowing of the leaves, when their edges wither and dry, indicates the presence of a disease. White rot, powdery mildew, root type rot, spider mites affect the plant if it is waterlogged.

In this case, spraying with fungicidal agents should be done.

• The drug “Gliocladin” will help to cope with black plaque. First, the affected leaves are removed, healthy ones are processed after.
• Gray rot appears as brownish or grayish spots. It is necessary to sprinkle the affected areas with ash and stop moisturizing.
• If white and red spots appear, powdery mildew prevents seedlings from developing. Again, ash and spraying with sulfuric solutions will help.
• White rot affects the plant completely, powdering with fluffy lime and reducing moisture will help. Plants should be kept away from each other.
• The spider mite manifests itself as yellow dots, which gradually increase in number. The tick will gradually entangle all the plants from top to bottom and drink the juice. All insecticidal compounds work well against the pest, including Karbofos, Fitoverm, Agravertin and others.
• The melon aphid is also dangerous, it can settle on the ovaries, under the foliage. Plants dry, leaves curl. The larvae are removed with a cotton pad soaked in a soap solution. If the situation worsens, a double treatment with insecticidal compounds is carried out – after three days, repeat.

You can prevent the appearance of pests by spraying with water or diluted potassium permanganate.

Most of the problems associated with diseases and pests are due to violations of agricultural technology:

• ignoring the disinfection of seed material;
• violation of the quantity and regularity of moisture;
• ignoring the stage of tillage;
• violation of the humidity regime in any direction;
• draft, problems with temperature changes;
• lack of light or excess of direct sunlight;
• lack of nutrition;
• overexposure of the plant in seedling containers.