In order to grow strong healthy plants from cucumber seeds, special attention should be paid to the pre-sowing preparation of seedlings. Their germination and resistance of plants to external adverse factors largely depend on the correct observance of agricultural technology. It is noticed that cucumbers grown from prepared seedlings give a consistently high yield.
Need for procedures
Cucumber seeds are known to have a high germination rate. High quality seed usually germinates at 90%. Properly collected and stored under optimal conditions, seedlings remain viable for up to 7 years.
However, over time, their viability begins to decline, so it is best to use 2-3-year-old seeds for planting. When using planting material older than 5 years without any additional processing, the yield will be extremely low.
And annual seeds give a lot of empty flowers, and this affects fruiting in the most unfavorable way. That is why proper seed preparation is so important, which is the main guarantee of a good harvest.
Harvesting and checking for germination
We draw special attention to the fact that seeds for sowing can only be collected from certain varieties. For example, hybrid varieties are sterile and not suitable for seed propagation. They can be distinguished by the marking F1.
Seed fruits should remain on the vines until fully ripe. You can pick them only after the peel changes color to bright yellow. Immediately after this, the fruits are placed in a warm place, protected from ultraviolet rays, for 7-10 days. During this time, the cucumber will become softer, all that remains is to cut the vegetable and collect the seeds.
Unfortunately, not all seedlings are viable, so they need to be checked for germination. To do this, you need a saline solution, diluted at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. salt per 1 liter of water. Planting material is lowered into it for a quarter of an hour and they look – the seeds that have surfaced are empty, they cannot be used for planting seedlings.
Please note that with the help of a saline solution, only fresh seed material aged 1-2 years can be culled. Old seeds can float even if they have fully retained their germination capacity. To verify their viability, you can place a test batch for germination.
Calibration
An important step in preparing cucumber seeds for planting is their calibration. From the entire volume of planting material, you need to choose the best one. This is especially true if you harvest the seedlings yourself or buy them from your hands, in stores they sell seeds that have already been processed. Deformed seedlings, as well as dark and spotted seedlings, are subject to mandatory culling. Quality seeds should be even, evenly colored, light.
During calibration, it is necessary to separate small seeds from large ones. This will facilitate subsequent planting, since small seeds are planted to a depth of 7-10 mm, large ones are deepened by 1,5-2 cm. If you have collected a lot of seedlings, then small ones can not be used, in which case they are thrown away.
How to disinfect?
The most serious attention in preparing seeds for sowing seedlings is given to disinfection. This treatment prevents the development of root and brown rot, bacteriosis, powdery mildew, and viral mosaic. One of the following disinfection options is usually used.
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Seedlings are placed in a canvas bag and immersed in a saturated solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour, and then washed with clean running water.
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A good disinfecting effect has an infusion of garlic peel. To do this, it is poured with boiling water, set to infuse for 2-4 hours and filtered. Seeds in the resulting infusion are immersed for 1-1,5 hours.
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For disinfection, you can use boric acid, as well as copper sulfate or nitrophoska. They are diluted at the rate of 5 g of the drug per 1 liter of water. Cucumber seeds should spend at least 12 hours in this environment.
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Biopreparations give good results. You can take “Fitosporin-M” (3 drops per glass of water) or “Gamair” (1 tablet per glass of water).
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A small amount of seeds can be soaked in aloe juice, diluted with ordinary water in a ratio of 1 to 1. In this case, disinfection will take 5-6 hours.
Important: after disinfection, cucumber seeds must be dried in natural conditions.
How to warm up?
To activate the vital energy of seedlings, it is desirable to warm them up. Such a procedure will become an incentive to improve germination and additionally disinfect the seed. Under the influence of high temperatures, the pathogenic microflora dies, and the germination process is accelerated.
The procedure is simple. The seeds are laid out on paper and placed near the battery. At a temperature of 30 degrees, warming up is carried out for about a week, at 35-45 degrees – no more than 3 days. You can process the seedlings in the oven under the influence of heat of 50-60 degrees, in this case it will take 3,5-4 hours to warm up.
All methods are equally effective. It is noticed that heated seeds give a lot of female ovaries. This contributes to the overall increase in fruiting.
Bubbling
The bubbling process is very popular. In this case, the seedlings are placed in warm water, where oxygen is supplied, for this treatment, you can use a conventional aquarium processor. During the procedure, the seedlings are enriched with oxygen. This procedure gives a good effect for stimulating the germination of old seeds aged 5-7 years. As for young seedlings, bubbling will not give a pronounced effect.
The step-by-step instruction includes several steps.
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A tube of a compressor producing air bubbles is lowered into a container with clean cool water.
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Next, a gauze bag with cucumber seeds is placed in the water, it is advisable to place it exactly above the tube.
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If done correctly, the air bubbles will completely surround the bag. In this state, the seedlings should spend 20-25 hours.
Important: it happens that after sparging, some grains hatch. They need to be dropped off as soon as possible.
How to germinate?
In order for the seeds to sprout faster, it is very important that they receive nutrients and water in sufficient volume. This will help soaking the seed in solutions of growth stimulants. Under their influence, all biological processes are activated, germination is accelerated, and subsequently the development of cucumber seedlings improves.
One of the most effective means is “Epin”. It is used at the rate of 2-3 drops per 100 ml of water, cucumber seeds are processed during the day. The drug “Zircon” has a similar effect, it is considered one of the most powerful immunomodulators of plant cells. To process 5 drops of the product, dilute 1 liter of water, and keep the cucumbers in the solution for a day.
The composition of Energen Aqua is equally effective. It spurs the vitality of seedlings and helps to strengthen their immunity. Sprouts obtained after such treatment give healthy seedlings that can resist pathogens of fungal, viral and bacterial infections. For processing, 18-20 drops of the drug are diluted in 1 liter of water and the prepared material is immersed in this solution for 10-12 hours.
Fans of folk remedies can use succinic acid. To make a working solution, 1 tablet is diluted in 1 glass of heated water. It is noticed that this tool is able to accelerate germination twice.
Sodium and potassium humates are often used for soaking. They nourish the shell with useful macro- and microelements, and in addition, activate germination. After such treatment, the plant forms healthy seedlings and builds up a powerful root system.
Fans of folk remedies can use honey. For this, 1 tsp. diluted in a glass of cool water and kept cucumber seeds for a day. Usually, after such a procedure, the first sprouts hatch already within 7-10 hours.
Prepared seeds are placed on gauze or linen, evenly redistributed and covered with the same layer of cloth. Planting material is watered so that the fabric is slightly moistened, but does not float. During germination, it is important to observe the humidity regime and avoid hypothermia. The temperature in the room where germination is carried out should be kept at 25-28 degrees. If it is colder or hotter, germination will slow down significantly.
Avoid excessive moisture, otherwise the access of oxygen to the seedlings will be limited. This can cause the seeds to rot. In order for the fabric not to dry out, it will be enough to spray it with water from a spray bottle 2-3 times a day.
Hardening
Swollen seedlings are subjected to the last stage of germination – hardening. To do this, they are exposed to low temperatures. These events are designed to activate the immune system and trigger growth inhibitors. The use of hardening increases the cold resistance of seedlings. Bushes formed from such seeds will be easier to tolerate temperature fluctuations, and they can be planted in open ground much earlier.
The swollen seeds, together with the cloth, are placed in a plastic container and placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for a couple of days. At the same time, care must be taken that the matter does not dry out. Gradually, the container is moved to shelves with a higher temperature. After 5 days, seeds can be planted in a container.
Important: seeds in which sprouts have already been outlined are not allowed for hardening. Otherwise, they will simply die.
