When and how to plant seedlings of cucumbers. Planting and growing seedlings of cucumbers at home in peat pots, plastic cups and eggshells. When to plant cucumbers for seedlings for a greenhouse

Growing cucumbers seedling way makes it possible for the gardener to get not only early, but also bountiful harvest. When planting seedlings, weak specimens are culled and only the strongest healthy plants remain, which quickly adapt to greenhouse conditions and start bearing fruit sooner. Most importantly, do not miss the moment and sow the seeds for seedlings in a timely manner. How to determine the optimal sowing time and avoid mistakes when growing seedlings?

For normal development, cucumbers require, first of all, warmth. If seedlings are planted in unheated soil, they will stop growing, take root for a long time, and you will get a very mediocre harvest. And if you overexpose the seedlings in cups, the result is even worse - the plants will stretch and weaken even before planting. With belated sowing, you will get the first fruits when the cucumber market is already full. That is why it is so important to learn how to independently determine the sowing dates for your climate zone.

For the root system of cucumbers, the optimum soil temperature is 15-20 degrees. In an unheated greenhouse, the earth warms up to this temperature around mid-April in the south of the country and three weeks later in the Central Strip. For the northwestern regions, the dates for planting seedlings in the greenhouse fall at the end of May. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account weather: if the spring is late, with snow and frost, then the greenhouse warms up longer.

The age of seedlings at planting should not exceed three weeks. As practice shows, seedlings take root best at the age of 14-20 days. It takes 2-3 days for seeds to germinate, another 3 days for germination. Now, in order to calculate the sowing time, it is necessary to approximately determine the date of planting the plants in the greenhouse (taking into account your region and weather conditions), and then count back 20 days (14 + 3 + 3).

Example: the greenhouse is located in middle lane, the estimated date of planting cucumbers is May 10. We count back 14 days for growing seedlings, 3 days for seedlings and 3 days for processing and germinating seeds. Turns out April 20th.

Growing cucumber seedlings has its own secrets, without which it will not be possible to achieve maximum yields. There is nothing complicated here, and any novice gardener will be able to apply the knowledge gained on his site.

Seed preparation

For the greenhouse, you should choose parthenocarpic varieties of cucumbers that do not need pollination by insects. Seeds remain viable for 6-8 years, but three-year-olds are best suited for sowing. Plants from such seeds have the largest number of female flowers, from which the ovaries develop. It concerns seed that you collected yourself. As a rule, when harvesting, a lot of substandard seeds come across, and therefore it is necessary to cull before sowing.

First, seeds with defects and too small are selected from the total mass. Then prepare a strong salt solution (a teaspoon per glass of water) and pour the rest there. After a few seconds, all the empty ones will float to the top, and those suitable for sowing will sink to the bottom of the glass.

The higher the temperature, the faster the sprouts appear, but you should not overheat them too much. At 30 degrees, the seeds hatch in a day, at 20-25 ° C, this takes no more than three days, and if the temperature is below 15 ° C, the seeds may rot. Germination only accelerates the emergence of seedlings and does not affect the fruiting of cucumbers, so you can do without it. In this case, there is only one minus - individual seeds may not sprout. To exclude this possibility, you need to sow 2-3 seeds in each cup, and then just cut off the extra sprouts, leaving the strongest one.

Advice! Seeds from reputable agricultural companies are sold already calibrated and coated protective compounds, and therefore they do not need to be disinfected or soaked so as not to wash off the thin layer of antimicrobial drugs. The same applies to granulated seeds, which are additionally coated with a layer nutrients facilitating the rooting of sprouts.

Sowing for seedlings

Cucumbers do not respond well to transplantation, and the seeds are immediately sown in individual cups with a volume of about 300 g.

The soil for seedlings should have the same composition as the greenhouse, which allows plants to quickly adapt to new conditions after planting in the greenhouse. As a rule, this is turf land and humus in equal parts. For looseness of the soil, steamed small sawdust is added (10-15% of the total mass of the substrate). It is very important that the soil is neutral, because sour cucumbers develop poorly and almost do not bear fruit.

Step 1. Take pots for seedlings and make holes in each of them for water to drain. Then the containers are filled with a soil substrate, leaving a rim with a height of at least 2 cm. This will allow you to pour the earth if necessary.

Step 2 The seeds are alternately laid out in pots and sprinkled with earth by 1.5-2 cm. warm water and cover the container with foil.

Step 3 For convenience, all pots can be placed in a wide and shallow pan and placed in a warm place. Optimum temperature during this period - about 22 degrees.

Under such conditions, sprouts appear on about the third day. If the seeds were sown not germinated, but dry, you will have to wait about a week for germination. Be sure to monitor the humidity of the substrate, moisten it if necessary. When sprouts appear, the film is removed from the pots and the seedlings are moved to the windowsill from the south or west side. The window should be slightly shaded so that direct rays do not fall on delicate leaves.

Seedling care rules

Seedlings need to be provided proper watering, temperature and lighting. Watering should be done so that water does not fall on the leaves, especially in the evening. If the air in the room is too dry, periodically the plants need to be sprayed with water. room temperature, necessarily settled (ideally rain or melt). Spraying is carried out only in the morning, so that the moisture has time to evaporate by the evening. Water moderately, every 3-4 days.

At this time, seedlings are very prone to "black leg". Even a short overheating or hypothermia of seedlings, combined with excessive moisture, can provoke its appearance. At the first signs of the disease, the affected plant must be removed along with the container, since it will no longer be possible to save it, and all other sprouts should be immediately treated with a fungicide.

The temperature at this time should be no higher than 20 degrees to avoid pulling seedlings. During hard frosts It is better to remove the plants from the window, as it gets colder on the windowsill. You should also avoid sudden temperature changes and drafts. A week before planting, the temperature should be reduced by a couple of degrees to prepare the seedlings for new conditions.

If there is not enough space on the windowsill, or the window is not well lit, the seedlings need to organize the backlight. You can use regular lamps daylight or special phytolamps for seedlings. AT cloudy weather the lamps should be turned on all day, in the sun it is enough to highlight the plants for 2-3 hours in the morning and the same amount in the evening. As the seedlings grow, the distance between the cups is gradually increased, otherwise the plants will shade each other with leaves.

Advice! If, despite all efforts, the seedlings began to stretch, it is necessary to lower the temperature to 15 degrees and leave the lamps on around the clock.

With such care, seedlings are practically not affected by diseases and quickly grow. If the plants have short strong stems, at least two or three true leaves and a rich green color- they are ready to land in the greenhouse.

Planting cucumbers in a greenhouse

Before planting, the soil in the greenhouse is loosened and leveled. Holes are prepared: they mark rows for cucumbers and, according to the marking, make indentations in the soil at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other. Wire trellises are pulled over the rows, so that later it will be convenient to tie up the stems of plants. If seedlings bush varieties, tapestries are not needed, and the distance between holes in a row can be reduced to 20-25 cm.

Starting planting, water the wells with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (0.5 liters per well), and then with clean warm water. The glass is carefully cut on one side, the plant is taken out very carefully so as not to catch the roots, and lowered into the hole. The earth ball should rise above the soil surface by about a couple of centimeters. Then pour the earth on the sides, compact with your hands, water again. When the water is absorbed, the soil around the plant is sprinkled with dry earth - this will reduce the evaporation of moisture and prevent the formation of a hard crust.

Elongated seedlings are planted a little differently. A prerequisite is well-warmed and loose soil. Plants are taken out of pots and buried in the ground to the cotyledon leaves. After planting, it is not necessary to water the seedlings, since waterlogging can cause rotting of the weakened root system. If individual seedlings managed to bloom even before planting in the greenhouse, you need to remove all the flowers and unblown buds. Such plants begin to bear fruit a little later, but quickly catch up with the rest of the bushes and are not inferior to them in terms of yield.

Plants take 5-7 days to adapt. After that, you can form bushes and tie the shoots to the trellis. Usually, greenhouse cucumbers form into one stem - it's easier to care for them, and the plants get more light. Now it remains only to regularly water the bushes, periodically feed them and wait for the harvest.

Video - When to sow cucumbers for seedlings for a greenhouse

Video - Planting cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse

In this article, we will tell you everything about growing cucumber seedlings: when to sow cucumbers for seedlings, how to grow cucumber seedlings, and when to plant cucumber seedlings in open ground.

When to plant cucumbers for seedlings in 2019

In order to know on which days of which month it is better to sow cucumbers for seedlings, you need to refer to the lunar sowing calendar.

Cucumber seedlings in 2019 can be sown on such days:

January: 1, 19, 20, 28, 29;
February: 6, 7, 20-22, 25, 26;
March: 5, 20, 21, 24, 25;
April: 2, 3, 20, 21, 24-26, 29;
May: 6, 9-11, 18, 19, 24-28;
June: 3-5, 10, 11, 15, 23, 24.

Remember that if sowing cucumbers for seedlings occurs on an unfavorable day, this will affect the health of seedlings, and the further growth and development of seedlings, as well as the quantity and quality of the crop. Therefore, planting cucumbers for seedlings should be carried out precisely on a day favorable for this activity on the rising moon.

Growing seedlings of cucumbers at home

Soil for seedlings of cucumbers

An important role in the cultivation of seedlings is played by the composition of the soil and its preparation for sowing. Land for seedlings of cucumbers should be loose, moisture and breathable. Avoid substrates that contain a large amount of peat - it is too oily for cucumbers.

If you decide to prepare the substrate yourself, then use one of our recipes:

mix equal parts soddy soil, sand, peat and vermiculite, which can be replaced with sawdust, and add a little coconut fiber to the composition;
prepare a mixture of low-lying peat, soddy land, sawdust and rotted manure in a ratio of 4:4:1:1;
Cucumbers will also like a mixture of rotted manure, soddy soil and sand in a ratio of 6:3:1.

If soil pH is not so important for adult cucumbers, then seedlings react painfully to hyperacidity, which can be neutralized with lime materials. The soil mixture prepared by oneself must be disinfected - calcined in the oven or spilled with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. And do not forget to add fertilizer to the substrate- 6 g of urea, 10 g of superphosphate, 6 g of potassium sulfate and 2 g of magnesium sulfate per 10 kg of soil mixture. Ready-made store soils do not need nutritional supplements and sterilization.

In the photo: Cucumber seedling sprouts

After the substrate for cucumber seedlings is disinfected and filled with fertilizers, cover the container with soil with a film and put it in a warm place for two weeks to stimulate the formation of bacteria necessary for the nutrition and growth of seedlings.

Growing seedlings of cucumbers from seeds

Cucumber seeds also need pre-sowing treatment. First they need to be lowered into a three percent solution table salt room temperature - empty seeds will float after a while, and full-grained seeds will settle. Then washed in running water seeds suitable for sowing are kept for 30 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, after which they are washed and germinated in a damp cloth at a temperature of 25-30 ºC for 2-3 days. When the seeds have white sprouts 3-4 mm long (no longer!), They are ready for sowing for seedlings.

Since seedlings of pumpkin crops do not tolerate picking, cucumber seedlings are sown in separate containers - one hatched or two non-germinated seeds each. As a container, plastic or peat-humus cups filled with a disinfected substrate are used. drainage holes. The cups are filled with the substrate so that about 1 cm to the edge remains empty, and the germinated seeds are very carefully, so as not to break the fragile sprouts, immersed in holes 1.5-2 cm deep and sealed. Then the cups are placed on a pallet, watered, covered with glass or film and kept at a temperature of 23-28 ºC in anticipation of germination, moistening the substrate from the sprayer twice a week.

How to grow seedlings of cucumbers in tablets

You can grow seedlings of cucumbers in peat tablets.

The benefits of peat tablets are:

they are breathable;
growing seedlings in tablets eliminates the need to pick seedlings, in which the root system of seedlings is often injured;
tablets compiled in one container will significantly save you space;
the tablets are composed of peat and nutrients, which eliminates the hassle of compiling the substrate and fertilizing, and the mesh in which the tablets are located is impregnated with a fungicide that protects the seedlings from fungal diseases.

Tablets for cucumber seedlings should be from fine peat, neutral reaction, with a diameter of at least 42 mm - seedlings with smaller diameter tablets quickly outgrow, and you will have to replant them. Peat washers are placed in a tray or tray and poured with warm water for 10-15 minutes to swell, then the excess water is drained. Cucumber seeds are laid out in the recesses in the center of each tablet, sprinkled with peat mixture, after which the tablets are put into a common container, covered with a transparent film, placed on warm surface and kept in anticipation of seedlings at a temperature of 23-28 ºC.

In the photo: Growing cucumber seedlings

Growing seedlings of cucumbers in cassettes

Good cucumber seedlings are also obtained when grown in cassettes with large cylindrical cells - the cassette does not take up much space, so you can save electricity when seedlings are illuminated. Before sowing, the cassettes are washed in a strong solution of potassium permanganate, after which the cells are filled with a disinfected wet substrate, into which cucumber seeds are sown to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. The crops are covered with a film and kept at the optimum temperature for seed germination - 23-28 ºC.

Since the soil dries out faster in cassettes than in one common container, you will have to moisten the substrate more often, but you can solve the problem if you add Bio Master Gel to it, which retains moisture and creates comfortable conditions for the development of seedlings.

Some will think that the cassettes are too expensive pleasure, but they are made of polystyrene, so they can be used repeatedly. For greater convenience, you can purchase cassettes on a pallet and even in a large box with a transparent lid, which will successfully replace both glass and polyethylene film. However, when the time comes to transplant the grown seedlings into a large container, this will not be easy, because cucumbers have thin, easily torn roots, and if you do not have experience and skill, then it is better to grow seedlings in tablets or in peat pots.

Cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse

To grow cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse, you first need to prepare compost or manure beds, which gardeners call "hot". How to do this is described in detail in the article already posted on our website. We only recall that fresh manure or compost is laid in a layer on high bed, a layer of fertile disinfected soil with a height of at least 25 cm is placed on top of it and watered abundantly. Then proceed to sowing: on each square meter have no more than 4 bushes, throwing 2 seeds in one hole. Seeds are not germinated before sowing, but only treated in saline, and then in a strong solution of potassium permanganate. The sown and watered bed is covered with a film, stretching it over the dug-in metal arcs.

In the photo: The first true leaves on seedlings

Keep in mind that the temperature of the "hot" bed can be so high that you can get burned if you are not careful. Watch the intensity of the sun and the temperature outside, otherwise, under the film, the seedlings from the heat will simply burn out.

Buy cucumber seedlings - is it worth it?

Beginning gardener, not confident in his talents, it is better to buy seedlings for the first time. However, you need to know which seedlings can be bought and which are not worth it. Seedlings ready for planting in the ground should be no more than 20 cm in height, and the stem of the seedlings should be the size of a pencil or a little thinner - if the stem is larger in diameter, most likely the seedlings were overfed with nitrogen, which means that the bushes will grow well, but the ovaries there will be few of them.

The leaves of cucumber seedlings should be developed, bright green in color. Any spots, brown patches, or plaque may be signs of disease. Ready seedlings should have 4-5 leaves, and the presence of withered cotyledon leaves indicates that the seedlings were poorly cared for.

In general, to be afraid of wolves - do not go into the forest, and if you decide to grow cucumbers, then start by sowing seeds for seedlings, because there is nothing difficult in this, especially if you know in advance that the root system of cucumbers suffers greatly during transplantation. That is why we recommend sowing cucumbers in peat tablets - when roots sprout from under the net of mature seedlings, seedlings can be transplanted directly with a tablet into a peat pot without damaging the roots. If you buy seedlings in a nursery or in the market, then when planting in open ground, you will almost certainly damage the roots of several seedlings.

In the photo: Cucumber seedlings ready for planting

Caring for cucumber seedlings at home

Conditions for growing seedlings of cucumbers

In anticipation of the first shoots, the substrate is kept slightly moist by watering it from a sprinkler twice a week. As soon as shoots appear, move the crops as close to the light as possible, but most likely you will still need to provide additional lighting for the seedlings, or at least install mirrors on the side and top of the seedlings that will reflect the light on the seedlings.

As for the temperature of the content, then, as we have repeatedly written, before germination, it should be at the level of 23-28 ºC, and when the seeds begin to germinate, it is advisable to lower the temperature to 20-22 ºC. After the mass emergence of shoots, the optimum temperature for the development of seedlings is 21-23 ºC on a sunny day, 19-20 ºC on a cloudy day, and 18-20 ºC at night. If you don’t have the ability to regulate the temperature, then at least try to create conditions under which during the day it will not rise above 25 ºC, and at night fall below 15 ºC. Seedlings need regular air exchange, but care must be taken to ensure that seedlings do not end up in a draft during ventilation.

Watering cucumber seedlings

As soon as the seeds sprout, it is advisable to moisten the substrate a little, as the top layer dries up - with such watering, the seedlings will develop a strong root system. Seedlings are watered once or twice a week with warm, settled water for two days - the water temperature should not be colder than 22 ºC, otherwise the seedlings may die. However, you should not boil water for irrigation, because when it boils, oxygen comes out of it - just put the water to settle in a warm place. Magnetized water works well on seedlings. When watering, drops should not fall on the leaves of seedlings.

In the photo: Planted seedlings of cucumbers

AT winter time and in early spring work indoors heating appliances that dry out the air, and the required humidity for cucumber seedlings is 75-80%, so it is sometimes advisable to spray the seedlings with water at room temperature.

In pots where both seeds have sprouted, you need to leave a stronger seedling, and cut off the other with scissors, but in any case do not pull out, because it can be damaged root system more developed plant.

Feeding cucumber seedlings

Seedling of cucumbers from seeds before planting in open or closed ground needs two or three feedings. First time feeding introduced into the soil after the appearance of this leaf, and it consists of 7 g of ammonium nitrate, 8 g of potassium sulfate and 15 g of superphosphate, dissolved in 10 liters of water. It would be nice to add a little organic matter to the mineral fertilizer solution, for example, mullein diluted in water 1:4, or fermented bird droppings, which must first be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:7.

Second, optional top dressing carried out in the phase of development of the second leaf, and the third - two weeks after the first. For these dressings for the same amount of water, you will need a double dose of mineral fertilizers. In addition to root, seedlings of cucumbers and top dressing with a solution of trace elements along the leaves are shown - they stimulate the development of seedlings and increase their resistance to diseases.

Illumination of seedlings of cucumbers

When cucumber shoots appear, they will need a lot of light to develop. In March and April, the southern window sill and mirrors located on the sides and top of the seedlings will be enough, but in January and February the daylight hours are not long enough, so you will need to increase it with artificial lighting. In the first 2-3 days, seedlings should be in the light around the clock, the next two weeks, until the leaves close, they need light for 16 hours, then for two weeks a fourteen-hour daylight day will be enough, and last days before planting in the garden, seedlings should be in the light for at least 12 hours a day.

Lighting is especially important in the early days: if you do not give the seedlings the right amount of light at this time, you can get such a nuisance as stretched seedlings of cucumbers, followed by "surprises" in the form of improper development, poor health and low yields.

In the photo: Seedlings of cucumbers in individual pots

For organization additional lighting it is best to use phytolamps, sodium lamps high pressure with built-in mirror reflector or LED lights, placing them above the seedling box at a height of 20 cm. However, first you need to calculate how many lamps you need per m² of crops, otherwise your efforts may not be sufficient.

Picking seedlings of cucumbers

If you grow seedlings in a common container, sooner or later the moment will come when the seedlings will have to dive into a separate container. This is not an easy task, because the root system of cucumbers is fragile. That is why it is better to dive seedlings at the age of 5-7 days, in the phase of development of cotyledon leaves. Plants should be transplanted in containers with a volume of at least 700-800 ml.

Fill pots with drainage holes with soil and allow it to settle. Water the soil in pots well the day before picking, and water seedlings on the day of picking. The sprouts are taken out of the box along with a lump of earth, trying not to damage the roots, they are moved to a deep hole made in advance in cups so that the hypocotyl knee remains above the surface, the hole is covered with soil, compacted and watered again so that no air remains in the roots. The first time after picking, support around the seedlings high humidity air and temperature at the level of 18-20 ºC, protecting them from drafts.

Cucumber seedlings turn yellow

We are often asked why cucumber seedlings turn yellow. There are several reasons for this phenomenon:

For example, crowding, when the roots of the seedlings filled the entire container, and they lack space and nutrition. In this case, it is enough to transplant the seedlings into a large bowl with a fresh substrate.
Sometimes nutritional deficiencies arise from the fact that you have not applied top dressing to the soil.
When the plants have little light, the cotyledon leaves of the seedlings turn yellow.

As you can see, any of these reasons can be easily eliminated, but it is better to simply prevent them from appearing.

Cucumber seedlings are stretched

Cucumber seedlings are pulled out mainly for two reasons - due to insufficient lighting or too high temperature in room. Try to follow our recommendations throughout the seedling period, and your seedlings will be strong and healthy. But if the seedlings suddenly stretched out, do not panic, eliminate the cause, and the seedlings will quickly recover.

In the photo: Fake seedling leaves

Cucumber seedlings rot

This, unfortunately, is also a common occurrence, which can be caused by fungal diseases root rot and black leg. Usually, the black leg appears with regular waterlogging of the substrate against the background of high room temperature - the base of the stem begins to rot, causing the seedlings to lie down. Affected specimens must be removed, and healthy ones should be seated in separate cups with a sterile substrate. As a preventive measure, it is best to add wood ash to the substrate before sowing.

Signs of root rot appear already when it is too late to do anything: seedlings suddenly stop growing and developing, wither and die. The fungus is activated when watering the substrate cold water or when keeping crops on a cold surface.

Cucumber seedlings are also sick with other diseases, including powdery mildew, fusarium wilt, peronosporosis and viral cucumber mosaic, however, with proper maintenance and good care, cucumber seedlings become resistant to any disease.

Planting cucumber seedlings

When to plant seedlings in open ground

Cucumber seedlings are planted 25-27 days after germination: in closed ground, that is, in film, polycarbonate or glass greenhouses - April 15-20, in open ground under film - May 10-15, and in open ground without shelter - in the first decade of June. The time frame may vary, the main condition is the soil warmed up to 15 ºC. Before planting in the garden, it is necessary to carry out hardening procedures with seedlings, why in 10-12 days they begin to take out for some time in the open air under Sun rays, daily increasing the duration of the procedure. When the seedlings can be outside around the clock, they are ready to be transplanted into the garden.

In the photo: Growing seedlings of cucumbers in cassettes

How to plant seedlings of cucumbers

The soil on the site should be loose and fertile, so it is necessary to fertilize it since the fall, and in the spring, before planting, you only need to loosen the soil on the site. If for some reason you didn’t succeed in preparing the site in the fall, you will have to apply fertilizer directly into the holes when planting.

Planting seedlings is carried out on a cloudy day or in the afternoon - from 17 to 20 hours. The holes in the garden are staggered at such a distance that there are four plants per 1 m². The pits are shed with water, manure is placed in them (if the site was not manured in advance), sprinkled with soil, a seedling is carefully planted in the hole, trying not to damage its roots, the hole is covered with earth, compacted and poured under each plant at least a liter of warm water. When the water is absorbed, the area is mulched with straw.

Do not plant cucumbers where they grew last year

Cucumber is a very popular vegetable. Many people like to eat it fresh. Salads are also made from it, it is salted, marinated. In almost every garden plot you can find cucumbers. Grow a culture seedling method. This stage is very important, the yield of the future shrub largely depends on it. How to grow seedlings of cucumbers at home, will tell the article.

Some farmers do not germinate seedlings at home, but immediately sow seeds in holes on land plot. But experts say that the germination of seed on the windowsill has a beneficial effect on the state of the future bush. So, it significantly increases the resistance of future plants to stressful conditions, contributes to an increase in productivity. The plant becomes strong, acquires the ability to withstand various adverse factors.

If cucumber seedlings are grown on the windowsill, the sprouts are not attacked by pests. They are not afraid of bad weather conditions, fluctuations in temperature outside the window. As a result, the culture grows faster and gets sick less often.

When to start sowing seeds?

In order for the cultivation of seedlings of cucumbers to be successful, when to sow one must be able to determine as accurately as possible. Basically, optimal time for planting seeds ranges from 20 to 23 days before the planned date of transplanting the bush into a greenhouse or soil. However, the climatic features of the region play an important role here. It is known that cucumbers are thermophilic plants. Therefore, it is necessary to calculate the timing so that when landing on a permanent place of growth, the earth has time to warm up to at least +15 degrees. It should also be borne in mind that the timing of growing seedlings of cucumbers varies in different varieties.

How to germinate seeds for seedlings?

Beginning gardeners are poorly versed in how to grow cucumber seedlings at home, which causes many problems with the development and fruiting of the plant.

There are a lot of varieties of cucumbers today. But all seeds are sown according to a single algorithm.

Here's how to germinate cucumber seeds for seedlings competently:

Following the above algorithm, there should be no problems with that. A lot also depends on the care of the sprouts. Such a culture needs a light day equal to 8-18 hours. And in gloomy weather, you will have to create it through the use of a fluorescent lamp. To prevent cucumbers from freezing, some gardeners create an impromptu greenhouse. To do this, window glass is hung with a film. The window sill is also separated from the room with a film. This allows you to create an optimal microclimate for seedlings.

Good cultivation of seedlings of cucumbers from seeds involves regular watering and timely feeding.

Cucumbers are a very moisture-loving crop. And if there is not enough water, the sprouts begin to wither, wither. It is required to irrigate the plant every other day. It is advisable to choose soft water for this purpose. For example, settled or rain. Boiled will work too. Its temperature should be from +22 to +25 degrees. Usually, a spray bottle or a teaspoon is used for this procedure. It is important not to flood the sprouts.

In order for high-quality seedlings of cucumbers to sprout, growing at home must necessarily include soil fertilization. The first time nutrient mixtures are applied when the first leaves appear. However, if the sprouts grow poorly and look stunted, it is necessary to feed earlier. Experts advise the use of complex mineral fertilizers, which are designed specifically for seedlings.

Although it is quite possible to prepare a healthy mixture with your own hands. This will require superphosphate, urea and potassium sulfate. A solution of bird droppings or mullein has also proven itself well. When processing, it is important to ensure that the mixture does not fall on the sprouts themselves. Before planting seedlings in a greenhouse or on a garden bed, the plant is fed again.

What mistakes do gardeners make?

Some novice farmers fail to grow quality seedlings. Many attribute this to bad seeds. However, most often the bottom line is that mistakes were made during germination.

The most common shortcomings are:

Use of marshy soil.
Too much seeding depth. In this case, the seed does not receive the right amount of oxygen. Therefore, the probability of its germination is too small.
The ground is constantly dry.
The use of peat composition as a soil. In such conditions, cucumbers will not grow. Therefore, peat should be mixed with the ground.

Conclusions on the correct cultivation of seedlings at home

Thus, knowing how to properly grow seedlings of cucumbers, the summer resident increases the chances of getting a rich and high-quality harvest. This process is simple. But it takes time and effort. It is important to choose the right soil, determine the timing of sowing seeds, and create the optimal microclimate for the crop. Following the recommendations given in the article, there will be no problems with seed germination.

How to grow cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse.

From the article you will learn when it is better to plant cucumber seeds and what kind of care you need to provide seedlings to get a generous harvest in the greenhouse.

When to sow cucumbers for seedlings for a greenhouse?

Cucumbers are in demand all year round. We add this heat-loving vegetable fresh to various salads, and pickled and pickled cucumbers bring variety to a boring dinner or become the main ingredient in pickles.

Delicious cucumbers can be grown in your own garden, and a greenhouse will provide a year-round harvest. In addition, the cost of grown with my own hands cucumbers will be many times less than vegetables bought in the supermarket.

In winter, the price of a green vegetable increases three times, although the taste and quality of a store-bought cucumber deteriorates during this period. "Their" cucumbers will fill the kitchen with an incomparable spring smell and taste will not disappoint him.

How to choose a greenhouse?

Have you read inspiring articles about growing seedlings in greenhouses and decided to run to the store for varietal seeds? Take your time, because first you need to find out some important points:

will you be able to create and maintain in a greenhouse suitable conditions for heating
how a certain thermal regime will be observed

A bountiful harvest can only be obtained by maintaining a special thermal regime. A greenhouse in which there is no heating is possible if the temperature inside does not fall below 13 degrees.

The frame for a good greenhouse is plastic or another new modern material.
The advantage of plastic over other materials is obvious: it will not rot like wood or rust like metal.
Glass is laid on top of the frame, which will provide the plants with a sufficient amount of sunlight.
An alternative option is film or polycarbonate.

Video: How to make a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands?

When to sow seeds?

Often, gardeners bypass the process of planting seedlings, immediately sowing seeds in the greenhouse. The optimal time for sowing seeds is from the 20th to the 28th of April.

In three weeks, the seedlings will grow so much that they can be planted in all the beds of the greenhouse.

The substrate in which the seeds are planted must be of high quality. It is better to cook it yourself: in the fall, fallen leaves are harvested and laid out in a greenhouse. In winter, the foliage layer will gradually begin to settle and in the spring the soil will be ready for planting seeds.
Plant the seeds in a large container.
The seed is immersed in pre-made holes in the ground (depth - 1-1.5 cm).
Each seed is lightly sprinkled with earth, as if a little “pinched” from above.
Perlite, seedling mix or vermiculite is sprinkled on the seeds sprinkled with earth.

Preparation and soaking of cucumber seeds for sowing seedlings

Buying expensive branded seeds is not enough to get a rich harvest of delicious vegetables. Seeds for sowing must be prepared by performing a few simple manipulations.

The process of preparing seeds for sowing includes the following items:

selection of full-weight seeds
calibration
disinfection
usage wood ash for seed treatment
hardening

Starting the first point: we select full-weight seed.

Seeds should be thrown 3-5 into a glass of water (optimum temperature is room temperature). The second immersion of the seeds should be done in salt water (3 grams of salt per liter capacity of water).
Next, you need to pour water with seeds 1-2 times so that defective specimens emerge. The remaining seeds are washed and laid out on paper to dry.
Readiness of seeds is determined by their good flowability. This procedure is required to increase seed germination.

The second point is seed calibration, is also required to increase their germination. Seeds need to be sorted out, decomposed into three parts. In one - the smallest, in the other - medium in size, and in the third - large. It is necessary to sow seeds in fractions.

What is the process of seed disinfection and why is it necessary?

Disinfection of seeds will get rid of the "invasion" of any spider bugs and prevent the development of diseases. The disinfection process is as follows:

the seed is heated for 3 hours at 60 degrees C.
heated seed is dipped into the solution boric acid and potassium permanganate (0.2 g of acid and 1 gram of potassium permanganate are added to a 10 l capacity of water) and kept in it for 15 minutes.
seeds are washed clean water.

In the absence of acid and unwillingness to mess with chemistry, gardeners use a different method - the seeds are irradiated with ultraviolet rays. This method of disinfection significantly reduces the risk of disease, increases germination and germination. Ultraviolet rays promote good growth and development of plants.

What is the essence of the method?

UV treatment lasts 1-5 minutes
seeds are placed in a dark bag that does not transmit light (photo paper)

Treat seeds and wood ash:

To do this, prepare a solution of 2 tablespoons of ash and 1 liter of water.
The solution is infused for 2 days, and then the seeds are immersed in it for 3 hours.
After processing, it is necessary to dry the seed well.

Seedlings of cucumbers in cups

The seed hardening process is as follows:

the seed is wrapped in a cloth previously moistened with water and well wrung out, or covered with wet sand until the seeds swell.
the temperature regime should be maintained at the level of 20-25 degrees.
"Naked" seeds (even if there are not many of them) are placed wrapped in the same rag on the top shelf of the refrigerator, where they should stand for several days
the lower shelf will slowly thaw.

Let's move on to seed soaking process, which contributes to the rapid spitting of seeds and germination. The seed should be soaked for a day, and then remove the remaining water. Seeds are ready to be transferred to the beds!

Helpful Hints:

it is better to plant seeds that were harvested 2-3 years ago (their ovary is more abundant)
seeds that have stood for more long time in storage, lose their germination
injured and small seeds have less germination than full-weight ones

At what depth should cucumbers be planted for seedlings?

So, we hardened the seeds. Now we are preparing the beds:

we make a hole, the width and depth of which is 30 cm.
fill the hole with humus 15 cm layer of humus
we pour a hill of substrate and manure, which acts as a drainage.
we lower 2 seeds into each hole: planting depth - 2 cm, distance between seeds - 10-15 cm, distance between rows - 50 cm.
sprouted plants need to be thinned out by removing one sprout.

Growing seedlings of cucumbers in peat pots, plastic cups and eggshells

Growing cucumber seedlings in peat pots or disposable cups is easy and inexpensive. Cups are used to obtain early seedling and transplanting it into ordinary soil without damage.

Peat pots are a container made from a mixture of peat with pressed cardboard.
Seeds can be planted in single medium-sized cups, or purchased connected in 2 or more pieces.

Large cups should not be used: the substrate in them may turn sour, and in small seedlings it will not develop normally.

For planting seeds, prepare:

planting material
potassium permanganate, from which you need to make a solution of low concentration (2 g per glass of water)
nutrient soil
containers (plastic cups, peat pots or tablets)

planting material immerse in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour, rinse under running water.

We spread the seeds on a saucer, putting a moistened cloth on top and bottom (it is better to use cotton for this purpose). Seeds should stand like this in a warm place for 2-3 days, while we do not forget to moisten them from time to time. We are waiting for the seeds to hatch.

If you have gone through all the steps of preparing seeds for planting from the previous section, then you can skip this step and proceed immediately to planting seeds in containers.
We make holes in the cups and fill them with a nutritious light and moisture-permeable substrate (garden soil is mixed with humus, sawdust (a little) and vermiculite are added).
We moisten the soil a little, make 2 holes 1.5-2 cm deep. Throw 1 seed into each hole and fill it with soil from above. We will put the containers with planted cucumber seeds in rows on a pallet and take them to the windowsill if it is sunny. If not, then choose a warmer place.

Planting seeds in peat tablets is carried out in a similar way. But there are some differences:

Place the peat tablets on a tray first and pour water into it. After the tablets swell (after a few hours), it will be possible to plant the seed in them.
Seeds are laid out in special holes in the upper part of the tablet and covered with a universal substrate for seedlings.
So that peat tablets or substrate in peat cups do not dry out quickly, you need to periodically water the seedlings. If this is not done, then the plants will simply die.

Usually plants have enough sunlight, but in cloudy weather, seedlings need to be "lighted up" in the morning and evening. To do this, use fluorescent lamps.
If you did not forget to water the seedlings, and the sprouts are developing well, then 2 weeks after planting the seeds, you need to feed. For this, liquid complex fertilizers are used.
After 2-3 strong leaves appear on each plant, the seedlings are strong and squat, they can be planted in the ground.

Video: Growing seedlings of cucumbers in eggshells

How to distinguish seedlings of cucumbers from zucchini?

There are several ways to find out which vegetable is planted in the garden - zucchini or cucumber:

if the plant has released only cotyledon leaves, then they are large in zucchini, and smaller in cucumber
real leaves of zucchini are rounded, while cucumbers have a sharp tip
rub the leaf of the plant: the cucumber leaf is odorless, and the squash has a specific aroma that is difficult to confuse with anything

How to grow cucumber seedlings on toilet paper?

Growing seedlings on strips toilet paper is as follows:

The film is cut into ribbons 10 cm wide (you need as many ribbons as you can fit toilet paper strips with planted seeds).
A ribbon of toilet paper is laid on the strips of film (it is better to fold thin paper in half).
Spray paper strips with water.
Next, you need to step back from the edge by 1 cm and spread the seeds. Planting material should not be in contact with each other, therefore it is necessary to place the seeds at a distance of 2.3-3 cm from each other.
The seed is covered with a layer of paper, sprayed with water, and again covered with plastic tape. The multilayer tape is rolled up, fixed with an elastic band and placed in plastic container seeds up.
A little water is poured into the container (so that the seeds do not drown, water is poured so that it does not reach them). Moisture will flow to the seeds from the toilet paper.
The container in which the seed roll will be stored is located in a warm place. The seeds will germinate in a week.

What kind of care do sprouts need in a toilet paper roll?

It is necessary to periodically fertilize the plants with a weak solution based on humic acids.
After the appearance of the first leaflet, top dressing will be required again.
Plants with two true leaves can dive.
The roll is carefully unrolled and the polyethylene layer is removed. Seedlings are separated from each other by cutting toilet paper and planted in cups with earth. After that, the seedlings are grown as usual.

Cutting strips of polyethylene

Benefits of germinating seeds on toilet paper strips:

all sprouts are strong
when transplanting, there is no injury to plants
sprouts grow faster

Video: Technology for applying seeds to paper tape, "toilet paper"

What temperature can cucumber seedlings withstand?

Cucumber seeds germinate at a temperature of 10-12 C. For normal growth and development of leaves, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 15-16 degrees.
Cucumber seedlings require a special temperature regime. Happy normal temperature for sprouts - from 25 to 30 ͦ C, at night the temperature is slightly lower and normally it should be from 15 to 18 ͦ C.
If the temperature drops (for example, beyond +10 degrees during germination), then the seedlings stop growing and begin to turn yellow and rot.

Temperature, °С
	air		soil	Illumination, hour
growth phase	daytime (the period when the backlight is on)	night (backlight off)		Illumination, hour
Sowing - seedlings	27	27	24-25	-
First 3 days after germination	24	24	23-24	24
next 2 days	23	22	23	20
Follow-up to 3rd leaf phase*	21-22	20-21	22	18*
The day before planting in the greenhouse	19-20	17-18	22	-*
First 2 days after landing	21	21	21	-
Subsequent period	21	19	20-21	-

Planting seedlings of cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse

After 25 days after sowing the seed in plastic cups or peat pots, cucumber seedlings can be planted in a polycarbonate greenhouse.

An additional layer of film or other will help to ensure a comfortable climate. protective coating, which covers the greenhouse.

Further care of seedlings consists in carrying out the following operations:

soil loosening
ventilation
copious moisture (automatic drip is used)
feeding

Plants in a polycarbonate greenhouse should be watered in the morning twice a week, and additionally if the day is sunny. Warm water is used for irrigation. Otherwise, various diseases may begin to develop.

Water should not be poured directly on the leaves, otherwise burns will appear. Therefore, it is recommended to use a drip irrigation system.

The soil should be loosened (carefully so as not to damage the root system), breathable. This will ensure the development of the roots, which means that the plant will grow well.

It is important to ventilate greenhouses by simply opening the windows.

How to enrich the soil with organic matter?

fertilize the soil with manure
decayed garbage, peat, sawdust are also used as fertilizer
also apply mineral fertilizers

Top dressing of cucumbers should be done a maximum of 5 times per summer:

feed during the flowering period for the first time
during the fruiting period - 4 times

Also introduced into sandy soil nitrogen fertilizers. In the floodplain - potash. ammonium nitrate cucumbers should be fed in early spring (introduced into previously made furrows).

Lighting in greenhouses seedlings of cucumbers

Lighting seedlings of cucumbers is necessary in winter period even if the room is heated. As soon as shoots appear, it is necessary to provide them with additional illumination.

Breaks between periods of natural and artificial lighting adversely affect the development of plants.
Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the continuity of lighting with the help of a light relay, which reacts to a decrease in the intensity of lighting and automatically turns on the lamps.
Natural and artificial lighting in total should be 12 hours.
Plants need to arrange periods of complete darkness (6 hours a day).
The temperature difference between the dark and light periods should not exceed 6-8 degrees.

How to plant cucumber seedlings in open ground?

Have the sprouts grown up and are they ready to “relocate” to the open ground? Plants will survive the transplant and will please bountiful harvest, if you take into account some of the nuances. You will learn about them from the video.

Video: Planting seedlings of cucumbers in the ground

Video: How to properly plant seedlings of cucumbers in open ground?

Feeding seedlings of cucumbers at home

How to feed seedlings of cucumbers? At what temperature regime is it better to feed the seedlings and what care should be provided to the sprouts after feeding? Watch about this video.

Video: Growing cucumber seedlings. Feeding cucumber seedlings

Preparing seeds for sowing

For sowing, it is better to take old seeds (2 - 4-year shelf life). Plants grown from them produce more female flowers and are therefore more productive. Seeds that have lain for 7-8 years are bubbled - they are kept in water through which air is passed (using an aquarium compressor). This increases their resilience. Before sowing, it is advisable to warm fresh seeds in the sun for at least 4 hours or hang them in a bag near the battery for a month.

Before sowing, the seeds are sorted, larger, more viable are selected. To prevent diseases of cucumbers, the seeds are treated for 13-30 minutes before sowing with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, after which they are rinsed with clean water. The pumping of cucumber seeds is carried out in a solution with the addition of nutrients or growth stimulants. After soaking, the seeds are placed for germination in a warm place for 24 hours, maintaining a temperature of + 22 ... 25 ° C.

The germinated seeds are sown in seedling pots or cubes to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. Until the emergence of shoots, the soil temperature is maintained at + 20 ... 25 ° C, and then reduced to + 18 ... 20 ° C. High quality seedlings can be obtained in glazed window or table greenhouses equipped with fluorescent lamps. On the windowsill, seedlings should be protected from cold air with a plastic curtain. Seedlings are watered as needed, one or two fertilizing with complex fertilizers is carried out.

cucumbers — light-loving plants short day: growing them in the seedling period of 15-20 days with a short day (10-12 hours) accelerates development, increases yield. When the daylight hours are extended to 16 hours, flowering and fruiting are delayed. Bright intense light accelerates flowering, but leads to premature aging of plants and reduced yields. With a lack of light in early period plants are stretched, the yield drops sharply.

Seedlings ready for planting 25-30 days should have 3-6 true leaves and a shortened cotyledon knee. Seedlings should not be allowed to grow. After planting, it will not develop a sufficient leaf apparatus, it will bloom early, but will quickly become old, which will drastically reduce the yield.

Seedling hardening, intended for cultivation in open ground, is to reduce the air temperature 7-10 days before planting to +15:..16°C. Cucumbers are extremely sensitive to damage to the root system, so transplanting should be carried out very carefully, trying not to damage the roots.

When planting, cucumber plants are treated with a root formation stimulator - Heteroauxin, Kornevin or Kornerost.

Planting seedlings in greenhouses and greenhouses

Cucumbers in the greenhouse can be grown in containers with a volume of 7-10 liters or directly in the ground, on a flat surface, or better on ridges or ridges.

The soil for cucumbers should be fertile, loose, pass water, air, heat. In order to avoid the spread of diseases, it is necessary to ensure that this soil or its individual components have not previously been used for growing cucumbers. To prevent fungal diseases of plants, the soil is watered with Trichodermin or Boverin solutions containing microorganisms that inhibit the development of phytopathogenic fungi.

Seedlings are planted in greenhouses with a two-line tape with row spacing of 16-20 cm, in a row of 10-15 cm, depending on the variety. The holes are staggered to provide each plant with the same feeding area. In each hole put a handful of organomineral mixture (300-500 g of humus, compost or peat, mixed with 5-10 g of superphosphate or potassium salt). Then 0.5-1 liter of water is poured into each hole, a peat pot with seedlings is lowered into the resulting slurry and covered with soil, tightly compressing the walls with it.

For planting use 20-25-day seedlings. In solar-heated greenhouses, it is planted in early or mid-May. The optimum temperature for flowering and fruit formation of cucumbers is +18...25°C. At low (+7...12°C) or very high (above +35°C) temperatures, fertilization does not occur in cucumbers. Short 12-13 hour day, air content carbon monoxide or acetylene also promote the formation of female flowers and increase their number.

With the seedless method, germinated seeds are sown with a two-line tape. On a stretched cord, grooves are made 4-6 cm deep at a distance of 16-20 cm from one another. Then they are watered with warm water and the seeds are immediately laid out after 4-5 cm. After that, the grooves are covered with soil (a layer of 2-3 cm), and peat is mulched on top. Seedlings are thinned out when the first true leaf is formed, early-ripening varieties by 10-15 cm, mid- and late-ripening varieties by 15-25 cm.

For tying plants, trellises are arranged. A wire or a nylon cord is pulled along each row at a height of 150-200 cm. A week after planting, twine is tied to the wire over each plant, and the lower end of the twine is tied with a free loop to the plant above the second and third leaves. In order not to accidentally damage the plants, the twine is tied freely, with a safety tolerance.

Sowing in the ground

Usually germinated seeds are sown, prepared in the same way as for growing in a greenhouse. Cucumbers are sown in grooves 6-8 cm deep at a distance of 2-3 cm seed from seed. Then the furrow is covered with a layer of earth of 2-3 cm and mulched with peat 2-3 cm. To obtain early cucumbers in central and northern regions it is more expedient to grow seedlings and plant them in open ground after the threat of frost has passed. Seedlings are planted in pits on ridges or in an ordinary way on a flat surface at a distance of 20 cm in a row if there is one plant in a pot, and 40 cm if there are two. The distance between rows is 40-90 cm, depending on the variety of cucumber.