Growing Seedlings Of Cucumbers

2023 Author: Ava Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-07-30 22:46

In order to get a harvest of vegetables as early as possible, you need to take care of the timely planting of seeds for seedlings. Let's talk about the secrets of growing good seedlings in more detail.

Many gardeners do not have heated greenhouses and greenhouses and are forced to use window sills, a veranda and other unsuitable places to get seedlings. Under these conditions, it is also possible to grow seedlings of many vegetable crops, provided there is sufficient illumination. High and long-term illumination is the basis for obtaining high-quality planting material.

It is very important to correctly calculate the time of sowing the seeds so that the seedlings do not overgrow or mature. The time of sowing cucumbers for seedlings depends on the timing of planting them in open ground or a greenhouse. It is customary to plant 20 - 25-day seedlings after spring frosts - in central Russia - in late May - early June. When growing cucumbers in film greenhouses or under covering material, planting begins earlier - in mid-May, i.e., we will start sowing in the second or third decades of April.

After a grower has chosen a variety or hybrid that he would like to grow on his plot, his attention should be focused on the seeds. The size of the harvest and the timing of its arrival on the table or market depend on the quality of the seeds. Seeds need to be bought not from random people, but from trusted, reputable firms, so that in the future there are no "punctures" with the harvest. The breeders of the "Gavrish" company have bred cucumber hybrids that are best adapted to growing conditions in film and glass greenhouses. The first place among them is taken by the legendary cucumber F1 Courage - unsurpassed in yield and stability. Parthenocarpic hybrids Emerald earrings, Garland, Lilliput, Shchedrik, Zyatek, Mother-in-law have proven themselves excellently. A stable high-quality crop of cucumbers from these hybrids can be obtained with appropriate agricultural technology,especially at the early stage of growing seedlings.

Before sowing, the seeds must be sorted out by selecting large, full-bodied, not injured. The seeds can be sorted manually, or in 3-5% sodium chloride solution or 5-8% ammonium nitrate solution. Seeds of cucumbers remain viable for 5 - 6 years, and 3 - 4 year old seeds are the most productive.

Next, you need to determine the amount of seeds required for a given area. It depends on the planting density: in the greenhouse for bee-pollinated varieties and hybrids 2.5-3.5 plants / m2, for parthenocarpic plants - 2.5-3.0 plants / m2, in open ground 3-4, plus sow for insurance 10 - fifteen%.

Cucumbers do not tolerate transplanting well, therefore, prepared, germinated seeds are sown directly into glasses - peat, plastic, from a thick film without a bottom, with a diameter of 8 - 10 cm and the same height, but 6 - 7 cm is also possible. The nutrient mixture is poured into pots for 1 see below the edge. The mixture is poured with warm water, a 1.5-2.0 cm dimple is made in the center of the glass and 2 germinated or dry seeds are sown and covered with earth. After sowing, the pots are watered again - but be careful not to wash the seeds. Before the emergence of shoots, cover with a film and maintain the temperature at 25-28 ºС, and when the shoots appear, remove the cover and lower the temperature to 18-20 ºС. Further, the temperature regime is as follows: in sunny weather during the day - up to 22-25 ºС, on cloudy days and at night - up to 20-22 ºС.

During the cultivation of seedlings, 1-2 times, soil or nutrient mixture is poured under the plants and fertilizing is carried out. The first during the formation of the 2nd true leaf (5-10 g of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water). To increase the cold resistance of seedlings, a second feeding should be carried out before planting (15-30 g of potassium sulfate and 40-60 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water).

5 - 7 days before planting, the plants begin to harden, taking them out into the open air or ventilating the room.

Standard seedlings should be stocky, with short internodes, 25-30 cm high, with 5-6 true dark green leaves and a well-developed root system.

Good harvests!

Natalya Prutenskaya - Researcher at the "Gavrish" company