Preparing And Sowing Cucumber Seeds For Seedlings

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Cucumber by June. Part 1

At the beginning of my dacha life near Vyborg, for the first two years, I grew cucumbers using the "spreading" method, that is, sowing seeds in a small greenhouse. I ran the ridge with mullein, but mullein is not hot horse dung. Therefore, the sowing time was postponed, and if she was in a hurry with sowing, the seedlings died, while reseeding reduced the growing season.

In mid-August, there are frosts and fogs in my swamp, and the plants will creep so far that they can no longer be collected under a film. Fruits and plants began to be amazed by anthracnose. The first cucumbers were usually obtained at the end of July, and in August diseases already began.

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I realized that this growing method was not for me. I wanted to try fresh cucumbers in May-June. I listened to a course of lectures by V. V. Perezhogina, and she convinced me: growing cucumbers through seedlings makes it possible to get a harvest a month earlier. Those. an advance of 25-30 days is obtained. But in order not to destroy the seedlings when planting in a greenhouse, it was necessary to study the weather conditions on their site. In mid-April and even in the third decade of this month, we usually still have snow, but from May 1-9 such sunny days begin that the weather is not better.

I made a conclusion for myself: by May 1, biofuel in the greenhouse should warm up to + 12 ° … + 14 ° С, and by May 3 - already up to + 14 ° … + 16 ° С, and hardened seedlings should be planted on May 3-5. She monitored the temperature. There were thermometers - on the porch, in the greenhouse at the level of the trellises, in the greenhouse on the ground and in the greenhouse in the ground. She conducted observations for several years, and now there are records for 1996 and 1997. On my site, for example, on May 13 in the afternoon + 22 ° C, on May 14 + 25 ° C in the shade, and on May 16 pouring rain with snow, the beds can be covered with snow or hail, and after that frosts will begin.

The seedlings, planted in early May, managed to take root well, and inside in the greenhouse I make a second shelter - before with films, and now with lutrasil. Under it, the plants tolerate not only low temperatures, but also on hot sunny days they do not overheat. Under the film, once the seedlings of cucumbers "burned out", i.e. overheated.

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It was hot days, and I had to go to the city for several days on business, and the seedlings could not stand it - the biofuel warmed up, and the double shelter was made of film. If you use a film for a second shelter, then on sunny days it must be lifted or completely removed, unlike lutrasil. If lutrasil is light - 17 g / m², then for severe cold snaps I make it in two layers. For those who work and cannot be on the site every day, you can use lutrasil 30 g / m², the plants under it do not overheat.

In 1991, I completely switched to growing cucumbers using the trellis method in a greenhouse on a warm ridge, i.e. on biofuel. The heights to the trellis in the greenhouse are 1.8 m and 2.8 m along the ridge. For two years she used mullein as a biofuel, and then switched to hay. Problems arose with manure: it is expensive (the cost of cucumbers is unreasonably high) and it is physically difficult to buy and carry it every year. Burnt manure is humus, it is no longer biofuel, but just organic fertilizer. We make hay in the summer and store it in a bulk cellar, covering the potatoes with it. In the spring we open the cellar and bring the hay into the greenhouse.

What does the trellis method of growing cucumbers through seedlings in a greenhouse give?

The fruiting period is lengthened - from June to September. It is easy to ventilate - the gables are open after the last frost (June 10) and do not close until the first autumn frost (we have it on August 15-16), I open two doors early in the morning after 7 a.m. so that there is no sudden temperature change in the greenhouse.

In our area, summer nights are rarely + 16 ° C … + 18 ° C, mainly from + 11 ° C to + 14 ° C, and in the greenhouse at night it is 2-3 degrees warmer than outside. The sun rises from behind the forest at 7 o'clock, and if the greenhouse is not opened by 9 o'clock in the morning, then the temperature there will already be above + 25 ° C. This is especially noticeable in small greenhouses, if they are not opened early, then by 10-11 o'clock in the morning there will be a heat up to + 38 ° C, hang up a thermometer and see for yourself. On cloudy days, I also open everything, since it is believed that in cloudy weather the temperature for cucumbers (both for adult plants and for seedlings) is permissible + 18 ° C.

In a trellis culture, it is easy to form plants, i.e. set the harvest program for each plant separately, due to this the yield from 1 m² increases. On the leaves, you can immediately notice sores, on the shoots when harvesting, you can immediately find gray rot, i.e. some manifestations of diseases are minimized, you can help the plant in time. I gradually expose the lower part along the central shoot, cutting out the leaves and lateral shoots that bear fruit. By this, there is good ventilation at the bottom, including the soil being aired.

Growing seedlings

Seed preparation for sowing

If you have the seeds in branded bags that say "Warmed up", then you don't need to do anything with them. If you do not trust this inscription, for example, like me, then you yourself need to warm the seeds at + 40 ° C for a week. I wrap the bags in newspaper and hang them from the radiator. The peasants used to warm the seeds of the old varieties on the stove or carry them in their breast pocket all winter.

This is necessary so that there are more female flowers on the plant, since the old varieties (Nerosimy, Muromsky 36, Graceful, Vyaznikovsky 37, Altai) have mainly male flowers on the central shoot, and women on the lateral shoots. Modern varieties have a predominantly female flowering type. Warming up is carried out to relieve viral infections.

After dry heating, I soak them in warm water for 1-2 hours, wrapping each variety in a separate cloth. I take it out, squeeze it out and put it on for germination at a temperature of + 25 ° C … + 28 ° C, it can be near the battery (just not on the battery, they will steam up) or in the bathroom near the heated towel rail. But in any case, first measure the temperature. Every 12 hours, and preferably every 6 hours, the seeds must be unfolded and viewed. As they turn, you can put it on hardening. Seed hardening is carried out in different ways.

a) swollen (not germinated) seeds can be buried in snow for two days or placed in a refrigerator for 2-3 days at 0 ° C … -1 ° C (in old refrigerators under the freezer);

b) put the slightly nailed seeds in the refrigerator + 1 ° + 2 ° С for 2-3 days;

c) put well-sprouted seeds (sprouts up to 1 cm or more) in a refrigerator + 5 ° С for 3-5 days;

d) swollen seeds are kept for 6-8 hours at + 18 ° C … + 20 ° C, and the rest of the day at 0 ° C … -1 ° C, i.e. at variable temperatures, but within 7-12 days.

e) those who sow cucumbers in late May - early June do not need to harden the seeds.

I do not process branded seeds with potassium permanganate, microelements, stimulants. But for those who receive their own seeds or use non-branded seeds, it is better to carry out some types of processing.

a) soak the soaked seeds for 20 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 g of potassium permanganate per 100 g of water). Then rinse under running water.

b) hold in trace elements according to the instructions, or in the infusion of ash. 2 tbsp. spoon ash pour 1 liter of water, insist day, stirring. Drain the infusion and hold the seeds in it for 3 hours. Do not rinse the seeds after treatment with microelements or ash. Put on germination or hardening, or sow.

Preparing soil mixture for seedlings

The soil mixture for sowing must be prepared 5-6 days or earlier, the acidity of the soil for cucumbers is pH 6-6.5. The richer the soil in humus, the easier it is to grow seedlings. There are as many options as there are gardeners. In the 18th century, the Klimsk gardeners grew cucumber seedlings in sods, i.e. in the fall we cut into cubes of turf. Sod land for a cucumber is a blessing, root rot in plants is more often found on peat soils, I have not seen it on sod. Gardeners themselves need to learn how to get sod land. I will give several options for cucumber seedlings:

1. Humus 1 part + sand 1/3 part + 1/3 part sod land.
2. Humus 1 part + sod land 1 part.
3. Humus 1 part + sawdust 1/2 part + sand 1/2 part.
4. Compost 1 part + good peat 1/2 part + sawdust or sand 1/2 part.
5. Compost 1 part + sawdust 1/2 part + sand 1/2 part.
6. Soil "Living Earth" by "Fart". In 2003 and 2004 I tested this soil. The seedlings developed well up to the 8th leaf, and did not have to be fed.

Add 2 tbsp to a bucket of soil mixture. tablespoons of superphosphate, 1 glass of ash (you can not add ash if the soil has a pH of 6-6.5 or you forgot to bring it from the site), 1-2 tbsp. spoons of azofoska.

How do I select the soil mixture? If you grow seedlings on the soil of options 1 and 2 - and this is soil rich in humus and nutrients, then I will add 1 tbsp. spoon or not at all. I don't add ash either.

If I choose the third option, then I will add both superphosphate and azophoska to 2 tbsp. spoons and sprinkle with ashes.

For options 4 and 5, I will add ash, superphosphate, and azophoska. If I add a little sawdust and sand to the compost, then the rate of mineral fertilizers will be reduced by half.

In the sixth option, nothing needs to be added.

This year I will sow cucumbers in the Formula of Success cassettes, where the cells are 40x40x40 mm, and once again I will check the "Living Earth" soil. But to be on the safe side, I’ll prepare some of my soil mixture.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

So, you filled your pots, cups with soil mixture. The size of the earthen coma depends on the age of the seedlings. If you count on a 30-day soil, then you need at least 600-700 g of soil, if for a 20-day one, then 500 g is enough, if it is 14-15 days, then a 250 g capacity is enough. Should you spill potassium permanganate soil in cups? Yes, spill if in doubt about the purity of the soil.

I sow seeds to a depth of 3 cm, if the soil is very loose, and if it is rough, then to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. Carefully lower the seed into the hole with its sprouted root down. Gently cover it with soil, gently pour it on top from a spoon so that the soil squeezes the root. Then I sprinkle the entire surface in this pot with dry earth, as if mulching, then it will not take 5-7 days to water. I cover the seedlings with foil and put them in the bathroom, where the temperature is + 25 ° C, they sprout quickly.

Seeds can sprout in 6-10 hours, and maybe in a day, and some - in two days. At this stage, the strength of the plant is already manifested. As soon as the "back" of the seedlings appears above the soil, I expose it to the brightest place and lower the temperature after the seedling is completely straightened.