How to feed cucumber seedlings on the windowsill at home before planting in the ground

How to feed cucumber seedlings on the windowsill at home before planting in the ground will be discussed in this article, because many vegetable growers first grow cucumber seedlings before planting them in open ground.

To grow strong and healthy shoots at home, they need feeding. Although this process is not difficult, it does require effort. In this article, in addition to the rules for applying fertilizers for cucumbers, you will learn about many secrets of their cultivation.

Why feed cucumber seedlings at home?

Seedlings grown on a windowsill require good nutrition. Only in this case will the plant actively develop and subsequently produce good harvests throughout the summer season.

Important! From the very beginning, he needs to be provided with a complex of nutrition in the form of mineral elements and organic matter.

There are several basic nutrients that must be given to the plant for healthy growth and full fruiting.

Nitrogen. It is necessary to enhance the development of green mass and rapid growth of stems.
Phosphorus. This element is involved in the formation of the root system.
Potassium. Helps beneficial substances move from the root system along the trunks to the leaves to the above-ground part of the plant. This promotes the appearance of a good and abundant ovary. Also, potassium takes part in the fight against various diseases and infections.

If there is a lack of any nutrients, the plant develops corresponding signs that can be easily noticed:

leaves develop poorly and turn pale or yellow;
the leaves acquire a marbled, yellow or purple tone;
the root system is too weak;
the seedling grows very poorly;
the leaves dry along the edges, then curl and die;
the plant produces rare flowers and weak ovaries.

Fertilizer application scheme

Typically, the first feeding of cucumbers is carried out 10-14 days after emergence. By this time, up to 3 true leaves have formed. Only organic complexes are suitable.

The next time nutrients are added is two weeks later. Now the “portion” is doubled. But the same organic fertilizers, composed of individual ingredients or ready-made complex mixtures, can be used.

At this stage, feeding the seedlings on the windowsill ends. Next time, fertilizers will need to be applied after transplanting to a permanent place.

Advice. Moving into a greenhouse or soil is a stressful moment in the life of a plant. It needs to be supported and “fed” with nutritious fertilizers. Then the sprout will take root better.

What threatens the lack of fertilizers:

plants will lack nitrogen, active growth will stop;
the root system will form worse;
seedlings will not take root well in the soil;
shoots are affected by blackleg or other fungal disease due to lack of immunity.

But an excess of fertilizers also has a bad effect on the condition of the sprouts. If you feed seedlings too often, they can become stretched.

The stem will become thin, and if measures are not taken in time, the seedling will die.

Feeding

First feeding . When the first leaf appears, the first supply of nutrients is introduced. The procedure is carried out in the morning, after moistening the soil.

Important! The leaves should dry out during the day.

Second feeding. When the second good leaf appears on the seedling, a second batch of fertilizer is applied. Typically this procedure is carried out 2 weeks after the first recharge.
Third feeding. 2-3 days before the seedlings are transferred to open ground, a third feeding with minerals is carried out.

Depending on the condition of the plant, the timing of fertilizer application is determined. Typically, cucumbers in plots are fed with nutrient mixtures every 14 days.

Watch the video! FEEDING CUCUMBER SEEDLINGS BALCONY MIRACLE

Types of fertilizers for seedlings

Mineral fertilizers such as nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium . It also requires complex mineral supplements of micro- and macroelements.

Mineral

Mineral fertilizers include nitrogen fertilizers such as urea and ammonium nitrate.

Urea

It contains more than 40% nitrogen. 30 g of fertilizer is diluted per bucket of water. Fertilize two weeks after planting seedlings in open ground.

Ammonium nitrate

This fertilizer contains 30-34% nitrogen. It stimulates the growth of the vegetative part. Fertilizer is used during pre-sowing preparation, as well as in the early stages of development.

Folk recipes

The impact of chemicals on plant development is, of course, stronger than natural fertilizers, which contain fewer nutrients. However, natural fertilizers are harmless and can be applied more often. To strengthen seedlings, you can offer many folk remedies.

Herbal infusion

For cucumber seedlings, tinctures of green manure (green manure) are suitable, which are prepared specifically to enrich the soil with minerals.

In the autumn and summer, you can harvest clover, alfalfa, legumes, and lupine. Dried herbs can be used to prepare excellent fertilizer for young shoots. Apply 50-100 ml of solution per bush.

To prepare the infusion:

2/3 of the volume of a 3-liter container is filled with crushed grass;
add water;
The mixture is kept for a week. During this time, it will brew well and begin to ferment a little;
Before use, 1 liter of infusion is diluted in 10 liters of water.
Apply 10 ml to each bush.

Yeast

A very effective fertilizer for cucumber seedlings is fresh mash. It promotes the development of the plant’s root system and the growth of its green mass.

Recipe 1

To prepare the mixture take:

0.5 cups sugar;
100 g fresh yeast;
dilute everything with water (5 liters);
the solution is kept for 1 day at room temperature;
The fermented mixture is diluted with water 2 times.

Recipe 2

You can make mash from black bread:

dry the bread a little;
fill 3 jars with dry bread 2/3 full;
fill completely with water;
the mixture is infused for 7 days;
Before applying fertilizer to cucumbers, you need to strain the mixture and dilute it with water 1:3.

Onion peel

This product perfectly supports young shoots. In addition, it is a good means of combating various diseases and pests. Fill a large container to the top with onion peels without compacting them. Fill it with water and leave to infuse for 3 days.

Potato

Among the folk recipes for feeding seedlings, one can also note potato decoction. Before using the decoction, you should cool it and only then water the bushes. When cooked, potatoes release a certain amount of starch into the water, which has a beneficial effect on both the soil and the plant itself.

Banana peel

Banana waste can be used not only for young seedlings, but also for cucumber plants on the land. To make seedlings grow faster:

banana peels (3 pcs.);
placed in a 3-liter jar;
fill with water;
after two days, the solution is used to feed the young plant.

Iodine

Cucumber seedlings grown at home often suffer from iodine deficiency. The reason for this may be the small amount of this trace element in the soil and water. Therefore, iodine-based fertilizer is also necessary for cucumbers for normal development.

The plant is susceptible to a disease such as powdery mildew. To prevent this disease, a special solution is prepared, which is used to spray both the seedling and the soil mixture. To prepare it:

for 1 bucket of water;
add 1 liter of milk;
and 10 drops of iodine.

This solution can be used every 10 days.

Interesting! If the plant is treated according to all the rules, it can be preserved from powdery mildew and the appearance of yellow leaves.

In addition, such a solution will help in the fight against fungi, and will also help increase immunity several times.

Advice from experienced gardeners: what if?

Seedlings grown on a windowsill require feeding. It must be made according to a specific schedule. But the very first step is choosing the best varieties of cucumbers when buying seeds.

How to feed cucumber seedlings so that they grow strong and thick

If the cucumber shoots are weak and elongated , then you should water it with a mineral solution or organic matter .

Organics: bird droppings are diluted with water 1:1. Leave for 3-4 days. For irrigation, the solution is diluted with water 1:20.

Mineral fertilizer: 1 tbsp. l. urea and superphosphate are diluted in 10 liters of water.

What fertilizers should not be used

In order not to harm cucumber seedlings, they should not be fed with fresh manure. In this case, the tender roots will simply burn. If cucumbers are planted on neutral soils or with a high percentage of alkali, then it is not fertilized with urea.

In order to get a high yield of quality cucumbers, they need to be provided with proper care throughout their development. This includes timely and proper feeding of the plant. Thanks to the mass media, you can always find out about any effective method of processing cucumbers.

Watch the video! The best fertilizer for seedlings at home

Common mistakes

The main mistakes when feeding cucumber seedlings:

Excess fertilizer . Overfeeding is just as dangerous as underfeeding. If you apply too much fertilizer, the plant may burn. The signs of excess feeding are the same as their lack.
Feeding should be moderate. Cucumbers need nitrogen, so many begin to add it in excess. As a result, a lot of foliage grows, and the fruits are small.
Lack of fertilizing. Many people do not want to feed their plants with fertilizers because they are afraid that the fruits will contain a lot of chemicals. Organic fertilizers can be replaced with folk remedies.
Unsystematic feeding. If you apply fertilizers without following a specific schedule, you should not expect a large harvest.

Gardener tips:

Before sowing, the seeds must be treated. In this case, the stem will grow plump.
It is important to draw up a fertilizing plan and strictly follow it.
As soon as the seedlings appear, they should not be watered. The roots of the seedlings are still weak, and they will not have time to absorb nutrients.

To feed cucumbers, what to choose: mineral fertilizers or organic matter

Feeding with ash or ash solution

Wood ash protects well from many common diseases of cucumbers, as well as other plants. This is a natural mineral fertilizer and an excellent top dressing. Ash contains potassium, and cucumbers respond very well to a sufficient amount of this element in the soil. In addition, you don’t have to worry about harming your health. Ash is a natural remedy.

Fertilizing with ash can be done safely during fruiting.

You can spray the plants with an ash solution, or pour it under the root, or dust it with dry sifted ash.

The ash solution is prepared as follows: dilute 1 glass of ash in 10 liters of water and leave for 24 hours. If you irrigate the plants, then after mixing, filter the ash solution so that the sprayer does not become clogged with sediment. The water should be warm - not lower than 20-25°C. Let the bucket or other container with the solution sit in the sun. You will spray in the evening - by this time the ash infusion will become warm.

Nitroammofoska (azophoska)

You can fertilize cucumbers with azophoska (nitroammophoska, NPK) - a complex mineral fertilizer that contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in equal parts. The feeding solution is made as follows: 1 tablespoon per bucket (10 liters) of water. Azofoska dissolves very well.

For example, I don’t have enough one bucket of solution to fertilize all the plants. I first make a concentrated solution. I dilute 10 tablespoons of azofoska in 10 liters of water. This concentrate is enough for 10 buckets of ready-to-use nitroammofosk solution.

I take a liter of concentrated solution and add it to another bucket (10 l) with clean water. You can add a glass of wood ash to the bucket of solution. And from this bucket I feed my cucumbers - about 1 liter per plant. The soil under the plants should be moist before fertilizing.

Foliar fertilizing with azophoska is done before fruit set. As soon as the first ovaries appear, switch to watering at the root.

Cucumbers typically develop a large aboveground mass and a wide root system. But, despite this, they absorb feeding a little bit at a time.

I repeat, but this is very important - they need to be fed little by little, but often - once every 7-10 days

When choosing a mineral fertilizer, try to ensure that the ratio of nitrogen to potassium is 1:2, that is, 1 part nitrogen + 2 potassium. That is why I add a glass of wood ash to the nitroammophoska solution - in the first half of the growing season you need more potassium than nitrogen. If there is no ash, then potassium sulfate (20 g - 1 tablespoon without top) or potassium magnesia (20 g - 1 tablespoon without top) can be added to a 10-liter solution of nitroammophoska.

In general, please note that when feeding, especially when cucumbers bear fruit intensively, there should be more potassium in any organic or mineral fertilizer.

If you are preparing organic fertilizer based on manure, then the ratio of nitrogen and potassium in it is approximately equal. Therefore, be sure to add wood ash or potassium-containing fertilizers there in the doses that I wrote above. The presence of a larger dose of potassium (compared to nitrogen) will prevent the plants from fattening and will increase the number of ovaries, and therefore the number of fruits.

Fertilizing with organic fertilizers

And I would like to tell you about one more feeding. About organic. I make it myself, use it on all garden plants - tomatoes, cabbage, eggplants. This is “green fertilizer” from mowed grass or weeded weeds. It's very easy to prepare. I talked about this in some detail here: “Feeding tomatoes.”

When should seedlings be fed?

Vegetable crops should be fertilized at different stages of its development. The first feeding of cucumber seedlings is carried out with the appearance of a leaf on the sprout. It is carried out together with the irrigation procedure. It is advisable to perform it on warm days, in the morning. This way the young bush will quickly absorb all the useful components. The seedlings are fertilized a second time when the next leaf is formed. 2 weeks after the first feeding, nutrients are added a third time.

Further, the duration of the break between adding nutrient mixtures to the soil depends on the condition of the plant. But most often the interval is 14 days. Knowing when to feed cucumber seedlings, you have a chance to get a rich harvest.

In order for cucumbers to produce a high-quality and high yield, fertilizers must be applied several times throughout its development. To do this, there are different periods for feeding cucumbers, which you must know when growing this crop.

Some useful tips

If you can find the right moment and apply the required amount of fertilizer, you will stimulate not only the growth of your cucumbers, but also their fruiting.

Recipes for feeding seedlings:

Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Fertility fertilizer (it can be easily replaced with Breadwinner and Ideal fertilizers) in 10 liters of water, i.e., a tablespoon of product per bucket of water. Feed half a cup of fertilizer per seedling sprout.
Again, a similar method of preparation: dissolve a teaspoon of nitrophoska and a teaspoon of Kemira-Lux fertilizer in 10 liters of water (Agricola-Vegeta is suitable as a replacement).
The next method is no more complicated than the previous ones: in 10 liters of water you need to dissolve urea, potassium sulfate, superphosphate (all substances in the amount of 1 teaspoon). Fertilizer consumption is 2–3 liters per 1 square meter.
If you have not yet planted cucumbers, then before planting, fertilize the soil with Barrier fertilizer (dilute 5 tablespoons of the product in 10 liters of water). Dig holes and pour half a liter of fertilizer into each of them.

What is the best way to feed cucumber seedlings?

Before the flowers and ovaries appear, the vegetable crop is fed with preparations based on nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus. If you start introducing fertilizer at an earlier date, it will not be beneficial, since the root system is still too weak.

Experienced gardeners recommend fertilizing seedlings with urea. After the first cucumbers appear, the plant will need another fertilizer. It should contain more substances such as potassium, magnesium and nitrogen.

First feeding

The mixture of the first feeding must include elements such as nitrogen and phosphorus. At the request of the gardener, you can add potassium to this set. We offer several useful recipes for feeding cucumbers with mineral mixtures.

Recipe 1 (mineral):

water – 10 l;
ammonium nitrate – 1 teaspoon;
potassium sulfate – 1 teaspoon;
superphosphate – 1 tbsp. spoon.

Recipe 2 (mineral):

water – 10 l;
urea – 1 tablespoon;
superphosphate – 1 heaped tablespoon.

After the first shoots of cucumbers, many vegetable growers prefer to introduce organic fertilizer. It is an excellent alternative to mineral chemicals. Most often, slurry or a solution of chicken droppings is used for this purpose.

These products contain all the nutrients necessary for the plant: nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus. However, poultry and livestock waste must be properly prepared in order to obtain useful fertilizer and not damage the plant.

First of all, fresh droppings or slurry should be diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio.
The starter will ferment for almost 7 days.
Then the solution with bird droppings is diluted with more water - 1:20, and slurry - 1:10.
One of the mixtures is introduced under each seedling root in an amount of 50-100 ml.

Second feeding

When the second strong leaf appears, you can begin the second feeding. The period between the first and second feeding is approximately 14 days.

So, after chemicals, you need to use organic matter. To feed the plant a second time, it is recommended to prepare such mineral mixtures. Recipe 1 (mineral):

3 liters of water;
nitrophoska 1 tbsp. spoon;
ash - 1 teaspoon.

5 liters of water;
potassium nitrate – 1 heaped teaspoon;
ammonium nitrate – 1 tbsp. spoon.

Recipe 3 (complex fertilizers)

For healthy and high-quality development of cucumber seedlings, a second feeding is introduced in the form of such complex preparations as Kemira-lux, Nitroammofoska. To properly prepare the solution for watering, you need:

10 liters of water;
dilute 1 tbsp. a spoonful of the product;
100 ml of solution is added to each seedling.

Also, the second feeding for cucumber seedlings can be carried out with such means as Fertility, Ephecon, Ideal, Breadwinner, Agricola-vegeta. They should be used according to the attached instructions.

The ground under each bush is fertilized with a solution in an amount of 100 ml. Fertilizer for seedlings is introduced no earlier than after 1 week.

Third feeding

Gardeners often differ in their opinions about whether it is necessary to feed cucumber seedlings a third time before planting them in a permanent place. Some claim that healthy and strong seedlings grown in the window should not be fertilized again. However, some gardeners provide it with additional nutrients before transplanting the plant to the site.

Before planting cucumbers in open ground, you can feed them

Recipe 1:

10 liters of water:
urea - 1 tbsp. spoon;
potassium sulfate – 2 teaspoons;
superphosphate – 2 tbsp. spoons.

Sometimes, instead of individual chemical nutrients, one complex fertilizer is used (Fertility, Ephecon, Ideal, Breadwinner, Agricola-vegeta, Kemira-lux).

The question of how to fertilize cucumber seedlings on the windowsill worries many vegetable growers. In principle, feeding is not something super complicated, but it is still not an easy task. Since the crop has not yet bloomed or bear fruit, it is useful to apply mixtures based on phosphorus, nitrogen and calcium. Urea is also considered a good option. But in the future, when the cucumbers are formed, a different fertilizer will be needed. It should contain more nitrogen, as well as potassium and magnesium.

Some summer residents use complex factory mixtures. Their composition is rich in various nutritional elements that are so necessary for seedlings grown on the window. All ready-made fertilizers can be easily purchased at a specialized store. The manufacturer describes in detail how to use such mixtures in the instructions. It is important to strictly follow the algorithm.

This is what experts recommend to feed cucumber seedlings on the windowsill:

Dissolve a tablespoon of the “Breadwinner” or “Fertility” mixture in a bucket of warm water. One sprout takes about 0.5 cups of this substance.
Dissolve superphosphate, potassium sulfate and urea in a bucket of clean water. You will need a teaspoon of each component.
Dilute “Barrier” fertilizer with 10 liters of water. The mixture will need 5 tablespoons.

Iodine is also useful for cucumber seedlings that grow on the windowsill. This microelement is found in all living organisms. The content in plants depends on the presence of this component in water and soil. But very often there is not enough iodine.

Fertilizer prepared on the basis of iodine is very important for cucumbers. After all, this crop is susceptible to powdery mildew infection. And in order to protect the bush from such a disease, the soil and the seedlings themselves are sprayed with a special solution. It is prepared very simply. Take a bucket of water. Add a liter of milk to it and drop 10 drops of alcohol tincture of iodine. Similar feeding of cucumber seedlings at home is carried out every 10 days.

Proper processing prevents the development of powdery mildew and yellowing of leaves, and also copes with fungal spores, the immunity of the crop increases significantly.

Many summer residents use green fertilizers or green manure for cucumbers in the spring, considering them an excellent option for fertilizer. Green manures are special plants that are grown for the purpose of further embedding in the ground. They help improve the structure of the soil mixture, saturate it with nitrogen, and prevent the growth of weeds.

This fertilizer for cucumber seedlings gives the following:

Cleans the soil from toxic substances.
Improves the fertile properties of the soil.
Acts as mulch.
Protects the soil from weathering.
Attracts beneficial insects that take part in plant pollination.

Cereals, such as oats and rye, are usually used as green manure. They provide remarkable improvement to the soil. Legumes include lupine, peas, clover and beans. These plants quickly saturate the soil with nitrogen and other elements it needs. Sowing is carried out in spring or autumn. If spring planting is planned, you should give preference to oats, mustard, phacelia and vetch. Experts also recommend planting spring rape and oilseed radish.

Watering cucumbers

Cucumber seedlings are capricious regarding watering. Does not like waterlogging and drying out. Water moderately with warm (+23-25°C) settled water. When carrying out additional illumination 2 times a day, in the presence of only natural light - 1 time. Spray regularly. There must be holes in the bottom of the cups so that excess moisture does not stagnate. Advice! When soil moisture and temperature are too high, pathogenic fungi and microorganisms develop. Sprouts on which black plaque appears are immediately destroyed.

Cucumbers and their description

Cucumber seedlings are fertilized after germination by spraying the leaves of the plant with microelements. When preparing the nutrient solution, you should be extremely careful. The mixture should be slightly concentrated. To do this, it is diluted with water. Too high a concentration can cause crop burns. As a rule, after soil fertilizing, the soil is watered with clean, warm water, and then mulched.

Cucumbers are one of the most popular crops that are grown on plots or at home. They contain a large number of useful components, for example; insulin analog; cellulose; tartronic acid; vitamins and other enzymes.

This vegetable consists of 95–97 percent water, so many consider it of little use, however, this is not at all true. Such water is not simple, but contains, in turn, mineral salts of the following components:

iodine;
magnesium;
calcium;
phosphorus.

All these salts have a positive effect on the functioning of the kidneys, liver and heart. The water in cucumbers is also a natural absorbent that removes slagging from the body and toxins.

Cucumber is a cross-pollinated and monoecious plant. Flowers are pollinated by flies, bumblebees and bees. To increase the yield in one area, it is recommended to plant several varieties. And also, there are self-pollinating varieties that will develop without the help of insects.

According to their ripening time, these crops are divided into the following types:

Early ripening (when about 50 days pass from full germination to fruiting).
Mid-season (up to 60 days, respectively).
Late ripening (up to 70 days).

Growing this crop is quite simple, but you need to follow the requirements for caring for it, this also applies to feeding cucumber seedlings. They love moisture, warmth and light; they also need to maintain a certain temperature regime, and frost is contraindicated.

Plant the plant in open ground after the air temperature does not drop below 15 degrees; if it is lower, the growth of the crop will slow down, and at a temperature of less than 10 degrees it will stop altogether. The optimal temperature for growth is from 25 to 30 degrees, the recommended relative humidity is about 70-80 percent.

Cucumbers are grown in different ways. The most popular method is in a greenhouse or under film cover. In greenhouse conditions, they will grow better in soil based on humus and turf. The plant needs abundant watering, ventilation, loosening and feeding. In open ground, cucumbers are grown under cover so that the crops are protected from the cold.