Growing cucumbers through seedlings: accessible even to beginners

Almost all Russian gardeners grow these vegetables. Many areas have greenhouses and greenhouses, but most owners prefer to plant cucumbers in open ground: the fruits become suitable for consumption in record time, and even a short summer with proper planting and proper care is usually enough to obtain a decent harvest.

In open beds, cucumbers are simply sown with seeds or pre-grown seedlings are planted.

How to determine the time of sowing seeds

Cucumber seedlings can be planted in soil heated to a temperature of at least 15ºC, and air - from 20ºC and above. To calculate the correct timing for planting cucumber seeds, you need to take into account some factors:

1. The region's climate plays a big role for obvious reasons. In the southern and northern regions these numbers will vary significantly. This is described in more detail below.
2. The landing location will also affect the calculations. You can plant them in a greenhouse much earlier than in open ground, and if it is heated, then cucumbers can be grown all year round.
3. Landing method. Many people do not grow seedlings, but immediately plant seeds in a permanent place.

Cucumber seedlings are planted at the age of 2 to 3 weeks, no more. Planting time also depends on the plant variety.

Further care for cucumbers

In cucumbers, the root system is located at a depth of 5 to 25 cm. With rising air temperatures and in the absence of rain, the ridges dry out quickly, so cucumbers require regular watering with water heated in the sun during the day. Water the cucumbers in the evening, usually every other day. It is best to water with a watering can without a strainer so that the water does not splash or get on the leaves. After each watering, the soil must be slightly loosened and, if necessary, the plants must be planted. Constantly fighting weeds.

After the appearance of the fifth true leaf, the plant is pinched to cause the development of side shoots, on which the main part of the crop grows. True, for many modern hybrids pinching is not necessary, but it will not hurt.

By the time cucumbers begin to bloom, their first feeding is timed. To do this, take nitrophoska (30–35 g per bucket of water) and pour at least a glass of this solution under each plant. The second feeding is carried out when they see that after a friendly growth of fruits, the vines noticeably slow down their growth and fruiting fades.

It is most convenient to grow cucumbers on trellises, but they do not always climb on their own where the owner would like, so periodically it is necessary to guide the vines and sometimes even tie them up. The harvest must be harvested systematically, sometimes this has to be done daily. Otherwise, the cucumbers will outgrow and new ovaries will stop forming.

Cucumbers should not be allowed to overripe, otherwise the yield will decline sharply.

When should cucumbers be planted for seedlings in 2022?

In order not to calculate the sowing dates yourself, you can use ready-made information on this topic.

A popular saying is that you can start planting cucumbers in the ground when dandelions bloom en masse.

Cucumbers are also sown in the ground when rowan and lilac bloom.

Depending on the variety

The rules here are simple - early and ultra-early varieties are planted as seedlings before everyone else. They are more cold-resistant, so they are often recommended for northern regions.

And mid-season and late-ripening varieties are usually sown starting from the first days of April.

Depending on the future landing site

When growing cucumbers in heated greenhouses, deadlines can be neglected, paying attention only to the sufficiency of lighting.

And in unheated greenhouses and greenhouses, seedlings are planted two weeks earlier than in open ground.

Germinated seeds are planted in the ground no earlier than June 5th.

You should also take into account the time it takes to prepare the seeds (if they were collected from your own plot). For purchased seeds, please read the instructions class=”aligncenter” width=”2320″ height=”1584″[/img] Time frame for sowing seeds for seedlings

Depending on the region

Climate also plays a big role when choosing the date for planting seeds. Below we will tell you when to plant cucumber seedlings in different regions.

First of all, you need to monitor the weather conditions and air temperature.

A little more about sowing crops for seedlings in the southern regions:

Dates for sowing vegetable seeds for seedlings for the Rostov and Volgograd regions

Possible diseases of seedlings

Cucumber seedlings rarely get sick. Typically, this problem occurs when growing conditions are violated - thickened sowing, poor preparation of seeds and soil. Treatment at this stage of plant development is ineffective, and therefore preventive measures must be observed.

Common diseases can be found below:

1. Black leg - the root collar turns black, the stem breaks. It occurs when there is excessive watering in rooms with high air temperatures, as well as when planting is dense.
2. Root rot - the plant stops growing, the leaves turn yellow, the seedlings fall. Occurs due to watering with cold water, overflows, and contaminated planting material.
3. Wilting of seedlings - the plant begins to wither from the top, then symptoms are similar to root rot. The reason lies in infection with soil fungi.
4. Ascochyta blight - cotyledon leaves lose color, real leaves are affected by spots, which later turn into black spots. Most often, the reason lies in a violation of temperature and humidity.
5. Powdery mildew - at first the leaves seem to be powdered with flour, then they turn yellow. The cause of infection is excess nitrogen in the soil, improper irrigation techniques and temperature fluctuations. Treatment with copper-containing fungicides is possible.

Another disease of cucumber seedlings is mosaic. This is a viral disease in which the leaves first become covered with yellow spots and then wrinkle. In this case, the seedlings cannot be treated and must be destroyed.

It happens that plants stop developing for no apparent reason. This is usually associated with watering with cold water or low temperatures on the windowsill, at which the roots lose their suction ability and gradually die. When the necessary conditions are created, most of the seedlings are restored.

If you follow the conditions of agricultural technology, then cucumber seedlings almost never get sick.

Lunar calendar for planting cucumbers for seedlings in 2022

The planting date can also be determined by the lunar calendar, which many gardeners take quite seriously.

When to sow seedlings or in the ground:

In 2022, unfavorable days fall on the following dates:

• January – 2, 3, 17, 18
• February – 1, 2, 16, 28
• March – 1, 2, 18, 27, 28
• April – 1, 2, 16, 23
• May – 1, 16, 30
• June -14, 18, 29
• July – 13, 14, 28, 29
• August – 11, 12, 27-28
• September: 9-10, 26, 27
• October: 9, 10, 25, 26
• November: 1, 2, 7-9, 24, 25, 28, 29
• December: 7-9, 23-25

Folk signs: On May 19, abundant dew and clear weather mean a bountiful harvest of cucumbers! On May 27, clear weather marks a good harvest of cucumbers.

We care for seedlings correctly

The first shoots should appear 5-7 days after sowing. Now it is important to water the seedlings correctly and prevent them from stretching. Provide plants with good lighting and eliminate drafts. Water the seedlings as the soil dries and only with warm water. After 2 true leaves appear, feed the plants with a solution of nitroammophoska (1 tsp per 1 liter of water). And in the phase of 4 true leaves, if necessary, prick the seedlings.

10-14 days after the first feeding, feed the seedlings with a mixture of urea, potassium sulfate and superphosphate (1 tsp per 10 liters of water). A few days after the second feeding, you can plant the plants in the ground.

How to properly plant cucumbers for seedlings

We looked at when to plant cucumber seedlings, now let's look at the features of its cultivation. Growing seedlings of any crop is a rather labor-intensive process, but it has its advantages and cucumbers are no exception:

• the opportunity to get the harvest earlier and in larger sizes;
• the seedling method of growing cucumbers allows you to get the desired harvest in the northern regions;
• If there is a mole cricket in the garden, it is easier to protect the seedlings from it.

If you don’t have time to tinker with seedlings, you can plant them with sprouted seeds in open ground or a greenhouse. Moreover, cucumbers tolerate transplantation with great difficulty, which is their disadvantage.

Seed selection

There are a large number of varieties of cucumbers. There are two main varieties: those that require pollination by bees and those that do not (parthenocarpic). The latter are ideal for greenhouses and hotbeds, while the former are only suitable for open ground.

Don't know which variety to choose? A review of the best cucumbers for greenhouses based on reviews from gardeners will be useful.

Read

Examples of varieties for open cultivation:

• Competitor;
• Elegant;
• Altai early;
• Series F1 – Baby, Twins, Humm-humm, Appetizing, Baby, Antoshka, Preschoolers.

Examples of varieties for growing in polycarbonate and other greenhouses:

• Malachite;
• April;
• Courage;
• F1 – Baba Masha, No Hassle, Magnificent Five.

Where to buy seeds

Seed preparation

Before you start planting cucumber seeds, you need to prepare everything: seeds, container, soil, film and the place where the seedlings will stand.

A plot of 10 m2 will require 6-8 g of cucumber seeds.

Preparing seeds takes about 5-7 days. Its stages:

1. Selection of the best seeds for planting. Sort through the seeds and remove damaged ones.
2. Completeness check. Pour water into a shallow bowl and pour them there. Those that have drowned are left, and the rest can be removed - they will not give a good harvest.
3. Disinfection in pink manganese solution or any other. If the seeds were purchased in a store, then this is not required, since they have already been processed.
4. Hardening. You can wrap ungerminated seeds in a damp cloth and harden them by placing them in the refrigerator for two days. The temperature should be from 0 to +2ºС.
5. Germination. Place the seeds on a damp cloth or gauze, wrap and leave for 24 hours. The humidity of the gauze must be constantly maintained, but so that the seeds do not float in the water

Soil and container for seedlings

It is most convenient to grow cucumber seedlings in peat pots. They can then be easily transplanted into the ground immediately. The method of growing “in a snail” is also convenient.

It is advisable to plant each bush in a separate container - cucumbers do not tolerate transplantation well.

But first, prepare a soil mixture of peat, soil, sand, wood ash, and you can add sawdust to create drainage. The pots are filled with this, leaving 1 cm from the top edge. They are placed in another plastic container, or you can immediately purchase a ready-made cassette of peat cups.

The soil is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicides and moistened.

Soil can also be purchased at the store. For example, “Rodnichok”.

Sowing seeds

Make holes from 1.5 to 2 cm, lay the seeds horizontally, cover with earth and press down a little. The pots are covered with film or glass and left for several days until the cucumbers germinate. After which the covering material is removed.

The seedlings are placed in a warm place with a temperature of 25ºC. This could be a window sill next to the radiator or a heated balcony.

Cucumber seeds germinate in 3 to 7 days. It depends on the planting method. If you plant sprouted seeds under film, the first shoots appear on the third day.

If you just plant them in moist soil, they will have to wait about a week.

When seedlings appear, the container with seedlings is transferred to a bright windowsill.

Caring for cucumber seedlings

Properly grown cucumber seedlings should have a strong stem, two full leaves, a bright green color and a good root system.

To achieve this, you need the right care:

1. As soon as the first cotyledon leaves appear, the seedlings are placed in a cooler place or such conditions are created, for example, by reducing the heating.
2. Watering is carried out only with warm water when the soil surface dries out. Cold water may cause seedlings to become sick.
3. The room must be ventilated, but avoid drafts.
4. If daylight hours are less than 10 hours, you need to create additional lighting (in total, at least 14-16 hours).

Feeding is carried out twice

First. After the first two leaves appear, urea, ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium are added. However, it is safer to purchase ready-made fertilizer for seedlings.

Second. Carry out before planting in the ground using superphosphate and potassium sulfate.

After each feeding you need to add a little soil.

Useful information about feeding schemes for cucumber seedlings with folk remedies and mineral fertilizers.

Read

Organization of beds

It is better to designate a place for planting cucumbers in the fall. Semi-rotted organic matter (bird droppings, cow or horse manure) is added to the soil and dug up onto the bayonet of a shovel. You can also fertilize the soil in the spring using compost or humus. If there are no such fertilizers on the farm, they are replaced with industrially produced preparations. In this case, 30-40 g of ammonium sulfate or urea, 20-30 g of superphosphate and 40-50 g of potassium sulfate are added per 1 square meter of bed. However, the crop bears fruit much better on soils enriched with organic matter and wood ash. The gardener must remember this and not get too carried away with “store-bought” fertilizers.

The root system of cucumbers is superficial and rather weak, so the top layer of soil must be especially carefully loosened and cleared of weeds.

The soil reaction should be slightly acidic or neutral. The crop cannot be planted in soil that is not warmed up enough: at temperatures below 18 degrees Celsius, the development of seedlings stops and the sown seeds die. Soil moisture at the time of planting is equally important. In dry soil, seeds do not germinate, and the roots of seedlings do not receive sufficient nutrition. If the soil is too wet, the material can quickly rot.

Cucumbers do not tolerate direct sunlight very well. It is considered optimal to place them in the area of ​​the garden that is in partial shade for part of the day (next to the fence or not far from tall trees). In open areas, it makes sense to organize shading: for example, install supports with a stretched green mosquito net on the sunny side. The best predecessors for the crop are white cabbage or cauliflower, onions, garlic, potatoes, beets and garden strawberries.

It is recommended to mulch the soil with straw or sawdust to reduce moisture evaporation and inhibit the growth of weeds.

Cucumbers are placed in a row or nesting method in the garden. In the first case, two parallel grooves are made at a distance of 40 cm from each other and 30 cm from the edges of the bed. Seedlings are planted in them or single seeds are laid out, maintaining a distance of 30 cm between plants. When using the nesting method, one furrow is made in the center of the bed. The seeds are laid out in “heaps” of 3-4 pieces, placing “nests” every 50-60 cm. The planting depth should not exceed 2-3 cm. If necessary, the bed is spilled with warm water and then mulched with straw so as not to loosen the soil after each watering, as well as reduce moisture evaporation and reduce the likelihood of weed germination. As mulch, you can use dark covering material (agrospan or spunbond). In this case, the prepared bed is first covered and cuts are made in the material at the required distances from each other, and then seedlings are planted in them or seeds are sown.

In most cases, shelters made of film or lutrasil, mounted on light arcs, are installed over cucumber plantings. If the air temperature remains above 17-18 degrees Celsius, the greenhouse is opened during the day so that the plants do not overheat.

After removing the covering materials, the greenhouse structure, if necessary, can be used for shading by stretching the mesh

Landing in the ground

They prefer light sandy or loamy soils fertilized with humus. Oily soil and high acidity are not suitable for them; it should be in the range of 6.2-6.8.

The optimal temperature for seed germination is above +14ºС, and for growth within +18-26ºС.

When the seedlings have at least three full leaves (preferably 5-7), they are transplanted to a permanent place. But first, the beds are prepared, they are dug up, adding humus or compost. Afterwards they are disinfected with a manganese solution.

Holes for seedlings are prepared at a distance of about 65 cm; if there is space, you can make 100 cm. The seedlings are not deepened too much, planted flush with the ground.

Watering is carried out regularly, possibly every day. To do this, use a sprayer or watering can to provide gentle watering.

After which it is better to plant them - cabbage, legumes, tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, onions, spinach, beets, carrots and greens.

After which you can’t plant cucumbers in the same place, melons, watermelons, squashes, pumpkins and zucchini.

What can you plant next to - legumes, greens, onions, beets, celery, cabbage, garlic, sunflowers.

More details:

What to plant after cucumbers. Then plant cucumbers

Selection and preparation of a site

Cucumbers do not tolerate strong winds and abundant shade, so seedlings should be placed in a well-lit area that is protected from gusts of wind. It is important to adhere to the rules of crop rotation:

• Cucumbers cannot be planted in the same place every year;
• The best predecessors are considered to be the following crops: potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, greens, beans, peas, lentils, bell peppers, onions, beets, carrots;
• It is not advisable to plant cucumbers after pumpkins.

Pay attention to the soil - it must be fertile and contain organic matter (peat, humus). In terms of structure, preference is given to loam.

Rules for preparing garden beds:

• in the fall, dig up the area to the height of one shovel;
• Rotted manure must be added (15-20 kg per 1 sq. m);
• In spring, the soil is thoroughly loosened;
• all weeds are removed;
• a couple of weeks before transplanting the seedlings, repeated feeding is done (with slurry);
• the surface of the beds is leveled.

Benefits and contraindications

Useful properties of cucumbers:

1. They have a diuretic effect, which makes it possible to use them to combat edema.
2. They normalize the acidic environment in the body and remove acidic compounds.
3. Restores the circulatory system and has a positive effect on the thyroid gland.
4. Restore metabolism and increase immunity.
5. The most popular known method of using cucumbers is to restore healthy skin. They have been used for cosmetic purposes for a long time and successfully, making various masks.

It is not recommended to eat a lot of cucumbers for people with kidney problems. And since they increase appetite, it is better to limit them to those who want to lose weight. The canned product should be consumed in small quantities for cardiovascular diseases.

Victor Immel My entire childhood was spent in nature, which probably predetermined my subsequent choice of profession - to become an agronomist.

Selecting productive varieties and hybrids of cucumbers

You've probably already bought a couple of packets of cucumber seeds. If not yet, be sure to find out before purchasing about the yield of the selected plants, whether their fruits contain bitterness, for what purposes greens are suitable, where it is better to grow them: in a greenhouse or open ground. Among the productive varieties and hybrids there are both self-pollinating and bee-pollinated ones. Popular cucumbers are Zozulya F1, Konny F1, Kustovoy, Konkurent, etc.

The future harvest largely depends on the quality of the seeds, so take your choice as responsibly as possible!