Each gardener tries to grow healthy and healthy vegetables with his own hands. One of the most popular is cucumber, which grows both in open ground and in a greenhouse. Like all plants, culture requires constant care. Each summer resident and gardener buys the seeds of cucumbers. How to germinate a culture, not everyone knows. To engage in this process, certain information is required.
Seed structure
Cucumbers belong to dicotyledonous plants, they are arranged like many flowering crops. In the middle is the embryo, around which the endosperm and the protective membrane are located. All plants have different layer ratios. Seeds are divided into starchy, oilseed and protein species (categories vary depending on the nutritional supply, whichever prevails). Each plant has common features, for example, protein and phytin are found in all cultures. These components are very important for the growth phase. Phytin secretes the phosphorus that seeds eat. In cereal grains, a very large percentage of starch. Oilseeds are rich in fats. How to plant cucumber seeds yourself, how to germinate grains? What soil to use, how much moisture do you need? Let's get it right.
Preparing planting material
For each process, a person must create favorable conditions. If you know how to properly germinate the seeds of cucumbers, then there will be almost one hundred percent germination of seedlings. Also, all plants will grow healthy and strong, and the crop will be early.
The main thing in the process of germination is to properly prepare planting material. Grains need to be immersed in a specific solution, and so let's figure out how to soak the seeds of cucumbers. For excellent seedling germination, it is necessary to lower the grains into a five percent solution of salt (table). Such a method will help to identify empty seeds: they remain on the surface, and full seeds sink to the bottom. You can also warm the planting material, even at home. For example, leave seeds near heating appliances at a temperature of +40 degrees Celsius for one week.
Soaking and dressing of planting material
To obtain healthy and strong seedlings, pre-sowing soaking can be done. It is very effective and also stimulates the growth of culture. There are several options for preparing a solution in which one kilogram of cucumber seeds will be soaked (the amount of substance per liter of water is indicated):
- 300 milligrams of methylene blue;
- 20 mg of boric acid or 7 mg of succinic;
- 2 g of zinc sulfate ;
- 5 g of soda (drinking).
Planting material must be soaked in the prepared liquid for a day. Next, the seeds should be dried to a state of flowability, and only then sow. In addition to this procedure, experienced gardeners also pickle grains. This is done in order to protect planting material from diseases and pests. You can pickle the seeds in advance or immediately before sowing. For this procedure, use fentiuram (3 grams per 1 kilogram of grains) or TMTD (4 grams per 1 kilogram).
A gardener who wants to have a good harvest should carefully study the rules according to which the seeds of cucumbers are sown - how to germinate the crop, as well as how to care for it later. The more information, the better seedlings will be, and, accordingly, the plant will give many fruits. In the cultivation of cucumbers using the method of hardening seeds. Already swollen or sprouted grains are kept for two days in a room with a temperature of minus two to plus two degrees. For hardening, a refrigerator, a cellar or a glacier are perfect.
Positive and negative aspects of germination
The pre-emergence period for the plant is very important, complex and dangerous. Because of this, it is desirable to accelerate the process of obtaining seedlings in various ways. And therefore you need to know well how and with what to process the seeds of cucumbers, how to germinate the culture. Indeed, thanks to this method, a person can select the best material (these plants will be the first to hatch). Germination also stimulates 100% germination in cucumbers: almost all of them appear simultaneously (with an interval of several hours). Thus, all seedlings require the same care, since the needs coincide.
But almost every process has its drawbacks. In germination, it is also quite difficult to create the desired temperature regime. It is constantly required to monitor the seeds, whether they have sprouted or not. It is also necessary not to miss the moment of tangling of the roots, and then transplant the seedlings in time. Sprouted seeds should not be taken with your hands, but with tweezers, so as not to damage the plant. This is a painstaking process, but it helps to achieve maximum results.
Seed germination
Cucumber is a heat-loving plant, because the temperature regime for the culture is very important. For germination, a gauze or napkin is taken, in which the grains will be soaked. The fabric is impregnated with a specific solution (we considered above how to make it) and seeds are wrapped in it. Then gauze or a napkin is laid out on a saucer, on top of which glass is placed. This helps preserve the moisture that cucumbers really like.
It is necessary to constantly monitor the amount of water in the saucer, if necessary, add liquid at room temperature. Without moisture, the seeds can dry out and become unsuitable for planting.
Growing cucumbers
Heat-loving crops are often propagated not by seedlings, but by seeds. With proper preparation of planting material, the crop of cucumbers can already be harvested in mid-June. It is important to choose the appropriate cultural varieties, time-tested: Graceful, Murom 36, Early Altai, Competitor, Zozulya, Manul, Cascade, Crystal and many others.
How to plant cucumber seeds? It is quite simple, they can be grown in open ground, and in the greenhouse, and on the windowsill. It is easy to plant cucumbers, you just need to make beds and lower the prepared seeds there. It is important to identify varieties that will produce a stable crop. Hybrid species are now available at seed stores. Such varieties are demanding of conditions and care. It is important not to forget that any plant needs human attention. If you study the information on how to
germinate the seeds of cucumbers, then the harvest will always be rich.