Seedlings of various vegetable crops, including cucumbers, are grown for an early harvest, or in those regions whose climatic conditions do not allow individual crops to fully ripen in open ground.
Cucumber is a heat-loving and hygrophilous plant, responds well to dressing and needs good lighting, so growing cucumber seedlings requires compliance with certain rules and regulations.
Growing seedlings of cucumbers begins with the acquisition of high quality seeds. Good seeds should have high germination, humidity of 4-8 percent and good germination energy.
When choosing seeds, the following fact should be taken into account that hybrid varieties with the letter F in the name are not suitable for seeds, since their parental properties are not preserved. And in order for the hybrids to show all their advantages, it is necessary to strictly observe the special agricultural techniques of cultivation and maintain special conditions.
Varietal plants have lower indicators, but they are unpretentious and can transfer their properties. Moreover, only regionalized varieties need to be sown, since they are adapted to local conditions and therefore only from them can the maximum yield be obtained.
The next important step that determines the future crop is a series of measures for preparing seeds for sowing. This selection, disinfection, hardening, biostimulation and germination of seeds. All these activities are aimed at growing seedlings of high quality cucumbers. Planting seedlings of cucumbers in a permanent place is made at the age of twenty days. Based on this, the timing of planting seeds is calculated.
According to the timing of planting, the seedlings are divided into early, intended for heated greenhouses of the middle strip and unheated - in the southern regions, as well as middle and late. Early seedlings are grown starting in the second decade of January. Such seedlings require mandatory clarification.
From mid-February to March 10, middle seedlings are sown. These are late varieties of tomatoes, eggplant and peppers, cabbage and rutabaga. Cucumbers usually do not sow during these periods. The optimal time for planting cucumbers on seedlings intended for open ground is the first decade of April. Late seedlings except cucumbers grow melons, pumpkins and ornamental vegetables.
In addition, the timing of planting cucumbers for seedlings is desirable to coordinate with the lunar calendar. First of all, for seedlings, you need to prepare special containers measuring 10 by 10 centimeters with openings in the bottom. From the garden, where cucumbers will later be planted, they take the earth, mix it with peat and sand, fertilize it, and then fill it in the prepared containers. The earth is not too densely poured and watered in three portions. Seeds are laid no deeper than one and a half centimeters and covered with polyethylene on top. Three days later, when the first shoots appear, the film must be removed.
Initially, seedlings do not need to be watered heavily, but gradually, as the plants grow, watering is increased. Growing seedlings of cucumbers should not be accompanied by abundant watering, as this will lead not to the formation of the root system, but to the rapid growth of leaves.
You need to fertilize seedlings twice, no less - immediately after the appearance of real leaves and immediately before planting in the ground. For top dressing, take 10 grams of Kemir-lux fertilizer per 10 liters of water and pour seedlings based on the calculation of 150 milliliters of top dressing per container.
So that the plants do not turn out frail, the cultivation of cucumber seedlings should take place at a certain temperature regime. It is necessary to maintain the following temperature in the room: during the day - plus 21 degrees, and at night - plus 16 degrees. Soil temperature should not be lower than sixteen degrees. Boxes should not stand in a draft, since cucumber seedlings cannot stand them.
Planting seedlings of cucumbers is carried out only in well-heated soil. Plants should be 25 centimeters high and have more than five true leaves. So that the plants do not fall, they need to be tied.
Thus, if you grow cucumbers through seedlings, you can get early harvests of this popular crop.