Cultivation of Cucumber seedlings

Seedlings of various vegetables, including cucumbers, are grown to produce an early harvest, or in those regions whose climatic conditions do not allow individual crops to fully ripen in the open ground.

Cucumber is a thermophilic and moisture-loving plant, responds well to fertilizing and needs good lighting, so growing cucumber seedlings requires compliance with certain rules and regulations.

Cultivation of seedlings of cucumbers begins with the acquisition of seeds of high quality. Good seeds should have high germination, 4-8% humidity and good germination energy.

When choosing seeds, it is necessary to consider the following fact that hybrid varieties having 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 dignity, it is necessary to strictly observe the special agrotechnics of cultivation and maintain special conditions.

At varietal plants, the indicators are lower, but they are unpretentious and can transfer their properties. And only the cultivated varieties need to be sown, as they are adapted to local conditions and therefore only from them can you get the maximum yield.

The next important step, which determines the future harvest, is a series of activities to prepare seeds for sowing. This selection, disinfection, hardening, biostimulation and germination of seeds. All these activities are aimed at cultivating seedlings of high quality cucumbers. Planting seedlings of cucumbers to a permanent place is performed at the age of twenty days. Based on this, the timing of seed planting is calculated.

In terms of planting time , the seedlings are divided into early, intended for heated greenhouses of the middle band and unheated in the southern regions, as well as medium and late. Early seedlings are grown from the second decade of January. Such seedlings require obligatory lightening.

From mid-February to 10 March, they sow medium seedlings. These are late varieties of tomatoes, eggplants and peppers, cabbage and rutabaga. Cucumbers usually do not sow these dates. The optimal time for planting cucumbers for seedlings intended for open soil is the first decade of April. Late seedlings, except for cucumbers, are grown in gourds, pumpkin and ornamental and vegetable crops.

In addition, the timing of planting cucumbers into seedlings is preferably coordinated with the lunar calendar. First of all, for seedlings you need to prepare special containers measuring 10 by 10 centimeters having holes in the bottom. From the garden, where the cucumbers will then land, take the land, mix it with peat and sand, fertilize, and then fall asleep in the cooked containers. The earth is not densely packed and poured in three portions. Seeds are laid not deeper than one and a half centimeters and covered with polyethylene. In three days, when the first shoots appear, the film needs to be removed.

Initially, the seedlings do not need to be watered much, but gradually, as the plants grow, the watering is increased. Growing seedlings of cucumbers should not be accompanied by copious irrigation, as this will lead not to the formation of the root system, but to the rapid growth of the leaves.

Fertilize seedlings two times, no less - immediately after the appearance of real leaves and just before landing in the ground. For top-dressing, take 10 grams of fertilizer of kemir-lux for 10 liters of water and pour out the seedlings, based on the calculation of 150 milliliters of fertilizing per one container.

To prevent the plants from becoming frail, cultivation of cucumber seedlings must 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. The soil temperature should be no lower than sixteen degrees. Boxes should not stand in a draft, because cucumber seedlings can not stand them.

Planting of cucumber seedlings is carried out only in well-heated soil. Plants should be 25 centimeters tall and have more than five true leaves. To plants do not fall - they need to tie.

Thus, if you grow cucumbers through seedlings, you can get extra early harvests of this popular culture.