Are you a big fan of gardening? Winter for you is not a time of year, but a period of preparation for the new working season, when the results of the last harvest are assessed, including taste parameters, an analysis of mistakes made and the study of new products in the field of gardening technologies, offered seeds, etc. ? Are you looking forward to when the sun will shine warmer and the snowdrifts will begin to darken and decrease in size? To speed up the arrival of the long-awaited spring, of course, you should start growing seedlings. You can start growing cucumber seedlings on the windowsill in early April (if you have a greenhouse on the site), if the cucumbers grow in open ground, then at the end. But there is one more “but” - with insufficient lighting, the seedlings become very elongated. And this is not an “aesthetic” problem, since the plant stretched out in search of light is weakened, it will be difficult to take root in a permanent place and will not be able to resist diseases. Therefore, allocate the most illuminated place for seedlings, but not in direct sunlight. In the middle zone, supplementary lighting with phytolamps is recommended.

To grow seedlings you will need pots and a nutritious soil mixture.

Pots for growing cucumber seedlings

If someone thinks that a seedling container of about 10x10 cm is too big for a small cucumber seed, don’t worry - it’s just right. Indeed, in the first stages of development, the root system is significantly ahead of the above-ground part. And do not forget that the roots of cucumbers are very easily injured and regenerate very poorly. Therefore, to grow seedlings, take either special pots with a retractable bottom, or peat pots, or homemade ones (from all kinds of packaging, which you can then simply cut).

Soil for cucumber seedlings

The soil mixture must be very nutritious, since the plants will have to be content with a very small volume for some time. Ready-made soil mixtures sold in flower shops and garden centers actually consist of processed peat with the addition of mineral fertilizers. This is not the best option for growing seedlings, if only because peat is a very moisture-intensive material, but when it dries (if you didn’t pay attention, you forgot to water it on time) it forms such a dense lump that it can only be fully moistened again by immersion. Otherwise, when watering, all the water will pass through “transit” without reaching the roots.

❧ It is better to prepare the mixture yourself. For example, from peat, humus, fine sawdust (2:2:1), wood ash and nitrophoska (per bucket of mixture

3 tbsp. l. halls and 1 st. l. nitrophoska). Or from equal parts of leaf and turf soil with the addition of compost (1:1:1).

As a last resort, ordinary soil from a previously fertilized bed of garlic, onions, nightshades or legumes will do (in this case it is better to add any complex fertilizer).

Fill the pot to the top with the soil mixture. The seed is placed in a specially made hole about 2 cm deep, and it is recommended to lay it on its side rather than stick it vertically. Then it is sprinkled with soil mixture on top and compacted a little.

Alternatively, you can use pieces of turf approximately 10x10 cm in size. They are cut out somewhere in the sun and placed in a box covered with film, top layer down. In each such square, add 1 teaspoon of wood ash (deeper) and plant the hatched seed. When the first true leaf appears, the plantings are fertilized (can be organic, or complex mineral fertilizer - the consumption should be specified according to the instructions).

Water the seedlings moderately, as the soil clod dries out, only with warm, well-settled water.

Three- or four-week-old seedlings are planted on permanent place together with a lump of earth (a retractable bottom has been invented for this or the possibility of cutting the cup is provided) or with a turf square. You should not wait longer, since older plants take root less well in a permanent place. Grown plants are placed as planned (in the center or in a checkerboard pattern) on the bed (on average 4-6 per 1 sq. m). Maintain a distance between rows of about 50 cm, between plants in a row 30-40 cm, if in one row, then about 20 cm.

Seedlings can also be grown directly in the garden, but for this the issue of shelter must be resolved. Cucumbers, as noted earlier, are very thermophilic. For normal growth and development, they need an average daily temperature of about +15 °C, and the night temperature should not fall below +8 °C. If the temperature is below the specified numbers, the seeds may simply rot.

A capital heated greenhouse perfectly solves this problem, but it is not available to everyone. A bed with “internal heating” (as described earlier) and a two-layer covering (can be film, or another covering material, for example, spunbond) copes well with this task. In this case, sowing is carried out in early May. A small area is prepared for seedlings (dug up, disinfected), and the same pots are tightly placed on it. This option for preparing seedlings will require your daily presence, since you may need additional shelter at night (if the temperature drops below +12 °C), and during the day, on the contrary, opening the greenhouse slightly (above +18 °C). You cannot completely open the seedlings - either open a window in the greenhouse, or lift the film from the end of the covered bed.

It is difficult to prepare seedlings directly in the garden bed, since when transplanting it will be difficult not to damage the root system.

When the second true leaf appears, it is time to fertilize. Can be used as organic fertilizers, and complex mineral ones - whichever is more convenient for you.

Transplantation to a permanent location can be carried out in early June, when the threat of night frosts has passed.

A little botany

Leaves are the main organ of the plant where the process of photosynthesis occurs, that is, the formation of organic substances from minerals due to solar energy. The cucumber leaf is whole, lobed, pentagonal in shape. Its surface may be smooth or slightly wrinkled. Color - from light green to dark green. As a rule, there is pubescence on both sides, but there are varieties with smooth leaves. The total leaf area is significant, so intense evaporation of moisture occurs. The location is regular, petiole. In the axils of the leaves, the formation of lateral shoots, tendrils, flowers and adventitious roots occurs. Before the true leaves, cucumbers form two small rounded cotyledon leaves, but all stages of development and care are oriented along the true leaves.

Planting seedlings in beds

I hope that all preparatory work began in the fall (cleaning, disinfection and fertilization) and continued in April (creating a bioheating layer, digging, applying additional feeding), as described previously. Immediately a week before the expected “moving” of cucumbers, the bed or soil in the greenhouse is watered with a warm (about 40 ° C) nutrient-disinfecting solution (10 liters of water, 0.5 liters of liquid mullein or 200 ml of bird droppings and 1 teaspoon copper sulfate- this volume is approximately 2 sq.m.) and is covered with film to retain heat and moisture.

Immediately on the day of transplantation, the holes are prepared: their size must correspond to the size of the pot or other container in which the seedlings were grown. They are poured generously with a solution of potassium permanganate (at the rate of 1 g per 10 l warm water). Plants in pots are also watered generously warm water(about 25 °C), carefully remove the entire earthen lump from the container and place it strictly vertically in the prepared hole. Only the earthen lump itself should be sprinkled with earth. If the stem of the seedling is very elongated, it can be slightly covered with clean sawdust or peat. It is better not to use humus or soil from the garden, as this can lead to the development of root rot.

Cucumbers are heat-loving plants, but they are most popular not in the south, but in the central regions of our country, where even cucumber festivals are held at the height of summer. Russian people cannot be deprived of this vegetable; this is one of our Russian “brands”. Most often, cucumbers are grown by sowing seeds directly into the garden bed, but to obtain early production, seeds are often sown to obtain seedlings at home.

Is it necessary to plant cucumbers through seedlings?

Cucumbers are planted almost throughout the entire territory of our country: somewhere in the open ground, somewhere in greenhouses, and in the north - only in heated greenhouses. Once upon a time, cucumbers were eaten only in the summer. In the last Soviet years, long greenhouse cucumbers started selling on Soviet Army Day, but now cucumbers are the most different varieties can be purchased almost all year round. To grow them, large agricultural enterprises have built huge greenhouses. If we talk about Russian summer residents, they usually sow cucumbers only in the spring, but they try to do it early in order to get the first crispy products when the body is not yet spoiled with summer vitamins.

Once upon a time in the spring it was a blessing to buy such long cucumbers: there were no others offered

In most of our country, there is no need for mandatory sowing of cucumber seeds for seedlings: in many varieties and hybrids, the first cucumbers ripen within 33–38 days after germination, and even by sowing seeds in a garden bed at the beginning of summer, you can grow so many cucumbers that there will be enough eat and preserve. But if you want to get your produce early, at the very beginning of summer, but you don’t have a greenhouse at your dacha, then it makes sense to prepare the seedlings. It is not difficult to do this in a city apartment, because, unlike, for example, cabbage seedlings, cucumber seedlings do not require low temperatures, and room conditions They suit her perfectly. And the seedlings grow quickly and do not require much time. It does not require much space on the windowsill, because to obtain early production it is enough to plant no more than a dozen specimens.

When to sow: lunar calendar 2019

In central Russia, it is advisable to plant cucumbers in the garden no earlier than the end of spring (in the greenhouse, of course, earlier, depending on its quality). And since about a month should pass from the moment of sowing the seeds to planting the seedlings, best timing Seed sowing occurs in the third ten days of April. These terms almost do not depend on the variety of cucumbers: they all grow at approximately the same speed, and all varieties and hybrids are planted and sown almost at the same time.

However, in recent years, many gardeners and vegetable gardeners have been comparing the dates of their dacha activities with the phases of movement of the celestial bodies, and many printed and electronic publications systematically publish various lunar calendars, which give the most favorable and prohibited dates for sowing or planting certain crops, caring for them, and harvesting. It is not always correct to use such calendars, since analysis shows that different publishers indicate completely different dates for the same occasion. Sometimes those days that are called the best for sowing in one newspaper are considered prohibited in another. Therefore, those who want to do everything “as the Moon orders” must comb through many sources, analyze them and make the right decision for themselves.

It is believed that sowing cucumbers should be done during the waxing moon, closer to the days of the new moon. At this time, growth processes are activated, which has a good effect not only on seed pecking, but also on obtaining a future harvest. Based on this, many sources call the most favorable dates in 2019:

March 20, 25;
April 10, 11, 12;
May 12, 13.

It is believed that cucumbers should be sown during the waxing moon.

However, in other publications the given dates are shifted by several days in one direction or another. A thorough analysis allows us to conclude that there is no particular point in focusing on such calendars for a working person, otherwise you can simply miss all the sowing dates and be left without a harvest. Yes, probably, there is something in the influence of celestial bodies on the earth’s flora, and the phases of the Moon do in some way affect the well-being of plants. But, most likely, not so much as to fanatically follow the instructions of astrologers. After all, no one can help us better than we do it ourselves!

In our next article you will learn about the features of growing healthy seedlings bell pepper:

Preliminary preparation

To sow cucumber seeds for seedlings, you need to prepare: the seeds themselves, nutrient soil and containers in which we will place this soil. As for containers, everything is absolutely clear here: unlike many vegetables, cucumber seedlings should be grown exclusively in individual cups! No boxes are suitable for this matter: cucumbers cannot tolerate transplantation, and the diving operation is excluded for them. Moreover, the design of the cups should be such that seedlings can be removed from them with minimal damage to the root system. Best of all - no damage at all, and this is only possible when using peat pots or tablets. In addition, containers for cucumber seedlings should be quite large: from 300 ml in volume, or better yet, about half a liter: seedlings grow very quickly.

Seed preparation

Cucumbers are good because you don’t have to buy their seeds every year: they are stored for a very long time, sometimes up to 8 years. Moreover, fresh seeds are worse than those that have been sitting for two or three years. For sowing, it is preferable to use two-, three-, four-year-old seeds. On plants grown from them, female flowers appear earlier - which means they begin to bear fruit faster. Of course, this does not apply to those hybrids in which almost all the flowers are female.

As for the seeds from your own cucumbers, the situation here becomes more and more complicated every year. This is simply due to the invasion of a huge number of new hybrids (F1). To be honest, I can’t even believe that they are all really new, the variety of bags in seed stores is so great! Sometimes it seems: what else new can be invented in a cucumber? But hybrids are much more expensive than good old seeds! Of course, their yield is usually higher, and they are resistant to favorable conditions and more reliable for pests... But our grandmothers always planted proven varieties of cucumbers and were never left without a harvest. Sometimes we also “sin” in this way; we also take seeds from our own fruits.

By the way: among ordinary triangular fruits (if you look closely, the edges are clearly visible in yellowed, fully ripe cucumbers: they are, in fact, not entirely cylindrical), sometimes there are tetrahedral specimens. They have better seeds.

However, when more and more hybrids are planted around, it becomes dangerous to take seeds from your own varieties: everything is cross-pollinated, and what will happen in the end is not known in advance. Therefore, you have to little by little give up collecting cucumber seeds from your garden and use store-bought ones. And since the actual date of their collection is unknown, even they should be kept in the nightstand for a year. In general, the main stages of seed preparation are as follows (but not all of them are required):

Calibration
Warming up dry seeds.
Disinfection.
Swelling in water.
Hardening.
Germination.

Seed calibration can be done manually: cucumber seeds are quite large, and it is easy to identify empty seeds by touch. It’s easier, of course, to put them in the solution table salt(dessert spoon per glass of water), shake and wait a few minutes. The wicked will not drown.

If we sow freshly purchased seeds, before sowing they need to be warmed up by a radiator for a couple of days. This reduces the amount of barren flowers.

Cucumber seeds are quite large and easy to handle.

Is seed disinfection necessary? For seeds from well-known companies purchased in a serious store, this is not required. It is better to first disinfect your own seeds or those from “Aunt Masha” and only then start germinating or sowing them. The simplest thing is to hold them for 15–20 minutes in a strong solution of potassium permanganate. There is no need to prepare a strictly 1% solution, as most sources advise! Well, where can you get such accurate scales at home? The solution should be dark purple. You just have to wait for all the potassium permanganate crystals to dissolve, the dissolution is slow! After disinfection, rinse the seeds well with clean water.

Some gardeners then soak the seeds in fertilizer solutions (nitrophoska, urea, ash, etc.). The measure is useful, but not mandatory.

After disinfection, it is useful to carry out hardening. This operation is especially important if planting seedlings in open ground is planned for a risky period (when cold snaps are still possible). It makes no sense to harden the seeds for planting in a greenhouse. You should not harden the seeds of hybrids. Hardening is simply keeping wet seeds in a cloth in a refrigerator. You need to keep them there for 18 to 24 hours.

Before sowing, the seeds are kept in clean warm water (from 20 to 30 o C) for about a day (until they swell). Then they are slightly dried so that they do not stick together when sowing. The seeds are germinated at the same temperature, preferably in damp sawdust, sand or moss. Germination is completed when a small root is formed - half the length of the seed.

If during germination the roots have grown as long as in the photo, it will be difficult to sow them: you can break them off

Is it possible not to do any of the above? Can! The seeds will also sprout if sown dry. Only a little later. But in the spring there is enough time, there is no need to rush anywhere? Therefore, from the described steps, we select only those that are strictly necessary in each specific situation.

Soil preparation

To grow cucumber seedlings, light, acid-neutral, moisture- and breathable soil is required. It must be very nutritious, since the cucumber will live in it for no more than a month, the seedlings grow very quickly, and you may not have time to feed them. And it’s better to do without them altogether. If you buy ready-made soil in a store, it should be specifically for cucumbers and not be very cheap: any soil from an unknown manufacturer may not be nutritious enough. There is no need to disinfect purchased soil, but if it was purchased in winter, it is better to keep it in the cold for several days.

To prepare your own nutrient mixture, you need to mix turf soil, good compost, peat and sand. Take two parts of compost, one part at a time of the remaining components. Of course, you don’t always have all the components at hand, options are possible: someone adds sawdust, someone replaces sand with perlite, etc. But only if the soil is taken directly from the garden, it must be disinfected: calcined in the oven (oh, how at the same time, the kitchen smells wonderful!) or spill with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. If there is no humus at all, you will have to add complex mineral fertilizer (for example, up to 50 g of azophosphate per bucket of mixture). Ordinary wood ash (a glass per bucket of soil) is very good in a mixture for cucumbers.

Sometimes the prepared soil mixture is treated with complex fungicides: Fitosporin, Fitoverm, etc. All this, of course, is good, but cucumbers cost a pretty penny! If there is still a danger that harmful microorganisms have not been completely destroyed in the calcined soil, and there is no potassium permanganate in the house, it will be cheaper to spill the soil with a blue solution of copper sulfate. Prepared soil at the stage normal humidity you need to pour it into cups, placing a centimeter layer of drainage on the bottom, and let it sit for a day to ripen.

How to grow cucumber seedlings at home: technology and features

Sowing seeds in cups is not difficult. Seeds are placed in 2 pieces at a depth of about 1.5 cm, after germination, only one of them is left in the glass (for expensive prepared seeds this is an unnecessary luxury, you can do one at a time). The seeds are sprinkled with soil and the crops are sprayed with a spray bottle. Place the cups in a tray, cover with glass or transparent film and transfer to a warm place (preferably 25–28 o C). The emergence of seedlings can be expected in 5–8 days, sometimes a little earlier.

Growing seedlings on a windowsill

The best place for seedlings is a warm windowsill illuminated by the sun. Before the emergence of seedlings, they do nothing with the crops, only sometimes lifting the glass to slightly ventilate, and if necessary, spray the soil with water. When mass shoots appear, the glass must be removed, and the temperature must be lowered in some way: during the first week it should remain around 18 o C during the day, and several degrees lower at night. Then optimal temperature- about 24 o C during the day and 18 o C at night.

At the same time, the illumination of seedlings during the day should be as uniform and as possible as possible. In insufficient lighting, seedlings quickly stretch out and do not absorb well. nutrients, in the end he may just die. Therefore, if there is a lack of sunlight, it is necessary to provide additional lighting with fluorescent lamps or diode lamps.

Seedlings need space; when grown at home, the plants should not touch each other, so the cups must be rearranged periodically. The remaining stages in caring for seedlings are ordinary, and they boil down to watering and hardening before planting in the ground. Fertilizing is required only if a poor soil mixture is used.

Often, not only seedlings are grown on the windowsill; even small harvests of cucumbers are obtained

Watering can only be done with warm water (about 25 ° C). Under no circumstances should you overwater; the soil should always be slightly moist: excess water quickly leads to rotting of the root system. After watering, it is advisable to lightly add dry, clean sand to the roots. Feeding is needed only if something is clearly wrong with the seedlings: growth has stopped, the leaves have turned yellow or started to curl, etc. If no pests are found or a disease cannot be suspected, and the climatic conditions are all right, most likely the cucumbers there was not enough food.

Usually it is enough to water the cucumbers with ash infusion or a mixture of microelements (containing boron). And sometimes it is better to carry out foliar feeding: spraying the leaves with a weak solution of complex fertilizer (according to the instructions on the package). Only the solution really should be weak so as not to burn the leaf apparatus. After any type of fertilizing, the seedlings should be well watered and the soil should be lightly mulched.

The advantages of growing seedlings at home are that they are visible all the time and it is easy to adjust the conditions. Disadvantages appear in the case of insufficient illumination of the window sill, but this can be corrected: you just need to correctly install additional lighting.

When there is not enough light, you have to arrange lighting: it is best to use special phytolamps

Growing seedlings in a greenhouse

When growing a dozen plants, there is nothing more convenient home windowsill, but if you are planting a large number of cucumbers, it makes sense to think about using a greenhouse. Especially if you have a modern polycarbonate greenhouse, in which it is easy to maintain the necessary temperature regime. If the air temperature suddenly drops below the extreme limit, you can cover the seedlings inside the greenhouse with non-woven material, but this is usually not necessary.

Of course, you also need to grow seedlings in the greenhouse ongoing care, therefore, greenhouse cultivation is suitable only for those gardeners who can visit their farm every day. If further cultivation cucumbers are supposed to be grown in a greenhouse; the seeds are sown around April 20, and in mid-May the cucumbers are planted in a permanent place. If the future habitat is open ground, then the timing of sowing the seeds remains the same as in an apartment.

Since a sufficient area can be allocated for seedlings in the greenhouse, you can do without seedling cups by sowing the seeds in a small bed. But it is necessary to sow in such a way that the cucumbers grow freely, the roots of neighboring plants do not intertwine, and when transplanting, each specimen can be easily removed from the bed with a large lump of earth without disturbing the root system.

When growing in a greenhouse, you should try to maintain the same temperature regime as at home: immediately after the emergence of seedlings, reduce the temperature slightly, and then not allow it to drop below 20 o C during the day, and 14 o C at night. Periodically, the greenhouse must be ventilated; formation of condensation on surfaces. In the phase of two true leaves, you can feed the cucumbers with a weak solution of fertilizers; in the greenhouse, no one bothers to use mullein infusion for this. It is advisable to water the seedlings in the morning.

It makes sense to use a greenhouse when growing a large number of seedlings

Growing seedlings in a greenhouse has advantages over apartment cultivation if it is possible to systematically visit the greenhouse: then the obvious advantages are the availability of large sown areas. The disadvantages of an unheated greenhouse can be felt during a sudden cold snap, when even covering with insulating material may not help. But such cases are rare.

Hardening off seedlings and planting them in open ground

Cucumber seedlings live in a temporary place for no more than a month. Of this time, the first week it is kept at a low temperature, the second - at comfortable conditions, and then begin to accustom them to the harsh life in the garden beds. Both at home and in the greenhouse, cucumbers are given a “shake-up” for a while, reducing the temperature or arranging small ventilation, but without serious drafts. During the week of transplanting to the garden bed, these measures should become more stringent.

In an apartment, first take the cups with seedlings out onto the balcony for 15–20 minutes, then gradually increase the time. Windows or doors are opened in the greenhouse. However, at first they try not to reduce the daytime temperature below 17 o C. Before planting in the garden, the seedlings should be in the fresh air for up to half of the daytime.

High-quality cucumber seedlings, ready for life in the garden, should have 4–5 strong large dark green leaves on a powerful but short main shoot. It’s very good if by this time she has already developed antennae, and it’s very good if several buds have appeared.

With flowering seedlings there may be problems when transplanting, so it is not worth taking the matter further than before budding.

Before transplanting, the soil in the cups must be moistened abundantly. Seedlings carefully removed from the cups are planted every 30–40 cm. More frequent placement is possible only for some varieties characterized by low growth vigor. There is no point in reminding that the bed must be prepared long before planting and abundantly filled with fertilizers, primarily organic ones. In each hole dug with a scoop, it makes sense to add local fertilizers in the form of a glass of wood ash, mixing them with soil and watering them well with warm water. There is no need to deepen the plants: it is optimal to plant the cucumbers 2–3 cm deeper than they grew in the cups.

Cucumber seedlings planted in a bed are well watered with warm water and mulched with a thin layer of humus or at least dry soil.

Options for containers for sowing seeds for seedlings

As mentioned above, the use of common boxes for growing cucumber seedlings is excluded. The practice of making homemade containers from plastic film is also becoming a thing of the past. If there are no special containers for seedlings, over the course of a year you can accumulate a sufficient number of various plastic cups for food: sour cream, mayonnaise, cottage cheese, etc. But for cucumbers they must be of a respectable size: the minimum is about 300 cm 3, or better for half a liter.

Sowing seeds in cups

I would like to warn against using flimsy cups, the material of which is very thin. It is advisable to use only those vessels that almost do not change their shape when handled, otherwise the roots of the cucumbers will be easily injured when transferring seedlings from place to place and removing them during transplantation.

In any case, you need to have containers that would allow you to easily and painlessly remove plants with a lump of earth from them. The most suitable are special cups or pots with a retractable bottom, which, when pressed with a finger, is pushed out of the cup along with the plant.

One press of a finger - and the bottom, along with the plant, moves out of the pot

There is an opinion that when planting seedlings there is no point in getting rid of the container, you can only deprive it of the bottom, and the root system of cucumbers will then begin to penetrate into the lower layers of the soil. The cup itself can be removed after harvesting. The opinion is very correct if the cups are wide enough. This measure is extremely useful in the fight against the terrible pest - the mole cricket. When the author of these lines had a site on the shore of a pond and mole crickets could be dug up at any time as much as one’s heart desired, it was necessary to specially use protection by planting each plant (cucumber, tomato, cabbage, etc.) in a canned food can with remote bottom. It helped.

Sowing seeds in peat pots

Peat pots were incredibly popular 10-15 years ago, but now they are used somewhat less frequently, as there is an opinion that their usefulness is greatly exaggerated. However, the convenience of the cups is undeniable: after all, there is no need to remove the seedlings from them, they are buried along with the cup, and the roots easily penetrate the walls. Therefore, it is recommended to use them mainly for plants that do not tolerate transplantation; that's what cucumbers are. Peat pots for seedlings come in different sizes.

To make peat pots, peat and pressed cardboard are used; these materials decompose almost completely in the garden bed in the summer. However different manufacturers They produce pots with different wall thicknesses. Very thin ones are inconvenient because they are difficult to handle: they easily become limp and even tear. Plant roots are not always able to penetrate through the thickest walls. For cucumber seedlings, you need pots with medium-thick walls; Their size should also be average.

Pots for cucumber seedlings should not be too small

Some gardeners soak peat pots in fertilizer solutions before using them. To be honest, such a procedure seems clearly unnecessary. But it is imperative to choose a good strong box for them, where they will stand firmly. It is advisable to make several holes in the bottom to drain obviously excess water. The water will also drain through the walls, but this will take some time, and the walls will get wet in vain. The soil is poured into the pots, not reaching about 1 cm from the top.

Sowing seeds and caring for seedlings in pots does not have any significant features. It may just require watering a little more frequently than when using plastic containers. With the correct choice of pots and their use, the number of their advantages, which were mentioned above, significantly exceeds the number of conventional disadvantages.

Using peat tablets

Cucumber seedlings can be grown in peat tablets, choosing the largest size options. Peat tablets are very convenient to use when growing seedlings various plants. They are made from pressed peat with the addition of microfertilizers, so fertilizing, as a rule, is not needed. Before use, the tablets are placed in any convenient waterproof box and filled with water until completely swollen. A small depression is made on one side of the tablet for laying out the seeds.

One seed at a time is placed into the recesses, after which they are buried into the peat with a stick or toothpick to a depth of about 1 cm. The seedlings are watered from below: the water poured into the bottom of the box is itself absorbed into the peat in the required dose. If the tablet size is chosen correctly, all seedling care consists of periodic watering and monitoring the temperature. Plant the seedlings in the garden bed along with the tablet, just like peat pots.

Peat tablets swell greatly with water and turn into excellent containers for seedlings

The use of peat tablets is extremely convenient; there is only one drawback: a decent cost. But if you need to grow only a dozen cucumber seedlings, you shouldn’t think about the disadvantages: the advantages of the tablets will more than cover them.

Video: cucumber seedlings in peat tablets

Using eggshells

The inventive mind of the Russian person comes up with the most different variants for growing seedlings: plastic bottles, toilet paper, cells for eggs, etc. Some gardeners grow cucumber seedlings in eggshells. They do it like this:

Carefully peel the boiled egg to leave most of the shell intact.
Puncture 1–2 holes in the entire end with a needle for drainage.
Place soil in the shell.
Place the shell in the cell.
Moisten the soil by spraying.
Plant the seed at a shallow depth.
Spray again.

Caring for seedlings in shells is no different from caring for them in cups. It is planted in the garden bed along with the shell, crushing the trace so that the roots can more easily reach the soil. The advantages of such a container seem rather dubious and consist, perhaps, only in saving money and in the fact that the shell serves as fertilizer. An obvious drawback is the size of such a “container”: it is difficult for cucumber seedlings to grow to marketable condition in it.

The shell is convenient to use, but it is too small for a cucumber

Video: growing seedlings in eggshells

If you follow all the rules for preparing for sowing and the correct agricultural technology, cucumber seedlings grow strong and do not cause any problems to the gardener. big problems. But if something was done with the defect, options are possible, sometimes ending in the complete death of the seedlings.

What to do if seedlings stretch out

When growing seedlings, it is necessary to strictly maintain temperature, light and humidity conditions. The stretching of seedlings almost definitely indicates that the temperature was exceeded, there was not enough light, and watering was not carried out according to the rules. After the first shoots appear, the temperature must be lowered and the illumination increased.

Sometimes all you need to do to increase illumination is wash your windows!

You should not sow cucumbers too early, when daylight hours are short: these are unnecessary problems that are not worth the time and effort spent on solving them.

In healthy seedlings, the distance from the soil to the cotyledon leaves a week after germination should not be more than 5 cm. It is difficult to save clearly elongated seedlings; it is better to repeat the sowing. If the problem has not gone deep, you can try to increase the illumination and lower the temperature, and add a little clean soil to the roots.

It is unlikely that such seedlings can be saved

At an older age, stretching occurs rarely and only due to lack of space: growing seedlings must be periodically moved away from each other. Sometimes excess nitrogen in the soil is also to blame for seedlings to pull out.

What to do if seedlings turn yellow

Yellowing leaves can signal various problems, including serious illness. But in the case of seedlings, this rarely happens: it is unlikely that in a short time it would have caught diseases somewhere. Most often this happens due to poorly prepared soil, which lacks nitrogen fertilizers. In this case, watering with a urea solution and lightly spraying it on the leaves can save the plants. But yellowness can appear not only from a lack of nitrogen, but from an incorrect overall balance nutrients in the soil. Here, nothing can be done without competent analysis; it is better to take new high-quality soil and, if not too late, repeat sowing.

Leaves can also turn yellow due to too low temperatures: you should check if the plants are cold, especially at night. A lack of light can also affect the color of the leaves, but first of all, the seedlings begin to stretch out. But too bright a spring sun can, on the contrary, burn some of the foliage, and this also needs to be monitored. Other reasons for yellowing of leaves are as diverse as they are rare; they are the topic of a separate, very detailed discussion.

What to do if pests appear

The main pests of cucumbers are: melon aphids, ants, root-knot nematodes, whiteflies, spider mites, etc., the list is very wide, but at the seedling stage, most of them cannot harm the plants, especially at home. Pests can only enter with soil, but when proper preparation this is impossible.

In particular, miniature collembola worms, which are six-legged creatures several millimeters long, can get in with the soil. They eat small roots of seedlings, the risk increases with waterlogging. If they are really infested, you can try preparations for soil pests, for example, Grom-2, or universal insecticides (Aktaru).

Root-knot nematodes look similar (if without a microscope). With a mild invasion, the same measures can help.

You can grow juicy and fleshy tomatoes at home. But you need to put in a lot of effort, and start with seedlings:

Features of cultivation in different regions

The general principles of growing cucumber seedlings do not depend on the region, only the timing of sowing the seeds and subsequent planting of the seedlings in the bed differs: planting is possible when the soil reaches a temperature of 18 o C. In the southern regions, sowing seeds is possible in the very first days of April, and in the northern regions - only in May. In most regions of the country, seeds are sown at the end of April. For greenhouse cultivation cucumbers, the dates are shifted 1–2 weeks earlier.

In the Leningrad region, Karelia and nearby regions, there is rarely any talk about growing cucumbers outside greenhouses. Therefore, the time for sowing seeds depends on the quality of the greenhouse: after all, in a heated greenhouse this can be done at any time of the year. But ordinary summer residents transplant seedlings into unheated greenhouses only at the end of May, which means that the seeds are sown shortly before the May holidays. The situation is the same in most regions of Siberia and the Urals.

If we talk about the Kuban or Astrakhan region, then there is no point in growing seedlings here for the consumption of cucumbers at the usual time. And to obtain early harvests in open ground, sowing seeds in greenhouses can begin at the end of March, and for greenhouse cultivation - already in February.

Video: growing cucumber seedlings in the Leningrad region

Growing cucumber seedlings is practiced if you want to get early harvests, but for regular consumption in the middle of summer in most of our country, you can safely sow the seeds directly into the garden bed. The process of preparing seedlings is simple and accessible to any gardener who has minimal experience working with the soil.

Properly grown seedlings will guarantee a good harvest of tomatoes, cabbage, peppers and eggplants from your summer cottage. Therefore, first of all, you need to take care of the soil in which the seeds will germinate. The soil mixture for seedlings must meet certain characteristics. It should have good porosity, friability and not too acidic environment. Such indicators can be achieved provided that the soil for seedlings is properly prepared.

Selecting components for the soil

A typical mistake made by beginning gardeners is to sow seeds in regular soil taken from their garden. Therefore, many fail in growing vegetable seedlings at home and prefer to buy plants that are ready for planting. The secret to getting good seedlings is to properly prepare the soil for seedlings. Therefore, we will prepare it ourselves, especially since there is nothing complicated in this process.

The soil for seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, eggplant and cucumbers should consist of the following components:

Humus. It is obtained from rotted manure or plants, which makes this soil the most nutritious and fertile of all. existing species soil.
Peat. An integral component of any soil mixture for seedlings. It provides the required amount of moisture to the plant. It also helps create good soil looseness.
Leavening agents. In addition to peat, the soil for seedlings acquires good porosity after adding coarse river sand. It is this component that creates the best conditions for growing garden plants in seedlings. River sand and peat can replace sawdust, but before using them they must be treated with boiling water.
Leaf ground. Distinctive feature This type of soil is characterized by its high looseness, but its low nutrient content does not allow it to be used as the main soil for seedlings. Therefore, its use is possible only after combining with other types of soil. Leaf soil is most often collected in the forest belt where they grow deciduous trees. Vegetable growers do not recommend using soil collected under willow, oak or chestnut to prepare the soil for seedlings good quality it won't work: it's too rich in tannins.

Mixing the ingredients

Preparing the soil for seedlings is not a very complicated process, but it still requires some effort and free time from the vegetable grower. Therefore, many people prefer not to bother and purchase a ready-made soil mixture. However, not all manufacturers of such products are conscientious, and there is a possibility of purchasing peat soil with an acidic environment. Even if mineral fertilizers are added to it, good seed germination and strong seedlings may not be obtained.

For this reason, the soil for seedlings of tomatoes, cabbage, peppers and eggplant experienced summer residents prepared by hand. It is best to start this process in the fall, and by spring the soil for seedlings will settle and settle. If you leave it for storage in a barn, then it will also freeze well, which will only benefit it.

Preparing the soil for seedlings begins with the process of mixing the soil. To do this, spread the polyethylene on the ground and pour out each component in the required proportions.

Experienced vegetable growers advise making soil compositions for seedlings for different crops separately, since each vegetable has its own individual needs and preferences.

The soil for seedlings of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants should have the following composition:

To one part of turf soil add 1 part of peat and river sand. The resulting composition is thoroughly mixed, after which it is well watered with a nutrient solution consisting of 25-30 grams of superphosphate, potassium sulfate and 10 grams of urea per 10 liters of water.
Mix turf soil, peat and humus in equal proportions. To the resulting mixture you can add a couple of matchboxes of superphosphate and 0.5 liters of ash.

To prepare the soil for cabbage seedlings you will need:

Mix humus (compost), leaf soil and river sand 1:2:1. For a bucket of this mixture, it would not be superfluous to add 1 cup (200g) of ash, 0.5 cups of fluff lime, 1 matchbox of potassium sulfate and 3 matchboxes of superphosphate. If it is not possible to use mineral fertilizers, then they can be replaced with ash in the amount of 3 cups.

The soil for seedlings of cucumbers, pumpkins, melons, and watermelons is prepared in the following composition:

Mix one bucket of leaf soil with the same amount of humus. 1 glass (200 g) of ash is poured into the resulting mixture, up to 10 g. potassium sulfate, and also add about 20 g. superphosphate. Everything is thoroughly mixed.

I would like to warn vegetable growers against excessive use of fertilizers when preparing the soil for vegetable seedlings, if the base soil used is nutritious in itself. This is due to the fact that on initial stage For seed germination, the plant does not require many microelements. The need for them arises only when the first true leaves appear. Therefore, additional nutrition is usually applied through liquid fertilizers a few weeks after germination.

Soil disinfection

This process is necessary to remove pathogens from the soil. You can disinfect the soil mixture for home seedlings in various ways, one of which is freezing it. But, if this is not possible, then you can use watering with disinfectants or steam treatment.

Method one. Pour the prepared fertile mixture well with a solution of potassium permanganate (3 g per 10 liters of water), and then carry out additional treatment with antifungal drugs.
Method two. The soil for seedlings is placed in a fabric bag or in a perforated container and left to steam for 45 minutes. You can, of course, heat the soil in the oven, but along with the pathogenic microbes, the necessary nutrients also disappear.

After the disinfection process has been completed, seed material can be added to the soil nutrient mixture. Prepared soil for seedlings according to all the rules will guarantee a high and stable harvest on your summer cottage. Have a great season!

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Growing cucumber seedlings for a greenhouse

Proper cultivation of cucumber seedlings for a greenhouse includes a set of agrotechnical measures that allow you to obtain strong and hardened seedlings. It is important not only correct landing cucumber seeds for seedlings, but also its watering, fertilizing and hardening procedures.

The seedling method allows you to obtain a cucumber harvest in open ground 15–20 days earlier than when sowing with seeds. Under film covers and in film greenhouses, cucumber should be grown only through seedlings.

They begin preparing seedlings for open ground 15–20 days, and for protected ground – 25–30 days before planting in a permanent place.

Planting cucumber seeds for seedlings

For planting cucumber seeds for seedlings, it is better to use material two or three years old. If the purchased seed packets do not indicate that the seeds have passed pre-sowing treatment, then you have to do it yourself.

The preparation of seeds for sowing is discussed above. Prepared seeds are germinated in a moist environment and sown in pots. For protected ground, pots should be at least 12–15 cm in diameter and the same height, and for open ground they can be smaller. The pots are filled with a nutrient mixture consisting of 2 parts peat, 2 parts humus, 1 part turf soil and 0.5 parts sand.

The seeds are sown to a depth of 2–2.5 cm. The crops are watered with warm water, the pots are placed in a warm place and covered with film. Before emergence, the temperature should be 26–27 °C. As soon as the shoots begin to appear, the film is removed and the pots are transferred to a well-lit and relatively cool place (18–19 °C) for 2–3 days. In the future in sunny days the air temperature should be 21–23 °C, on cloudy days 19–20 °C, at night 18–19 °C; temperature in the root zone is 20–22 °C.

Watering and fertilizing cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse

Watering cucumber seedlings is carried out as needed. Especially a lot of water is required on sunny days.

The first feeding of cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse is carried out 10 days after germination. It is better to give it organic (bird droppings or mullein with a dilution of 1:10, and with the addition of 30 g of superphosphate to 10 liters of mullein solution). The second feeding is carried out 7 - 10 days after the first. 30 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium sulfate (but not potassium chloride or potassium salt, since cucumber reacts negatively to chlorine) and 5 g of magnesium sulfate are dissolved in 10 liters. Instead, you can use crystallin or crystallon (fully soluble ballast-free fertilizers), using no more than 50 g per 10 liters of water.

Simultaneously with the second feeding, seedlings begin to harden. It must be carried out with great care, gradually accustoming delicate plants to less favorable environmental conditions.

If the seedlings are grown in greenhouses, then the frames are removed, if the side fences are raised in greenhouses, and if they are on window sills, then they are taken out onto the loggia or balconies.

When hardening, covering non-woven material (lutrasil, spunbond, etc.) helps. Moisture is well retained under them and they protect plants from burns.

Planting cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse

Seedlings ready for planting should have 2–3 (for open ground) and 4–5 (for film shelters and greenhouses) well-developed true leaves. It should not be elongated, with a strong, stocky stem.

Cucumber seedlings are planted in a greenhouse after frost on the soil has passed. To prevent seedlings from stretching, it is necessary to improve light conditions, lower the temperature and reduce watering.

udec.ru

Cucumbers, along with tomatoes, are considered the most popular vegetables grown in open ground beds in our area. They can be grown either with or without seedlings. Of course, by sowing the seeds directly into the garden soil, you will not have any hassle with the seedlings. However, it is seedling method will make it possible to plant grown plants as early as May, and then you will reap the harvest much earlier. Other advantages are the extension of the fruiting period and the guarantee of a harvest in the northern regions.

When choosing to grow cucumbers through seedlings, keep in mind: this also has its own characteristics. Let's find out what sowing cucumbers for seedlings is.

When to plant cucumber seedlings at home?

One of the important characteristics of this culture is its heat-loving nature. Cucumbers germinate better and faster at higher ambient temperatures.

You need to plan the planting of seedlings taking into account the fact that they should spend no more than 3 weeks on the window, and planting in the garden bed should take place no earlier than the soil surface warms up to +15°C.

It also matters where exactly you will plant the plants - in greenhouse or open ground. So, in the latter case, cucumbers are sown at the end of April - early May.

How to plant cucumbers as seedlings?

Before you start planting, you should pay attention to cucumber seeds, because they also come in very different varieties. And the point here is not even in the varieties, which are very diverse, but in germination, which directly depends on the storage conditions of the seeds. For example, characteristic feature cucumbers is that their planting material is stored for 8-10 years, having optimal germination after 3-4 years of storage. But, on the contrary, it is not worth planting fresh seeds collected last season. As for storage conditions, this is a temperature of about +15°C and air humidity of 50-60%.

Don't forget about pre-sowing preparation. Store-bought seeds do not need it, but those collected by hand should be disinfected by soaking in a solution of potassium permanganate, stratified for 48 hours in the refrigerator and soaked in water until biting. So, you have prepared properly and are ready to sow cucumbers for seedlings. Now it's time to take care of suitable soil. It should be light and nutritious. You can add peat and sand to the soil. When planting, the seeds are immersed in the substrate by 1.5-2 cm. Then, until the shoots appear, the temperature in the room with the seedlings should be around +23...28°C.

Cucumber seedlings require watering at least twice a week. At the same time, you need to ensure that the soil in the cups does not dry out - cucumbers love moisture and will not grow if it is absent. It is advisable to place the seedlings that emerge from the ground on the lightest windowsill without drafts.

The first feeding of cucumber seedlings is required when 1-2 true leaves appear. During the entire seedling period, it will be enough to feed the cucumbers three times. For this purpose, substances such as ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and cow dung dissolved in water are used.

If you are serious about gardening, consider purchasing a phytolamp. Cucumbers need additional lighting on cloudy days from 7 am to 6 pm, and on sunny days - only in the morning and evening hours.

Cucumber seedlings are grown, as a rule, without picking, since they take a long time to take root and become sick. Therefore, it is recommended to sow seeds directly into disposable cups or other plastic containers, or use peat tablets.

Seedlings ready for planting in open ground look like this. It has strong stems with short internodes, dense dark green leaves and, of course, a developed root system. Seedlings should be planted very carefully so as not to injure the delicate roots of the cucumbers.

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Growing cucumbers on a windowsill: choosing soil, containers and places for growing, preparing seedlings, suitable varieties, formation of lashes, care features, instructions, photos, videos

Planting cucumber seeds (video)

The “Moscow Greenhouse” variety is also suitable for home cultivation; the “April” and “Zozulya” varieties can also be safely taken. The variety “Kroshechka Khavroshechka” is especially popular. taste qualities which made him a favorite in the home garden.

Among popular varieties the following: “Swallowtail”, “Calendar”, “Cupid”. The “Balcony” variety was created just for growing cucumbers on the windowsill. The preferred varieties are shade-tolerant and self-pollinating.

It is worth noting such a variety as “Prestige” - this plant bears fruit for a long time. But the varieties “Miracle” and “Masha” on the window are distinguished by an early harvest.

Bee-pollinated cucumber varieties will need to be pollinated by hand, and if this is not done, the ovaries will fall off. The above varieties are suitable for those who are thinking about the question of how to grow cucumbers in winter.

The most commonly grown cucumber varieties at home are the gherkin type.

How to form lashes

Plants need correct formation: excess ovaries, as well as side shoots, must be removed. Forming a plant bush is different from a similar procedure in the garden.

First comes the so-called blinding of the two lower nodes. The side shoots and ovaries in them are completely removed.
At the level of the fifth or sixth node, you need to make a clothespin for each branch.

If you form a plant bush in this way, you can hope that the outside of the bush at home will look correct, and its yield will be at the proper level.

Growing cucumbers on a windowsill: care features

Any variety needs almost daily watering. Warm settled water - perfect option. Good soil moisture is a prerequisite for growing cucumbers on a windowsill, but stagnation of water should be avoided. The package of care measures also includes:

Feeding. For this purpose, you can use special complex fertilizers, which are purchased at gardening stores.
Feeding during fruiting. Potted cucumbers You need to feed them no more than once a week with a solution of mineral fertilizers.

Cucumbers are not protected from pests even at home.

Illumination. Reach high level illumination can be achieved using the above-mentioned mirror film or a mirror or a foil screen.
Loosening. This procedure after watering when growing cucumbers on a windowsill is mandatory.

What threatens the harvest? First of all, moisture stagnation. The root system of the plant may begin to rot, which will lead to the inevitable death of the entire bush. Sudden changes in temperature at home or a regular draft are also dangerous for the plant. Cucumbers are not protected from pests at home either - whiteflies, aphids and spider mite Often they overtake plants within the walls of the apartment. In this case, it is better not to use insecticides - it is dangerous for the health of family members.

To get rid of pests, publicly available folk remedies: a strong infusion of tobacco kills aphids and whiteflies, and garlic tincture with a piece of antibacterial soap works well against spider mites.

Important nuances

It happens that the roots of the seedlings end up on the surface - in this case, add a little more soil to the box.
If you see that there is an excess of female flowers on the plant, cut them off partially, otherwise this will inhibit the formation of green flowers.
The collection of greens must be timely, otherwise the overloaded plant will be depleted.

Cucumbers on the windowsill: ripening (video)

If you follow all the rules, you can hope for good harvest, and at home it means 30 cucumbers from each bush. And even growing cucumbers in winter leads to such plant fertility. The more often the crop is harvested, the faster a new one will form. Growing cucumbers on a windowsill is a completely reasonable idea, if both space and time allow. If you haven’t yet acquired your own plot, you can’t imagine a better home garden. For a small family, this harvest will be significant.

Attention, TODAY only!

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Soil for cucumbers | Grow a garden!

Cucumbers come in ground and salad (long) varieties. You can grow cucumbers in open ground, but it is better in greenhouses. Cucumber is a climbing plant that can be grown in a creeping form or on a trellis, which significantly increases the yield. Cucumber is a very moisture-loving and heat-loving plant. Ideally, tomatoes and it is better to grow cucumbers in different greenhouses, because Cucumbers prefer moist heat, while tomatoes like dry air. When there is a lack of moisture in the soil and air, as well as when cold temperature Greens may stop growing. ( discussion of the peculiarities of growing vegetable crops)

Light	The cucumber is demanding of light; when grown in open ground, it prefers places protected from the wind and raised beds.
Ph soil acidity	6,4-7,0, acidic soils they are not suitable for cucumbers, they are necessary lime.
Watering	Cucumbers love watering. With a lack of moisture, cucumber leaves darken and become brittle. When there is an excess of moisture, they are pale green. Cucumber needs watering especially during the period of mass formation of fruits. Do not rush with the first waterings seedlings cucumbers, then it will have a more powerful stem, short internodes and a good root system. Watering is carried out when the soil is partially dry, without delay. Water for irrigation must be at least +18°C. Due to lack of moisture and temperature fluctuations, cucumbers become bitter.
Preparing for landing	Cucumber seeds can be sown dry, but it is better pre-treat.
Fertilizers	Cucumbers should be planted in rich organic soil. In autumn or spring, 10-15 kg of organic fertilizers (per 1 m²) are applied to the garden bed. Mineral fertilizers are scattered in the spring 3 weeks before sowing or planting cucumber seedlings in quantities of 10 g of nitrogen, 12 g of phosphorus, 12 g of potassium. The first feeding of cucumbers is carried out in the phase of 1-2 true leaves, but if the seedlings are well developed, you can feed them later. To do this, dilute 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 10 g of potassium salt and 10 g of superphosphate in 10 liters of water. (for 10-15 plants). The second feeding of cucumbers is done 15 days after the first, doubling the amount of dissolved fertilizers. The solution should not come into contact with green parts of plants. On poor soils and with weak growth of cucumbers (or instead of a second feeding), they can be fed with a solution mullein or chicken manure with the addition ash. With a lack of nutrition, cucumbers shed all their ovaries and their leaves turn yellow. With a lack of nutrition, cucumber fruits are deformed: a pear-shaped cucumber indicates a lack of potassium in the soil, a narrowed, lightened, curved tip (like a beak) is a symptom of a lack of nitrogen, a cucumber with a “waist” - differences in day and night temperatures or watering with cold water, crooked, arched cucumbers may result from cross-pollination different hybrids or the reason is irregular watering - “sometimes it’s empty, sometimes it’s thick.”
Good predecessors	The best predecessors for cucumber are green manure, cabbage, onion, tomato
Bad Predecessors	You cannot plant a cucumber in the garden after plants from the pumpkin family.
Planting time and growing cucumber seedlings	Seeds germinate at +12 - +15 °C. Shoots appear on the 6th day. Cucumbers can be grown through seedlings, then the seeds are sown in the substrate at the end of April, and the seedlings are planted in the garden at the end of May. The substrate for cucumber seedlings is made up of turf soil, humus, and mullein (2:7:1). You can use soil made from peat and mullein (4:1). Add 30 g of ammonium nitrate or urea, 20 g of superphosphate, 6 g of potassium salt, and 30 g of lime to a bucket of soil mixture. Growing cucumbers in open ground is effective when planting them there with 25-30 day old seedlings (2-3 true leaves). In the first days, a temperature of +20-25°C is required for germination, later - +20-22°C during the day, 15-16°C at night. Cucumbers do not tolerate transplants well, so it is better to plant them immediately in separate containers (10-12 cm in diameter) without intermediate picks. Cucumber seedlings are planted in the ground at the age of 25-30 days in the phase of 4-5 true leaves. 10 days after emergence, cucumber seedlings are fed with slurry (1:1) or bird droppings (1:10), adding 20 g of superphosphate per 1 bucket of solution. 1-2 days before planting cucumber seedlings in the ground, feed it by dissolving 15 g of urea, 40 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potash fertilizers(consumption of 10 liters of solution per 2 m²). A week before planting, the seedlings are hardened, gradually accustoming them to sunlight, cool air and wind. To prevent diseases, it is useful to treat cucumber seedlings with epin or immunocytophyte. If you sow cucumber seeds directly into open ground, this must be done in early June, but to be safe, it is better to cover the seedlings with film or lutrasil. At a temperature of +20°C, flowering will occur 10 days later than at +27°C. At temperatures of 32 °C, cucumber development is inhibited.
Planting scheme	Scheme for planting cucumbers in open ground - 20x100 cm. Scheme for planting cucumbers in a greenhouse - 80x60 cm. Cucumber must grow in warm, heated soil, so it is better to grow it in beds, 25 cm high. It is better to orient the cucumber beds from east to west, making a slight slope to the south.
Planting depth	Cucumber seeds are planted to a depth of 2-3 cm. The germination of cucumber seeds is better after 2-4 years of storage.
Problems	Diseases and pests of cucumber: anthracnose, powdery mildew, root rot, white rot, bacteriosis, cucumber mosaic, melon aphid, whiteflies, slugs, spider mites. Will help you cope with many problems folk remedies, but it is better to choose cucumber varieties that are resistant to disease. Many plants in joint plantings are able to take care of their neighbors and protect their.
Care and cultivation	Cucumbers need frequent watering, fertilizing and several hillings per season, which stimulates the formation of additional roots. Ground cucumbers are usually pinched above the 5-6th leaf to stimulate the formation of side vines. In greenhouse cucumbers, the lateral shoots above the first ovary are regularly pinched. To simplify care and improve temperature and water conditions, beds with cucumbers are better mulch. It is necessary to remove excess fruits that have reached 5-7 cm so that no more than 10-18 cucumbers remain on one plant. Cucumbers love high humidity, for which they can be sprayed, but you can’t overdo it in this matter because of the risk of various fungal diseases. When growing cucumbers in greenhouses, regular ventilation is necessary. To increase the yield and improve pollination, pollinating insects need to be attracted to the garden, for which the plant can be sprayed with a sugar solution (100 g) during flowering and boric acid(2 g) per 1 liter of hot water. You can also hang jars of honey solution nearby (1 teaspoon per 1 glass of water). To avoid poisoning of pollinating insects during the flowering of the garden, do not spray with pesticides.
Varieties	Cucumber varieties for open ground: Altaisky early 166, Vyaznikovsky 37, Muromsky 36, Graceful, Cucumber varieties for growing in greenhouses: Magnificent, Manul, Aprelsky, Druzhny, MOVIR-1, Cucumber variety for balconies and growing on windowsills

Agricultural technology for cucumbers. To obtain a rich and high-quality harvest, you need to create everything the necessary conditions- light, heat and moisture. The soil should be rich in humus.

Preparing the soil and planting cucumbers

Well-lit areas of land should be allocated for planting cucumbers. They must be filled with organic fertilizers. In the fall, after the harvest has been carried out, you need to dig up the soil. In spring, the soil surface is leveled with a rake. This helps reduce evaporation and remove weeds from the area.

In May, mineral and organic fertilizers are applied. For 1 m2; use 10-15 kg. Compost or manure, 20 g of urea, 30 g of superphosphate, as well as 20 g of potassium sulfate or 10 g of potassium chloride.

It is advisable to use old, rather than fresh, seeds. 2-4 years of age. Such seeds are more productive. They are able to form a larger number of female flowers, and, consequently, more ovaries. You can sort the seeds before sowing. To do this, they are placed in a saline solution and left for some time. Those that float are removed, and those that have settled to the bottom are left, dried and after a couple of years used for sowing.

At the end of May, the seeds are sown. By this time, the soil should warm up to 12 - 13 °C. The normal consumption is 1g. per 1 m2. In this case, the distance between the seeds is 3-5 cm. You can sow the seeds earlier to increase the fruiting period.

But in this case there is a risk that the crops will die due to frost. At early stages crops use dry seeds. When conditions are favorable, they will swell on their own and begin to germinate. Folk signs They say that the best time for planting is when dandelions bloom and apple tree petals fall off. The crop does not tolerate thickening well, so the sowing density should be strictly observed.

Caring for cucumbers - watering

Cucumbers require regular watering. Best time for him it’s the second half of the day. It is better to water from a watering can in small doses. The water should first be heated in the sun. Watering with cold water can cause various plant diseases. The rate of watering depends on weather conditions, the condition of the plants and the composition of the soil.

When flowering begins, watering is stopped for a while. It is renewed in a slightly increased volume at the beginning of fruiting.

The best fertilizers for cucumbers - how to feed cucumbers at different periods of their cultivation

Proper care of cucumbers cannot be imagined without feeding. After thinning, the plants should be fed with organic and mineral fertilizers, which should be diluted in water. This could be urea or ammonium nitrate. If the feeding of cucumbers is organic, then this slurry or chicken droppings. After applying fertilizers, you should water the plants to wash away the previously used substances.

Urea, potassium chloride and superphosphate are what you should feed cucumbers with during cold weather. These cucumber fertilizers are sprayed using a hand sprayer.

Fruit collection

About two months after planting, the plant begins to bear fruit. From now on, it is necessary to collect greens in a timely manner. Not only marketable fruits are collected, but also sick, overripe and damaged ones. Otherwise, they will deplete the plant and interfere with the formation of new ovaries. It is unacceptable to tear off, tug and pull the lashes. To collect, press the stalk with your thumb.

How to fertilize the soil in a cucumber garden

Preparing beds in a greenhouse for planting cucumbers

After cultivation, we begin to prepare the bed for planting cucumbers

Methods for planting cucumbers

Seed preparation

Before starting to soak the seed, it is necessary to approximately determine the timing of the start of work. When to plant cucumber seedlings so that the plants are fully formed for planting in the ground?

Be sure to check the acidity level in store-bought mixtures and homemade formulations. Adult cucumbers are pH tolerant, but seedlings are quite demanding on this criterion. If the soil is too acidic, it is worth adding liming materials to neutralize the balance. It would be a good idea to calcinate self-prepared mixtures (for example, in the oven) or use other safe methods of soil disinfection.

Aphids (Whitefly) can settle on your seedlings, sucking the sap from the leaves. The problem is also that

. One bucket of the drug is enough for 20 m2. Work begins with preparing the land. To do this, mix “ingredients” such as peat, humus, sawdust and soil. Since the roots of cucumbers are quite weak at a young age, it is necessary to carefully prepare fertilizers, otherwise your garden will not give normal results.

Growing seedlings

check with special litmus paper;

Soil for tomato seedlings should be taken from an area where garden crops have not been grown for 2-3 years, or from the forest. Be sure to remove grass, weeds and other unnecessary things, sift through a sieve so that the earthen mass is loose and soft. This will ensure the formation of a powerful and developed root system.

Feeding of cucumbers is carried out once every 10 days. For 10 liters of water, take 1 liter of thick mullein and 20-30 g of urea or ammonium nitrate. After the cucumbers bloom, they need to be fed with the same solution, adding superphosphate and potassium salt to it: 40-50 g each (at the beginning of fruiting, 50-60 g each). One liter of solution will be enough to water 4 plants.

Planting cucumbers can be done in two ways: sowing cucumber seeds directly into the garden bed or planting pre-grown seedlings. With any method of growing cucumbers in open ground, they are planted when the soil is already sufficiently warmed up and can provide the plants with the necessary nutrients. For example, in central Russia, cucumbers are planted in late May-early June.

The appearance of the second true leaf indicates good development of the root system, so after the second leaf, watering must be increased. At the same time, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil - drying out of the soil and its excess moisture are equally unacceptable.

In the southern regions of Russia, for outdoor cultivation, seeds are sown around mid-April, and for the middle zone optimal time It will be the second half of May.

The choice of seeds for seedlings depends on where you will plant the seedlings - in a greenhouse or in open ground. Hybrids are more suitable for greenhouse conditions (they are usually self-pollinating and the presence of insects for ovary formation and flowering is not necessary for them). Store-bought packages of hybrid seeds are usually marked “F1”.

the appearance of aphids can lead, if you do not fight them, to a fungus, due to which the plant will soon dry out

Soil preparation

For 1 square meter you will need to add 20 g of ammonium nitrate, potassium chloride, ammonium sulfate and superphosphates.

identify using wild grasses: many of them prefer a certain type of ground surface.

Planting cucumber seedlings in the ground along with a pot ensures almost one hundred percent survival rate of the seedlings. The pot serves as fertilizer, decomposing in the ground. The seedlings take root well, which allows for a good early harvest. Before sowing the seeds, the pots are filled with moistened nutritious soil, which needs to be moderately compacted. After sowing, the pots are placed on pallets, sand, plastic film, a layer of soil or gravel. Seedlings must be watered, keeping the soil moist. Peat pots should not be allowed to dry out. When dry, the salts contained in the soil crystallize and, in concentrated form, can pose a danger to tender cucumber sprouts. As the seedlings grow, the pots should be spaced more freely to provide adequate lighting and prevent root tangling.

As an option, you can use pieces of turf approximately 10x10 cm in size. They are cut out somewhere in the sun, placed in a box covered with film, top layer down. In each such square, add 1 teaspoon of wood ash (deeper) and plant the hatched seed. When the first true leaf appears, the plantings are fertilized (can be organic, or complex mineral fertilizer - the consumption should be specified according to the instructions).

Trellis net for cucumbers. The simple design helps increase the yield from one square meter by more than five times. We recommend for use.

Growing and care

For growing in greenhouses, planting cucumber seeds for seedlings is carried out at the very beginning of spring (for the southern regions) and in mid-April for a mid-zone climate. If the greenhouse is heated, then cucumber seedlings for the greenhouse are planted in peat pots one month before they are planted in a permanent place. If the seedlings will be grown in open ground, it is better to take varietal seeds. They are less demanding to grow, but their yield is lower than that of hybrids.

. The first step in the fight is to destroy the weeds inside the greenhouse. Also, do not forget about harmful insects.

Also an important point normal development seedlings is to maintain the required level of humidity. So, if the humidity is reduced to 10%, cucumbers will not grow; the most optimal level is considered to be 90% humidity, but there is no need to allow severe waterlogging, which can lead to a lack of air, since this can cause the roots of the crop to die. To achieve normal conditions, you need to water not only the soil, but also the greenhouse itself from the inside.

If everything is clear with the analyzes - you need to dig holes and place the contents in a bag with a signature and coordinates, then using the third method, pay attention to indicator plants. Chernozem with high or neutral acidity is preferred by wheatgrass, heather, plantain, pikulnik, and speedwell. European euonymus, larkspur, ash and pine grow on alkaline surfaces. On any mass, wild strawberries, bird's buckwheat, field bindweed, white pigweed, and creeping buttercup will develop.

The ideal soil for tomato seedlings is the soil itself, humus or peat and sand in equal proportions. It is better to choose peat from the depths, since the surface is saturated with acids. If there is nothing else besides it, then add ash or lime. For 100 kg of peat you need 4 kg of wood ash or lime. You will significantly fertilize the peat by adding 2% phosphate fertilizers.

At the beginning of flowering, cucumbers should be watered liquid fertilizer, to which microfertilizers are added: 0.1 g of zinc sulfate, 0.3-0.4 g of manganese sulfate and 0.5 g of boric acid per 10 liters of water.

Before planting in open ground, cucumber seedlings must have the following characteristics: plants must be at least 25 cm in height and have 5 or more leaves. It is very important that the seedlings are positioned vertically. For these purposes, plants must be tied up.

Planting and caring for cucumbers require certain knowledge. Below we will discuss the basic rules for growing cucumbers and caring for them.

Water the seedlings moderately, as the soil clod dries out, only with warm, well-settled water.

You can find out how to choose the right soil for seedlings here

You should calculate the timing of planting seeds so that in a month, when the time for planting in the ground comes, the threat of night frosts has already passed. If you have the opportunity to heat the greenhouse, then you are not afraid of the threat of frost and you can plant seedlings earlier.

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Preparing the best soil for tomato seedlings

In order for seed germination to be close to 100%, the material should be prepared in a certain way before planting. The following procedures must be carried out:

Soil composition

To do this, we cover the doors and windows with gauze, and also make “tasty” traps: we take a piece of plywood, paint it yellow or any other bright color, and grease the surface with honey: an insect that lands on the surface will stick to it.

In order for cucumbers in a greenhouse to quickly grow and produce fruit, you must follow several important rules. We will also tell you about the best varieties that are most suitable for planting in a greenhouse, including in the winter season. Don’t forget to prepare the seeds themselves: they need to be disinfected with copper sulfate or boric acid.

Gardeners use the folk method - moisten the lump with vinegar. With low acidity it will become noisy. Special tests are sold in stores: if the surface is acidic, the paper will turn red, and if it is alkaline, it will darken.

Be sure to form the soil for tomato seedlings from sand. This is an important element that performs the following functions: loosening the mixture, drainage and formation of seedlings. Acidity also affects the condition of tomatoes - if it is elevated, then dolomite flour should be added to the soil mass in the following proportion: per 1 kg of soil - 15 g of the substance. In order to improve the quality of tomato seedlings, add fertilizers with magnesium and lime to the soil mixture.
It is better to fertilize cucumbers in the evening. It is necessary to avoid getting the solution on the leaves, as in sunny weather this can cause burns. The solution should be washed off the leaves with water from a watering can and strainer. After each watering and feeding of cucumbers, it is recommended to add fertile soil under them, thereby replacing loosening. The roots of cucumbers are located in the top layer of soil, so they can easily be damaged during normal loosening. The soil needs to be loosened only between the rows.

Ready cucumber seedlings should be planted only when the soil has warmed up well enough in the sun.

The first method is to sow cucumbers directly into open ground. Growing cucumber seeds is painstaking work. The seeds must be large and full-bodied. First of all, you need to choose the highest quality seeds. To do this, treat them with a one percent solution of potassium permanganate, then keep them in warm, clean water for 20 minutes. In this case, low-quality seeds should float, after which they can be easily removed. Remaining good seeds You can sow directly into open ground without germination, or you can germinate for about two days in wet sawdust or peat. If the seeds are pre-germinated, additional selection of low-quality seed material occurs.

Three- or four-week-old seedlings are planted in a permanent place together with a lump of earth (for this purpose, a retractable bottom has been invented or the possibility of cutting a cup is provided) or with a turf square. You should not wait longer, since older plants take root less well in a permanent place. Grown plants are placed as planned (in the center or in a checkerboard pattern) on the bed (on average 4-6 per 1 sq. m). Maintain a distance between rows of about 50 cm, between plants in a row of 30-40 cm, if in one row, then about 20 cm.

Soil preparation

The seedlings need to be fed during their growth - this should be done by walking 2-3 times before planting in the ground. How to feed cucumber seedlings so that the plants have time to become well established for planting in the ground?

Peat tablets for seedlings. A pressed substrate that, after swelling, turns into a cylinder. Creates ideal conditions for cucumber shoots.

Disinfection

Seed rejection. To do this, the seed material must be dipped in a 5% salt solution (water should be room temperature) and wait 10 seconds. Empty seeds, unsuitable for planting, will float, high-quality seeds will remain at the bottom.

As you can see, growing cucumbers in a greenhouse begins with seedlings and ends with the fight against the “infection.” But in the end you will get a rich harvest of sweet and tasty cucumbers.

Important nuances:

An effective method for disinfecting the mass is steaming. Take a pan or other metal container, pour 1-1.5 cm of water. Using an elastic band, secure the edges of a clean, preferably natural, fabric and pour the earthen mixture into it. Place the container on low heat for 20-30 minutes and let the water boil away. In this way the action high temperature will kill larvae and other pathogens.
The correct composition of chernozem and the use of fertilizers with microelements and minerals will reduce the period of growing seedlings to 2 weeks. Peat-based soil contains long fibers, the function of which is to deoxidize the fertilizer, because it has high acidity. It would be even better to fertilize with ground eggshells, potassium or nitrogen.
Water the cucumbers with warm water. To do this, it is recommended to keep a barrel near the cucumber bed and pour water into it in the evening or early in the morning so that it warms up during the day. Too much watering is harmful, as the vines begin to grow vigorously to the detriment of fruiting.

Cucumbers can be grown in almost all types of soil that have sufficient aeration and drainage, but it is better to use light soils rich in humus.

Video “How to prepare soil for tomato seedlings”

The first time feeding is best done after the first true leaf appears, the second time - after the second one appears, the third time - a couple of weeks after the second feeding.

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Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse - preparing and planting seedlings

Preparing for landing: basic rules

You can find out how to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse in this article

Disinfection. This procedure is carried out using a 1% aqueous solution of potassium permanganate. Keep the seeds in the solution for no more than 30 minutes, and then rinse with water.

You can also use the soil mixture in the following proportions:

Heating: positive temperature in a greenhouse for cucumbers is one of the most important conditions normal growth. If you are going to plant them in winter, be sure to heating system. And the seeds must first be planted in a jar at home, and only then, when the seedlings have gained strength, can you transplant them into the greenhouse; A video about how to prepare a nutritious soil mixture for tomato seedlings at home, how to check the acidity level and how to fertilize it.Preparation of soil mass for planting tomato seedlings does not involve the use of conventional earth mixture taken from the garden. It is very dense, so it will be difficult for tomatoes to develop. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqK62BaJZKM

Immediately before planting, it is recommended to warm up and soak the seeds. The process of soaking the seeds is simple, it is carried out approximately 12 hours before planting the seeds. The warming up process will take a little more of your time. To warm the seeds, they need to be suspended in a gauze bag. It is advisable to hang it near a battery or in a room where the temperature does not drop below 20°C. Warming is necessary for plant resistance to various diseases. This process has a positive effect on the quality of the crop. Cucumber is a heat-loving plant. Seeds germinate at a temperature of 12-13°C.

A capital heated greenhouse solves this problem perfectly, but it is not available to everyone. A bed with “internal heating” (as described earlier) and a two-layer covering (can be film, or another covering material, for example, spunbond) copes well with this task. In this case, sowing is carried out in early May. A small area is prepared for seedlings (dug up, disinfected), and the same pots are tightly placed on it. This option for preparing seedlings will require your daily presence, since you may need additional shelter at night (if the temperature drops below +12 °C), and during the day, on the contrary, opening the greenhouse slightly (above +18 °C). You cannot completely open the seedlings - either open a window in the greenhouse, or lift the film from the end of the covered bed.

Cultivation technology and varieties of cucumbers for the greenhouse

For the first feeding of cucumber seedlings you need to take a 10 liter container:

Growing cucumber seedlings at home places special lighting requirements.

Germination on damp cloth for 3 days. Seeds with sprouts up to 5 mm long are considered sprouted.
turf land (3 parts);
Fertilizers should be applied at least a week before planting, covering the soil with added humus with ordinary plastic film;The first thing to start with is germinating the seeds. So, if your summer cottage has an ordinary film greenhouse, you can grow seedlings in the winter on the windowsill - you need to plant them before mid-April, and already in May you can plant the seedlings in the ground. If there is a greenhouse made of cellular polycarbonate on the site, the seeds can be immediately planted in the ground. In this case, planting takes place around mid-April. Naturally, it is necessary to prepare the greenhouse. Some vegetable growers mix part of their own prepared chernozem with purchased soil. If you are short of time or lack experience, you can contact a specialized store. If you have decided on a purchase ready-made mixtures, then choose the following: “Flora”, “Gumimax”, “Gardener”, “Gardener”, “Strong”. Choose a retail outlet carefully, do not take the first one you come across to avoid counterfeits.

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in winter

Sometimes on very hot days, watering alone is not enough, and then the leaves begin to wither. In this case, it is recommended to take a refreshing shower during the day with cool water over the leaves from a hose. This spraying should be done quickly, preferably at 17-18 hours, when there are fewer bees. A shower washes away dust from leaves, increases air and soil humidity, reduces high daytime temperatures, and improves photosynthesis.

Ideally, you need to choose a place where pumpkin crops (cucumbers, squash, zucchini, pumpkin) did not grow even in the previous year. These measures are necessary to avoid the accumulation of diseases and pests. But a change of place every 5 years is also allowed. When grown, cucumbers require an even and constant supply of nutrients. These plants respond well to the application of organic fertilizers that improve soil structure.

The optimal depth for sowing cucumber seeds in the ground is a depth of 2 cm. When sowing, it is also necessary to take into account the fact that cucumbers can grow very large during the growth process, so you should not sow them too often. It is recommended to sow two seeds per hole (you can plant a little more seeds, if you doubt the quality, since not everyone can germinate) at a distance of 8 to 10 cm. When sowing cucumbers in rows, the recommended distance in a row is 8-10 cm, between rows - 60 cm.

Fighting aphids - the main enemy of cucumbers

It is difficult to prepare seedlings directly in the garden, since when transplanting it will be difficult not to damage the root system.Are you a big fan of gardening? Winter for you is not a time of year, but a period of preparation for the new working season, when the results of the last harvest are assessed, including taste parameters, an analysis of mistakes made and the study of new products in the field of gardening technologies, offered seeds, etc. ? Are you looking forward to when the sun will shine warmer and the snowdrifts will begin to darken and decrease in size? To speed up the arrival of the long-awaited spring, of course, you should start growing seedlings. You can start growing cucumber seedlings on a windowsill at the beginning of April (if you have a greenhouse on your site); if cucumbers grow in open ground, then at the end. But there is one more “but” - with insufficient lighting, the seedlings become very elongated. And this is not an “aesthetic” problem, since the plant stretched out in search of light is weakened, it will be difficult to take root in a permanent place and will not be able to resist diseases. Therefore, allocate the most illuminated place for seedlings, but not in direct sunlight. In the middle zone, additional lighting with the help of phytolamps is recommended. Full illumination prevents plants from stretching. If there is not enough sunlight, it is necessary to resort to the practice of “supplementary illumination” of seedlings with fluorescent lamps. Lamps should be placed in close proximity to the sprouts at a distance of about 5 cm.

To properly grow cucumber seedlings, you need to choose the optimal size cups or peat tablets for sowing seeds. Plastic cups with a diameter of 15 cm are perfect for planting (for future planting in open ground, containers with a smaller diameter are suitable; 7 - 10 cm in diameter will be quite enough). The glasses should be thoroughly washed, doused with boiling water and filled with soil mixture, after placing drainage in the form of pebbles or small expanded clay on the bottom.

rotted manure (6 parts);

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An important point is the choice of variety

Planting cucumbers in the ground
The main rule is to sift the soil. It may contain sticks, pebbles, roots or fibers that will pose a danger when diving tomatoes - injuring the roots. The finer the soil for tomato seedlings, the better they will be preserved when planted in open ground or when diving.
Wilting of cucumber leaves in hot weather indicates that there is not enough soil moisture. If water does not seep into the soil well when watering, carefully make punctures with a fork. If the soil is very dry, it should be watered in 2-3 steps: first water a little (1-2 watering cans per 1 sq.m.), and after a while increase watering, bringing its total volume to 8-10 liters per 1 square meter. At the end of summer, reduce watering, as waterlogging of cold soil contributes to rot infestation of the lower part of the stem and roots. During massive fruit growth, soil moisture should be maintained especially high, watering the cucumbers every 3-4 days or even every other day. To avoid stunting, disease and death of plants, it is recommended to water with warm water.

Planting cucumbers requires preparing the beds in advance. It is recommended to prepare the soil for growing cucumbers in the fall in a lighted and warm place. The area should be dug up to a depth of 22-27 cm, then manure and humus should be added under the digging at the rate of a bucket per 1 sq.m. In the next 2-3 years, you should not apply organic fertilizers; then only mineral fertilizers are used.

When the second true leaf appears, it’s time to fertilize. You can use both organic fertilizers and complex mineral fertilizers - whichever is more convenient for you.
To grow seedlings you will need pots and a nutritious soil mixture.

To achieve the best results when growing cucumber seedlings, 40-80 watt lamps are suitable. In cloudy weather the lamp can be used all day, but in sunny weather it can only be illuminated before sunrise and after sunset.

Seed selection

Don't forget to drill holes at the bottom of the cups to drain the water. It is not recommended to use boxes for seedlings of cucumbers - these plants have weak and fragile roots and may not tolerate picking. The cups are convenient because when planting, the soil with the plant can be removed from them quite easily.

sand (1 part).

Seed preparation

We recommend that you read
It is necessary to alternate the temperature regime for the earth mass throughout the winter: after the cold, bring the tomatoes into the heat and vice versa with an interval of 5 weeks. After such “thermotherapy”, the composition should be fertilized by adding urea in the amount of one teaspoon. Before this, the soil mass must warm up. Then take half a glass of ash and 2 tsp. superphosphate. After mixing, you need to pour in the manganese solution. Then leave it for 14 days and plant tomatoes there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myMHrpyuzDo

Landing

The bed should be sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate (for 10 liters of water, take 1 tablespoon of copper sulfate), spending 1 liter of solution per 1 sq.m of bed. Then you need to remove and burn all plant debris from the garden bed, including roots. Before digging the bed, add 2 tablespoons of superphosphate and 1 glass of dolomite flour or ash per 1 sq.m. Dig the bed to a depth of 15 cm and leave it until spring. In the spring, 10 days before planting, add 1 bucket of manure humus, old sawdust, peat and 1 cup of ash per 1 sq.m of bed, then dig up to the depth of a bayonet shovel.

Cucumbers can also be grown by planting cucumber seedlings. This method is good because the harvest can be harvested earlier, since the seedlings are grown at home even before the soil is ready. But there are difficulties in this method. Cucumbers have a very fragile root system and it is quite difficult to replant them without damaging the roots. Therefore, it is difficult to grow cucumbers from seedlings; there is a risk of getting a poor-quality harvest. But if you choose this method, then you should take into account that it is better to grow seedlings in peat pots.

Transplantation to a permanent location can be carried out in early June, when the threat of night frosts has passed.

If someone thinks that a seedling container of approximately 10x10 cm is too big for a small cucumber seed, don’t worry - it’s just right. Indeed, in the first stages of development, the root system is significantly ahead of the above-ground part. And do not forget that the roots of cucumbers are very easily injured and regenerate very poorly. Therefore, to grow seedlings, take either special pots with a retractable bottom, or peat pots, or homemade ones (from all kinds of packaging, which can then simply be cut).

Avid gardeners use special phytolamps.

The sprouted seeds should be planted in cups one at a time. The technique is simple - holes are made 2 cm deep, seeds are carefully placed in the holes and sprinkled with soil.

Planting dates for different regions

You can purchase these mixtures ready-made in specialty stores, or you can prepare them yourself. In the latter case, it is worth adding fertilizer (for every 10 liters of mixture):

The best varieties for planting in a greenhouse include self-pollinating hybrids (Anyuta F1, Zozulya F1), as well as simple varieties: Moscow Hothouse, Willow, Zarya and Marfinsky.

In early spring or late autumn, we disinfect the room using the drug

The process of preparing a mixture for seedlings includes an important point - the vegetable grower needs to remove pathogenic bacteria and larvae from the soil mass in order to get a good harvest and prevent plant death.

Cucumbers are harvested when the fruits reach ripeness. The interval between the first harvests is 3-5 days, and during the period of mass fruiting - no more than 2 days. Try to remove the fruits so that the stalk remains on the vines. At the same time, remove yellow and diseased fruits so that they do not contribute to weakening of the plants and do not delay the formation of new ovaries.

Lighting mode and temperature mode

Cups, dairy bags or boxes are often used as containers for cucumber seedlings.

Starting from the second week, the temperature regime for the full development of seedlings should be constant - 20-23 degrees. If the seedling room is too hot during the day, you can open the windows or spray the seedlings.

After planting, the cups are covered with film and placed in a warm place (25 degrees). Shoots appear quickly - on about 3 days.

7 grams of urea;

Watering mode

You should not plant cucumber seeds directly into the ground - it is better to prepare the seedlings in advance. To do this, take ordinary paper or plastic cups, pour soil inside, stick a cucumber seed to a depth of several centimeters, water a little and cover with film or a damp cloth. In the greenhouse, using heating systems, we bring the temperature to +25 °C, and after the seedlings in the cups sprout, we lower it to +15 °C.

Tenta-vir

The above-described temperature alternation mode eliminates the problem. Treat chernozem for cultivation with a solution of potassium permanganate (3 grams per bucket of water). It is necessary to check whether the acidity level is sufficient, because slightly acidic soil mass promotes infection with blackleg and clubroot. To prevent diseases, dolomite flour or lime is added to seedlings in quantities of 17 grams per 1 kg of soil mass.

The harvest directly depends on good care. Cucumbers should be removed in the morning or evening. To prevent the fruits from wilting, cover them with burlap, tarpaulin or matting. If you follow the rules described above, you will reap an excellent harvest.

After this, level and pour hot (60°C) water (5-6 liters per 1 sq.m.). You can pour a solution (1 g per 10 liters of water) of potassium permanganate at the rate of 3-4 liters per 1 sq.m. or sodium humate (1 tablespoon of liquid sodium humate per 10 liters of water), 3-4 liters per 1 sq.m. Then cover the bed with clean film before sowing or planting cucumbers.

Feeding mode

Planting cucumber seedlings in boxes will help save space, but when transplanted into open ground, the fragile root system will be damaged and the survival rate of the plants will deteriorate.

I hope that all preparatory work began in the fall (cleaning, disinfection and fertilization) and continued in April (creating a bioheating layer, digging, adding additional fertilizing), as described earlier. Immediately a week before the expected “moving” of cucumbers, the bed or soil in the greenhouse is watered with a warm (about 40 ° C) nutrient-disinfecting solution (10 liters of water, 0.5 liters of liquid mullein or 200 ml of bird droppings and 1 teaspoon of copper sulfate - such volume approximately 2 sq.m) and covered with film to retain heat and moisture.

❧ It is better to prepare the mixture yourself. For example, from peat, humus, fine sawdust (2:2:1), wood ash and nitrophoska (per bucket of mixture

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How to grow cucumber seedlings

Everything about growing cucumber seedlings

Although cups save gardeners from picking, which is undesirable for cucumbers, periodically, to prevent plants from shading each other, the containers should be moved apart as the growing leaves close. Usually this need arises about half a month after planting the seeds.

After this, the film is removed, and the seedlings remain in a warm place for several days.

Pots for growing cucumber seedlings

8 g potassium sulfate;

Soil for cucumber seedlings

After this we can begin transplanting the seedlings. There should be a distance of about 20 cm between the bushes and about 70 cm between the rows - thanks to this, their root system will develop normally. It is advisable to ventilate the greenhouse every day by installing a thermometer inside - make sure that the temperature does not fall below +15 °C. It is important to properly feed seedlings in the winter.

, which we dilute in a bucket of water, we also add to the solution

There are several ways to determine the acid-base balance of the earth mass:

A good vegetable grower knows about three points that are necessary for the growth and harvest of tomatoes: quality seeds, necessary conditions cultivation (temperature, heat, light) and the right soil for tomato seedlings. The last component is the most important, since the root system develops in the ground, and the entire plant is nourished. We’ll talk about its proper preparation in the article.

Cucumber seeds should be sown in the ground in such a way that the seedlings are not exposed to frost. Only dry cucumber seeds are sown early, since sprouted seeds can rot in insufficiently warmed soil.

It is not recommended to use bags and jars of fermented milk products (ryazhenka, kefir, yogurt, sour cream) for these purposes. Lactic acid bacteria are enemies of the roots and can cause root disease in seedlings.

Immediately on the day of transplantation, the holes are prepared: their size must correspond to the size of the pot or other container in which the seedlings were grown. They are poured generously with a solution of potassium permanganate (at the rate of 1 g per 10 liters of warm water). Plants in pots are also watered generously with warm water (about 25 °C), the entire earthen lump is carefully removed from the container and placed strictly vertically in the prepared hole. Only the earthen lump itself should be sprinkled with earth. If the stem of the seedling is very elongated, it can be slightly covered with clean sawdust or peat. It is better not to use humus or soil from the garden, as this can lead to the development of root rot.

3 tbsp. l. halls and 1 st. l. nitrophoska). Or from equal parts of leaf and turf soil with the addition of compost (1:1:1).

Growing cucumber seedlings involves constant monitoring of soil moisture. Without applying special devices, you can check the soil moisture by trying to roll a ball. In dry soil it will quickly crumble. If the soil is waterlogged, the lump will be very wet. You should look for a middle ground.

When the cotyledons open, the temperature should be lowered to 20 degrees (this prevents the sprouts from over-stretching). Growing cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse can also take place at lower temperatures, but then the time for planting the finished seedlings in the ground will increase somewhat.

2 g magnesium sulfate.

The first time the work is carried out as soon as three leaves appear on the plant. The second time fertilizer is applied when the plant begins to bloom. To do this, you can use chicken manure or mullein - organic fertilizers take root better and are not dangerous for future fruits. Make sure that the leaves of the plant do not fade - if you notice this, immediately water the bushes.

Oxychom

A little botany

submit for laboratory tests;

Planting seedlings in beds

You can purchase soil for tomato seedlings or make it yourself. The risk of purchasing a product of poor quality forces gardeners to make it themselves. Make your own soil for tomato seedlings using humus, sawdust and turf soil. It should be prepared in the fall so that the black soil freezes in winter.

Basic care for cucumbers consists of timely watering, loosening the soil, weeding and fertilizing.

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Therefore, the most optimal container for seedlings is peat (peat humus) pots. The porosity of their walls provides a comfortable water-air regime for the soil layer in which the roots are located. You can plant seedlings in the ground directly in such pots, avoiding the complicated transplanting process. When planted in the ground, the roots of the cucumbers will freely grow through the bottom and walls of the pot. The pots do not contain toxic substances or pathogens and have sufficient mechanical strength in both wet and dry conditions.

The condition of the soil is one of the main conditions for the development and productivity of cucumber. The crop begins to bear fruit early, so by the time of planting the soil must contain a complex of all minerals and nutrients necessary for fruit set. Otherwise, it is impossible to achieve a high yield.

Not only fertility is important, but also the structure of the soil. The weak root system of the cucumber does not tolerate heavy soils. It should be taken into account: everything that is introduced into the soil stays in it for a long time, so the process requires the right approach.

The main requirements of the crop for the mechanical composition of the soil are high air permeability and moisture holding capacity, so it is recommended to plant cucumbers on light and medium loams, which have good aeration of the root system, evenly distribute and retain moisture.

For good development, cucumber needs mineral and organic nutrition, which comes from the soil immediately after planting, so the soil must have a high humus content and an optimal ratio of macroelements.

Important minerals:

Nitrogen. With its deficiency, the growth of the above-ground part and the development of roots slows down.
Potassium. Mineral deficiency weakens plants and reduces resistance to disease and cold.
Phosphorus. If there is a shortage, plant growth and fruit formation slow down.
Magnesium. The leaves turn yellow, become brittle, and fall off. Plant growth and fruit development slows down.

The culture is demanding on the reaction of the soil solution and does not tolerate acidification. The optimal acidity level is pH 6.2-6.8.

Cucumbers love warm soil. Planting seedlings and sowing seeds is possible only after the soil has been warmed to 18°C. When the temperature drops to 14-15°C for 3-5 days, the cucumber roots stop developing.

This can lead to plant death. Surviving cucumbers will be weak and susceptible to disease. Productivity will be greatly reduced.

Cucumbers develop better if the soil is 2-3°C warmer than the air. The average daily air temperature for cucumber is 16-32°C. These indicators are also used to control the soil.

Soil moisture should be 75-85%. Subsequently, to control soil moisture, take a handful of soil from the root layer and squeeze it tightly in your fist. If water comes out, the humidity level is more than 80%. If the lump retains fingerprints, it means the humidity is more than 70%. The lump crumbles - less than 60%.

Definition and structuring of different soil types

Before you begin the basic preparation of the soil for cucumbers, you need to put its mechanical composition and physical properties in order. Create an optimal base into which fertilizers will subsequently be applied according to the requirements of the cucumbers. The task is especially relevant when developing a new site.

Determination of soil mechanical composition

To determine the type of soil you can use simple method, which does not require special equipment. To do this, you need to take a handful of earth and lightly moisten it with water so that it does not wring out. Mash and form a lump. Then roll a cord with a diameter of 3 mm in your palms and roll it into a solid ring.

Depending on the condition of the cord, you can determine the type of soil:

disintegrates quickly - sandy loam;
crushes during rolling - light loam;
continuous, but disintegrates when rolled into a ring - medium loam;
continuous, but small cracks form on the ring - heavy loam;
solid, solid ring - alumina.

Light and medium loams

The most optimal soil types for growing cucumbers. The mechanical composition of light loams does not need to be structured. In the fall, manure is added to medium loams at a rate of 5-6 kg per 1 sq. m. m.

Sandy loam

This type of soil warms up quickly, has intense aeration and high water permeability. In addition, sandy loam is easy to process, and the conversion of organic matter into humus occurs at an accelerated rate.

Disadvantages of soil for growing cucumbers - rapid cooling at night and washing out minerals from the root layer. This can be corrected by adding fresh manure or compost in the fall, 10 kg per 1 sq. m. m.

Alumina and heavy loams

These types of soil are not suitable for growing cucumbers. They do not warm up well and practically do not allow air and moisture to pass through. This is detrimental to culture.

When oxygen access to the roots is limited, cucumbers begin to shed their ovaries, practically do not develop and gradually dry out. Heavy soils must be loosened.

The best option- introduction of fresh straw manure. This should be done in the fall so that it has time to decompose and turn into humus. 10-15 kg of manure per square meter is applied to uncultivated soils. m. When re-applying (recommended every 3-4 years), 5-6 kg per square meter is sufficient. m.

Manure is covered superficially. When buried deeply, it does not decompose and partially turns into peat, in which the bacteria necessary for plants do not develop.

Sandstones

This type of soil is not suitable for growing cucumbers. It does not retain moisture, and minerals are quickly washed out of the root layer. It warms up quickly, but also cools down during the night temperature drop.

To improve the soil per 1 sq. m. contribute:

half-rotted manure or compost 1.5 -2 buckets;
peat 1 bucket.

Labor-intensive, expensive, but very effective method- soil claying. To do this, in every sq. m. add 1-2 buckets of powdered clay. It is combined with manure or compost. After adding any baking powder, the area is dug up. The events are carried out over 2-3 years.

Peaty marshy

In Russia, this type of soil is found in the West Siberian Plain and in its natural form is unsuitable for growing cucumbers. It is excessively moist and fibrous, there are no conditions for the decomposition of plant residues, so the peat becomes very sour. Peaty-swampy soil is characterized by a light brown color.

First you need to dry the area. To do this, in the spring, grooves are dug along the perimeter of the site so that the water is drained outside the garden. By the end of summer, the area will be dry, and you can begin to improve the soil.

For 1 sq. m. contribute:

powder clay 1 bucket;
river sand 0.5 buckets;
lime from 0.3 to 1.4 kg depending on acidity.

The area is dug up to a depth of 20 cm. Rotted manure, humus or bird droppings are added at a rate of 1 kg per square meter. m. More organic matter is not required.

Peat contains a lot of organic substances, and manure in this case is used only to start the processes of its decomposition.

Work on introducing these components is carried out constantly from year to year. Until the soil acquires optimal physical properties that are comfortable for plants. In addition to the main fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), copper and boron are added annually.

Acidity regulation

Acidic soil is typical for low-lying areas with stagnant spring water. Acidity can also increase after seasons with increased rainfall, which wash away calcium and magnesium. Hydrogen ions begin to predominate in soil particles, increasing its acidity.

In such areas, plantain, wild rosemary, horsetail, speedwell and sorrel grow rapidly. When digging up the soil at a depth of 10-15 cm, you can find a light-colored layer resembling ash.

The simplest and inexpensive way determination of soil acidity - application litmus paper. It can be purchased at any garden store and pharmacies.

To determine the acidity of the soil, mix a semi-liquid solution of soil and distilled water, and immerse a strip of litmus paper in it for 2-3 seconds. To calculate acidity values, it is compared with the accompanying color scale.

Calcium carbonate is used to reduce soil acidity. It is found in ground limestone, chalk, cement dust, wood ash, dolomite and bone meal.

For the primary regulation of acidity, it is better to use ground limestone. Norms for its application per 1 sq. m. for different soil types (pH< 4,5/ pH 4,6-6,0):

sand 400/100 g;
sandy loam 600/150 g;
loamy 800/350 g;
aluminas 1100/500 g;
peat-swampy 1400/300 g.

Cucumbers are very sensitive to liming, so measures to reduce soil acidity are best carried out under the previous crop. As a last resort - in the fall.

In the future, to maintain acidity at the required level, wood ash is used, which also serves as a good fertilizer.

How to prepare soil for planting cucumbers

Soil preparation and arrangement of beds for greenhouses and open ground are the same. The only difference is in the preparatory work.

Greenhouse treatment

Most gardeners do not have the opportunity to observe crop rotation in the greenhouse, so after harvesting, the depleted soil with manure that has rotted over the summer is completely removed from the room and distributed on the site of future beds. The exception is places where pumpkin crops are planted.

If for some reason complete replacement soil is impossible, it must be disinfected.

Options:

Spill the soil with boiling water and cover the surface of the bed with film for a day. After this, the ground is dug up and harrowed. The procedure is repeated after 3 days. Conducted in the spring.
Application of biofungicides. Spraying solutions of drugs onto the soil: Trichodermin, Fitosporin M, Phytocide, Bordeaux mixture, Pentafog. Processed in autumn and spring.
Adding bleach 200 g per 1 sq. m. and digging up the soil. Apply 6 months before planting cucumbers.
Spill the soil with a 2% formaldehyde solution (40%), cover the surface with film for 3 days. The soil is dug up and harrowed. The event is held 2-4 weeks before planting.

In the fall, all plant residues are collected and burned. The internal surfaces of the greenhouse are washed with a 2% formaldehyde solution (40%). It is advisable to fumigate the greenhouse with sulfur.

Open ground

In open ground, you need to constantly change the place for growing cucumbers, returning the crop back only after 3-4 years. The best predecessors are tomatoes, cabbage, peas. Do not plant after pumpkin crops.

A place for the garden bed is selected that is well-lit, protected from drafts and cold northern winds. In the fall, the site is dug up, removing all plant waste.

When do you need green manure?

In a greenhouse and in open ground, when there is no replacement soil, you can sow green manure plants. The best option is white mustard. It should be sown immediately after harvesting the cucumber plants. After 3-4 weeks, a sufficient vegetative mass is formed, which is embedded in the soil to the depth of a spade bayonet.

Mustard will destroy and remove from the soil most of the cucumber root secretions that have accumulated over the season.

In addition, it produces a kind of compost in the soil, rich in proteins and minerals. A system of root tubules is created in the soil, which improves its mechanical properties.

Dead mustard roots attract worms and microbes, which produce nitrogen during their life processes. Additionally, the soil is protected from erosion and swelling.

In the video, the author shows his method of preparing soil and beds for sowing cucumbers.

Arranging a garden bed

Cucumber is one of the few plants that can and is even recommended to be grown on fresh manure. When laying manure, you need to take into account that the root layer of plants reaches a depth of 20 cm. Therefore, on the surface of the manure there should be a 25-30 cm layer of fertile soil.

In such a bed heat-loving culture cooling of the roots when the air temperature drops sharply at night or insufficient heating of the soil during early planting in greenhouses is not a problem.

To arrange a garden bed in a selected area, mark its boundaries. The width should be such that the gardener can freely reach the plants with both hands. You cannot even lean on boards laid on top of the beds. Cucumber does not tolerate the slightest compaction of the soil.

A trench 50-60 cm deep is dug across the area of the bed. In the spring, two weeks before planting, it is filled with fresh manure. Cover the top with garden soil and fertilize.

If it is very cold, the bed is covered with film for intensive heating. This measure is mainly needed only in unheated greenhouses and regions with late summer.

Adding minerals

Fertilizers for cucumbers begin to be applied two weeks before transplanting seedlings or sowing seeds.

For 1 sq. m of cucumber ridge are added:

rotted manure 25 kg or compost 10 kg;
superphosphate 40 g;
potassium sulfate 40 g;
magnesium sulfate 15 g or potassium magnesium 60 g.

Fertilizers are evenly scattered on the soil surface and the bed is dug up. After this, pour water at a rate of 10 liters per 1 square meter. m.

A week later, 30 g of ammonium nitrate is added per 1 square meter. m. The bed is dug up again and spilled with water. After this, we can assume that the soil is completely ready for planting cucumbers.

Preparing soil mixture for seedlings

The strength of seedlings largely depends on the quality of the soil. The simplest option is to purchase ready-made soil, adapted to the requirements of pumpkin crops.

Ready-made soils consist of a mixture different types peat, turf soil, river sand, vermicompost with the addition of all necessary minerals. They are completely processed and disinfected, they do not contain weed seeds, pest larvae and fungal spores.

Ready soils:

“Living Earth” soil No. 2;
"Gumimax";
"Peter Peat" soil for cucumbers;
"Bood-soil" No. 2;
"Hera";
"Fasco".

To grow seedlings, you should not purchase peat soils. They are poorer in composition and are only suitable for filling planting containers or adding to trunk circle already mature plants.

To prepare the soil mixture yourself, it is necessary to prepare and store the components during the summer season.

Several soil options:

humus, lowland peat 1:1;
turfy soil, decomposed peat, manure humus, river sand 3:3:3:1;
lowland peat, humus, rotted sawdust 3:1:1;
garden soil, manure humus, peat, rotted sawdust 2:1:1:1.

For a 10 liter bucket - add 4 tbsp to any of these mixtures. l. wood ash, 20 g superphosphate, 1 tsp. urea and potassium sulfate.

Homemade soil mixture must be disinfected. To do this, it is shed with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate or treated with biological fungicides. Recommended drugs: “Fitosporin”, “Trichodermin”, “Planriz”, “Extrasol”.

Soil for growing cucumbers

In boxes and barrels

The limited space of boxes, barrels or other containers requires a slightly different approach to the composition and preparation of the soil.

When using drums and other tall containers:

on the bottom lay a layer of pebbles, broken bricks, strong branches for 1/3 of the container;
put hay, sawdust and tops on top, sprinkle with humus or rotted manure - after laying this layer, 40 cm remains to the edge of the container;
poured with EM preparations for better reheating;
mix leaf soil and humus (1:1) or peat and humus (1:1);
cover with a 20 cm layer.

The container is covered with film and left to overheat for two weeks. Add fertile soil so that 15 cm remains to the edges of the sides of the container. Two weeks before planting, the soil is fertilized for cucumbers.

On balconies and window sills

On balconies and window sills, cucumbers are grown in containers with a volume of at least 5-7 liters (depending on the variety). At the bottom of the pots there must be holes for water drainage and a drainage layer 5 cm high. A layer of fertile soil must be at least 20 cm.

Ready-made and homemade soils recommended for seedlings are well suited for growing cucumbers in containers. They contain a large number of nutrients, which is especially important when the environment for roots is limited.

Cultivated plants, including cucumbers, remove almost all nutrients from the soil during the season. She's getting exhausted. Salinity, increased acidity and severe drought sharply reduce the level of soil bacteria, and hence the formation of humus, so the soil must be constantly monitored, not limited to seasonal fertilization.