Content
Everyone who has a piece of land plans to grow a good harvest of cucumbers. For some, this seems like a simple matter, while others have some difficulty in watering seedlings. Growing, watering and caring for seedlings of any kind of cucumber is a very important period. Indeed, the ability of cucumbers to bear fruit and resist negative factors directly depends on its quality. At first, you need to pay enough attention to the choice of the variety, as well as the quality of the seeds. This is already a significant part of success, because high-quality seeds have good germination, develop better, and get sick less.
After sowing, you have to carefully monitor watering and the conditions necessary for the growth and development of seedlings. To preserve the plants as much as possible, you need to withstand:
- optimal humidity regime;
- regularity and quality of watering;
- the timeliness of the introduction of nutrients;
- adequate lighting;
- qualitative composition of the soil.
Why do plants need watering
Many people ask the question that in nature, herbs and plants are content with the amount of moisture that they receive naturally. They do not need watering. But growing at home requires additional watering. The main reason for additional watering of cucumber seedlings is a weak root system. To fully provide the plant with moisture, the cucumber roots must pierce deeply through the ground. Watering provides more comfortable conditions for the development of seedlings.
However, there are certain rules on how to water cucumber seedlings. This action should be of maximum benefit and minimum harm. Correct watering of seedlings is needed for:
- Constant, uniform soil moisture... The area should not be overly damp or dry.
- Maintaining stable humidity... This indicator should not depend on climatic fluctuations or illiterately selected irrigation regime.
- Maximum water intake by plants... After watering, it should not spread over the soil surface or accumulate in one place.
- Preservation of soil structure... With proper watering, it does not thicken and does not collapse.
- Nutrient supply... Simultaneously with watering, plants can receive nutrition.
Watering cucumber seedlings is also necessary for biological reasons. The sheet mass evaporates a large amount of moisture. Much more than what is needed for growth. But the leaves of the seedlings are needed to absorb carbon dioxide from the air, so the gardener's task is to maintain the necessary balance between moisture evaporation and watering.
We provide correct watering from scratch
The seedling irrigation technology directly depends on the choice of growing method. If the seeds are sown outdoors, this will happen much later. For greenhouses, the sowing time is shifted to an earlier date. Also, there are various methods of growing seedlings. Therefore, the watering of the plants will differ significantly.
In the open field, seeds are sown when the ground warms up to the desired temperature. The seedling method is often used. In this case, the seedlings are sown earlier. The soil in the garden is prepared in advance, and the sowing scheme is chosen at will. For greenhouse cultivation, seeds are placed in:
- seedling cups;
- ready-made ridges;
- container with sawdust.
For cucumber seedlings, do not use boxes or large containers. This culture is very whimsical, it does not tolerate transplantation, so it is better to sow 2-3 cucumber seeds in separate cups. When transplanting, the roots are less injured and the survival rate of the seedlings increases.
Many gardeners germinate cucumber seeds before planting. However, this should not be done with hybrid varieties and coated seeds. As soon as they hit the soil, the moisture regime is maintained from the first days. Before sowing, the soil is moistened (watered). It should have such a degree of moisture that you can mold a lump, but not sticky. This moisture will be enough for the cucumber seeds to swell. Heavy compaction or poor drainage will cause waterlogging, which will lead to seed rot and death. Cucumbers are demanding on moisture, but the swampy land is categorically not suitable for them.
Then, using a mini-watering can, water the ground daily, but not abundantly. To prevent crust formation on the ground, use a watering can with small holes.
As soon as mass shoots appear, watering is stopped for 2-3 days. This will make it possible for the seedling stems to grow stronger.
How to water small seedlings
As soon as the seedlings are hardened, the regularity of watering is resumed. It is very important to monitor the condition of the soil when watering. Young seedlings at optimal temperature air does not require constant daily watering. This prevents the development of a good root system, a strong stem and short internodes. However, the soil must not completely dry out. As soon as partial drying of the top layer appears, you can gently moisten the ground.
At a good temperature and humidity, it is enough to water the seedlings no more than twice a week.... The roots must have air flow. When the seedlings are very small, watering the plant at the root is unacceptable. It is best to moisturize the soil around the plant, but make sure that no water gets on the leaves or cotyledons. It is good to use a watering can with a small hole without a strainer for watering. You can make grooves along the rows so that water does not pour on the roots. Getting on the root system of seedlings, moisture can lead to a formidable disease - "black leg". Watering time for young seedlings is 10 am with settled water at room temperature, but not lower than 20 ° C.
As soon as the seedlings get stronger, grow up, have two or three true leaves, it becomes more mature.
Determine the required degree of watering
Now the plants are watered so that the moisture saturates the entire soil layer. In transparent containers, this can be controlled visually, and in opaque containers, it is necessary to make small drainage holes on the bottom in advance. If the containers are bulky enough, then moisture control can be carried out with a wire, stick or other device with which you can remove some soil from the bottom. It is rubbed between the fingers. Dry soil signals the need for watering.
The second method is convenient for cups. Place them on cloth or paper before moistening. Carefully water the cucumber seedlings until moisture seeps onto the stand. This helps to avoid surface watering. They lead to defective root development and seedling weakness. It will be difficult for her to adapt outdoors after transplanting.
The regularity of watering at this stage is at least twice a week. After moistening, gently loosening is carried out so as not to damage the roots. Before planting for permanent residence, the plants are not watered for one or two days. So, it is easier to keep a lump of soil and not to expose the roots.
The transplanted seedlings are well shed and moisturized for several days. In the ground, healthy seedlings take root quickly, do not get sick and begin to grow actively.
Watering options for seedlings
Experienced gardeners must mulch the soil. This makes it possible to retain moisture for plants and reduce watering costs. Watering is used on mulched soil:
- With a hose... Not the best way to water. Consolidates the soil, destroys the structure of the top layer. To reduce the negative impact, a bag of several layers of burlap is put on the end of the hose.
- Leaky hose... Small holes are pierced on the hose at equal distances from each other. It is laid along the seedling bed (even better in the groove) and watered, including a small pressure. Or like this:
- Capacities... At a short distance from each other, plastic bottles are dug into the ground, pre-piercing holes in the side surfaces. Fill the bottles with water and do not carry out the next moistening until all the water has gone into the soil.
Another unique idea:
There are different ways to facilitate the work of the gardener. However, humidity control will have to be carried out in any case, otherwise the condition of the seedlings may upset.
We apply watering and nutrition at the same time
To maximize the benefits of watering, many gardeners know how to water and stimulate plants at the same time. With ordinary baker's yeast, you can feed, stimulate and water the seedlings at the same time. Food for cucumbers is necessary for good root formation and fruiting, excellent taste of fruits and prevention of plant diseases. Why yeast? The well-known type of fungi is rich in proteins, minerals, trace elements, vitamins, amino acids. Useful yeast is used to feed not only cucumber seedlings, but also other plant species. The components contained in their composition serve as an excellent fertilizer at the time of watering for vegetables.
What are the benefits of adding yeast to cucumber seedlings? These fungi:
- good growth stimulants;
- sources of beneficial microorganisms;
- accelerate the emergence of new roots and strengthen the entire root system.
Yeast-fed cucumber seedlings become much tougher and stronger. And if you correctly water the seedlings with yeast solution, then it stretches less and tolerates transplantation better.
Preparing a solution with yeast for watering is quite simple. Half a glass of sugar, jam or syrup is enough for a three-liter bottle of water. This mixture is stirred, a pinch of ordinary baker's yeast is added.
The composition is kept for a week, and then, when watering, only one glass is added to a bucket of water. Seedlings are watered with yeast once a week. The rest of the watering is carried out with plain water.
If it was not possible to purchase ready-made yeast, then it will not be difficult to prepare a natural stimulant on your own. To do this, you need a sourdough from wheat grains. Wheat grains (1 cup) are germinated, ground, mixed with regular sugar and flour (2 tablespoons each). The mixture is boiled for 20 minutes, left for a day until signs of fermentation appear. This home-made yeast enriches water in a volume of 10 liters and watered cucumber seedlings.
You should not often use yeast feeding. Optimal - in spring and autumn and when replanting. Additionally, such nutrition is used for weakened plants.
