Content
Many gardeners prefer to grow cucumbers. This tasty, aromatic vegetable, grown by one's own hands, is one of the first to appear at the summer cottage. In order for the harvest of cucumbers to please, it is important to plant seeds or seedlings in the ground according to certain rules.
The main characteristic of a cucumber
The cucumber is an annual plant belonging to the dicotyledonous class, the pumpkin family. India is considered the homeland of this vegetable. Many summer residents prefer plant cucumbers seeds, not seedlings. Cucumbers have a rough stem. With the help of antennae, the plant hooks on to the support, stretches upward. Cucumbers have multi-seeded fruits that differ in size, shape, color. Cucumber seeds are white or creamy, flat in shape.
Conditions for the full growth of cucumbers
Cucumbers can be planted in open ground, provided that all conditions, terms, and growing methods are met:
- it is possible to plant cucumbers in the soil not covered with a film only after the frosts have passed;
- to increase productivity, trellis are used;
- cucumbers give an excellent harvest on sunny plots of land;
- do not plant plants in the wind.
How to properly plant cucumber seeds in open ground
Professionals recommend planting cucumbers on plots of land on which tomatoes or white cabbage were grown in the last summer season. Carrots, potatoes, peppers, and onions can be considered as predecessors.
Rules for the preparation of planting material and cucumber seeds
How to properly prepare seeds for planting in open ground? This issue worries summer residents, therefore it deserves close consideration. Otherwise, it will be difficult to count on a large harvest. The choice of seeds, as well as their planting in the ground, are carried out according to certain rules. What should be the seeds? How should they be properly planted in the ground? What to consider when selecting planting material? Modern technology for selecting seeds and growing cucumbers should take into account the following points:
- ripening duration (early, middle, late varieties);
- hybrid seeds are less susceptible to various diseases, but it will not be possible to get your own planting material from them;
- take into account the goals of growing plants. For example, there are varieties that are intended for salting, they are not suitable for making salads;
- taking into account the characteristics of the soil, climatic parameters of the area
Cucumber seeds have an average shelf life of five to six years if stored in a room where the air temperature is between 2 and 25 degrees. They retain their maximum yield only for two to three years.
Germinating seeds
The technological process of growing plants in open ground involves the preliminary preparation of seeds for planting, it is carried out at home. First, sorting of cucumber seeds is performed. The largest seeds are selected, dipped in a weak solution of sodium chloride, shaken, kept in it for 10-15 minutes.
Next, the planting material is disinfected. Those seeds that float after immersion in a saline solution are removed.Those remaining at the bottom are washed, then placed for 30 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate), washed thoroughly. Further, they must be left for several hours in a solution of wood ash, and then completely dried. The next step is to warm up the seeds. To do this, you can use a stove or a battery. A day is enough to completely dry the seeds of cucumbers.
Dried up seeds need to germinate before they are planted in unprotected ground. It is advisable to use cloth bags for germination. Cucumber seeds are placed in them, then they are placed in a container in which there is a weak solution of nitrogen fertilizer. After 10-12 hours, they are washed, the seeds are spread on damp cotton wool or a cloth, covered with a cloth on top.
As soon as a small root appears, it is necessary to start planting the plant in a pot for seedlings or to planting in unprotected soil. It all depends on the climatic features of the region, as well as on the temperature regime. If there is no morning frost, and the average daily temperature is at least 15 degrees, you can safely plant the germinated seeds directly into the prepared soil. At lower air temperatures, we do not recommend taking risks, it is better to leave the cucumbers in the balcony boxes "until better times."
Professional advice
In order to speed up the process of growing tasty and aromatic cucumbers in unprotected soil, use seedlings. Interesting and useful tips and tricks regarding the cultivation of cucumbers are presented in the video:
In this case, "seedlings" must be prepared at home. To obtain healthy and dense plants, they must be illuminated by the sun for at least 12 hours. For seedlings, small containers will be required, for example, paper bags from kefir or milk. They need to be filled with a mixture of peat and earth from a personal plot or use ready-made humus. Seeds are sown about three centimeters deep into the prepared soil. On average, it will take about a month to get viable seedlings. Before proceeding to planting cucumber plants in uncovered ground, check that there are 3-4 leaves on the cucumber plant, dense roots have formed.
Conclusion
Pickled gherkins, pickles, delicious cucumber jam - this is not a complete list of those dishes, the main component of which is an ordinary cucumber. So that the efforts spent on growing seedlings, germinating seeds are not in vain, and you get an excellent harvest of cucumbers, take seriously the advice and recommendations that were offered. The very soil in which you plan to place the planting material also needs special preparation. The soil is carefully dug up, adding a mixture of wood tar and dolomite flour as fertilizer.
