When to plant cucumbers for seedlings in 2021

Content

1 How the soil is prepared
2 How seeds are prepared
3 What are cucumber seeds planted in?
- 3.1 Alternative ways
4 Planting seeds in cups and caring for seedlings
5 When to sow and plant seedlings

Since the fall, real gardeners have been thinking about how they will plant seedlings for the next season. After all, a lot needs to be done in advance: prepare the soil, collect organic fertilizers, stock up on containers for seedlings, choose seed material. Planting cucumbers for seedlings is no exception. In order to enjoy fresh cucumbers in 2021, the owners are already starting to prepare for the new gardening season. What stages does the preparation consist of, and what unconventional ways of growing cucumber seedlings are known today - everything in this article.

How the soil is prepared

As you know, the best soil for cucumber seedlings is a self-prepared substrate. Therefore, already in the fall, the owner must determine a place on the site for future cucumbers. Onions and garlic are considered to be the best precursors to cucumber, but you can also re-plant cucumbers in the same place.

This mixture should consist of 40% of the same land in which the seedlings will be planted later.

A lot has been said about how to properly prepare the soil for cucumber seedlings - there are a lot of videos and expert recommendations

This process can be briefly described as follows:

On the ground, the top layer (sod) is removed from the site.
The soil is placed in a linen bag and placed in the cold for one month (so that the frost kills all weeds and disease).
The rest of the time, the soil must be kept warm, not only harmful, but also beneficial microorganisms develop in the ground, it must rot.
Before planting seeds, sand, peat and sawdust are added to the ground, this will give it the necessary looseness and nutrients.
A few days before sowing cucumbers, the soil is watered with a weak solution of manganese.

How seeds are prepared

Seeds for cucumbers should not be chosen fresh, from the last harvest, but two or three years ago. Almost all seed material today is treated with fungicides and antibacterial substances, in order to maximize their effect, the seeds must be bought fresh.

If the owner prefers purchased seeds, it is better to purchase them in late winter or early spring.

When planting seeds for seedlings, the following rules are followed:

first, seeds of early parthenocarpic or self-pollinated hybrids are sown in pots, which I then plant in greenhouses or greenhouses;
after 2-3 weeks, you can sow seeds of bee-pollinated cucumbers intended for open ground.

What are cucumber seeds planted in?

In 2021, no new cucumber seedling containers are expected. Standard methods:

disposable plastic cups;
paper pots for cucumbers;
peat glasses;
peat tablets.

Everyone probably knows how to use disposable cups - in order to transplant their seedlings into the ground, the containers are cut.

Glasses made of peat are also no longer considered exotic, you just need to wrinkle the containers before planting in the ground so that they decompose faster and do not interfere with the growth of roots. But how to use peat tablets, you can learn from the video instructions:

Important! In peat cups, the soil often dries up, this is due to the fact that peat absorbs moisture too much. In order to prevent "thirst" for cucumbers, the cups are placed in a plastic tray, where excess water will accumulate, which will feed the plants.

Alternative ways

Now there are many workshops and videos on how you can grow seedlings in unconventional ways. The most popular are the following:

Planting cucumber seeds in eggshells... In principle, this method does not differ much from the standard method of growing seedlings. The only difference is that the plant cannot stay in a small shell for a long time, its roots will not fit in the container. Against the usual 3 weeks, such seedlings will grow on the windowsill for only 7-10 days., but this period is sometimes enough to get the very first, early cucumbers as quickly as possible. Seedlings are planted along with the shell, this is the advantage of the method - the roots of the cucumbers will not suffer during transplantation. Only the shell needs to be gently kneaded so that the roots can grow through it.
Seeds in "diapers"... "Diapers" are made of polyethylene by cutting it into small squares. A little earth is poured onto one corner of such a square, a cucumber seed is placed there and the earth is sprinkled a little with water. Then the "diaper" is rolled up into a tube and tied with an elastic band. Now this bundle needs to be placed vertically in a short, long box and wait for shoots.
Seedlings of cucumbers in sawdust... For this method, you need to take ordinary flower pots or plastic trays, on the bottom of which you need to lay a plastic wrap. Pour sawdust on top, which must first be doused with boiling water. Put cucumber seeds in the groove at regular intervals and cover with sawdust. The sawdust must be constantly watered to maintain its moisture content, and also fertilized with cow dung dissolved in water.
In newspapers... One of the most economical ways is to plant seedlings in newspaper pots. From newsprint, you just need to roll up the cups and plant cucumber seeds in them, as in a regular container. It is necessary to transplant cucumbers into the ground directly with paper cups, only you need to take into account that after getting wet, the newspaper breaks very easily - the transplant must be done very carefully.

Attention! All these methods have been tested by thousands of gardeners, and they have a right to exist. Hundreds of reviews and dozens of video reports testify to the effectiveness of alternative methods.

Here is a video about planting seeds in shell:

Planting seeds in cups and caring for seedlings

Soil is poured into prepared glasses or pots and poured over with warm water. Now germinated seeds can be placed there. They are carefully transferred to the ground and sprinkled with a small layer of soil.

Now it is better to cover the cups with plastic and put them in a warm place. The film will create a "greenhouse effect", regulate humidity and keep the temperature. In such conditions, the seeds will germinate faster - the first shoots can be seen already on the third day after planting the cucumbers.

The film must be removed when the first shoots appear. If this moment is missed, the seedlings will turn yellow and become frail. When the cucumbers begin to grow, the earth will need to be poured into the cups several times.

It is very important to monitor the moisture content of the soil and the temperature in the room. The optimal condition for cucumber seedlings is a temperature of 20-23 degrees.

Also, seedlings need to be fed several times.:

When the first leaf appears.
On the day the second leaf appears.
10-15 days after the second feeding.

Fertilizers for feeding seedlings are sold in specialized stores, but you can also prepare it yourself: superphosphates, bird droppings, potassium sulfate and ammonium nitrate. All this is mixed and added to the soil with seedlings.

When to sow and plant seedlings

In 2021, as in previous seasons, many gardeners are paying attention to the lunar calendar. For sowing cucumber seeds in the next season, there will be favorable next days:

Without exception, all farmers need to take into account the climate in the region of their residence and the growth rate of certain varieties.

Advice! In order for the cucumbers to be healthy and to bear the transplant well, the seedlings need to be hardened. To do this, a week before landing in the ground, it is taken out onto the balcony, into the courtyard, or a window is opened.

In the 2021 season, no special novelties and rules for growing cucumber seedlings are expected.

Advice! The main thing to remember is that it is possible to plant seedlings in the ground only when the plant has developed strong roots and two dark green cotyledon leaves have grown.

And you can learn about new ways and exotic methods of growing cucumbers from the video:

Planting cucumbers for seedlings in 2021