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Sow seeds outdoors or plant seedlings first? What is the time for sowing seeds in open and closed ground? These and other questions are most often asked by novice gardeners on the Internet and their experienced neighbors in the country. These questions are actually not so difficult, we will try to answer them in detail.
When is it better to sow cucumbers
To get a harvest of cucumbers, as, indeed, of any other crop, you need to make a huge amount of effort. But then how nice it is to pick green cucumbers from your own garden and be sure of their quality. A rich harvest will allow you to salt part of the crop or marinate it.
The cucumber is especially loved by Russians. It is believed to be the number one vegetable on our table. We eat it unripe. In addition to its pleasant taste, cucumber is watery, does not get deposited in fats in our body and is quite useful. Many people dream of growing their own cucumber crop, but not everyone knows how to do it. The timing of sowing seeds in the ground is of concern to most beginners.
According to the region of residence
Since the territory of Russia is huge, it is impossible to talk about any average dates for planting seeds in open ground. There are certain conditions under which this can be done. On the vast territory of the country, it is impossible to plant cucumber seeds in open ground and get seedlings, which is justified by climate conditions.
Cucumbers are a culture brought to Russia from the tropics. They like:
- warmly;
- sunlight;
- watering with warm water;
- fertile loose soils;
- wet air.
In Russia, such conditions in their natural form can be obtained only when growing cucumbers in the south, and in coastal areas. There you can not suffer, creating film shelters, all conditions for cucumbers are favorable. Geographically it is:
- Krasnodar region;
- Crimea;
- Stavropol region;
- part of the Rostov region.
With success grow seedlings of cucumbers when landing in open ground and in the Astrakhan region, Voronezh, Belgorod, Volgograd, in the Urals and the Far East. Of course, certain conditions must be met for this. In general, the sowing period for cucumbers is late. This culture does not withstand frost and does not tolerate temperature extremes. The sowing time for cucumbers throughout Russia is as follows:
- for the south these are the first days of May;
- for the middle lane it is advisable to plant seeds in open ground only at the end of May;
- in the Urals and in some northern regions, the dates are postponed to early June.
What about those who are deprived of the joy of planting cucumber seeds in open ground? There are many such gardeners in our country. There is a way out for them:
- grow seedlings at home, and then, as it gets warmer, transplant it into a film greenhouse;
- those who live in the northern regions will have to plant seedlings in a heated greenhouse.
True, both of these methods are associated with the difficulties of growing seedlings (watering and compliance with conditions of high air humidity).
Folk omens
Cucumber has been known in Russia since the 16th century. Since then, it has spread everywhere, people love it. During this time, the people have collected signs that make it possible to obtain high-quality seedlings, subject to their observance.
We have collected all the important days folk calendar associated with seedlings of cucumbers, in a single table.
the date | Sign |
|---|---|
May 19 | The first day of planting seed in open ground or seedlings (Job the Long-suffering) |
May 27 | Sowing was accepted only if it was not cold and rainy on that day (of the martyr Isidore). A good harvest was expected in clear weather. |
June 1-2 | These days, they continued to plant seedlings and seeds of cucumbers, since the time was limited. |
June 5th | The last day of planting for seedlings, later sowing could leave the gardener without a crop, which did not have time to ripen by August. |
17 august | The end of the cucumber pore (Evdokia gherkin), on this day the last harvest was harvested. |
Of course, today our breeders have successfully bred hybrids, and in order to get seedlings, it is enough to follow some rules for growing in the open field. Hybrids are resistant to small temperature extremes, diseases and viruses, which will have a beneficial effect on seedlings. All this information is contained on the packaging. Some craftsmen today harvest even in early September, when the nights are already cold enough.
It is impossible not to say a few words about the lunar calendar. Summer residents use it very often.
Moon calendar
The dependence of plant growth on the phases of the satellite of our planet has been known for a long time. This theory is not greatly questioned, and a new calendar is released every year with favorable dates for growing seeds for seedlings.
The basic rules that apply to the lunar sowing calendar state that seedlings should not be planted:
- on days of solar and lunar eclipses;
- with a new moon and a full moon;
- when the moon passes from one constellation to another;
- when finding our natural companion in the sign of Aquarius and Leo.
As we know, the Moon does have some influence on the gravitational effects that occur on Earth. An example of this is the ebb and flow.
Having familiarized ourselves with the timing of planting cucumbers in open ground, we will figure out the sowing rules.
Planting cucumbers in open ground
Open ground implies natural growing conditions:
- outside greenhouses;
- outside of film shelters.
Planting is carried out by seeds, subject to certain conditions. Since cucumbers are quite capricious, these conditions must be observed carefully.
Conditions for growing in soil
To grow good seedlings and get a rich harvest, you need to spend a lot of effort and energy. But so that your efforts are not in vain, you should strictly follow all the instructions described below. So, cucumbers love:
- warmly;
- shine;
- air humidity;
- nobility of soils or soil.
Speaking of warmth, it is worth noting that seedlings should be watered only with warm water. Cucumber grows well in open ground near large bodies of water. It is not necessary to plant a plant in the shade, on the contrary, the more sunlight the seedlings receive, the better.
It is equally important to use good quality seeds. This can be purchased or self-selected seed. Careful selection is required in both cases.
- If you buy seeds from a store, go for reputable producers. Their seed is hardened, treated against most diseases, they guarantee that the seedlings will be resistant. Moreover, to date, breeders have bred a huge variety of cucumber hybrids, which bear fruit abundantly and for a long time, seedlings are not susceptible to viruses and fungi, and gives an early harvest. The choice is huge. Gardeners know that there will be fewer problems with purchased material.
- If you select seeds yourself, remember that cucumbers will bear fruit best if the seeds have been kept cool for 3-4 years. Selected cucumber seeds are in a special shell, which naturally prevents rotting in the soil. Seeds are selected, processed and hardened before planting. Then you can expect good seedlings from them.
Seed preparation
The preparatory process consists of three stages:
- final selection;
- treatment;
- hardening.
There are a lot of hybrids today, the cost for them exceeds the price for varietal species.This is due to the difficulty of obtaining them: the crossing process takes place manually in a closed protected ground.
Let's go back to the question of preparation before sowing. Let's analyze each of the stages separately.
- The seeds are taken out and laid out on the table. Water at room temperature is poured into a glass and a spoonful of table salt is dissolved in it. Now seeds are introduced into the glass and wait a few minutes. The good ones will sink to the bottom, and the pacifiers will float. All pop-ups can be thrown away.
- Now let's move on to processing. It is carried out in different ways, using all kinds of commercial solutions. To obtain disease-resistant seedlings, this process is essential. The easiest way is to withstand the seed of cucumbers in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- After that, you need to move on to hardening. For this, the seeds are placed in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours. Seedlings will be resistant to temperature extremes.
When the preparation work is done, you can proceed to sowing.
Sowing cucumbers
Usually sowing begins in May and finish in early June. This is the optimal time frame. When the nights are warm, healthy seedlings can be obtained after a couple of weeks. Seedlings should be friendly.
Germination is preliminarily carried out. It is necessary so that any mistakes of the gardener do not lead to rotting of the seed in the open field. To do this, place it in a damp cloth (a napkin or just cover it with water a little, but not completely) and wait for the sprouts.
Open ground is an environment in which the balance of heat and water is very important for cucumbers and seedling health. If the temperature drops, which is typical for most regions, a swamp bred in cucumber beds will have a detrimental effect. Plants may die.
Sowing in the ground is done in this way:
- cucumber seeds are placed in open ground to a depth of 2-3 centimeters;
- diving of seedlings is not carried out, the transplant is also destructive for cucumbers;
- five cucumber bushes can be planted per square meter, but no more than seven, otherwise they will be cramped.
The video shows a simple method for sowing cucumbers in open ground.
Major mistakes
If you have experience sowing cucumbers outdoors, you can do this without germination. It is important to have a good sense of what is necessary for the health of the seedlings.
The sowing time is not chosen in advance, but based on the prevailing conditions. It is convenient to do this with hybrids, since they bear fruit for a long time even in bad weather conditions. Seedlings from them are especially resistant in comparison with varietal cucumbers.
Among the main mistakes of gardeners are incorrect selection, planting cucumbers in the shade, ignoring the sowing time.
Cucumbers are very demanding on the fertility of the soil, so root top dressing, bringing in organic matter during flowering and fruiting, is very suitable for them. In advance, mineral fertilizers are also introduced into the soil in the right proportion. All this will have a beneficial effect on future seedlings.
Another tip before sowing in open ground: follow the instructions on the package, which also indicates the period. This will allow you to get resistant seedlings of cucumbers and a rich harvest.
