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Novice gardeners very often ask questions: “How to prepare seeds before growing seedlings? Are measures for germination of planting material obligatory and how to germinate cucumber seeds so as to get a high-quality and stable harvest? "
Note that the germination of a cucumber seed at the initial stage of preparation for planting in the ground is a guarantee of 100% germination and seedling germination... This is why it is advisable to germinate the seeds before planting, whether you are growing your cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse or outdoors.
Preliminary preparation of cucumber seeds for germination
To prepare for sowing, you can use cucumber seeds from previous harvests, or you can choose new varieties of hybrids in the store. It is believed that planting material for germination of self-pollinated varieties is sanitized and hardened in the manufacturer's laboratories. But experienced gardeners advise, before planting, to pre-sort these seeds as well.
Preparation of cucumber seeds for seedlings, for germination and planting is carried out according to the following scheme:
Calibration
- Sort the planting stock by size and color. Choose large grains with a smooth, shiny surface. The color of the seed should be uniform, without spots and blotches;
- Dip the calibrated cucumber seeds into a solution of table salt (2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water). A full seed will remain at the bottom, empty seeds will float immediately. After the procedure, be sure to rinse good seeds with running water;
- Conduct disinfection by placing the planting material in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After 20 minutes, remove the cucumber seeds and dry them in a warm room on a dry cotton cloth.
All these activities are considered preparatory for the germination of cucumber seedlings, but they must be carried out. Seedlings from hardened and germinated cucumber seeds are stronger and more resistant to sudden temperature changes and viral diseases.
Soaking and pickling before planting
In order for the seeds to hatch faster, pre-sowing soaking is recommended. This procedure stimulates rapid swelling of the grain and pecking of the entrance.
There are several options for preparing a solution for soaking planting material. They are equally well proven, so the choice is up to you. The amount of mineral and chemical substances is indicated per 10 liters of water:
- Methylene blue - 250-300 gr
- 7 mg succinic acid and 20 mg boric acid;
- Zinc sulfate - 2 grams;
- Drinking soda - 5 grams.
How much to soak cucumber seeds
Before planting, cucumber grains are soaked in one of these solutions for a day. Then the planting material is dried and prepared for the next procedure - etching.
Germinating cucumber seeds without dressing is not recommended, since it is this event that allows the seedlings to be protected from possible fungal diseases and soil pests. By transferring cucumber seedlings grown from pickled seeds to the ground, you can be completely sure that they will be resistant to cold snaps in the air and soil.
For dressing, drugs such as TMTD (4 grams per 1 kg of seeds) or fentiuram (3 grams per 1 kg of seeds) are used, the procedure takes 3-5 minutes.
How to properly germinate
Very often, on packages with Dutch or Chinese cucumber seeds, you can read the information that the planting material has been treated with thiram and cannot be soaked. Novice gardeners confuse the procedure for germination and soaking, and plant seeds in planting containers without pre-treatment. This is a common mistake that cannot be overlooked.
But the germination procedure itself consists only in the fact that all cucumber seeds are determined for a while in a humid environment. It can be a rag spread on the table or sterile (non-synthetic) cotton wool laid out in a saucer. Recently, gardeners have even been using ordinary toilet paper for sprouting cucumbers, unrolled with tape on the windowsill, pre-covered with polyethylene.
Preparation of growth stimulating solution
The second important step is to prepare the solution so that the seeds hatch, and the germination period takes as little time as possible.
They must be diluted in warm, settled water, strictly following the instructions.
For instance:
- Novosil is diluted at the rate of 1-3 drops of the drug per 1 liter of water:
- Radiance-2 is diluted as follows: 15 grams of the drug, 15 grams of granulated sugar per 1 liter of water.
How to germinate cucumber seeds on a windowsill
Another way to germinate the seed before planting is to hold the cucumber kernels “under a hood”. Most often, they are used by those gardeners who grow cucumber seedlings at home. Having moistened a thin layer of cotton wool in the prepared solution of the biostimulant, it is necessary to spread it on a saucer, then put the planting material of cucumbers on a damp surface and cover with a glass cover or a plastic bag. This will create an atmosphere of high humidity in an airtight space and will contribute to the fact that the seed for seedlings will hatch and germinate faster.
The seeds are kept in such a small greenhouse as long as necessary for complete pecking and seedling formation. As soon as the sprout reaches a length of 1.5-2 cm, it will be possible to proceed to the last stage of material processing - hardening.
Another method of germination is that all the seeds of the cucumber are determined in a spacious cotton bag, which is moistened with a stimulating solution 1-2 times a day, as it dries. When using this method, keep in mind that you must regularly review the planting material to prevent tangling of the hatched shoots.
Pros and cons of germinating before planting
Stimulating cucumber seed pecking before planting is an important, but far from safe way to get strong seedlings with stable active growth. The main thing that needs to be understood when performing the germination procedure is that the solution must be prepared in compliance with the proportions indicated on the package. The drug must be moderately active so that the seeds hatch at the same time. Most often, all the seeds laid out to stimulate growth sprout at an interval of a maximum of 1 hour, which is very convenient for work involving their simultaneous planting in planting containers.
However, like any procedure that affects natural natural processes, the germination of planting material has its drawbacks:
- Cucumber is a thermophilic plant, so all seeds must be in a temperature regime of at least 23-250FROM.Lowering the temperature can not only slow down the pecking process, but also completely destroy the seedling;
- During the germination process, it is necessary to observe the seeds every day. It is very important to plant the hatched seed in time in order to prevent the sprouts from tangling;
- The sprouted grain of a cucumber is in no case taken by hand, only with pre-disinfected tweezers;
The germination of cucumber seeds must be approached very carefully and carefully. Do not forget that seeds, like seedlings, need good natural light, stable humidity and an appropriate temperature regime.
Another question of interest to novice gardeners: "How much time does it take to germinate a seed?" It all depends on how correctly the cucumber seeds were stored, and what calibration and disinfection measures were taken. If you have chosen purchased planting material for seedlings, it is very important to understand that much depends on how conscientiously the manufacturer treats the quality of the material offered. In favorable conditions, the seed of a cucumber hatches in the interval from 2 to 10 days.
If you are going to grow seedlings in a greenhouse or plant cucumber seeds in open ground, remember about another important stage in seed preparation - hardening. Be sure to keep the hatching planting material in a clothes bag in the refrigerator for at least a day.
Watch a short video about how our grandfathers used to germinate cucumber seeds.
