How often to water cucumber seedlings

Everyone who has a piece of land plans to grow a good crop of cucumbers. For some, this seems like a simple matter, others experience some difficulties when watering seedlings. Growing, watering and caring for seedlings of cucumbers of any kind is a very important period. After all, the ability of cucumbers to bear fruit and withstand negative factors directly depends on its quality. First, you need to pay enough attention to the choice of 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, get sick less.

After sowing, you have to carefully monitor the watering and the conditions necessary for the growth and development of seedlings. In order to preserve the plants as much as possible, you need to withstand:

• optimal humidity regime;
• regularity and quality of watering;
• timely application of nutrients;
• sufficient lighting;
• soil quality.

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 don’t 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, cucumber roots must penetrate deeply into 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 bring maximum benefit and minimum harm. Proper watering of seedlings is needed for:

1. Constant, uniform soil moisture. The site should not have excessively wet or dry areas.
2. Maintain stable humidity. This indicator should not depend on climatic fluctuations or an illiterately selected irrigation regime.
3. Maximum water intake by plants. After watering, it should not spread over the surface of the soil or accumulate in one place.
4. Preservation of soil structure. With proper watering, it does not compact and does not collapse.
5. Nutrient supply. Simultaneously with watering, plants can receive nutrition.

Watering seedlings of cucumbers is also necessary for biological reasons. The leaf mass evaporates a large amount of moisture. Much more than it takes to grow. But seedling leaves are needed to absorb carbon dioxide from the air, so the task of the gardener is to maintain the necessary balance between moisture evaporation and watering.

We provide the right watering from scratch

The technology of watering seedlings directly depends on the choice of growing method. If the seeds are sown in open ground, this will happen much later. For greenhouses, the sowing date is shifted to an earlier date. Also, there are different methods of growing seedlings. Therefore, watering plants will be significantly different.

In open ground, seeds are sown when the earth warms up to the desired temperature. The seedling method is often used. In this case, sowing seedlings is carried out earlier. The soil in the garden is prepared in advance, and the sowing scheme is chosen at will. In greenhouse cultivation, seeds are placed in:

• seedling cups;
• ready-made ridges;
• sawdust container.

Many gardeners germinate cucumber seeds before planting. But, 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 make a lump, but not sticky. This moisture will be enough for the cucumber seeds to swell. Strong compaction or poor drainage will cause waterlogging, which will lead to seed rot and death. Cucumbers are demanding on moisture, but marshy land categorically does not suit them.

Then, using a mini-watering can, water the ground daily, but not abundantly. To prevent a crust from forming 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 give the opportunity to get stronger seedling stems.

How to water small seedlings

As soon as the seedlings of the seedlings become stronger, the regularity of watering is resumed. It is very important when watering to monitor the condition of the soil. Young seedlings at optimal air temperature do not require constant daily watering. This prevents the development of a good root system, a powerful stem and short internodes. However, the complete drying of the soil should not be allowed. As soon as a partial drying of the top layer appears, you can gently moisten the ground.

With good temperature and humidity, it is enough to water the seedlings no more than twice a week.. The roots must have an air supply. When the seedlings are very small, it is unacceptable to water the plant under the root. It is better to moisten the soil around the plant, but make sure that water does not fall 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 – the “black leg”. Watering time for young seedlings is 10 o’clock in the morning with settled water at room temperature, but not lower than 20 ° C.

As soon as the seedlings get stronger, grow up, will have two or three true leaves, it becomes more mature.

Determine the amount of water needed

Now water the plants so that moisture permeates the entire layer of soil. In transparent containers, this can be controlled visually, and in opaque containers, small drainage holes must be made in advance on the bottom. 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 a little soil from the bottom. It is rubbed between the fingers. Dry soil signals the need for watering.

The second method is convenient to use for cups. Before moistening, they are placed on a cloth or paper. Carefully water the seedlings of cucumbers until moisture seeps into the stand. This helps to avoid surface watering. They lead to inferior development of the root system and weakness of seedlings. It will be difficult for her to adapt in the open field after transplantation.

The regularity of watering at this stage is at least twice a week. After moistening, careful loosening is carried out so as not to damage the roots. Before landing on a permanent place of residence, the plants are not watered for one or two days. So, it is easier to keep a lump of soil and not expose the roots.

Transplanted seedlings are well shed and stop moistening for several days. In the ground, healthy seedlings take root quickly, do not get sick and begin active growth.

Irrigation options for seedlings

Experienced gardeners must mulch the soil. This makes it possible to retain moisture for plants and reduce irrigation costs. On mulched soil, watering is used:

1. With a hose. Not the best way to water. Compacts the soil, destroys the structure of the upper layer. To reduce the negative impact on the end of the hose, put on a bag of several layers of burlap.
2. leaky hose. Small holes are pierced on the hose at equal distances from each other. Lay it along the beds with seedlings (even better in the groove) and water, including a small pressure. Or like this:

   

3. containers. At a short distance from each other, plastic bottles are dug into the ground, after 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 various 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. Ordinary baker’s yeast can be fed, stimulated and watered at the same time. Nutrition for cucumbers is necessary for good root formation and fruiting, excellent fruit taste and prevention of plant diseases. Why yeast? The well-known species of fungi is rich in proteins, mineral components, trace elements, vitamins, amino acids. Useful yeast is fed not only seedlings of cucumbers, but also other types of plants. The components contained in their composition serve as an excellent fertilizer at the time of watering for vegetables.

What is the benefit of adding yeast when caring for cucumber seedlings? These fungi:

• good growth stimulants;
• sources of beneficial microorganisms;
• accelerate the emergence of new roots and strengthen the entire root system.

Preparing a solution with yeast for irrigation 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 ordinary 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 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. With such homemade yeast, water is enriched in a volume of 10 liters and seedlings of cucumbers are watered.

It is not necessary to use yeast fertilizing often. Optimal – in spring and autumn and when transplanting. Additionally, such nutrition is used for weakened plants.