How to dive seedlings of cucumbers

Much is known about the process of picking seedlings of vegetable crops, but this information relates mainly to tomatoes and peppers. But about whether it is necessary to dive cucumber seedlings, the opinions of gardeners were divided into two almost equal parts. The difficulty lies in the fact that cucumbers have very delicate roots, the separation of the root system from the ground is painful. Injured seedlings rarely survive, so extreme caution is needed when picking seedlings.

What is a pick and why is it needed

Picking is the transfer of seedlings from one container to another, or directly into the ground. During picking, seedlings are captured along with part of the earth, this is a very important condition that helps the plant maintain the integrity of the root system and better adapt to a new place.

After being transferred to other conditions, the seedlings adapt, after which the weak seedlings die, and the strong ones become even stronger. This approach provides cucumbers with resistance to diseases and low temperatures, and prepares them for “life” in the open field.

How cucumbers tolerate a pick

One of the features of cucumbers is considered to be a poorly developed root system. The roots are so thin and frail that once again it is better not to touch them. It is for this reason that many gardeners refuse to pick cucumber seedlings.

After that, the seedlings are transferred to a greenhouse, greenhouse or open ground, without diving. At the same time, paper or plastic cups are cut, and peat ones are buried along with seedlings.

When picking cucumbers is necessary

Of course, if the situation allows, it is better to prefer planting seedlings in the ground, bypassing the picking process. But there are a number of cases when the method of transplanting from cups is not suitable., these include:

1. Cases where the seeds were sown in too large or deep containers. If the dimensions of the vessel exceed the necessary ones, the cucumbers will not be comfortable there, the plants may rot, turn yellow, “sit still”, that is, not grow. In such a situation, in order to save at least part of the seedlings, they dive into more suitable containers, only a separate vessel is already chosen for each plant.
2. When Seedlings Don’t Get Enough Sunlight. It happens that the weather brings gardeners down, the days are cloudy and rainy, and the sun rarely shows up from behind the clouds. In low light conditions, any seedling begins to stretch upward, as a result, it outgrows, becomes weakened and brittle. To prevent this from happening, cucumbers can be dived. In this case, the plant is deeper into the ground, thereby shortening it. This method will strengthen the root system, as additional roots will appear on the buried stem.
3. When the gardener miscalculated the timing of planting seedlings in the ground (or the weather has not returned to normal). To transplant seedlings into open ground, the earth must warm up to 16 degrees, a lower temperature will kill cucumbers. A 30-day-old seedling is planted in the ground so that it does not outgrow, it can be dived, thereby postponing the time of planting.
4. If plants or soil are infected. Even one seedling with symptoms of a fungal or infectious disease becomes an occasion for transplanting seedlings from the entire box. The same rule applies to the soil – contaminated soil can destroy cucumbers, it must be replaced with healthy one.
5. For natural selection also perform a pick of cucumbers. Thus, only the strongest plants survive in the new place, which guarantees a high yield and makes the gardener’s work more efficient.

In any of these cases, you can not do without picking cucumbers. When there is no indication for this, it is better to avoid transplanting seedlings.

How to dive cucumbers

If a pick is still inevitable, you need to carry it out as competently as possible. This is the only way to keep as many healthy and strong plants as possible.

So, the transplant process consists of several stages:

1. First of all, it is necessary prepare containers for seedlings. They should be larger than those in which cucumber seeds were sown. It is better to prefer paper or peat cups, as re-potting with a break from the ground can end badly for cucumbers.
2. Prepare the ground. It can be a purchased substrate intended for vegetable seedlings or specifically for cucumbers. And you can prepare such a mixture yourself. To do this, take turf land, overripe sawdust, organic fertilizer, peat. All this must be mixed and left for the winter, that is, it is necessary to prepare such soil in the fall. Instead, you can get by with one ash, which is added to the soddy ground. The main thing is that the soil for seedlings of cucumbers is loose, air- and water-intensive, nutritious.
3. The soil is scattered in containers, filling them about two-thirds, and leave for several days to compact.
4. A few hours before picking, the soil is watered warm water and a finger make small (2-3 cm) indentations.
5. Seedlings are also abundantly watered with warm water 2 hours before picking. The earth should be completely saturated with moisture, however, care must be taken that the soil is not washed off the roots.
6. Take out seedlings of cucumbers with extreme caution. In no case should you take the fragile stem with your fingers. It is allowed to hold a cucumber seedling for a clod of earth between the roots or for cotyledon leaves. Seedlings are dug up together with an earthen clod, it is better to do this with a small spatula, a tablespoon or large tweezers.
7. The root of a plant taken out of the ground must be examined. If it is badly damaged or there are signs of illness, rot on it, it is better to throw away the cucumber seedling. Too long roots are also not needed for cucumbers, in this case they are pinched – they cut off the longest central root with their nails. Pinching will allow lateral roots to develop, making the seedlings stronger and stronger.
8. Seedlings are placed in a prepared recess and sprinkled with earth, while the soil is slightly compacted, pressing it around the stem. This will contribute to better adhesion of the roots to the ground.
9. After planting all the seedlings, the seedlings are watered abundantly.. This should be done only with warm water, preferably pre-settled.
10. For the first time, dived seedlings it is better to cover with a special white cloth. Covering material will protect cucumbers from drafts they do not like so much and normalize soil temperature.

Favorable conditions for dive seedlings

Everyone knows that two factors are very important for a capricious cucumber: heat and humidity. In the first days after picking, seedlings should be kept warm, the temperature should not fall below 20 degrees. The level of air humidity should reach 80%. This can be achieved by installing a household humidifier or placing a container of water next to the radiator.

After a few days, when the seedlings of cucumbers are well rooted, the temperature and humidity can be gradually reduced. The limit value for cucumbers is a mark of 16 degrees.

There are no clear rules for growing cucumber seedlings. Experienced gardeners say that it is not necessary to dive cucumbers, and if you do this, then only when absolutely necessary and in compliance with all the rules.