Seedlings of cucumbers: how to grow? Video

cucumber seeds are common and hybrid (F1). The latter are those that are obtained by crossing the most suitable varieties, giving plants with high yields in the first generation. Seeds cannot be harvested from hybrid cucumbers.

There are also parthenocarpic and bee-pollinated cucumbers. If you plan to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse, it is better to plant parthenocarpic plants, they do not require pollination of the flowers. These include: – long-fruited “Zozulya F1”, “April F1”, “Maisky F1”; – gherkins “Sugar Kid F1”, “Masha F1”.

Early production will be provided by: – ​​gherkins “Meringue F1”, “Nadezhda F1”; – medium-sized “Metelitsa”, “Petersburg Express”, etc.

Despite the fact that the packages usually write a shelf life of 1 year, cucumber seeds can be stored for up to 3-4 years

You can grow cucumber seedlings at home, that is, on a windowsill, or in a greenhouse. It is necessary to sow at home if in the future it is planned to transplant into a heated greenhouse to get a very early harvest in April-May. Since cucumbers do not take root well after transplanting, it is important to have small seedlings at the age of 25-30 days. It should have no more than two true leaves and a well-developed root system.

Soak the seeds 25-30 days before planting in the ground and sprout, wrapped in a damp cloth. Plant the best ones, that is, those with a strong root. Dip into the peat pots to a depth of 2 cm, one in each. Take as a soil mixture:

– 1 part of sod land; – 1 part of peat; – 1 part of sawdust; – 1 part of humus.

If you don’t want to bother with preparing the soil mixture, buy ready-made soil, which is always on sale.

It is advisable to use peat pots, therefore, during transplantation, you do not need to take out the earthen lump with roots – the seedlings are planted directly in the pots. Cucumbers do not like to be disturbed by their roots, this option will be the most preferable

After planting the germinated seeds, water them and cover the peat pots with glass or plastic. Sprouts will appear very quickly, remove the glass and put the seedlings in a bright place. Water with warm, settled water and feed with a diluted mullein (1 part water to 8 parts mullein). After 25 days, the seedlings can be planted in a permanent place.

In a greenhouse, you can grow seedlings for open ground. To do this, make a small bed of fresh manure or straw, fallen leaves, sawdust, and so on. Seal it and pour hot water over it. Cover with plastic wrap. Soon the substrate will start to warm up, after 3-4 days the bed will cool down a little and you can sow seeds without fear that they will “burn”. You need to remove the film, pour a layer of earth and sow cucumber seeds. The care is the same as at home – timely watering and weeding. After 25 days, the seedlings will be ready. And the manure bed itself will gradually completely rotate and next year you will have ready-made fertilizer for growing various crops.