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How to Grow Cucumber Seedlings
26.01.2024 19:30
Updated: 24.05.2024 22:24
The seeds must be properly prepared for sowing. Salt is dissolved in warm water (1 teaspoon per glass of water).
The seeds are lowered into the solution. Those unsuitable for sowing will float, and the full-weight ones will settle to the bottom.
After this, good seeds are taken out and washed in clean water. Now they need to be disinfected by soaking them for 30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. They are washed again with clean water, says Anastasia Kovrizhnykh .
Before planting cucumber seeds in the soil, they are germinated. They are placed on a damp cloth, wrapped and kept in a warm place for several days until sprouts appear.
If cucumbers are not going to be planted in a greenhouse, but in open ground, they need to be hardened. To do this, the swollen seed material is placed in the refrigerator for 36 hours.
How to plant correctly
Cucumbers do not tolerate picking well and therefore they are planted as seedlings in separate cups. If you are not sure about the quality of the seeds, you can put 2 seeds in each container, and then leave the strongest sprout, and cut off the weak one with scissors.
You shouldn't pull it out by the roots. You can damage the second sprout. You can buy the soil in a store or make a mixture of turf soil, humus, sawdust and peat in equal parts.
Water the plantings with warm water. To prevent the soil from drying out, cover the containers with film until the shoots emerge. As soon as the shoots appear from the ground, remove the polyethylene.
To prevent sprouts from stretching, reduce the temperature to +20 degrees. Cucumbers love good lighting, and they require additional illumination. This is especially important on cloudy days. As the seedlings grow, add soil to the cups several times. Fertilize with complex fertilizers. It is important to ensure that there are no drafts.
Good seedlings should be strong and thick, with three large leaves and a root system that fills the entire container.
Before planting seedlings in the garden bed, they need to be prepared for new conditions and hardened. To do this, take them outside for 15 minutes at first, then leave them longer and longer.
Transplanting seedlings into open ground
From May 10, cucumber seedlings can be moved under temporary film shelters in the open ground. From June 2, the shelter can be abandoned. Cucumber seedlings are planted in greenhouses starting from April 15.
Prepare the holes: add humus or compost, water. Plant the seedlings at a rate of 5 plants per 1 m2 of land. Water the planted plants and mulch them with dry soil so that less moisture evaporates.
Top dressing
When warm weather sets in, foliar feeding is used, spraying the plants on the foliage. This way, the nutrients are absorbed faster.
For top dressing, use a solution of urea or ammonium nitrate 5 grams per 1 liter of water. Top dressing is done in the evening, when the sun is no longer scorching, and there is no risk of leaf burns.
Previously, the health benefits and harms of beet tops were reported.
