How to prepare the soil for planting cucumbers in open ground?

To obtain good harvest of cucumbers, it is necessary to choose the right site for their cultivation, prepare the soil and follow the rules of competent crop rotation. The culture is quite demanding on the moisture content of the soil and air, as well as in light and high temperatures, therefore, the beds for cucumbers should be broken in places protected from piercing winds, without shading.

Avoid areas with low relief - lowlands, since cold air flows into them.

Soil requirements

The best soil for growing cucumbers are considered loamy and sandy loam. The highest crop yields are obtained in high-quality fertilized fertile areas with neutral or slightly high acidity.

Cucumbers are very responsive to organic inputs. Cucumber planting requires regular and fairly frequent watering. Unsuitable for cultivation are considered uncultivated, acidic, poorly heated and heavy soils with a shallow arable layer.

The best predecessors of cucumbers

According to the rules of crop rotation, the most suitable predecessors of cucumbers are considered

• potato,
• onion,
• cabbage,
• tomato
• various green manure plants (alfalfa, clover, mustard, rye, oats, etc.).

It is strongly not recommended to plant cucumbers after all the plants of the pumpkin family: watermelon, melon, squash, squash, cucumber, pumpkin, since they consume the same nutrients from the soil, depleting it, and have the same diseases and pests.

Fertilization for cucumbers

The amount of nutrients (in a form readily available for the plant) in the ground should be sufficient, since the root system of cucumbers is located in the upper layers of the soil and is characterized by a relatively high rate of their consumption.

For a short growing season, cucumbers create not only a powerful leaf apparatus, but also a lot of fruits. That's why a sufficient amount of organic matter must be introduced, which, decomposing, supplies the roots with additional portions of carbon dioxide.

Organic fertilizers for cucumbers

Fresh manure on cucumber beds brought in most often in the fall. Transforming into humus, it structures the soil, loosening heavy clay and binding sandy ones. If the soil in the garden is heavy clay or loamy, slowly warming up, then it is advisable to embed fresh manure into it 30-50 days before sowing the seeds (immediately after the snow melts) - this leads to rapid heating. On high-quality organic soils fertilized, the efficiency of mineral fertilizers increases several times.

The composition of manure contains the following useful elements: nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium. Fresh manure application rates in autumn, depending on the quality of the soil, fluctuate from 6 to 9 kg / sq. m (for light soils, less is required, for heavy soils, more).

In the spring, shortly before sowing, humus is introduced into the soil at the rate of about 4 kg per square meter. meter. It is also advisable to use compost as fertilizer in the spring.

Peat application only makes sense on heavy damp soils, as it improves the structure and its physical properties.

Mineral fertilizers for cucumbers

When cultivating cucumbers, use mineral fertilizers and ash, which can act as a full replacement for potash compounds. Ash is covered at the rate of about 200 g per sq. meter. Mineral fertilizers are required to be added during spring digging of the earth: ammonium nitrate - 15 g / sq. m, superphosphate - 40 g / sq. m, potassium salt (in the absence of ash) - 25 g / sq. m.

If you are using complex fertilizers, then when adding them, you should be guided by the instructions and dosages indicated on the package. Most of the minerals are added immediately before sowing or when sowing seedlings and seeds in the holes, and the rest in the form of liquid root dressings.

Soil liming

If the soil in your area is acidic, then it should be lime (deacidify) using dolomite flour, ground limestone, tuff. This stage of work is carried out in the fall when digging.

The simultaneous introduction of fresh manure and lime is not allowed - this leads to a chemical reaction, the result of which is the loss of valuable nitrogen.

In the autumn liming of the soil, which is carried out every 4-5 years, the rotted manure is introduced in the spring. Plant waste ash is not only a natural potassium-phosphorus fertilizer, but also a means of reducing soil acidity.

Spring processing of beds for cucumbers

Dug up from the fall plots for cucumbers, fertilized with organic matter, loosen up in the spring. If the manure was not introduced in the fall, then the humus is scattered in early spring, and the earth is dug to a depth in the bayonet of a shovel.

From the moment the snow melts to the sowing of cucumbers, it is necessary to monitor the looseness of the soil and immediately remove weeds that break through. Mineral fertilizers are applied approximately on May 20-25, they dig up the soil, level the top layer of the soil with a rake and start planting.

Compliance with these simple recommendations allows you to get good yields of cucumbers even for novice gardeners. Next - growing cucumbers in the open field, planting care

Good luck with the new season!

Read related articles

The cucumber is a very capricious plant that needs warmth, light, and abundant watering. Quite often, vegetable growers try to plant this crop in greenhouses. This does not mean at all about the need to abandon planting cucumbers in open beds. Modern gardeners practice effective cultivation of cucumbers in the open field, get excellent harvests.

Experienced summer residents willingly reveal the secrets of growing cucumbers, give advice on the most successful agricultural techniques used when planting plants, caring for them. Below are recommendations, tips: how to grow cucumbers in the open field, guaranteed to get a significant harvest of tasty, healthy vegetables, which will be an excellent addition to the household menu throughout the season.

How to choose, prepare a site for planting?

Since cucumbers need warmth, it will be preferable to plant them in a calm, well-lit area warmed by the rays of the sun. The gardener will have to think about where to plant the plants in order to create the best conditions for them, conducive to rapid growth, abundant fruiting. You can also read the article: How to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse?

Wind protection

If it is impossible to allocate a place for planting that is not blown by the winds, you can plant crops around the perimeter of the garden bed, which will successfully perform the functions of protecting cucumber lashes from cold air currents. Fast growing corn and sunflowers will do an excellent job with this function. At the time of planting cucumbers, they have already reached a height of 40 ... 50 cm. It is advisable to sow corn, sunflower at the end of April around the future cucumber beds according to the scheme: in 2 ... 3 rows with an interval of 25 cm between plants.

Compliance with crop rotation of plants in the beds

Studying the information "Cucumbers: growing and care in the open field", you will need to pay attention to the need to take into account the crop rotation of plants in the beds. The best predecessors are cabbage, peas, tomatoes planted last year. Planting cucumbers in places where zucchini and squash have grown before is not encouraged.

Soil requirements for culture

Practice shows that cucumbers can grow in a wide variety of soils. The optimal soils for this culture are considered to be fertile sandy loams, loams, which have a light structure, which allow water and air to pass through well.

Preparing cucumber beds

Open field cucumber crops thrive when planted in a tall garden bed (recommended height 30 cm).

This ensures heating of plants, creates better conditions for the formation of surface roots. For the convenience of caring for cucumber bushes, you should equip the beds about 80 cm wide.

Thinking about how to grow early cucumbers without a greenhouse, it is worthwhile in the fall to start preparing the beds for planting. The soil will need to be dug up, fertilized into it.

The preparation of the garden beds for cucumbers in the open field includes the introduction of superphosphate (2 tablespoons), as well as ash (1 glass) per square meter of soil. In the spring, the soil prepared in this way is additionally fertilized with manure or humus (5 - 6 kg). The soil is rolled, watered with a manganese solution, covered with a film. After 10 - 12 days, planting work can be carried out here.

Installation of trellises under cucumber lashes

Having taken care of the solution to the problem: how to properly grow cucumbers in the open field, you will have to provide for the presence of trellises in the garden for tying lashes. This will ensure the formation of compact bushes, simplify watering, removing excess leaves, and harvesting.

The plant, the lashes of which are located on the trellis, receives a large area for nutrition due to the release of the soil between the bushes. Condensation is excluded on its lower part, which leads to a decrease in the risk of morbidity. During the harvesting period, the fruits, lashes are not damaged.

A gardener who owns information: how to properly grow cucumbers on trellises, who successfully applies knowledge in practice, can count on an increase in the fruiting period of plants, obtaining a rich harvest.

Starting from the second half of May, as the beds warm up, you can remove the film and install the trellises.For this purpose, stakes made of wood or iron rods 2 m high (with a depth of 25 cm) are driven into the ground, with an interval of 2.5 m. In addition, a net, twine or wire should be pulled between the installed supports. The stretching young plants are fixed on the net with a soft twine. Further, the lashes will spread by themselves, attaching themselves to the tapestries with "antennae".

Seeds or seedlings to choose for planting?

Initially, you will have to choose seeds of cucumber varieties that have proven themselves well when planting in their climatic region. To pamper a family with early cucumbers, it is advisable to make a choice in favor of early-maturing hybrids, adapted to growth, fruiting in conditions far from ideal.

A vegetable grower who has studied the information: everything about cucumbers, from planting to growing, will certainly perform hardening, seed treatment. Also, he will determine in advance an acceptable method of planting seed. Today, the cultivation of cucumbers in the open field in the Moscow region involves the use of seed and seedling planting methods. Having studied the methods of growing cucumbers, the gardener can easily decide on the most convenient method of planting plants for him.

Planting seedlings in open ground

When evaluating methods of growing cucumbers in the open field, you will need to pay attention to a promising seedling method. Seedlings are planted on a garden bed when the ground warms up to a temperature of + 18 ° C. Before planting, the seedlings are well watered, then carefully removed from the containers (along with the ground), determined into previously dug holes, the soil in which is well moistened with warm water.

The rows between the planted plants are mulched using sawdust and peat. A layer of mulch, about 3 cm thick, prevents the formation of a soil crust, restrains moisture evaporation, creates unsuitable conditions for the development of weeds.

Sowing seeds in the garden

A gardener who has chosen growing from seeds: he must know when to plant cucumbers. This event is carried out after warming up the soil to a temperature of + 15 ... + 18 ° C. As a material for planting, you can use dry or germinated seeds.

A vegetable grower who knows the secrets of growing cucumbers in the open field will probably prefer seeds that are 2 to 3 years old, since they will produce plants with the largest number of female flowers, from which a larger yield can be expected later.

Summer residents use different methods of seed planting, among which horizontal and vertical cultivation are the most popular.

Horizontal sowing method

A gardener who has chosen the horizontal method of sowing seeds does not have to install trellises. In well-watered holes dug out in the garden every 40 cm, seeds are placed in the amount of 3 - 5 grains with a depth of 2 - 4 cm. They are covered with soil, but not watered, covered with a film. It is allowed to remove the film in the daytime and return it to its place at night. This measure will ensure that the seeds are kept warm and will provoke their quick hatching.

The film is removed from the grown plants. After 10 - 12 days, the cucumbers are thinned. Failure to follow this procedure may result in poor lash growth. Thus, the distance between cucumbers in the open field is 40 - 60 cm. The growing cucumber lashes should be able to freely creep along the ground. They will have to be evenly distributed in the garden without turning over. An accidental flip of the leaves of a plant can cause its slower development.

Vertical sowing method

When choosing the vertical method (on the trellis), the gardener needs to sow the seed in the prepared furrows. The spacing between furrows is 90 - 100 cm.The described technology of growing cucumbers in the open field, as a rule, implies laying seeds in furrows with a depth of 4 cm (15 cm is the recommended interval).

After the emergence of seedlings, leaves on the plants, they are thinned so that the distance between the cucumber bushes is about 40 cm. The best formation of cucumbers in the open field is achieved due to the tension of the mesh attached to the supports.

Outdoor cucumber care

The agricultural technology used by vegetable growers for growing cucumbers in the open field is extremely simple. The gardener will need to ensure that the temperature regime recommended for the plants is maintained, watering, loosening, feeding, weeding, the formation of lashes, taking care of the prevention of diseases, and pest control in a timely manner.

Compliance with temperature conditions

In order for the planting and cultivation of cucumbers to be successful, it is necessary to prevent hypothermia of the plants. Frosts on the soil can cause the death of bushes. At temperatures lower than +10 ... +15 ° C, the growth of cucumbers is inhibited. Optimal temperature values ​​for cucumbers are within the range: +25 ° С… + 30 ° С, for this reason there is no need to rush to planting early. Also, you should provide plants with a temporary film cover until the air warms up to a favorable temperature.

Timely watering of cucumbers

The fruits of cucumbers that have not received moisture will certainly have a bitter taste. In the period preceding flowering, plants are watered infrequently: once a week. 1 square meter of the garden is watered with water in the amount of 3 - 6 liters. Flowering, fruiting bushes are watered, on average, every 3 days. The amount of water for irrigation is up to 12 liters (per square meter of the garden)

The watering procedure is carried out in the evening. It will be preferable to use a watering can, since a strong stream of water pouring from the bucket can injure the whips.

Performing regular feeding

Cucumbers planted in beds with fertile soil do not need frequent feeding. Plants grown on poor land are fed up to 5 times per season.

The procedure for the first feeding is carried out 14 days after the moment the seeds hatch or the seedlings are planted. A solution of poultry manure or mullein (1 liter of fertilizer / 10 liters of water) is suitable. Gardeners with experience often practice the introduction of purchased complex fertilizers (1.5 tablespoons of the product / 1 bucket of water). Repetition of dressings is done every 3 weeks.

Forming plants by pinching

Hybrid varieties do not need formation, since female flowers grow on their lashes in sufficient quantities. In other species, pinching of the main stem is performed, since it is on it that the largest number of male flowers appear. This procedure is carried out after the formation of 4-5 sheets. Due to this, conditions are created for the growth of second-order shoots, in which female flowers are formed, which will not slow down to affect the increase in yield.

Easy hilling cucumbers

Carrying out light hilling eliminates the accumulation of moisture near the roots. This contributes to the formation of an additional root system, which subsequently has a beneficial effect on the yield.

Loosening of soil and thinning of plants

The procedure for loosening the soil is carried out simultaneously with the thinning, cultivation of plants. Loosening should be done with extreme care to avoid damage to the roots.

A gardener who can competently carry out the cultivation of cucumbers in the country in the open field will certainly be rewarded with a decent harvest. Fresh cucumbers will become an indispensable vitamin supplement at home; from these vegetables, you can prepare a variety of preparations for the winter. Well, it is advisable to sell surplus garden products in order to get a good financial addition to the family budget.

For a cucumber seed to sprout and grow into a strong, viable plant, you need to make some effort. Competent preparation of cucumber seeds for planting is the key to a successful harvest. Practice has proven that these techniques affect both the amount of "zelents" and their taste.

Rejection of empty seeds

You need to start by selecting empty seeds. Yes, in a bag you can often find them in the amount of only 10-12 pieces. But even among such a small amount, there are empty, incomplete seeds, and therefore they must be sorted.

The selection is still carried out in the tested "old-fashioned" way.

1. Add a tablespoon of salt to a liter of water, mix.
2. Dip the cucumber seeds into the solution.
3. We merge those that surfaced: they are incomplete and unsuitable for landing.
4. We wash and dry the rest on a napkin.

It is advisable to immediately calibrate. It may happen that the size of the seed is different for the same variety. This does not mean that small seeds are bad. Just sort them out. When planting, small ones will be planted to a depth of 1 cm, and large ones - up to 1.5 cm. If you have a large number of seeds in stock, then use only large ones.

Advice

When buying planting material, pay attention not so much to the attractive appearance of the package as to the shelf life of the seeds and their quantity. Use kernels 2-3 years old, they germinate best.

Rules for preparing seeds for open ground

Before sowing, a number of procedures are carried out to ensure that the small seed grows stronger:

• check for fullness of seeds;
• selection and calibration;
• disinfection, since pathogens may be present on the surface of the seed;
• warming up to get quick shoots;
• top dressing;
• germination to get seedlings faster;
• hardened for resistance to temperature extremes.

We checked for completeness and weight, calibrated the seeds for planting, and continue further development. We carry out the disinfection procedure. To do this, we disinfect our seeds in a dark purple (strong) solution of potassium permanganate. We put them in the solution for 15-20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

The processed material is heated in two ways. If you prepare seeds for planting in advance, then they can be held for a month next to heating devices at temperatures from +25 to + 28 ° С. In the case when there is no time to delay the procedure, it is enough to warm up for 2-3 hours at + 50–55 ° С. Thanks to this treatment, the seeds do not just sprout amicably and well - many female flowers subsequently form on the plants, and the harvest can be obtained much earlier.

Advice

Some gardeners practice an interesting trick: they carry a bag of seeds near their bodies for about a week, warming them with their warmth. “With this method, the harvest is excellent,” they assure.

Further, it is important to feed the seeds. In gauze bags, cucumber seeds are soaked in a nutrient solution for 12 hours. Use a solution of wood ash or nitrophoska (1 tsp. Per liter of water). Natural stimulants can also feed the seed, such as sodium humate or Epin.

It is believed that melt water is a good stimulant for further growth. But here you should be guided by the "situation": if the area is ecologically clean, then the melt water is really useful.

After feeding, the seeds are washed and left in a warm place at a temperature of + 25 ° C until they swell. They will hatch on the second day. You do not need to germinate them strongly. It is enough for small roots up to 1-2 mm in size to appear.

We proceed to the hardening procedure: we leave the sprouted seeds on the lower shelf of the refrigerator for a day. This will be enough. Everything is a cucumber seed, after going through many trials, it is ready for sowing.

Advice

If you have purchased hybrid seeds, where on the package after the name of the variety is "F1", then you do not need to do all these manipulations. Typically, these seeds have already been processed.It is enough to feed and germinate them by selecting full-weight seeds.

Features of seed preparation for indoor ground

The procedure for preparing a cucumber seed for planting in a greenhouse does not fundamentally differ from the preparation for planting in open ground. But the greenhouse has a special microclimate, where there is crowded plantings, high humidity, and a different temperature regime.

Based on this, we will focus on several important points.

• Infections and fungal diseases spread faster in a greenhouse than outdoors, so disinfection is one of the most important techniques. In a gauze bag, the seeds are immersed in a strong solution of potassium permanganate or boric acid for 20 minutes. It is then important to rinse them in running water and dry them.
• Small seeds can be processed under a UV lamp for 2-3 minutes. Only then should they be kept in a closed bag, without leaving them in the open air.
• Disinfection can be carried out in garlic husks. The husk is poured with hot water for a couple of hours, filtered and the seed is placed in the broth for an hour, washed.
• Warming remains an important procedure so that a large number of female flowers form on the plant. We sew a cloth bag, put the seeds into it and hang it on a pipe near the battery for a month. But it is worth remembering that with rapid warming up, there is a possibility of overheating.
• Top dressing won't hurt either. It is better to use a natural substance such as wood ash, which contains many beneficial substances. It is enough to leave the seeds in the solution overnight.
• Germination is carried out with any growing method and accelerates the harvest. We lay out raw cheesecloth on a plate, pour out the seeds and wait 2-3 days. After that, the seeds are ready for sowing.

Advice

When germinating, do not completely fill the seeds with water, because in addition to moisture, they also need air. In water, they can deteriorate and not germinate at all.

Preparing cucumber seeds for planting requires additional time and effort. Many people neglect these techniques when sowing dry, untreated seeds in open or closed ground. Of course, even with this approach, the seed will sprout and grow. But with proper processing, the yield will be larger, and the fruits will be tastier. Try it and see for yourself.

Table of contents:

• Selection and heating of seed material
• Preventive disinfection of cucumber seeds
• How to germinate the seed correctly?
• Simple beds for planting cucumbers

Cucumbers are one of the most beloved vegetable crops by people. To get a rich harvest of these crispy green fruits, the owners need to properly prepare the seeds for planting. Of great importance for the growth and development of plants in the open field is also high-quality preparation of the garden for cucumbers. What rules do novice gardeners need to know in order to perform these 2 operations well?

With sufficient light, cucumbers can be sown at any time.

Selection and heating of seed material

Presowing seed preparation includes the following sequence of operations:

• sorting and selection of quality material;
• warming cucumber seeds;
• etching or disinfection of material from diseases;
• seed germination;
• hardening of germinated material.

How can all these actions be carried out?

A high-quality cucumber seed is a guarantee that the plant sprouted from it will develop well and will delight you with an abundant harvest of fruits.

For sowing, we select only large, full-weight seeds.

That is why it is so important at the very beginning to select healthy and strong seeds and weed out the weak and unadapted material. To do this, you need to take 50 g of table salt and dilute it in 1 liter of water. In the resulting solution, you need to lower the seeds and observe their behavior. Those seeds that quickly float to the surface can be thrown away, since their further use is pointless - these are low-quality raw materials.But with the seeds that have sunk to the very bottom, you can safely work further. It is from this material that cucumbers should be grown. Selected seeds are thoroughly washed with chilled boiled water and dried.

Novice gardeners need to know that those seedlings that have sprouted from 2-3-year-old seeds will give a greater yield. It is from them that low, but fertile shoots grow. If there are no such seeds in the house, last year's will do. In order to harvest more cucumbers in the summer, the seed should be kept warm and dry throughout the winter months, otherwise long lashes with many barren flowers will grow from the seeds. The ideal place for heating is a central heating radiator or a stove. A gauze bag with seeds is suspended next to them. The temperature should not be lower than 23 ° C and not higher than 35 ° C, otherwise the seeds may steam out and dry out.

You can warm up cucumber seeds just before sowing. In this case, it is better to use a thermostat. At a temperature of 50-55 ° C, the material heats up in it for about 3.5 hours, if the temperature is 60 ° C, 2 hours of time will be enough. Thanks to heating, it is possible to increase the germination of one-year-old seeds, ensuring an even greater yield of cucumbers in the future.

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Preventive disinfection of cucumber seeds

Cucumbers and tomatoes in the same greenhouse can perfectly coexist. Since the conditions for keeping these cultures differ, it is better to place them on different sides, some on the right, others on the left.

To protect plants from viruses and fungi, seeds, which are often breeding grounds for bacteria, must be pickled after heating. There is a wet and dry disinfection of the material. Wet disinfection is more familiar to gardeners. In this case, potassium permanganate is used, which is diluted with warm water to 30 ° C in a ratio of 10 g per 1 liter of water. Cucumber seeds are immersed in the resulting one percent solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour. After the expiration of the etching period, they should be thoroughly rinsed with water. Instead of potassium permanganate, you can also use streptomycin. The solution is prepared in a ratio of 50 units per 1 ml of water. The disinfection time is 24 hours. It is also recommended to rinse the seeds with water afterwards.

Garlic is a good disinfectant if potassium permanganate and streptomycin are not at hand. One large clove will be enough, which should be grated on a plastic (!) Grater, dilute the gruel with 200 ml of chilled boiled water, add another 800 ml of liquid and strain everything through cheesecloth. Cucumber seeds are placed in a gauze bag and dipped in the resulting solution for 30 minutes.

Dry etching is performed using special preparations of granosan NIUIF-2 or TMTD. The seeds are placed in a glass jar and powders are added there. Proportion of granosan: 3 g per 1 kg of seeds, proportion of TMTD: 4 g per 1 kg of material. The jars are tightly closed and shaken for 5 minutes. Since drugs are poisons, they must be handled very carefully. It is advisable to cover the nose and mouth with a gauze bandage, wear protective glasses over the eyes.

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How to germinate the seed correctly?

To increase the germination of cucumbers, it is recommended to germinate seeds before sowing. Additionally, they are treated with special biogenic and chemical fertilizers - stimulants, whose task is to accelerate seed germination and shoot development. Boric acid (20 mg per 1 liter of water), zinc sulfate (2 g per 1 liter of water) or baking soda (5 g of powder is needed per 1 liter) are used as stimulants. In one of the solutions obtained, the seeds are soaked for 24 hours. The temperature in the room all this time should not be lower than 20 ° C.

After a day, the cucumber seeds should be evenly placed on a sacking in a warm room, and covered with a thin layer of wet sawdust on top, which are pre-scalded with boiling water and washed with water so that no resinous substances remain in them. In this state, the cucumber material should be 2 days.

Aloe juice is a good biostimulant of germination. If there is this plant in the house, then you can do without purchased acids. The product is prepared 3 weeks before the day of germination.Several leaves of aloe (preferably lower, older ones) must be cut from the plant, washed, dried and put in a plastic bag. Place the bag in the refrigerator for 14 days at a temperature of 7 ° C, then incubate for another 6 days at a temperature of 2 ° C. On the day of soaking, juice is squeezed out of the leaves. It is in this juice that cucumber seeds need to be kept for 6 hours. After that, the material is laid out on a gauze napkin moistened with water, where it swells for 3 days.

To prevent cucumber sprouts from dying due to planting seeds in open ground, where the temperature is clearly below room temperature, the seeds are usually hardened. In order to increase the cold resistance of the seeds, they are placed in a refrigerator for 2-3 days and kept at a temperature of -2 ° C. Hardening completes the preparation of seeds for planting.

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Simple beds for planting cucumbers

Planting seeds in open ground is carried out in beds prepared in advance for them. In the garden, the right place for future plants is selected. This should be the area where cabbage, potatoes or legumes grew last year. If the soil for cucumbers is prepared in the fall, then the following fertilizer is applied to it: 3 glasses of wood ash, 3 buckets of manure and 70 g of nitrophoska per 1 m² of land. In the spring, the soil is dug to a depth of 25-30 cm. A layer of fertile soil (10 cm) is added on top. Then the surface is leveled, the required number of beds for cucumbers is formed. On the sides of them, bumpers are made for irrigation. Each finished bed is covered with plastic wrap for several days to warm the soil on it.

You can prepare the ground in the spring. To do this, a week before sowing cucumbers, it is necessary to fertilize the soil with manure. Dry leaves, grass, straw, or sawdust can be used instead. Then you need to dig several grooves 35 cm deep and lay organic matter there almost to the edges. Then pour hot water over everything, and pour a 15-centimeter layer of fertile soil on top. Then the surface of the beds must be leveled and arranged on the sides for irrigation. The entire beds are covered with foil for 4-5 days to warm the soil. After completing all these procedures, you can safely plant well-prepared cucumber seeds in the ground.

Cucumber seeds are distinguished by good germination; high-quality seed has a germination rate of 90%. Correctly harvested and stored in the right conditions, seeds germinate within 7 years when sown, but viability significantly decreases over time. Seeds from two to three years ago germinate best.

From seeds older than five years, without additional processing, the yield is low. Annual seeds give a lot of barren flowers when germinating, which also leads to a decrease in yield. But with the right preparation, even they can give a good harvest.

Which seeds need preparation?

The quality and quantity of the future harvest depends on the competent preparation of cucumber seeds for sowing. For the emergence and formation of strong and healthy plants, some effort is needed.

Varietal seeds purchased from the store or collected by yourself must be pre-prepared.

The procedure for preparing seeds for sowing for seedlings, in a greenhouse (greenhouse) or open ground has no fundamental differences. But in greenhouse conditions, there is a special microclimate, high humidity, a special temperature regime and crowded plantings.

Infectious and fungal diseases spread faster in the greenhouse than in other conditions, therefore the most important technique in such conditions is the preparation of seeds, including disinfection.

Hybrid seeds with an indication on the F1 package do not need to be prepared in any way. They are already calibrated, warmed up, treated with fungicides and stimulants, and have an uncharacteristic color coloration. Such seeds can simply be germinated or immediately planted in the ground.

Soil preparation

For sowing cucumbers, you can purchase a ready-made soil mixture in the store or make it yourself from:

• 1 part sifted sod or leafy soil,
• 1 part peat
• 1 part humus
• 1 part sifted river sand.

Instead of peat, you can take steamed sawdust (spilled with boiling water). Based on 10 liters of the mixture, 100 grams of wood ash and 20 grams of superphosphate are added. The mixture is thoroughly mixed.

How to properly prepare seeds for sowing seedlings

Correctly carried out measures for calibration, disinfection, heating, hardening and germination of seeds help to get strong seedlings, and then a good harvest of cucumbers.

Calibration

Seed preparation should start with selection and calibration.

A tablespoon of salt is added to a liter of water and stirred. The seeds are dipped into the solution for 15-20 minutes. Floated, as well as dark, stained, deformed, damaged seed is removed.

The rest of the seeds are washed under running water and dried on a napkin. Calibration is then carried out. Small seeds are separated from large ones. When planting, they land at a depth of 1 centimeter, and large ones - 1.5-2 centimeters. If there is a large number of seeds, small ones do not need to be planted.

Disinfection

To protect seeds from diseases such as bacteriosis, root rot, viral mosaic, powdery mildew and tracheomycotic wilting, it is necessary to undergo a disinfection procedure.

The seeds are placed in a gauze or cloth bag and dipped in a strong (purple) solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. Then they are washed with running water.

Small seeds can be disinfected under an ultraviolet lamp within 2-3 minutes.

Instead of potassium permanganate, you can use a solution of wood ash, a hot solution of nitrophoska and copper sulfate, boric acid (a teaspoon per liter of water) or Fitosporin-M solution. Seeds in any of the solutions are sent for 12 hours.

Seeds can also be disinfected in garlic hulls. For this, the husk is poured with boiling water for 2 hours, filtered. The seeds are placed in the infusion for an hour, then washed.

To increase immunity, the seeds can also be placed in aloe juice diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio for 6 hours.

Warming up

To increase the germination of seeds, they are warmed up in the oven for 3 hours at a temperature of 50-55 degrees before planting.

If there is time, the seeds can be warmed up in advance, a month before sowing. For this, they are laid out next to the heating device at a temperature of 25-29 degrees. Such a gradual heating dries them evenly, increasing their germination.

Bubbling

Enrichment of cucumber seeds with oxygen (bubbling) is used for sowing material, the age of which has reached 6-7 years. This procedure increases the vigor of germination and increases the number of seedlings. Young seeds do not need this procedure.

The inoculum is placed in a gauze (tissue) bag and sent to a container with a warm solution of a growth stimulant, for example, Zircon, Kornevin, Epin, Cytodef, sodium humate (5 drops of solution per 1 liter of water). Then, with the help of an aquarium compressor, a stream of air is supplied to the seeds. The filter is removed on the compressor. The tube is located under the seed bag. Air bubbles surround the seeds on all sides. They are kept in water for about 18-24 hours. With a large number of seeds, in the middle of the cycle (after 9-12 hours), the water is replaced with a new one.

In the absence of a compressor, seeds are poured into a container with a growth stimulator for 12 hours and regularly mixed with a wooden spoon. For additional saturation of the air, the water can be partially replaced with a new one, every 2-3 hours. It should be warm (20-25 degrees).

After bubbling, the seeds are poured onto a paper towel to dry.

Germination

The seeds are laid out in a damp cloth and sent in a transparent bag or on a saucer and exposed to a bright, warm place for 1-2 days. When the fabric dries, it is sprayed with water. At the same time, the seeds will swell and begin to germinate. In this case, the length of the roots should not exceed 2 millimeters. Otherwise, when landing, they may break off.

Sprouted seeds can be planted, but it is better to harden first.

Hardening

Seed hardening increases the resistance of future plants to any unfavorable environmental conditions.

The seeds are hardened in a swollen or hatched state. In a damp gauze bag, they are placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator (on the vegetable shelf) for 2 days.

Also, the seeds can be hardened for 3-5 days, alternating between heat and cold. At the same time, the seeds are poisoned in the refrigerator at night, and in the warmth for the day.

The pouch must not dry out when quenched. In order for the moisture from the bag to evaporate less, it must be wrapped in polyethylene.

Hardening makes plants stronger, resistant to diseases and temperature fluctuations.

Proper care of cucumber seedlings

For sowing seeds, individual peat pots or cups without a bottom are taken, with a diameter of at least 8 centimeters. Peat pots allow you to plant grown seedlings directly into the ground, without removing them and without damaging the roots. They easily germinate through the walls, and the peat structure serves them as an additional fertilizer. You can also use peat tablets, which are then planted in separate containers.

The pots are filled with soil mixture and spilled with a warm solution of potassium permanganate. After the moisture has drained off, the seeds are placed in the ground to a depth of 1.5-2 centimeters. Then they are watered with warm water and sprinkled with soil. The containers are covered with glass or transparent plastic wrap.

When to plant cucumbers for seedlings

After the first shoots appear, the seedlings are placed on a well-lit windowsill on the south side. The air temperature in the room during the day should be 20 degrees, at night it should not drop below 15 degrees.

Young plants need good lighting for 10-11 hours a day. In the absence, lack of natural light, additional illumination with a phytolamp is required.

Watering plants is carried out with warm water. Before the first leaves appear, the earth is irrigated from a spray bottle. After the formation of the first leaves, the seedlings need to be watered with a syringe or a teaspoon. At the same time, water should not get on the stems and leaves, but soak the soil.

Fertilizing of cucumber seedlings is carried out after the appearance of one main leaf. Then it is repeated every 10 days. A liter of mullein, 20 grams of urea or ammonium nitrate is taken per bucket of water.

A few days before planting the plants in the ground, they are fertilized with a solution of ammonium nitrate (5 grams of fertilizing per bucket of water).

Top dressing should be done in the evening, after watering. The solution should not come into contact with the leaves. If the top dressing does get on the foliage, it is immediately washed off with water from a spray bottle or watering can.

The term for growing seedlings is 25-30 days. Plants ready for planting have dark green, developed leaves, a strong dense stem and strong roots.

A week before planting seedlings in unprotected soil, seedlings are hardened. The time spent in the open air increases gradually.

When landing, the ground should warm up to 15 degrees, and the air up to 18 degrees.

Grown plants are planted in prepared beds. They are placed in the center or staggered, on average there are 4-6 seedlings per 1 square meter. The distance between the rows should be about 50 centimeters, in a row 30-40 centimeters, when planting in 1 row - 20 centimeters.

After planting, they are thoroughly watered with warm water. If necessary, a non-woven fabric is pulled from above for acclimatization. When the plants grow, the shelter is removed.

The plants are then cared for to ensure a good harvest.

Then plant the cucumbers? What to plant after cucumbers?

Preparing cucumber seeds for planting: video

Presowing preparation of cucumbers: video

Properly prepared seeds and planned maintenance will guarantee a good harvest of cucumbers. Not only the health and quality of the fruits depends on these measures, but also the quality of the seeds collected in the future, which can be collected for subsequent sowing. Many gardeners doubt the need to prepare seeds, but having tried it only once, they do it every year.

Before sowing seeds for seedlings, it is necessary to prepare the soil, choose a suitable container.

Sowing material also needs stimulating procedures.

Preparation of cucumber seeds for sowing seedlings ensures maximum germination, seedlings grow strong, healthy, viable.

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Today we will consider such questions - soil for cucumber seedlings: composition, how to prepare the earth with your own hands? How to prepare cucumber seeds for planting, do they need to be soaked and how to germinate cucumber seeds for seedlings?

Soil preparation

Cucumbers love light, nutritious soil... Purchased mixes will not work. They have a lot of peat that is too acidic.

Ready-made substrates are not nutritious enough, they do not ensure the normal development of the root system of cucumbers.

It is better to make the soil for the cucumber seedlings yourself. It is worth trying one of the following options:

• a mixture of garden or sod land with humus, peat and rotted sawdust in equal proportions;
• sod land mixed with rotted compost;
• garden or sod land mixed with humus, vermicult or perlite;
• peat combined with old sawdust, humus, mullein and washed river sand.

For the mixture, it is better to use the ground into which the grown cucumbers will be transplanted. Light sandy soil preferred, heavy earth with an admixture of clay will not work. The substrate should be neutral or slightly alkaline.

Before mixing, the soil must be sieved and then calcined in an oven or microwave. Such a treatment, lasting at least half an hour at a temperature of 90 degrees, kills harmful microorganisms and insect larvae that weaken the seedlings.

Another processing option is steaming... The earth is laid out on a fine mesh and placed over a container of boiling water. Processing is carried out for 30-45 minutes, then the soil is cooled. If there is no possibility of heat treatment, the ground can be frozen, this procedure guarantees a good effect.

The sifted soil is laid out in plastic bags or cloth bags, after which it is placed in the freezer or on the balcony (in winter). The substrate is kept in the cold for several days, then brought into the room and left to thaw.

ADVICE! Mineral supplements will help to enhance the nutritional value of the soil.containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus necessary for seedlings.

Wood ash, superphosphate, urea, potassium sulfate or potassium sulfate are introduced into the substrate. All components are thoroughly mixed. The soil mixture can be prepared in advance. Some should be left for later pouring into cups with seedlings.

Seed preparation

For one hundred percent germination and getting strong seedlings before sowing, the seeds undergo a number of events.

The preparation process consists of:

• calibration;
• disinfection;
• germination;
• hardening.

Seeds collected within the last 10 years are suitable for planting. It should be borne in mind that germination decreases every year, in specimens of nine years ago, it can be less than 50%.

The best qualities are demonstrated by the material collected 2-3 years before sowing. To control the process, seeds harvested on their own are laid out in bags with the date of harvest.

First, the seeds are sorted by hand, hollow and deformed seeds are rejected. During the calibration process, the seed can be sorted by size (it depends not only on the quality, but also on the variety). It is believed that larger specimens have better germination and viable promising shoots.

After manual calibration the seed is filled with salted water and mix thoroughly. Good-quality seeds will sink to the bottom, unsuitable for planting will float. A high-quality material is removed from the saline solution, washed with clean water and dried by spreading it out on a napkin or paper towel.

The next stage of preparation is disinfection.

REFERENCE! Sometimes the seed goes through the necessary processing before being sold (there should be a corresponding mark on the bag).

If disinfection was not carried out, you will have to do it yourself. It is not worth risking the health of the seedlings and the future harvest.

The seeds are heated at a temperature of 60 degrees for about 3 hours. You cannot overheat them. Then theydipped in an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes, after which they are thoroughly rinsed with clean water.

There are also alternative disinfection methods... The seed can be treat with an ultraviolet lamp within 5 minutes. The procedure is performed immediately before sowing. If it is impossible to plant seeds immediately, after irradiation they are packed in a light-tight bag.

Disinfecting seeds and at the same time nourishing them with valuable trace elements will help soaking in ash infusion (2 tablespoons of ash are infused in 1 liter of warm water for 3 days). Processing lasts 30 minutes, then they are dried.

The last but very important stage is hardeningthat increases the immunity of plants. First, the seeds are germinated in a damp cloth. Then they are moved to the refrigerator for several days.

First, the seeds are placed in a colder area, then transferred to the lower shelves. The seed should not dry out during hardening; the cloth in which it is wrapped is often moistened with a spray bottle.

How to germinate cucumber seeds for seedlings?

IMPORTANT! Some gardeners prefer to plant dry seeds. The main motivation is germinated material is very vulnerable, tender young shoots are easily injured, which slows down the growth of seedlings.

However, most hobbyists still soak the seeds in an attempt to speed up the development of seedlings and ensure the germination of the seed. If the shoots do not hatch, they can not be planted in the ground, do not occupy pots with a substrate and a scarce space on the windowsill.

How to soak cucumber seeds for seedlings? Soft water is used for soaking: rain, melted or boiled. Do not use hard chlorinated tap water. It is not worth pouring in the seeds, a damp cotton cloth works much better.

Some gardeners use cotton wool, but this method is not safe. Delicate sprouts can become entangled in long fibers, and it will be very difficult to remove them without breaking.

The seeds are wrapped in a cotton cloth or mat, abundantly moistened with warm water, and then placed in a plastic bag. It will keep moisture from evaporating and provide the necessary warmth. They will germinate in 3 days.

Instead of a bag, you can use a glass jar with a tight lid, creating a greenhouse effect. A jar of seeds is placed in a warm place. Do not place it on heating appliances.trying to speed up the pecking process.

To improve germination before germination, cucumber seeds can be soaked in an aqueous solution of a growth stimulant... Processing takes 10-12 hours. The procedure is especially important for expensive and rare varietal seeds, it guarantees almost one hundred percent germination of the seed.

Sowing preparation can take a lot of time, so you need to start it in advance.The disinfected soil, enriched with nutrients, can be stored for a long time, and the seeds must undergo the necessary procedures immediately before sowing. Important preparatory measures cannot be neglected, because the future harvest depends on them.

Useful materials

Explore other helpful articles on growing and caring for cucumber seedlings:

• How to grow properly on a windowsill, balcony and even in the basement?
• Tips for growing in various containers, in particular in peat pots and tablets.
• Find out the pick-up times by region.
• The reasons why the seedlings are stretched out, the leaves dry and turn yellow, and what diseases are they susceptible to?
• All the secrets of picking, watering and feeding young shoots.

Useful video

Find out how to properly soak your seeds for a good harvest:

Cucumbers are grown in almost every vegetable garden in greenhouses or open ground. On the timing and schemes of planting, how to sow correctly and plant cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse you can find out if you follow the dedicated link. In this article, we will tell you in detail about planting cucumbers in open ground in spring and summer, code and how to properly plant seeds and seedlings of cucumbers.

Time for planting cucumbers in open ground with seeds and seedlings

The timing of planting cucumbers depends on the climate of the region and the variety of the plant itself.

Sowing cucumber seeds in open ground should be after the soil warms up to +15 .. + 17 degrees at a depth of 10 cm. In cold ground, planting material will take a long time to sprout or even rot. The exact sowing time is difficult to say:

1. In the suburbs and central Russia seeds can be sown from early to mid-May (depending on the weather).
2. In the Urals and Siberia it is recommended to grow cucumbers in greenhouses and hotbeds under a film. Seeds can be sown in open ground only at the end of May - the first half of June.
3. In the Krasnodar Territory and other warm regions seeds can be planted in the beds as early as April.

Seedlings of cucumbers are planted laterwhen the weather is warm, frosts will pass and the soil will warm up to +20 .. + 24 degrees. In regions with a warm climate, this can be done already in early May, in central Russia - from the middle of the last month, and in Siberia and more northern regions, it is better to plant cucumber seedlings in the ground in June.

According to folk signs cucumbers in open ground can be sown when peonies and viburnum are blooming. And when the acacia and lilacs bloom, you can plant seedlings in the garden.

For growing in a garden bed without shelter, you need to choose zoned varieties that are suitable for your region.

Then plant cucumbers

Suitable precursors for cucumbers are nutrient-rich legumes (excluding beans) and green manures, and can also be planted after tomatoes and potatoes, cabbage and salads.

Since cucumbers and melons (pumpkin, squash, squash, melon, watermelon) have the same diseases, they can be planted after each other only after three years. Also bad predecessors are beans and carrots.

Preparing the beds and soil for planting cucumbers in the ground

For culture, a sunny or light partial shade area is chosen. It must be protected from wind and drafts.

Cucumbers love soil that is loose, warm and highly fertile. They have a superficial root system, so when arranging beds of fertile soil from above, 15-20 cm will be enough.

Vegetables grow well on the soil of the following composition:

• peat - 6 parts;
• sod land - 1 part;
• sawdust - 1 part;
• humus - 1 part.

Cucumbers love manure, so before planting, the top fertile soil can be watered with a solution that is prepared in a 1: 5 ratio from manure and water. If there is no manure, chicken droppings will do. It is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.Today, specialty stores sell a variety of complex organic and mineral fertilizers that can be used to fertilize the soil in the absence of manure and droppings.

Garden patterns for cucumbers

Heat-loving plants grow best in warm, high beds, which can be made according to the scheme in the photo. Such a bed is made in the fall:

1. A trench is dug out with a depth of 50-60 cm and various residues are laid on its bottom in the form of paper, trimmings of boards, branches, sunflower and corn stalks, foliage.
2. If the bed is not very deep (30-40 cm), then use foliage, which quickly decays.
3. To speed up the decay process, organic residues are poured with the Radiance or Baikal preparation.
4. The bottom layer is covered with a layer of soil (20 cm).
5. A fertile layer is poured on top, into which cucumbers will be planted.

If the bed will be made in the spring, manure can be added to the bottom layer. It will warm the soil and the plants will be warm.

In the absence of manure, compost can be used, but such a bed will not turn out very warm, so it is recommended to plant seeds in it germinated.

Methods for planting cucumbers in the open field

In spring (or early summer), cucumbers can be planted in the beds in two ways:

1. Sowing seeds... This method of growing cucumbers in the open field is practiced mainly in areas with a warm climate.
2. Transplanting... With this method, the crop can be harvested two weeks earlier than when planting cucumbers in the ground with seeds. However, cucumbers have a delicate horse system and if it is damaged during transplantation, the plants will hurt for a long time. Therefore, it is recommended to grow seedlings in peat pots.

Sowing seeds

It is recommended to sow seeds in several stages, that is, not all at once, but a little every week. In this case, the crop can be harvested during the entire warm period. However, sowing later than mid-June is not recommended, since young plants do not develop well at high temperatures.

Preparing cucumber seeds for sowing in the ground

For sowing, choose a three to four year old planting material, which is recommended to be processed before sowing in the ground:

1. Warming up the seeds... To make the seedlings friendly, the planting material is heated for two hours at +60 degrees, for which you can use a thermos with water. Another option is to place the seeds in the oven for three hours and heat them at 60C. Seeds are scattered in a thin layer on paper, which is spread on a baking sheet. A longer, but affordable way of heating is to place the planting material in a gauze bag and hang it over heating devices for a month (the temperature should be about +25 degrees). Attention! The seeds of hybrid varieties do not need to be heated.
2. Disinfection... Treatment of seeds with solutions of potassium permanganate or garlic will help protect against many diseases of the plant. In a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, planting material is kept for 20 minutes, and in a garlic solution (30 grams of chopped garlic per 100 ml of water) - 1 hour. After that, the seeds are washed well under running water.
3. Microfertilizer treatment. To soak the planting material, you can use a mixture of trace elements or only one type (boric acid, zinc sulfate or copper sulfate). Fertilizers are diluted according to the instructions with warm water and seeds are placed in them for 12 hours. Treatment with trace elements will help plants adapt faster and accelerate their development.

The processed seeds must be dried and sowing can be started.

How to sow seeds

On a prepared bed with a distance of 40-60 cm, furrows or holes are made, the depth of which should be about 2 cm. The holes and furrows are well watered. Seeds are laid flat, slightly deepening. In the furrows, the distance between the seeds should be 10-15 cm, and if wide holes were made, then 3-5 seeds are placed in each of them. The crops are covered with earth.

If on your site swampy or heavy soils, then for planting cucumbers, it is recommended to make ridges in which the seeds are placed at a depth of 1.5 cm.

When the seedlings sprout and cotyledon leaves appear on them, thinning must be carried out so that the distance between the plants is 20-25 cm. For this, weak specimens are not pulled out, but pinched.

Planting cucumber seedlings in the ground in May - June

Cucumbers ready for planting should have 3-4 true leaves. A week before planting in open ground, the seedlings begin to harden, that is, they are taken out for several hours in the open air. Containers with seedlings should be placed in the shade so that direct sunlight does not fall on the plants.

Rules for planting seedlings of cucumbers in the ground:

1. On beds with a step of 60 cm, holes are made a little more deep than the height of the pot in which the seedlings grow.
2. The plant is carefully removed from their containers and placed in the holes. If the seedlings grow in peat pots, then the plants are installed in the holes with them.
3. The roots of cucumbers are covered with soil. The seedlings should not be planted deeply and the stem should not be covered, otherwise root rot may begin to develop.
4. Plantings are watered with water (3 liters per plant).
5. A grid with large cells or trellises is installed close to the holes. The growing liana will climb up on them.

Cucumbers grow and develop well at temperatures of +15 degrees, so if the air temperature is lower, then the planted plants will need to be insulated, for which a film or non-woven covering material is pulled over them on the installed arcs.