How to properly prepare cucumber seeds for sowing in a greenhouse and open ground
Everyone loves fresh aromatic cucumbers. Preparing cucumber seeds for sowing in a greenhouse and in open ground has a beneficial effect not only on the yield, but also on the taste of vegetables. It improves germination, increases plant resistance to diseases and reduces the amount of barren flowers.
Preparation always corresponds to the type of sowing. Remember that the conditions for seed germination are heat, humidity and air. Also, a lot depends on what seeds you plan to sow. Variety and the age of the seeds directly affect the ripening time of cucumbers.
Is it necessary to prepare
Experienced gardeners recommend paying close attention to preparation. Beginners believe that this is an optional procedure, since good quality cucumber seeds germinate without special preparations. However, preparation not only increases the yield of cucumbers, but also protects them from common plant diseases.
One of the frequently used preparatory steps is soaking. Do I need to soak cucumber seeds before planting? If they have been processed and heated, soaking will be harmful - it will wash off the protective layer. Such preparation will be useful for the wrong stored dry cucumber seeds, as well as if you plan to plant cucumbers as seedlings in a greenhouse.
How to prepare cucumber seeds
The preparatory process of seed consists of six main stages:
- Selection.
- Warming up.
- Disinfection.
- Bubbling.
- Hardening.
- Germination.
Selection
The first stage in preparation for sowing is calibration and selection. Seed material is selected using manual sampling and salt water. In this case, the most “full” seeds are laid, not empty or thin. They should be without chips of the top layer. If there is mold or cracks, throw it away immediately. Small ones are also not suitable - they will not grow into a full-fledged plant capable of bearing fruit throughout the season.
The seeds are checked for emptiness using salt water. The solution is made at the rate of 1 tbsp per 1 liter of water. l. salt. Soak for 20 minutes. After this, the empty seeds that will float on the surface are thrown out, and the full ones that lie at the bottom of the jar are taken out, washed with clean water and laid out to dry on a napkin or cotton cloth.
Advice. If you purchased hybrid seeds (on the package after the name there is “F1”), then there is no need to treat with salt water, nor do they need to be disinfected. These procedures have already been carried out by the manufacturer.
Warming up
Cucumber seeds are kept at a temperature of 28-30 °C for a month. To do this, you can lay it close to the heating radiator. If there is no time, then in accelerated mode - for six hours at a temperature of 40-60°C, placing it directly on the battery. To ensure that they germinate as quickly as possible, use this method of preparation.
Warming up affects the intensive formation of female cucumber flowers, and hence fruiting. But the method of treating cucumber seeds by heating before sowing is more often used in industrial production. At home, the procedure is not recommended, since it is difficult to control the desired regimen.Its violation will negatively affect the embryo and future fruits.
Disinfection
Seeds are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate or “Fitosporin” (paste-like substrate). When treating with potassium permanganate, the seeds are dipped in a gauze bag into an aqueous solution (1 g of potassium permanganate powder per 1 liter of water).
After 20 minutes, remove from the container and wash with running water, after which they are laid out to dry on paper. When treating with Fitosporin, take 2 drops of diluted paste in 1/2 cup of water and soak the seeds for 2 hours before sowing.
Bubbling
The enrichment of seed material with oxygen using a compressor is called bubbling. Fresh seeds do not need to be processed using this method. This method is used for old cucumber seeds that are at least six years old.
They are placed in a gauze bag in a container of water at room temperature, then air is supplied with an aquarium compressor. The tube is placed under the seeds so that air in the form of bubbles envelops it from all sides. Process for about a day. After the procedure, seeds with barely noticeable sprouts are immediately planted in the soil.
Hardening
The hardening process increases the resistance of the future plant to low temperatures, drought and disease. Hardening of seeds is desirable for planting in open ground and is not necessary for the greenhouse method of cultivation. There are two methods of hardening: exposure to constant low and alternating temperatures.
In the first case, moist but not wet seeds are placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and kept for 12 hours at a temperature of +1 to -1 °C.
In the second case, the same swollen seeds are kept in the refrigerator during the day and at room temperature at night. The procedure is repeated for five days.
Germination
After hardening, the container with cucumber seeds is placed in a warm place with a temperature of at least +20°C. After 2-3 days they will germinate and must be urgently planted. It is impossible to overexpose already sprouted ones, because too long sprouts and roots will get mixed up with each other and break when removed.
Features of preparation for sowing
Some gardeners believe that it is better to plant cucumber seeds in open ground directly from the seed packet, dry. But even when sowing directly into the ground, it is worth preparing planting material. For this purpose, hardening is a suitable solution. To harden, you do not need to wait for the seeds to germinate.
Disinfection won't hurt either. Before sowing, water the planting site with “Fitosporin” or a solution of potassium permanganate. The greenhouse has its own microclimate, where there is high humidity and a different temperature regime; it is better to plant sprouted cucumber seeds or seedlings in it.
Advice. The germination of cucumbers lasts for 5-6 years, but the best is achieved with a period of 3-4 years. You should not take fresh, just packaged seeds. To do this, it is useful to pay attention to the date indicated on the seed packet.
Preparing containers and soil
Growing cucumbers with seedlings allows you to get a harvest early and prolongs fruiting. Sprouted seeds are sown in plastic or peat pots filled with nutritious soil (1-2 pieces in each pot) and germination is expected at a temperature of +22 to +28 ° C. You can use coconut substrate or peat tablets for cucumber seedlings.
Read also:
How to remove bitterness from cucumbers and why it appears in the first place.
6 most delicious recipes for pickled cucumbers in a saucepan.
Is it possible to trim the leaves of cucumbers and how to do it correctly.
Planting cucumber seeds in a greenhouse
In central Russia, where the climate is cold, cucumbers are grown in equipped compost beds, in greenhouses and greenhouses. To get a harvest when planting cucumbers with seeds in a greenhouse, carefully prepare the soil.
The best option for a greenhouse is a mixture of turf soil and humus with sawdust, which has lain for at least two years. It is better to start preparing the soil and greenhouse in early spring. Sprouted cucumber seeds are planted in crumbly soft soil to a depth of about 2 cm. The distance between plantings is at least 30 cm, and between rows - 75 cm.
Conclusion
To get a harvest of your favorite vegetables in the garden, you have to work hard. The preparatory stage for planting affects the subsequent quality of the crop and its quantity. The final result depends on a competent approach to business. Planting without preparation or carefully observing all the conditions is the choice of the gardener.
Preparation can take a lot of time, so you need to start it in advance. Preparatory measures should not be neglected, because the future harvest depends on them.