How to quickly germinate cucumber seeds before planting and whether

Germination of cucumber seeds before planting can be carried out in various ways. The process helps to significantly increase yields, speed up fruit ripening and reduce the risk of many growing problems.

How to speed up germination

On what day the first shoots will appear after sowing the seeds depends on many factors. Subject to all the rules, you can achieve the result already on the third day. What to do to speed up the germination of cucumber seeds? All necessary conditions must be met:

• more pre-sprouted seeds hatch;
• you need to choose a humid and warm place;
• growing cucumbers should take place in high-quality and clean soil, which is first spilled with boiling water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
• The shelf life of planting material should not exceed four years.

Germination after sowing, on the contrary, will increase the lack of oxygen. That is why the box with crops is covered with a film until a large number of seedlings appear.

Air temperature largely affects how many days you can expect shoots to appear. The optimum temperature for germination of cucumbers is considered to be from 19 to 25 degrees. In addition, it must be borne in mind that the soil must also warm up to these marks. At a soil temperature of 12-14 degrees, seedlings will have to wait a long time.

The quality of the soil also affects the rate of germination of planting material. If it lacks the necessary trace elements, then even in a warm room, germination will take longer.

Whether cucumber seeds need to be germinated depends on their quality. But you can't always be sure of this. Therefore, reviews of experienced vegetable growers indicate that it is advisable to germinate them before planting seeds in the ground.

How long will it take for the first shoots to appear? The maximum period for which seedlings should appear is considered to be two weeks. If sprouts have not appeared during this period, then it is better to start re-sowing.

If the seeds do not germinate well, the preparation rules may not have been followed. The reasons why cucumbers do not sprout can be associated with the following unfavorable factors: seeds planted too deeply (should be sown no deeper than 2 cm), heavy, dense soil, dry or too wet soil, improper or too long storage of planting material.

If all the preparatory work at home was carried out correctly, you will be able to taste sweet and crunchy cucumbers ahead of the stated time.

How to grow seedlings

There are two options for planting cucumbers: seedless or seedling. With seedlings, sowing seeds begins a month before transplanting into the ground. For planting, it is recommended to use swollen and germinated seeds. Grown seedlings allow you to achieve a good harvest.

Growing seedlings of cucumbers is desirable to carry out in an individual, small container. It is better to exclude the picking stage, since cucumbers do not tolerate transplantation well. Grown seedlings are best transplanted by transshipment.

Tips from leading gardeners: “I sort and soak the seeds for seedlings before planting. To help them swell and hatch faster, growth stimulants will help.I choose only proven drugs. This procedure helps speed up the hatching time and increase the number of germinated seeds. You need to soak for no more than a day. ”

If it is planned to grow cucumbers in open ground, then it is recommended to carry out the hardening procedure with seeds that have hatched.

After most of the germinated seeds hatch above the soil surface, thinning is carried out. The air temperature in the room should be equal to 22 degrees, there should be no drafts, it is recommended to carry out additional lighting on cloudy days.

When the first pair of true leaves appear on the sprouts, they are fed. You can purchase ready-made mineral fertilizers or make a composition of urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate yourself.

How to quickly germinate cucumber seeds

You can speed up the spitting of strong seeds of cucumbers by soaking and sprouting. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether it is necessary to germinate cucumber seeds is definitely positive. At the optimum temperature, germinated seeds hatch already in 3-4 days.

At home, you can choose one of the popular methods to make as much seed as possible.

1. The easiest way to germinate cucumber seeds is to use a damp cloth. Seeds are laid out on the material soaked in water and covered with another layer of damp cloth. To increase the air temperature and reduce the supply of oxygen, the wet cloth is placed in a plastic bag.

It is best to soak the fabric with rainwater, as it does not contain harmful impurities. If it is not possible to get it, then settled water is suitable, the temperature of which is about 25 degrees.

2. There is another modern method for germinating cucumber seeds before planting. To do this, you need to prepare plastic cups and toilet paper, this option for growing cucumbers without land.

It takes no more than an hour to germinate seeds on toilet paper. You will need a film that is cut into strips about 9 cm wide. To grow seedlings of cucumbers in diapers, you will need to cut the film not into strips, but into squares.

For each piece of film, two layers of toilet paper are spread and sprayed with water. Seeds begin to be placed at intervals of 2 cm, retreating from the upper edge about the same distance. Two more layers of paper are laid on top and again moistened with water. Top with foil and roll up.

The resulting roll is placed in a cup, seeds up.Pour settled water (up to half a glass) and place on a warm windowsill. The method of growing without soil in a roll-up allows you to protect young sprouts from infections that live in the soil. As soon as the first cotyledon leaves appear, the sprouts must be transplanted into the soil.

3. Many experienced gardeners know another method for germinating cucumber seeds before planting. Germinate the seeds by placing them in a coconut substrate. It is rich in nutrients and has antibacterial properties. Protects roots from pests and infections. Seeds are sown in the prepared grooves, and then sprinkled with a substrate. Seeds germinate quickly, as they are warm and breathe.

Accelerated germination is observed when using the method of planting cucumbers in boiling water. Initially, the soil is poured into prepared plastic containers, lightly pressed down and watered with plain water.After that, the earth is watered with boiling water and seeds are planted. The containers are covered with foil and placed in a warm place. This tactic increases the chances of a large number of sprouts appearing in a short time.

Peat base for seedlings

Planting cucumbers is not difficult. It is only necessary to make shallow grooves and lower the seeds there. How to plant cucumbers in a permanent place, seeds or seedlings, the choice is up to each vegetable grower. If the second method was chosen, then it became popular to plant cucumbers for seedlings in a peat container. It is best to plant pre-sprouted planting material.

Growing seedlings of cucumbers in peat pots is considered a convenient way. It is best to choose the average size of individual or connected peat cups.

You can put any soil and fertilizers into peat pots, the capacity will not be deformed.For planting use both dry and germinated material. When transplanting seedlings to a permanent place, the peat base quickly disintegrates and does not interfere with the development of the root system. The only thing you need to pay special attention to, the soil in such pots dries quickly, so watering is carried out every other day.

Before filling the pot with soil, it is necessary to make several holes at the bottom. A germinated seed is carefully placed in a hole 2 cm deep, sprinkled with earth and slightly crushed. It is recommended to moisten the soil with a spray bottle.

If all conditions are met, the first shoots should appear from the germinated seeds in 4-5 days. During this time, the soil settles a little, so you need to add a new one.

Growing seedlings in peat tablets is becoming common. Planting cucumbers in peat tablets is convenient and simple.They include not only high-quality peat, but also growth stimulants, as well as micronutrients. From above, the composition is protected by a net, which must be removed before transplanting seedlings to a permanent place.

Before planting cucumbers in peat tablets, they are poured with water. As it is absorbed, the liquid is poured. After about a couple of hours, even columns with a hole in the upper part are formed. This is where the seeds that hatch are placed.

Peat columns are placed in a deep container and covered with a film. Once every two days, you need to moisten the composition by spraying with warm water.

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