How to check cucumber seeds for germination in water before planting

Before sowing vegetable seedlings, many vegetable growers need to decide how to test cucumber seeds for germination. This is especially true for self-harvested seed.

Skilled seed breeders are engaged in the cultivation and selection of seeds at manufacturing companies.

Industrial seed:

calibrate;
warm up;
treated with fungicides;
soaked in growth stimulants.

Therefore, purchased seeds usually do not need pre-sowing preparation and germination testing, but are quite expensive.If the variety of cucumbers you like is not hybrid (there was no F1 marking on the package), then it is not at all difficult to collect seed at home. But before planting it will have to be checked for germination. Especially if you are not sure about the storage conditions.

Seed rejection

Germination refers to the percentage of he althy seed in one batch that produces well-developed seedlings.

Before checking the germination of cucumber seeds, empty seeds can be discarded in water. They are not able to give normal shoots.

To do this, the seed is poured in small portions with warm water and allowed to stand for 8-10 minutes. Small seeds with insufficient germination energy will float to the surface. They are not suitable for growing he althy plants and are discarded.

The seeds left at the bottom are dried and sorted out. All of them should be approximately the same size and color, it is better to remove the smallest ones too.

Storage and germination

Important!

Cucumber seeds are not recommended to be planted next year, as the post-harvest ripening of the seed of this crop lasts 2-3 years.

Also, during this time, some pathogenic organisms die in the seeds, for example, the cucumber mosaic virus. Plants grown from annual sowing material branch less well and form predominantly "male" inflorescences. In a dry, warm place, cucumber seeds remain viable for up to 6-8 years. But after the fourth year of storage, it is obligatory to check the seeds for germination, as the germination energy will gradually decrease.

If you store seed in a damp and cold place, then there is a risk of growing plants with long lashes and predominantly male flowering.

After a long stay of cucumber seeds in bad conditions, they need to be smelled. The smell should be free of musty and rancid impurities. Since this is a sign of the development of pathogenic bacteria and fungi in the seeds.

germination test

There are several ways to test for germination:

germination in filter paper;
germination in sawdust;
germination in paper roll.

Germination in paper

Several layers of filter paper are moistened with warm water and the seeds are laid out at a short distance from each other.All seed must be counted in order to make calculations later. Cover with another layer of paper on top and put in a warm place with a temperature of 26-27 ℃. Several times a day, paper trays are checked and moistened with dried wipes.

In 3-4 days the first shoots of cucumbers will appear. These seeds had the highest vigor of germination. Sprinter sprouts will produce the he althiest and most productive bushes. Therefore, manufacturers pay attention to the determination of germination energy and characterize varieties in the description with an indicator of friendliness and germination rate. Germination energy is equal to the percentage of germinated cucumbers in the first 3-4 days to the total amount of seed.

In 6-7 days all living seeds should sprout. The number of he althy sprouts is counted and the percentage of the total inoculum is calculated. Planting cucumbers with a germination rate of less than 60% is considered unprofitable.

Even if after 7 days there are hatched seeds among the unsprouted seeds, they are not counted and rejected. The longer the seeds are not germinated in the soil, the more they are exposed to negative factors.

Germination in sawdust

Before checking the germination of seeds, sawdust is steamed with boiling water. Then a layer of 5-6 cm is poured into the box. The counted cucumbers are laid out at a distance of 1-2 cm. 2-3 cm of steamed sawdust is poured on top and rammed. The box can be covered with a transparent film to protect it from drying out.

The box is placed in a warm bright place 25-26 ℃. Cucumbers will germinate even in the dark, but it has been observed that seedlings appear earlier and he althier in a bright place. Further calculations are carried out in the same way as in the paper method.

Sprouting in paper roll

Two layers of porous loose paper measuring 10 × 100 cm are moistened with water. Recede from the upper edge of 2-3 cm and lay out the seed in a line at a distance of 1.5-2 cm with the embryos down. Then they cover it with the same third layer of paper and roll it into a loose roll, which is placed vertically in a suitable dish.

The germination of cucumbers should take place in a bright and warm place. The paper is moistened as it dries. After 7 days, the roll is carefully unrolled, he althy sprouts are counted and the percentage of germination is calculated.

Heating and treatment with growth stimulants

Before determining the germination of seeds, they can be prepared. Warming up the seed and treatment with growth stimulants increase the germination energy, accelerate the growth of the vegetative mass, and improve the development of the root system of future plants. Purchased cucumbers usually undergo preliminary preparation in production.

There are two types of seed heating:

dry heating;
warming up in water.

The first method is needed primarily for "young" seeds collected last year.

Tip!

Dry heating in a linen bag on a radiator at a temperature of 50-60℃ for a month allows you to deceive nature and start the “aging” process.

Warming in 50-60℃ warm water for 30 minutes before sowing can awaken cucumbers faster and is good for increasing germination vigor and germination.

The following chemicals and vitamins are known for treating seed before sowing (based on 100 ml of water):

sodium humate - 10-20 mg;
succinic acid - 0.4 mg;
heteroauxin - 50 mg;
nicotinic acid - 10 mg;
thiamine - 10 mg.

The volume of the solution should be 2 times the volume of the seeds, the temperature is 17-18℃. The seed is soaked for 6-12 hours, then washed well and dried.