Cucumbers are heat-loving plants, but they are grown almost throughout the entire territory of our country. In most cases, they are sown with seeds directly into the garden bed, but to obtain early production, pre-growing seedlings at home is also quite popular. This is not too difficult to do, the seedlings are on the windowsill for about a month, the conditions in a city apartment are usually quite suitable for its growth.

Soil for seedlings

To sow cucumber seeds for seedlings, you need to prepare in advance the seeds themselves, soil mixture and containers in which the seedlings will spend a month of their life. Regarding containers, everything is clear: you cannot grow cucumbers in common boxes; they absolutely cannot tolerate transplantation that disrupts the root system. Therefore, they require individual cups. Their volume should be from 300 to 500 ml; True, some gardeners grow cucumber seedlings even in eggshells.

And yet, to obtain high-quality seedlings, you should not limit yourself to the size of the cups. Their design should be such that it allows the seedlings to be removed without damaging the soil ball. Reusable cups with a retractable bottom are perfect in this regard, but ideal are peat pots that are buried in the garden bed along with all the contents.

Each plant has its own personal cup

Light, acid-neutral, moisture- and breathable soil is placed in the pots. Since it may not be possible to fertilize in a month, the soil should immediately contain a sufficient amount of nutrients. When growing a dozen seedlings, it is easier to buy ready-made soil in the store, but it should be intended specifically for cucumbers. There is no need to rush to the cheapest options: unfortunately, land “from under the fence” is still often sold in such packages. There is no additional need to prepare soil from a serious manufacturer.

In the case of preparing a nutrient mixture yourself, the best option is turf soil, good compost, peat and sand (ratio 2:2:1:1). Of course, options are possible: not always everything you need is available on the farm. Sawdust is also used as components of the mixture, sand is replaced with vermiculite, etc. Good compost or humus has a sufficient amount of fertilizer, but if these components cannot be obtained, any soil must be flavored with wood ash (a glass per bucket of soil) and add about 50 g azofoski.

If the soil is taken directly from the garden, the soil must be disinfected. The easiest way is to generously water it with a pink solution of potassium permanganate a week before sowing the seeds. If suddenly it is not there, you can replace it with copper sulfate. After drying to a condition convenient for work, the soil is poured into cups, placing a centimeter layer of drainage on the bottom, and allowed to settle for a day.

Timing for planting cucumber seedlings

It is very easy to calculate the optimal timing for sowing seeds in cups, but it is impossible to give a specific recommendation. From the moment of sowing the seeds to planting the seedlings in the ground, 30–35 days should pass. And then it all depends on what climatic region we are talking about and where they are going to grow cucumbers: in a greenhouse or in unprotected soil.

If we are talking about the middle zone and considering planting seedlings in open ground, then without fear you can do this only at the beginning of summer. This means that the seeds must be sown at the very end of April. If temporary film shelters are intended, everything can be postponed for a couple of weeks and sow the seeds in mid-April. Well, if you have a good greenhouse, you can plant seedlings in it already at the beginning of May, which means that seedling work begins around April 1.

In more northern or southern regions, the dates, accordingly, shift somewhat in one direction or another. But in the south, cucumber seedlings are grown only for very early consumption of produce: in order to eat cucumbers at the usual time, they are sown with seeds in a garden bed without hesitation.

When to plant cucumbers for seedlings in 2019 according to the lunar calendar

Many gardeners compare the dates of their dacha activities with the phases of movement of the celestial bodies. Since about 1990, many newspapers and magazines, and later Internet portals, have published numerous lunar calendars, which list favorable and prohibited dates for this or that work with a specific garden or vegetable crop. The trouble is that these dates vary greatly in different publications. Therefore, you have to analyze many sources and make the right decision for yourself.

For example, many sources name May 18, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 31 as favorable dates for sowing cucumbers in 2019.

If you still want to link sowing activities with the phases of the Moon, it is worth knowing that it is recommended to sow cucumbers during the period of the waxing Moon, closer to the days of the new moon. It is believed that during such periods the growth processes of many crops are activated, which has a good effect on both seed germination and the size of the future harvest.

Growing cucumber seedlings

Since in many modern varieties and hybrids the first cucumbers ripen within 33–38 days after germination, the need for growing seedlings is often far-fetched. But if you want to crunch on your own produce as early as possible, our summer resident will definitely prepare at least a few bushes of seedlings.

Unlike, for example, cabbage seedlings, which require cool rooms to grow, cucumber thrives at the same temperature as a person, so seedlings can be prepared at home. But if there is a greenhouse or greenhouse nearby, to which there is daily access, gardeners prefer to grow seedlings in them.

Preparing seeds for sowing

Fortunately, cucumber seeds do not need to be purchased annually: they remain viable for 7–8 years. Moreover, fresh seeds are somewhat worse than those that have lain for two or three years: they have more “barren flowers”. Seeds are optimal when they are 2–4 years old. True, with modern hybrids everything may not be the same, but this is a rather complicated story, as is the story of where several hundred varieties and hybrids suddenly appeared on the shelves. Are they really that different from each other?

Therefore, current summer residents are divided into two groups. Some firmly believe that hybrids (F1) are many times better and plant only them, annually trying out all sorts of new products. Others grow old proven varieties from year to year and store their seeds from them, always selecting for this purpose tetrahedral rather than triangular seeds (yes, if you look closely, ripe cucumbers are not entirely cylindrical!). Which summer resident is right? I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. It is only clear that most hybrid seeds are sold ready for sowing, but with your own you need to tinker a little first.

The entire list of seed preparation stages looks like this (but not all of them are required):

Calibration This can be done manually: the cucumber seeds are quite large, and the smallest ones can be easily identified with your fingers. It’s even easier to dip the seeds in a solution of table salt (half a tablespoon per glass of water), shake and wait 3-5 minutes. The weakest ones will emerge; they should not be sown.
Cucumber seeds are large, you can feel each seed individually
Warming up. If you have just purchased, fresh seeds on hand (or their origin is unknown), before sowing you should hold them near a heating radiator for a couple of days, which reduces the proportion of male flowers that bear no fruit.
Disinfection. For seeds purchased from reliable companies in a specialized store, this operation is optional. You need to keep your own seeds or those from your neighbors for 15–20 minutes in a strong solution of potassium permanganate. After this operation, you should rinse the seeds well with clean water.
To disinfect seeds, a strong solution of potassium permanganate, almost 1%, is required.
Soaking in solutions of fertilizers or growth stimulants. This is not a mandatory procedure, but some amateurs use various drugs for this. The most natural thing is ash infusion or agave juice, diluted 5 times with water.
Epin and Zircon are among the most convenient stimulants to use.
Swelling in water. Even those seeds that are not treated in any way, many gardeners try to at least soak them until they swell before sowing. The seeds are kept in warm water for a day (from 20 to 30 o C), after which they are slightly dried so that they fall easily when sowing. This measure can speed up the emergence of seedlings by only a day, so it is also very controversial due to necessity.
Hardening. But this is reasonable. Although many scientists are not unanimous on this issue, believing that hardening of seeds has almost nothing to do with hardening the plants themselves. It makes no sense to harden the seeds for planting in a greenhouse, but this operation is popular for open ground. Hardening in the case of cucumber seeds is carried out by keeping the soaked seeds in a wet cloth in a refrigerator for 24 hours.
Germination. This is most often done in wet sawdust until the primary root appears - half the length of the seed. True, sprouted seeds are more difficult to sow, but a couple of days are gained.
Sometimes things even get to the point where leaves appear, but planting such seeds will be very difficult

Is it possible not to do anything from the above list? It’s possible, the seeds will sprout dry, just a little later. Therefore, you need to select only those steps that seem necessary in each specific situation.

Sowing cucumber seeds

Sowing cucumber seeds in cups with soil mixture poured into them is not difficult.

Place 1-2 seeds on the surface of the soil watered with water (no matter how many: after all, some seeds are now sold even individually!).
Expensive seeds are sown one at a time: most likely, they have good germination
Cover them with a layer of soil about 1.5 cm thick.
Spray the surface with water from a spray bottle.
A gardener should always have a simple spray bottle on his farm.
Place the cups in any convenient tray, cover with glass or film and transfer to a warm place (optimally at a temperature of 25–28 o C).
Glass will create a greenhouse effect and prevent the soil from drying out

The emergence of cucumber seedlings can be expected in 4–8 days, depending on the variety and conditions. A few days after this, the worst plants should be carefully removed, or better yet, trimmed with scissors.

Caring for cucumber seedlings

Before emergence, care must be taken to ensure that the soil does not dry out. Opening the glass slightly, lightly ventilate the crops and, if necessary, spray them with a spray bottle. The best place for cucumber seedlings is a well-lit, warm windowsill. As soon as the shoots appear, the glass must be removed, and the temperature must be reduced to 18 o C, several degrees lower at night, and this must be maintained for five days. This is the most difficult thing: by this time, as a rule, it is already getting warm, but if such conditions are not found, the seedlings will stretch out and be very weak.

Subsequently, the optimal temperature is about 24 o C during the day and 18 o C at night. And - more light. If there is not enough sun, mandatory lighting with fluorescent lamps or diode lamps. Cucumbers on the windowsill need space; the bushes should not touch each other, so the cups need to be moved apart from time to time. The rest of caring for seedlings is the same as for any vegetable plants.

When the window sills run out, the tables are forced to grow seedlings, but here you can’t do without lighting

Watering seedlings after emergence

Water cucumber seedlings only with warm water (about 25 °C). In this case, the soil should always be slightly moist: any stagnation of excess water, especially in the case of insufficient heat, will certainly lead to rotting of the root system. The frequency of watering depends on the nature of the soil and temperature conditions, but this should not be done daily.

After watering, experienced gardeners always add dry, clean sand closer to the roots. You don’t need a lot of it, just a millimeter layer is enough: the sand acts as mulch, and at the same time prevents rotting of the lower part of the stem.

Top dressing

Often, when growing cucumber seedlings, they do without feeding at all. If the soil mixture was prepared correctly, the cucumbers will have enough nutrients until they are planted in the ground. Feeding is only needed if the seedlings have stopped growing, the leaves have acquired an unnatural color, etc. Of course, this may also be due to diseases (mainly from disturbances in water and temperature conditions), but, most likely, the nutrition has been used up.

In most cases, it is enough to pour the ash infusion over the cucumbers. If there is no ash, use any complete mineral fertilizer (preferably with a trace of boron). It is more reliable to use foliar feeding. To do this, the leaves of the seedlings are sprayed with a weak solution of any complex fertilizer (as written on the package). The concentration of the solution must be carefully monitored so as not to burn the leaves. After any feeding, water the seedlings well, not forgetting to add a little sand after that.

In a city apartment there is no place to get ash, so it’s worth stocking up on it in the fall after the next barbecue

Is it possible to pick cucumber seedlings?

Picking cucumber seedlings in the classic version (with pinching the central root) is strictly unacceptable. But sometimes it is still necessary to transplant the seedlings into another container. This can be done no earlier than when the first true leaf appears. This need may arise in the following cases:

too small container taken during sowing;
highly elongated seedlings;
overgrown seedlings due to incorrectly calculated seed sowing time;
seedling diseases.

In the first three cases, transplantation is carried out using the transfer method: after thoroughly watering the seedlings, the soil is allowed to dry out a little so that the soil lump “grabs”, and the entire contents of the cup are transferred into a larger pot, adding soil. Since the root system is almost not affected, the probability of success is high; sometimes cucumbers don’t even stop growing. With such a transplant, you can also deepen the seedlings somewhat (especially if they have stretched out), placing them in the ground almost up to the cotyledon leaves. Of course, after transplanting it should be watered well and moved to semi-darkness for a couple of days.

In the event of a disease, most likely the soil will also be infected, so the plants will have to be replanted with almost no earthen clod, and the likelihood that everything will go well is low. But gardeners often try to save seedlings in this way. After watering, it is carefully removed from the cup with a minimum amount of soil, but trying to preserve the roots as much as possible. Such seedlings require more careful care. For the first time, it is placed not only in partial shade, but also the temperature is raised slightly. If everything went well, after a week the seedlings return to normal conditions.

Planting cucumber seedlings in open ground

Cucumber seedlings are kept at home for no more than a month. During the first few days, she is kept at a low temperature, then in comfortable conditions, and in the last week they begin to accustom her to living conditions in the open ground. To do this, the seedlings are first taken out onto the balcony for 15–20 minutes, then the walking time is gradually increased. But the temperature should not be too low, 10–12 o C during the day is already stressful. By the time of planting in the garden, the seedlings should be on the balcony for up to half of the daytime.

Good cucumber seedlings, ready for planting in the garden, should have at least three large dark green leaves and a powerful but short stem. It is very good if there are already buds on it (which, of course, does not happen with three leaves), as well as tendrils. But it is undesirable for flowers to open at home.

Before transplanting into the ground, seedlings are well watered. Various planting schemes are offered, it also depends on the variety, but plantings should not be thickened. Most often, cucumbers are planted in a row, leaving a distance of 40–50 cm between rows, and 25–30 cm between plants in a row. Denser planting does not always lead to an increase in yield; it happens the other way around. Naturally, the garden bed should be ready long before planting: it should be well filled with fertilizers, primarily organic ones.

The time for planting cucumber seedlings in open ground is determined not so much by specific dates as by weather conditions, and seedlings are not transplanted into a bed without shelter in the middle zone no earlier than the beginning of summer. They try to plan the landing on a cloudy day. The transplant process is simple:

Before planting, loosen the bed again and level the soil with a rake.
Before the last leveling, the bed can be sprinkled with ash again.
In the places designated according to the chosen scheme, dig holes with a scoop somewhat deeper than the size of the cups with seedlings.
Half a glass of wood ash and a tablespoon of azofoska are added to each hole as a local fertilizer, mixed well with the soil and 1-2 liters of warm water are poured.
Often holes are even dug with a shovel to add more local fertilizers.
Carefully removing the seedlings from the cup, lower them into the hole. Peat pots are buried along with all their contents. It is possible to bury the seedlings slightly, right down to the cotyledon leaves, but in this case they try to place them obliquely so as not to bury the root system too deeply.
When the seedlings are good, they are hardly buried
Carefully water the plantings with warm water, mulch the soil with any bulk material, and if the weather is not yet quite summer, temporarily cover the bed with spunbond or lutrasil.

Planting cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse

Preparing a greenhouse for planting cucumbers is more difficult than preparing beds in open ground, and may include:

Disinfection of the greenhouse carried out in the fall. If there are no diseases, the soil is simply watered with a solution prepared from copper sulfate and karbofos (1 tablespoon per bucket of water). If diseases raged, all the soil was replaced with new one.
Filling the beds with fertilizers (in April). In a greenhouse, the amount of fertilizer applied is even greater than in unprotected soil.
Formation of high beds (up to 30 cm in height) of a convenient width (usually 80 cm).
Warming up the beds a week before planting seedlings. The bed is watered with hot water with the addition of small amounts of mullein or bird droppings (1-2 handfuls per bucket of water) and covered with film.
Arranging trellises: you need to save space in the greenhouse. And if in open ground not all gardeners grow cucumbers in a vertical culture, in a greenhouse this is a generally accepted approach.

The planting of seedlings itself is no different from that in the case of unprotected soil and is possible when the daytime temperature in the greenhouse is set at about 20 o C.

In greenhouses for cucumbers, support must be provided

Further care for cucumbers

In cucumbers, the root system is located at a depth of 5 to 25 cm. With rising air temperatures and in the absence of rain, the ridges dry out quickly, so cucumbers require regular watering with water heated in the sun during the day. Water the cucumbers in the evening, usually every other day. It is best to water with a watering can without a strainer so that the water does not splash or get on the leaves. After each watering, the soil must be slightly loosened and, if necessary, the plants must be planted. Constantly fighting weeds.

After the appearance of the fifth true leaf, the plant is pinched to cause the development of side shoots, on which the main part of the crop grows. True, for many modern hybrids pinching is not necessary, but it will not hurt.

By the time cucumbers begin to bloom, their first feeding is timed. To do this, take nitrophoska (30–35 g per bucket of water) and pour at least a glass of this solution under each plant. The second feeding is carried out when they see that after a friendly growth of fruits, the vines noticeably slow down their growth and fruiting fades.

It is most convenient to grow cucumbers on trellises, but they do not always climb on their own where the owner would like, so periodically it is necessary to guide the vines and sometimes even tie them up. The harvest must be harvested systematically, sometimes this has to be done daily. Otherwise, the cucumbers will outgrow and new ovaries will stop forming.

Cucumbers should not be allowed to overripe, otherwise the yield will decline sharply.

Diseases and problems when growing cucumber seedlings

When growing cucumber seedlings at home, it is necessary to follow all the rules in terms of temperature, light and soil moisture. If something has been disturbed, diseases are possible, sometimes they end in the complete death of the seedlings. So, pulling seedlings cannot be considered a disease, but it can be lost even because of this completely harmless option, which is very easy to avoid. Sometimes, to prevent plants from stretching out, it is enough to just wash the windows.

Signs that something is wrong with the seedlings may include:

yellowing of leaves;
thinning of the stem;
curling of leaves;
growth arrest;
wilting of leaves.

In each case, it is difficult to pinpoint the specific disease, since there can be many of them, and the symptoms often overlap. The entire possible list looks impressive:

blackleg;
root rot;
white rot;
fusarium;
powdery mildew;
white mosaic.

These are not all diseases, and to diagnose and treat seedlings you need to delve into the literature: in some cases you can try to save the plants, but often this is impossible. The most common options found at home look like this.

Cucumber seedlings fall and wither

It's not always a disease. Perhaps the plants simply do not have enough light. You need to shine a powerful fluorescent lamp over them, and everything can return to normal. Perhaps the grown bushes are already shading each other, then the cups just need to be spaced more freely.

Unfortunately, there are many reasons for seedlings to wilt, but in some cases it can still be helped.

Of course, wilting is also possible simply in hot weather and lack of moisture, then the seedlings need to be watered thoroughly. Sometimes it doesn’t have enough nutrition, which means it’s worth adding a little complex fertilizer to the irrigation water. But, oddly enough, seedlings can die from excess nutrients, so you can’t overdo it in this matter either.

In the case of fusarium wilt, that is, a dangerous disease, unfortunately, it will no longer be possible to help. But in any case, you can try to transplant plants that are just starting to fall into fresh soil.

Why do the leaves of seedlings turn yellow?

Yellowing of leaves can also indicate a whole range of problems: from banal non-compliance with agricultural practices to dangerous diseases. At home, most often the leaves turn yellow due to poor soil, which simply lacks nitrogen. If this is the case, simply spraying a weak urea solution on the leaves may save the situation. But yellowing occurs not only due to a lack of nitrogen, but due to an incorrect balance of all nutrients, and nothing can be done here without analysis.

Yellowing of seedlings is not always a disease, sometimes it simply lacks nutrition

Yellowing of leaves is also possible due to too low temperatures, especially at night, as well as due to lack of natural light. This is very easy to fix. Other reasons for the yellowing of seedlings are so varied that it is impossible to cover them in a short story.

What to do if pests appear

The most common pests of cucumbers are:

melon aphid;
ants;
root-knot nematodes;
whiteflies;
spider mites.

However, they mainly attack plants in the garden, and can only get home with soil, which is impossible with proper preparation for sowing. At home, you may also find miniature collembola worms that gnaw on the small roots of seedlings. In any case, various insecticides are effective against pests, the most universal of which is Aktara.

Video: planting cucumber seedlings in the garden

Growing cucumber seedlings is not always a necessary activity; it is used to obtain earlier harvests. Since the bulk of cucumbers can be obtained from direct sowing of seeds in a garden bed, for the average family it is enough to grow no more than a dozen seedlings. Every summer resident can afford this, and it is not at all difficult to do.

Back in the fall, the gardener determined a place to plant cucumbers grown through seedlings. I cultivated the bed and applied organic fertilizers.

In the meantime, the garden is covered with snow, you should take care of growing cucumber seedlings. This article explains how to do this better and more correctly.

When to plant cucumbers for seedlings in 2019

Determining the optimal timing of sowing cucumber seeds

This is perhaps the most difficult question regarding growing cucumber seedlings. Therefore, when planning to sow cucumbers at home, it is necessary to take into account the following factors:

Specific weather conditions for your region.
Take into account the age of the seedlings intended for planting.
Pre-sowing seed treatment and the time of their germination should also be taken into account when determining the sowing time.
The choice of place for further growth of cucumbers significantly affects the time of their preparation for sowing.

Central Russia is rich in spring surprises; return frosts can occur at the end of May or the first five days of June. This period will serve as a countdown point.

The best age for cucumber seedlings is 25-30 days.

These are the plants that will tolerate transplantation best. During this time, the seedlings will have time to grow stronger and form a good root system. With sufficient lighting, the stem will not stretch, which is one of the main disadvantages of growing seedlings at home.

It takes a little time to process the seeds. Basically it consists of disinfection, hardening and germination of seed material. Treated and hatched seeds will produce more vigorous shoots. These manipulations most often relate to seeds that were collected from your site and will not take more than 5-7 days.

Seeds purchased from gardening stores are usually already prepared for sowing. In addition, the manufacturer warns against the use of water procedures, which can destroy the nutritional and protective properties of the treated seeds.

If in the future the cucumber seedlings are planted in protected soil, you should take into account the difference of two weeks, which will allow the vegetable to ripen earlier.

Thus, starting the countdown from the beginning of June, the sowing of seeds will occur in the last days of April. But work on the preparation of seed material should begin no later than April 20-23, if seed treatment is required.

When transferring cucumber seedlings to a greenhouse, the sowing period becomes possible 15 days earlier, and you can start working at the end of the first week of April.

These same time periods are best suited for growing cucumbers in seedlings in the Moscow region.

For all their love for warmth, cucumbers are also grown in regions with colder climatic conditions. To do this, you need to choose a variety that takes less time to form fruit. And fruiting should occur in July and August; it is at this time that the most favorable time for the ripening of fruits and vegetables begins in Siberia and the Urals.

Having sowed a parthenocarpic variety of cucumber as seedlings in early May, the gardener will have a crisp cucumber on his table in July.

It must be remembered that the main harvest will be obtained within a month, then the yield will decrease.

Sowing cucumbers for seedlings according to the lunar calendar 2019

It is impossible to completely deny the fact of the influence of the lunar disk on plants, just as it is impossible to blindly be guided only by the dates recommended by the calendar. Therefore, a combination of its reasonable use with the practical experience of a gardener will certainly give the desired result.

The root system of the plant develops better when the moon is in its waning phase; the above-ground parts are actively formed when the moon is waxing.

Experts carry out their calculations taking into account the fact that sowing must be done immediately after the new moon or a few days before the full moon. If you soak the seeds, then the planting date should be counted from this date, since when moisture gets inside the seed, growth processes immediately begin in it.

The following dates will be favorable for sowing cucumbers in 2019:

in January - 1, 19, 20, 28, 29;

in February – 6, 8, 12, 13, 16, 17;
in March – 8-10, 14, 15, 21-23;
in April – 7, 11, 12, 17, 18, 21, 24, 25, 28.

Cucumbers planted on the waxing moon grow quickly, become stronger, and begin to bear fruit earlier. Watering the crop should also be coordinated with the recommendations of the Lunar calendar. On certain days, the roots perfectly absorb water, giving it to the above-ground parts, but on other days they can rot due to the abundance of moisture in the ground.

You should not plant cucumbers on the following unfavorable days:

February - 5, 19;
March - 6, 21;
April - 5, 19;
May - 5, 19;
June - 3, 17;

Cucumbers are one of those vegetables whose seeds improve their quality during storage. Naturally, if all the necessary standards have been met.

By sowing the seeds of the previous harvest, the gardener will receive a strong plant with a large number of male flowers. Seeds with a three-year shelf life will produce less developed vines, but will produce predominantly female flowers and therefore bear more fruit.

An important circumstance is the timing of vegetable ripening and its pollination ability.

Those that enter the fruiting phase in less than 45 days are classified as early ripening varieties. They will be a good option for growing in regions with short periods of heat in the summer. In addition, self-pollinating varieties provide a guaranteed harvest, even if there are few sunny days in the summer.

However, it should be remembered that early varieties of cucumbers produce the largest part of the harvest within a month. Further, fruiting decreases significantly, which cannot be said about cucumbers with an average ripening period.

Mid-season varieties begin to bear fruit in 45-55 days. This is the most common group of seeds in which the gardener will find a suitable option for himself. Among them are varieties such as “F1 Farmer”, “F1 Lord”, “F1 Saltan”, “F1 Thumb Boy”.

If the choice fell on a bee-pollinated variety, then up to 10% of parthenocarpic seeds should be sown in the garden bed; this will help the vegetable with pollination in the absence of flight of pollinating insects.

Pre-sowing work to improve the quality of seed material begins approximately a week before the sowing procedure itself. It will consist of the following stages.

Sorting. Seeds that, even upon visual inspection, are suspicious should be removed: damaged, stained or moldy. Irregularly shaped grains will also not produce full-fledged sprouts.
Checking seeds for completeness. The selected seeds should be kept for several minutes in a saline solution (soup spoon per 1 liter of water). You can stir vigorously with a spoon, you can pour the contents from one bowl to another. These procedures speed up seed wetting and reduce testing time. The floating grains are separated from the full grains. Those seeds that have sunk to the bottom are washed and proceed to the next stage.
Disinfection. The most accessible and common method is to treat it with a pink solution of manganese. A 30-minute procedure will protect the seeds, and then the sprouts, from possible damage by fungal and viral diseases.
Hardening consists of keeping moist seeds at t=+2°C for 24 hours; a longer stay in the refrigerator is possible (up to 5 days), if the time has not come to send the prepared seeds for germination.
Germination. Gardeners approach this procedure differently. Some people are afraid of damaging the delicate roots when immersed in the soil, and therefore sow with swollen or dry seeds. For some summer residents, the desire to get quick and friendly shoots is placed above minor risks.

In the meantime, the seeds are hardening and germinating, you should begin preparing the soil.

What should be the soil for cucumber seedlings?

Capricious, at all stages of cultivation, the cucumber also makes special demands on the soil. Organic matter should predominate in it; if it is deficient, the vegetable slows down its growth. Half of the finished soil mixture should be peat. The second half may consist of humus or ready-made compost (30%) and garden soil (20%).

Adding substrates that improve soil structure will provide plants with unhindered access of air and water to the roots. They can be sawdust or ash, which will also enrich the earth with phosphorus and potassium. A handful of dolomite flour will reduce the acidity of the soil.

If the soil has not been prepared since the fall, you can buy it at a gardening store. The soil mixture “Rodnichok” meets all the necessary parameters. There you can also purchase the necessary containers for sowing.

The cucumber does not tolerate encroachment on its root system, and this circumstance must be taken into account when choosing containers for planting seeds for seedlings.

Peat pots are a good option. Their use will allow you to plant ready-made seedlings without causing any harm to the plant. But when growing seedlings, it is better to wrap them in plastic film. This will protect the plant from lack of moisture.

Peat cups tend to absorb water, taking it from the ground. This precaution will not hurt if the gardener needs to leave the seedlings unattended for a day or two.

Growing in peat tablets will require an increase in the feeding area as the seedlings grow. But this process will be painless, since the plant will be moved to a new container without removing the root system.

The roots will receive a minimum of stress when transplanting the sprouts into “diapers”.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

When everything is ready, sowing will not take the gardener much time. In containers with soil, depressions of 1.5 cm are made and seeds are placed in them.

Sprinkle with earth and cover with glass or other transparent material. This will make it possible not to disturb the seeds by watering in the first days.

At t=25°C, germination will occur in 2-3 days. It is important not to miss this moment, so it is necessary to check the condition of the crops twice a day.

At the first signs of emergence, the container is moved to the lightest windowsill. Another important moment comes: the sprouts should not be allowed to stretch out.

It's still early spring, the sun often hides behind the clouds. The lack of light on such days should be compensated by artificial lighting.

Young seedlings are very sensitive, and a rapid increase in the subcotyledon will not allow the plant to fully develop. Fluorescent lamps will replace the missing warmth of the spring sun for seedlings.

Lamps should be placed directly above plants that require at least 14-16 hours of light during the initial growth stage. It also helps to cope with this problem by installing mirrors on the sides of containers with seedlings, reflecting the light falling from the window, they will improve the illumination of the seedlings.

You should very carefully monitor the condition of the soil in pots or other containers. When the top layer has dried, it is necessary to water the plant with water, which should always be prepared in advance. During this time, it manages to get rid of harmful impurities and become equal to the ambient temperature, i.e. become water at room temperature.

At first it is convenient to do this with a tablespoon. A small amount of water will not allow the root system to be exposed. If this still happens, you should immediately add soil.

Seedlings need additional nutrients, despite the fact that the soil was well filled with everything necessary before sowing. This occurs due to the rapid development of plants. You shouldn’t take risks and combine the fertilizer composition yourself.

It is safer and more reliable to purchase a ready-made complex fertilizer for seedlings and use it according to the recommendations on the package. You cannot fertilize cucumbers on dry soil; the roots must be moistened before fertilizing.

Plants grown at home are fertilized twice. The first falls at the time when the second leaf appears on the sprout. The next one is carried out two weeks later, this is almost before planting the seedlings in the ground.

The month allotted for growing cucumber seedlings flies by. It's worth summing up.

The soil for sowing cucumber seeds for seedlings must be fertile, with a neutral reaction to acidity.
It must be prepared and processed in advance, at least two days in advance.
A day before sowing, the container is filled with soil and disinfected with a weak solution of manganese.
Seeds should not be “young”, but have a 3-year shelf life, with mandatory disinfection and hardening.
The seeding depth is 1-1.5 cm.
Germination temperature – 25°C.
Germination time is 2-5 days.
Cucumber seedlings do not tolerate drafts.
It is necessary to maintain air humidity.
Watering without stagnant water in the soil.
Additional lighting during short daylight hours.
Fertilizing for successful development of seedlings.

A cucumber bush ready for planting should have 5-7 well-developed leaves, short internode spaces and a strong root system. Such seedlings will survive transplantation into the ground without much stress.

When and how to plant rassau cucumbers: video

They begin to bear fruit much faster. You now know when to sow seeds for seedlings.

In recent years, planting cucumbers according to the lunar calendar has become increasingly popular among amateur vegetable growers. 2018 was no exception. Despite the fact that these vegetables are unpretentious garden crops, it is possible to obtain a high yield only if the planting and cultivation technology is followed.

Today, the influence of the Moon on living organisms inhabiting our earth has already been proven. Plants and garden crops, including cucumbers, are also under the active influence of the celestial body, and following all the recommendations of the lunar calendar allows you to make agricultural work as efficient as possible.

All plants that produce fruits in the above-ground part must be sown and planted only on the waxing Moon. It is best to sow cucumbers in the first ten days from the new moon or about a couple of days before the new moon. Seeds that are sown a few days before the new moon begin to activate growth processes just at the stage of the waxing Moon, which will help to obtain strong and healthy plants that bear fruit abundantly. But it is strictly forbidden to sow seeds directly on the day of the new moon.

In addition to the lunar phase, the peculiarities of the location of the celestial body in a certain zodiac sign must be taken into account:

The category of very fertile zodiac signs includes Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces and Taurus;
The category of fairly fertile zodiac signs includes Capricorn and Libra;
the category of low-fertility zodiac signs includes Gemini, Virgo and Sagittarius;
the category of infertile zodiac signs includes Leo and Aries;
The completely barren zodiac sign is Aquarius.

How to plant cucumber seeds for seedlings (video)

It should also be taken into account that The location of the Moon in a certain constellation is not favorable for all garden crops:

the constellation Cancer is very well suited for planting low-growing crops;
the constellation Taurus is optimal for planting almost any crops, but especially those intended for long-term storage;
the constellation Libra allows you to plant and replant all garden plants, and even garden crops;
everything can be planted under the constellation Scorpio, but especially those crops whose harvest is intended for long-term storage;
the constellation Capricorn is ideal for sowing before winter;
under the constellation Pisces you need to plant seedlings if there is a need to get the most juicy fruits, but not intended for long-term preservation;
under the constellation Virgo it is allowed to plant unpretentious ornamental plants;
the constellation Sagittarius allows you to sow any fast-growing greens, as well as onions and garlic;

under the constellation Aries you can plant vegetable crops that are not intended for long-term storage;
under the constellation Gemini you can plant any climbing plants;
The constellation Leo allows you to plant exclusively decorative perennials.

Landings in the constellation Aquarius and the new moon are completely excluded. Any agrotechnical measures related to spraying with nutrient solutions, treatment against pests and diseases, as well as the removal of weeds, are recommended to be carried out in the second and fourth lunar phases, especially on those days when the celestial body is in the signs of Aries, Gemini, Leo, Aquarius, and also in the unproductive sign Sagittarius.

Circuit and technology

As a rule, all store-bought seeds are sold ready for sowing and do not require pre-planting preparation. It is important to properly prepare cucumber seeds collected independently for sowing:

To soak cucumber seeds, a damp cloth is used, in which the seed material is kept until the moment of pecking. Water should only cover the surface of the seeds. This method of preparation allows you to speed up the germination process of seed material;

It is very important to carry out pre-sowing hardening, which consists of keeping the soaked seed material for two days on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. After hardening, the seeds should be sown immediately;
You can speed up germination and increase germination rates by bubbling for 24 hours. A container of water and a regular aquarium processor are perfect for this purpose. A gauze bag filled with seeds is placed in the container, which are immediately sown after processing.

The seedling method of cultivating cucumbers has a number of advantages:

obtaining high-quality vitamin products as early as possible;
obtaining a guaranteed harvest in the northern regions and areas with unfavorable soil and climatic conditions;
extension of the period of active fruiting.

The main criterion for proper cultivation of seedlings is to obtain high-quality and strong plants, which have:

fairly powerful and well-developed stems, the height of which does not exceed 25-30 cm;
the stem part should have short internodes;
the leaves should be dense, dark green in color;
the root system must be strong and well developed.

It is important to remember that cucumber seedlings are grown without picking. It is recommended to sow the sprouted seeds in peat-humus pots, which are first filled with light and nutritious soil substrate. You can sow a couple of seeds in each planting container.

Before the emergence of shoots, the air temperature should be 22-28°C. To prevent cucumber seedlings from stretching out, the plants need to be provided with additional lighting and, after the emergence of mass shoots, reduce the temperature in the room to 18-20°C. The scheme for planting finished seedlings in a permanent place may vary depending on the varietal characteristics and growing conditions:

row planting with a distance between rows of a meter and a distance between plants of 18-20 cm;
planting parenocarpic varieties and hybrid forms according to a 0.7x0.7 m scheme;
ribbon planting with a distance between rows of 40 cm and a distance between ribbons of 1.4 m.

The most popular is square-nest cultivation with plants located at a distance of 60-65 cm from each other.

Lunar calendar for planting cucumbers in 2018

In most regions of our country, cucumbers are usually sown as seedlings around mid-April. Earlier sowing provokes the stretching of seedlings, and late sowing does not allow obtaining a full harvest.

Planting cucumbers for seedlings and in the ground according to the 2017 Lunar calendar

Planting cucumbers for seedlings and in the ground according to the 2017 Lunar calendar

Favorable days for sowing cucumbers according to the 2017 Lunar calendar: March 1, 6-7, 29-31; April 9-10, 27-28; May 26-27; June 6-7, 8-9.

When to sow cucumbers according to the 2017 Lunar Sowing Calendar?

Cucumbers are plants native to the tropics, so they love warmth. Cucumber seedlings can be planted in soil with a temperature not lower than +15°C. Without measuring the soil temperature, the time of planting cucumbers can be determined by folk signs or other signs - when the air temperature at night does not drop below +10°C for a week, or when dandelions bloom en masse.

In addition, cucumber varieties are selected based on their growth type and fruit quality.

Planting dates for cucumbers in the middle zone

In Moscow and the Moscow region, cucumbers are sown with sprouted seeds in glass and film greenhouses in mid-May, under temporary film shelters - at the end of May, in open ground - until June 5. Ready seedlings can be planted in open ground after June 10. Or during the same period, film shelters are removed. Unfortunately, in the middle zone the cold may last until mid-June. Considering the general recommendations, it is still better to monitor the weather.

Optimal timing for planting cucumbers in the Leningrad region: sowing for seedlings - late April - early May, seedlings are planted in an unheated film or glass greenhouse on May 20-25, cucumbers are planted under film tunnel shelters on May 20-25. Film covers can be removed from cucumber plantations on June 10-15.

Timing for sowing cucumber seeds for seedlings and in the ground

How to calculate the correct time for sowing cucumbers? The optimal age of seedlings is 25-30 days. High-quality seedlings should be at least 30 cm high, with 3 - 4 leaves. To calculate the start time of fruiting, you need to take into account the early maturity of the variety. According to early ripening, all varieties and hybrids of cucumbers are divided into:

Early ripe cucumbers bloom 32-45 days after sowing.
Mid-season cucumbers bloom at 50-55 days.
Late-ripening cucumbers bloom at 55-70 days.

Planting cucumbers in the Middle Urals

The favorable period for the growth and fruiting of cucumbers in the Urals, where the climate is harsh and rather cold, is very limited: frosts can occur until the first ten days of June, and sometimes until the end of the second ten days of June, and already in the third ten days of August they begin again. Therefore, in the northern regions, cucumbers are grown mainly in greenhouses and very often through seedlings. Seedlings are planted no earlier than the third ten days of May. To quickly warm up the soil in the beds, you can use the following method: immediately after the snow melts, the beds are spilled with warm water and covered with film or lutrasil.

Cucumber seedlings are being planted in the Urals: May 20 in film greenhouses without biofuel, May 1 in film greenhouses with manure. Cucumbers can be sown in open ground on the 20th of May if there is shelter. Cucumbers are planted in the ground before June 10. During the same period, you can plant zucchini and pumpkins. Early ripening varieties of cucumbers (38-45 days after emergence) can be planted in three periods: the first sowing on May 20, the second on June 1-5 and the last sowing on June 15. This will help extend the fruiting period of cucumbers until September.

In the Urals and Siberia for planting cucumbers, it is better to select hybrids with increased resistance to adverse weather factors and diseases. The most productive in the conditions of the Far East are mid-early and mid-ripening varieties of cucumbers, for example, Far Eastern-27 or Erofey selection of the Far Eastern Research Institute of Agriculture. Additionally, to increase the resistance of plants, it is useful to carry out pre-sowing preparation of seeds - hardening.

In the southern regions of Russia and Ukraine Cucumber seeds are sown directly in open ground from mid-April to early May. The optimal time for sowing seedlings is the last days of March.

In the Rostov region cucumber seeds can be sown in open ground at the end of April. During the same period, you can plant seedlings. When sowing cucumbers for seedlings, keep in mind that they do not tolerate transplantation well: it is better to sow cucumbers in separate peat pots.

IN Crimea cucumber seeds are sown in open ground in early May, and ready-made seedlings, aged 25-30 days, are also planted at the same time. Seeds are sown for seedlings in early to mid-March.

If the timing of planting cucumbers in the ground depends on the weather, then when growing cucumbers at home - on a balcony or on a windowsill, cucumbers can be sown much earlier. Step-by-step guide and photos for growing cucumbers at home:

The most favorable lunar days for sowing cucumber seeds and planting cucumber seedlings in the ground in 2017 according to the Lunar calendar:

March 2017: 1, 6-7, 29-31, conditionally favorable: 4-5;
April 2017: 9-10, 27-28, conditionally favorable: 1-2;
May 2017: 26-27, conditionally favorable: 2-3;
June 2017: 8-9, conditionally favorable: 3-4.

Caring for cucumbers according to the 2017 Lunar sowing calendar

Cucumbers require constant attention: they need to be watered, fed, constantly tied up and vines formed.

Watering cucumbers according to the Lunar calendar. Cucumbers need constant watering. Especially during the period of active fruiting, approximately once every three days. With a lack of moisture, cucumbers begin to taste bitter and grow crooked or pear-shaped. But with watering, and even more so with sprinkling, you need to be very careful on dangerous days when the Moon comes under the influence of the sign of Libra and Gemini: March 4-5, 13-14; April 1, 9-11; May 7-8, 16-17; June 4-5, 3-4, 29-30; July 1, 10-11, 29-30; August 16, 25-26.

Fertilizing, mulching and weeding. Feed cucumbers 5-6 times during the entire growth period. Feed the first time when the second true leaf appears, the second time at the beginning of flowering; the third, fourth and fifth - during the period of ovary formation and fruiting, with a frequency of once every 2 weeks.

The most favorable days for fertilizing according to the 2017 Lunar sowing calendar: March 4-5, 9, 13-16, 18-21, 23-28; April 12-13, 22-23; May 19-23; June 8-9; 2-5, 20-21, 24 July; August 3-4, 9-12.

You cannot feed cucumbers: March 21-22; April 17-18; May 14-15; June 10-12; July 8-9 and August 4-5.

It is useful to mulch all plantings on April 12-13, 17-18; May 9-10, 12-13; June 28-29; July 25-26, 29-30; 8, 17-18, 29-30 August 2017. Weeding will be very effective on these days. After weeding, the soil can be mulched with mowed lawn grass, sawdust or humus.

Forming cucumbers. To form cucumbers, it is better to choose days on the waning Moon in Taurus (May 23-24, June 20-21, July 17-18) or on the waning Moon in Aquarius (April 19-20, May 16-17, June 13-14, 10 -July 11).

Spraying against diseases and pests cucumbers will give the greatest result if it is carried out: March 2-3, 8-9, 18-21, 23-24, 29-30; April 24-25; May 16-17, 21-22, 30-31; June 3-4, 18-19, 21-22; July 4-5, 10-11, 20-21, 27-28; August 15-18, 29-30, 2017.

Cucumbers begin to taste bitter and grow crooked or in the shape of a light bulb if there is not enough watering.

When is the best time to harvest cucumbers according to the 2017 Lunar calendar?

For harvesting cucumbers for canning, it is better to choose: July 6-7, 12-15; 9-10, 27-28 August 2017. Cucumbers collected on July 9-10 and August 3-4, 2017 are only suitable for the “table”; they are not suitable for long-term storage.

Planting and harvesting cucumbers according to the Folk Calendar

May 19 (May 6, old style) - Job Goroshnik- the first cucumber day of the year. On this day, cucumbers are planted in the beds: “If there is a lot of dew on Job, the day is clear, and the night is warm, there will be a big harvest, but if the night is cold, it will not be a cucumber year.”

May 27 (May 14, old style) - Sidor-Borage or Sidor-Bokogrey: “If the day on Sidor is clear, expect a good harvest of cucumbers. If the weather is cold, then the whole summer is expected to be cold.”

June 1 (May 19, old style) Ivan Dolgiy. P They continue to plant cucumbers. If it rains on Ivan the Long, then the whole month promises to be dry.

June 2 (May 20, old style) Falale borage or Timofey Gryadochnik. They continue to plant cucumbers in the beds. But in the Northern regions they are just starting to plant cucumbers on Timofey: “Timofey has come - bring the cucumbers quickly.” There is also a sign: if it rains in the first two days of June, the whole month will be dry.

June 5 (May 23, old style) Levon Ogurechnik, Levon Konoplyanik- Last date for planting cucumbers. On Levon (Leonty) it was customary to plant cucumbers for pickling, because cucumbers planted at this time, according to popular belief, are the crunchiest, strongest and sweetest. There is an interesting cucumber sign: the first bed of cucumbers must be sown secretly, then the harvest will be great!

August 17 (August 4, old style) - Avdotya Malinovka, Ogurechnitsa, Senognoika. By this time, the last harvest was ripening in the beds. Now, with greenhouses and tunnel shelters, the cucumber season can be extended until September.

We can say that growing cucumbers is a simple matter, but if you follow a number of rules, planting cucumbers can be done not only in open ground, but also in greenhouses, greenhouses or even on a windowsill. But, of course, if you do not perform at least the minimum set of necessary actions, you will not be able to get a decent harvest that would please you with its abundance. The main thing that a novice summer resident and gardener needs to know is this.

Dates for planting cucumber seedlings in 2017.

Seedlings grown in advance will help you get the result you expected. Of course, in early spring, planting in open ground is impossible, since the soil has not yet warmed up enough, so it’s time to plant the seeds in special pots or peat tablets. It is necessary to observe the correct temperature conditions, and it is in such conditions that cucumber seedlings will germinate quite quickly, in about 14-16 days.

But, to plant cucumbers in open ground conditions, you need strong cucumber seedlings. To achieve this, you need to soak the cucumber seeds in a saline solution before planting. If you bought the planting material in special branded bags, then there is no need to disinfect the seeds, otherwise, they need to be dipped in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Now the cucumber seeds are ready for planting as seedlings. Planting seedlings in open ground begins no earlier than May 12-16.

When to plant cucumbers for seedlings in 2017 according to the lunar calendar

But before planting, you must, of course, check your plans with the weather forecast, then prepare the beds, and only after that plant the cucumbers.

Cucumbers are planted in open ground in two types of beds:

Vertical beds: such beds are used when growing tall cucumbers. A distinctive feature of such beds will be special supports that will help the seedlings develop correctly.

Horizontal beds: quite ordinary beds, slightly rounded. Plant seedlings of cucumbers at a small distance from each other.

Preparing beds for planting cucumbers in open ground.

Before planting, a few days before, carry out this simple but effective procedure: just boil water in a kettle and pour it over the beds without cooling it, and after that immediately cover the bed with plastic wrap. Why is this necessary? Yes, just to destroy pests that remained in the ground after wintering. The best predecessor for cucumbers is onions.

Planting cucumber seedlings in open ground should be done with seedlings that are not overripe, otherwise such seedlings will not germinate well. Do not damage the roots of the planting material, because young cucumber shoots are very fragile, so you must understand that you will need to act extremely carefully.

How to get a good harvest of cucumbers in 2017?

We offer you some effective tips that will definitely help you grow an excellent harvest of cucumbers.

By helping new branches produce shoots and leaves, you can get more inflorescences, and therefore more cucumbers, from one plant. How to do it? It’s very simple, after 3 pairs of leaves appear, cover them with soil, up to the first leaf, and fill them with water, after which a root appears, strengthening the entire vine.
For indeterminate varieties, it is important to carry out the pinching procedure; after this procedure, the number of shoots will increase.
Loosening the soil after watering is a necessary procedure.
A timely harvest will pave the way for new shoots to appear.
Water your cucumbers generously to ensure a good harvest.

Planting cucumbers for seedlings, rules, video:

There are 2 ways to plant cucumbers. The first is sowing seeds in the ground, the second is. How to sow seeds in the ground correctly? Let's take a closer look at the process.

First, you need to choose the right time for planting. Many people believe that they need to be planted very early, back in April. But this is wrong, because the cucumber loves warmth very much, and if it is planted in soil that is not yet warmed up, then flowers will appear, but there may be no ovaries or fruits. Then, as a rule, at an average temperature, the earth is already sufficiently warmed up.
The place to plant the vegetable is also of great importance. The bed must be well prepared. Excellent predecessors to cucumber are tomatoes, peppers, onions and cabbage. You should not plant cucumbers in the same place for several years in a row.

It is recommended to sow vegetables in a very interesting way - in trenches. To do this, you need to mark the lines of future trenches in the garden bed. Then, along these lines, we begin to dig with a shovel, laying out the earth from the sides. You need to dig deep enough, along the entire length, going about 10-15 centimeters deep.

Very important! If, when preparing a site for planting (when digging), white caterpillars twisted into a ring are found in the ground, then these are the larvae of the cockchafer. It is necessary, if possible, to carefully inspect the area and remove all pests. The presented larvae eat everything they can, including cucumber seeds.

How to plant cucumber seeds for seedlings (video)

A little about the soil!. It shouldn't be too sour. It's no secret that all plants love fertile, loose soil, including cucumbers. He loves organic fertilizers, and not even humus, as is commonly thought, but manure. After all the holes have been dug, you need to take manure and pour it generously into the trenches. If it's not crumbly, it's okay.
It is good if the weather is sunny during planting. It is most favorable for cucumber. It is better to plant seedlings in the evening.

After carrying out the work, it is necessary to cover the soil with a thin layer of manure. Then we pour water into each trench 1-2 times very generously. Afterwards, the cucumbers are covered with film to minimize moisture evaporation.

Next, we place the seeds in the trench, following the pattern: the distance between plants should reach 20-30 centimeters. We level the trench, cover the seeds with soil, and pat down a little, compacting the soil. Cucumbers love condensation, so you need to wait a while, then water the bed generously with a watering can and install the arches. Stretch a film over these arcs, preferably thicker (150 - 200 microns) and wait until shoots appear.

How to properly grow cucumber seedlings

Today, many summer residents choose to grow cucumbers not with seeds, but with seedlings. This way you can get the first harvest in the spring. The first mass harvest of cucumbers is possible at the end of March. For winter growing in a greenhouse, even with good artificial lighting, shade-tolerant hybrids are mainly used.

In pots filled with planting soil consisting of garden soil and rotted manure or humus in a ratio of 3:1. Before planting seeds, the prepared soil is well watered with hot water and fed with complex fertilizers. With this soil preparation, the seeds germinate within a day or two after sowing.

Cucumbers love heat very much, so the optimal temperature for germination should not be below +18°C; at low temperatures, the seeds may not germinate or the seedlings will grow very slowly, increasing the time for fruiting to begin.

Seedlings with formed ovaries are planted for further growth in low, which are made of stabilized film that retains ultraviolet radiation. In such greenhouses it is easiest to maintain the optimal temperature; the plant receives sufficient sunlight and does not stretch out.

Along the entire length of the greenhouse, trenches up to 50 cm deep are dug with a bayonet shovel, which are laid with film and covered with the husks of any cereals. This mixture is compacted tightly and serves to retain heat inside the greenhouse. Row spacing is set at an optimal width of 90 centimeters.

Ten days before transplanting the seedlings into the greenhouse, the husks are generously watered with warm water and urea, covered with a mixture of garden soil, ash and humus; Cover with thick black film for good heating.

A week before planting the seedlings, cross-shaped holes are made in the film approximately every 50 centimeters, which are repeatedly shed with warm water and a nutrient solution.

After the bushes are rooted and their initial growth, trellises are installed along each row of plants on which the cucumber vines will be attached. In greenhouses, a stove with a hot water boiler is installed, from which pipes are stretched along the entire perimeter; Water for irrigation is also taken from here. Electric lighting is turned on only on cloudy days - in spring there is already enough daylight.

Important! If a decision has been made to plant seedlings rather than seeds in the greenhouse, the holes in the beds should be made of such a size that they can accommodate cups. If the cup is made of peat humus, then we place it in the ground and dig it in with earth. If not, then carefully pull out the plant so as not to damage the root system.

Planting cucumber seedlings in the ground (video)

Cucumber, unlike other plants, has very sensitive roots. You can sprinkle special “Kornevin” powder (a stimulator of root formation) into the hole and onto the earthen ball. This will provide an additional guarantee of the survival rate of the cucumber. You need to water the plant at the root using a ladle.

Lunar calendar for planting cucumbers for 2019: favorable and unfavorable days by month

It's no secret that there are favorable days for planting vegetables and unfavorable ones. A special lunar calendar will help you find out about them, which reflects when you can work with the plant.

Planting cucumbers during favorable periods will allow you to get a good harvest. On unfavorable days, on the contrary, you should not carry out any work with the crop.

The lunar calendar is an excellent way to determine the most suitable period for working at your summer cottage. Depending on what stage the moon is in, you can carry out various activities: weeding, fertilizing or harvesting.

The waxing moon has a positive effect on crop development; it is not recommended to plant plants on the waning moon. There is a time when it is strictly forbidden to plant cucumbers. These days fall on the location of the moon in such zodiac signs as Libra, Aquarius, Gemini, Leo. During this period, the moon can influence the germination of seeds.

The most optimal days are the following:

March: 2-3, 6-7, 29-30 (in the first ten days of March it is worth sowing seedlings only in the southern regions or for growing cucumbers in greenhouses);
April: 1-3, 11-13;
May: 2, 9, 10.

Favorable days for planting cucumbers in open ground in 2017 according to the lunar calendar

The end of spring and June are optimal for sowing cucumbers in a summer cottage. The most suitable days for planting cucumber seeds are the following dates:

May: 21, 26-28;
June: 8, 9.

It is advisable to devote these days to planting seeds directly in open ground. Read about it in a separate article.

Unfavorable days

By turning to the lunar calendar for help, it is possible to determine unfavorable days for planting. It is recommended to avoid this time and it is advisable to postpone work related to planting to a later period. Unfortunately, the lunar calendar often does not coincide with the gardener’s personal calendar, and you may not find time to plant a plant in the allotted period. However, there are days that are definitely better to avoid so as not to harm the harvest.

They fall on the following numbers:

March: 4, 5, 25, 26, 31;
April: 10, 21, 22, 26, 29.
May: 20, 24, 29.

When to plant seedlings in the ground

To start planting cucumber seedlings in open ground, it is necessary to observe the appropriate sowing dates. The best time is April-May. The appropriate timing depends on many factors:

depending on the crop variety;
seed germination;
climatic conditions;
selected area;
soil fertility.

Seedlings are planted in open ground, provided that the night temperature is within +5 degrees. On average this occurs in the month of April.

The timing of sowing must be given special attention. If planted early, the seedlings may become very elongated and weakened. Late planting is also undesirable; the seedlings will not have time to gain strength by the right time.

Seedlings should be planted in the ground after several true leaves have formed.
Also, the sowing time can be determined by folk signs: when dandelions are in mass flowering.

Care after landing

In order to obtain a high yield of cucumbers, you need to be careful about growing the crop. The basic care of crops is as follows: watering, fertilizing, tying, forming a vine, pest and disease control.

Watering

The crop prefers constant watering; it must be carried out in a timely and efficient manner.
A special need for moisture manifests itself during the period of active fruiting. During this period, watering must be carried out daily. If the soil is not sufficiently moistened, the cucumbers will taste bitter and grow disproportionately.

However, you also need to be careful with watering. There are days when the Moon comes under the influence of zodiac signs such as Libra and Gemini. During this period, it is recommended to avoid watering.

Favorable days for feeding cucumbers

During the entire period of development, cucumbers need fertilizing approximately 5 times. For the first time, fertilizing is carried out when several true leaves are formed. The second is necessary during the flowering period. Subsequent feeding is needed during the formation of ovaries and mass fruiting. The frequency of fertilizing is once every two weeks.

The most optimal days for this event:

March: 19-21, 23-28;
April: 12, 13, 19-23;
June: 8, 9;
July: 3-5, 21, 24;
August: 3-4, 12.

Planted cucumbers must be mulched. This procedure is carried out after weeding. Ideal mulches include: mown grass, sawdust, and humus.

Weeding also plays an important role in crop care. It consists of destroying weeds.

Forming cucumbers

To hold this event, you should choose a period when the moon is waning. According to the calendar, this falls on the following dates:

April:19-20 ;
May: 16-17, 23-24;
June: 13-14, 20-21;
July:10,11,17.

Disease and pest control

In order for the harvest to be of high quality, it is necessary to combat diseases and pests in a timely manner. The best results from spraying can be obtained if the activities are carried out at the optimal time.

A rich harvest can be obtained if you adhere to the appropriate technology for cultivating the crop and carry out further care measures in a timely manner. In order for all caring procedures to bring maximum benefit, you should seek help from the lunar calendar. This will increase the crop yield several times, and, accordingly, reap a higher yield.

Spring is in full swing - it's time to switch to a summer menu that is rich in vegetables and herbs. It is almost impossible to imagine a summer meal without green, crispy, tasty and very healthy cucumbers.

Buying cucumbers during the season will not be difficult, but it will be much more pleasant to grow it with your own hands and serve aromatic and tasty vegetables on the table directly from the garden.

Growing cucumbers at home is not that difficult if you follow basic recommendations. But in order for a vegetable crop to produce a stable and large harvest, it is first necessary to select good cucumber seeds, then prepare them for sowing and grow the right seedlings.

Sputnik Georgia asked when to plant cucumber seedlings in 2017, including according to the lunar calendar, in order to get a high-quality harvest.

Landing dates

Planting garden crops, including cucumbers, for seedlings in each region begins at different times. Therefore, when planting seeds for seedlings, it is worth taking into account the variety of cucumbers, the climate of your region, and where the seedlings will be transplanted in the future - into a “greenhouse” or open ground.

To ensure that the seedlings are strong but not overgrown before transplanting to a permanent place of residence, it is important to choose the right time and favorable days for sowing.

The timing of sowing will directly depend on the date of planting the seedlings in a permanent place. On average, cucumber seedlings are ready for transplanting 25-35 days after planting, when the sprouts have two or three leaves.

Remember, the timing of planting cucumber seedlings is very important, since if you miss it, the plants will most likely take root poorly and will not produce any harvest.

In areas with a temperate climate, cucumber seeds are planted as seedlings in separate containers in early May, with the expectation that by the time the plants are planted, the soil has uniformly warmed up to at least 13-15 degrees at night.

According to the lunar calendar of 2017, the favorable days for planting cucumbers for seedlings are May 4, 15, 19, 24, 21 and 30.

Cucumber seeds are planted at a depth of about one centimeter - one per seedling container if they are germinated, and two if they are dry. Then the ground is lightly sprayed with water.

Plastic bags are placed on the cups and before the first shoots form, they are transferred to a warm place where the temperature is within 25-28 degrees. For example, you can turn on the electric heater.

When transplanting from one container to another, the roots of seedlings are often damaged, so transplants are not advisable, therefore, the timing of planting seedlings should be optimally calculated.

About a week before transplanting cucumber seedlings into open ground, they need to be hardened off - lower the temperature, take them out to the balcony, but do not place them in direct sunlight.

Don’t forget that cucumbers are very heat-loving, so if you want to grow large yields of cucumbers, after planting the seedlings, be sure to cover the beds with polyethylene or a special covering material at night and on cool days.

You must also remember that cucumbers are a vegetable that cannot do without a sufficient amount of moisture, so you should immediately organize proper and timely watering. Without enough water, cucumbers can be bitter!

Story

Cucumbers are an ancient vegetable crop that appeared more than six thousand years ago. Cucumbers are native to the tropical and subtropical regions of India and China, where this vegetable still grows in natural conditions.

The cucumber was brought to Europe thanks to the conquests of Southeast Asia by the ancient Greeks. The Greeks called the cucumber "aoros", which translates as "unripe", because the fruits were eaten unripe.

The ancient Chinese, Romans, Egyptians, and Greeks enjoyed using cucumbers as food. The Roman Emperor Tiberius demanded that he always be served fresh cucumbers for dinner. In those distant times there were no greenhouses, so boxes with cucumber seedlings were placed on wheels that were turned towards the sun.

In France, cucumbers began to be grown around the 8th century, and a little later in Germany and Spain. In Russia, cucumbers began to be grown about 500 years ago.

It is unknown when the cucumber appeared in Georgia, but to this day it is happily grown in the country and aromatic and juicy vegetables are served on the table all year round.

Beneficial features

Cucumber is the most dietary of all foods - it consists of 95-98% water, which means it contains a minimum of calories. The remaining percentage in the cucumber is a source of valuable alkaline salts, which can slow down the aging process and the formation of kidney and liver stones.

Cucumbers also contain a lot of fiber, so they improve intestinal motility and also cleanse the walls of blood vessels from excess cholesterol. This vegetable is rich in various vitamins - cucumber contains sugar, protein, vitamins B1 and B2, C, carotene, manganese, zinc, copper and so on.

Cucumbers are excellent at removing excess fluid due to their high potassium content, removing swelling, lowering blood pressure, and having a mild laxative effect.

Due to its low calorie content, cucumber is an ideal product for those who want to lose weight. Cucumber seeds also have medicinal properties, which remove excess cholesterol from the body.

Cucumber juice contains many mineral salts, as well as calcium, phosphorus and sodium. It has a healing and rejuvenating effect on the body and skin, improves memory, strengthens the cardiovascular system, helps maintain healthy teeth and gums, and also gives freshness and maintains skin tone.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.