2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
The quality of the planting material largely determines the success of the future harvest. And it doesn't matter if you grow cucumbers in a greenhouse, open field or indoor conditions - in any case, you need to know how to determine the quality of seeds and, if necessary, improve it
Preparing cucumber seeds for sowing at room conditions
The shelf life of seeds of various vegetable crops ranges from 1 to 10 years. For cucumbers, this figure is 6 years on average. But this does not mean that the fresher the seeds, the better the harvest will be. In particular, it is better to choose the seeds of cucumbers 2-3 years old. It is noticed that such forms a greater number of female flowers, due to which the number of cucumbers is approximately one and a half times more than from annuals. In addition, the harvest from such seeds ripens 7-10 days earlier.
When only annual seeds are available, some manipulation must be carried out with them before sowing. Preparation can be done in different ways:
• leave the seeds for 3 hours on the stove or heating radiators;
• one month before the intended sowing, keep the seed in a dry room at a temperature of + 20 ° C.
To accelerate seed germination and increase the percentage of seedling emergence, it is recommended to carry out seed scarification. For these purposes, you can use ordinary starch. The seed is placed in a tin container, which is closed with a lid, and a spoonful of starch is added to it. Now you need to shake this jar so that the seed shell is well polished.
The benefit of this treatment is also that it helps prevent the development of downy mildew. The causative agents of the disease in a dormant state until a convenient moment nest on the seeds. And together with the removed film, the seed is cleared of disease-causing spores.
The final stage in preparing cucumber seeds for sowing at room conditions is dressing. This can be done in a solution of potassium permanganate, boric acid, copper sulfate.
Caring for crops of cucumbers at room conditions
Sowing will be more successful if the seeds are germinated first. For this, the seed is laid out on a damp cloth at a temperature of about + 24 ° C. Naked specimens can be sown immediately to a permanent place. But when it is planned to grow a large number of cucumbers, in order to save space in the apartment, it is better to use containers for seedlings.
Sowing is carried out to a depth of no more than 2 cm. Until the shoots appear on the surface of the soil, the containers can be left in a dark place in a warm place. During this period, the thermometer should remain within + 22 … + 24 ° С. When the seedlings appear, the conditions of detention are changed - the pots are transferred to the light, and the temperature is lowered to + 15 ° C. It is acceptable if the apartment is + 18 ° С.
Caring for young plants consists of regular watering. Irrigation water must not be taken directly from the tap. First of all, tap water must be allowed to stand for at least a day in order for chlorine to evaporate from the liquid. In addition, the water should be moderately warm. The optimum temperature for irrigation will be approximately + 25 … + 30 ° С.
It is also useful to take melt water for these purposes. Ice or snow must be thawed naturally, and then also brought to the required temperature. To do this, you can leave a container of water near the heating radiator.
A common problem when growing cucumbers from seeds in indoor conditions is the high dryness of the air. Dealing with this problem is not difficult. For this, spraying with water is carried out around the plantings from a spray bottle. You can spread damp towels on the batteries. Also for these purposes, a humidifier is installed in the room.
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