Content
Use in cultivation cucumber seedlings is a widespread method used in almost all regions of Russia to increase the yield of the vegetable beloved by the people. Naturally, to successfully use it, you need to know the main components of this method, which are quite simple, but following them will significantly increase efficiency. One of the most important points is the preliminary preparation of cucumber seeds.
Advantages of using seedlings
Considering that a significant part of the regions of Russia is located in the zone of so-called risky farming, using seedlings for growing cucumbers is one of the opportunities to maximize crop yields. This method provides a number of valuable advantages when used:
- the possibility of obtaining the first fruits much earlier than when planting seeds directly in the ground;
- for the northernmost regions, using seedlings is, in fact, the only way to count on a guaranteed and stable harvest of cucumbers;
- Thanks to the earlier start of harvesting, it maximizes the total fruiting time of the crop.
Selection for planting seedlings
First of all, you should pay attention to the conditions under which the storage was carried out. Under the right conditions (room temperature should not exceed +15 degrees, and the humidity level should be between 50-60%), ordinary cucumber seeds can successfully retain all their properties for 8 or even 10 years.
But the most productive, as a rule, are cucumber seeds that are 3-4 years old.
Also, when selecting seeds for planting, collected independently, two more features must be taken into account:
- the seeds of ordinary varietal cucumbers are usually not used the year after harvest, as this results in a decrease in yield;
- when collecting seeds of hybrids, the likelihood of obtaining cucumbers with similar characteristics is even less.
In the case of using purchased products produced in serious and well-known seed farms, there are no problems with selection, since it has already been produced.
Methods of preparation for sowing seedlings
There are several basic methods for preparing cucumber seeds for sowing as seedlings, which can be easily done at home. In principle, they are not much different from preparing for planting in open ground. For some of the methods described below, there is no consensus among experts, who have different assessments of their usefulness or even uselessness. But it takes years to establish scientific truth, but it is necessary to sow cucumbers and harvest right now. The main thing is that if done correctly, no harm will be caused, so it is not entirely logical to refuse to use even controversial preparation methods.
Details on how to prepare cucumber seeds for sowing are described in the video:
Soak
Cucumber seeds, prepared for planting as seedlings, are wrapped in a fabric that absorbs water well, which is soaked and left at room or slightly higher (25-28 degrees) temperature. As a result of these actions, scientifically called removing the seeds from dormancy, they should hatch. Please note that there should not be too much water so as not to block the air supply.
You should know that many hybrids are treated with fairly strong pesticides for the purpose of disinfection, so soaking them can lead to the fact that the sprout will experience the effects of these poisons. Therefore, when purchasing hybrid seeds, it is better not to soak them.
Pre-sowing hardening
One of the controversial methods of preparing seedlings, there is still no consensus on the benefits of which among specialists and gardeners. It involves placing the fabric with seeds in a refrigerator at a temperature of minus 2 to 0 degrees for two days. In this case, two conditions must be met:
- cucumber seeds should not be sprouted, as exposure to such temperatures will simply kill them;
- It is necessary that the fabric remains damp at all times.
Bubbling
Sparging is the process of treating seeds in water in which the oxygen content is increased. Typically used for 6-8 year old seeds. To carry out the treatment, a regular aquarium processor is placed in the jar, used to saturate the water with oxygen. Seeds placed in moisture-permeable fabric or gauze are also dropped there. Processing time is approximately 18 hours. The result bubbling is to increase the rate of seed germination.As noted earlier when describing soaking, when using purchased hybrids, the method is not safe.
Disinfection
And here a caveat is necessary that this method, like soaking, does not make sense to use for hybrid seeds produced by serious seed farms, since this type of seed preparation has already been carried out there.
Disinfection can be done in two possible ways:
- chemical. The most commonly used treatment is a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 100 ml of water) for 15-20 minutes. It is imperative to follow the recommended concentration of the solution, since exceeding it will have a very negative effect on the seeds. You can also use special drugs, for example “Maxim”, strictly following the instructions for their use and the dosages indicated in them;
- thermal. Thermal methods are not used at home, but you can use a modern version of it - treatment with ultraviolet rays. Quite compact and fairly affordable devices for such processing are commercially available. Irradiation time ranges from 1 to 5 minutes. After processing, the seeds should be placed in a photo paper bag to prevent premature (before planting) contact with light.
Soaking in nutrient solutions
This type of seed preparation method involves placing them in some nutrient medium. Numerous mineral or organic fertilizers and other similar substances can act as such a medium. One of the popular compositions is considered to be a solution of tree resin, which contains a large amount of microelements beneficial to seeds.The nutrient solution is prepared by dissolving 2 tablespoons in 1 liter of plain water and then infusing for 2 days. Seeds are placed in the resulting solution for 3 hours. Then they need to be taken out and dried.
It should be borne in mind that the seeds are processed in the dormant stage, so the processes of absorption and assimilation of any substances coming from the outside are slowed down. Therefore, you should not expect too fantastic an effect from such methods.
Conclusion
The use of seedlings as a method of making such a heat-loving crop as cucumber more accessible in many regions of Russia cannot be underestimated. And taking measures to prepare seeds for sowing seedlings will further increase the efficiency of growing cucumbers, as well as the yield and fruiting period of your favorite vegetable.
