Content
Should I sow seeds in open ground or plant seedlings first? What is the time frame for sowing seeds in open and closed ground? These and other questions are most often asked by novice gardeners on the Internet and to their experienced neighbors in the country. These questions are actually not that difficult; we will try to answer them in detail.
When is the best time to sow cucumbers?
To get a harvest of cucumbers, like any other crop, you need to put in a huge amount of effort. But how nice it is to pick green cucumbers from your own garden and be confident in their quality. A rich harvest will allow you to pickle or marinate part of the harvest.
Russians especially love cucumber. It is believed that this is the number one vegetable on our table. We eat it in its unripe form. In addition to its pleasant taste, cucumber is watery, is not stored as fat in our body and is quite healthy. Many people dream of growing their own crop of cucumbers, but not everyone knows how to do it. The timing of sowing seeds in the ground worries most beginners.
According to your region of residence
Since the territory of Russia is huge, it is impossible to talk about any average timing for planting seeds in open ground. There are certain conditions under which this can be done.Over the vast territory of the country, it is impossible to plant cucumber seeds in open ground and obtain seedlings, which is justified by climate conditions.
Cucumbers are a crop brought to Russia from the tropics. They like:
- warm;
- sunlight;
- watering with warm water;
- fertile loose soils;
- wet air.
In Russia, such conditions can be obtained in a natural form only when growing cucumbers in the south, and in coastal areas. There you don’t have to worry about creating film shelters; all conditions are favorable for cucumbers. Geographically it is:
- Krasnodar region;
- Crimea;
- Stavropol region;
- part of the Rostov region.
Successfully growing cucumber seedlings when planting in open ground and in the Astrakhan region, Voronezh, Belgorod, Volgograd, in the Urals and the Far East. Of course, for this to happen certain conditions must be met. In general, the sowing time for cucumbers is late. This crop cannot withstand frost and does not tolerate temperature changes. The sowing time for cucumbers throughout Russia is as follows:
- for the south these are the first days of May;
- for the middle zone It is advisable to plant seeds in open ground only at the end of May;
- in the Urals and in some northern regions the deadlines are pushed back to the beginning of June.
What about those who are deprived of the joy of planting cucumber seeds in open ground? There are many such gardeners in our country. There is a way out for them:
- grow seedlings at home, and then, when it gets warmer, transplant them into a film greenhouse;
- those who live in the northern regions will have to plant the seedlings in a heated greenhouse.
True, both of these methods are associated with difficulties in growing seedlings (watering and maintaining high humidity conditions).
Folk signs
In Russia, the cucumber has been known since the 16th century.Since then, it has spread everywhere and is loved. During this time, people collected signs that made it possible to obtain high-quality seedlings if they were followed.
We have collected all the important days folk calendar related to cucumber seedlings into a single table.
date | Sign |
|---|---|
May 19 | The first day of planting seed in open ground or for seedlings (Job the Long-Suffering) |
May 27 | It was customary to sow only if it was not cold and rainy on that day (of the martyr Isidore). With clear weather, a good harvest was expected. |
June 1-2 | During these days, seedlings and cucumber seeds continued to be planted, since the period was limited. |
June 5 | The last day of planting seedlings, later sowing could leave the gardener without a harvest, which did not have time to ripen by August. |
August 17 | The end of the cucumber season (Evdokia ogureshnitsa), on this day the last harvest was harvested. |
Of course, today our breeders have successfully bred hybrids, and to get seedlings, it is enough to follow some rules for growing in open ground. Hybrids are resistant to small temperature changes, diseases and viruses, which will have a beneficial effect on seedlings. All this information is contained on the packaging. Some craftsmen today harvest even at the beginning of September, when the nights are already quite cold.
It is impossible not to say a few words about the lunar calendar. Summer residents use it very often.
Moon calendar
The dependence of plant growth on the phases of our planet’s satellite has been known for a long time. This theory is not subject to much doubt, and a new calendar is published every year with favorable dates for growing seeds for seedlings.
The basic rules that apply to the lunar sowing calendar state that seedlings cannot be planted:
- on days of solar and lunar eclipses;
- during the new moon and full moon;
- when the Moon moves from one constellation to another;
- when our natural satellite is in the sign of Aquarius and Leo.
As we know, the Moon does have some influence on the gravitational effects that occur on Earth. An example of this is the ebb and flow of tides.
Having familiarized ourselves with the timing of planting cucumbers in open ground, we will understand the sowing rules.
Planting cucumbers in open ground
Open ground implies natural growing conditions:
- outside greenhouses;
- outside film shelters.
Planting is carried out by seeds under certain conditions. Since cucumbers are quite capricious, these conditions must be observed carefully.
Conditions for growing in soil
To grow good seedlings and get a rich harvest, you need to spend a lot of effort and energy. But so that your efforts are not in vain, you should strictly follow all the instructions described below. So, cucumbers like:
- warm;
- light;
- air humidity;
- the nobility of soil or soil.
Speaking of heat, it is worth noting that seedlings even need to be watered only with warm water. Cucumber grows well in open ground near large bodies of water. There is no need to plant the plant in the shade; on the contrary, the more sunlight the seedlings receive, the better.
It is equally important to use good quality seeds. This can be purchased or self-selected seed. Careful selection is necessary in both cases.
- If you buy seeds in a store, give preference to well-known manufacturers.Their seed is hardened and treated against most diseases; they guarantee that the seedlings will be resilient. Moreover, today breeders have developed a huge number of cucumber hybrids that bear fruit abundantly and for a long time, the seedlings are not susceptible to viruses and fungi, and produce an early harvest. The choice is huge. Gardeners know that with purchased material there will be fewer problems.
- If you select the seeds yourself, remember that cucumbers will bear fruit best if the seeds have been kept cool for 3-4 years. Selected cucumber seeds are in a special shell, which under natural conditions prevents rotting in the soil. Before planting, seeds are selected, processed and hardened. Then you can expect good seedlings from them.
Preparation of seed material
The preparatory process consists of three stages:
- final selection;
- treatment;
- hardening.
There are a lot of hybrids today, the cost of which exceeds the price of varietal species. This is due to the difficulty of obtaining them: the crossing process occurs manually in closed protected ground.
Let's return to the issue of preparation before sowing. Let's look at each stage separately.
- The seeds are taken out and laid out on the table. Pour water at room temperature into a glass and dissolve a spoonful of table salt in it. Now add the seeds into the glass and wait a few minutes. The good ones will sink to the bottom, and the dummies will float to the surface. All that float up can be thrown away.
- Now let's move on to processing. It is carried out in different ways, using all kinds of purchased solutions. To obtain disease-resistant seedlings, this process is necessary. The easiest way is to soak cucumber seed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- After this, you need to move on to hardening. To do this, the seeds are placed in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours. The seedlings will be resistant to temperature changes.
When the preparation work is done, you can proceed to sowing.
Sowing cucumbers
Usually sowing begins in May and ends in early June. This is the optimal time. When the nights are warm, healthy seedlings can be obtained within a couple of weeks. Shoots should be friendly.
Preliminary germination is carried out. It is necessary to ensure that any mistakes by the gardener do not lead to rotting of the seed in the open ground. To do this, place it in a damp cloth (napkin or just cover it a little with water, but not completely) and wait for sprouts.
Open ground is an environment in which the balance of heat and water is very important for cucumbers and the health of seedlings. If the temperature drops, which is typical for most regions, a swamp created in cucumber beds will have a detrimental effect. Plants may die.
Sowing in the ground is done as follows:
- cucumber seeds are placed in open ground to a depth of 2-3 centimeters;
- seedlings are not picked; replanting is also detrimental to cucumbers;
- You can plant five cucumber bushes per square meter, but no more than seven, otherwise they will be crowded.
The video shows a simple way to sow cucumbers in open ground.
Basic mistakes
If you have experience in sowing cucumbers in open ground, you can do this without germination. It is important to have a good feel for what is necessary for the health of the seedlings.
The sowing date is not chosen in advance, but based on the prevailing conditions. This is convenient to do with hybrids, since they bear fruit for a long time even in bad weather conditions.Seedlings from them are especially resistant compared to varietal cucumbers.
Among the main mistakes gardeners make are incorrect selection, planting cucumbers in the shade, and ignoring the sowing time.
Cucumbers are very demanding on soil fertility, so root feeding and the addition of organic matter during flowering and fruiting are perfect for them. Mineral fertilizers are also added to the soil in the required proportions in advance. All this will have a beneficial effect on future seedlings.
One more piece of advice before sowing in open ground: follow the instructions on the package, which also indicate the deadline. This will allow you to get persistent cucumber seedlings and a rich harvest.
