How to properly plant cucumbers in open ground with seeds
Planting cucumbers in open ground can be carried out using seeds or in a seedless way. Whichever option you choose, there are certain step-by-step rules. The site must be chosen with sufficient light access, protected from through winds.
Basic requirements for growing
To avoid many problems and make your work easier, you need to know some of the nuances that relate to the cultivation of cucumbers.
You can plant cucumbers in the place where tomatoes, cabbage, peas, potatoes used to grow. For at least three years, you cannot plant where carrots, beans and melons were previously grown.
The timing of planting cucumbers in the ground depends on many factors. The most basic is how the planting will be carried out: by seeds or seedlings. Another, no less important factor is considered to be the peculiarities of climatic conditions. Cucumbers need light, warmth, and adequate moisture.
The last date for planting cucumbers in the ground with seeds is approximately around 11 June. At a later date, experienced vegetable growers recommend planting sprouted seeds. If cucumber seedlings are planted in open ground, protected with a film, the dates are in early May. Without a film and other shelters on the ground, the dates must be shifted until the end of May.
The vegetable culture belongs to heat-loving plants, therefore they are planted when the ground warms up well. The favorable soil temperature should be 16 degrees. In this case, it is worth providing shade when the air temperature exceeds 27 degrees.
Since autumn, the land plot for cucumbers needs to be dug up and fertilized. Bird droppings or mullein will do. They will not only compensate for the lack of nutrients, but also protect against many pests and diseases. When planting, cucumbers can be fed with organic fertilizers. Diluted manure in water in a ratio of 1: 5 is suitable. You can use mineral dressings, for example, Agricola, Ammophos, Superphosphate.
Vegetables need to be watered correctly and regularly. If the soil is flooded with water, the roots can rot.
During drought, the leaves first brighten, then turn yellow, and the plant stops developing. You can not pour cold water, it should stand for about a day.
Cucumber root system not very branched and does not go deep into the depth. Therefore, it is impossible to loosen the ground around the plant, weeding should only be manual. Mulching is useful. Hay, peat, sawdust are suitable as mulch. Mulch will allow you to retain moisture in the soil, will not allow weeds to disperse, and cucumbers will lie on a clean layer during ripening.
How to properly plant cucumbers in open ground depends on the planting material.The latter is a seedling, or seeds, which, in addition to everything, can also germinate.
Preparatory stage
How to plant cucumbers, everyone decides independently. It is believed that a high yield can be obtained by planting seedlings under the open sky. If the climate is mild, the soil is fertile, then you can try to immediately sow seeds in the garden beds.
Experienced vegetable growers plant the seeds several times at different time intervals, in the tenths of May and in the first days of June. This is done in case the cold returns. It is not worth sowing later, since the July heat and long daylight hours are bad for the development of young seedlings.
The first step in how to properly plant cucumbers in open ground is to select the right seeds. You can choose varietal or hybrid types of cucumbers.
Hybrids are bred on the basis of several varieties to obtain the desired characteristics. They are easier to care for, as they are less prone to disease, tolerate temperature fluctuations.
Another important criterion in the selection of seeds is the desired ripening time of the fruit. There are early, medium and late varieties. It is only necessary to choose a company that has been tested and proven itself from the best side.
Only large and dense seeds are sown. After selection, they need to be disinfected, for example, by dipping them into a solution with potassium permanganate to get rid of bacteria on the shell. You can warm up the grains at a temperature of 60 degrees. This will allow the sprouts to sprout quickly and start bearing fruit earlier. Another useful procedure is soaking in nutrients.
In order for sprouts to hatch from seeds faster, many pre-germinate them.
Any moist environment in which the grains are placed for a while is suitable. You can place the seeds between two layers of a towel, or use sterile cotton wool on a plate.
If the seedlings of cucumbers will be grown at home, on the windowsill, then another method of germination is suitable. A layer of matter is impregnated in growth biostimulants, spread on a plate. The landing base is laid out on a damp base and covered with glass or film. A humid environment will facilitate rapid germination. On average, germination takes 2 to 7 days.
An important question is how to correctly put the seed in the hole when planting cucumbers. You need to spread the seeds with the sharp end up. It is from there that the root will grow, bending down. The sprout, making its way through the soil, cracks open the seed and pushes the leaves out. If sown with the tip down, then the sprout will come out to the surface of the earth with a shell and may die. Also, it is recommended not to plant the seed vertically with the blunt end down, but slightly at an angle.
Seedless way
If the planting of cucumbers in open ground is carried out in a seedless way, then the seeds are immediately sown on the beds. For sowing cucumber seeds in open ground, you must first prepare the soil. For this purpose, in the fall, the site is dug up and fertilized.
There are several rules how to plant cucumber seeds in open ground. Furrows are made on the site with a depth of 3.5 cm, the distance between the furrows is approximately 45 cm. The distance between the seeds in the furrows should be 4 cm.Then it is useful to sprinkle them with organic components, such as peat or humus.
There is another way to plant cucumbers with seeds in open ground. Instead of furrows, separate holes are dug in the form of a square, the sides of which are 20 cm. To what depth should the seeds be planted? The depth of each hole is approximately 4 cm.
How many seeds should you put in the prepared hole? It is recommended to plant two or even three seeds in one hole. This will increase the chances of germination. After the seeds have germinated, the weaker plant can be removed.If you managed to dig it out carefully, then you can transplant it to another place.
There are many other options for planting seeds, for example, you can sow cucumbers in open ground in the following way:
- in the garden where it is supposed to sow seeds, they dig a trench about 80 cm deep;
- branches of fruit trees are laid out at the bottom of the trench;
- the next step is to lay out the compost;
- then comes a layer of manure;
- at the end, all the nutrients are covered with loosened soil and the seeds are planted.
Whatever methods are chosen, the main thing is to correctly plant the seeds in the grooves. Do not forget that the tip of the seed should be at the top.
After sowing cucumbers in open ground with seeds, it is advisable to install arcs over the beds, onto which the film is pulled. The procedure will keep the warmth inside and the seeds will sprout faster.
Working with germinated seeds
If cucumbers are planted with seeds, then it is better to germinate them first. Sprouted cucumber seeds will allow you to get strong seedlings that will actively develop. It is only important to follow all the rules. You need warmth to hatch the sprouts. If the air temperature is below 22 degrees, the process may stop. As soon as the seed has hatched, it is removed from the total mass with special tweezers, which have been disinfected.
It is necessary to plant seeds of previously germinated cucumbers when the sprout is 0.5 cm in size. The seed will germinate from the ground on the third day, but provided that the weather is warm.
In well-heated soil, holes are made about 3.5 cm deep into which germinated seeds are placed in a horizontal position. You need to be careful with sprouts; if damaged, the plant may die. It is recommended to place three seeds in a triangle in one hole.
As soon as the cucumbers are planted in the ground, they are watered with settled water, mulched and covered with a film until the first shoots appear in the garden.
Home preparation
The scheme for planting cucumbers in the open field using grown seedlings has its own characteristics. In early May, the seeds are planted in boxes with soil and placed on a well-lit, warm windowsill. It is recommended to prepare the land on the basis of peat, potash and ammonium nitrate with the addition of sawdust.
How to sow grains? In the prepared moist soil, depressions equal to 1 cm are made and the grains are placed there. After all the seeds are planted and covered with earth, the container is covered with glass or foil. As soon as most of the seedlings emerge, the film is removed.
The plant is ready for transplanting when 4-5 leaves appear (this is about 25 days after planting the seeds). It is recommended to start hardening the seedlings a week before transplanting. It is useful to take it outside or on an open balcony every day. The day before transplanting, the soil is well watered.
Planting seedlings of cucumbers in open ground is carried out on a sunny, dry day. Together with the earthy clod, the sprouts are placed in open ground, without deepening too much. It is only recommended to sprinkle the roots. If planted deeply, the risk of rotting will increase.
How deep can cucumbers be planted? The depth of the hole should be equal to the size of the earthen lump, which was enveloped by the roots of the seedling. The spacing between the seedlings should be about 18 cm. The distance between the rows is about 35 cm. Once the plant is planted, the soil is watered and mulched.
Follow-up care
Further cultivation of cucumbers also involves careful and gentle care. In the first days after transplanting, or when the first leaves appear on the shoots with the seed method, you need to monitor the moisture content of the soil. If the leaves are sluggish, then in the evening you need to water the plant with settled water.
It is useful to thin out the beds by removing weak and diseased sprouts.The first thinning should be when two leaves unfold (when the planting of cucumbers was carried out by the seed method), the second thinning is carried out when 5 leaves appear on the plant. Extra shoots are not uprooted, but only cut off. Thus, the space between plants will be large, and the root system will not be damaged.
Loosening can be done, but only carefully and not too deep. But when the cucumbers grow, they stop loosening.
Some cultivated cucumber varieties require a pinching procedure in order to branch out the lateral stems to increase yield. A horizontal or vertical tie to the support can be applied.
If seedlings have been planted, then the flowering period should begin in 25 days. If seeds were planted, then a week or two later. To lure insects that pollinate flowers, it is recommended to spray the plants with a sweet solution. Sugar and boric acid are dissolved in hot water.
During the fruiting period, cucumbers require daily watering, provided that there is no rain.
Top dressing is necessary if the summer is cool, pests have appeared or the appearance of the cucumbers has changed for some reason. But do not get too carried away with fertilizers, since not only a deficiency, but also an overabundance of certain elements can affect the health of the plant.
What fertilizers are useful to apply to the soil after transplanting to a permanent place? Most often, it is recommended to add mineral dressing when planting cucumbers. They can be applied alone or mixed with organic ingredients. To strengthen the root system, phosphorus is needed, during growth, the vegetable needs nitrogen, during flowering, the plant needs potassium.
How to feed cucumbers? The most popular organic fertilizers are manure and bird droppings. These best supplements provide the plant with all the nutrients it needs, strengthen roots and stems, and stimulate growth. Dilute with water before use. Wood ash can be added to increase efficiency. Can be treated with infusions from other ingredients, such as nettle or potato tops.
Yeast is considered a good fertilizer. The composition based on them will strengthen the roots, activate growth and increase resistance to diseases. Both dry and live yeast can be dissolved in water. You need to water the plant two weeks after planting.
Throughout the growing season, planted cucumbers can be treated with dry ash or infusion based on it. Wood ash will not only enrich the earth with nutrients, but also repel many pests.
Experienced gaze
Secrets of growing cucumbers from Tatiana, 47 years old.
I always grow cucumbers by seeds. Planting begins with the preparation of a cucumber garden. I make furrows and water them well. Seeds are always self-pollinated and never germinate. I plant seeds at a distance equal to one of my palm. Then I sprinkle with a small layer of earth and cover with foil. This will keep them warm and will sprout quickly.
As soon as sprouts are observed, I set the film on the arcs. I thin out the beds, leaving a large distance between the sown vegetables. After the seedlings get stronger, I install the trellis and start the garter. This method has never failed.
Nadezhda, 54 years old
How many times I have not planted cucumbers with seeds in open beds, the result has always been different. But often young seedlings were attacked by pests. Than just not processed. Therefore, I stopped at planting ready-made seedlings in open ground. I install an arch with a stretched film over the beds. I feed only formulations on a natural basis. Eggshells, banana peels, wood ash, and of course, manure are used. These ingredients allow healthy and tasty cucumbers to grow.
Thanks for the interesting information! Each gardener has his own secrets of growing cucumbers in the open field. Some grow them on a regular bed, others prefer the warm bed method.