When to sow cucumber seeds for seedlings in 2018 for a greenhouse

It does not matter under what conditions cucumbers will grow, seedlings need to be prepared on time. If you sow the seeds sooner or later, the result will be equally bad. Counting the planting dates, some gardeners rely on a long-term weather forecast and look at favorable days in the lunar calendar. Others study the spring weather of yesteryear. We will understand all the nuances of sowing cucumbers for seedlings for growing in greenhouses.

Is it worth growing cucumbers seedlings

The culture does not tolerate transplant, for pumpkin - this is a serious stress. When transplanting seedlings, sucking hairs extending from the main root break off and are no longer restored. A young bush sheds part of the leaves and slows down in growth until additional roots are formed and new hairs are obtained. The recovery period can last up to 2 weeks, and this is a serious loss of time.

In most regions, culture develops well in the open ground, but in some regions you can’t do without a greenhouse. For example, in the south or in the Crimea the climate is very mild, warm, here you can not hide cucumbers and dispense with the usual sowing of seeds directly into the ground. In such conditions, the seedling method is used only for earlier harvesting.

To the root system does not suffer from transplantation, you need to select containers without a bottom, quite often use a folded newspaper, fixed with an elastic band. You can also purchase coconut or peat tablets. Any of these materials decomposes well in the ground, which means that it can be placed in the ground with a seedling.

The timing of planting cucumbers on seedlings for growing in greenhouse conditions

The determining criterion is the temperature of the soil and air. The culture is particularly thermophilic, the plant can hardly tolerate a sharp drop in temperature, even for a short time. The bushes slow down in growth, and the ovaries fall off or do not form at all. For example, in the middle lane, seedlings of cucumbers can be planted in a greenhouse around mid-May.

The normal daytime air temperature for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse is considered to be 22–28 degrees, and night temperature 17–19 degrees. The roots will be comfortable in the soil, heated to 15–20 degrees. Based on these indicators, we determine the timing of planting a plant in an ordinary greenhouse for various regions:

• in the south, the earth warms up enough in mid-April;
• in the central region, a favorable period for landing begins in the second week of May;
• in the northwestern regions, landing can be carried out from the end of May.

These are approximate dates that you can rely on, but in any case, do not forget to view the long-term weather forecast.

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You can transplant seedlings to a permanent place at the age of 14–20 days, when the bush acquires 2–4 real leaves. It will take about 3 days to process and germinate the seeds, the same amount will go to the emergence of seedlings.

Now, having determined the date of landing, we count from it 20 days ago, select the nearest successful day in the lunar sowing calendar and get the final result.

Variety selection and seed treatment

On sale you can find a huge number of cucumbers for growing indoors. Partenocarpic cucumbers are planted in greenhouses; they do not need pollinating insects.You should also look at the release date of the seed, the choice is stopped for those who are not older than 3 years. In plants from such seeds more female inflorescences are tied.

If the grains are harvested with their own hands, they are discarded before sowing, first damaged and small grains are removed from the total mass. The remaining ones are placed in a solution from a tablespoon of salt in a glass of water. Floating seeds are thrown away, and those that have fallen to the bottom can be used.

It is advisable to warm the seeds before sowing. The procedure stimulates the more rapid appearance of female flowers and serves as a prophylaxis of diseases. Seeds, right before planting, are placed in a thermos with hot water (50–53 degrees) for 20 minutes.

Growing seedlings of cucumbers is an occupation that requires certain knowledge, but the process cannot be called complicated. The main thing is to correctly determine the timing of sowing seeds and planting crops in a greenhouse. For beginners, in order to prevent mistakes, you can consult with experienced gardeners from your region.