Comment from the author Tetyana Melezhik:

"Fresh cucumbers from your own garden are a tasty and useful source of vitamins. And so I want to get a harvest as early as possible. For this, I always follow certain rules."

Floristics

wrote about how to properly sow cucumbers for seedlings

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When to sow cucumbers for seedlings in 2023 - calculation of the correct date

Actually, if you really want to, you can start sowing cucumber seeds already in January (greenhouse varieties) and finish around April (varieties for open ground).

However, for the correct calculation there is a special formula:

D = A+B+C

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In her:

  • D is the number of days for sowing seeds to obtain seedlings for planting seedlings in the soil;

  • A is the number of days the seed needs to germinate (from the moment of sowing);

  • B — the number of days from germination of seeds to the emergence of seedlings;

  • C is the number of days before planting seedlings in a greenhouse or open ground.

Adding up A, B, and C gives you an idea of ​​how long it takes for the seed and later the seedling to become strong enough to plant.

You can find out about the intensity of growth and germination time from the packaging.

Manufacturers always indicate this information on the back for each variety.

Monthly sowing calendar for sowing cucumbers for March - April 2023

Some gardeners prefer lunar calendars and are guided by them when planting cucumbers for seedlings:

Lunar calendar for cucumber seedlings for March 2023 / Photo: TSN.ua

Lunar calendar for cucumber seedlings for April 2023 / Photo: TSN.ua

Preparation of the right soil

For cucumbers, you need to choose loose, air-permeable and moisture-permeable soil, avoid substrates with a large amount of peat.

You can also prepare the soil yourself by choosing one of the following options:

  • Take equal parts of sod land (the top layer of the soil, which has decomposed and rotted, can be collected in meadows, pastures), peat, sand, vermiculite or sawdust, add a small amount of coconut fiber.

  • Take a mixture of lowland peat, sawdust, sod land and rotted manure in the following proportions: 4:1:4:1.

  • Take a mixture of sand, sod land and manure in a ratio of 1:3:6.

  • If you prepare the mixture yourself, be sure to disinfect it.

    For this, the method of roasting in the oven is used.

    You can also water it with a solution of potassium permanganate.

    Then the land is nourished.

    For this, 10 g of superphosphate, 6 g of urea, 6 g of potassium sulfate, 2 g of magnesium sulfate are taken per 10 kg of the mixture.

    Ready shop soils do not require additional fertilization or sterilization.

    Then the mixture is kept under a film in a warm place to restore microflora useful for seedlings.

    How to sow cucumbers for seedlings in 2023: seed treatment

    First, empty seeds need to be sifted: dip them in a 3% salt solution.

    The empty one will just float to the top.

    Then it is washed under running water and disinfected.

    To do this, soak in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes or in a 10% solution of hydrogen peroxide for 20 minutes.

    After that, the seeds are washed, dried and germinated in a damp cloth at a temperature of +25-30 degrees for 2-3 days.

    As soon as you see white sprouts (3-4 mm long), you can sow it.

    Where to sow in order to have seedlings for a good harvest

    Cucumber seedlings do not tolerate diving well, so experts advise immediately planting them in a separate container in a hole 1.5-2 cm deep (one seed with sprouts or two without sprouts).

    The container can be a peat humus or a plastic glass filled with a disinfected substrate.

    Do not forget about the drainage holes.

    Fill the glasses with substrate so that there is about 1 cm left to the edge.

    After sowing, the glasses are placed in a tray, watered, covered with a film and kept at a temperature of +23-28 degrees until the first sprouts appear.

    At this time, the substrate should be moistened with a sprayer twice a week.

    Read also:

    • Tulips will bloom for up to seven weeks: life hacks that help

    • Freezing, roasting or steaming: which soil treatment method to choose