When to plant cucumbers?

Cucumbers are considered a very tasty and healthy vegetable crop, which many gardeners planted in their gardens and summer cottages. They, like other plants, require special care. Experienced gardeners know that the planting of this culture should be carried out at certain times, depending on the regions. Carrying out it, according to the advice of the lunar calendar, allows you to get a decent harvest. The time frame for carrying out work in the garden and greenhouse will be discussed further.

The growth of vegetable crops, their development and further ripening are directly influenced by the timing of planting seedlings and seeds. If you plant cucumbers according to the lunar calendar, you can expect better ripening of the crop. In this case, the plants grow with high resistance to various diseases and pests.

Using the recommendations of the Lunar Calendar allows you to carry out land activities at the right time. According to him, four lunar phases are determined, but it is far from each of them that it is desirable to manipulate and plant cucumbers.

• Sowing grains for seedlings, it is advisable to carry out on the new moon.
• With the onset of the full moon, spraying and top dressing are carried out. This is the right time to prepare the ground. It is not recommended to plant a crop 24 hours before the full moon and a day after it.
• On the waning moon, seeds are planted in the ground, but this period is not suitable for seedlings. It lasts for about two weeks.
• With a growing moon, that is, during a period that also lasts about 2 weeks, it is advisable to plant seeds in the ground... At this time, feeding and watering of cucumbers are also carried out.

To get early cucumbers by growing seeds at home on the window, you should take into account a variety of factors: the choice of seeds, the place for germination, capacity, lighting, etc. Cucumber seeds are placed in containers or used for this in cups. It is important to use only high quality fresh seeds, otherwise it will be difficult to achieve good germination from them.

In the event that the seed is harvested on its own, it should be remembered that the seeds obtained from the culture of the hybrid variety will not be able to produce a crop that has the same taste and external qualities. To obtain seedlings that have ideal characteristics, it is better to use purchased seeds. In this case, it is worthwhile to familiarize yourself with the properties of the culture in advance, choose the variety that gives the maximum number of fruits.

Having purchased seeds or prepared in advance, you should sort them. It is necessary to get rid of small, empty specimens or having an irregular shape, since it is unlikely that it will be possible to get full-fledged tasty fruits from such seedlings. Soaking the kernels in salt water will sort them out and remove the bad ones that float to the surface.

To increase the stability of the seeds, they are hardened. To do this, the grains are laid out on a moistened napkin and placed in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Then the matter must be taken out and left for 12 hours at room temperature. The manipulation is carried out up to 3 times, until the shell of the grain begins to crack. It is necessary to ensure that the material remains moist all this time and does not dry out.

Sowing seeds for seedlings with their further transplanting into the ground begin to be carried out in January, February. For these purposes, a window sill or an insulated balcony is suitable.

The variety of cucumbers is chosen taking into account the region where the vegetable will grow. Personal preference is often the main criterion. Cucumbers are early-ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening. Planting all types allows for regular harvesting, enjoying juicy and healthy vegetables all season.

Taking into account different climatic conditions, work is carried out taking into account a specific region.

• In the suburbs, Tver, Pskov, Penza and Saratov regions cucumbers are successfully planted in open ground and greenhouses. The most favorable terms for growing in the first case are the last days of March, all of April.
• In Siberia due to the harsh climate and possible frost, even in summer, these terms are shifted. Seeds are planted in the ground at the end of April, and they do this until mid-May.
• In North-west - from mid-May to the end of the month.
• Southern regions - end of April.

According to experts, it is important not to rush to sowing, but it is also not worth waiting for constant heat for too long, otherwise the period of growth and development of the bushes may coincide with the heat, which will lead to possible drying out of the plants.

When choosing a soil for seedlings, it is advisable to select a soil that would be similar to the characteristics of the one into which the seedlings will be planted later. In this case, it will be much easier for young roots to gain a foothold and germinate in a new environment for them.

Watering is carried out with warm water. It is recommended to spray the leaves before lunch. Although this culture loves water, it is not worth watering the plants in the evening and at night, as wet leaves at night will begin to be affected by fungi and mold. Excessive moisture is also harmful to seedlings, as well as hypothermia of seedlings. In such conditions, young bushes are exposed to diseases. When a "black leg" appears, it is better to discard the sprout, since it is difficult to save it. To prevent nearby sprouts from getting sick, it is advisable to treat the infected area with fungicidal agents.

Cucumbers are responsive to heat and regular watering. To obtain a good harvest, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for the crop.

Planting work in the greenhouse is carried out when the soil warms up to 14-16 degrees. Accordingly, other indicators should also be suitable: the temperature during the day - not lower than 15 degrees, at night - not lower than 10 degrees.

The terms for growing in greenhouses for different regions are conditional, regardless of where they want to get cucumbers: in the Crimea or in the Urals. At the same time, do not forget about the sharp change in weather and other seasonal whims.

In Central Russia, including in the Moscow region, it is recommended to plant:

• in greenhouses (heated) - from the end of April, covering several days in May;
• in polycarbonate greenhouses - in the first decade of May;
• under the film or in glass structures - from the second half of May;
• at the end of spring - under the film.

In Siberia, the Urals and the North-Western regions, work begins:

• in heated structures - May 10;
• in polycarbonate greenhouses - from the second decade of May;
• in greenhouses or glass greenhouses - in the last days of spring;
• under the film (temporary shelter) - in the first days of June.

Terms for Krasnodar Territory, Kuban:

• in greenhouses (heated) planting work is carried out in March, at the end of the month;
• in polycarbonate - in the first ten days of April;
• in greenhouses or glass structures work begins in April, from about the 15th.

To be completely confident in the timing of the landing work, you should take into account the data, as well as adjust to the lunar calendar. According to him, the growing moon is an auspicious period for crops. At the same time, for root crops, work in this time interval is not worth doing. When growing cucumbers in insulated greenhouses, seedlings should be planted in winter. February is considered the most successful month for this.

Experienced gardeners do not recommend sowing cucumbers in one area for more than 5 years. It is important to monitor the quality of the soil: it should be airy and loose. Although the vegetable in question is unpretentious to this factor, sod (2 parts) and humus (3 parts) are added to it to improve performance. You can also send peat into the mixture, you need to take it 2 times more than the earth. It is advisable to use sawdust.

For those who do not want to make the mixture on their own, you can purchase soil such as "Spring".

The culture is planted in open ground, when the soil is already well warmed up, and the air indicators are stable.

Since the root system of this garden crop is quite vulnerable, many believe that cucumbers should be planted by sowing seeds directly into the ground in their permanent place:

• the best time to sow them is May, June, that is, the period when weather conditions stabilize, constant heat will come;
• in cases where cucumbers are grown using seedlings, this should be done a month before planting it in the ground.

Planting works are carried out depending on the region. In the southern regions, seeds can be planted from mid-April. For the northern regions, this indicator will be different: work should begin somewhere in the 15th of May.

Work in the garden is carried out taking into account the temperature regime. Seeds and seedlings are very sensitive to temperature changes, late frosts, and a decrease in degrees. If the temperature drops to 10 degrees and below, then the plants or their seeds may simply die. Only when the average daily indicators (above 14 degrees) are reached, seed germination will occur.

• If dry grains are dipped into the ground, it is better to do this. after May 25.
• Germinated - sown in early June. These indicators are suitable for the middle band. Normal growth and development occurs when the daytime temperature reaches 25 degrees.
• For the southern or northern region, these indicators will be slightly different and may shift for a couple of weeks either way.

If you sow the seeds earlier, while the soil is not yet warm enough, they will simply "sit" there, waiting for a comfortable temperature for germination. At the same time, early shoots will appear a couple of days later than the seeds sown at the optimal time.

When purchasing seeds for planting in open ground, you should follow the tips listed below.

• Select varieties suitable for the region where the crop will be grown. You should also take into account the quality of the soil, the presence of irrigation. If a drip system for applying liquid is not organized on the site or it is not possible to regularly irrigate, the seed is selected taking into account the resistance of the variety to drought.
• In the garden, it is better to plant seeds of different ripening periods, so that not only at the beginning, but also in the middle, late summer, bring crispy cucumbers from the garden in the fall.
• When purchasing seeds, you should decide for what purposes the crop will be used., as some varieties are not suitable for processing, salting and canning.

A good harvest can be obtained by planting ready-made seedlings on the site. Often, this option is the only way to grow cucumbers in the local area due to weather conditions or an unfavorable climate that does not allow seeds to germinate directly in the garden.

Seedlings are planted in cloudy weather or in the evening. A few days before these works are carried out, the seedlings are no longer watered. This will make this process less painful for the plants. Immediately 60–80 minutes before planting, the seedlings are watered abundantly. As a result, the lump will be wet and will not disintegrate during transplantation, which will have a beneficial effect on the entire culture as a whole.

• Perform work 30 or 35 days after the first shoots appear.
• It is recommended to harden the seedlings by exposing them to the street for a short time.... Over time, the duration of the procedure increases.
• Seedlings are planted in well-warmed soil - above 15-16 degrees.
• It is necessary to maintain the correct distance between the bushes, according to the variety... As for the undersized varieties, up to 5 bushes are planted per 1 sq. meter, in the case of tall ones - up to 4 bushes per 1 sq. m.

After planting the seedlings, further care of the plants is carried out. It is necessary to water the culture on time. On loose soil, the procedure is carried out up to 7 times a week. On dense clayey soils, watering is carried out much less often, but more water is used for this.

After 14 days, it is recommended to fertilize the seedlings using organic or mineral fertilizers. Urea, sulfate or superphosphate are used as the latter. From organic matter, rotted chicken manure or mullein is suitable. Produce 3-4 dressings.

During the period when the second true leaf appears on the sprout, the first pinching of the plants is performed. The second time, it is carried out in the presence of 9-10 leaves. According to most gardeners, thanks to this procedure, it is possible to increase fruiting and reduce the bitterness of the fruit.