Preparing cucumber seeds for planting

To grow strong healthy plants from cucumber seeds, special attention should be paid to the pre-sowing preparation of seedlings. Their germination and plant resistance to external unfavorable factors largely depend on the correct observance of agricultural technology. It has been noticed that cucumbers grown from prepared seedlings give a consistently high yield.

Cucumber seeds are known to have a high germination capacity. High quality seed usually germinates up to 90%. Correctly collected and stored in optimal conditions, seedlings remain viable for up to 7 years.

However, over time, their viability begins to decline, so it is best to use 2-3-year-old seeds for planting. When using planting material older than 5 years without any additional processing, the yield will be extremely low.

We draw special attention to the fact that seeds for sowing can only be collected from certain varieties. For example, hybrid varieties are sterile and not suitable for seed propagation. They can be distinguished by the F1 marking.

Seed fruits should remain on the whips until fully ripe. You can pick them only after the peel changes color to bright yellow. Immediately after that, the fruits are placed in a warm place, protected from ultraviolet rays, for 7-10 days. During this time, the cucumber will become softer, you just have to cut the vegetable and collect the seeds.

Unfortunately, not all seedlings are viable, so they need to be tested for germination. To do this, you need a saline solution, diluted at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. salt per liter of water. Planting material is lowered into it for a quarter of an hour and they look - the floating seeds are empty, they cannot be used for planting seedlings.

We draw your attention to the fact that with the help of a saline solution it is possible to reject only fresh seed material 1-2 years old. Old seeds can emerge even if they have fully retained their germination capacity. To ensure their viability, you can place a test batch for germination.

An important step in preparing cucumber seeds for planting is their calibration. From the entire volume of planting material, you need to choose the best one. This is especially true if you harvest the seedlings yourself or purchase them from your hands, in stores they sell seeds that have already been processed. Deformed seedlings, as well as dark and stained ones, are subject to compulsory culling. High-quality seeds should be even, evenly colored, light.

During calibration, it is necessary to separate small seeds from large ones. This will facilitate the subsequent planting, since small seeds are planted to a depth of 7-10 mm, large ones are buried by 1.5-2 cm.If you have collected a lot of seedlings, then small ones can not be used, in this case they are thrown out.

When preparing seeds for sowing for seedlings, the most serious attention is paid to disinfection.Such treatment prevents the development of root and brown rot, bacteriosis, powdery mildew, and viral mosaic. Usually one of the following disinfection options is used.

• The seedlings are placed in a canvas bag and immersed in a saturated solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour, and then washed with clean running water.

• An infusion of garlic husks has a good disinfecting effect. To do this, pour boiling water over it, set it to infuse for 2-4 hours and filter. The seeds are immersed in the resulting infusion for 1-1.5 hours.

• For disinfection, you can use boric acid, as well as copper sulfate or nitrophosphate. They are diluted at the rate of 5 g of the drug per 1 liter of water. In this environment, cucumber seeds should spend at least 12 hours.

• Biologics give a good result. You can take Fitosporin-M (3 drops per glass of water) or Gamair (1 tablet per glass of water).

• A small amount of seeds can be soaked in aloe juice diluted with plain water in a 1 to 1 ratio. In this case, disinfection will take 5-6 hours.

To activate the vital energy of the seedlings, it is advisable to warm them up. Such a procedure will become an incentive for improving germination and additionally disinfect the seed. Under the influence of high temperatures, the pathogenic microflora dies, and the germination process is accelerated.

The procedure is simple. The seeds are laid out on paper and placed near the battery. At a temperature of 30 degrees, heating is carried out for about a week, at 35-45 degrees - no more than 3 days. You can process the seedlings in the oven under the influence of heat of 50-60 degrees, in this case it will take 3.5-4 hours to warm up.

All methods are equally effective. It has been noticed that heated seeds give a lot of female ovaries. This contributes to an overall increase in fruiting.

The bubbling process is very popular. In this case, the seedlings are placed in warm water, where oxygen is supplied; for this processing, you can use a conventional aquarium processor. During the procedure, the seedlings are enriched with oxygen. This procedure has a good effect to stimulate the germination of old seeds 5-7 years old. As for young seedlings, bubbling will not give a pronounced effect.

The step-by-step instructions include several steps.

• A tube of a compressor that produces air bubbles is lowered into a container with clean cool water.

• Next, a gauze bag with cucumber seeds is placed in the water, it is advisable to place it exactly above the tube.

• If done correctly, air bubbles will completely surround the bag. In this state, the seedlings should spend 20-25 hours.

In order for the seeds to sprout faster, it is very important that they receive nutrients and water in sufficient volume. This will be helped by soaking the inoculum in solutions of growth stimulants. Under their influence, all biological processes are activated, germination is accelerated, and subsequently the development of cucumber seedlings improves.

One of the most effective remedies is Epin. It is used at the rate of 2-3 drops per 100 ml of water, the processing of cucumber seeds is carried out within a day. The drug "Zircon" has a similar effect; it is considered one of the most powerful immunomodulators of plant cells. To process 5 drops of the agent, dilute with 1 liter of water, and keep the cucumbers in the solution for a day.

The composition of "Energen Aqua" is equally effective. It stimulates the vital energy of seedlings and helps to strengthen their immunity. The sprouts obtained after such treatment produce healthy seedlings that can resist pathogens of fungal, viral and bacterial infections.To carry out the treatment, 18-20 drops of the drug are diluted in 1 liter of water and the prepared material is immersed in this solution for 10-12 hours.

Lovers of folk remedies can use succinic acid. To prepare a working solution, 1 tablet is diluted in 1 glass of heated water. It is noticed that this tool is able to accelerate germination in half.

For soaking, sodium and potassium humates are often used. They saturate the shell with useful macro- and microelements, and in addition, they activate germination. After this treatment, the plant forms healthy seedlings and builds up a powerful root system.

Lovers of folk remedies can use honey. For this, 1 tsp. bred in a glass of cool water and keep the cucumber seeds for 24 hours. Usually, after such a procedure, the first shoots hatch within 7-10 hours.

The prepared seeds are placed on gauze or cloth, evenly redistributed and covered with the same layer of fabric. The planting material is watered so that the fabric is slightly moistened, but does not float. During germination, it is important to observe the humidity regime and avoid hypothermia. The temperature in the room where germination is carried out should be kept at 25-28 degrees. If it gets colder or hotter, germination will slow down significantly.

Avoid excessive moisture, otherwise the access of oxygen to the seedlings will be limited. This can cause the seeds to rot. To prevent the fabric from drying out, it will be enough to spray it with water from a spray bottle 2-3 times a day.

Swollen seedlings are subjected to the last stage of germination - hardening. To do this, they are exposed to low temperatures. These activities are designed to activate the immune system and trigger growth inhibitors. The use of hardening increases the cold resistance of the seedlings. Bushes formed from such seeds will more easily tolerate temperature fluctuations, and they can be planted in open ground much earlier.

Swollen seeds, together with a cloth, are placed in a plastic container and placed on the lower shelf of the refrigerator for a couple of days. In this case, care must be taken that the matter does not dry out. Gradually, the container is moved to the shelves with a higher temperature. After 5 days, the seeds can be planted in a container.