Planting cucumbers in open ground: timing and rules

When choosing specific dates for planting cucumbers outdoors, you need to consider many nuances of growing these green fruits. First and foremost, consider the planting method. This can be done using seedlings or by planting sprouted seeds directly into the ground. With the right approach, both methods can yield a good harvest.

Important! When choosing seeds, you need to pay attention to whether it's a hybrid or a cultivar. Differences will be in yield, early maturity, and overall resistance to diseases and pests. We know how to do it. growwise-en.techinfus.com.

About hybrid plants

Don't be afraid to grow hybrid cucumber varieties. They have nothing in common with genetically modified vegetables. Hybrid varieties are suitable for vertical planting; they require comfortable growing conditions. It's best plant them in greenhouses.

It's worth noting that hybrid varieties are more demanding than regular cucumbers. They require additional mineral nutrition, but the final yield will be higher. Hybrids only fully develop their qualities when planted in a greenhouse, although they will also grow well in open ground.

Preparing cucumber seedlings

If you want to harvest faster, you need to grow seedlings in advance. Gardeners often resort to this method, as the question of when to plant cucumbers outdoors is extremely pressing. Seedlings from sprouted seeds are grown indoors for at least twenty days before they can be transplanted outdoors. However, it's important that the soil is well warmed and the risk of frost has passed.

Advice! To ensure good germination and the formation of a beautiful, fruitful bush, the seeds need to be soaked first. To do this, use a 5% salt solution (dissolve a teaspoon of salt in 0.2 liters of water). Soak for 15 minutes; the good seeds will immediately sink to the bottom. After this, soak the selected seeds in a slightly pinkish solution of potassium permanganate and then rinse under running water.

How to germinate seeds

The easiest way to germinate the seeds is to place them on a damp cotton ball placed in a saucer. Keep the cotton ball constantly moist, but don't let the seeds float in the water. Place them in the warmest possible place and wait a couple of days. Soon, the seeds will begin to sprout, and you can plant them as seedlings or directly into the ground.

The second option for germinating seeds is simpler. You'll need to plant them directly in the soil. The seedlings will appear faster, but the downside is that not all the seeds will sprout. When the sprouts reach 5 mm in length, they can be considered germinated.

As for that, When planting cucumbers in open ground in spring, this can be done sometime after May 15th. Accordingly, seedlings should begin growing under these conditions sometime in the second half of April. Once cucumbers are planted in the garden in the spring, they will need to be covered with plastic wrap until mid-summer.

About preparing the beds

Beds can be vertical or horizontal. The former is suitable for varieties that grow vertically. You'll need to provide support for the bushes right away so they can grow upward and thrive.

Horizontal planting requires rounded beds, which should be spaced at a reasonable distance from each other, as the bush will creep and develop horizontally.

Advice! A couple of days before planting cucumbers, pour boiling water over the bed and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. This will help get rid of many pests that may be dormant in the soil, waiting for the plant to develop before feeding on its juices.

Growing method without seedlings

Some gardeners are interested in when to plant cucumbers. into open ground with seedsThis means they haven't been preparing seedlings since early spring. In warmer regions, this method of growing this crop is also common.

In such a situation Planting cucumber seeds, which it is advisable to germinate first, is carried out at the very end of May and the beginning of JulyWith this type of planting, you can't expect an early harvest, but high-quality planting material will produce plenty of tasty, ripe fruit in due time.

Once the first seedlings appear, the beds will need to be thinned. This typically occurs ten days after sowing the seeds. Thinning means cutting off the seedlings, but not pulling them out of the ground. During this period, you can additionally feed the seedlings with organic fertilizer.

Further care for cucumbers involves constant weeding, loosening the soil, and watering. Watering is extremely important because cucumbers love moisture, and if the soil dries out, they become bitter and lose some of their ovaries and flowers.