Cucumber seedlings have become stretched out – what to do and how to plant them in the ground?

Cucumber is a popular vegetable, found in any garden. It can be planted in a variety of ways, even from seeds, but to ensure early fruiting, seedlings are grown. It's important to remember that seedlings are quite delicate and fragile, and proper conditions are essential for their proper development.

If not properly cared for, you'll end up with tall, thin, weak stems instead of strong, short plants. Not only are they unsightly, but they also offer little hope of a harvest. There can be several reasons why cucumber seedlings become so tall, and what you can do to ensure viable seedlings depends on the specific growing errors that were made.

Why have cucumber seedlings grown so tall on a windowsill or in a greenhouse?

Many gardeners start planting seedlings early, hoping to hasten the harvest. However, if the seedlings were weak, the opposite will happen: such plants take a long time to adapt to new conditions after transplanting.

Stem elongation isn't a disaster, but if the plant has reacted this way to the growing conditions, measures must be taken to prevent its death. The most common causes are:

• violation of the ratio of light and temperature;
• Incorrect watering—most often, excessive watering. Many gardeners experience overwatering of young cucumber seedlings;
• The problem may also be in small pots, in which the root system becomes cramped and cannot develop normally.

Choose neutral soils, as alkaline and acidic soils have a negative impact on plants: beneficial bacteria for seedling growth cannot thrive in such soils. Iron, aluminum, and phosphorus, which are toxic to plants, also accumulate in acidic soils.

Of course, it can happen that several factors contribute to improper seedling development, and if it's not possible to change all the conditions, don't worry—these seedlings can still be planted.

What to do if the seedlings have become elongated

The primary solution to the stretching problem is to adjust the temperature and lighting. South-facing windows are the best sources of light. If the plants are located in a different window and don't receive enough sunlight, you can attach special foil to reflect the light onto the sprouts. If the leaves on the plants are too large, it may be sufficient to move the pots so that they don't shade each other.

Regarding supplemental lighting, it's important to consider that light has different spectral ranges. Knowing their properties allows you to select the most appropriate lamps with specific light. Blue light stimulates stem cell division and thus prevents seedlings from becoming elongated.

Red light primarily influences root health, root growth, branching, flowering, and fruit ripening. Therefore, when choosing specialized lamps, all of this must be taken into account. Therefore, for elongated seedlings, lamps with a blue spectrum, such as fluorescent, LED, and multispectral, are suitable.

It's important to remember that, like any other healthy crop, cucumbers require adequate nutrition. They don't always obtain all the beneficial micronutrients from the soil, so they require supplemental feeding. There are several types of fertilizers, including foliar and root fertilizers, depending on the method of application, and mineral and organic fertilizers, depending on the composition.

Root feeding is suitable for summer, as warmer weather allows roots to properly absorb nutrients and prevents excess moisture accumulation. Foliar feeding is suitable for any time of year. Urea or ammonium nitrate solution is best. Prepare the solution at a ratio of 5 g per 1 liter of water.

You can use pinching, or what's known as cucumber pinching, to remove the top of a young cucumber plant. This method encourages the seedlings to grow lateral branches, which are what ultimately bear fruit, rather than vertically.

Using sharp scissors or pruning shears, cut off the top of the stem above the sixth leaf. Lateral shoots will form on the plant over time, and these should also be pinched off above the third or fourth leaf.

How to properly plant elongated cucumber seedlings in the ground

Transplanting such cucumber seedlings to a permanent location requires adherence to certain rules.

Into open ground

If the seedlings are weak, they are very easily damaged, so everything must be done slowly and carefully. Handle the leaves very carefully, as they are very delicate. If everything is done correctly, the sprouts will quickly adapt to their new environment, take root well, and continue to grow and develop.

1. The soil must be prepared in advance. You can enrich it with various fertilizers or ash. Keep temperature in mind; the soil must be warm.

   

2. It's best to plant plants in the ground in the morning or evening. Water only with warm water, or alternatively, leave it in metal buckets in the sun. Avoid cold water, as it hinders development and delays adaptation and growth.

The deepening method is considered the most accessible and convenient. It involves placing the seedling on its side or twisting it into a spiral across the width of the hole. Don't plant the root too deeply; 5-7 cm is sufficient. Once the root is in place, cover the seedling with loose soil and leave it alone.

Another method you can use is to lower the sprout into the hole and, while covering it with soil, leave a small depression around the stem, forming a funnel. This ensures that moisture reaches the roots evenly during subsequent waterings.

Perforated covering material is also available for this purpose, but it should be placed before transplanting the seedlings into the soil. Note that the soil must be thoroughly prepared; it should be loose, warm, and moderately moist. Sawdust and ash can be added to the bottom of the hole as fertilizer, as well as a mole cricket repellent.

Into the greenhouse

The greenhouse requires preparation. It must be clean, the soil treated, disinfected, and fertilized. Under no circumstances should you create the risk of introducing any disease to the seedlings—they are already fragile. Before transplanting, the soil should be thoroughly tilled and moistened. Certain conditions must be met in the greenhouse.

For example, the optimal temperature for planting plants is not lower than 10 degrees, otherwise the plants will simply die from the cold.Under no circumstances should you allow drafts or direct sunlight to reach the sprouts.

To transplant elongated seedlings into a greenhouse, the same methods are used as in open ground - holes or the deepening method.

Prevention methods

To prevent cucumber seedlings from developing incorrectly, it is worth creating the most favorable conditions for them.

Temperature control

Cucumber is a heat-loving plant; it requires the right microclimate for normal growth and development. The crop thrives at temperatures ranging from:

• during the day - from 24°C to 30°C;
• at night - from 16°C to 18°C.

It is thanks to temperature that shoots develop and roots grow.

Cucumbers are very sensitive to temperature changes. When temperatures drop to 10°C, the plant can enter dormancy. This "starves" the plant because the roots stop absorbing moisture and minerals normally. Low temperatures cause irreversible changes in living tissue.

At an ambient temperature of 3°C, three days are enough for the plant to die. Excessive heat also negatively impacts development. This most often manifests itself as leaf dieback, but can also be due to pollen infertility. Therefore, avoid critical temperature drops or increases.

Lighting adjustments

Good lighting is essential for the normal development of any plant, especially a sun-loving plant like cucumber. Incorrect lighting is the most common cause of seedlings becoming elongated.

If natural light is insufficient or unavailable, it's entirely possible to create artificial light. It's important to remember that sunlight contains a lot of blue light, which is beneficial for seedlings. Therefore, avoid using regular incandescent bulbs for supplemental lighting, as they don't contain these rays. These bulbs contain powerful heat and infrared rays, which, in fact, interfere with normal photosynthesis.

They compensate very well for insufficient light and are relatively energy-efficient. Cucumber seedlings respond well to these lights and grow well. However, because the light they emit is lilac-pink, they are not suitable for growing indoors, for example, because they can be irritating to the eyes. Their use requires specially equipped rooms or rarely used rooms.

Sodium arc lamps are currently considered the most effective: DNaT, DNaZ, and Reflax. Unlike phytolamps, their light is orange-yellow, which is less irritating to the human eye. Another advantage is that the light intensity of sodium lamps completely covers all plant needs. They are also very convenient because they are energy-efficient, and one sodium lamp is sufficient for a five-foot windowsill.

Increasing the amount of soil and fertilizing

Cucumbers have a shallow root system and obtain most of their nutrients from the surface layers of soil. Therefore, they require periodic feeding. It's best to begin fertilizing only when the first true leaf appears. Doing it earlier is pointless, as the seeds won't absorb the nutrients.

Cucumbers should be fed no more than three times before planting outdoors or in a greenhouse, but if the seedlings are weak, an additional 1-2 applications may be necessary. The very first feeding should be done with organic matter (possibly with added minerals):

• manure diluted with water 1:1;
• superphosphate – 20 g.

If there is no organic matter, you can make the following mixture:

• ammonium nitrate – 7 g;
• superphosphate – 15 g;
• potassium sulfate – 8 g;
• water – 10 l.

Ready-made mixtures such as Potassium (Sodium) Humate, Effecton, and similar products are also suitable. For the second and third feedings, the amount of minerals should be increased—approximately doubled. You can also add spraying solutions containing microelements.

Because cucumbers have shallow roots, you can add more soil to the container as the seedlings grow. This will allow the plant to develop its root system and green mass.

Planting cucumbers

Seedlings need to be replanted if they appear crowded and are preventing each other from developing fully. This also applies if the container is too small and the roots are crowded.

The transplanting process is simple: prepare a clean container and disinfect the soil for transplanting. Carefully remove the seedlings from the old container and separate the stems. Be very careful not to damage the plants or their roots. Plant one seedling in each cup and cover with the prepared soil. If the soil is dry, you can water them lightly with warm water. Then, follow all the care instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Any living plant requires proper care. The quality of the seedlings' cultivation also determines the yield and even the availability of the harvest. Therefore, it's important to learn all the rules of cucumber seedling cultivation to avoid making any unfortunate mistakes.