Cucumbers, one of the most popular crops, are eaten all over the world. Whether as pickles, salad, soup or vegetables, they are crunchy and delicious. Especially when you can harvest them fresh from your own garden. No matter which of the forty types of cucumbers – sowing cucumbers requires patience.
How can you sow cucumbers correctly?
To sow cucumbers successfully, you need seed trays or growing pots, growing soil, germinable cucumber seeds, a mini watering can or spray bottle and a cover. Sow 1-2 cucumber seeds per container in March, cover them thinly with soil and keep the substrate moist. Make sure the soil temperature is ideally 20°C.
Sowing cucumbers at the right time
Sowing cucumbers before the beginning of March is not worth it. If there is a lack of brightness, the seedlings form weak shoots whose cotyledons suffer from a lack of chlorophyll. That means they get horny. Correct timing is therefore important.
If you sow cucumbers in a greenhouse or on the windowsill in a timely manner, you benefit from several advantages. The plants produce flowers earlier and produce ready-to-harvest cucumbers more quickly. In addition, the cucumber seedlings are protected from wind, weather and snail attacks. Particularly high-yielding harvests are achieved with fast-growing and early-maturing, bitter-free varieties such as:
- Cucumber Heike F1
- Mini cucumber Picolino F1
- Gherkin Restina F1
What do you need to sow cucumbers?
- Sowing trays or growing pots
- Growing soil or substrate
- Germinable cucumber seeds
- Mini watering can or spray bottle
- Mini greenhouse or foil
The best start for sowing cucumbers
You can use yogurt cups or pots made of peat or egg cartons. Compostable containers are particularly practical because the young plants can be planted directly later without damaging the root balls. Special sowing soil is suitable for filling the containers. This is finer crumbly and lower in nutrients than potting soil and activates root growth.
The substrate should be moist, but not dripping wet. Sow cucumbers in doses by placing 1 to 2 cucumber seeds in each container. Cucumbers are dark germinators. Therefore, cover the seeds thinly with sifted soil and spray with warm water.
To ensure the required warm, humid climate, place the seedlings in the greenhouse or covered with foil in a south-facing window. If the windowsill is cold, place a heating mat under the seeds. The ideal soil temperature for germination is 20° degrees. Now air the cucumber seedlings briefly every day to avoid mold formation. And then? Wait and drink tea;-).
What to do when the first cucumber seedlings sprout?
The germination time depends on the seed quality and external conditions such as light, temperature and humidity. 1 to 2 weeks later, when the first pair of cotyledons appear, remove the cover. Now it is important to keep the substrate moist without causing waterlogging. After the last night frosts you can plant the cucumbers in the garden. To do this, select the optimal location with sufficient planting distance in good time.
Tips & Tricks
Sort out seedlings that are weak or malformed. They are not suitable for cultivation. Place powerful young plants outdoors for a few hours longer each day to harden off.
