Organic cucumbers from your own garden are becoming increasingly popular. Recreational gardeners are increasingly interested in whether and how they can grow and grow their own cucumbers, for example. If you don't want to buy young plants, simply remove the seeds from fully ripe cucumbers and get seeds.
How can you successfully grow cucumbers yourself?
Growing your own cucumbers is possible by collecting seeds from fully ripe cucumbers, growing them in potting soil or germination substrate, placing them in a sunny location and providing sufficient care. The seedlings develop within 1 to 2 weeks at a temperature of 20°.
Preparing cucumber seeds to pull yourself
When selecting seeds from garden retailers, prefer mildew-resistant F1 hybrid varieties. If you want to grow cucumbers yourself, you should know the typical characteristics of the plants. When picking supermarket cucumbers, make sure that the seeds come from a fully ripe cucumber.
Divide the cucumbers and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Let the seeds with the germination-inhibiting jelly mass stand in a container with warm water at room temperature for 1 day. 24 hours later, the seeds have detached from their shell and settled. The gelatinous mass and seeds that cannot germinate float at the top. Dry the germinable seeds and store them in a dark place. At the end of March you can prepare the stored seeds for cultivation.
Pull your own cucumbers – everything you need
The ideal location for growing cucumbers is a windowsill on the south side or you can support the seeds with plant light during the germination period. In addition to patience, you need to grow cucumbers yourself:
- Seeds from cucumbers or from garden shops
- Mini greenhouse or foil
- Peat or egg carton
- Germination substrate or growing soil
- Sowing soil
- Trail support
- Fertilizer
From seed to seedling in just a few steps
- water dried cucumber seeds for 1 day
- Place 2 seeds per cup almost 1 centimeter deep into moist soil, cover and press down lightly.
- Place the pots in the mini greenhouse or under foil on a bench.
Important: Ventilate daily to prevent mold growth. At a consistently humid temperature of 20° degrees, the first seedlings sprout after 1 to 2 weeks.
From seedling to cucumber
Prick out the young plants from a height of 10 centimeters. The plants are protected from wind and weather under glass. This makes the cucumber plants bloom faster. The first cucumbers in the greenhouse will be harvested from July. Outdoor cucumbers in the garden can be harvested from August to the end of October.
Tips & Tricks
If you garden according to the moon, use the waxing moon phase until the full moon in March. Because this time should be dedicated to fruit plants such as cucumbers or peppers that develop above ground during the germination period.
