Why process cucumber seeds before planting and how best to do it?

There is an opinion that pre-processing of planting material is a way to achieve over-yields of almost all crops grown in garden and vegetable gardens. Such information must be taken critically, although the fact that treated cucumber seeds show better germination, plants grow stronger and are less susceptible to disease, no one denies. Presowing treatment is especially valuable in areas of risky farming.

Treatment of cucumber seeds before sowing is divided into four types, some of which are conditional. Let's study them in more detail in order to understand their necessity or convention.

Disinfection

The need to disinfect the seed before planting is determined by its origin. The material purchased from a reputable seller - a specialized farm engaged in the production of seeds - does not need disinfection, since this measure is mandatory for the manufacturer. But the seeds collected independently, received from a neighbor in the country or sent by relatives from afar, must be processed.

Disinfection is carried out in two ways: chemical and thermal.

Chemical disinfection

Treatment with chemicals (etching) at home is a simple process. Summer residents use ordinary potassium permanganate, which well protects future plants from fungal infections:

1. prepare a 1% solution (1 g of crystals per 100 ml of water);
2. keep the seeds in it for 15-20 minutes;
3. washed and dried.

Used for disinfection and 10% hydrogen peroxide. It is preheated to 40 °, then the seeds are lowered into it for 7-8 minutes. Pharmaceutical peroxide has a lower concentration (3%), so the exposure time in case of its use is 10-12 hours.

You can disinfect cucumber seeds with a boric acid solution: 2 g per 10 liters of water. The duration of disinfection is 12 hours.

Often summer residents carry out disinfection with garlic:

1. 1 large or 2 small cloves are rubbed on a plastic grater;
2. add about 300 ml of water and mix the gruel well;
3. bring the volume to a liter, filter;
4. in the resulting garlic water, the seed in a gauze bag is dipped for half an hour.

The dosage and time of treatment with any preparations is kept as accurately as possible so as not to deprive the seeds of their ability to germinate.

It is not recommended to disinfect with more aggressive disinfecting solutions, since the stress received by the seeds will be stronger, which will negatively affect their viability.

Disinfection can be carried out in a dry way by placing the grains in a tightly closing container and adding special preparations (for example, "Granosan", TMTD). The container is closed and shaken for at least 5 minutes. However, this method is not very suitable for home conditions: the consumption of a disinfecting substance is 3-5 g per 1 kg of seeds. In addition, such processing requires the use of special clothing to protect the skin, mucous membranes and eyes from the ingress of chemical particles.

Heat treatment

Quite a complicated process for home conditions. The seed is kept for 70 hours in chambers where a constant temperature of 40 ° C is maintained.Home heating on radiators or under incandescent lamps does not guarantee exact compliance with the regime, and therefore is rarely used by ordinary gardeners.

Seed awakening

The procedure is carried out to remove the seeds from dormancy, make them wake up, and shorten the germination time. The relevance of awakening depends on the conditions for further cultivation - seedlings, greenhouses or directly open ground. For protected conditions, germination is recommended.

Seed soaking and germination

The method is widely used and gives excellent results, although it is very simple:

1. the seeds are laid out between two layers of hygroscopic fabric and moisturized well;
2. the container is kept at a temperature of 25-28 ° C until the roots appear;
3. the seeds are slightly dried and planted.

Imported seeds should not be soaked: the manufacturer processes them with pesticides that can kill the sprouts even at the stage of their awakening.

The described method has worked well for growing seedlings or sowing in greenhouse beds: the sprouts are very sensitive to temperature changes. It is very difficult to create ideal conditions in open ground beds.

Soaking with salt or soda solution

The method is good for two reasons: unproductive material is immediately discarded, and it is disinfected.

The technique is simple:

1. prepare a solution of 6-10 g (1 tsp) salt and 3/4 cup slightly warmed up water;
2. seeds are poured into a bowl, poured with salt solution;
3. after 7-8 minutes the floating seeds are discarded - they will not sprout;
4. the saline solution is drained, the remaining grains are dried and sown.

The effectiveness of soaking with baking soda is a controversial issue, but the following fact is undeniable: a solution of ordinary baking soda softens the seed coat, which accelerates the penetration of moisture. Prepare a solution of 1 tsp. soda and a liter of water. Soaking time is a day.

Soaking time depends on many factors, including temperature and varietal characteristics of cucumbers. Finally, the readiness of the seeds for planting is determined visually: they swelled, tiny sprouts appeared.

Soaking with solutions of special preparations

The question of the effectiveness of the procedure remains open, since dormant seeds practically do not perceive nutrients. It is believed that the method is effective if the cucumbers are to be planted in depleted soil, the nutritional effect will not be noticeable. Nevertheless, solutions with a high content of nutrients and biologically active substances are popular with summer residents.

• Soaking with "Zircon"

Soak with a solution prepared from 2 drops of the product and 300 ml of water at room temperature. Duration of exposure - before hatching, usually 8-18 hours. The solution also helps to strengthen the plant's immunity.

• Soaking with humates

A stock solution is prepared from 1 g of powder and 100 ml of soft water. For soaking, 1 ml of the stock solution is diluted in 100 ml of water, the seeds are lowered for a day.

• Ivin Soak

The preparation serves as a good stimulating and anti-stress agent for plants. The nutrient solution is prepared from 1 drop of the drug and 1 liter of water. Duration of processing is from 18 to 24 hours, until germination.

• Epin solution

It helps plants to adapt during transplantation, controls metabolic processes. In addition to accelerating germination, it increases the general immunity of cucumbers, resistance to adverse conditions, in particular, an excess of moisture.

A solution is prepared from 100 ml of water and 2 drops of the product. Soaking time is 18-20 hours at room temperature.

Folk remedies for seed treatment

There are many recipes for soaking cucumber seeds using improvised means.

• Honey

From 1 glass of lukewarm water and 1 tsp. spoons of honey prepare a nutrient solution, immerse the seeds in it. Pecking occurs in 6 hours.

• Potato juice

3-4 healthy, well-preserved potatoes are washed, dried and placed in the freezer for several hours.Then let them thaw completely, rub on a fine grater and squeeze. The seeds are poured with the resulting juice and left for 8 hours at room temperature.

• Ash infusion

For soaking, take 2 tbsp. l. ash and a liter of boiled water. The solution is insisted for 2 days, then the seeds are filtered and lowered for 6 hours.

• Aloe

Aloe juice stimulates germination, strengthens the immune system of future cucumber lashes. For juice, large lower leaves are cut off, wrapped in paper and kept in the cold for 2 weeks. Then they squeeze out the period, add a little water and soak the seeds for a day.

To process cucumber seeds before planting, solutions are prepared using melt or rainwater. In the absence of such, they take tap water, which has settled for 2 days and softened with lemon juice, or frozen in a freezer, and then thawed.

Impact on immunity

Whatever the attitude towards soaking the seed with nutrient solutions, strengthening the immunity of cucumbers is the concern of every summer resident. In addition to the methods mentioned above, preparations of natural origin are used.

• "Amulet".

Treatment with the drug reduces the risk of damage to cucumbers by late blight and rhizoctonia wilting by 2 times. The soaking solution is prepared at the rate of 2 ml per 1 g of seeds with the addition of a small amount of water. The duration of the procedure is about an hour.

Seeds are treated with "Amulet" 2-3 days before sowing. The finished solution is stored for no more than 90 minutes.

• "NV-101".

This is a completely organic product. To prepare a solution for soaking, take 1-2 drops of a liquid agent. Processing time - 12 hours, after which the seeds are sown immediately.

Features of seed preparation for sowing in open ground

In general, the process does not differ from processing for growing seedlings or sowing in greenhouses.

1. Disinfection is carried out using one of the available methods.
2. Warm up using heating devices or attaching bags of seeds to their own body.
3. Soak with nutrient solution.
4. They are treated with immuno-strengthening agents.
5. They are hardened during the day.
6. After carrying out all the procedures, the seeds are sown on the prepared beds.

In open ground, cucumbers are sown only after the threat of return frosts has passed completely. If there is no such confidence, and the sowing time is running out, the sowing material is only disinfected, washed, dried and planted. Dry kernels are less vulnerable to unexpected frosts.

Seeds of hybrid cucumbers purchased through specialized retail chains do not need decontamination. A short-term exposure in a nutrient solution and germination is enough for them, or they can immediately sow into the ground.

New varieties and hybrids of cucumbers that have appeared in recent years do not require preliminary processing. The final decision - whether it is necessary to spend time and effort on soaking - remains with the summer resident. When growing old favorite varieties, it is better to plant cucumber seeds processed in full so that unpleasant surprises do not have a significant effect on the harvest.