Seedlings of cucumbers stretched out what to do. Cucumber seedlings outgrown

Growing cucumbers, summer residents face various difficulties, for example, the seeds may not sprout or, on the contrary, they all sprout together, but after a couple of days, young plants turn into weak and faded. It is worth knowing not only the causes of this phenomenon, but what to do if the seedlings of cucumbers are very stretched immediately after germination. How to correct the situation for the better?


This phenomenon is caused by certain external factors:

  1. Lack or wrong direction of light. In the first case, the culture reaches up to get the missing portion of illumination.
  2. Elevated temperature. Cucumbers love warmth and grow in their natural environment in the southern regions, so there is an opinion that the heat will not harm them. In fact, if the temperature exceeds 26 degrees, the vegetable stretches and weakens.
  3. Improper watering: too cold water or too much of it. High humidity adversely affects cucumbers, and liquid temperatures below 25 degrees lead to fungus.
  4. Too narrow container. Cucumber roots grow in width and in the absence of sufficient territory, the plant weakens.
  5. Increased or insufficient content of nutrients in the soil. From this factor alone, the culture is unlikely to stretch, more additional reasons are needed.

Diseases, fungal spores and pests cannot cause sprouts to stretch.


The flowering of cucumbers begins very early, when they are still in the seedling stage. Healthy seedlings will not suffer from this, but elongated ones will become even weaker. So it is better to cut off the first flowers so that the plant has the strength to develop the root system and stem.

How to prevent pulling seedlings

It must be borne in mind that we are not talking about a disease, but simply about the weakness of plants, which, nevertheless, can destroy them. But if measures are taken in time, the seedlings will become strong and turn into strong vegetables.

Temperature regulation

First, the air is cooled to at least 15-17 degrees, and this indicator is maintained for several days. When the seedlings are strengthened, the optimal daytime temperature will be 22 degrees, and the night temperature will be 18.

Lighting

At home, seedlings are usually grown on windowsills, as this is the lightest area. On clear sunny days, the shoots are in excellent condition, but in cloudy weather, especially when the windows face the north side, they lack light.

You can deal with the problem like this:

  1. Adjust lighting with phytolamps. They are installed directly above the seedlings and kept no more than 7-9 hours a day.
  2. If funds for special equipment are not enough, you can simply fix the mirrors near the seedlings. They will reflect the light the plants need.

Soil cultivation and top dressing

Another option to help cucumbers is to add soil. It must be dry and fully warmed up. Thanks to this, the root system and shoot stalks will begin to develop, they will even out in growth and strengthen.

Since pulling is often caused by a lack of potassium, cucumbers are fed with mixtures containing this substance. The culture is watered with a solution of ash in the ratio: 1 tbsp. spoon for a glass of water.

Transplanting extended seedlings

The earth is previously loosened and watered. It is good if the seedlings began to stretch right on the eve of the transplant. It is transferred to permanent territory in this way:

  1. Make a big hole.
  2. Do not water, but do not overdry the shoots.
  3. A plastic cup is cut without destroying the earthen coma. Seedlings are not pulled or pulled by the stems.
  4. The seedling is carefully moved into the hole. Its elongated part is twisted into a ring.
  5. The plant is sprinkled with soil, gently crushed, moistened.

If the seedlings are not very stretched out and the stem cannot be twisted, strong deepening is not necessary.


Then:

  1. They dig holes the size of an earthen ball and put stable supports in them.
  2. The shoots are placed as deep as they were in the pots.
  3. Fall asleep with light soil, crush, water.
  4. Seedlings are very carefully, without damage, attached to the pegs. Thin and weak trunks are tied up in all internodes.

The soil around the plants is mulched or covered with a special material to warm the roots, retain water, and prevent weeds from growing.

Cucumbers are an integral crop of our ridges. Not a single gardener can imagine his plot without cucumbers. In fact, this culture is not whimsical; with a minimum of care, a high yield of its fruits is guaranteed. Cucumbers are grown both in greenhouses, greenhouses, and in unprotected soil. To get a good harvest, some vegetable growers try to plant cucumber seedlings in the spring. There are situations when cucumber seedlings stretch upwards - beginners do not know what to do in such circumstances. Having studied the material below, they will not be left alone with the problem.

Many gardeners who first encountered the cultivation of cucumber seedlings are interested in: cucumber seedlings have stretched out what to do in this case in the first place to correct the situation. Yes, everything is fixable, if the matter has not yet become irreversible. The first step is to try to find out the reason, that is, why cucumber seedlings are stretched - how to fix it, after searching for the truth it will already be possible at a calm pace.

Healthy and high-quality seedlings are not difficult to determine by sight - they are strong and squat. Since cucumbers are considered a delicate crop, they respond pliantly to external growth factors. Under appropriate conditions, seedlings grow prosperous, and under inappropriate conditions, they look sick, disproportionate. Stretching the stem is a misfortune that those who have not created suitable conditions for growing cucumber seedlings have to face. This reaction of seedlings can have a very deplorable effect on the amount of harvest in the future. So, let's consider the main reasons due to the influence of which the seedlings of cucumbers stretched out, began to exceed their natural size and began to look non-standard.

The first reason why it is strongly drawn out concerns the wrong light and temperature conditions. Their deficit or, conversely, an overabundance. Light is the stimulant, under the influence of which the seedlings stretch upwards. Therefore, first of all, you should adjust the temperature and light conditions in the apartment or greenhouse.

Another reason why cucumber seedlings are stretched is the lack of volume of the container in which they are grown. Tight cups do not allow the root system to grow in breadth, it does not have enough space, which ultimately affects the seedling itself. To avoid such a misfortune, spacious containers (with a diameter of at least 8 cm) should be prepared. So it will be possible to exclude the appearance of various problems, which include this one.

The quality of the soil can also be the reason why cucumber seedlings are thin and long at the same time. The soil should never be acidic. The best option is neutral ground. Despite the fact that this reason is rare, in combination with other negative factors, it can affect the extension of seedlings. And therefore, you will have to solve more than one task at once to eliminate the problem. So, if the seedlings of cucumbers are very stretched out - what to do will be described further in detail.

How to grow seedlings correctly?

To save pale and stretched seedlings, attention should be paid to changing the regime of light and temperature.

The temperature is lowered to +15 C, while applying additional illumination. With the strongest stretching of plants, ultraviolet lamps are kept on around the clock.

During the day, seedlings can be transferred to a balcony or loggia, where it is less warm and more sunlight. Before nightfall, planting in pots is returned back to the room.

What to do with elongated bushes when transplanting into the ground?

When it comes time to plant plants in the ground, but cucumber seedlings have stretched out - how to fix the situation? It is also quite possible to help seedlings during this period. To do this, it is necessary to apply a special technique when planting in the ground - deepening the root part of the plant with a clod of earth and part of the stem to the cotyledon leaves, filling everything with a loose layer of soil.

The use of this technique is advisable because the buried stem in the hole will take root in addition to the existing ones, and from this the plant will only add to strength and health. The main indicator of the survival rate of elongated seedlings is warm and moist soil.

When planting cucumbers, potash fertilizers help well. The use of additives that stimulate the growth of the root part of seedlings is recognized as effective in caring for planting material. Care in the greenhouse for seedlings includes ventilation of air and soil environments, ensuring a sufficient level of lighting.

How to transplant flowering elongated cucumber seedlings?

Cucumber plants quickly form flowers, often they appear even at the stage of seedlings not planted in the ground.

Such early flowering is not bad, besides, it does not affect the quality of future cucumbers. But in the context of stretched seedlings, things change radically - flowers are able to take away from the plant the strength that it lacks. In this regard, it is recommended to remove the first buds from seedlings, giving the opportunity to reanimate the bush.

Such a plant will enter the phase of active fruit formation a little later than its counterparts, but will be able to quickly catch up with them. If you plant seedlings with inflorescences, the seedlings will be overwhelmed for a long time. And then it will get rid of flowers and ovaries. As a result, the yield will be reduced.

The best cucumbers in the garden are those that are grown on their own. Unfortunately, quite often gardeners make serious mistakes when growing cucumber seedlings. The stems of young plants are strongly elongated, which further negatively affects the state of cucumber bushes. It is not difficult to get healthy planting material with a strong, full-fledged stem if the basic rules for growing seedlings are observed.

For normal growth and development of seedlings of vegetable crops, including cucumbers, a number of conditions are required. Violation of at least one of them can affect the quality of cucumber seedlings. Consider the most common mistakes and signs of growth disorders:

How to grow good cucumber seedlings

The quantity and quality of the future harvest directly depends on the planting material - seeds and seedlings. To avoid mistakes, you should create optimal conditions for growing seedlings of cucumbers, namely:

  • proper lighting;
  • suitable temperature regime;
  • moderate watering;
  • compliance with seeding density standards;
  • good soil quality;
  • sufficient volume of a seedling glass.

To get seedlings of good quality cucumbers, it is necessary to adhere to optimal growing conditions.

Organizing the right lighting

The growth of seedlings is affected by the intensity and duration of the lighting period. To prevent pulling cucumber sprouts, you need:

  • put boxes with seedlings on the southeast or south windows. When the plants are tilted, turn the containers in the opposite direction;

    Cucumber seedlings need to provide optimal light conditions

  • immediately when the first shoots appear, turn on additional lighting;

    Backlight provides good illumination of seedlings in short day conditions

  • do not allow a break between periods of sunlight and artificial lighting. The total time of plant illumination should be at least 12 hours;
  • At night, turn off the lights completely for at least 6 hours. Plants also need a night's rest;
  • cover seedlings from direct sunlight to prevent burns;
  • use fluorescent lighting instead of conventional lighting. Incandescent lamps emit a lot of heat, and their color spectrum does not contain blue radiation, which is so necessary for seedlings. In indoor greenhouses, LED lighting sources and phytolamps can also be used;

    Seedlings of cucumbers under a phytolamp receive a sufficient amount of light

Optimal temperature

When the seeds are still at the germination stage, you need to make sure that the soil temperature is 25-30 degrees. But as soon as shoots appear, the thermal regime must be adjusted as follows:

  • The thermometer in the room should always remain at the level of 20-23 degrees.
  • The temperature difference between daylight and nighttime should not exceed 5-7 divisions.
  • Seedlings need to be ventilated, and on warm days they can be taken out to the balcony for a short time.

Watering and feeding cucumber seedlings

When watering seedlings, the following rules must be observed:


Cold water and wet leaves are among the main causes of fungal diseases in cucumbers.

It would be useful to feed the seedlings at least once, combining this procedure with watering. There are several types of top dressings:



Fertilizers should not be abused. Too lush seedlings of cucumbers will not take root well in the garden.

Soil preparation

  • leaf ground - 1 bucket;
  • humus - 1 bucket;
  • ash - 1 glass;
  • potassium sulfate - 10 grams;
  • superphosphate - 20 grams.

All components must be mixed well until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

The soil for seedlings of cucumbers can be prepared independently by mixing leafy soil and humus in equal proportions.

Seedling containers

You can use plastic containers, but it is best to grow cucumber seedlings in peat cups. When planting on a garden bed, such seedlings are placed directly in the hole, without removing the plants from the container.

Seedlings of cucumbers in peat cups can be planted in the ground without removing them from the container

As the seedlings grow, the cups should be set aside so that the cucumbers do not interfere with each other.

Video: transplanting cucumber seedlings from a cassette into cups

How to plant stretched seedlings

If the plants are still stretched out and nothing can be fixed, then you should not throw away the results of your work. There is a way by which you can still save the elongated seedlings of cucumbers, and it is as follows:

  1. In the ground, you need to dig a hole - a little deeper and wider than usual.
  2. Bend the long stem into a ring and place horizontally in the hole.
  3. Sprinkle carefully with earth so that the cotyledons remain on the surface.

    4. Video: planting elongated seedlings of cucumbers

    Pulling cucumber seedlings is a very unpleasant and undesirable phenomenon. But even if this did happen, you can correct the mistakes and get good quality seedlings. In the future, fulfilling all the requirements of agricultural technology, you will get a good harvest during the season.

Many gardeners grow cucumber seedlings at home or in a greenhouse. . But seedlings do not always turn out to be stocky and squat. Often the lashes grow too long and so thin that the plants begin to fall. Gardeners, especially beginners, are interested inwhat to do if cucumber seedlings stretched outIs there any way to fix the situation. There are several methods that will help fix the problem, but only if you act quickly. After finding out the cause, you can start treatment seedlings.

Reasons for pulling cucumber seedlings

Cucumber is a delicate plant. The slightest non-observance of agricultural cultivation techniques already at an early stage affects the future harvest. From the elongated seedlings, weak plants grow in the future. Most often, the reason for the overgrowth of cucumber lashes lies in improper conditions.

in the greenhouse

  1. Temperature regime. In the greenhouse you need to monitor the temperature regime. If the air warms up above +26 ° C, then the room must be ventilated.
  2. Lighting. With a lack of light, the sprouts try to compensate for its lack by stretching in height.
  3. The soil. Acidic soil and a lack of trace elements in it can also cause thinning of the shoots.
  4. Top dressing. With an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, plants quickly increase their green mass, due to this, the stems grow sharply in length.
  5. Watering. Although cucumbers love moisture, when watered too much, the seedlings become thin and long. In addition, dampness can provoke fungal diseases of the root system.

At home

Why do seedlings grown on a windowsill stretch out?

illumination. Strong and stocky seedlings grow if the total lighting time (natural and artificial) is at least 12 hours. Sprouts, not receiving enough light, begin to stretch strongly.

dense landings. Often, gardeners try to get as much planting material as possible, so the seeds are laid out at a short distance. If the seedlings in the common container are stretched out, then the cucumbers are planted too densely.

Tank sizes. Since the root system of cucumbers grows in width, seedling boxes should be of sufficient size. If the roots have nowhere to develop, then the plant does not have enough strength to grow the green part. The stem becomes thinner, begins to stretch and fall.

What to do if the plants in the nursery are still outgrown? First, you need to know how to properly grow cucumbers in seedlings. Secondly, as soon as possible to correct the situation, if cucumbers overgrown in seedlings.

Prevention of pulling cucumber seedlings

If you notice that the plants begin to stretch urgent need to take action. Otherwise, the seedlings will not be saved.

  1. Plants do not stretch too much and are strong when grown in a well-lit window. Windows in the north are not suitable for cucumber seedlings.
  2. As soon as they appear seedlings , you need to lower the temperature to +16 ° C
  3. Experienced gardeners advise putting containers with cucumber seedlings in boxes and taking them outside in warm weather.
  4. Regular feeding makes the plants strong, squat.
  5. Should not be abundant water cucumber seedlings, since from a large amount of water the plant begins to quickly increase its green mass.
  6. Prevent stretch plants ordinary foil or even white paper helps. It is fixed on the opposite side of the window. Sunlight reflects off the improvised surface and hits the seedlings.
  7. To cucumber did not stretchin the absence of light on the window make additional illumination with phytolamps or fluorescent lamps. Conventional incandescent lamps do not contain the blue color needed for plant growth and generate a lot of heat.

Treatment of elongated seedlings of cucumbers

If , no need to panic. The situation can still be improved. There are several effective ways to treat plants: If seedlings of cucumbers stretches , you need to lower the air temperature for a few days. Plants can be taken out to the balcony or veranda. When growing in a greenhouse, you need to open the window during the day. If the glass is small, the cucumbers are transplanted into a large container and sprinkled with soil. Butdeeply deepen the elongated seedlingsnot needed right away. The earth is added gradually (but not above the cotyledon leaves). Additional roots form on the stem. The nutrition of cucumber seedlings improves, the stem becomes thicker.

If the cucumber lash is very long, you can pinch the top of the cucumber over 2-3 leaves. This promotes the development of side shoots. Most often, the technique is used for gherkins (short-fruited varieties). Gardeners often ask what water stretched seedlings of cucumbers.

To prevent seedlings from overgrowing, a solution of wood ash can be used for irrigation. It contains a large number of trace elements, including potassium..

Planting out seedlings

Flowers appear on cucumber seedlings at the time of planting. If the plants are strong and healthy, it will not harm them. In elongated seedlings, it is advisable to cut off the flowers: they weaken the cucumbers, slow down the formation of the lash itself and the root system.

What to do when landing, if cucumber seedlings stretched out? Consider possible ways: Plants are transferred to the planting site in garden or greenhouse one at a time, holding the stem. Then they put it on the ground, straighten the shoot along the entire length next to the finished hole. Now you need to carefully remove the seedling along with a clod of earth. You can not pull the stem, it is too fragile, it will break.Lower the root into the hole, deepen it a little. When the plants begin to take root, the roots themselves will go to the desired depth.The lower leaves do not need to be dug in, they should remain above the ground. Otherwise, a "black leg" may develop. disembarkation stretched seedlings of cucumbers can be done in another way. For beginners, it is not quite simple, so you first need to look video.

If the seedlings are very stretched out, they do not water them for 2-3 days. This is a necessary procedure, due to which cucumber lashes become flexible, easily folded into a “ring”. Having put the plant in the hole, they begin to twist the ring from the stem. You need to work carefully, wrap the escape in a circle gradually. When the elongated shoot is laid down to the cotyledon leaves, the seedlings are sprinkled with earth and the soil is lightly tamped.

Transplanted seedlings are shaded so that they take root faster.

After a while, roots will appear on the ring, which will make the plant strong. Such planting overgrown seedlingscucumber accelerates the growth of the plant and the formation of flower buds. Whichever method of planting elongated cucumber seedlings the gardener chooses, the plants still need to be watered. The next irrigation is carried out in a few days. It is combined with top dressing. For the first time, plants are supported with nitrogen-containing fertilizers in order to accelerate the growth of green mass. After another 14 days, plantings are watered with fertilizers containing phosphorus.

Plants respond well to top dressing with fermented green mass (nettles and dandelions grow very early. You can use them), as well as mullein infusion. As a preventive measure and saturation of the soil with nutrients, it is possible to carry out root and foliar feeding of cucumbers with wood ash. As you can see, solving the problem with overgrown cucumber seedlings is not so difficult. The main thing is to notice the problem in time and fix it. Then the cucumber beds will give you a rich harvest. A novice gardener will be able to cope with the work.

Cucumber seedlings are pulled out if the conditions that are comfortable for it are violated or there are errors in care. At first, this is not scary, but you need to correct the situation immediately. Stretching, the sprouts weaken, and therefore take root worse, form fewer ovaries, and are unstable to diseases.

Cucumber seedlings are most defenseless in the period from germination to the first true leaves. It is especially difficult to create ideal conditions when growing seedlings at home.

The reason for pulling seedlings of cucumbers are individual negative factors, but most often - their combination. Not the last role is played by the fact that in early spring, when seeds are sown, cloudy weather prevails over sunny.

Explanation
low light Cucumbers need a lot of light for full photosynthesis. It is desirable that it be solar or artificial light as close as possible to it in terms of spectrum and intensity.
Unbalanced watering Cucumbers require a lot of water, but at the same time they do not tolerate overflow. Therefore, seedlings are stretched both with dry soil and with too wet. The combination of high humidity with poor lighting is especially unfavorable.
Wrong temperature Cucumber seedlings love warmth, and do not grow in the cold below +15 0 C: at this temperature, its roots are unable to receive nutrition from the soil. And if you allow the temperature to rise to +42 0 C, it will burn. For cucumbers, it is desirable to maintain a narrow range between +20 - +26 0 C.
cramped dishes The roots of cucumber seedlings are shallow and stretch horizontally. Therefore, when the crops are thickened, the sprouts begin to interfere with each other, taking food. This can also happen when seeds are planted separately, but in a pot with a volume of less than 0.5 liters.
Soil quality Cucumber seedlings are stretched due to lack, as well as through excess nutrition. This vegetable requires light, loose, well-fertilized and heated neutral soil. Particular care must be taken when saturating the soil with nitrogen.

Seedlings are stretched if the slightest balance is disturbed in any of the requirements for their growing conditions. But everything can be corrected at the first sign of violations, when the seedlings only become pale, weak, thin.

What to do and how to save weakened seedlings

There are methods that are used regardless of the reason for pulling seedlings:

  1. Pinch off the tops of the shoots. The main stem is tweezed to stimulate the formation of lateral branches: it is on them that “female” flowers are formed, giving full-fledged ovaries. But in the case of stretching, you can pinch the apical bud over the second or third true leaf. The benefit of this is twofold: the growth of the stem will stop, as well as the axillary buds will “wake up”. This method is especially effective for varieties that give short fruits.
  2. Pour the soil into containers with seedlings. This will strengthen the stretched stalk and stop growth, as the seedling will spend energy on forming new roots. The soil is poured dry, warm.
  3. Roll up the stem. In a very young elongated seedling, the stem is slightly bent and a loop is made from it along the walls of the cup. The cotyledons should be above the edge of the pot. The resulting ring is sprinkled with loose soil. After about a week, new roots will appear on the buried part.
  4. Cut flowers. On cucumber seedlings, flowers appear early. If the sprouts are healthy, they can be left. But the stretched sprouts will weaken flowering even more. Therefore, flowers are cut off from problematic shoots.

But it is also necessary to eliminate the causes of stretching: it is important to create the conditions necessary for the development of healthy shoots.

Light mode

Even if it seems to us that there is enough light on the windowsill, the seedlings may not have enough of it. Plants in such a situation will definitely stretch out, so the plantings must be illuminated.

It is good to do this with special phytolamps. But inexpensive fluorescent lamps also do an excellent job, the luminous efficiency of which is much higher than that of incandescent lamps. For example, 100 W of an incandescent lamp is equal to 20 W of a fluorescent lamp, and therefore, when choosing a backlight source, such indicators need to be specified.

Incandescent lamps are not suitable, because they give too much heat and light of the wrong spectrum.

The optimal amount of radiation for cucumbers: 200 W of light of any shades of red, blue is required per 1 m2 of planting area. But the pure blue color inhibits cell growth, so the stem under its influence becomes short and strong.

The amount of light depends not only on the brightness, but also on the distance from the lamps to the seedlings. It should be no less than 20 and no more than 30 cm. 5-7 cm from the shoots, you can put reflective screens that will illuminate the sprouts without additional lamps.

Illumination duration - 8–12 hours per day.

In addition to additional illumination, you can use special preparations that inhibit the growth of shoots.

For cucumbers, use "Tour" - 15 g per bucket of water. You can process twice, strictly according to the instructions: exceeding the dose is highly undesirable.

Watering mode

Water the seedlings of cucumbers daily. At the same time, the water should be warm: about 22–24 0 C. Pour directly under the root, trying not to get water on the leaves, and also not to wash away the soil above the roots. At first, it is convenient to use a spray gun.

Watering is best early in the morning or late in the evening. Soil moisture in containers with cucumber crops should be 70-80%. It is desirable that the deep layers of the soil are wetter than the upper ones. This can be achieved by using watering through the pallet.

Drainage holes must be made at the bottom of the container. On the one hand, they will protect against stagnation of water in the cups. On the other hand, they will give the plants the opportunity to absorb moisture from a common pallet.

Air humidity is also important: for cucumbers, it is maintained at about 65%. Any deviation causes the sprouts to stretch. You can adjust this with a damp cloth, which is laid out on the battery. An open container of water, located near the heater, also helps a lot.

Temperature regime

The ideal temperature for cucumber seedlings is +22–+26 0 C during the day, +15–+18 0 C at night. For an earthy coma - about +20 0 C.

If the sprouts began to stretch, the night temperature is kept around the clock for some time. Regulate ventilation, ventilation. You can block the central heating battery or put a dense material on it.

If the room is hot, planting cucumbers is fenced off from the warm air with a transparent film. The flow of cold from the window allows you to achieve the desired temperature. But it is important to ensure that frosty air does not flow directly to the plantings.

tightness

If cucumber seeds were sown in a common box or too cramped dishes, at the first sign of stretching, the crops are immediately transplanted. Do this carefully, trying not to expose the roots.

The sprout is picked up along with the ground with a scoop or spoon. No need to take the stem and leaves with your hand.

The container should be wide so that the cucumber roots can freely stretch to the sides.

top dressing

If the soil has been prepared correctly, there is little chance that crops will stretch out due to a lack of nutrients or an excess of them.

The soil for cucumber seedlings is mixed from humus, peat, turf and sand.

Both self-harvested and purchased land are checked for acidity, the pH of which should be about 7. To increase the acidity of the soil, ammonium sulphate or sulfur is added to it. To lower - lime or dolomite flour. This is done no later than 2 weeks before sowing the seeds, and the soil temperature should be above +15 0 C.

However, during the growth process, seedlings still need additional nutrition. These can be complex fertilizers Nutrisol, PJ Mix, Aquarin.

Useful and organic top dressing:

  • cow dung diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10;
  • bird droppings, diluted 1:15;
  • ash - 1 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of water.

The mixture works well:

  • urea - 10 g;
  • superphosphate - 35 g;
  • potassium sulfate - 15 g.

Sometimes gardeners miss the moment when the sprouts begin to stretch and admit that the plants are weakening, shedding their ovaries, getting sick. Such seedlings will have to be thrown away.

If the seedlings were helped in time and all adverse factors were eliminated, cucumbers can be safely planted in a permanent place. They will quickly take root and give a good harvest.

Features of planting elongated cucumbers

The soil before planting cucumbers is well moistened and loosened. It is good if the seedlings began to stretch before transplanting. It can be immediately transferred to a permanent place.

This is done like this:

  1. Prepare a deep hole.
  2. Seedlings stop watering - slightly wither, but do not overdry.
  3. If the glass is plastic, it is cut without destroying the earthen ball. Do not pull or pull on the stem.
  4. The plant is carefully placed in the hole. The elongated part of the stem from the earthy coma to the cotyledon leaves is twisted into a ring along the walls of the hole.
  5. Sprinkle with soil, carefully tamp, water.

If the plant is not stretched so much that you can twist the stem, it should not be buried much.

In this case:

  1. Holes are made the size of an earthen coma. They have solid supports.
  2. Seedlings are dug to the depth at which they were in the pot.
  3. Sprinkle with light soil, compact, water.
  4. The shoots are very carefully, so as not to damage, tied to a support. If the trunk is very thin and weak, you need to tie it up under each internode.

The ground around the seedlings is covered with covering material or mulched. This will warm the roots, retain moisture, and slow the growth of weeds.

The first two weeks after transplanting into the greenhouse, cucumbers are watered quite a bit. Evening watering is preferable to morning watering.


Many summer residents grow cucumbers, tomatoes, and other vegetable crops on their personal plots. Cucumber seedlings can be grown both in open and closed ground, but often in the process of growing, you can notice that cucumber seedlings have stretched out. What to do in this situation, why is this happening?

Cucumbers are a rather unpretentious vegetable crop that even novice amateur gardeners can grow. In the hope of harvesting a good harvest at the end of the season, it is not enough to choose high-quality planting material. It is necessary to observe a number of agrotechnical conditions, to know when to plant seedlings, how to properly care for the bushes during the growing season.

Conditions for growing strong, healthy seedlings

In order to grow excellent seedlings of cucumbers, it is necessary to select planting material that is suitable for growing in a particular climatic zone, and prepare the seeds correctly. It is necessary to pay attention to the quality, structure of the soil, not to miss the deadlines when it is necessary to plant cucumbers, to create when growing young plants in a greenhouse complex.

Seedlings can be planted in open ground, in a permanent place, when two true leaves appeared on the seedlings. Young bushes should have a strong short stem, a well-developed root system, rich green color of the leaves.

For planting in greenhouse complexes, it is best to choose self-pollinating, parthenocarpic.

Seeds for planting seedlings are:

  • ordinary;
  • granulated;
  • pre-processed.

Seeds for growing cucumber seedlings are planted in greenhouse complexes at the end of March, and planting in open ground should be organized in mid-April, only after there is no danger of night frosts and the soil warms up well.

Before planting ordinary seeds in the ground, they must be properly prepared. Planting material is sorted out, calibrated. Strong, healthy seeds are recommended to be pre-immersed in a concentrated saline solution. Those seeds that have surfaced should not be planted. Seeds sunk to the bottom of the container can be safely planted in the ground for growing seedlings.

To protect against fungal diseases, experienced gardeners recommend soaking the seeds for several minutes in fungicidal, antimicrobial compounds, potassium permanganate solution. To speed up the germination process, seeds for growing seedlings of cucumbers are soaked in nutrient solutions (growth stimulator) for a day. As soon as a small root is noticeable, young plants are planted in seedlings, peat pots, flower containers.

For seed germination, it is necessary to create favorable conditions: prepare the soil, create an optimal temperature regime, select the lighting, humidity level. If the agrotechnical conditions are not observed, even germinated seeds can die in the open field or in the greenhouse.

Cucumbers are moisture-loving plants, but if the leaves of the seedlings are very waterlogged in the evening, the seedlings may be affected by fungal diseases.

For watering seedlings use filtered, settled water at room temperature. The frequency of irrigation depends on temperature, climatic conditions.

Choosing soil for seedlings of cucumbers

To get a high-quality, healthy crop of garden crops, it is very important to properly prepare the soil in terms of mechanical and physical composition. The soil mixture for seedlings until it is planted in a permanent place should have an approximate physical and chemical composition. This will help young plants to quickly adapt to a new place, to form a strong root system.

Cucumber seedlings grow well and develop on fertile, nutritious, breathable, well-drained soils. Before planting young bushes, choose a flat, well-lit area, protected from strong winds.

Cucumbers grow best on chernozems, light nutrient loams with a neutral pH. With an acidic soil reaction, about a month or two before the planned planting, liming is carried out with ash, high-moor peat, charcoal, compost.

Even with the observance of all agrotechnical measures, you can notice that some bushes began to grow in height, to stretch. This problem is very often encountered when growing seedlings at home.

Strongly elongated bushes not only will not give a full crop, but may also die. What to do in this situation, why is this happening, what reasons provoked excessive growth, pulling out young seedlings of cucumbers? Let's try to understand the situation, give advice, recommendations from experienced gardeners who will help correct the error.

Do not panic, and even more so destroy young plants. It is necessary to find out what caused the fact that some bushes began to grow rapidly upwards. It is necessary to change the mode of growing young plants.

The reasons that led to the stretching of seedlings include:

  • non-compliance with temperature, light conditions;
  • insufficient level of humidity;
  • improper preparation of planting material.


If the seedlings of cucumbers are strongly drawn out, the reason lies in the excessive watering of the bushes.

To solve the problem, you need to take a number of actions.

  1. Increase lighting level. If necessary, organize artificial lighting.
  2. Exposure to ultraviolet lighting, which almost completely replaces the sun's rays, should not be less than seven to eight hours a day.
  3. Seedlings are pulled out if cucumber bushes are planted too tightly. It is best to allocate a separate peat pot, cup for each plant.

Young plants do not tolerate transplanting well. In order not to damage the root system, a container for seedlings is chosen deep and wide enough. Each seedling should have enough space for full growth.

If the seedlings of cucumbers are stretched out, the introduction of potassium nutrient mixtures will help. Additionally, you can spill the soil with a solution of ash (one tablespoon per liter of water), immune stimulants, which can be purchased at specialized garden centers.

To stimulate the growth of the root system, to prevent the stalks of garden crops from stretching, it is recommended to increase the amount of soil mixture.

Planting elongated seedlings in open ground

If the seedlings are thin, stretched out a lot, but they already need to be planted in a permanent place, it is necessary to adhere to the correct planting technology, deepening the young bushes into the ground.

If the seedling has very thin, elongated stems, it should not be deeply buried in the soil. Shrubs with very elongated, weak stems should be planted at about the same depth as they were grown in pots.

Having previously prepared the landing holes, a wooden support is installed next to each bush. Plants are very carefully planted in planting holes, trying not to damage the delicate, fragile root system. The seedlings are deepened to the cotyledons, gradually falling asleep with loose, heated soil.

After the young bushes adapt to new conditions, get a little stronger, perform a vertical garter of seedlings. Outdoors, plants will support each other with tendrils.

If you had to plant seedlings in cold ground, the soil around each bush is covered with a dark-colored perforated film. Dark color attracts solar heat, promotes evaporation of excess moisture. Such a simple procedure will prevent the processes of decay of the buried parts of the culture, stimulate the growth of new roots, additionally supporting the elongated weak seedlings.

In order for young plants to adapt and grow stronger faster, they provide timely moderate watering, properly organize top dressing using complex nutrient mixtures. The culture is watered in the early morning, before sunrise, or in the late evening, using settled, not too cold water.

To feed cucumber seedlings, complex fertilizers containing the necessary macro- and microelements are used. For the entire growing season, the culture is fed four to five times. The multiplicity of dressings depends on the quality, structure of the soil.

To prevent the rapid development of green mass, ammonia nutrient mixtures are not used to feed young plants.

If the seedlings have thin, weakened stems, it is recommended to remove the first buds before flowering, which take some of the plant's nutrients.

When growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, greenhouse complex, be sure to monitor the level of illumination, microclimate, and temperature conditions. Periodically ventilate the greenhouse.

By following the correct planting technology, knowing what needs to be done to avoid stretching the stems, adhering to agricultural rules, you can grow strong, healthy seedlings that will bring a tasty and healthy bountiful harvest.

Seedlings stretched upwards are a fairly common case when growing cucumbers. Overgrown sprouts are obtained if the light or temperature regime has been violated. So that the plants do not die, before planting it, it is necessary to follow some recommendations.

What to do with overgrown seedlings and why it has become long you need to know even before you plant the seeds. The reason may be the remoteness of the seedling pot from the window, and the wrong temperature in the greenhouse.

Overgrown seedlings are manifested in the stretching of sprouts until true leaves appear.. For a number of reasons, the subcotyledonal stem is pulled up.

It happens that the sprouts can stretch very strongly, up to 10 cm in height. The seedlings turn out to be weak, if they are transplanted incorrectly, thin sprouts of cucumbers can die.

Following the recommendations of experienced gardeners, the situation is quite possible to fix. Until planting on the beds, thin sprouts can be roll along the cup in the form of a spiral and sprinkle with soil to cotyledon leaves. The stem will take root after 5-7 days. For this period, the seedlings need to be provided with regular watering and it will stop stretching.

Reception will slightly slow down the plant in growth. However, over this period it will get stronger and become stronger.

Proper preparation for transplanting into open ground

If you do not carry out the variant of deepening in cups discussed above, it is necessary to plant overgrown sprouts on a garden bed or transplant into open ground. It is worth noting the fact that, contrary to the rules, seedlings "overgrowth" grows well and gives good yields.

Transplanting cucumbers to a permanent place consists of the following rules:

  1. You need to remove the cups carefully, you can leave the paper bottom. It is impossible to put the glass entirely inside the hole, as the paper will soak for a long time.
  2. Needed with leaves handle carefully, weak seedlings can be easily damaged. If everything is done correctly, the sprouts stored on the surface will quickly take root thanks to the fresh earth.
  3. The soil must be prepared in advance, enriched with fertilizers and ash. The temperature should be warm and steady, and the soil should be well warmed. So that the sprouts survive less stress, the soil can be pre-watered with warm water.
  4. plant better in the morning or evening. Water only with warm water. Cold water from the tap will adversely affect the growth of cucumbers.

If you put water in metal buckets in the sun in advance, it will warm up very quickly.

Is it possible to deepen

The method of deepening is considered effective if the sprout is laid and planted sideways or twisted in a spiral along the width of the hole. Too deep to bury and place the root is not worth it.

disembarkation to a depth of 5-7 cm. The roots that will appear on the stem if it is deepened will begin to grow rapidly. Gradually, the size of the bushes will begin to recover, lush foliage will appear.

Planting cucumbers in holes

Holes must be prepared in advance, the soil must be loose and fertile. Inside you can put a remedy for a bear, sawdust and ash. Pour the hole with warm water, place the cucumber bushes there using the deepening method. Sprinkle with soil in such a way that you get a recess in the form of a hole.

If you do not leave a recess, it will be difficult to water and fertilize. To prevent moisture from evaporating quickly, the top of the hole must be covered with grass or straw. Some for this purpose use covering material with holes. It is necessary to lay it on top of the soil until the seedlings are planted.


Post-planting care for elongated seedlings

  1. First of all, you need to make sure that the soil did not dry out. Moisture will promote the growth of new roots, drought is unacceptable.
  2. Weak elongated sprouts, so that the wind does not rock them, can be tied up or put on a net.
  3. Loosen and feed no earlier than 6-7 days. Loosening the bushes should be done very carefully - this will saturate the soil with oxygen.

Why seedlings are stretched

Overgrowing of cucumbers is more often observed due to lack of experience among beginner gardeners.

Gardeners who have learned from their own mistakes share their secrets with others. They identify three main reasons:

  • violation of the timing of planting cucumbers for seedlings;
  • wrong light mode;
  • non-compliance with the temperature regime.

If you sow cucumbers too early, the bushes will overgrow in anticipation of sustained heat. Cucumbers are sown depending on climatic conditions. after April 20.

lack of light adversely affects the sprouts and the condition of the leaves, they acquire a pale green tint. Too much low temperature slows down the growth of the plant, high - promotes abundant growth. Inappropriate temperature conditions drive the sprout up.

If an ovary appears on the overgrown cucumbers, it is better to remove the flowers after transplantation. Thus, it will be easier for the bushes to adapt to a new place.

What to do if the seedlings managed to stretch

By studying the cause-and-effect relationships of pulling seedlings, this process can be prevented. If the cucumber sprouts are stretched out, they can be saved before transplanting to the main place.



The main measures to solve the problem:

  1. Add additional lighting Use artificial light if necessary.
  2. If the cups are too close to each other, or the planting is thick, they need to be thinned out.
  3. Helps prevent sprouting potash fertilizers, ash and special tools that affect the growth of the plant if they are applied correctly.
  4. You can use the transplant method for more spacious cups. In order not to injure the root, you can build up existing cups with strips of cardboard. Fill voids with soil to the level of the first leaves.
  5. Cucumbers "overgrowth" are carefully transported to the land and transplanted by deepening.
  6. Damaged bushes with a broken stem cannot be saved; the rest of the plants have a chance for a successful transplant.

As a top dressing saltpeter cannot be used, as it provokes the growth of the green part of the plant.

Overgrowth of cucumber seedlings is not a reason for refusing to plant it on the beds. To correct this situation, proper care will allow. Subsequently, in order to avoid stretching upwards, it is necessary to carefully treat the plants at all growing pores.

Not so long ago, I was fond of growing vegetables and dreamed of becoming a farmer. Choosing varieties, growing seedlings, weeding and watering gave me real pleasure. And about the harvest and say nothing! I read a lot, tried, experimented, and in the end I achieved quite good results.

Cucumbers were my special love, so let me write about a problem that, I think, upsets many novice gardeners. I mean pale, elongated seedlings. First, let's figure out why this happens.

Let's start with the fact that the correct, healthy seedlings of cucumber at the time of planting it in a greenhouse or in the ground should be bright green, powerful, have a well-developed root system, a strong stem and 2-3 true leaves. However, for a number of reasons, seedlings can stretch out and become weak and faded.

Pulling plants is not a disease, of course, severely weakened individuals may die, but, in most cases, timely measures taken make it possible to obtain a good harvest from such seedlings.

The main reasons for pulling cucumber seedlings are:

  • Deficiency or incorrect direction of light.
  • Too high temperature.
  • Waterlogging or watering with cold water.
  • Excessive seeding.
  • Excess (in particular nitrogen) or lack (potassium) of nutrients.

How to help seedlings

  • Due to the fact that cucumber lashes take root well, the best thing to do is to dig a small depression next to each seedling, lay an elongated stem there and sprinkle it with soil. The buried part will give the plant additional roots, which means that it will receive more nutrition in the future and become more viable.
  • If the containers with seedlings are not filled with earth to the very top, and the seedlings themselves are not yet in a completely neglected state, you can simply pour dry soil on top. This will also lead to root formation, which will positively affect the plant. As a result, its growth will become more uniform, and it itself will be stronger.
  • If the seedlings are stretched out from a lack of light, they can be moved to a more lit place, or additionally illuminated with fitolamps. Moreover, the lamps must be placed directly above the seedlings, not lower than 5 cm from it. Please note that the time of exposure to ultraviolet rays on plants should be eight to nine hours. There is also a more budget option - you can install mirrors next to the plants, the light reflected by their surface will fall on the seedlings.
  • A temporary decrease in the temperature of the content can also help save seedlings, the recommended temperature should be around +15 degrees. To harden seedlings, it is recommended to take them out to the balcony or loggia in the morning, and return them to the windowsill at night.
  • You can not water the cucumbers with cool and even more cold water, this not only provokes diseases, but also weakens the plants, inhibits their growth. The most optimal temperature is considered to be from 22 to 25 degrees.
  • Cucumbers can stretch when planted too tightly, in which case they need to be planted urgently. It is advisable to immediately plant the seeds of cucumbers in separate containers, because. this culture does not like to be disturbed once again. Normally, each plant should have at least 200 ml of soil. It should also be borne in mind that the cucumber root system grows in breadth.
  • To strengthen the immune system, weak seedlings should be watered with potash mineral or organic fertilizers; there are also special preparations that have a beneficial effect on plant growth. A solution of ash at the rate of 1 tbsp is well suited. ash in a glass of water.
  • Pinching directly over the second true leaf will also help stop the stretching of the seedlings.

How to grow cucumber seedlings

In order for the seedlings to be strong and healthy, it is necessary to create comfortable conditions for them, avoiding the above mistakes.

Once again, the correct composition of the soil, a sufficient amount of light, a favorable temperature, regular moderate watering, balanced top dressing and, of course, high-quality seeds adapted for a particular climatic zone are very important.

Cucumbers are very "loving" fertile, soft, loose soil. The ideal composition is peat, humus, sod land, sand, the proportion of the mixture is 2: 2: 1: 0.5. After the soil has been prepared, it is necessary to prepare the seeds, in other words, disinfect and awaken them to life.

To do this, the planting material must be kept in a slightly pink 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes, and then wrapped in a cloth slightly moistened with water for germination. The temperature should not be lower than +22 degrees, this process takes an average of three days.

Sprouted seeds are sown in separate cups to a depth of 2 cm. Then they are watered, covered with polyethylene and cleaned in a warm place with an average temperature of +25 degrees. As soon as shoots appear, the film must be urgently removed, and the seedlings should be transferred for a couple of days to a cooler place. The optimum temperature during the day is +21, and at night +18 degrees.

In general, growing seedlings will take about a month. During this time, optimal temperature conditions should be observed.

Watering is carried out with warm water a couple of times a week, in hot weather - as needed. But do not forget that an excessive amount of moisture can provoke root rot. With excessive dryness of the air, seedlings are sprayed.

You have to be careful with nutrient solutions. An excess of nutrients is fraught with an outbreak of diseases, especially mullein.

Seedling nutrition should always be combined with morning watering. The first feeding is carried out when the first leaf appears, a mullein infusion in a ratio of 1:10 or chicken manure - 1:15 is well suited.

The second top dressing is necessary a few days before planting the plants in the greenhouse or in the ground. To do this, 10 g of urea, 15 g of potassium sulfate and 35 g of superphosphate are dissolved in 10 liters of warm water.

To summarize, so that the seedlings do not stretch out, it is necessary to remember the basic rule of agricultural technology: at the initial stage, before germination, cucumbers need warmth and humidity, and immediately after - coolness, good lighting and moderate watering.

We plant cucumber seedlings in open ground or a greenhouse

First of all, even very elongated seedlings can be saved, seedlings take root quite well. But what needs to be done for this?

Preparation

A few days before planting, usually 4 days, seedlings should begin to accustom to future living conditions. This is done in this way: the plants are taken out to the greenhouse daily for 3-4 hours. On the first day, it is desirable to shade the young shoots from the bright sun with covering material.

The temperature in the greenhouse should not be less than +20 degrees, the soil should warm up well to at least 15 degrees.

Cucumbers love space, holes should be made at a distance of 30-50 cm from each other, leave 60 cm between rows. It is useful to add superphosphate or complex fertilizer to the prepared hole and spill it with warm water.

If the soil has not yet warmed up enough, the space around the seedling should be mulched with a black film. This will not only contribute to better warming up of the soil, but will also retain moisture, keep the earth loose, and will not give a chance to grow weeds.

For planting cucumbers, choose an open, well-lit area. Cabbage, legumes and tomatoes are considered the best predecessors.

Landing

If the cucumber seedlings are stretched out, then before planting it should be dried a little and not watered, then the whip will wilt a little and become softer and more flexible. Then carefully remove the plant from the container, preferably without violating the integrity of the earthy coma.

If you try to remove the seedling from the cup by pulling, you can break the stem and in this case the plant will die.

The elongated stem of the released plant must be carefully twisted into a ring and placed in the finished hole. Tamp the soil around the plant well.

The first days, the planted seedlings are vulnerable, so it is better to protect them with covering material - this will save them from bright sunlight and from the coolness of the night.

If, in addition to the fact that the seedlings have stretched out, it has also outgrown and bloomed, then all the buds must be removed from it. Otherwise, premature flowering will take away all vitality from the plant. Of course, fruiting in this case will come a little later than usual, but this is better than diseased, non-rooted plants with falling off ovaries.

Fertilizers that enhance the growth of the root system will have a beneficial effect on seedlings. In addition, it is very important to monitor the lighting and humidity in the greenhouse. Cucumbers need regular ventilation.

That's all the main thing you need to know about growing cucumber seedlings. Based on these tips, you can easily grow healthy, powerful, and most importantly viable plants that, in response to your care, will give you a bountiful harvest.