how to grow cucumber seed

Posts

• sotongeoff Posts: 9,802

  February 2013

  How far do you get Cody-past the germination stage?

  Quite often they develop neck rot and keel over-that is because they are too wet

  So what happens to yours?

   

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• Caz W Posts: 1,353

  February 2013

  Cody - I've just been reading this on another thread:

  Mrs. Little Bush wrote (see)

  Buy Burpless Tender Green F1 seeds.

  Fill 3" plant pots with multipurpose compost, water first and drain. Push one seed in each pot, upright, with long edge horizontal and only just covered with compost. Scatter a 1/4" layer of vermiculite on top and place in aheated propagator/ airing cupboard / or a warm place indoors. After germination, which will only take a few days, bring into the light e.g. greenhouse bench and leave to grow. When they are larger - when roots are showing through base of pots - pot on into 5" pots, using more multipurpose compost, without disturbing the roots, and water.

  When the plants are much larger and perhaps showing signs of flowers, pot on, into 12" pots, again with multipurpose compost,water and place in their final growing positions in the greenhouse. Provide support and care during growth according to the instructions on the seed packet.

  Keep a bin full of water in the greenhouse, add the required amount of fertiliser e,g,tomato or miracle grow and use this for watering as it will be very handy and the same temperature as the plants. Only water when the compost feels dry to the touch, or if the weight of the pot feels lighter than usual, or if the leaves look limp. Do not over water. Cucumbers like water (they are mostly water) but too much can kill more easily than too little. Too little can be remedied but too much cannot.

  Do not sow until it is warmer - April/May. It is easy to get seeds to germinate in warmth but after germination you need to be able to provide light and a warm situation outside the propagator. Good luck!

  
  
  

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• Daphne63 Posts: 12

  February 2013

  Yes , laying the seeds on thier sides and on the surface is the answeras they're less likely to rot.  I put a plastic bag or a cut off plastic bottle over them so they don't dry out.  Warmth is the secret of germination but I struggled for many years with the healthy young plants eventually collapsing when they were planted out.  I am a slow learner but at last the penny dropped.  As Mrs Little Bush says, they like it warm.

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• Welshonion Posts: 3,114

  February 2013

  Laying the seeds on edge is the answer.  They will rot on their sides.

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• Dovefromabove Posts: 88,109

  February 2013

  jon cob wrote (see)

  the hard part with cucumbers make sure the seeds are ripe. cucumbers are usually harvested when the they are immature. Burpless Tender Green F1 seeds are hybrids the seed will necessarily be true.

   

  Your comment about ripeness of the seeds is only applicable if using seeds saved oneself. Seeds supplied by a seed company will have been harvested correctly.

  And you appear to have made a copy-typing or translation error which totally negates your second point.  Burpless Tender Green F1 seeds are from a hybridised plant (that's what the F1 means) so if  saving seeds from a  Burpless F1 plant you have grown they will not necessarily be true.

   

  
  Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• Daphne63 Posts: 12

  February 2013

   

   

  Quite right, I should have said edge Welsh onion.  Sorry folks.

   

   

   

   

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• Adam Pasco Posts: 90

  February 2013

  Hi Cody Smith. Where are you going to grow your cucumbers? Are they indoors in a greenhouse, or ridge varieties to grow outside?

  If choosing varieties for the greenhouse then from experience I now only grow varieties that claim to be tolerant to or show reistance to powdery mildew, like 'Tiffany' and 'Carmen'. Personally I no longer risk growing older varieties that do not offer resistance, as I've lost entire plants to this disease in the past. I certainly don't want to be spraying crops against disease, but actually I don't think there are any good fungicides to use in any case.

  As well as the sowing instructions others have given do remember that cucumbers must have warmth and very good light (full light but not scorching sunlight). You must be able to maintain a temperature of around 20??C (68??F) for germination, and seedlings need a minimum night temperature of around 16??C (60??F). For me that means I need an electric propagator, as I can't afford to heat the entire greenhouse.

  Poor light results in very drawn, lanky seedlings, so I'd probably wait for a couple more weeks until light levels improve before sowing, unless you have a lighting unit to place over your propagator.

   

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• cody smith Posts: 81

  February 2013

  thanks for all the grate advise from every one i will try to do well on my cucumber with the advice

  and i will get a heted propogater  adam and do you now where to get one cheep cause i an only 11 and dont want to spend allot

  the cucumber will be grown in a grow bag and in the greenhouse on my allotmant

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• cody smith Posts: 81

  February 2013

  Hi Adam,i would like to set up a childrens forum for young gardeners but dont know how to start,also can i put photos on here.

   

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• sotongeoff Posts: 9,802

  February 2013

  Cody-not Adam but someone set this up-might be of interest to you?

  http://www.juniorgardenersworld.co.uk/galleries/bbc-gardeners-world-live-2013-i-cant-wait/

  -it is not affiliated with this site by the way

  To set up a forum is quite easy-and in most cases is free-but it relies on members finding it and sticking with it -so to make it viable is not easy

  You post photos on here by clicking on the oak tree icon next to ABC on the message-bar

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