Growing juicy crispy cuke is a end for many home gardeners . But should you come out cuke seeds immediately in the garden or get a head start by uprise transplants indoors ? This vulgar question has good arguments on both position . Let ’s dive into the pros and cons of each method to help you decide the best style to plant cucumbers for your garden .
The Benefits of Direct Sowing Cucumber Seeds
Direct sowing means planting cuke seed right into the garden bed where they will grow and bring about fruit . Here are some of the main advantages of this method :
It ’s simple and easy . Just await for the ripe planting day of the month , soda seeds in the background piss , and let them maturate ! minimum tools and provision needed .
No transplantation shock Cucumber seedling are sensitive and often clamber with the changeover from indoor pots to the garden Direct sowing avoids this .
early harvest . unmediated sown plants mature faster , allowing you to start bask cucumber sooner .
Less work . No demand to pot up seedlings , harden them off , or move them outside . Less time and endeavour required overall .
price effective . buying seeds is cheaper than buying transplants . And starting your own transplants take supplies .
born disease prevention . Avoiding the indoor seed starting process prevents damp off disease .
For most gardeners , direct sowing cucumbers is the simplest agency to get a bountiful crop with very little fuss .
Reasons Some Gardeners Prefer to Start Cucumber Transplants
While direct sowing is often in force , there are some situation where getting a heading start with transplanting seduce sense :
Short growing season . commence seeds indoors throw transplants a size vantage when the out-of-door season is very short .
stale conditions . Transplants can be grown until soil warm enough for cucumber vine to fly high . No waiting to plant !
Earlier harvest . For the earliest possible cucumbers , 4 - 5 week sure-enough transplants get a jump start .
honest sprouting . you’re able to insure idealistic condition for the high percent of come to shoot when pop indoors .
Space maximation . No diminished seeds or guesswork demand when sow in one industrial plant per cell or pot .
Winter horticulture . transplant allow for a wintertime harvest in mild climate from late summertime / declination planting .
For nurseryman who are short on metre , raring for Cucumis sativus , or dealing with a very brief turn windowpane , transplants can make sense .
How to Direct Sow Cucumber Seeds Outdoors
Wait until soil has warmedto at least 60 ° degree Fahrenheit . This is crucial for skilful germination .
set up soilby unify in ample compost to retain moisture and nutrient . Cucumbers fly high in well - drain , fertile soil .
flora 1 - 2 seed per spot , 1/2 to 1 column inch mysterious , spaced 2 feet apart . Or sow sow 6 inch aside in rowing 2 - 3 foot apart .
Water gentlyafter sowing and keep stain evenly moist but not soaked as ejaculate germinate .
tenuous to one plantevery 12 - 18 inches once they have 2 - 3 true leaves .
Provide supportby sowing around a trellis or stake plant life as vine lengthen .
Use row coverto boost warmth and growing . Remove once female flowers appear so bees can pollenate .
How to Successfully Transplant Cucumber Seedlings
require to try lead off your cucumber vine indoors ? Here are some tips :
Start seedsin biodegradable locoweed or peat pellets . head off plastic as source stick to face .
get at 70 - 80 ° Fon a seedling rut flatness if ask . Provide 14 + hours of light daily .
Harden offplants before go outside . Allow 7 - 10 days to conversion .
Transplant on a nebulous dayor in late afternoon to annul wilting . Water transplants well .
Handle carefullyto forfend disturb rootage and stems . Cucumber seedlings are fragile !
swallow up stemsup to the ejaculate leaves to establish plants . suffer orotund vines with garden string .
Provide shadefor a few days using a row cover , tincture cloth , or shingles .
asseverate even moisture . Don’t rent new transplant dry out as they found roots .
Monitor closely and be prepared to replace any transplants that bomb to thrive after a move to the garden .
Bottom Line: Weigh the Pros and Cons for Your Situation
When it comes to take off Cucumis sativus , neither method is inherently “ right ” or “ wrong ” – it comes down to your specific garden shape and motivation . verbatim sowing makes the most common sense for many home gardeners due to its easiness . But earlier harvests or specific weather condition challenge can make transplants a smart choice deserving the extra effort . Whichever road you choose , keep abreast sound growing practices to end up with an abundant cucumber craw !
Growing Cucumbers ⌛️ Direct Sowing vs Transplants
Can I graft cucumbers ?
If you ’re just doing a small bed , transplanting may be a great fashion to conserve semen . For larger plots , just lineal seed it . Cucumbers : Many of the commercial-grade growers around here will transplant Cucumis sativus , but it burgeon forth really easy in spring when lineal - sown .
Can you get cucumbers from seeds ?
cucumber are easy turn from seeds verbatim seeded outdoors . Using this proficiency mean you do n’t ask to go to the excess step of starting the seed indoors . As with transplant , direct sow cucumber ejaculate when the last rime appointment has passed and outdoor temperature have warmed .
How far asunder should cucumber seed be planted ?
As with transplantation , direct sow cucumber seed when the last frost day of the month has passed and outdoor temperatures have warmed . Ideally , the daytime temperature should be above 70 F ( 21 C ) and nighttime temperatures should n’t send packing below 60 F ( 15 C ) . To direct sow cucumber seeds , embed the seeds a 1/2 inch deep and 10 inches asunder , if planting in rows .
How do you found a cucumber vine bed ?
Pre - warm the territory . Spring temperature can be slow to warm up up and pre - warming the soil is an light way to prep a cucumber seam for planting . you could lay a sheet of black plastic on top of the ground , weighing it down with stone or using garden raw material to hold it in place . This is best done at least a calendar week before you wish to direct seed or transplantation .
