Pickled cucumbers can easily be grown from seeds themselves. Hobby gardeners and self-cultivators can find out when, how and what to look out for here.
In a nutshell
- Germination of pickled cucumbers only in a warm environment
- Breeding for earlier harvest
- no pricking advised
sowing
Best sowing date
Sowing in the garden/vegetable bed can theoretically start as early as April, when the soil temperature is at least twelve degrees Celsius. It is better from mid-May after the ice saints, because there is no frost for cold ground conditions.
In addition, the seed only germinates at an outside temperature of between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius. The germination period is then usually eight to ten days. The gherkin can be sown until July. With pre-breeding (described below), earlier germination and correspondingly faster crop yields can be achieved.
Tip: If the soil temperature is not ideal, the seed can receive more heat in a bed in full sun using stretched black foil. The result is a protection against the cold, which is conducive to germination.
location
The optimal location is immensely important for germination. In addition to the ideal ambient temperature, it should also meet the following requirements:
- sunny and warm
- sheltered from the wind
- no covering by foliage of neighboring plants
- nutrient-rich, loose soil
- indoors around 20 to 22 degrees Celsius
- avoid dry heating air
lay seeds
- Planting distance: 30 centimeters x 140 centimeters row spacing
- Sowing depth: between one and two centimeters
- Dig planting/seed furrows 30 to 40 centimeters wide
- Fill furrows with rotted compost
- Fill up the excavated earth to form a small mound
- poke indentations for seeds with your fingers
- three seeds per planting hole
- Cover seeds with soil (dark germs)
Tip: Pickling cucumbers germinate and grow quickly, but as seedlings they are delicate. Not all grow vigorously, so you'll want to sow more seeds to get the desired yield. When sowing outdoors, pricking out is not necessary.
Suitable plant neighbors
Because mixed cultures are advantageous for the crop yield and cucumbers are among the heavy consumers, a different plant neighbor should be planted next to each row of seeds. This prevents competition between the cucumbers and rapid leaching of the soil. For example, the following plants are ideal as weak and medium-consuming plant neighbors:
- Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.)
- Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica)
- Lamb's lettuce (Valerianella)
- Maize (Zea mays)
- Radish (Raphanus sativus var. sativus)
- Rocket / garden mustard rocket (Eruca sativa)
- Marigolds (Calendula officinalis)
- Pole beans (Phaseolus vulgaris var. vulgaris)
care instructions
pour
The soil should be kept slightly moist throughout the germination period. Avoid waterlogging, otherwise the seed will quickly mold. Spraying the soil above the seeds is ideal because less water pressure prevents the seeds from being washed away. The following should also be considered when watering:
- never water in full sun (danger of burns and too much evaporation); ideal early morning
- use lime-free water; ideal 24 hour stagnant tap water or rainwater
- always give hand or lukewarm water
weed
As a heavy feeder, pickling cucumbers need a lot of nutrients and space. Weeds can have a negative impact here, so weeds must be removed continuously from the start of sowing.
prebreeding
If you want to benefit from an early harvest of pickling cucumbers, but the weather is not ideal for sowing, pre-cultivation on the windowsill or in the greenhouse is available.
suitable soil
As a rule, special potting soil is used when sowing. This is not suitable for the seeds of pickling cucumbers due to the low nutrient content. Use nutrient-rich vegetable soil.
amount of seed
So that there is more time until bed planting, no more than two seeds should be planted per seed pot. This also makes pricking unnecessary.
bedding
About three weeks after germination, the young plants can be planted in the garden bed. You have to be very careful with this because they have delicate tissue and very sensitive roots. Proceed as follows:
- Enrich soil with nutrients in advance (compost or similar fertilizer)
- put directly from the pot into the bed (in groups of two)
- Planting distance between individual groups at least 30 centimeters
- Choose the planting depth so that the upper root area is about two centimeters below the surface of the earth
- water moderately
- Spray with lime-free water about two to three times a week (depending on the rainy season)
- Never let the soil dry out
Tip: If there are already clearly weakened specimens by the time they are planted outdoors, they should be sorted out immediately. They probably won't survive the move to the bed due to the extra strain, so you can save yourself the work.
frequently asked Questions
What are the differences between sowing lettuce and pickling cucumbers?The seeds of pickling cucumbers are more robust and the germination time can be slightly longer. Due to the higher robustness, sowing is often done directly in the garden bed. Pre-cultivation is often common with cucumbers. Otherwise there are no other differences.
How well do the seeds of pickled cucumbers germinate?If all the points mentioned in the article are observed, over 85 percent of the seeds will usually germinate. However, this is no guarantee that all seedlings will grow into strong young plants. Here again, a loss of around ten to 20 percent can be expected. Therefore, you should always plant more seeds than your harvest needs.
Should cucumber seeds be soaked in water before sowing?This is not mandatory, but experienced home growers do it this way. Seeds are covered with a thin layer of jelly, which may act as a germ inhibitor. Soaking for 48 hours will loosen this layer. Ideally, this also happens through soil moisture. If you want to be on the safe side, soak the seeds first.