Select and treat cucumber seeds properly for smoother sowing and seedling raising

Cucumber seeds are the seeds cucumbers use for reproduction, taken from fully mature seed cucumbers. Mature cucumber seeds are mostly flat and oval, milky white or pale yellow, and their germination ability is closely related to freshness and storage conditions; the longer they are stored, the lower the germination rate tends to be. In production, first-generation hybrid seeds are mainly used, as they grow uniformly and have better resistance, while the offspring of self-saved seeds are prone to trait segregation, so saving one's own seeds is generally not recommended.

There are quite a few cucumber varieties on the market. By use, they can be divided into ordinary large cucumbers and fruit-type small cucumbers, and by cultivation season there are early spring, over-summer, autumn-winter and overwintering types. When choosing seeds, combine local climate and planting method: for greenhouses, choose varieties tolerant of low temperature and weak light with good disease resistance, while for open-field cultivation, more importance is placed on fruit-setting ability and stress resistance.

Before sowing, first spread the seeds out in the sun, remove shriveled seeds and impurities, then soak the seeds in warm water for disinfection, followed by keeping them moist for sprouting; once most seeds have sprouted white, they can be sown into the seedbed or seedling tray. During seedling raising, pay attention to heat and moisture retention; after emergence, control water and ventilate appropriately, which can reduce seedling-stage problems such as seed rot and damping-off.

If you are not sure whether old seeds are still usable, you can first take a small amount and do a germination test, then decide whether to sow on a large scale. When buying, choose qualified seeds from regular channels with complete labels; after sowing, combine reasonable water and fertilizer management with pest and disease control, so that the seedlings are uniform and strong, and only then will later yield and fruit quality have a foundation.