How to choose the right soil for planting cucumbers for seedlings

The future harvest of cucumbers directly depends on the soil in which the seedlings will be planted. Therefore, it is important to take into account the needs of this crop and prepare the soil properly.

Cucumbers are plants that like loose, fertile soil with neutral acidity (pH 6.5-7). It should be well-drained to avoid stagnation of water and contain enough nutrients, ukr.media writes.

There are several options for preparing soil for cucumber seedlings:

• Peat, humus and rotted sawdust

This option is one of the most popular. To prepare the soil, you need to mix peat, humus and rotted sawdust in equal proportions. For every 10 liters of the mixture, you also need to add 1 tablespoon of ash, and 1 teaspoon of urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate.

• Turf and compost

This option is also a good choice for cucumbers. To prepare the soil, you need to mix turf and compost in a 1:1 ratio. You also need to add 1 tablespoon of ash, 10 grams of potassium sulfate and 20 grams of superphosphate to the bucket of the mixture.

• Peat, humus, sawdust, sand and mullein

This option is suitable for those who want to prepare more nutritious soil. To prepare the soil, you need to mix peat, humus, sawdust, sand and mullein in a ratio of 6:1:1:1:1.

• Sod land, peat, humus and rotted sawdust

This option is the easiest and most affordable. To prepare the soil, you need to mix turf, peat, humus and rotted sawdust in equal proportions.

If you want to prepare a universal soil mixture, then take garden soil, well-rotted humus or compost, peat, sawdust, or sand and mix it in a ratio of 2:1:1:1, respectively. And then, depending on what crop you plan to plant, add a certain amount of fertilizer to this substrate that the plant needs.

How to prepare soil for cucumber seedlings:

• Before preparing the soil, you need to sift it well to remove large clods and debris.
• If the soil is too acidic, it needs to be lime. To do this, add 100-150 grams of lime to a bucket of soil.
• If the soil is too heavy, it needs to be diluted with sand or sawdust.
• After preparing the soil, it needs to be disinfected. To do this, you can use a solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 1 liter of water) or a solution of copper sulfate (10 g per 1 liter of water).

The finished soil should be stored in a dry place. Before planting seedlings, it should be well watered.

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