The cucumber seedlings have stretched out and are falling, what should I do? What to do when cucumber seedlings stretch out. Why do cucumber seedlings stretch upward?

Cucumbers are an integral crop of our beds. Not a single gardener can imagine his plot without cucumbers. In fact, this crop is not whimsical; with a minimum of care, a high yield of fruits is guaranteed. Cucumbers are grown both in greenhouses, greenhouses, and in unprotected soil. To get a good harvest, some vegetable growers try to plant cucumber seedlings in the spring. There are situations when cucumber seedlings stretch upward - beginners do not know what to do in such circumstances. Having studied the material below, they will not be left with the problem alone.

Many gardeners, who are faced with growing cucumber seedlings for the first time, are interested in: the cucumber seedlings have stretched out, what should be done first of all to correct the situation. Yes, everything can be fixed, if the matter has not yet become irreversible. The first step is to try to find out the reason, that is, why the cucumber seedlings are stretched - how to fix it, after searching for the truth it will be possible to do it at a calm pace.

Healthy and high-quality seedlings are not difficult to identify by appearance - they are strong and squat. Since cucumbers are considered a delicate crop, they respond flexibly to external growth factors. Under appropriate conditions, seedlings grow safely, but under inappropriate conditions they look sick and disproportionate. Stretching the stem is a problem that those who have not created suitable conditions for growing cucumber seedlings have to face. This reaction of seedlings can have a very detrimental effect on the amount of harvest in the future. So, let’s look at the main reasons due to which the cucumber seedlings stretched out, began to exceed their natural size and began to look non-standard.

The first reason why it stretches strongly concerns improper light and temperature conditions. Their shortage or, on the contrary, excess. Light is the stimulant under the influence of which seedlings stretch upward. Therefore, first of all, you should adjust the temperature and light conditions in the apartment or greenhouse.

Another reason why cucumber seedlings are stretched is the lack of volume of the container in which they are grown. Tight cups do not allow the root system to grow in width; it does not have enough space, which ultimately affects the seedling itself. To avoid such a misfortune, you should prepare spacious containers (with a diameter of at least 8 cm). This way it will be possible to eliminate the occurrence of various problems, including this one.

The quality of the soil can also be the reason why cucumber seedlings are thin and long at the same time. The soil should under no circumstances be acidic. The best option is neutral ground. Despite the fact that this reason is rare, in combination with other negative factors it can affect the elongation of seedlings. Therefore, you will have to solve more than one problem at once to eliminate the problem. So, if the cucumber seedlings have become very elongated, what to do will be described in detail below.

How to grow seedlings correctly?

To save pale and elongated seedlings, attention should be paid to changing the light and temperature conditions.

The temperature is lowered to +15 C, using additional lighting. When plants are severely stretched, ultraviolet lamps are kept on around the clock.

During the day, seedlings can be transferred to a balcony or loggia, where it is less warm and has more sunlight. Before nightfall, the potted plants are returned indoors.

What to do with elongated bushes when transplanting into the ground?

When it’s time to plant plants in the ground, but the cucumber seedlings have stretched out - how to correct the situation? It is also quite possible to help seedlings during this period. To do this, you need to use a special technique when planting in the ground - deepening the root part of the plant with a lump of earth and part of the stem to the cotyledon leaves, covering everything with a loose layer of soil.

The use of this technique is advisable because the buried stem in the hole will take root in addition to the existing ones, and this will only add strength and health to the plant. The main indicator of the survival rate of elongated seedlings is warm and moist soil.

When planting cucumbers, potassium fertilizers help well. The use of additives that stimulate the growth of the root part of seedlings is considered effective in caring for planting material. Caring for seedlings in a greenhouse includes ventilating the air and soil environments and ensuring a sufficient level of lighting.

How to replant flowering elongated cucumber seedlings?

Cucumber plants quickly form flowers; they often appear even at the stage of seedlings not planted in the ground.

Such early flowering is not bad, and it does not affect the quality of future cucumbers. But in the context of elongated seedlings, the situation changes radically - the flowers are able to take away from the plant the strength it lacks. In this regard, it is recommended to remove the first buds from seedlings, giving the bush the opportunity to be reanimated.

Such plants will enter the phase of active fruit formation a little later than their counterparts, but will be able to quickly catch up with them. If you plant seedlings with inflorescences, the seedlings will take a long time to grow. And then it will get rid of flowers and ovaries. As a result, yields will be reduced.

How and when to plant cucumber seedlings: technology

Water

Planting time for seedlings

. For example, if you plan to plant cucumber seedlings in mid-May, then you need to plant cucumber seeds no later than mid-April.

By following the technology described above, you can get good and strong plants, and subsequently a good harvest.

Also, to speed up the germination process, 6-8 year old seeds are bubbling them for 18 hours. To do this, you need to lower the aquarium processor into a jar filled with water. Then the seeds are placed there, wrapped in a porous cloth diaper (gauze will also do). After this procedure, the seeds can be sown immediately.

Landing technology

After the first shoots appear, the tray is transferred to a light windowsill. Remember that there should be no drafts;

Caring for the seeds until they have sprouted involves following the following rules: The process of planting cucumbers for seedlings begins from the moment the seeds are harvested. If you buy seeds, you can immediately start growing cucumber seedlings. They are sold already disinfected and prepared, so there is no need to soak them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. In the case when you prepare the seeds yourself, then you need to know how to do it correctly. - when it gets cold, the seedlings need to be covered;

If the cucumber seedlings have retracted, then they should be deepened when planting. Cucumber seedlings can only be planted in heated and warm soil after warm weather sets in. If the seedlings are long and have up to six leaves, then the lower pair should be removed and the plant should be planted to the depth of the removed leaves. Before planting, seedlings need to be examined for sprouts that are too small; those with small leaves and thin stems should be discarded; most likely, such plants will die during transplantation, and if not, they will get sick.

Unfortunately, pruning leaves is not applicable to other crops, with the exception of onions. Therefore, you shouldn’t even experiment.
Cucumber seedlings are ready at the age of 25-28 days, when they have four to five well-developed leaves and a strong root system. Seedlings intended for planting in spring greenhouses without heating, and even more so for open ground, must be hardened off: first they are taken to cooler rooms, and then “accustomed” to open air and sunlight.
. It is advisable to water cucumber seedlings with warm, settled water; the water temperature should not be lower than +22 +240C. Lower water temperatures can provoke the development of various rots and fungal diseases.
Hardening off cucumber seedlings
In this video you can see how to correctly carry out the entire process of obtaining seedlings.

Additional lighting will help speed up ripening. To do this, fluorescent lamps are placed above the seedlings (approximately 5 cm from the seedlings). As the seedlings grow, the lamp will need to be raised slightly.

In a month, your seedlings will be strong and strong enough to transplant to the ground.
It is best to place the container with seeds in a tray or box;
The seeds should be stored in a place where the temperature does not exceed +15°C and the humidity is 50-60%; under such conditions they can be stored for up to 10 years without loss of germination quality.
- after three days you need to tie up the plants;
- the best and most reliable way to grow cucumbers is through seedlings;
All types of cabbage.
I wish you healthy seedlings and good harvests!
Feeding
You need to start with pre-sowing seed treatment. In order for cucumber seedlings to easily withstand nighttime drops in air temperature to +12 +140C, do not rush to quickly plant the swollen seeds in the ground. After swelling, it is recommended to keep the cucumber seeds for 2-3 days at an air temperature of +2 +30C and only then sow them in prepared pots.
Many gardeners know that cucumbers do not tolerate transplantation very well, since it is often accompanied by damage to the root system, and therefore they try to plant cucumber seeds directly in open ground. But getting the first harvest of cucumbers without a greenhouse 2-3 weeks earlier than the main one is quite possible with the help of seedlings.

The preliminary process of seed germination will greatly facilitate the process of obtaining seedlings and make them stronger.

Some gardeners complain that their seedlings have become very elongated. Why do cucumber seedlings stretch? Seedlings can stretch out when the plant does not have enough natural light. Therefore, to avoid this, you need to place seedlings in areas with good lighting.

Germination

there must be holes in the bottom of the container that will provide the necessary air access;

Seeds that have been stored for 3-4 years are considered the most productive.
- for the entire summer period you need to do up to five feedings;
- when transplanted, seedlings must have at least three true leaves and should only be replanted with a lump of “native” soil;

The most crucial moment when growing cabbage seedlings occurs at the stage of seedling growth before picking. Before you know it, the seedlings will stretch to such a height in a matter of hours that they will become completely unsuitable for picking. Two reasons usually lead to this result. Lack of light and elevated temperature.

As the seedlings grow, the leaves begin to come into contact with the leaves of neighboring plants. At this moment, the competition for light and living space begins. This is a natural reaction of every seedling plant trying to go through all the phases of growth and eventually produce seeds. To complete its life cycle, the plant is ready to reach for light, on which photosynthesis directly depends. In this case, the stem almost does not thicken, the lower old leaves turn yellow prematurely and are dropped, and so on.

. In order for cucumber seedlings to develop normally, they need to be fed. The first fertilizing is recommended 8-10 days after emergence. If you prefer to feed cucumbers with organic fertilizers, then it is advisable to add 20 g of superphosphate per 8-10 liters of mullein solution to the mullein solution (1:10).

Compliance with temperature conditions

Planting in the ground

To avoid transplanting and picking when growing cucumber seedlings, cucumber seeds should be planted in peat cups, pots or peat tablets, 1-2 seeds each. Transplanting seedlings into open ground will then be painless.

When the seedlings have grown well enough, you can begin planting them in open soil in fresh air. Typically, planting dates are determined by weather and climatic conditions. This process is carried out only after all spring frosts have passed. The most optimal time is considered to be the beginning of June. It is possible earlier, but only if you live in a mild and warm climate. In greenhouses, planting can be done earlier - in May. Planting begins only when the soil has warmed up to +16-18°C, and the air temperature is set at an average of +18-20°C.

But amateur gardeners encounter a similar phenomenon even when the plants already have access to light. Why do cucumber seedlings stretch out in this situation? Seedlings are capable of stretching even if the photoperiod is short. To eliminate stretching, you can install additional lighting. The soil must be disinfected by watering it with a solution of potassium permanganate (the solution should be bright in color);

Technology for planting cucumber seeds for seedlings:

- when picking fruits, fruits that are too large take away from the plant a lot of nutrients that it and other, still small fruits need.

- to be on the safe side, it is better to sow 20% more seeds than needed;

Video “Growing cucumber seedlings”

During the period of growing seedlings, the following temperature is maintained: before emergence 16 - 20o, from the moment the first seedlings appear, it is reduced to 6 - 8o for 5 - 7 days, and then gradually increased to 14 - 17o on sunny days and to 12 - 15o on cloudy days , at night 8 – 10 o. During this same period, maximum light is needed.

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How to grow cucumber seedlings - FloweryVale.ru

Such a depressing picture can often be observed among many vegetable growers who love to grow their own seedlings. If there is a way out? How to keep seedlings from stretching. There is always a way out. It is necessary to create optimal growing conditions, taking into account the requirements of various crops for these conditions. Let's look at some features for specific crops.

To feed cucumber seedlings, you can also use complex fertilizers, which contain not only nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, but also other micro- and macroelements necessary for plant nutrition.

What soil should I choose for cucumber seedlings?

is of great importance when growing cucumber seedlings. Recommended temperature conditions when growing cucumber seedlings:

You can use your garden soil, carefully prepared in the fall. Before use, the soil must be calcined or steamed. This is done in order to kill all larvae and insects in the ground.

Before planting, the seedlings are hardened off by placing them in the open air. A day before planting, the sprouts are watered. Before planting directly, the soil must be fertilized with compost or manure. Holes are dug in the ground with a depth of about 15 cm. The hole must be watered generously. The landing pattern is absolutely any.

When should you sow cucumber seeds for seedlings?

Germination of seeds before sowing is carried out in order to speed up the process of germination of the seedlings themselves. The germination itself occurs in the following way: only one sprouted seed is placed in one container. This will promote faster germination; soaking the seeds. To do this, they are wrapped in cloth and then soaked in a container of water at a temperature close to room temperature. The water should only slightly cover the seeds. Its excess will negatively affect the quality of seedlings;

How to grow healthy cucumber seedlings?

In order to achieve a good and abundant harvest of cucumbers, there are several agricultural techniques. One of them is the preliminary cultivation of seedlings. In this article we will look at how to plant cucumber seedlings correctly in order to get an excellent harvest in the summer. - seedlings need to be planted thirty days after the start of cultivation, seedlings cannot be overgrown;

Provide bright lighting during this growth period. Use lamps with high efficiency that emit little heat, otherwise temperature control will become impossible. After the formation of two or three leaves, cabbage seedlings have lower requirements for light intensity. Tomatoes.

In the future, feeding cucumber seedlings is carried out once every 2 weeks. Fertilizing should not be done on dry soil or in the morning. It is recommended to water the plants in the morning and fertilize them in the evening. If you are using mineral fertilizers for the first time, do not exceed the dosage recommended by the manufacturer. The recommended dose of fertilizer can even be halved, otherwise it is easy to burn tender plants.

from sowing seeds to emergence of seedlings +280C, this temperature can be easily created in a mini-greenhouse;

For busier people, the retail chain offers the widest selection of soils for seedlings. But I don’t take it for one simple reason: it consists mainly of peat. And if such soil dries out, then water will no longer be retained in it, and the plants suffer from lack of water, suffocate and die.

If you grew seedlings in a separate plastic cup, then everything is very simple - you just need to carefully cut the cup and lower the sprout along with the soil from the glass into the previously prepared hole. Then the seedling is sprinkled with earth and compacted a little. High-quality seedlings are planted vertically, and overgrown ones - obliquely. Cucumber seeds need to be treated with special microelements that stimulate their metabolism;

at the end of sowing, the tray with seedlings is transferred to a warm place where the air temperature will be +23 - 25 degrees; pre-sowing hardening. This process involves placing the seeds, wrapped in a damp cloth, in the refrigerator for two days. Some gardeners also recommend wrapping them in film. Seeds should be periodically monitored to ensure they do not germinate. Such hardening will increase their cold resistance;

Many people ask the question “when to sow cucumbers for seedlings?” The difficulty with timing lies in the fact that it can be very easy to miss. Otherwise, cucumber seedlings may “overstay,” which will significantly reduce its survival rate when transferred to a new place of growth. To correctly determine the time of planting cucumber seeds, you need to know a simple rule - you can transplant the seedlings into the garden bed only two to three weeks after you sow the seeds. cold, but warm;

Cucumbers.

Tomato is a heat-loving and light-loving plant. Despite the high heat requirements, tomatoes have great biological plasticity. They are resistant to sudden fluctuations and prolonged temperature drops. To prevent the seedlings from stretching out, when seedlings appear, the temperature is reduced for 4–5 days during the day to 12–15°, at night to 8–10°. It is not dangerous to reduce the night temperature during this period to 4 - 5o degrees. The rest of the time, they maintain the temperature during the day at 18 - 25o, at night 8 - 10o.

What to do if cucumber seedlings have stretched out?

When growing seedlings, you can encounter difficulties. In prolonged cloudy weather and low air temperatures, the subcotyledonous stem of cucumber seedlings becomes very elongated even before the true leaves appear. It's OK! If this happens, carefully place the stem up to the cotyledon leaves in the form of a ring along the edge of a glass or pot, sprinkle with earth and water. After a week, the stem will take root, and the cucumber seedlings will become shorter and stronger.

after emergence - in sunny weather +20 +250C, in cloudy weather +18 +200C, at night +15 +180C. If the air temperature in the room is significantly lower, this will not only greatly increase the period of growing seedlings, but will also affect the quality of the seedlings.

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If the cucumber seedlings have stretched out

To grow seedlings, I prefer to take a ready-made earthen mixture for indoor plants. This land does not cake or dry out.

then the seeds are dried;

Plants need to be watered twice in 7 days;

sowing seeds. They can be planted in cups, boxes or peat tablets. Remember that the soil for seedlings of cucumbers must contain appropriate nutrient media that will ensure normal growth of vegetables. In the case when you plant in a separate container, the picking stage is skipped (when the plants are planted in individual containers), which is very important for this plant;

At the same time, you should definitely know the climate of your region, because cucumbers are heat-loving plants. Therefore, when planting cucumbers for seedlings, air and soil temperature play an important role. The soil temperature for cucumber seedlings should be no lower than +15 degrees. However, an indicator of +15 degrees is not the most optimal, quite the contrary. Seedlings at this temperature will germinate very slowly. At this soil temperature for cucumber seedlings, the seeds will grow only during the day under the influence of sunlight, and will freeze at night.

- the bed for cucumbers should be warm and prepared;

Cucumbers, unlike cabbage, cannot tolerate low temperatures. Sharp temperature fluctuations are also detrimental to cucumber seedlings. Therefore, it is not recommended to regulate the growth of cucumbers by changing the temperature regime. Therefore, only intense lighting can save the situation. This resistance of tomatoes to extreme temperature conditions must certainly be used to keep the seedlings from stretching. In general, tomatoes tend to stretch out at all phases of their growth. As soon as the illumination decreases, problems will not take long to appear.

Cucumbers are one of the most favorite vegetables. They can simply be grown in the garden from seeds, but with the seedling method, fruiting occurs much earlier. Tender cucumber seedlings are easy to grow on a windowsill. By the time of planting on the site, green seedlings should have two true leaves, an elastic stem and a developed root. However, sometimes the shoots stretch out and weaken.

Why do cucumber seedlings stretch upward?

Pulling of seedlings can be caused by a number of reasons:

Lack of light. When growing cucumbers in a dark room, the shoots become pale and become very elongated.
Temperature violation. Extreme heat can also cause weakening of shoots. When temperatures are too high, plants stretch.
Improper watering. With excessive moisture, long seedlings become thin and weak.
Excessive crop density. If the seeding is too dense, the shoots become crowded, they stretch out and become thinner.
Excess or lack of nutrients. Excess nitrogen fertilizers can contribute to the rapid growth of green mass, which will make the plant even longer. Provokes stretching of bushes and potassium deficiency.

How to help weakened seedlings

If the seedlings are still small, but have already stretched out too much, you can make a depression next to the plant, place the stem there and cover it with soil. The buried part will soon take root.

In a container with elongated shoots, add soil that is well heated and dry.

If the reason is poor lighting, the seedlings are moved to a brighter place or additional lighting is used. For illumination, it is best to use phytolamps, which are installed on top, not on the side, 5–7 cm from the seedlings.

You can save pale, elongated seedlings by lowering the air temperature to +15° C.

Water the seedlings with warm water (22–24 C°). Watering with cold water often leads to diseases that greatly weaken young shoots and inhibit their development.

If the cucumbers are sown very densely, you need to plant them. When sowing seeds in separate cups, this problem does not arise. Also in this case, the root system is not injured when planting in the ground. Therefore, this method of planting seeds is recommended.

Cucumbers don't like to be disturbed. But if the shoots stretch out because they are cramped, they must be seated.

Thin, weak seedlings must be fed with organic and mineral fertilizers to strengthen the immune system. You can use an ash solution (1 tablespoon per 200 ml of water).

Pauses pulling and pinching just above the second true leaf.

Video: if the cucumbers are stretched out - what to do

Growing rules

To prevent seedlings from stretching out, you need to create favorable conditions: choose the right substrate, maintain the required light conditions and temperature, carry out regular watering and fertilizing, and also use high-quality planting material.

First of all, prepare the soil from peat, humus, turf soil and sand (2: 2: 1: 0.5).

The seeds are kept in a light solution of potassium permanganate and germinated in a damp cloth. Sow in cups, deepening to a depth of 2 cm. Water, cover with film and place in a warm place with a temperature of +25 ° C. With the emergence of seedlings, the film is removed and the seedlings are transferred for 2–3 days to a cooler room (+21°C during the day, +18°C at night).

Growing seedlings takes up to one month. All this time the temperature should be maintained. At night - not lower than 15°C, during the day +22°C. If it is too hot, you should briefly ventilate the room.

Cucumbers need to be watered 2 times a week, on sunny days - more often with warm water, soaking the soil well. However, excess moisture often leads to rotting of the roots. The plant does not tolerate dry air well, so when grown in an apartment it must be moistened, especially on hot days.

Important! Before the emergence of seedlings, the main factors are heat and humidity, then immediately after the emergence of loops - coolness, moderate humidity and good lighting, otherwise the seedlings will stretch.

Fertilizers should be applied carefully, observing moderation. Excess nutrition, especially mullein, can cause disease. Fertilizer application is combined with watering, preferably in the early morning hours. When the first leaf appears, the first feeding is carried out. Fertilizers in liquid form are better absorbed by young plants. Of the organic ones, you can use an infusion of mullein (1:10) or chicken manure - 1:15.

The seedlings are fed a second time a few days before planting on the site. Use 10 g of urea, 15 g of potassium sulfate and 35 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water.

To prevent seedlings from dragging - video

Features of planting in open ground or greenhouse

If the seedlings are too elongated, do not worry. Even such seedlings take root well.

3–4 days before planting, when the temperature in the greenhouse is not lower than +20, and the soil warms up to +15, the plants are accustomed to new conditions. Every day they are taken out into the greenhouse for 3–4 hours, at first shaded from the bright sun with the help of covering material. When the plant adapts to the greenhouse microclimate, you can begin planting.

Prepare holes with a distance of 30–50 in a row and 60 between rows. Add complex fertilizer or superphosphate to the hole. Water with warm water or a weak solution of manganese.

Important! When planting cucumber seedlings in the ground, do not compact the planting too much.

When planting cucumbers in cold soil, the surface around the bush is mulched with a black film, which retains moisture in the soil, keeps the soil loose and prevents weeds from developing.

On a note. When choosing a place to plant seedlings in open ground, preference is given to well-lit areas. The best predecessors of cucumbers are legumes, cabbage, and tomatoes.

The elongated seedlings are not watered before planting; they are dried a little so that the stem becomes more flexible. Carefully turn the plastic cup over or cut it. They take out a plant with a lump of earth. You cannot pull on the stem - it may break.

Carefully, as if twisting a ring from a long stem, lower it into the prepared hole, deepening it down to the seven-lobed leaves. Compact the ground. At first, seedlings should be protected from bright sun or hypothermia with covering material.

If already flowering elongated seedlings are planted, then the first buds are removed from weakened seedlings so that early flowering does not take away all their strength. Such bushes will begin to bear fruit a little later. If you plant elongated cucumber shoots with flowers, the seedlings will suffer for a long time and may lose their ovaries, which will ultimately affect the harvest.

It is useful to feed the planted seedlings with a yeast solution, which promotes rapid growth and a reduction in barren flowers. The first fertilizing is carried out in the heated soil a week after applying nitrogen fertilizer, the second - after phosphate fertilizer.

On nutrient-rich soil, the seedlings will quickly grow and will soon begin to bear fruit.

By following all the rules of agricultural technology, you can grow viable and healthy seedlings, which will give you the opportunity to get a bountiful harvest of tasty and beautiful cucumbers during the season.

One of the most common problems in growing seedlings (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, cabbage) is stretching the seedlings. It can occur both in the first days of seedling growth and after picking. So that the seedlings do not stretch and are strong and healthy, basic growing conditions must be observed. It is also useful to strengthen plants with special preparations at certain stages of growth. And if the seedlings have already stretched out and string plants “flaunt” on the windowsill, experienced vegetable growers advise... However, first things first 😉

Increased comfort zone

Seedlings are pulled out for banal, extremely obvious reasons:

- lack of light,
- heat on the windowsill,
- early sowing,
- thickened sowing,
- lack of nutrition and, as a consequence, the inability of plants to withstand unfavorable environmental factors.

What to do?

Early sowing. First of all: you should avoid early sowing of seeds for seedlings. I understand that it can be difficult to resist. But practice shows that tomatoes planted as seedlings in mid-February are weaker by the time they are planted in the greenhouse than those sown in early March. Overgrown seedlings planted in a greenhouse will still spend a lot of effort to return to normal. And plants sown on time look strong, stocky, and take root more easily. The optimal age of tomatoes for planting in a permanent place is 60 days (from the moment of germination to planting).

Lack of light. In February, daylight hours are still very short. And even in March, plants on the windowsill may not receive enough light. To prevent seedlings from reaching for the light, desperately fighting for life, it is necessary to organize additional lighting. It is beneficial for seedlings to be exposed to light for at least 12 hours a day. Lack of light is the most common reason why seedlings become very elongated. And this happens both in the case of small seedlings located in a common container, and after picking, in adult seedlings. It happens that the cups with seedlings are very crowded, the leaves touch, overlap each other, and shade. Plants fight for space under the sun and stretch out. In such cases, there are recommendations to trim off excess leaves (1-2 lower leaves). This, firstly, will discharge the plantings, and secondly, will create a stressful situation when milking the plants (Mittleider method). After pruning the leaves, the plants go into shock and stop growing for a week. Upward growth stops, but the stem thickens (and this is wonderful).

Temperature conditions. In apartment conditions, seedlings are hot. The batteries are fried, the temperature rises to 25 degrees. Evaporation from the surface of the soil and leaves is colossal. The seedlings are weakening, they are stretched in the struggle for life, and their stems are thin. In addition, if it is hot, the soil dries out faster, seedlings have to be watered more often, almost every day (and moderate watering is recommended, ideally 1-2 times a week). As a result, the seedlings stretch out, and very much. What to do in this case? Of course, many of us do not have the opportunity to place seedlings in a place other than the windowsill. But it’s still worth trying to provide her with a comfortable temperature regime. It is believed that during the day, seedlings will be comfortable at temperatures up to 20 degrees, and at night - at 12-15 degrees. You can install a window for micro-ventilation (but then you will have to insulate yourself), take the seedlings out onto a glazed balcony, or place them in the corridor at night, on the north window. Some summer residents, at the first opportunity, take seedlings into greenhouses and arrange them on hanging shelves, because the ground is still cold.

Thickened crops, crowded conditions. We sowed seedlings - the seedlings jumped out, there were a lot of them, they were cramped. Result: string seedlings. The solution is to pick them into separate cups. But! It may be too early to do this because the seedlings are not ready yet. What is recommended to do in this case? You need to pour the soil into the container, very carefully, using a teaspoon, so as not to break the stems. Second: provide enough light and a comfortable temperature. Otherwise, the seedlings will stretch higher and higher. And if the already picked, mature seedlings are crowded on the windowsill (the cups are standing closely, the plants are touching the leaves), the Mittleider method (see above) will help out. This time. And two: transplant the plant along with a lump of earth into a taller glass and sprinkle soil on top. This method will be described in more detail below (with regards to tomatoes and cucumbers).

How to water the seedlings to prevent them from stretching?

Epin-extra

To increase the immunity of seedlings of cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, to strengthen them and maintain their ability to withstand adverse environmental factors (lack of light, moisture), spray with a solution of the drug "Epin-extra": 4 drops per 250 ml of water. It is also useful to spray seedlings with Epin 6-12 hours after picking: prepare a solution in the following dosage: 3 drops per 100 ml of water.

Urea

If the seedlings stretch out and turn pale green, this indicates a lack of nitrogen. Need some feeding! Prepare a solution: 1 tablespoon of urea per 10 liters of water. Water the seedlings with the solution at the rate of 1/2 cup per plant. Then the seedlings are placed in a cold place (8-10 degrees plus) and are not watered for several days. The seedlings will stop growing and stop stretching. Now you can return it to its original place.

Athlete

Drug Tour

It has a similar effect as Atlet - it inhibits the growth of seedlings, makes plants stronger and stockier.

Cucumber seedlings have become very elongated

What to do if the cucumber seedlings have become very elongated, but it is not yet possible to plant them in a permanent place:

Thread seedlings have grown in the container and are ready for picking. What can be done: Fill the glass one-third or half with soil, lower the seedling there and place it in the shape of a comma, then sprinkle with soil.

The method will also work in the case of an adult plant that grew in a separate cup and became excessively elongated. It is moved together with the earthen lump into a deeper container, placed with a comma and sprinkled. Attention: the risk of breaking the stem will decrease if the plant is not watered for several days (it will wilt and become less fragile).

You can go another way: do not move the plants to another container, but make a hole in the same glass, place the seedling in it in the shape of a comma and sprinkle it.

If tomato seedlings have stretched out...

As mentioned above, on the recommendation of the American vegetable grower Mitlider, you can create a stressful situation for tomatoes, as a result of which upward growth will stop. To do this, the lower leaves (1-2 pieces) are cut off from plants that have at least one leaf at the growing point. The plant experiences shock, stops growing upward, and the stem thickens. Pinching the lower leaves can be repeated periodically (if the tomato seedlings begin to stretch out again).

The second way to stop the stretching of tomato seedlings: divide the plant into two parts. The top of the plant above the fifth or sixth leaf is cut off and placed in a jar of water. Practice shows that after 7-10 days new roots form on the lower cut - the plant is ready for planting in the soil. What to do with the remaining part without the crown? She will continue to grow too! Over time, stepsons form on it. When they reach 5 cm in length, the lower ones are cut off, leaving only the two upper stepsons on the stem. It turns out that there are more seedlings! Both plants can be planted in a greenhouse. A plant with two stepsons continues to be formed into 2 shoots in the greenhouse, tying them up separately.

If the tomato seedlings seem to be ready for planting (the plant turned out to be tall and developed, continues to grow upward), but climatic conditions do not allow this, you can do this: Cut off the top of a 1.5-liter plastic bottle - you get a deep glass . Just a little soil is poured at the bottom. The seedlings are taken out of the glass along with the earthen lump and placed in a new deep glass. Then the container is filled to the very top with garden soil or purchased soil. It turns out that a significant part of the tomato stem is now in the ground. Very soon roots will form on the stem underground. Such seedlings are planted in a permanent place lying down.

And finally, a very original way to make sure that the seedlings do not stretch. It is necessary to gently run your hand or cardboard back and forth across the leaves from time to time. When touched, the leaves become irritated and begin to produce ethylene gas, which stops plant growth. The seedlings are squat, stocky and strong. The method works when the light regime is observed. So, the basic rules of comfort are still the best way to grow healthy and strong seedlings 😉

Wishing you excellent seedlings and a rich harvest, dear summer-dweller friends! 😉

A beginning gardener often encounters a situation where cucumbers begin to stretch out disproportionately. During the first week after sowing, the stem can rise to 10-15 cm even before the formation of seven-lobed leaves. At the same time, it remains thin, weak and fragile, which subsequently leads to delayed fruiting and a decrease in yield. Let's figure out what leads to elongation of seedlings and how fight it.

Why did she stretch up?

The main reasons for pulling seedlings include:

Insufficient lighting. For normal growing season, cucumbers need about 14-16 hours of lighting per day. Experiencing a deficiency of solar energy, plants begin to stretch closer to the light source, which leads to excessive elongation of the stem;
Early sowing. This reason is closely related to the previous one. In the winter-spring period, solar activity decreases from 20,000 to 5,000 lux, which also provokes the stretching of seedlings;
Temperature violation;

An increase in air temperature stimulates the growth of the above-ground parts of plants to the detriment of the root system.

What to do if you are very stretched out: control measures at home

If preventive measures were not taken in a timely manner, and for one reason or another the seedlings have already begun to stretch, you need to try to slow down this process. This can be done in the following ways:

Move the seedlings to a well-lit place;
Reduce room temperature;
Limit watering;
Feed the plants with superphosphate, which promotes the growth of the underground part of the plants;
Treat with Atlet, which inhibits excessive stem growth;
Carry out “shock therapy”, in which the plant temporarily stops growing in height:
- Remove 1-2 bottom sheets;
- Pinch the growth shoot, subsequently forming a bush of the two upper stepsons.

Cucumber seedlings have stretched out on the windowsill - the video shows how to fix it or whether it is possible to bury the stretched seedlings:

How to properly grow cucumber seedlings from seeds on a window: what to do so as not to stretch out or what to feed

It is much easier to avoid pulling seedlings than to deal with its consequences. The most effective methods of prevention are:

Another method of prevention or what to water:

Let's grow further: how to plant such seedlings in the ground?

In order for the elongated seedlings to better adapt to their new place of residence, the following recommendations must be followed when transplanting:

Prepare the planting hole correctly. It is necessary to spill it with potassium permanganate and lay a nutritious “cushion” consisting of a handful of peat and humus;
Deepen the plant exactly as much as it was deepened in the picking container (the level is determined by the height of the lower leaves above the ground);
Immediately after transplanting, install a trellis and tie up the plant - this will prevent the wind from breaking the stem;
Thoroughly clean the future bed of weeds and mulch it after planting the cucumbers.

7-10 days after planting, you need to apply potassium fertilizers to stimulate the development of the root system.