How to Plant Cucumber Seeds in Peat Pots
Cucumbers are a warm-season vegetable. There are many types, from the large varieties for use in salads to the smaller varieties suitable for pickling. They grow on sprawling vines or they can be tied to trellises if space in your garden is limited. Because they don't tolerate frost, starting cucumbers inside allows them a longer growing season an ensures they reach maturity in time to harvest. Peat pots allow you to start the seedlings indoors and transplant them outside with minimal disturbance to the plant's roots. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
Fill peat pots with quality seed starting soil. Use a soil-less mixture containing peat moss and vermiculite.
-
2
Sow two seeds per pot. Sow seeds on the surface of the soil and cover with ½ inch of the potting medium.
-
-
3
Water the soil enough to moisten it throughout. Cover each pot in a plastic bag and place in a warm room to germinate.
-
4
Remove the bags once seedlings appear, approximately seven days for most cucumber varieties. Place in a warm sunlit window or under artificial grow lights.
-
5
Once all danger of frost has passed, cut away the bottom of the peat pot with a sharp knife, being cautious not to cut into the cucumber's roots. Discard or compost the bottom.
-
6
Dig a planting hole 1 inch deeper than the length of the pot. Place the pot in the hole and fill in with soil. Make sure the top edge of the peat pot is at least ½ inch beneath the soil.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Start seeds indoors four weeks before the last expected frost date in your area.
Use peat pellets instead of pots. The pellets are purchased as discs that expand when water is added. Plant into the garden without any need for cutting away.
Harden-off seedlings before transplanting outdoors to avoid damage. Place outside for two hours seven days before transplanting. Increase the time each day until they spend a full day outside at the end of the seven days.
