Wise people know that there is nothing more delicious than a crispy and juicy cucumber from their own garden. But to pamper yourself and the family with such a "delicacy" will have to work hard. And the beginning of all cares will, of course, be the collection of seeds for the cultivation of seedlings. How to collect the seeds of cucumbers correctly helps to understand our article.
How to collect the seeds of cucumbers in seedlings?
So that the collection of seeds is not in vain and resulted in an excellent harvest, the following algorithm should be observed:
Step 1 - pay attention to the grade
No matter how tasty the cucumber is grown, it is not worth leaving it to seeds if the name of the variety contains the designation F1. Such a label means that the variety is hybrid, and the plants grown from its seeds do not inherit parental properties.
Step 2 - choose the right cucumber
Get a strong and healthy seedling will only come from large fruits that do not have any visible signs of damage or damage. The cucumber chosen for breeding should be left on the whip for ripening, marking for fidelity with a ribbon. The popular garden wisdom says that only cucumbers are suitable for collecting seeds, the seed chamber of which has a quadrangular shape. Cucumbers with a triangular seed chamber will form more male flowers, which means they will not get a good harvest. From which part of the cucumber to collect the seeds? As all the same folk wisdom says, only the seeds collected from the flower part of the cucumber are suitable for cultivation - they will give less vapidity. Whether these beliefs correspond to the truth is difficult to judge, since they do not have neither scientific refutation nor confirmation.
Step 3 - extract the seeds
To remove cucumbers from lashes to collect seeds it is possible when their skin will acquire a characteristic yellow color. Then the cucumber should go for some time in a warm and well-lit place and become soft. After that, it is cut along and gently pull out the flesh with a regular spoon.
Step 4 - process the seeds
At this stage, the seeds must be cleaned of the remains of the pulp. To do this, they are put in a glass, poured in warm water and left for a few days. It is not terrible, if during this time the water in the glass will ferment or on its surface a film of mold is formed. After 3-4 days the seeds will settle on the bottom, and then the water from the glass will need to be drained, and the seeds thoroughly washed and sent to dry. Dry the seeds best on fabric or food film, periodically turning over so that they do not stick and do not rot.