How to save cucumber seeds

Where do cucumber seeds come from?

During the development of cucumber, cells will continue to divide, grow and differentiate, the ovary will gradually expand, and the ovary of the pistil will continue to grow and develop, and then form a fruit. The fruit consists of two parts: the peel and the seeds.

Cucumber seeds

Cucumber seeds can be stored in a dry place for 2 to 3 years. Beyond this period, their germination rate generally decreases by 20% to 30%. Even if some can germinate, they will not grow true leaves and are difficult to survive.

Cucumber keeps its own seeds

You can save seeds from cucumbers. Select the cucumbers for saving seeds and let them grow. When they are ripe, pick them, cut them open, take out the seeds, wash them, dry them and store them.

How to get cucumber seeds

Let the cucumber continue to grow. When it grows to a certain size, the flesh will shrink and the seeds will be inside. Generally, each cucumber will produce about 100 to 300 seeds.

Cucumber seed storage

After the cucumber seeds are dried, in order to prevent them from being eaten by insects, they need to be placed in sealed containers such as jars and sealed bags. Although the seeds are dried, they are still breathing and their vitality still exists. Therefore, the container cannot be completely sealed, otherwise the seeds will have difficulty breathing and will die, and they will not germinate.

Cucumber seed planting

The time for planting cucumbers needs to be based on the temperature of the planting site. In northern regions such as Tianjin and Shandong, the planting time is after April 15th. Generally, the planting time is when the weather is relatively clear and there is no particularly strong wind.

First, choose seeds of better quality and do a good job of germination. Pour fertile, loose, well-drained soil into the prepared flowerpots, add appropriate amount of base fertilizer to improve fertility, then plant the seeds in the soil, cover them with a layer of soil, water them appropriately, and place them in a ventilated place for maintenance.