What are the cucumber cultivation techniques? A detailed explanation of growing methods and key management points

Cucumber, also known as huanggua, spiny cucumber, wanggua, qingua, qinggua, tanggua, diaogua and so on, is a commonly eaten and widely grown vegetable. Cucumbers have relatively high yields and a long harvest period, and many growers have taken up large-scale cultivation. Now, we will share the cultivation techniques for cucumbers with you, and we hope they are useful!

1. Variety selection

Before planting cucumbers, growers need to choose excellent varieties suited to their local market. There are many cucumber varieties; in the south, South China types are grown more, while in the north, densely spined cucumber types are grown more widely, and currently the planting area of small, spineless fruit cucumbers is also gradually increasing.

2. Seed treatment

Place the seeds in warm water at 25°C and soak them for about 6 hours, then rinse off the dirty material on the surface of the seeds. After that, take out a damp cloth and cover the seeds well, then place them in an environment at 25°C to promote germination. After one day, they can be taken out for sowing.

3. Soil preparation

For planting cucumbers, you can choose nutrient-rich humus soil, or prepare a mix of two parts garden soil and one part fully burned coal cinder. Later, some crushed stones or decayed pine wood need to be added to the soil to help retain moisture, so that water is not easily lost.

4. Sowing

Dig a hole in the soil about the size of an index finger, place the seed at a depth of 2 cm, then cover it with soil and water it, just enough to moisten the soil. After about 3 days, the cucumbers will take root and sprout.

5. Fertilizer and water supply

The fertilizer and water supply for cucumbers generally follows the principles of frequent light watering and frequent application of thin fertilizer, to prevent waterlogging in the soil and fertilizer damage. During the germination period of cucumbers, no watering is needed; after the seedlings emerge, water once in an appropriate amount; during the growing period of cucumbers, water about once every 3 days; during the flowering period, try not to water, and water about once every 7 days. If the soil is severely cracked and dry, water ahead of time.

6. Temperature management

Cucumbers like warmth and cannot tolerate cold, so a certain temperature should be maintained as much as possible during cultivation. If the temperature is relatively low, it can easily cause undesirable symptoms such as flower topping or overly slow growth. In protected cultivation, high-temperature shed sealing is sometimes also carried out to control the occurrence of downy mildew.

7. Trellising and pinching

Cucumbers grow as vines, so when the leaves become too long, a trellis needs to be set up so that the branches and leaves grow along the trellis. During the 1 month of cucumber growth, pinching needs to be done once, removing the leaves at the top, and also pruning away some diseased and dead branches, so that the cucumbers can grow more vigorously.

8. Pest and disease control

Cucumbers have many pests and diseases; downy mildew, angular leaf spot, powdery mildew, viral disease, whiteflies, aphids and other pests and diseases occur relatively easily, so comprehensive control should be carried out promptly.

9. Timely harvesting

Harvesting should be timely. Harvesting too early results in low yield, and the product does not meet standards, and its flavor, quality and color are also not good; harvesting too late not only burdens the vines and affects yield, but the product also does not keep or transport well. When harvesting cucumbers, handle them gently to prevent damage. Growers can hold the fruit with one hand and gently cut the fruit stalk with scissors with the other, leaving the fruit stalk about 1 cm long, and wipe away dirt on the fruit skin.

The above is the sharing of cucumber cultivation techniques, and we hope it can help you!