A Detailed Guide to Growing Dutch Cucumbers
The Dutch cucumber is an excellent cucumber variety, mainly grown in greenhouses. Unlike most open-field varieties, it can complete fruit development without pollination or fertilization, but it does not form fully developed seeds. So how do you grow Dutch cucumbers?
1. Site selection and fine tillage
It is best to find a gently sloping plot of land close to a water source with convenient road access. Try not to plant in rice paddies, as the water table is too low and water tends to accumulate after rain. The soil is best if it is neutral, and deep, fertility-retaining, loose and airy soil is ideal for growing; straw compost can be added to increase the soil's humus content. For field preparation, plow to a depth of about 30 cm, then harrow the soil fine and level it, and dig drainage ditches 20 cm deep around the perimeter.
2. Sowing and raising seedlings
Seeds are fairly expensive, so it is best to sow them in seedling trays for precise seedling raising. Use vermiculite or sand together with peat, grass peat and the like to make a growing medium or nutrient soil. Sow one seed per cell; for smaller seeds, put in two. After covering them, water once or twice a day, depending on the moisture content. When raising seedlings in a greenhouse, keep the temperature at 24°C to 26°C. After the seedlings emerge, the daytime temperature can be lowered by 1°C, and at night keep it above 15°C and below 18°C.
3. Transplanting and management
The land should be made into ridges for row planting, with ridge rows 30 cm wide and the length determined by the shape of the plot; the ditch between them can be 40 cm wide and 10 cm deep, and the row spacing can be adjusted. Set the planting spacing at about 25 cm. Transplant when 4 true leaves have grown. After planting, the seedlings need to recover; water them and apply diluted fertilizer water to retain moisture and help them return to normal growth. After they have recovered, gradually increase the fertilizer and water.
4. Water and fertilizer management
After the seedlings have recovered, increase the amount of fertilizer and watering to ensure rapid plant growth. Water together with fertilizer, applying 20 jin of urea per mu each time, once a week; during the fruiting period, spray 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate. Within one week of transplanting, keep the daytime temperature at 25°C to 30°C and the nighttime temperature at 18°C to 20°C, then lower it by 2°C to 3°C accordingly after the seedlings have recovered. Prevent strong light, and when the plants grow to 50 cm, insert stakes and set up trellises. Growing in a greenhouse and increasing carbon dioxide can raise yields.
Because Dutch cucumbers are mostly gynoecious lines and do not need pollination or fertilization, attention should be paid to water and fertilizer management and trellising during cultivation.