Detailed Key Points of Fertilizer and Water Management for Autumn Cucumbers

Cucumber is a vegetable that loves fertilizer and water, and it is also a shallow-rooted crop. During the fruiting period, fertilizer and water management is especially important, directly affecting the final harvest of cucumbers. During the growth process of cucumbers, topdressing should be applied in stages to supplement nutrients according to the growth situation. This not only helps avoid or reduce the occurrence of deformed cucumbers at critical times, but also timely supplements nutrients for cucumbers, improving yield and quality. In addition, autumn cucumber fertilizer and water management should master these details.

1. The principle of applying fertilizer in small amounts and multiple times

Cucumber is a shallow-rooted crop with an underdeveloped root system. Throughout the entire growth and development period of cucumber, its demand for fertilizer and water is very large; moreover, the absorption rate of cucumber itself is relatively low. Therefore, throughout the cucumber planting process, for fertilizer and water management, we should follow the “small amount + multiple times” fertilization principle, that is, fertilize frequently but with a smaller amount each time.

2. Base fertilizer should be mainly organic fertilizer

At the seedling stage, apply nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer at a ratio of 3:2:1. When entering the fruiting stage, appropriately adjust the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, generally using a ratio of 2:2:4. If soil fertility is low, adjust the ratio to 3:2:4. At the same time, keep the soil moist, water moderately during drought, and the optimal soil moisture is around 60%.

3. Use pouring application or drip irrigation

From the seedling stage until the vines run (tendrils emerge), focus on applying nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer, mainly phosphorus fertilizer (quick-acting phosphorus), with a nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio of 3:2. Potassium fertilizer can be applied in small amounts, but at most not more than half of the phosphorus fertilizer. This ensures that the base stems of cucumbers are thick and strong during this period, laying the foundation for future high yields. For the fertilization method, we use pouring application or drip irrigation, combined with water-soluble fertilizer in a similar ratio to achieve integrated water and fertilizer application, which ensures an adequate supply of fertilizer and water. At this stage, we should also control aphids, underground pests (black cutworm), and other hazards, and timely combine fertilizer and water for integrated control.

4. Pay attention to the amount when fertilizing

When fertilizing, pay attention to controlling the application amount to avoid fertilizer damage such as seedling burn, root rot, and root suffocation caused by excessive fertilization; and avoid fertilizing and watering under high-temperature conditions.

5. Watering in autumn and winter should be strictly controlled

Because cucumbers in autumn and winter need less water, and the water used for watering should not be too low in temperature. Because low-temperature water will lower the soil temperature, easily causing freezing damage, which is not conducive to root growth; at the same time, it will also reduce the cucumber's ability to resist low temperatures and freezing. Therefore, when watering, try to choose the high-temperature period of mid-to-late afternoon for watering, and at the same time pay attention to the topdressing of potassium fertilizer and trace elements, combined with foliar spraying of S-ABA to improve the plant's stress resistance and promote increased yield, income, and healthy growth of cucumbers.