Cucumber Sowing Methods and Seedling Stage Management Points, with Greenhouse Cultivation Techniques

Cucumber, also known as green cucumber. It is widely cultivated throughout China, and many regions have greenhouse or plastic tunnel cultivation; it is now widely grown in temperate and tropical regions. Cucumber is one of the main summer vegetables throughout China. The stem and vine are used medicinally to reduce inflammation, resolve phlegm and relieve spasms. Then do you know what the growth habits of cucumber are? Regarding the sowing methods of cucumber, seedling stage management of cucumber, and transplanting techniques of cucumber, let me introduce them to you one by one.

I. Growth habits of cucumber

1. Temperature: Cucumber likes warmth and cannot tolerate cold. The suitable temperature for growth is 10-32°C. Generally, 25-32°C during the day and 15-18°C at night are best for growth; the most suitable soil temperature is 20-25°C, with a minimum of around 15°C. The most suitable day-night temperature difference is 10-15°C. At high temperature of 35°C, cucumber photosynthesis is poor; at 45°C, high-temperature damage occurs; at low temperature of -2 to 0°C, it freezes to death; if cold-hardened at the seedling stage, it can withstand a low temperature of 3°C.

2. Light: South China types are relatively sensitive to short-day conditions, while North China types have no strict requirement for day length and have become day-neutral plants. Their light saturation point is 55,000 lux, and the light compensation point is 1,500 lux. Most varieties grow well under short-day conditions of 8-11 hours.

3. Water: Cucumber has high yield and a large water requirement. The suitable soil moisture is 60-90%. During the seedling stage, water should not be too much, with soil moisture at 60-70%. During the fruiting stage, sufficient water must be supplied, with soil moisture at 80-90%. The suitable relative air humidity for cucumber is 60-90%. If the relative air humidity is too high, disease is very likely to occur, causing reduced yield.

4. Soil: Cucumber likes moisture but cannot tolerate waterlogging, and likes fertilizer but cannot tolerate excessive fertilizer. It is best to choose fertile soil rich in organic matter. It generally prefers soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7.2, but a pH of 6.5 is best.

II. Sowing methods of cucumber

1. Variety selection: For cucumber cultivation, choose excellent varieties that tolerate low temperatures in the early stage, tolerate high temperatures in the later stage, and have strong disease resistance, such as Jinyou No. 10 and Bonai No. 3.

2. Seed treatment: Sun the seeds 1-3 days before sowing cucumber. After sunning, scald the seeds in warm water at 55°C for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly until the water temperature drops to 30-35°C. Rub and wash the seeds repeatedly, rinse off the mucus with clean water, and soak for 3-4 hours. Wrap the soaked seeds in a clean wet cloth and place them at 28-32°C to germinate for 1-2 days. Sow when 70% of the seeds have “whitened” (radicles emerging).

3. Soil preparation: For cucumber nutrient soil, mix garden soil or field soil that has not grown cucurbit vegetables in the past 3-5 years with high-quality decomposed organic fertilizer, with organic fertilizer accounting for 30%. Mix the soil and organic fertilizer evenly and sieve. To the sieved nutrient soil, add 100 grams of carbendazim per 1 cubic meter of soil and mix evenly to prepare medicated soil.

4. Timely sowing: The sowing period for cucumber is mid-January or late January. Seedlings can be raised in heated greenhouses or energy-saving solar greenhouses, using nutrient pots 10 cm in diameter and 10 cm high, filled with 8 cm of nutrient soil, and watered thoroughly. After the water drains, sow 1 germinated seed in each nutrient pot, cover with 1 cm of medicated soil, and cover flat with plastic film to help preserve moisture.

III. Seedling stage management of cucumber

1. Plastic film covering: After sowing cucumber, seal with plastic film for 2-3 days. When 2/3 of the seeds have cotyledons emerging, remove the plastic film in time. During the seedling stage, water as little as possible to prevent high temperature and high humidity from producing leggy seedlings, and remove grass covers in time to increase light.

2. Temperature management: Generally, the daytime temperature should be controlled at 25-30°C, not too high, and the night temperature must be controlled below 15°C, preferably 12-13°C. 7-10 days before transplanting, carry out hardening. Remove and cover greenhouse grass covers early and late respectively, reduce watering, and increase ventilation amount and time. Keep 20-25°C during the day and 8-10°C at night, and provide 1-2 short periods of 5°C hardening.

3. Standards for strong seedlings: Seedling age about 35 days, plant height 15-20 cm, 3 leaves and 1 heart, cotyledons intact, short and thick internodes, dark green and thick leaves, well-developed root system, healthy and disease-free.

IV. Transplanting techniques of cucumber

1. Land preparation and fertilization: Fertilization should be mainly organic fertilizer, supplemented by chemical fertilizer; the fertilization method should be mainly base fertilizer, supplemented by topdressing. According to the nutritional characteristics of vegetable growth and development, fertilizer requirement patterns, soil nutrient content and target yield, use an expert fertilization system to determine the fertilization amount for vegetables, carry out balanced fertilization, and ensure nutrient balance in the soil. For vegetable land with medium fertility, generally apply 5,000 kg of high-quality decomposed organic fertilizer, 20 kg of urea, 75 kg of superphosphate, and 30 kg of potassium sulfate per mu. After spreading the base fertilizer, plow deeply 30-40 cm, mix the soil and fertilizer evenly, rake level, make beds 1.2 m wide, and form two 10-15 cm high ridges in the bed with a ridge spacing of 50 cm.

2. Four-film covering: Early spring greenhouses use “four-film covering”, namely one layer of greenhouse film, two layers of overhead curtain film, and one layer of small arch film above the seedlings. Cover the greenhouse film 20 days before transplanting to increase soil temperature. Transplant when the 10 cm soil temperature in the greenhouse has stably passed 12°C for 3 consecutive days. Hang 2 layers of overhead curtains 5-7 days before transplanting, with a spacing of 20-30 cm. It is best to use 0.012 mm thick polyethylene drip-free plastic film.

3. Timely transplanting: Spray a fungicide once on the seedbed 1 day before transplanting. You may choose 50% carbendazim 500 times solution, or 77% Kocide 700 times solution, or 75% chlorothalonil 1000 times solution. Transplanting should be carried out on a sunny morning. Open a furrow on the ridge and water it. When the water seeps to half the furrow, place the seedlings at a plant spacing of about 32 cm. After the water seeps in, seal the furrow with soil. This method is called “water-stabilized seedlings”. Transplant about 3,500 plants per mu. After transplanting, cover the bed with a small arch film.