What is the latest planting time for cucumbers?
Cucumbers like warmth and cannot tolerate cold, so cucumbers are widely distributed throughout southern China and are one of the main greenhouse products. Because of different planting times, they are divided into spring cucumbers and autumn cucumbers. Below, the editor will introduce the planting times of spring cucumbers and autumn cucumbers separately!
Planting time of spring cucumbers
Spring cucumbers refer to cucumbers raised as seedlings in winter and harvested in spring. Below, let us look at the sowing time and field planting time of spring cucumbers:
1. Sowing time of spring cucumbers: The sowing period of spring cucumbers is determined by the field planting period. The suitable calendar seedling age at field planting is 40-50 days, and the physiological seedling age is four true leaves and one heart. If calculated by calendar seedling age, sowing should be carried out 40-50 days before field planting. The length of physiological seedling age is related to the seedling raising method: 50-55 days when raising seedlings in a sun-facing cold frame or solar greenhouse; 45-50 days when raising seedlings in a heated greenhouse; 45 days when raising seedlings in an electric heating wire greenhouse. Therefore, different seedling raising methods mean different sowing times. Practice has proved that rapid seedling raising not only saves time, but also produces fast and robust seedlings and high early yield. Where conditions permit, rapid seedling raising should be used as much as possible.
2. Field planting time of spring cucumbers: The field planting time of spring cucumbers is after the local late frost, when the average temperature of the ten-day period reaches above 18t. In Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang areas, field planting is generally carried out after late April. In order to speed up seedling recovery, choose sunny days to plant seedlings, and do not plant on cloudy or windy days. The planting density is mainly determined by the characteristics of the variety.
Planting time of autumn cucumbers
Autumn cucumber cultivation refers, in frost areas, to cultivation that is harvested and finished before the first frost; while in frost-free areas year-round, it refers to cucumbers that are marketed in autumn after summer cucumbers are pulled up. The growth period of autumn cucumbers is only 80-90 days. They can be cultivated directly or raised as seedlings and transplanted, and produced in open fields or greenhouses.
Autumn cucumbers are generally sown about 70 days before Frost's Descent, and seedling raising and transplanting can be carried out 7-10 days earlier. Because the seedling stage and early growth stage are in the high-temperature and rainy season, autumn cucumbers suffer severe pests and diseases, and the yield is also relatively low.
Growth habits of cucumbers
1. Temperature: Cucumbers like warmth and cannot tolerate cold. The suitable growth temperature is 10-32°C. Generally, growth is best at 25-32°C during the day and 15-18°C at night; the most suitable soil temperature is 20-25°C, and the minimum is about 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 -2-0°C, they freeze to death. If hardened at low temperature, they can withstand a low temperature of 3°C.
2. Light: South China type varieties are relatively sensitive to short-day conditions, while North China type varieties are not strict about day length and have become day-neutral plants. Their light saturation point is 55,000 lux, and their light compensation point is 1,500 lux. Most varieties grow well under short-day conditions of 8-11 hours.
3. Water: Cucumbers have high yield and large water demand. The suitable soil moisture is 60-90%. During the seedling stage, water should not be excessive, with soil moisture of 60-70%. During the fruiting stage, sufficient water must be supplied, with soil moisture of 80-90%. The suitable relative air humidity for cucumbers is 60-90%. If the relative air humidity is too high, disease is very likely to occur, causing reduced yield.
4. Soil: Cucumbers like moisture but cannot tolerate waterlogging, and like fertilizer but cannot tolerate excessive fertilizer. Fertile soil rich in organic matter should be selected. They generally prefer soil with a pH between 5.5-7.2, but pH 6.5 is best.
Okay, the above are the planting times of spring cucumbers and autumn cucumbers. Below, let us look at the common pests and diseases in the cucumber planting process and their control techniques!