Detailed Explanation of Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods for White Cucumber
White cucumber is a type of cucumber. Its main cultivation techniques are described below:
1. Apply sufficient base fertilizer. For a generally high-yielding field, apply 5000 kg of high-quality farmyard manure, 50 kg of NPK compound fertilizer, and 20-50 kg of superphosphate per 667 sq m, spread evenly, deep plow 25 cm, then prepare the land and make beds, with flat beds 1.1-1.2 m wide.
2. Sow at the right time and cultivate strong seedlings. For open-field cultivation in spring in the Huang-Huai River basin, sowing and seedling raising can be done in mid-March; for autumn cultivation, raise seedlings or sow directly from mid-June to late July. Sawdust can be used for seedling raising because it is air-permeable, heat-retaining, and moisture-retaining, so seedlings emerge quickly and grow sturdy, and roots are not easily damaged during seedling separation. Strong seedlings require a stem diameter of about 1 cm, short internodes, a length of about 10 cm, a petiole length of about 10 cm, 4-5 true leaves, spreading horizontally, thick and green, with a large but not pointed plant crown, many roots, relatively thick, whitish in color, and the cucumber seedlings have strong growth vigor and are stocky.
3. Reasonable close planting. This variety has strong growth vigor. To improve light energy utilization, the plant spacing is 30 cm × 60 cm, with about 3700 plants retained per 667 sq m, using tall trellis cultivation.
4. Scientific pruning. Because this variety can bear fruit on both the main vine and side vines, during spring cultivation the seedlings are generally not pinched at the seedling stage; wait until the main vine is about to reach the top of the trellis, then pinch it. For high-yield cultivation, the "one main vine and two side vines" method can be used for pruning, so that they are evenly distributed on the trellis surface, fully utilizing light energy to synthesize more nutrients.
5. Strengthen fertilizer and water management. During the cucumber growing period, promotion and control should be combined so that both vines and fruit grow well. In the early stage, strengthen intertillage and practice seedling restraint, so that the first fruit sets firmly and is enough to anchor the vine before watering to promote fruit development; otherwise, watering too early can easily cause excessive vegetative growth and the risk of fruit abortion. In the early flowering stage, "control" is dominant, and in the fruiting stage, "promotion" is dominant. The principle of topdressing is frequent application and light application. After harvesting the first fruit, alternate "clear water and mixed fertilizer" and apply urea with irrigation water, 8 kg per 667 sq m each time, or 20 kg of ammonium bicarbonate, so as to obtain stable and high yields.
6. Prevent and control diseases and insect pests. The main diseases of white cucumber include downy mildew, angular leaf spot, and powdery mildew, which can be controlled by spraying DuPont Curzate, Anchor mancozeb, metalaxyl, DT fungicide, streptomycin, thiophanate-methyl, triadimefon, etc. The main insect pests include aphids, yellow squash beetles, and black squash beetles, which can be controlled with insecticides such as dimethoate, imidacloprid, trichlorfon, and beta-cypermethrin.
7. Harvest at the right time. Cucumber is a vegetable eaten as young fruit. When the increase in fruit length and thickness reaches a certain size and the seeds and skin have not yet hardened, it should be harvested in time. If too late, it will not only affect quality but also weigh down the vine and delay the development of the next fruit. In particular, the first fruit should be harvested appropriately earlier. White cucumber generally yields 3000-4000 kg per 667 sq m.