When is the best time to plant cucumbers? High-yield planting and management techniques

We all know that every summer a large amount of fresh cucumbers comes onto the market, and we buy them to make all kinds of dishes. If you choose to grow cucumbers at home, do you know when it is best to plant them? And how to manage them for high yields? Here is a detailed summary:

I. When is the best time to plant cucumbers?

Since both spring and autumn are suitable for growing cucumbers, the planting times differ. Here is a detailed analysis:

1. When is the best time to plant spring cucumbers?

The sowing period for spring cucumbers is determined by the transplanting period. The suitable calendar seedling age at transplanting is 40-50 days, and the physiological seedling age is four leaves to one heart. If calculated by calendar seedling age, sowing should be done 40-50 days before transplanting. The length of the physiological seedling age is related to the seedling-raising method: 50-55 days when using a cold frame or solar greenhouse for seedling raising; 45-50 days when using a heated greenhouse; 45 days when using an electric heating wire greenhouse. Therefore, different seedling-raising methods mean different sowing times. Among these, the Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang areas generally transplant after late April.

Practice has shown that rapid seedling raising not only saves time, but also produces fast and sturdy seedlings with high early yields. Where conditions permit, rapid seedling raising should be adopted as much as possible.

2. When is the best time to plant autumn cucumbers?

Autumn cucumber cultivation refers to cultivation in frost areas where harvesting is completed before the first frost, while in areas without frost year-round it refers to cucumbers that come onto the market in autumn after the summer cucumbers are pulled up. The growth period of autumn cucumbers is only 80-90 days. They can be planted directly or raised as seedlings and transplanted, and grown in open fields or greenhouses. Autumn cucumbers are generally sown about 70 days before Frost's Descent, and seedling transplanting can be done 7-10 days earlier. Because the seedling stage and early growth stage are in the hot, rainy season, autumn cucumbers suffer from serious pests and diseases and yields are also relatively low. Generally, autumn cucumbers are planted in August-September.

II. Manage cucumber planting this way for high yields!

1. Choose suitable varieties

It is advisable to choose high-yield varieties with strong disease resistance, many female flowers and strong fruit-setting ability, such as Jinyan cucumber.

2. Sprouting, sowing and transplanting

Cucumber seeds should be sprouted 2 to 3 days before sowing. During sprouting, turn the seeds frequently so they are exposed to the temperature evenly; generally they will sprout in about 24 hours. When you see the seeds just showing the tips of sprouts, the temperature can be maintained at around 25°C.

Once the sprouts have all emerged, they can be sown. When sowing, it is best to have all the sprouts facing the same direction, and cover with soil immediately after sowing. Cucumber seedlings are generally transplanted on sunny days.

3. Temperature management in the greenhouse

In early spring, temperatures are relatively low. If you transplant early, you can consider using several layers of plastic film covering. For about one week after transplanting, the greenhouse should be kept closed, which promotes seedling recovery.

4. Humidity management

On sunny days, the humidity inside the greenhouse can be controlled at 55% to 65% during the day, and can be kept at 85% to 90% at night. On cloudy days, the humidity can be kept at 70% to 85% during the day, and at 90% to 95% at night.

When are cucumbers generally planted? High-yield cucumber cultivation and management techniques

5. Fertilizer and water management

In the early stage after transplanting cucumber seedlings, remember to water the seedlings thoroughly, which effectively promotes early establishment. From after establishment until the late stage of cucumber plant development, be sure to control watering, then carry out seedling restraint.

6. Disease prevention and control

Common greenhouse cucumber diseases mainly include downy mildew (spray with Bordeaux mixture), cucumber anthracnose (spray with 80% zineb 800-fold solution, etc.), cucumber powdery mildew (spray with 200-fold wettable sulfur powder suspension), etc.

Summary: The above is a summary of the best time for cucumber planting and the planting management techniques, hoping to help farmers in need. This article is compiled from the internet.