How do you grow delicious cucumber seeds, and what are their benefits, effects and dietary taboos?

Cucumber is an annual trailing or climbing herbaceous plant of the Cucurbitaceae family. It is widely cultivated throughout China, and many regions grow it in greenhouses or plastic tunnels; it is now widely planted in temperate and tropical regions. Do you know the methods for growing cucumbers from seed? What are their benefits and effects? Who should not eat them? Cucumber is one of the main summer vegetables in all parts of China.

I. Methods for growing cucumbers from seed

1. The sowing time for balcony cucumber seeds is generally early spring, from January to March; of course, sowing can also be done from June to August in summer and autumn. For spring sowing, use seed soaking and sprouting followed by seedling raising, or direct sowing with plastic film mulching; for summer and autumn sowing, you can choose either direct sowing after seed soaking or direct sowing of dry seeds. With the dry seed direct sowing method, seedlings generally emerge in 3-4 days, while soaking and sprouting is even faster. When the cucumber has developed 1-2 true leaves, it can be transplanted and established.

2. To grow cucumbers, choose a good container: it can be a flower pot, wooden tub, professional growing box, foam plastic box, etc. The most important point is still drainage and breathability, and the depth of the growing layer should preferably be about 40 cm. As for the growing soil, it is best to choose a fertile, loose, well-drained potting mix, as this is more conducive to its growth.

3. After choosing the container, the most important thing before planting is soaking the seeds. First soak the seeds in warm water at 55°C for 20 minutes, keeping the temperature constant, and stir continuously during soaking; after the water temperature drops to room temperature, continue soaking for 6-8 hours. Then take the seeds out, wrap them well in moist gauze, and place them under conditions of 25-28°C for sprouting. When half of the seeds gradually show white sprouts, they can be sown.

4. Evenly dibble the soaked seeds onto fine, crumbled potting soil, then cover with a thin layer of soil about 1 cm thick. After sowing, water thoroughly once to settle them in, keeping them warm and moist to help the seedlings recover. During the seedling stage in spring, water should be controlled well; during the growing period, keep the soil moist at all times; during the flowering period, control water; during the fruiting period, the water requirement is high, and generally watering is needed once every two to three days.

5. Applying sufficient base fertilizer is what ensures better cucumber growth. At planting time, sufficient bottom fertilizer is needed, mainly decomposed organic fertilizer; during the fruiting period, fertilize in combination with watering, applying a compound fertilizer every 5-7 days. Cucumber roots have weak absorption capacity and are sensitive to high-concentration fertilizers, so topdressing should be done frequently and lightly, applying fertilizer once every 6-8 days; after harvesting the first batch of cucumbers, hill up soil and fertilize once. Pay attention to phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to avoid excessive vine growth and early decline.

6. When the cucumber tendrils appear, set up an A-frame trellis to guide the vines. Insert bamboo poles on the outer side of the seedlings, one pole corresponding to each seedling. Tie the upper ends of the two rows of bamboo poles together. When the vines can no longer grow upright, tie them promptly, and thereafter tie them once every 3-4 leaves. The tying string should form a "8" shape with the trellis pole and the vine, which can prevent the vine from rubbing against the pole or sliding down. Do not tie the vines too tightly; it should be loose enough to insert an index finger. Each time you tie the vines, keep the vine tips fixed at the same height for easy management, and it is best to do this in the afternoon, as the vines and leaves are less likely to be broken.

7. Cucumbers can be harvested about 10 days after the first fruit sets. From sowing to planting out takes only about 45 days; from planting out to the first fruit setting takes about 30 days; the harvest period is 1-2 months. However, during the process of growing cucumbers, note that the suitable growing temperature is 20-28°C; if it exceeds 30°C, growth will be poor, and below 10°C, growth will stop, so the temperature must be well controlled. In hot summers, a shade net should also be added before the seedlings emerge.

8. When the main vine of the cucumber climbs to the top of the trellis, pinch out the growing tip promptly, mostly when it has grown 30-35 leaves; pinching encourages the growth of second-crop cucumbers. Pinching should be done according to the characteristics of the variety; varieties that easily bear second-crop cucumbers are mostly pinched about one month before vine removal. Pinching too early results in low yield, while pinching too late fails to give full play to the second-crop fruiting effect. Pinching, removing tendrils, and removing old leaves are all essential steps; only by doing these well can you ensure normal growth, flowering and fruiting of cucumbers, and also prevent and control pests and diseases.

II. Benefits and effects of cucumber

Nature cool, taste sweet, slightly toxic; enters the lung, stomach and large intestine meridians. Clears heat and promotes urination, removes toxins and reduces swelling, promotes fluid production and quenches thirst. Mainly used for conditions such as fever with restlessness and thirst, sore and swollen throat, wind-heat eye diseases, damp-heat jaundice, and difficult urination.

1. Anti-tumor

The cucurbitacin C contained in cucumber has the effect of improving human immune function, thereby achieving anti-tumor purposes. In addition, this substance can also treat chronic hepatitis and persistent hepatitis, and has the effect of prolonging survival for patients with primary liver cancer.

2. Anti-aging

Cucumber is rich in vitamin E, which can play a role in prolonging life and resisting aging; the cucumber enzyme in cucumber has strong biological activity and can effectively promote the body's metabolism. Applying mashed cucumber juice to the skin has the effect of moisturizing the skin and smoothing wrinkles.

3. Preventing alcohol poisoning

The alanine, arginine and glutamine contained in cucumber have a certain auxiliary therapeutic effect on liver patients, especially patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, and can prevent and treat alcohol poisoning.

4. Lowering blood sugar

The glucosides, fructose and other substances contained in cucumber do not participate in normal sugar metabolism, so when diabetics use cucumber instead of starchy foods to satisfy hunger, blood sugar will not rise but may even decrease.

5. Weight loss and body strengthening

The tartronic acid contained in cucumber can inhibit the conversion of carbohydrates into fat. In addition, the cellulose in cucumber has a certain effect on promoting the excretion of putrefactive substances in the human intestines and lowering cholesterol, and can strengthen the body.

6. Nourishing the brain and calming the mind

Cucumber contains vitamin B1, which is beneficial for improving brain and nervous system function, can calm the mind and stabilize the spirit, and assists in treating insomnia.

III. Who should not eat cucumber

Cucumber not only has rich nutritional value, but also has the effects of weight loss, beauty enhancement and blood sugar lowering, and is deeply welcomed and loved by many people. However, not everyone is suited to eating cucumber. So, who cannot eat cucumber?

First, patients with liver disease, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease and high blood pressure should not eat too much pickled cucumber, because the salt in pickled cucumber will aggravate the symptoms of the above patients.

Second, cucumber is cold and raw in nature, so people with weak spleen and stomach and those who cough frequently should eat less of it.

Finally, cucumber should not be eaten raw on an empty stomach, to avoid causing diarrhea.

In addition, cucumber is best not eaten at the same time as chili peppers, spinach or tomatoes, to avoid adverse reactions in the body.