What kind of growing environment does cucumber cultivation require?

Flowers & Gardening Jan 1, 1970By Emily Carter 0 views

What kind of growing environment suits cucumbers? Cucumber, also known as bitter cucumber and green cucumber. Botanical characteristics: an annual trailing or climbing herb; stems and branches elongated, with ridged grooves, covered with white stiff hairs. Tendrils slender, undivided, with white downy hairs. Petioles slightly rough, with stiff hairs; leaf blades broadly ovate-cordate, membranous; both surfaces very rough, covered with stiff hairs, lobes triangular, toothed;

Cucumber, a plant of the genus Cucumis in the Cucurbitaceae family. Also called bitter cucumber and green cucumber. The fruit is oil-green or emerald green, with soft small spines on the surface. It is commonly cultivated throughout China, and can be grown outdoors on a large scale or cultivated on a small scale. Balcony growing is also a good choice.

Cucumber aliases

Bitter cucumber, green cucumber

Cucumber botanical characteristics

An annual trailing or climbing herb; stems and branches elongated, with ridged grooves, covered with white stiff hairs. Tendrils slender, undivided, with white downy hairs.

Petioles slightly rough, with stiff hairs; leaf blades broadly ovate-cordate, membranous; both surfaces very rough, covered with stiff hairs, lobes triangular, toothed; sometimes the margins are ciliate, the apex acute or acuminate, the base with a semicircular sinus, sometimes the base closing backward. Monoecious.

Cucumber growing habits

Cucumbers can generally be grown throughout China, and are now widely cultivated in temperate and tropical regions. Cucumbers like warmth and cannot tolerate cold, and are one of the main greenhouse products.

Cucumber care tips

Temperature

Cucumbers like warmth and cannot tolerate cold. The suitable growth temperature is 10-32°C. Generally, 25-32°C during the day and 15-18°C at night give the best growth; the most suitable soil temperature is 20-25°C, with a minimum of about 15°C. The most suitable day-night temperature difference is 10-15°C. At high temperatures of 35°C, cucumber photosynthesis is poor, and at 45°C high-temperature damage occurs; at low temperatures of -2 to 0°C they freeze to death, though if hardened off at low temperature they can withstand a low temperature of 3°C.

Light

South China types are relatively sensitive to short-day conditions, while North China types have less strict requirements for day length and have become day-neutral plants. Most varieties grow well under short-day conditions of 8-11 hours.

Water

Cucumbers have high yields and large water requirements. 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, causing reduced yield.

Soil

Cucumbers like moisture but cannot tolerate waterlogging, and like fertilizer but cannot tolerate excessive fertilizer; fertile soil rich in organic matter should be chosen. They generally prefer soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7.2, but a pH of 6.5 is best.

The value of cucumbers

Ornamental: growing a cucumber plant on the balcony not only serves as a green plant to admire, but also lets you see the small yellow flowers and then the small cucumbers.

Edible: in summer, when cucumbers are ripe, they are picked and eaten raw or served as a cold dish; both are ways to escape the summer heat and fight the summer heat to the end.

Face mask: cut cucumbers into thin round slices and apply them to the face to experience a cooling sensation while achieving a skin-care effect.

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