When should cucumbers be sown, how are they planted, and how long until they bear fruit?

When it comes to summer vegetables, cucumbers are always part of the picture. But with the development of cultivation techniques, they can basically be eaten all year round.So how long does it take for cucumbers to go from sowing to fruiting? When should they be sown? How are they planted?

1. How long do cucumbers roughly take from sowing to fruiting?

Under natural growing conditions, cucumbers take anywhere from 90-120 days from sowing to fruiting, and they go through four stages in total: germination, seedling, early flowering and fruiting.

1. Germination stage

The germination stage runs from sowing until the first true leaf appears, and takes 5-8 days. At this time, pay attention to temperature and light, and avoid seeds rotting from soil temperatures that are too low.

2. Seedling stage

From the appearance of the true leaves until there are 4-5 true leaves is the seedling stage, which takes about 30 days.

3. Early flowering stage

The early flowering stage is the period from transplanting at 4-5 true leaves until the first female flower sets fruit (the root cucumber); this takes about 25 days, with early-maturing varieties taking less time and late-maturing varieties taking longer. At this stage, the relationship between vegetative growth and reproductive growth needs to be regulated.

4. Fruiting stage

From the first fruit setting until the vines are pulled up is considered the fruiting stage, generally taking 30-100 days. At this time, make sure nutrients and water are sufficient.

Different cultivation methods, varieties, growing conditions and management techniques will all cause differences in growing time, so the specific timing should be based on actual conditions.

2. When should cucumbers be sown?

Cucumbers can be sown in early spring from January to March, or in summer and autumn from June to August. For sowing, it is best to choose plump seeds free of pests and diseases, soak them in warm water at around 30 degrees for 4 hours before sprouting them; after sprouting, once more than 70% of the seeds have sprouted white, they can be sown, and after sowing the ground should be covered with plastic film.

3. How are cucumbers planted?

1. Land preparation and transplanting

Turn over and level the plot where cucumbers are to be planted, then apply decomposed organic fertilizer, superphosphate or diammonium phosphate (the specific combination and application rate should be determined according to actual conditions), and mix it with the soil, then make beds and cover with film. Transplant when the leaf temperature is above 5 degrees and the soil temperature is above 12 degrees. Keep the transplanting density at 4000-4500 plants per mu, with a plant spacing of 25-30 cm.

2. Management after planting

After transplanting, cucumbers should be trellised and the vines tied promptly, with the trellis set 8-10 cm away from the roots; tie the vines once every 2-3 nodes, and this should be done in the afternoon. Side branches of the main vine that bears fruit should be removed; for side vines that bear fruit, after fruiting, leave one to two leaves and pinch off the tip, and remove all tendrils.

3. Fertilizer and water management

Water and hoe in time; the amount and frequency of watering depend on the weather and growth stage. Water to help the seedlings recover 5-7 days after planting; before fruit sets, control water, hoe and keep the seedlings compact; when the root cucumber reaches 10-12 cm, water to promote fruit growth; during the fruiting stage, water once every 5-7 days. The principle for topdressing is light first and heavy later, in small amounts and more frequently; apply the fruit-promoting fertilizer after the root cucumber has set, and apply the peak-fruiting fertilizer after the root cucumber is harvested.

4. Pest and disease control

When growing cucumbers, pay attention to preventing and controlling invasions by downy mildew, gray mold, powdery mildew, root-knot nematodes and whiteflies, among other pests and diseases; it is best to spray pesticides in advance for prevention and control.

With the development of cultivation techniques, there are fewer restrictions on growing cucumbers; for example, greenhouse cultivation can be carried out all year round, and the difficulty of growing them is no longer as great.