When is the best time to plant autumn cucumbers?

Cucumber is a common vegetable on the table. It has a short growing period and a crisp taste. It can be stir-fried or eaten as a fruit and is very popular. It’s autumn now, so when is the best time to plant autumn cucumbers? Let’s learn more about it below.

When is the best time to plant autumn cucumbers?

Cucumbers grow very fast and are usually harvested one month after planting. The temperature in autumn is high and cucumbers grow fast. Usually the sowing time for autumn cucumbers is from early to mid-August. In order to extend the picking time of autumn cucumbers, seedlings can be raised one week in advance.

How to plant autumn cucumbers

1. Site selection and land preparation

For the land where cucumbers are planted, apply more organic fertilizer , 3,000 kg of fully decomposed organic fertilizer per mu, 80 kg of diammonium phosphate, and 2-4 kg of avermectin granules. Spread them evenly, then use a rotary tiller to plow 20 cm deep and form ridges for cultivation.

2. Variety selection

It is necessary to choose cucumber varieties that bear fruit early and have strong female characteristics to ensure early flowering, early fruit bearing, and abundant flowering, thus achieving high early yields.

3. Seed soaking and germination

According to the cultivation season of cucumber, timely seedlings should be raised. First, the seeds should be soaked for germination. They can be soaked in warm water at about 55°C for 10-20 minutes. Stir constantly during the process, cool down to 28°C ~ 30°C and soak the seeds for 5-6 hours. Germination should be carried out at 28°C, and they will usually emerge in 15 hours.

4. Planting seeds

For direct seeding, it is better to use spot sowing. You can cover the film first, make holes according to the plant spacing of about 50×27-40 cm, sow 2-3 seeds in each hole, cover the soil with a thickness of 1-2 cm, and water it sufficiently after covering the soil.

5. Seedling management

Cucumbers like moisture and have a relatively high demand for water during the growth process. The temperature is relatively high during the seedling stage, and the plants lose a lot of water through transpiration. However, the water content should still be properly controlled during the seedling stage, otherwise the plants will tend to grow vigorously, resulting in low yields in the early stages.

6. Field management

The support should be installed after the vines start to grow. Use bamboo poles or branches that are more than 2 meters long to build an A-frame and tie the vines in time. During the vine-growing period and the flowering and fruiting period, 20 to 25 kg of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers can be applied per acre of land. Note that topdressing should be done after each harvest. 0.1 to 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate or compound fertilizer liquid can be sprayed. Before and after cucumber harvesting, control watering, weed, shallowly till the soil to conserve moisture, and pay attention to drainage and waterlogging prevention. During the peak melon-growing period, water the melons once every 3 to 4 days.

That’s it