Is it possible to plant cucumbers in successive crops?

Cucumber is a common vegetable and the most widely grown vegetable in rural areas. Every household grows cucumbers during spring and summer. So is it possible to plant cucumbers in succession? Let’s learn more about it below.

Is it possible to plant cucumbers in successive crops?

Cucumbers cannot be planted in the same crop as other melon vegetables. If they are planted in the same crop, the harm will be very serious. Planting cucumbers year after year will cause the accumulation of soil-borne pathogens in the soil and increase the chance of disease. At the same time, it causes a lack of essential mineral nutrients in the soil. Finally, the soil becomes compacted and salinized, which is not conducive to the normal growth of cucumber roots.

Cucumber planting environmental requirements

1. Soil

The soil needs to have good light-collecting and heat-insulating properties. Choose thick, loose, and highly permeable soil for planting. Reuse waste materials such as straw and apply it to the soil in the form of fertilizer to avoid burning and causing environmental pollution. This can increase soil carbon storage and achieve emission reductions. The most suitable growing range for cucumbers is around pH 6.5.

2. Temperature

During the cucumber growing period, the daytime temperature can be controlled at 25-30℃, and the nighttime temperature can be controlled at 13-18℃, which is beneficial to inhibit plant growth and prevent falling flowers and fruits. After transplanting the seedlings, the temperature must be strictly controlled. It is best to keep it slightly below 30℃ during the day and 1-18℃ at night. The night temperature should be controlled at 7-8℃ 7 days before transplanting to harden the seedlings.

3. Moisture

Cucumbers like moisture and are afraid of drought and waterlogging, so they must be watered frequently to ensure normal fruiting and high yield. However, watering too much at one time will cause the soil to become compacted and waterlogged, affecting the soil's air permeability and being detrimental to the growth of the plant. Especially in early spring, late autumn and midwinter, when the soil temperature is low and the humidity is high, root cold, root rot and damping-off diseases are very likely to occur. Therefore, watering in cucumber production is a management measure with relatively strict technical requirements.

4. Lighting

Cucumbers' requirements for daylight length vary depending on the ecological type. Generally, South China type varieties are more sensitive to short daylight, while North China type varieties are not strict about the length of daylight and have become medium daylight plants. However, short daylight of 8 to 11 hours can promote the differentiation and formation of sexual organs. In winter, the daylight hours are short and the light is weak, so cucumbers grow slowly and the yield is low. In the hot summer, the light is too strong, which is also not conducive to growth.

5. Fertilization

20 to 40 days after cucumber sowing is the period when phosphorus application during seedling cultivation is most effective, and the application of phosphorus fertilizer must not be ignored during this period. 50% to 60% of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are absorbed during the peak harvest period, with the content of the above three elements in the stems, leaves and fruits each accounting for half. Generally, from planting to 30 days after planting, cucumbers absorb nutrients slowly and in smaller amounts. It is not until the peak harvest period that the absorption of nutrients shows an increasing trend.

That’s it