What is the best season to grow cucumbers?

Cucumber is actually called green melon in many places in China. It is not complicated to grow. However, if the planting land is not suitable for cucumber growth or the planting time is wrong, it will affect the yield and quality of cucumber. Let’s learn together what season is suitable for planting cucumbers?

What is the best season to grow cucumbers?

Spring is the main planting season for cucumbers, and it is suitable to sow them between the end of March and the beginning of May. Due to the warm climate in the south, planting can be done around March, while in the north it is suitable to plant around April.

Cucumber planting and fertilization tips

1. Base fertilizer

Before planting cucumbers, sufficient base fertilizer should be applied. The base fertilizer should be mainly decomposed organic fertilizer , such as decomposed farmyard manure, chicken manure, cow dung, etc. The recommended amount per mu is 1500-2000 kg.

2. Topdressing during the seedling stage

From the time when cucumber grows 4-5 true leaves to the seedling stage before transplanting, this stage lasts about 30 days and is a critical period for flower bud differentiation and laying the foundation for early yield. If the seedlings are found to be yellowing or the field fertility is insufficient, fertilizer should be applied in time.

3. Fertilize during the initial flowering period

It takes about 25 days from planting cucumbers to growing the first flower. At this time, the first topdressing should be carried out, mainly with slow-release organic fertilizers, to ensure a continuous supply of nutrients. The focus of field management is to increase leaf area and the number of female flowers and prevent the plants from growing too tall.

5. Fertilization during the fruiting period

From the stage when the root cucumber is firmly established to the stage when the vines are pulled out, the cucumber's demand for various nutrients reaches its peak, and it is necessary to focus on field water management, timely irrigation, and timely fertilization. The root melon requires relatively little water and fertilizer during its growth stage, and you only need to keep the soil moist. After the melon is firmly planted, the outside temperature gradually rises and the water demand continues to increase. This is the critical period for forming yield. It is necessary to increase the amount of fertilizer and irrigate multiple times, generally once every 1-2 days. After the top cucumber enters the growth and development stage, the plant gradually enters the aging stage, and the demand for water and fertilizer gradually decreases. At this time, in order to extend the fruiting period of cucumbers, it is generally fertilized once every 7 days, or topdressed once every two harvests.

6. Foliar fertilization

For cucumbers grown in greenhouses , an appropriate amount of carbon dioxide can be released inside the greenhouse to increase the photosynthesis capacity of the leaves, accelerate the accumulation of organic matter, and increase cucumber yields. In addition, foliar fertilization can be carried out to increase the photosynthesis capacity of leaves. You can use 1% urea solution plus 0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution for liquid surface spraying.

In summary, cucumber is a crop that likes warmth and is not cold-resistant. Its growth and development generally goes through four stages: germination, seedling, initial flowering and fruiting. The growth period of open -field cucumbers is about 90-120 days.