How to grow cucumbers to achieve high yield and high quality?

Cucumbers can be eaten raw or fried. Although they are relatively common and there are many farmers who grow them, the market demand is large and stable. If you want to make a profit from growing cucumbers , improving yield and quality is the key. Let’s learn together how to grow cucumbers to achieve high yield and high quality.

1. Variety selection

Choose high-quality varieties that have strong disease resistance, tolerance to low temperatures and low light environments, compact plant shape, early maturity and high yield.

2. Seedling cultivation technology

1. Preparation of nutrient soil

Choose fertile garden soil that has not been used to grow melon crops for the past five years, preferably soil from onion and garlic crops, or the topsoil of corn or soybean fields where herbicides have not been applied. Mix 5 parts of topsoil, 4 parts of fully decomposed manure or old peat soil, and 1 part of fine slag. Add 1.5 kg of diammonium phosphate and 1.5 kg of potassium sulfate per cubic meter of soil. Mix evenly and cover with plastic film for later use.

2. Seed treatment

Place the seeds in warm water at 50-55°C, stirring constantly to maintain a constant temperature for 15-20 minutes, then move them to clean water and soak for 4-6 hours. After taking out and drying, wrap it with a wet towel and germinate it at 28-30°C. Scrub it 1-2 times during the process. It will germinate after 20-24 hours.

3. Sowing time

The sowing period for solar greenhouse cultivation in winter and spring is early to mid-December, and that for plastic greenhouse cultivation is mid to late February.

4. Sowing method

Use nutrient soil as the substrate, water thoroughly before sowing, sprinkle 0.5 cm thick nutrient soil, and sow single seeds at a row spacing of 3x3 cm. After sowing, cover with 1-1.5 cm of nutrient soil and cover with mulch to increase temperature and retain moisture. Remove the plastic film in time after the seedlings emerge, and transplant them into nutrient pots with a diameter of 7-10 cm and a height of 6-8 cm after the cotyledons unfold, with one plant in each pot. Grow seedlings directly in nutrient pots, one seed per pot, no need to transplant.

5. Seedling management

Temperature control: From sowing to emergence, maintain 25-28°C during the day, 16-20°C at night, and soil temperature 20-22°C. From germination to transplantation, the daytime temperature is 20-25°C, the nighttime temperature is 12-18°C, and the soil temperature is 15-17°C. The temperature after transplanting is 2-3°C higher than before, and the temperature drops slightly after the seedlings have recovered. 7 days before transplanting, the daytime temperature is 18-23°C, the nighttime temperature is 8-12°C, and the soil temperature is 15°C.

Water and fertilizer management: mainly control water and fertilizer during the seedling stage. After germination, reduce the humidity in the greenhouse to prevent the seedlings from growing too tall. Control watering after transplanting. After 3 true leaves appear, water thoroughly on a sunny morning during droughts.

3. Planting

1. Disinfection of greenhouse

Before planting, clean up the residues of previous crops, rotten leaves and weeds, seal the greenhouse, use solar energy for high-temperature disinfection for more than 3 days, and then ventilate.

2. Land preparation and fertilization

Rotate with cucurbit crops for more than 3 years. Before planting, deep plow the soil, level the land, dig trenches with a large trench distance of 80-90 cm and a small trench distance of 50 cm, and create wide and narrow rows. The amount of fertilizer to be applied is determined based on the nitrogen content of organic fertilizer. The content of pure nitrogen in organic fertilizer applied per mu should not be less than 11 kg, 2/3 of which should be applied by broadcasting, 1/3 by furrow application, and the amount of chemical fertilizer applied by furrow application.

3. Planting time

Planting should be carried out when the soil temperature at 10 cm is stable at above 12°C and the night temperature in the greenhouse is not lower than 8°C. For solar greenhouses with good insulation conditions, planting should be done in mid-to-late January. For overwintering greenhouses, a second layer of curtains and ground film covering can be added in early April. For single-layer greenhouses, planting should be done in mid-to-late April. Choose a sunny day for planting.

Planting method: dig trenches and dry the soil 3-5 days in advance to increase the ground temperature. The plant spacing is 25-28 cm, with double rows per bed. After digging furrows, the seedlings are planted with water, and diammonium phosphate is applied in the holes as oral fertilizer, about 4 grams per plant. When planting seedlings, cover the soil at the same level as the soil for the seedlings. After the surface soil is half dry, loosen the soil by tilling 2-3 times, from shallow to deep. Dig a shallow trench in the center of the bed, and add soil on both sides. Make the bed into a saddle shape, cover it with plastic film, and irrigate secretly along the center trench of the bed.

4. Management after planting

1. Seedling acclimatization period**

After transplanting, focus on cold prevention and heat preservation, and use a closed greenhouse or shed to promote seedling growth. If necessary, add straw mats, set up a small arch shed for insulation, or use fire channels, temporary stoves, and flues for artificial heating. The daytime temperature does not exceed 34°C without ventilation.

2. After the seedlings are grown, the melon will grow to its root column.

The temperature is controlled at around 25°C, 12-15°C at night, do not water unless it is dry, do not apply fertilizer, control the growth of the above-ground part, promote root development, until the root melon takes shape.

3. Fruiting period

When the night temperature is above 14°C, ventilate day and night. When it is below 14°C, close the vents to prevent condensation on the leaves.

4. Water and fertilizer management

Control watering before the root melon takes root to increase the ground temperature and promote root development. After the root melon is established, water it heavily, remove the plastic film and irrigate secretly, and apply 4-6 kg of urea per mu. During the peak fruit-bearing period, top dressing should be applied once every 10 days or so, with 3-4 kg of urea and 3 kg of potassium sulfate applied per mu each time, for a total of 3-4 times. Stop top dressing about 20 days before pulling out the seedlings. If conditions permit, diluted human feces and urine can be used as fertilizer along with water, alternating with chemical fertilizers.

5. Plant adjustment

After the seedlings have grown, hang ropes or insert racks, tie vines in time, and remove side branches with less than 10 nodes. After the main vine grows to the top of the frame, pinch it off in time to promote the growth and development of the melon, drop the vines in time, and remove the old leaves at the bottom.

The above are the key points of cucumber planting technology. It is not complicated to grow cucumbers well. As long as you choose the method and variety that suits you and do a good job of field management according to local conditions, you can harvest good yields.