Open-air cucumber management technology

Cucumber is a widely grown vegetable with a relatively short growth cycle, taking only about 2-3 months from sowing to harvesting. It prefers a warm environment and the suitable temperature range for growth is 18-25℃. Not cold-resistant, low temperatures will seriously affect growth and fruiting. Let’s learn some open-air cucumber management techniques together.

1. Apply sufficient base fertilizer

Cucumbers have high nutritional requirements and grow best in soil rich in organic matter, with good drainage and a pH value between 5.5 and 7.2. For fields where cucumbers are grown year-round, this type of soil is not easy to obtain, so applying sufficient base fertilizer is very important. Avoid excessive use of chemical fertilizers, as this may cause soil compaction, affect root development, and be detrimental to high cucumber yields. It is recommended to use organic fertilizer as the main fertilizer, applying 3000-5000 kilograms of decomposed farmyard manure per mu, supplemented with 50 kilograms of compound fertilizer and 25-30 kilograms of superphosphate.

2. Seed selection, germination and reasonable density planting

It is crucial to choose cucumber varieties that are disease-resistant, cold-tolerant, and have good commercial quality, such as Zhongnong No. 12 and Bomei No. 4. The seeds need to be disinfected and germinated. First, air them in the sun for 1-2 days, then soak them in 55℃ warm water for 10 minutes to disinfect them, and then soak them in clean water for 3-4 hours to germinate. Sow seeds after 80% of the seeds turn white. When transplanting, remove sick and weak seedlings, maintain a row spacing of 60 cm and a plant spacing of 30 cm, and plant 3,500-4,000 plants per acre. Reasonable close planting helps to avoid leaves covering each other and ensure light and ventilation.

3. Scaffolding and pruning

Cucumbers need a trellis to grow, and the trellis should be set up when they have 4-5 leaves. For greenhouse cultivation, you can use a hanging rope, and for open-air cultivation, you can use an "X-shaped trellis" or "H-shaped trellis". Pruning and cutting branches is the key to ensuring "one leaf, one melon". Side branches consume a lot of nutrients and affect the flowering and fruiting of the main vine, so they should be removed in time. Usually, pruning starts when the leaves grow to 10-13 pieces, and attention is paid to leaving a reasonable amount of melons, with "one melon per 3 leaves" in the early stage and "one melon per leaf" in the peak period.

4. Control soil moisture

Although cucumbers need water, they are not resistant to moisture. Water them 4-5 days after transplanting to help the seedlings grow. Control the water before the cucumbers set. Water them once every 5 days during the fruit-setting period. Maintain soil moisture at 70-80% to avoid being too wet or too dry.

5. Thinning flowers and fruits

Cucumbers are monoecious and have different flowers. To ensure a reasonable distribution of nutrients, the excess male flowers should be removed in time, leaving only 5%-10%. Choose varieties with all-female or strongly female flowers, and thin out flowers and fruits in a timely manner to ensure "one leaf, one melon" and avoid excessive consumption of nutrients.

6. Apply fertilizer in time

During the growth period of cucumbers, in addition to base fertilizer, top dressing is also required in time. Apply urea 10 days after planting, and apply compound fertilizer and potassium sulfate every 10-15 days during the fruit-bearing period. In the later stage of growth, all the fruits can be picked off, and additional nitrogen fertilizer and watering can be added to promote the resumption of cucumber growth. During the peak fruit-bearing period, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are mainly used, and foliar fertilizers such as glucose, potassium dihydrogen phosphate and brassinolide are sprayed to promote flowering and fruiting and prevent premature aging.

The above are the key points of cucumber management technology. Following the above steps can effectively improve the yield and quality of cucumbers and increase economic benefits.