Cultivation Guide for
Cucumber Variety Series
The
cucumber is an annual growth and fruiting vegetable crop, and it is fond of
fetilizer, with week cold-resistance and fertilizer-accumulation. But
over-fertilization will not only can not improve the yield, but also affect the
quality of fruit and environment, form bitter fruits which will lower the
cucumber quality, and cause water pollution. Cucumber is a shallow-rooted
crops, and the demand of earth temperature and moisture is strict. The suitable
growing temperature is between 20-28 degree celsius.
Part One, Spring Cultivation
For the cultivation in early Spring, the seeds are usually sown in
Jan. and Feb., with 40-45 days of seedling stage. In most areas, it is usually
required to choose the verieties which are resisitant to cold, low-light, and
blight disease, and are endurant to transportation to cultivate, in green color
with thin-papilloma, such as "Bill", "Chunbao", and so on.
1, Desposition
of Nutrient Soil
Use plastic nutrient cups which are 8-10cm wide, to culture the
seedling. Because the root system is week, the requirement of desposition of
nutrient soil is strick. The following formula can be chosen.
1.1, 50%
of ordinarily finished dairy manure or grass ashes soil, 20% of field soil, 20%
of river sand and 10% seedcake manure. After sieving, mix them uniformly, and
add 1kg of diammonium phosphate(DAP) per CBM.
1.2, 70%
of garden soil and 30% of manure. If available, add15-25kg of finished chicken
manure, 1-1.5kg of calcium superphosphate and 5-10kg of grass ashes per CBM,
and then mix them uniformly.
1.3, Tidy
up the loamy paddy soil finely, and then sieve the soil with steel sieve or
bamboo sieve whose pore is about 1-1.5cm wide. Add finished pig manure to the
sieved soil in the ratio of 1: 5, and add a little monopotassium
phosphate(MKP).
2, Seed Soaking
and Sprouting
The cucumber seeds sprout quickly, so the
soaking, sprouting and disinfection can be done 1-2 days before sowing. The
method is to put the seeds into clean water, to soak for about 2-4 hours, then
take away the blighted grain. And then soak them into 500 times of 50%
carbendazim squeous solution or warm water. Then soak into agricultural
streptomycin(futostrep) squeous solution for 1 hour. The seeds must be swashed
clean by water after the disinfection.
Wrap up the soaked seeds by gauze and then
spinly dry the seeds. Put the seeds under the temperature of 25-30 degree for
sprouting. Normally, the seeds will sprout in 24-36 hours, and then they can be
sown. The bud should be controlled within 1.5-2mm long, in white color.
3, Sowing
In some areas, the heating wire is used as warming equipment. Spread
the heating wires on the seedbed uniformly, by about 10cm in linewidth. And
then lay on the nutrient cups which are full of nutrient soil, and the cups
should be laied close.
Before sowing, use Monopotassium Phosphate and 50% Carbendazim to
mix together, to water through the nutrient soil. When the soil becomes a
little dry, put the sprouted seeds in the middle of nutrient cup, with buds
downwards. Then cover the seeds with a fistful of fine soil. After sowing, lay
mulching film on the seedbed, and then cover the small shed with films. Turn on
the electricity.
4, Management of
Seedling Stage
Usually, the buds will come up of ground after 3 days of heating
wire culture of seedling. When there are 70% of seeds come up of soil, the
electricity can be turned off and the mulching film can be removed. From then
on, pay attention to the environmental temperature outside and inside the shed.
If the weather is specially cold, the electricity should be turned on for
several hours to warm the shed, but do not last for too long, so as to prevent
excessive growth. If the weather is good with sun, uncover the shed when the
shed temperature reach 30 degree,even to remove to both ends.
During this period, pay attention to prevent the seedling from
damping-off disease. The method is to take care of the ventilation and
humidity-reducing , or use 600 times of 70% manganese acetate to spray on
seedlings.
5, Field
Arrangement and Manuring
5.1, Field Arrangement
Eliminate weeds by sterilant herbicide, such as Roundup(glyphosate,
or Momba). If the field is seriously damaged by diseases, disinfect the field
soil by broadcasting 5g of etridiazole per sq.m. If the field contains too many
soil insects, disinfest them by Phoxim granules.
5.2, Field Manuring
The base manure must be supplied heavily, consisting of 90% of the
fertilizer in the whole growing period. The manure is consisted by 18000kg of
organic manure and 300kg of vegetable compound fertilizer per acre. Broadcast
all the manure to the field in one time, neaten evenly, and then build up the
plot.
5.3, Building up of Plots
In shed, the plot is generally in 1.3m wide including ditch. The
surface of the plot should be flat and tidy, without big clods. The ditch is
about 20cm deep, and it should be deeper in low –lying field. Dig two rows of
holes on each plot. The hole distance is about 30-35cm, with 20cm distance from
hole center to the edge of the plot.
6, Transplanting
When the seedling grows out one rud with two leaves, it can be
transplanted in sunny weather. Handle the seedling carefully, not to scatter
the soil from the nutrient cup. Level the nutrient soil to the plot surface.
Supply root-setting water adequately, cover the plot with ground film, draw the
seedlings forth, and press the torn film tightly with a little soil.
7, Field
Management
7.1, Temperature management
The seven days after setting is the recovering period of seedling,
pay attention to keep warm and moist. The temperature inside the shed should
maitain between 15-33 degree centigrade. After the recovering, reduce humidity
by ventilation properly. Inside the shed, the temperature should maitain
between 25-30 degree centigrade in the daytime, and 12-16 degree centigrade at
night. If the daytime temperature exceeds 30 degree, open the shed to
ventildate and exchange air, and shut off the shed when the temperature is
below 25 degree.
7.2, Fertilizer and Water
Management
The water demand of cucumber is abundant, so the soil should be kept
moist constantly. If the soil is drought, irrigate it, and may also combine
with adding urea and potash fertilizer. The irrigation method is to water on
the surface of the plot, not flood irrigation. One hour after irrigation, drain
away the accumulated water if there is. The best time for irrigation is in the
sunny day morning. Pay attention to the himidity reducing by ventilation.
7.3, Setting up of shelf
25 days after transplanting, the shelf can be set up, in A-bracket
shape. The bamboo sticker is about 2m long. Insert one A-bracket in every 2m,
and connect them by crossbars. In the 70cm height of the shelf, use rope to
tight up lines. Lead the seedlings after the shelf is set up. Tight the top of
the seedlings by rope or rice straw, to lead the seedling on to the crossbar.
7.4, Protection of Flower and
Fruit
The low temperature in the early period will leads to dropping of
flower and fruit. Spraying leafsurface microelement, using hormone, or
improving enviroment situation, will increase the rate of fruit setting.
8, Harvest
In Spring, the cucumber should be picked in time in the early
setting period, so as to prevent the fruit from falling. In fruiting acme, let
the fruits grow properly stronger, to increase yield. It is suitable to pick
the fruits in the morning or at dusk everyday. After picking, weed out the
cucumbers which are injured or infected by diseases or insects, and then clean
the fruit surface by water. Pack the fruits in grade according to the size and
shape.
Part 2, Summer and
Autumn Cultivation
1, Field Selection, Preparation and Base Manure
Supply the base manure adequately, and
avoid the continuous cropping with other species in the same family. When
cultivated in Summer and Autumn, it should be planted on the sandy loam which
is fertile and water retentional, with convenient irrigation and drainage.
Before sowing, supply 9000kg of farm manure which is mixed by pig, chicken and
duck dejecta per acre. Plough the manure into soil, and add 300kg of 45% S-NPK
compound fertilizer. After 3 days, the seeds can be sown, and they can not
touch the compound fertilizer. The plot is about 1.4m wide including ditch.
Plant two rows in one plot, with planting distance in about 30cm.
2, Sowing Time and Variety Selection
2.1, Sowing time
Summer cucumber
can be sown from May to early July, and Autumn cucumer from late July to early
August. Autumn cucumber should not be sown too late, because the low
temperature by then will impact fruiting. It costs about 900g of seeds per
acre. As the temperature is high in Summer and Autumn, the seeds is usualy sown
derectly into the soil. Before sowing, soak the seeds for 2-3 hours, and then
use 1000 times of 75% chlorothalonil to soak the seeds for 15 minites for
disinfection. After cleaning, the seeds can be sown derectly or after sprouting.
Keep the seedling age within 13-15 days, with two cotyledon unfolded. Add
180-240kg of water into the seedling substance per acre, and then mix equally,
until the substance do not drops water when hold in ball by hand, and spread
out when dropped on ground.
For the sowing
method, the seeds are sown derectly in dry situation, sprouting or
transplanting after culture of seedling. The seedling is usually cultured in
seedbed in open field, coverd with shading shed which is for rain protection
and sun-shade, with well ventilation. Prepare the nutrient bed soil and
nutrition pot in advance.
2.2, Variety Selection
Select the
vareities which are resistant to heat and disease, with prosperous growing
potential and productive,Such as Suntoday.
3, Field
management
3.1,
Reasonable Fertilization
The fertilization of Summer and Autumn
cucumber should base on the following principles. Adequate base manure, Light
seedling fertilizer, Heavy fruit fertilizer, Less fertilizer with more times,
and Using finished manure. Usually, the base manure consists of about 9000kg of
human fecaluria, and 300kg of compound fertilizer or adding 150kg of ammonium
acid carbonate per acre. After setting, supply human manure and urine in the
ratio of 1:10, and top dressing after one week. When comes to the fruiting
period, enhence the top dressing ratio. If possoble, top dressing each time
when the fruits are picked. Spray 30-45kg of urea per acre in the rainning day.
When comes to fruiting acme, supplt 0.3% monopotassium photsphate and 0.3% urea
as top dressing.
3.2, Watering
The watering
should be done in the early morning or at dusk. Ditch watering is the best,
light watering with more times, and drainage accompanied by irrigation, leaving
no accumulated water.
3.3, Covering of plot surface
As the
temperature in Summer and Autumn is high, use rice straw, green grass or
cymodocea rotundata to cover on the plot surface by 3-5cm thick. This will
reduces the earth temperature by 3.5-6 degree centigrade, and reduce
evaporation of water, so as to benefit the plant in growing development.
3.4, Vine
Binding
When the seedling spreads vines, use
bamboo sticker to build A-brackets in 1.5m high in time. When the vine grows to
be 0.34m long, bind it to the bamboo sticker. After that, bind the vine at 3-4
nodes interval. After the six-leaves stage, weed out the side vines which are
below the root fruit. For the upper side vines, reserve one fruit and one leaf,
and then top removal. When the plant grows out 23-25 pieces of leaves, wipe off
the central bud or unloosen the vains. In the middle and late fruiting period,
pick off most of the yellow leaves and old leaves, to benefit the ventilation
and illumination.
3.5,
Additional fertilization and Irrigation
The Summer and Autumn cucumber grows
fast and it is productive. It is required to supply fertilizer and water early
and throughly. In the whole growing period, top dressing 3-4 times, each time
using 5-10kg of rare S-NPK compound fertilizer, also can be combined with
spraying of potassium dihydrogen phosphate on leaf surface at the same time.
3.6, Hormone
Treatment
When the seedling grows out two leaves
with one bud, or three leaves with one bud, spray 100 ppm of 40% ethephon on
the foliage, so as to increase the female flowers, to set more fruits and
increase the yield.
4, Pest Control
When culitivated in Autumn, the plant is easily
infected by loimia and downy mildew diseases. Spray 600 times of 72% mancozeb
metalaxyl or 600-800 times of Dubanke dew for preventation and control. In the
continuous high temperature and drought weather, timely check and control the
insect damage by bemisia tabaci, aphids and diaphania indica. Spray 5000 times
of 70% imidacloprid to control aphids and Bemisia tabaci, and 1500 times of 10%
depletion to control Diaphania indica. 7 days before entering market, stop the
using of pesticide.
5, Harvest
For Summer cultivation, it takes about 45-60
days to harvest after sowing. When the fruit grows to a certain length, and the
surface color turns deeper, harvest the fruit timely so as to benefite blossom
and fruiting in the upper part.
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