Cucumber: definition, how to grow it, diseases, care for it
Introducing the option
A monoecious annual plant, with a climbing or creeping growth form. The simple leaves are arranged alternately along the stem and are in the shape of an oval triangle with a heart-shaped leaf base. The male flowers are borne in groups while the female flowers are single and have short, thick flower stems.
Basic care guide
Recommended items:
“Boston Pickling” is our favorite variety that is bred specifically for pickling.
'Burpless Bush Hybrid' (shrub) is good for small gardens, pots or pickling.
“Bush Crop” (shrub) is a high-yielding dwarf variety. Great for fresh eating.
“Calypso” is resistant to diseases and has high productivity. Ideal for pickling
“Parisian pickling” produces long, thin cucumbers that are perfect for making pickled cucumbers or cornichons.
'Sweet Success' is good for greenhouses, because it does not require any pollinators. Produces seedless fruits.
Suitable lighting for him:
Full sun (at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily)
- Plant height: Large cucumbers can reach 10 inches in length
Soil type
- Requires fertile, sandy soil. The soil should be moist but well-drained (not waterlogged) and have a pH of approximately 6.5 to 7.0.
- Improving clay soil by adding organic materials.
The amount of water needed
- They need at least one inch of water per week (or more, if temperatures are particularly high).
- Inconsistent watering leads to bitter-tasting fruit.
- Water the plant slowly in the morning or early afternoon, avoiding getting the leaves wet, as this may encourage leaf diseases that can destroy the plant.
- Plant the seeds 1 inch deep and about 3 to 5 feet apart in a row
- After planting, cover the area with straw, shredded leaves, or other organic mulch to keep pests away.
- When the seedlings are 4 inches tall, thin the plants so they are spaced about 18 inches apart.
- It should be gradually acclimated to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before being planted in warm, well-drained, humus-rich soil outdoors.
- The most widespread diseases that attack the crop and the correct treatment method
- Angular leaf spot: Treatment should begin when symptoms first appear, and the addition of a fungicide (such as mancozeb) will enhance the effectiveness of the copper treatment.
- Bacterial wilt: Eliminates weed hosts and removes affected plants.
- Powdery mildew: To control powdery mildew, choose resistant varieties when available. . Monitor the crop for the first symptoms of the disease, at which time a fungicide application program can be initiated.
Find out what light your plants are actually getting.
Find the best locations for them to improve their health, simply using your phone.
Flowering stage
After germination, the first male flower can be seen in approximately 35 to 55 days, which will later be followed by the appearance of a female flower in a week or two (i.e. 42 to 62 days).
- The fertilized female flower takes 10 to 12 days to produce fruit
- Fruiting stage
- Cucumber plants take about 55 to 70 days from germination to harvest stage.
Pruning
- Keep track of new growth points and parts, and discard them if they are less than 2 inches long.
- If lower flowers appear, they can be removed, which helps direct energy toward the plant's stems and leaves.
- Remove all previous branches in the first six nodes. This is so that the tree does not turn into yellow growth after that.
- How to take care of fertilization and what are the best elements for growth
- Fertilize the plants with a 5-10-10 fertilizer. It is applied one week after the plant begins to flower and every 3 weeks thereafter directly on the soil surrounding the plants. Do not over-fertilize so that the fruits do not become stunted.
Suggested use
- It is sliced into sandwiches and salads, pickled, or added to drinks.
- Suitable planting time : It is planted in February and March
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