Simple and effective instructions for growing cucumbers at home
Simple and effective instructions for growing cucumbers at home
You have a small yard, or a balcony corner. You want to grow your own food to ensure your family’s health. Today, we will introduce you to a simple way to grow your own cucumbers that is guaranteed to be successful.
Prepare
Seeds
Cucumber seeds you can buy easily at agricultural stores. There are many different types of cucumbers, depending on your preferences, choose the most suitable variety for yourself.
Planting pot tray
Cucumber roots grow quite quickly, so you should choose a large pot. You can use large foam containers to grow cucumbers or large plastic pots to help the plants grow well.
Planting land
Cucumbers can grow in many different types of soil. However, when growing cucumbers, you need to choose loose, nutritious soil, preferably light soil, sandy soil… you can use pre-mixed soil to save time and money.
Cucumber growing techniques
Incubate seeds
Soak cucumber seeds in warm water, 2 boiling 3 cold for 2 – 3 hours, then take out the seeds, rinse with clean water and incubate in a damp towel at a temperature of 27 – 30°C for 12 hours, always keeping the temperature fresh. Moisten the wrapper and check to see if the seeds have cracked and sprouted, then sow.
Drills
Method 1: Sow directly in soil
- Loosen the soil then make a hole about 0.5cm deep.
- Sow seeds with the root tip pointing perpendicular to the ground. Place the seed head level with the ground and then cover it with a thin layer of soil.
- Cover the top with a layer of straw to avoid harsh sunlight!
Method 2: Sow in plastic trays, foam trays
- Put coco peat into the nursery tray. Or you use coconut fiber tablets
- Use your hand to press down to make a hole 1cm deep and then sow. Sow 1-2 seeds in each hole and cover with a layer of coconut fiber.
- Don’t forget to water once a day to keep the nursery tray moist!
Plant a tree
After 1 week, the seeds will sprout. When the seedlings are about 10 – 15cm tall. If the tree trunk is fat and sturdy, you can move the nursery bulb to a planting pot or you can plant it directly in the soil. Use 60% orchid net to shade the sun during the first 3 days while the plant is greening.
Cucumber care techniques
Light and temperature
Cucumbers adapt to hot and humid climate conditions, the appropriate temperature for melon growth is 30°C and night temperature 24 – 26°C. Cucumbers’ need for light is very high. Trees that are provided with enough sunlight will help them grow well and produce large and quality fruits.
Irrigation water
Regularly water the plant every early morning and late afternoon.
Fertilizer
Second week after planting: Sprinkle more treated cow manure or chicken manure on the plants, cover with straw or dry grass on the ground around the plants to keep the soil moist.
In the 3rd week: you need to add green NPK Minro 30-9-9 mixed fertilizer. Supplement macronutrients for plants.
The plant begins to develop leaf stems and tendrils. At this point, start making a trellis for the tree.
1 month after planting: Need to water a lot and fertilize with phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium to increase nutrients for plant growth and flowering. You can spray calcium nitrate supplements to plants to increase flowering and fruiting. About 30 – 50 days after planting, the cucumber begins to flower and bear fruit, the leaf axils begin to sprout male and female flowers and branches. At this time, the plant needs to be watered fully twice a day, in the morning and evening. Although the tree has a high need for watering, it cannot tolerate waterlogging. If it lacks water, the tree produces small, bitter fruits. Cucumber is a heat-loving plant, so if grown in a place with lots of light, the fruit will grow quickly and have good quality. Depending on growing conditions, the plant can self-pollinate with insects. Or you can spray diluted sugar water on the stems to attract bees to pollinate the melons. Additionally, you can pollinate the plant by removing the male flowers. Use a cotton swab to insert into the male flower to collect pollen. And rub on the pistil of female flowers to pollinate every morning around 9 – 10 am.
Pests and diseases
Cucumbers are often damaged by armyworms and leafminers. You use Tasieu, Plutel 5EC for preventive spraying
Harvest
Cucumber plants bear fruit after about 60 – 80 days after planting, depending on the plant variety and care conditions. Harvesting cucumbers is best in the early morning when temperatures are still cool. After each fruit harvest, potassium and nitrogen should be applied every 2 weeks to provide nutrients for the tree to grow fruit fo.
