STEPS IN CUCUMBER FARMING OR CULTIVATION

STEPS IN CUCUMBER FARMING OR CULTIVATION
The following steps have been compiled from our experiences in farms to aid you in cucumber cultivation and production either in a small or large scale. Following these steps carefully will help you avoid certain problems that are commonly associated with cucumber production and help you enjoy farming cucumber. Lets take a look at the steps.

STEP ONE: LAND PREPARATION
Compared to other cucurbits, cucumber plant has a stricter requirement of soil type as its root system develops and absorbs nutrients poorly. Researchers shows that sandy loam or sandy soils are suitable for growing cucumber because it absorbs heat faster than other soils and its small particles structure helps prevent seedlings from collapse due to rain and wind. The cucumber root system is shallow(only 25-30 cm deep from ground) resulting in poor ability to tolerate drought, planting should be prepared carefully.

Clear and plow the farm land where you intend to farm.

Carefully remove all stumps! The land chosen must be without shrubs or trees. Cucumber needs sunshine not shades.

Apply organic manure before making beds.

This is better. Organic manure can still be applied after making beds.

Make beds.

i. Height of beds: 20cm-30cm
ii. Width: 1.0m
iii. Spacing between beds 0.5-1m

Put drip irrigation system

i. Drip irrigation is inevitable if planting during dry season.
ii. You may not need it during heavy rains in eastern Nigeria.
iii. Note that cucumber requires much water on daily basis

Cover beds with mulching film.

Mulching film is a plastic product used for mulching to suppress weeds and conserve water in crop production. Crops grow through the holes in the thin plastic sheeting, proper disposal of the mulching film usage is highly encouraged to keep your environment clean and to limit the presence of polyethylene in the soil.
* Make holes on the mulching film
* Ensure that the distance between the holes and the other is about 40cm-50cm. this will also determine the distance of the plant.

STEP TWO: SOWING.
Two methods of sowing could be used;

DIRECT SOWING: Sow 1-2 seeds per hole in the field. Cucumber seeds germinate quickly usually not more than a week, once the seedlings have reached an inch or two the weaker of the two can be removed (Where two seeds were sown).

Sow in nursery trays and transplant after 6-10 days when the first true leaf appears.

TIPS:
* Do not allow seedlings to get too large in the nursery tray,if this happens, transplanting becomes a lot more difficult.
* Transplanting is best done late in the evening from about 6pm.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOWING DIRECTLY AND SOWING IN NURSERY/TRANSPLANTING.

NURSERY/TRANSPLANTING DIRECT SOWING

Saves seeds It waste seeds

Takes a lot of time Faster method for large farm

Requires a lot of labor Much labor is not required

Crops are easily injured during transplanting Prevents crops from being injured and help

to develop quickly

Controlling the depth of seedlings is easy It is difficult to control the depth of seedling

resulting sometimes in poor emergence

STEP THREE: MANURE APPLICATION
It is important to use organic manure since it is a safer and healthier option compared to chemical fertilizers. At the basic level, organic fertilizers simply means fertilizers derived from organic matter, such as decomposed leaves, bones, fruits, vegetables and animals droppings. Chemical fertilizers can destroy plants if applied excessively, kill earthworms and microorganism in the soil that aid plant growth, pollute ground water and contain lead and other heavy metals which can be taken in by growing plants and which in turn we consume as. To compost with higher content of potassium than usual, throw fruit and vegetable waste into the compost pile. Banana peel, orange rinds, lemon rinds, spinach and tomatoes will help. Mixing wood ash into soil will add potassium to it. Be sure not to overdo this however, to make sure that the soil PH is balanced.
HOW TO APPLY MANURE
* 3-4 days after transplanting or 10-12 days after direct sowing, spray your organic foliage fertilizer.
* Repeat the spraying on weekly basis
* 20-25 days after transplanting (flowering stage) apply organic manure and use furrow irrigation.
* Repeat organic manure application 30-35 days after transplanting (fruiting stage)
* While irrigation is done daily, manure is applied weekly in the furrows.
STEP FOUR STAKING
This is the supporting of a plant with a stake or stakes.

TIP;
Staking is done as soon as the plant grows out enough to hang on the sticks (about 30cm high). It should not be allowed to crawl on the ground.
STEP FIVE: PRUNING
Pruning is very necessary to encourage quick growth and high yield and promote healthy plants. Your goal is to have one healthy vine with fewer /shorter nodes, rather than have several vines.
TO PRUNE:

Remove completely the 1st -4th side shoot branches and allow fruits to set from the 5th branch after the 1st or 2nd leaf cut off the other part of each of the branches.

TIP:
Fruits will form from female flowers .
Be careful not to remove any flower
STEP SIX: HARVEST
Harvest your cucumber fruits when they have reached the desired market size. However do not allow them to turn yellow or strong. Harvest when crispy and fresh.
Harvest 35-45 days after transplanting.
Harvest every other day ie two days interval if you desired to harvest large quantities.

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN CUCUMBER CULTIVATION

BITTERNESS

Adequate watering of the cucumber plant is very essential. Watering must be done every day and adequately. Be sure not to keep your cucumber plants dry at any time.
Lack of water could cause your cucumber to turn out bitter and could also reduce the plant yield , also if cucumber crops are grown in poor soil, especially when there is lack of nitrogen, they will develop slowly and fruits will be small and bitter.
WEED CONTROL
Weeds are farmers biggest enemy. Controlling weeds is a practice one cannot do without if the plants must be healthy and free from pests and insects attack. The farm must be free from weeds (they compete for the soil nutrients with the plants and harbor pests and insects). Weeding farm should be done before transplanting. Vegetables farms should not be sited close to a bush.
TIPS:
Experts discourage the use of chemical herbicides; they can leach into fruits and vegetables.
DISEASES AND PEST
Pest and diseases retard the growth and yield of cucumber plant like it does to most other plants. Keep the cucumber plant healthy by fighting and preventing them from pest attack. Keep the farm free from weeds. Apply any cultural/organic methods of preventing pest like applying wood ash etc. pest are some pest/disease you will likely encounter and how to control them.
CUCUMBER BEETLES

    B. spotted cucumber beetle

A. strpcuke
Two types of cucumber beetles may attack your farm, A: The stripped cucumber beetle, which is yellow with 3 black strips B: The spotted cucumber beetle, which is yellow with 12 black spots.

BACTERIAL WILT

The bacterial wilt is transmitted by cucumber beetle.
Symptoms:
Vines start wilting within two weeks of infection, patches appear on the leaves, fruits becme small and deformed, yellowing of leaves and stunted growth.
Disease management:

Prevent seedling from cucumber beetle
Destroy their eggs once spotted.
Once infected, pull and remove plants away from the farm.
Do not use furrow irrigation to avoid the transmission of the disease to the unaffected area.

CUT WORMS

Symptoms:
Plants are cut off near soil level, they chew stems roots and leaves.
Pest management:
Spray wood ash at the root of plant.

VIRUS: APHIDS

Symptoms:

Leaves of infected plants may show prominent light green mosaic patterns, deformation, puckering, blisters, narrow leaves, green vein banding, pale colour, the virus may also cause water soaked spots on fruits.
Disease management:

Prevent the seedling from aphids.
Insecticides should be used: confidor, dinothefurantin, chlopyriphos.
Eradicate cucurbits that have been uprooted before cultivated before cultivating anew farm which may host disease.
Use reflective and dark mulches to repel aphids.

BACTERIAL SPOTS OR BLIGHT

SYMPTOMS:
water soaked spots which may be brown or black on fruits.
Disease management:

Remove and destroy infected fruits
Promote good drainage.
Avoid too much over-head watering.
Rotate crops.

SQUASH BUGS

SYMPTOMS
Yellowing of plant, wilting of plant and plants will die.
Pest management:

Handpicking while the bugs are still few in the farm.
Use pesticide.

VIRUS: WHITEFLY

SYMPTOMS
Young leaves show brightening, yellowing, leaf curling, leaf cupping either upward or downward, and leaf deformation. Severe infection results in development of shorter internodes and plant stunting. The older leaves show bright yellow spots.
Disease management:

Prevent the seedling from whitefly.
Insecticides should be used like confidor, dinothefuran, kuru, moran.
Eradicate cucurbits that have been uprooted before cultivating a new farm.
Use reflective and dark mulches to repel aphids.

VIRUS: THRIPS

SYMPTOMS:
Young leaves show brightening, yellowing, leaf curling, leaf cupping downward and leaf deformation.
Disease management:

Prevent the seedling from thrips.
Insecticides should be used like confidor, dinothefuran, kuru, abamectin, lannate.
Eradicate cucurbits and weeds, which may as alternate hosts out of field.
Use reflective mulches to repel thrips.

PICKLE WORMS

SYMPTOMS:
The presence of larvae which is brownish or greenish with a dark brown or black head, small holes caused by larvae as they burrow into the fruit and vine.
Pest control:

Prevent moth from depositing eggs.
Insecticides treated.

CURVED OR C-SHAPED CUCUMBER

This is caused by hot or dry conditions when fruit are setting, inadequate nutrition, pest attack and poor pollination. Where you have a fertile soil and plants are watered properly, poor pollination is a likely culprit. Avoid use of insecticides or watering when the bees are at work (in the afternoon), use pesticides and water very early in the morning before the sun rise or late in the evening.