Cucumber, also known as courgette and cucumber, belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. It is widely distributed throughout China and is one of the main greenhouse products. Cucumber was brought back to the Central Plains by Zhang Qian on his mission to the Western Regions during the Western Han Dynasty. It was called Hugua. During the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms, Emperor Shi Le of Zhao later tabooed the word "Hu". Fan Tan, the governor of Xiangguo County of the Han Dynasty, changed it to "cucumber". The stems of cucumbers are covered with hairs and are rich in juice. The leaves have 3-5 lobes and are covered with hairs.

Methods for growing cucumbers

1. Soil selection and soil preparation: Choose a clayey sandy loam soil with a pH between 6.0-7.5, rich in organic matter, good drainage and irrigation, and water and fertilizer retention. Avoid mixing with melons. Continuous cropping of similar crops is best done in paddy fields. The land is prepared with deep trenches and high borders, with a border width of 1.8-2.0 meters (continuous ditch), a border height of 30 cm, running north-south, double row planting, and a plant spacing of 30 cm.

2 Sowing and raising seedlings: Sowing in early spring from January to March, and planting in summer and autumn from June to August. Spring sowing can be done by soaking seeds for germination and then raising seedlings or covering them with mulch for direct seeding. In summer and autumn, soaking seeds for direct seeding or dry seeds for direct seeding can be used. Seed soaking and germination are commonly used in cucumber sowing. Sterilize the seeds by scalding them in warm boiled water at 50-55°C for 10 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burns. Then soak them in warm water of about 30°C for 4-6 hours, wash them clean, drain them, and moisturize them in an incubator or warm place at 28-30°C for germination. Germination will begin in 20 hours. In early spring, small arched sheds are used to insulate seedlings. Use seedling cups or seedbeds to raise seedlings. Plant the seedlings when they are 15-20 days old (2 true leaves). Carry out in the evening on a sunny day. Pay attention to protecting the root system and drench the seedlings with water before raising them. When raising seedlings, follow the order. Plant with soil to prevent root damage.

3 Fertilizer and water management and soil cultivation Applying sufficient base fertilizer is one of the keys to stable and high yields. Cucumbers respond well to base fertilizer. When preparing the land, plow deeply and apply decomposed organic fertilizer. Apply 2000-3000 kg per mu, 50 kg of gross fertilizer, and 30 kg of superphosphate as base fertilizer. When the plant has 2-3 true leaves, start top dressing. Cucumber roots have weak absorption capacity and are sensitive to high-concentration fertilizers. Top-dressing should be based on the principle of "apply frequently and thinly". Top-dressing is once every 6-8 days, and 5kg-6kg of urea per mu is applied. When tendrils appear, combine cultivating, weeding, soil and fertilizer. After harvesting the first batch of melons, soil and fertilizer are cultivated again. Apply 15kg-20kg of peanut bran, 30kg of compound fertilizer and 10kg of potassium fertilizer per mu. In summer and autumn, due to high temperatures, rapid growth and development, and rapid aging. In addition, there is heavy rainfall and a lot of fertilizer and water loss. In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, top dressing should be applied early. During the 1-2 true leaf stage and after harvesting the first batch of melons, soil and fertilizer should be cultivated once each. Pay attention to phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to avoid steep growth and premature aging. Water should be controlled during the seedling stage of spring cucumbers. The flowering and fruiting period requires the most water. Watering is usually done once a day on sunny days and once every 3-5 days in drought conditions. Take precautions against flooding in rainy days.

4. Stretching to attract vines and pruning. Generally, when tendrils appear, insert bamboo trellis to attract vines and build a "herringbone frame". The vine introduction starts after the tendrils appear, and the vine introduction is done every 3-4 days to make the plants evenly distributed, and it is carried out in the evening on a sunny day. Whether cucumbers should be pruned depends on the variety. If the main vines bear fruit, pruning is generally not required; if the main lateral vines bear fruit or side vines bear fruit, top pruning is required. Generally, all side vines with less than 8 nodes are cut off, and lateral branches with more than 9 nodes are left with 3 nodes before pruning. , the main vine is about 30 knots high.

5 Tips for falling cucumber vines in greenhouses: Falling cucumber vines can evenly distribute the leaves, maintain a reasonable lighting position, maintain the optimal leaf coefficient, and improve photosynthetic efficiency, thereby strengthening the growth potential and extending the melon-bearing period. However, it is necessary to master the correct method of falling vines to ensure high quality and high yield of cucumbers in the greenhouse. The key points are: 1. When the growth point of the plant is close to the roof of the shed, and the leafless stems and vines at the bottom of the plant are more than 30 cm above the ground, drop the vines in time. It is best to drop the vines in a sunny and warm afternoon, so that the stems and vines are not easily damaged. Remember not to drop the vines in the morning or morning when the water content is high, or after watering, to avoid damaging the stems and vines and affecting the normal growth of the plant. 2. It is best not to water the vines for 7 days before dropping. This will help reduce the water content of the stems and vines, enhance flexibility, and reduce the source of disease. 3． Remove diseased and old leaves first, then take them outside the shed and burn them to prevent the fruits and leaves close to the ground after falling vines from getting sick due to the humid environment.

4. Loosen the hanging rope wrapped around the stems and vines, and drop the stems and vines to the ground. Do not pull or pull them hard. The stems and vines must gradually wrap around both sides of the cultivation ridge in an orderly manner in the same direction. When coiling the stems and vines, bend the stems in the same direction as the stems and vines. Do not bend them hard or in the opposite direction to avoid twisting or breaking the stems and vines in the opposite direction. When the vines begin to fall, the stems and vines are thinner, the interval is short, and the circles are small. After the stems and vines grow thicker, the time interval for falling vines is slightly longer, and the circles are larger, and 1/3 to 1/3 of the length of the stems and vines can be fallen off at one time. 4. 5. Keep the leafy stems and vines about 13 cm away from the ridge surface, and maintain more than 20 functional leaves per plant. 6. Harvesting: It takes about 55 days from planting to first harvest of cucumbers in spring and 35 days in summer and autumn. It can be harvested in about 10 days after flowering. That is, the skin color changes from dark green to bright green and shiny, and it is best to harvest when the petals do not fall off. The first melons should be harvested early to avoid affecting the growth of subsequent melons or even hindering plant growth, causing deformed melons and premature plant senescence, thereby affecting yields.

Pot planting method

1 Soil selection Choose clayey sandy loam or gardening soil with a pH between 6.0-7.5, rich in organic matter, good drainage and irrigation, and water and fertilizer retention.

2 Sowing and raising seedlings: Sowing in early spring from January to March, and planting in summer and autumn from June to August. Sowing in spring can be done by soaking seeds for germination and then raising seedlings or by covering them with mulch for direct seeding. In summer and autumn, seeds can be soaked for direct seeding or dry seeds for direct seeding. Seed soaking and germination are commonly used in cucumber sowing. Sterilize the seeds by scalding them in warm boiled water at 50-55°C for 10 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burns. Then soak them in warm water of about 30°C for 4-6 hours, wash them clean, drain them, and moisturize them in an incubator or warm place at 28-30°C for germination. Germination will begin in 20 hours. In early spring, small arched sheds are used to insulate seedlings. Use seedling cups or seedbeds to raise seedlings. Plant the seedlings when they are 15-20 days old (2 true leaves). Carry out in the evening on a sunny day. Pay attention to protecting the root system and drench the seedlings with water before raising them. When raising seedlings, follow the order. Plant with soil to prevent root damage.

3. Setting up a frame to guide the vines and pruning them. Generally, when tendrils appear, insert a bamboo frame to guide the vines and build a "herringbone frame". The vine introduction starts after the tendrils appear. The vine introduction is done every 3-4 days to make the plants evenly distributed. It is carried out in the evening on a sunny day. Whether cucumbers should be pruned depends on the variety. If the main vines bear fruit, pruning is generally not required; if the main lateral vines bear fruit or side vines bear fruit, top pruning is required. Generally, all side vines with less than 8 nodes are cut off, and lateral branches with more than 9 nodes are left with 3 nodes before pruning. , the main vine is about 30 knots high.